le.

The first freshman to make any definite impression upon her was
Florence Evans, sister of Edith Evans, the senior who had served as
Acting Lieutenant of the troop at camp, and who still held that office.
It was Florence that introduced herself to Marjorie. Neither bold nor
shy, with a little more than the ordinary amount of good looks, she
seemed unconsciously to possess the poise of her older sister.

"I have heard so much about you, Marjorie," she said, not hesitating in
the least to use the older girl's first name; "Edith told me all about
your winning the canoe at camp. And I have been so anxious to meet you!"

"Thanks," replied Marjorie, sincerely flattered that the senior whom she
admired so much had seen fit to mention her name at home. "We certainly
did have a wonderful time during the summer!"

"I'm crazy to be a Girl Scout!" said Florence, enthusiastically. "My
room-mate, Mildred Cavin"--she nodded toward an attractive girl a few
feet away, talking to Lily--"my room-mate and I talk of nothing else."

Ruth, who overheard the remark, smiled with conscious self-importance;
but Marjorie's thoughts flew back to the time when she was in Florence's
place: a freshman eager to make good among the upper classmen. But then
it was a question of popularity and personal favoritism; now everything
was different.

"It all depends upon yourself, Florence," she said. "You can become a
Girl Scout if you will work hard enough. You must receive a mark of over
eighty per cent on your first report, and you must make the hockey
squad. Then you'll be among the first to join."

"Yes, I know. But isn't it dreadfully hard to get on the hockey team?
With so many upper classmen, I mean?"

By this time Mildred Cavin, Daisy Gravers, and Esther Taylor--three more
freshmen--had joined them. Evelyn Hopkins, Ruth Henry's room-mate, who
had missed making both the sorority and the Scout troop the previous
year, sauntered up, just as Florence asked the question.

"It's an impossibility!" she exclaimed, pettishly. "At least, if you're
not in right with Miss Phillips, the Gym teacher who is Captain of the
troop, you don't stand one bit of show!"

Marjorie colored at the words and the tone of this statement; she so
much desired that her classmates appear dignified and well-poised to the
freshmen.

Esther Taylor, a stylish girl with a flippant manner, laughed
derisively. "Scouts don't mean much in my young life," she said,
defiantly.