nd was opening
the door as softly as possible when somebody gave it a quick push from
the other side. It was the great Mr. Masters coming out again.

"Oh, Miss Lewis," he called over to Roberta, "have you learned the
Portia scenes too? I forgot to ask you. Well, suppose you come over and
read them to-night. We should all like to hear you."

Betty stared in amazement; so did the Shylocks who crowded the stairs
and windowledges. There was no mistaking the fact that this time the
great Mr. Masters was genuinely pleased. He held the door open for Betty
to pass into the office, assured Roberta once more that he should expect
to see her in the evening, and went inside himself, leaving a buzz of
excitement behind him and meeting a similar buzz that hushed politely as
he came forward.

"Well, Miss Kingston," he said, rubbing his hands together with an air
of supreme satisfaction, "we've found our Shylock. I'm glad you let her
in first this time. I was really getting worried. May I ask why you
young ladies kept her up your sleeves so long?"

Barbara explained.

"But you must have known about her," Mr. Masters persisted. "Why, she's
marvelous. She'd save your play for you, single-handed. Hasn't she taken
part in any of your college performances?"

Barbara explained about that too.

"Then how did she happen to come to light at all?" he demanded.

This time Barbara looked at Betty, who blushed and murmured, "I didn't
suppose she could act very much. I really didn't."

Mr. Masters laughed heartily at this. "Well, she seems to be a thorough
mystery," he said. "And now the only question is where we need her most,
in case I don't like your first choice in Portias any better than I did
your Shylocks. We ought to have these other people in, I suppose. Of
course there's no question about Miss Lewis, but we'd better know what
they can all do, especially if there are any more of Miss Wales's dark
horses among them."

[Illustration: "WELL, WE'VE FOUND OUR SHYLOCK," HE SAID.]

By dinner time the astonishing news had spread over the campus. Roberta
Lewis was going to be Shylock. She hadn't been in but one play since she
entered college and then she took somebody's place. Nobody had thought
she would get it. Nobody knew she could act except Betty Wales. Betty
found out about her somehow--she was always finding out what people
could do,--and she got her in at the last minute because Mr. Masters
didn't like Jean's acting,--or somebod