nce."

Then they fell into the line of white clad girls, and to the strains
of a march played by the Seventh Form graduates, three hundred bright
faced maidens--large and small--filed to their places in Assembly for
their last appearance all together.

It was a Commencement like multitudes of others; with the usual eager
interest in guessing who'd be prize winners. The most highly valued
prize of each year at Oak Knowe was the gold medal for improvement in
conduct. Who would get it? Looking back the "Inseparables" could think
of nobody who'd shown marked advance along that line; Winifred
remarking, complacently:

"I think we're all about as good as can be, anyway. 'Cause we're not
allowed to be anything else."

"I know who's improved most, though. I hope--Oh! I hope she'll get
it!"

And when the announcement was made she did! Said the Bishop, who
conferred the diplomas and prizes:

"The Improvement Gold Medal, the highest honor our faculty can bestow,
is this year awarded to--" Here the speaker paused just long enough to
whet the curiosity of those eager girls--"To the Honorable Gwendolyn
Borst-Kennard. Will she kindly advance and receive it?"

Never was "honor girl" more deeply moved, surprised, and grateful than
this once so haughty "Peer," now humble at heart as the meekest
"Charity" present, and never such deafening cheers and hand-claps
greeted the recipient of that coveted prize.

Other lesser prizes followed: to Winifred's surprise, she had gained
"Distinction" in physical culture; Florita in mathematics; and a new
"Distinction" was announced for that year--"To Miss Dorothy Calvert
for uniform courtesy," and one that she valued less: a gold star for
advancement in music.

"Two prizes, Dolly Doodles! You ought to should give poor Gracie one,
you should. 'Tis not nice for one girl to have two, but my Auntie
Prin, she couldn't help it. She told the Bishop you'd always been a
beautiful behaver, an' she must. Now, it's all over, and I'm glad.
I'm so tired and hungry. Come to banquet."

After all it was the same as most Commencements the world over, with
its joys and its anticipations. What of the latter's realization? In
Dorothy's case at least the telling thereof is not for this time or
place; but all is duly related in a new story and a new volume which
tells of "Dorothy's Triumph." But there was that year one innovation
at the banquet, that farewell feast of all the school together. For
the company wa