eeting moment toward
the wide doors at the back. Ah! She raised her head higher to watch,
motionless, breathless. The doors were noiselessly swinging shut behind a
girl with a queer small face atop of an ill-clad little figure. But the
face instead of being crumpled in grief was alight with joy; and the
little figure advanced with a lilt and a swing, as if just freed from a
burden.

The message had been a message of good tidings.

Lila watched the child slip exultantly into a convenient corner. Then
with a sudden, swift movement the older girl dropped full upon her knees
and covered her eyes with her hands.

CHAPTER XIV

CLASSMATES

Bea reached for Robbie with one arm, grasped Lila with the other, and
went skipping after the rest of the seniors over the lawn to their class
tree. She dragged them under its spreading branches to the centre of the
throng that had gathered in the June twilight. Berta was already there,
mounted on a small platform that had been built against the trunk in
preparation for the morrow's Class Day ceremonies.

"She looks pretty decent," whispered Bea to Robbie in order to frustrate
the queer sensation in her throat at sight of the eager face laughing
above them on this last evening together before the deluge of
commencement guests. "I hope the alumnae who are wandering around admire
our taste in presidents."

"Maybe," Robbie spoke reflectively, "they're almost as much interested in
their classmates as we are in ours."

"Um-m," said Bea, "why, maybe so they are. I never thought of that
before. Robbie, you're my liberal education. Now, then, attention! Berta
is raising her hand to mark time for the songs to be rehearsed for
to-morrow."

But Berta's hand dropped at sound of a shout from across the campus.
"There!" she exclaimed, "the sophomores are coming."

They certainly were coming, on a double-quick march, two by two, shouting
for the seniors. As they approached the shouting changed to singing. When
they reached the tree, they spread out and joining hands went skipping,
still viva voce, around the seniors who watched them, silent and smiling.
The air was sweet with the cool, spicy breath of spruces. Lila thought
that she could even smell the roses in the garden beyond the evergreens.
She lifted her face toward the soft evening sky, and her mouth grew
wistful. Bea caught a glimpse of it, and immediately became voluble if
not eloquent.

"This is impromptu," she commented, ge