young ladies is for the piece selected. It is too late, as Miss Belding
says, to make a change now."

"Then Margaret cannot act!" exclaimed Miss Carrington, and, turning
angrily, she left the hall in a way that had she been one of the girls, it
would have been said, "She flounced out."

The rehearsal continued; but most of the girls were in a sober state of
mind. There was a general desire among them to stand high in all their
studies. They had learned when first they entered upon the athletic
contests and exercises of the Girls Branch League that they must keep up in
studies and in deportment or they could not get into the good times of the
League.

It was so with the secret society, the M. O. R.'s, and likewise in this
acting club. "Fun" was merely a reward for good work in school. Not alone
was Miss Carrington stiff on this point, the principal and the rest of the
faculty were quite as determined that no outside adventures or activities
should lower the standard of the girls of Central High.

At the present time the members of the club had a serious fact to
contemplate. A girl to fill the part of the "dark lady" in the garden must
be found. As it was not a speaking part, the person filling the character
must more particularly look as she was described in the play.

"We want a type," said Mr. Mann. "Tall, graceful, brunette, and with
queenly carriage. You must find her before the next rehearsal. I must have
plenty of time to train her, for her appearance is of grave importance--as
you young ladies can yourselves see."