le, the
leaders of the class. From their number everyone except, perhaps, Evelyn
Hopkins, who always coveted good things for herself, expected the class
president to be chosen.

Ruth had invited all twenty-five girls to her tea, although she and her
room-mate, Evelyn Hopkins, scarcely hoped to be able to pack that number
into their room. However, all did not accept the invitation; only
fifteen or sixteen finally appeared.

Doris and Evelyn were passing sandwiches and cakes, while Ruth poured
the cocoa. The conversation, which buzzed from groups in all parts of
the room, was suddenly silenced by the hostess's general remark,

"Girls," she said, still standing beside the wicker tea-table in the
corner, "I guess you wondered why I was in such a hurry to entertain
you, but the fact is, I thought it would be nice to have a little
informal discussion about class matters before the meeting to-night.
Because we don't want to conduct our affairs just any old way, hit or
miss; we want to make ours the best class ever!"

"Hurray!" cheered Doris; "you've surely got the right spirit, Ruth."

Encouraged by the applause of the president, Ruth continued,

"We want a good strong organization, to keep those freshies from getting
their secret meeting, and electing a class president; we want an
efficient president ourselves--not that we can ever get one as good as
our last year's"--she smiled admiringly at Doris--"who will systematize
the whole thing! What do you all think?"

"Good for you, Ruth!" cried Barbara Hill, a quiet little girl who had
always admired Ruth's courage. "We want somebody that will put heart
and soul into the job!"

"I don't think we ought to discuss each other now," explained Ruth;
"that would be too embarrassing. But I just want everybody to think, and
think hard, and not vote for a girl just because she's popular."

"I think Marj Wilkinson would be dandy!" remarked Anna Cane;--"by the
way, she isn't here this afternoon, is she? I wonder why?"

Ruth felt a cold shiver pass over her; no matter how hard she tried to
evade her, her old rival seemed to confront her upon every occasion. She
had really planned the tea for a time when she knew Marjorie could not
come, so that she might put her out of her classmates' minds; but here
she seemed to appear in the spirit, as if to mock her! Was this
fate--for the way she had treated Marjorie the previous year--or was it
merely her own conscience that caused her to dre