forgotten how to walk. Then a burst from
the orchestra nerved her while a bevy of daintily clad, sweet-smelling
things that might have been birds, or flowers, or possibly gaily
dressed, happy young girls, pushed her forward. She found herself
plodding across the back of the auditorium, praying for guidance, to an
empty seat.

As the girls passed her, vacancies seemed to open to meet them. Their
friends were moving over, beckoning and whispering invitations. Every
one else was seated, but no one paid any attention to the white-faced
girl stumbling half-blindly down the aisle next the farthest wall. So
she went on to the very end facing the stage. No one moved, and she
could not summon courage to crowd past others to several empty seats she
saw. At the end of the aisle she paused in desperation, while she stared
back at the whole forest of faces most of which were now turned upon
her.

In a flash came the full realization of her scanty dress, her pitiful
little hat and ribbon, her big, heavy shoes, her ignorance of where to
go or what to do; and from a sickening wave which crept over her, she
felt she was going to become very ill. Then out of the mass she saw
a pair of big, brown boy eyes, three seats from her, and there was a
message in them. Without moving his body he reached forward and with a
pencil touched the back of the seat before him. Instantly Elnora took
another step which brought her to a row of vacant front seats.

She heard laughter behind her; the knowledge that she wore the only hat
in the room burned her; every matter of moment, and some of none at all,
cut and stung. She had no books. Where should she go when this was over?
What would she give to be on the trail going home! She was shaking with
a nervous chill when the music ceased, and the superintendent arose, and
coming down to the front of the flower-decked platform, opened a Bible
and began to read. Elnora did not know what he was reading, and she
felt that she did not care. Wildly she was racking her brain to decide
whether she should sit still when the others left the room or follow,
and ask some one where the Freshmen went first.

In the midst of the struggle one sentence fell on her ear. "Hide me
under the shadow of Thy wings."

Elnora began to pray frantically. "Hide me, O God, hide me, under the
shadow of Thy wings."

Again and again she implored that prayer, and before she realized what
was coming, every one had arisen and the room was