ond," answered Grace, and with a cool nod she crossed the
room and joined Nora and Hippy, who were sitting on the stairs playing
cats' cradle with the long silver chain of Nora's fan.

CHAPTER XIII

TOM AND GRACE SCENT TROUBLE

The time passed all too rapidly, and with many expressions of regret on
both sides the judge and his youthful guests parted, two days before the
New Year.

On account of the house party the Phi Sigma Tau had been obliged to
postpone until New Year's Day entertaining as they had done the previous
year the stray High School girls who were far from home. Therefore, the
moment they arrived in Oakdale they found their hands full.

Mrs. Gray had been in California with her brother since September, and
the girls greatly missed the sprightly old lady. It was the first
Christmas since they had entered High School that she had not been with
them, and they were looking forward with great eagerness to her return
in February.

Julia Crosby, who was at Smith College, had accepted an invitation from
her roommate to spend the holidays in Boston, much to Grace's
disappointment, who had reckoned on Julia as one of the judge's house
party.

New Year's Day the Phi Sigma Tau nobly lived up to their reputation as
entertainers of those girls who they had originally pledged themselves
to look out for, but New Year's Night the four girl chums had reserved
for a special gathering which included the "eight originals" only. It
was Miriam who had made this possible by inviting Eva Allen, James
Gardiner, Arnold Evans, Marian Barber, and much against her will, Henry
Hammond, to a dinner.

"Don't feel slighted at being left off my dinner list," she said to
Grace, then added slyly, "Why don't the eight originals hold forth at
Nora's?"

"You're a positive dear, Miriam," Grace replied. "We have been wanting
to have an old-time frolic, but didn't wish to seem selfish and
clannish."

"Opportunity is knocking at your gate, get busy," was Miriam's advice,
which Grace was not slow to follow.

"At last there are signs of that spread that I was promised at the
bazaar," proclaimed Hippy Wingate cheerfully, as attired in a long
gingham apron belonging to Nora's elder sister, he energetically stirred
fudge in a chafing dish and insisted every other minute that Nora should
try it to see if it were done.

"You'll have to stir it a lot, yet," Nora informed him.

"But I'm so tired," protested Hippy. "I think Tom or Red