there's old Miss Ferby,
but she always prays so long, and gets in the president and all the
missionary stations----"

"I should think you'd ask that Jane Bristol," spoke up Leslie
earnestly. "I know she must be able to. She talked that way."

"I suppose she would," responded the president hesitatingly, looking
toward the two ladies of the committee with a half apology. "What do
you girls think about it?"

"Oh, I suppose she could _pray_," said the girl called Mame, with a
shrug. "She does, you know, often in meeting."

Then with a giggle toward Leslie she added as if in explanation, "She
works _out_, you know."

"It must be very hard for her," said Leslie, purposely ignoring the
inference.

"Well, you know she isn't in our set. Nobody has much to do with
her."

"Why not? I think she is very unusual," said Leslie with just the
least bit of hauteur.

"Well, it wouldn't be wise to get her into things. It might keep some
others out if we made her prominent," put in Lila Cary with some
asperity. "We must have some social distinction, you know."

"In our frat one fellow is as good as another if he has the right kind
of character," remarked Allison dryly. "That girl sounded to me as if
she had some drag with your alumni. But of course you know her better
than I."

"She is a good girl all right and real religious," hastened Lila to
amend. "I suppose she'd be real good on a prayer committee, and would
help to fill up there, as you haven't many."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," said Allison, "if you really want to
succeed, you've got to pull together, every member of you, or you
won't get anywhere. And I should think that you'd have to be careful
now at first whom you get in. Of course after you're pretty strong you
can take in a few just to help them; but, if you get in too many of
that lame kind, your society'll go bad. The weak kind will rule, and
the mischief will be to pay. I shouldn't think it would help you any
just now to get in any folks that would feel that way about a good
girl just because she earns her living."

Mame Beecher and Lila Cary looked at each other in alarm, and hastened
to affirm that they never felt that way about Jane Bristol. _They_
thought she was a real good sort, and had always meant to get
acquainted with her; only she always slipped out as soon as meeting
was over.

Back in the dining-room behind the rose-lined blue-velvet hangings
Julia Cloud lingered and smiled over the way