d. Well, it was too late to do anything now.
Betty lit her gas long enough to hunt up a scarf that would furnish at
least a lame apology for her delay, and went down to the gay group on
the piazza. When thoughts will only go round in a circle, the best thing
to do is to stop thinking them.

"I say, Betty," cried Bob eagerly, "did you know that Christy had gone
home? I mean did you know she hasn't come back? She went just for senior
week and now her mother is too ill to leave and she's got to stay."

"Poor Chris!" said Betty, suddenly remembering Christy's note which, in
the excitement over the Blunderbuss she had forgotten to open. "How
lucky that she gave up Antonio."

"Isn't it?" agreed Bob. "She's coming back for Tuesday of course to run
the supper and get her precious little sheepskin. Her mother isn't
dangerously sick, I guess, but there are lots of children and Christy
seems to think she's the only one who can manage them."

"Think of her missing the play!" said Madeline.

"Perhaps she'll get back by Saturday night," suggested Eleanor,
hopefully.

"I think she's a lot more likely not to come back at all," declared
Babe, "but it's no use to worry about that yet. Who's going to meet Mary
Brooks?"

"Everybody who isn't a 'star,' or hasn't got to be made up early must
go," commanded Madeline. "She comes at four-ten, remember. Babbie and
Roberta, go in out of this damp."

Up in her room again Betty closed the window against the invading
June-bug and hunted high and low for Christy's note. She hardly expected
to find it after so long a time, but it finally turned up hidden in the
folds of a crumpled handkerchief which she had stuffed carelessly into
her top drawer. And luckily it was not too late to do Christy's
commission. She merely told of her hasty departure and wanted Betty to
be sure that the supper cards, with the menu and toasts on them, were
ready in time. The printer was about as dependable as Billy Henderson,
Christy wrote; he needed reminding every morning and watching between
times.

Betty dashed off a hasty note of sympathy and apology, promising to make
the printer's life a burden until he produced the supper-cards, and went
to bed.

Next day commencement began in earnest. Gay young alumnae carrying
suit-cases, older alumnae escorting be-ribboned class-babies and their
anxious nurses, thronged the streets; inconsiderate families began to
arrive a whole day before there was anything in particu