-like Cora Stanton--down at the girls she knew instead of
crossing and uncrossing her dreadful feet!

After an interval that seemed endless to Jerry, Cora Stanton rose and
made a graceful little bow, first to the judges, then to the audience.
The speakers had agreed among themselves how much ground in the argument
each should cover; Cora Stanton was to outline the conditions in the
Philippine Islands before the United States had taken them over, Jerry
was to show what the United States had done and how qualified the
Islands were, now, to govern themselves, and Stephen Curtiss was to
conclude the argument for the affirmative by proving that, in order to
maintain a safe balance of power among the eastern nations of the world
it was necessary that the Philippine Islands should be self-governing.

A hush followed the burst of applause that greeted Cora. Jerry settled
back in her chair with something like relief--the thing had begun. She
caught a little smile from Uncle Johnny that gave her courage. She must
listen carefully to what Cora said.

But as Cora, prettily at ease, began speaking, in a clear voice, Jerry
grew rigid, paralyzed by the storm of amazement, unbelief and anger that
surged over her. For Cora Stanton was presenting, word for word, the
arguments _she had prepared and written on those sheets of paper_!

And in the very front row sat Isobel, with Amy Mathers, their
handkerchiefs wadded to their lips to keep back their laughter.

It was very easy for poor Jerry to recognize the treachery. She was too
angry to feel hurt. And, more than anything, she was too confused--for,
when it came her turn, what was _she_ going to say?

Wildly she searched her mind for something clear and coherent on the
hideous subject and all that would come was Gyp's "let us pause--let us
feel the fluttering of the heart that preceded the battle, let us hear
the order to advance--the wild charge----"

She did not hear one word that the first speaker on the negative side
uttered, but the clapping that followed brought her to a pitiful
consciousness.

She rose to her feet, somehow--those feet of hers still twice their
size--and stepped out toward the edge of the platform. A thousand spots
of black and white that were eyes and noses and hats danced before her;
she heard a suppressed titter from the front row. Then, out of it all
came Gyp's strained face. Gyp was leaning a little forward, anxiously.

Jerry gulped convulsively. From