mber.

CHAPTER V

THE PHI SIGMA TAU

At the door a halt was called.

"Prepare to jump," commanded Grace in a deep voice. "One, two, three!
Jump down! Be careful!"

The four candidates gave four uncertain jumps and experienced the
disagreeable sensation usually felt in attempting to jump downward when
on level ground. This was one of the oldest and mildest forms of
initiation, but Nora had insisted upon it, and giggled violently as the
four girls prepared for a long leap. Even Grace, who was conducting the
ceremony with the utmost seriousness, laughed a little at the picture
they made.

"They'll do anything you tell them," whispered Nora. Which was perfectly
true. To show fear or reluctance in obeying the demands made upon one,
was to prove one's self unworthy of membership in the Phi Sigma Tau.

"Let the music begin," said Grace.

There was a faint snicker as Anne, Nora and Jessica raised three combs,
wrapped in tissue paper, to their lips and began the "Merry Widow"
waltz, with weird effect.

"You must waltz around the room fifteen times without stopping,"
continued Grace, "and then sit down in the four opposite corners of the
room, on the cushions provided for you."

The girl chums retreated to the doorway of the room, that had previously
been cleared of almost all the furniture, to watch the movements of
their victims as they endeavored to circle the room the required number
of times. They lost their count, bumped each other at every turn, and
at last staggered dizzily toward what they thought were the corners of
the room. Miriam Nesbit made straight for the door in which the chums
stood, and Grace was obliged to take her by the shoulders and gently
steer her in the opposite direction. Eleanor, after groping along one
side of the room for a corner, was the first to find one, and sank with
a sigh of relief upon the pile of cushions. The other girls had not been
so successful. They all endeavored to sit in the same corner at once, and
Grace was obliged to go to the rescue, and lead two of them to opposite
sides of the initiation chamber.

"In order to become successful members of this society, it is necessary
for you to sing. You may all sing the first verse and the chorus of any
song you know, only be sure that you don't choose the same song, and don't
stop until you have finished," directed Grace. "Begin after I have counted
three. I will wait for a minute while you choose your song. The orchest