wistful look in his eyes as they looked into Anne's. David preferred to
keep Anne the little High School girl he had known for the past three
years. Theatrical stars were somewhat out of his firmament.

"Don't worry," Anne assured him. "It's only for three more weeks. I'll
be back in Oakdale in plenty of time to finish up my senior year with
the girls."

"Anne, you haven't any idea of how much we have missed you," cried Nora.
"We can't get used to being without you."

"I've missed you, too," responded Anne who stood with Grace's arm around
her, smiling lovingly at her little circle of friends.

"Of course I have had a good many rehearsals--one every day, and
sometimes two--so the time has fairly raced by; but when the play is
over and I am on the way home at night, then I think of all of you, and
it seems as though I must take the next train back to Oakdale."

"Do let me talk," interposed Hippy, who had hitherto been devoting his
attention to Nora. "No one knows how I long to be back in Oakdale, fair
village of my birth, home of the chafing dish and the cheerful chocolate
cream. 'Tis there that the friends of my youth flourish, and the grass
green banner of O'Malley waves. Take me back; oh, take me--"

"You will be taken away back and set down with a jar in about two
seconds if you are seized with another of those spells," promised Tom
Gray, turning a withering glance upon Hippy.

"What sort of jar," asked Hippy, with an interested grin. "A cooky jar
or merely a glass candy jar? Be sure you make it a full one."

"It will be a full one," replied Tom with emphasis, "and will last you
for a long time."

"I don't believe I'll take up with your proposition," said Hippy
hastily. "There is something about the tone of your voice that makes my
spinal column vibrate with nervous apprehension. I think I had better
confine my conversation strictly to Nora. She is sympathetic and also
skilled in argument."

With this, he took Nora by the arm and would have marched her out of the
group had she not protested so vigorously that he turned from her in
disgust and began questioning James Gardiner as to how he managed to
survive the journey and what methods he had used to insure good behavior
on the part of his charges, much to the embarrassment of that youth, who
was anything but a "ladies' man."

"My dear young people," finally said Mrs. Gibson, laughingly, "this
impromptu reception is liable to last all night unless it is ch