s to trim
the hall respectably."

"We might ask for a holiday!" Bobby's face beamed at the thought. "We
haven't had a day off in weeks, and Mrs. Eustice said a long time ago she
thought we'd earned one. Will you do the asking, Betty?"

Betty was accustomed to "doing the asking," and she said she would once
more if Norma Guerin would go with her. Wherever possible, Betty drew
Norma into every school activity, and she persistently refused to allow
her friend to talk as though the Christmas holidays would end their days
at Shadyside. Alice worried less than Norma, but both girls grieved at
the thought of the sacrifice those at home were making for them and felt
that they could not accept it much longer without vigorous protest.

Betty and Bobby, on the other hand, were determined to see to it that
the sisters spent their holidays in Washington, and while Bobby
cherished wild plans of filling a trunk with new dresses and hats and
forcing it in some manner upon her chums, Betty concentrated her
attention on the subject of cash. She intended to consult her uncle, in
person if possible, and if that proved impossible, by letter, and Bob as
to the feasibility of persuading Norma and Alice to borrow a sum
sufficient to see them through to graduation day at Shadyside. Betty was
sure her uncle and Bob, in both of whom she had infinite faith, could
manage this difficult task satisfactorily, though the Guerin pride was a
formidable obstacle.

Acting immediately on the decision to ask for a holiday, Betty and Norma
went down to the office and preferred their request, which was cordially
granted after an explanation of its purpose.

"All day to-morrow off!" shouted Betty, bursting in upon the six girls
assembled to hear the result.

"We may go after breakfast and needn't come back till four o'clock when
Miss Anderson has called a dress rehearsal," chimed in Norma.

Libbie and Louise were dispatched to notify the other girls and to
give strict instructions to those who had boxes not to eat any more of
the contents.

"Elsie Taylor had already eaten six eclairs when I requisitioned her box
for the picnic," said Constance Howard. "It's lucky we're going tomorrow,
or there wouldn't be much left to eat."

Betty and Bobby each had a box from Mrs. Littell, who sent packages of
sensible goodies regularly to her girls in turn.

"I hope the sandwiches will keep fresh enough," worried Betty.

But she might have saved her worry.

Jus