THE SCARLET LEAVES


"The Committee will please come to order!" said Maine.

"What's up?" asked Massachusetts, pausing in her occupation of
peeling chestnuts.

"Why, you know well enough, Massachusetts. Here it is Wednesday, and
we don't know yet what we are going to do on Friday evening. We must
do something, or go shamed to our graves. Never a senior class has
missed its Frivolous Friday, since the school began."

"Absolutely no hope of the play?"

"None! Alma's part is too important; no one could possibly take it
at two days' notice. Unless--they say Chicago has a real gift for
acting; but somehow, I don't feel as if she were the person."

"I should bar that, positively," put in Tennessee. "In the first
place, Chicago has not been here long enough to be identified with
the class. She is clever, of course, or she could not have entered
junior last year; but--well, it isn't necessary to say anything more;
she is out of the question."

"It is too exasperating!" said Massachusetts. "Alma might have