the rope next her was having a sad time of it. She swung
this way and that; her legs waved wildly in the air; and at length
she came down "all abroad," having only ascended a few feet. At the same
moment, the girl on the next rope dropped, so that two were left
unoccupied. Peggy advanced and laid her hand upon one rope, just as
Vivia Varnham took possession of the other. On the third, the pensive
girl with the Madonna braids was swinging easily, half-way up to the
ceiling; she twisted her feet around the rope, and, so resting, observed
the progress of the other two.

Up they went, hand over hand. Vivia Varnham gave a glance of disdain
when she saw who her rival was. She was light and agile, and did not for
an instant think that this heavy, clumsy creature could make any headway
against her. She went up lightly and easily, but somehow the heavy,
clumsy creature managed to keep abreast of her; was even gaining upon
her, drawing up, up, above her head. Vivia put on a spurt, and passed
Peggy, climbing very swiftly--for a moment; then the ache in her wrists
compelled her to slacken her rate of speed, and the thickset figure came
up, up, steadily and surely. Truth to tell, though Peggy Montfort was
awkward, she was as strong as a steer. Her weight was not fat, but sheer
bone and brawn; and her one hundred and forty pounds were easy enough
for her to carry, even up a rope thirty feet long. But Vivia Varnham,
with all her lightness and quickness, had little strength in her wrists.
They ached painfully, but she would not give up. Her face flushed, her
breath came in distressful gasps, she struggled on and up. They were
more than half-way up; they had passed the quiet observer, swinging
comfortably with her feet twisted in her rope. "Better go down, V.!"
said the girl with the sad eyes. "She's too many for you!"

Vivia shook her head with an angry gesture. Her eyes swam, the pain in
her wrists was unendurable; but she set her teeth, and struggled on,
till from below came the voice of Miss Brent, calm and authoritative.

"Come down, Miss Varnham! You have gone far enough."

Most unwillingly, with sullen face and fluttering breath, Vivia slid to
the floor. She expected, everybody expected, to hear the order repeated
for the benefit of the newcomer, the audacious freshman who had ventured
upon junior ground; for the rope-climbing was not generally attempted
till the third year. But Miss Brent kept her eyes on Peggy, and smiled,
a