boasts that she's never been ill in her life," said Mary Brooks.

And Adelaide Rich always added with great positiveness, "It's exactly
like her to stay away on purpose, just to see what will happen."

Unfortunately Betty could not deny this, and she was glad enough to drop
the argument. She had too many pleasant things to do to care to waste
time in profitless discussion. For it was spring term. Nobody but a
Harding girl knows exactly what that means. The freshman is very likely
to consider the much heralded event only a pretty myth, until having
started from home on a cold, bleak day that is springtime only by the
calendar, she arrives at Harding to find herself confronted by the
genuine article. The sheltered situation of the town undoubtedly has
something to do with its early springs, but the attitude of the Harding
girl has far more. She knows that spring term is the beautiful crown of
the college year, and she is bound that it shall be as long as possible.
So she throws caution and her furs to the winds and dons a muslin gown,
plans drives and picnics despite April showers, and takes twilight
strolls regardless of lurking germs of pneumonia. The grass grows green
perforce and the buds swell to meet her wishes, while the sun, finding a
creature after his brave, warm heart, does his gallant best for her.

"Do what little studying you intend to right away," Mary Brooks advised
her freshmen. "Before you know it, it will be too warm to work."

"But at present it's too lovely," objected Roberta.

"Then join the Athletic Association and trust to luck, but above all
join the Athletic Association. I'm on the membership committee."

"Can I get into the golf club section this time?" asked Betty, who had
been kept on the waiting list all through the fall.

"Yes, you just squeeze in, and Christy Mason wants you to play round the
course with her to-morrow."

"I'm for tennis," said Katherine. "Miss Lawrence and I are going to play
as soon as the courts are marked out. By the way, when do the
forget-me-nots blossom?"

"Has Laurie roped you into that?" asked Mary Brooks scornfully.

"Don't jump at conclusions," retorted Katherine.

"I didn't have to jump. The wild ones blossom about the middle of May.
You'll have to think of something else if you want to make an immediate
conquest of your angel. And speaking of angels," added Mary, who was
sitting by a window, "Eleanor Watson is coming up the walk."

The girls trooped