victory."

"We ought to celebrate," said Miriam. "Come on. Here we are at
Stillman's."

Without waiting for a second invitation, the Phi Sigma Tau trooped
joyfully into the drug store.

CHAPTER XVII

THE LAST STRAW

The days glided by rapidly. The Christmas holidays came, bringing with
them the usual round of gayeties. Thanks to the Phi Sigma Tau, the
lonely element of High School girls did not lack for good cheer. As at
Thanksgiving, each member of the sorority entertained two or more girls
on Christmas and New Year's, and were amply repaid for their good deed
by the warm appreciation of their guests.

Tom Gray came down for the holidays, bringing with him his roommate,
Arnold Evans, a fair-haired, blue-eyed young man of twenty, who proved
himself thoroughly likable in every respect. He lost no time in
cultivating Miriam's acquaintance, and the two soon became firm friends.

Tom gave a dinner to his roommate, inviting "the seven originals," as he
expressed it, and Miriam, who felt that at last she really belonged in
the charmed circle. David was even more pleased than his sister over the
turn affairs had taken. To have Miriam a member of his own particular
"crowd" had always been David's dearest wish, and the advent of Arnold
Evans had done away with Miriam being the odd one. So the circle was
enlarged to ten young people, who managed to crowd the two weeks'
vacation with all sorts of healthful pleasures.

There were coasting and sleighing parties, and on one occasion a walk to
old Jean's hut in Upton Wood, where they were hospitably entertained by
the old hunter, who had smilingly pointed to the wolf skins on the wall,
asking them if they remembered the winter day two years before when
those same skins held wolves who were far too lively for comfort. Then
the story of their escape had to be gone over again for Arnold's
benefit.

They had stayed until the moon came up, and, accompanied by the old
hunter, had walked back to Oakdale in the moonlight.

After the holidays came the brief period of hard study before the
dreaded mid-year examinations. Basketball enthusiasm declined rapidly
and a remarkable devotion to study ensued that lasted until examinations
began. By the last week in January, the ordeal was past.

Eleanor Savell had not yet returned to school. Whether or not she would
be allowed to return was a question that occasioned a great deal of
discussion among three lower classes of girls. Ed