to the table, where Bertha had
a plate of goodies ready for him.

"Attention, everybody!"

Max sprang to his feet.

"Sing to the air of the Boat Club Song:

"He is the Boat Club mascot,
Give a cheer! give a cheer!
For the Boat Club mascot,
Elsmere! Elsmere!"

"Do it again!" cried Elsmere, brandishing a fork and making Bertha
dodge, "Give a cheer, Elsmere! Boat Club stomach! Give a cheer!"

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

AUF WIEDERSEHEN

Such a bustling place as Three Gables was on that Friday morning!

"It seems a pity that you can't stay till Monday, when college really
opens," said Dr. Helen, pressing out a filmy waist in the dining-room,
where the four girls were gathered, setting last stitches.

"But the new girls who have come on early and those who have had to take
'exams' are just the ones who need cheering up, and we are the official
Comfort Committee, aren't we, Alice?"

Alice, fastening the thread after sewing in a fresh ruche, nodded. "Got
to keep the blues away, or perish trying to," she said. "And Hannah has
to be home before Monday. And Frieda needs a day or two to get settled.
Hilda said she'd come back to-day, and they could get their room in
order before Sunday. I'm so glad you're going to room with Hilda, Frieda
dear. She's such a darling child."

"Is she still given to crushes?" asked Hannah. "She fairly worshiped
Lilian Burton's door-sill when I was there."

"Crushes are going out of fashion at Dexter," said Catherine
emphatically. "And one of the reasons I thought it would be good for
Hilda to room with Frieda was that Frieda has too much sense to indulge
in them, and she will keep Hilda suppressed."

"Catherine, you have such a positive manner when you talk about Dexter,"
said Hannah thoughtfully. "You'll be House President senior year. O,
dear!" for Frieda, in getting up to help Dr. Helen fold up the
ironing-board, had brushed by Hannah's chair, and a fat little button
bag rolling to the floor had emptied its contents all over the room.

"Such a lot of buttons, Hannah!" exclaimed Dr. Helen, stooping to help
gather them up.

Hannah laughed. "Mamma was so surprised when I came back from Dexter
because there were as many in it as when I went, and I told her there
were more because I had put in all the buttons that had come off while I
was there! And then she was shocked!"

The doorbell rang and Inga came in with a big parcel for Catherine with
Grandma Hopkins