d left her, gave a little gasp of amazement and clutched Bob's arm so
hard that Bob protested.

"I second that motion, Miss President." It was the Blunderbuss, and her
stolid face grew hot and red in the darkness, as she wondered if any one
who knew that she didn't belong to 19-- now would question her right to
take part in the meeting. "But I was bound to do it," she reflected. "I
guess she isn't the kind of girl I thought she was. Anyhow I didn't
mean to hurt her feelings before, and this will sort of make up."

"Any other nominations?" inquired Marie briskly.

There was silence and then somebody began to clap. In a minute the whole
meeting was clapping as hard as it could.

"I guess we don't need ballots," said Marie, when she could be heard.
"All in favor say aye."

There was a regular burst of ayes.

"Those opposed?"

Silence again.

"There's a unanimous vote for you," cried Bob Parker eagerly. "Speech
from the candidate! Betty, you're killing my arm!"

"Speech!" The class took up Bob's cry.

"Where are you, Eleanor?" called Marie, and Eleanor, coming out from
behind a big bush said, "I'll try to do my best--and--thank you." It
wasn't a brilliant speech to come from the girl who has often been
called Harding's most brilliant graduate, but it satisfied everybody,
even Betty.

"I did it just to show you that I've got the idea," Jean Eastman
muttered sulkily, jostling Betty in the crowd; and that was satisfactory
too. Indeed when Betty went to bed that night she confided to the green
lizard that she hadn't a single thing left to bother about at Harding.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE GOING OUT OF 19--

Next morning came the really important part of commencement,--the
getting of your diploma, or, to speak accurately, the getting of
somebody's else diploma, which you could exchange for your own later.

"Let's stand in a big circle," suggested Madeline Ayres, "and pass the
diplomas round until each one comes to its owner."

It wasn't surprising that Eleanor Watson, with her newly acquired duties
as toastmistress, should keep getting outside the circle to consult
various toasters and members of the supper committee; but it did seem as
if Betty Wales might stay quietly in her place. So thought the girls who
had noticed that Carlotta Young, the last girl in the line that went up
for diplomas had not received any. Carlotta was a "prod"; it was only
because she came at the end of the alphabet that she was lef