luncheon. Her hair caused her such extraordinary pains that she was late
in reaching the table. She found that Bea had usurped her place at the
head, but forgot to object in the confusion of being greeted with:
"Heigho, Berta, what's happened?" "You're spick and span enough for a
party." "Are you going to town this afternoon?"

"Young ladies!" Berta ignored the warm color that she felt rising slowly
under her dark skin, "I am astonished at your manners. Don't you know
that you should never refer to an individual's personal appearance? I
read that in a book on etiquette. You may allude to my money, to my
brains, to the beauty of my soul, but you must not remark upon my looks.
I don't understand the principle of the thing, unless it is that
compliments on the other three articles fail to injure the character,
whereas flattery with regard to my pulchritude----"

Bea's hand shot into the air and waved frantically.

"Please, teacher, what is that funny word?"

"Go to the Latin lexicon, thou ignoramus."

"I can't," said Bea, "you borrowed mine and never brought it back. It's
being a----"

"But aren't you going anywhere?" asked Robbie Belle who had been filling
Berta's plate and pouring her milk during the discourse.

Bea sent a bewitching smile straight into Berta's eyes. "I'm 'most sure
she is going to give me a swimming lesson at half past four. Then if it
is still raining this evening, we can all swim over to the chapel for the
concert. Please, Berta."

"All right," acquiesced Berta carelessly. "I will do it because I am so
noble and you are a literary person, though how in this world of
incomprehensibilities you managed to get elected to that editorial board
passes my powers of apperception. Robbie, will you be so kind as to reach
me that saltcellar?"

"You ought to say, 'Salt!' at the beginning, and then while you are
putting in the rest of the words, she can be handing it over," advised
Bea; "ah, what was the thought I was about to think?"

She paused in dispensing the main dish and rolled up her eyes vacantly
for a moment before she dropped the spoon without a glance at the cloth
to see if it left a stain and rising walked dreamily out of the
dining-room.

The other girls stared. Robbie looked alarmed till Gertrude caught the
likeness and explained: "It's 'sincerest flattery' for you, Berta.
Imitation, you understand. When an idea strikes you, you drop everything
and wander away while Robbie or Bea picks