parasols,
the aimlessness of their wandering steps marked them as visitors. The
girl in the window frowned as she watched them.

"I always hate it when the campus fills up with gawking, staring
people! It ought to be kept--sacred--just for us!"

One of the three laughed merrily in answer.

"How selfish that sounds, Claire! Haven't all those people come to see
one of us graduate? This is their day--ours is past." She stopped
short. "Did you see Thelma King's sister at the class-day exercises?
She's a _peach_! She's going to enter next fall. She's a leader in
everything at the High where she goes. She'll make a good college
girl; you could see the right spirit in her face. How I envy her!
It's dreadful when you think of new ones--coming--taking our places! I
wish I was just beginning my Freshman year--I'd even be willing to
endure Freshman math."

The third of the group who had been sitting on, the floor staring out
over the tree tops with the dreamy gravity of one who--as long ago as
yesterday--graduated from the great University, suddenly interrupted.

"Dear girls, cease your whining! What do those pieces of sheepskin
reposing somewhere in the mess on yonder bureau stand for? Remember
what that man said yesterday--how we mustn't think this Commencement is
the end of anything--it's just the beginning. Why, this new world
that's been born out of the frightful war is full of work for our
trained minds and hands! We mustn't look back for a minute--we must
look ahead!" Thrilled by her own words she leveled a reproachful
glance upon her two companions.

Claire sighed. "I never could get the inspiration from things that you
always seem to, Anne. I guess I'm not built right! I couldn't make
myself listen to _half_ that man said. I can't think of anything right
now but what a job it's going to be getting everything into that trunk.
Mother was heartless not to stay over and do it for me!"

"Never mind, Claire, we'll help you. Of course you and I can't see
things in the big, grand way that Anne can because she's found herself
and we haven't. But when our work _does_ come we'll do it! It may not
be off in Siberia or China or Africa--like Anne's--but, wherever it is,
I guess our Alma Mater won't be ashamed of us!" The girl's eyes
softened with the passionate tenderness of the new graduate for her
University.

Back in the freshman days a curious chance had drawn these three
together. Then, for four