aid Gwen with unction.

One thing had not been settled by the Dramatic Society, and that was
their choice of a President. Names were canvassed freely in the Form,
and finally Hilda Browne and Elspeth Frazer were put up as candidates.
Voting was to be by ballot during the interval, but while the papers
were being given out Gwen bolted. She was feeling cross and forlorn,
and sick of the whole affair.

"I don't mind who's chosen President," she thought "It makes no
difference to me. They may elect whom they like."

So she went a solitary little walk round the playground, whistling a
tune, and trying to look as if she didn't care about anything. She had
not been there very long before she saw Betty Brierley and Ida Young
signalling to her from the gymnasium door. She took no notice of their
beckonings, whereupon they ran after her, and seizing her one by each
arm, began to drag her towards the house.

"You're wanted most particularly, Gwen Gascoyne!" said Betty
excitedly.

"We've been sent to fetch you quick!" chimed in Ida.

"Hello! Hands off!" cried Gwen, dragging herself from their grasp.
"What do you want with me, I should like to know?"

"It's the others who want you."

"What for? Didn't know I was so popular!"

"You've not voted for a President yet."

"No, and I don't mean to, either."

"But, Gwen, you must! We've taken the ballot, and the votes are
exactly even. You've got the casting vote!"

"Have I, indeed? No, thank you! It's rather too great an honour!"

"But look here, Gwen, it's the only way to decide it. We've got to
choose either Elspeth or Hilda."

"Then you may fight it out amongst you. You don't suppose, when you've
all voted by ballot, that I'm going to take the responsibility of a
casting vote. It's a most unfair proposal. Why, the rejected candidate
and all on her side would never forgive me!"

"We might have the ballot again," suggested Betty. "Then you need only
put your cross."

"As if everybody wouldn't know who was responsible for the extra
cross! I might as well write Gwen Gascoyne on my paper at once! It's
no use pulling my arm; I'm not coming in to be made a cat's paw. You
may go and tell the others so if you like."

Betty and Ida departed, grumbling loudly at Gwen's
"unaccommodatingness", as they called it, and Gwen stayed in the
playground until the bell rang, fuming with indignation. Every fresh
little episode seemed to serve to make her more of an alien in the
Form tha