would be to find out what
girls could most ably portray the various characters, it would be
necessary to try each girl separately with a few lines from the play. In
order to facilitate matters, he suggested that those girls who really
desired speaking parts step to one side of the room, while those who
wished merely to make the stage pictures, step to the other.

Out of the eighty girls, about thirty-five only stepped over to the side
from which the principal characters were to be chosen. Many of the girls
had no serious intentions whatever regarding the play, and the awe
inspired by Mr. Southard's presence made them too timid to venture to
open their mouths before him. Jessica, whose courage had fled, would
have been among the latter if Nora had not seized her firmly by the arm
as she prepared to flee and marched her over with the rest of the Phi
Sigma Tau. Eleanor and Edna Wright were among the junior contestants,
while there was a good showing of sophomores and freshmen.

Mr. Southard took in the aspirants with keen, comprehensive glance. His
eyes rested a shade longer on Eleanor. She made a striking picture as
she stood looking with apparent indifference at the girls about her.
Then his quick eye traveled to Grace's fine face and graceful figure,
and then on to Anne, whose small face was alive with the excitement of
the moment.

A breathless silence had fallen over the room. Every eye was fixed on
the actor, who stood with a small leather-covered edition of "As You
Like It" in his hand. Miss Tebbs stood by with a pencil and pad. The
great try-out was about to begin.

CHAPTER XIX

THE TRY OUT

"Will the young lady on the extreme right please come forward?" said Mr.
Southard pleasantly, indicating Marian Barber, who rather timidly
obeyed, taking the book he held out to her. At his request, she began to
read from Orlando's entrance, in the first scene of the fourth act. She
faltered a little on the first two lines, but shortly regained her
courage and read on in her best manner. When she had read about a dozen
lines he motioned for her to cease reading, said something to Miss
Tebbs, who made an entry on her pad, and beckoned to the girl next to
Marian to come forward.

Straight down the line he went, sometimes stopping a girl at her third
or fourth line, rarely allowing them to read farther than the eleventh
or twelfth.

Nora was the second Phi Sigma Tau to undergo the ordeal. As she briskly
delivere