"Goodness!" drawled Lily Pendleton, "how did you know Hester would cut up
so mean?"

"Doesn't she always do something to queer us if she can?" snapped Bobby.
"Laura, you are a wonder!"

"It is Janet Steele," declared Jess. "Of course! I should have thought of
her myself. She is all right--just the one we needed."

And it took some courage on Jess' part for her to say this, for she knew
that Chet Belding had expressed very warm admiration indeed of Janet
Steele.

The rehearsal went off splendidly after that. Everybody was encouraged. The
rotund little Mr. Mann beamed--"more than ever like a cherub," Bobby
declared. They came to the final curtain with tremendous applause from the
back benches where some of the faculty sat in the dark.

"And I do believe," said Nellie Agnew, in almost a scared voice, "that Gee
Gee applauded! Can it be possible, girls? Do you suppose that for once she
gives us credit for knowing a little something?"

"If she applauded, her hands slipped by mistake!" grumbled Bobby. "You know
very well that nothing would change Gee Gee's opinion. Not even an
earthquake."

It was late when the rehearsal was over, and Laura knew that Chet would be
waiting outside with their car. She hurried Jess and Bobby, and even Janet,
into their outer wraps as quickly as possible.