own as
much as was necessary for this first time, promising to come back for
the rest.

"I'll get this into shape and bring it with me," he told Miss Eloise.

"And we can make copies so as to give out that much for the girls to
learn," said Agnes.

They returned in high spirits, and for some time Ben's type-writing
machine was heard clicking away. The characters had already been talked
over and the principle ones given out. Ben had chosen very pretty
fantastic names for the various flowers who were to be represented.
Jennie was to be Pussy Willow; Edna, Pinky Blooms; Dorothy, Daisy White;
Agnes, Rose Wild; Celia, Violet Blue, while Ben, himself was to be the
old giant, Pine Knot, who lived in a swamp. It had been found necessary
to introduce some of the boys into the play so Charlie and Frank
Conway, Steve and Roger Porter were pressed into service. Charlie was to
be Sassy Fras; Frank, Winter Green; Steve, Cran Berry, while Roger was
to be the giant's henchman, Pine Needles.

The play was not to be for a week after school closed that they all
might have plenty of time for its preparation without interfering with
their school work. There was never very much fuss made over the closing
by Uncle Justus, so there was not that excitement. Mr. Horner did not
believe in showy commencements, and when the girls were graduated they
simply received their diplomas after a few simple exercises, and then
the school was dismissed. Therefore, the play was the great subject of
conversation among the scholars. The girls who were already in the club
were triumphantly sounding its praises to those who were not, while
those who were not in were clamoring for entrance. However, it had been
decided that no more new members would be admitted until fall, as there
was already enough heart-burning over the players and their parts. The
giving out of these had been left entirely to Miss Eloise who had chosen
as she thought best, so there was at least no one of the girls to accuse
of partiality. Margaret in the very beginning announced that her mother
did not want her to take part and that she did not care to herself, as
she was to have the fun of entertaining them all at her house, and
moreover, she "couldn't act any more than a broomstick."

Of all the girls who felt the most bitter probably Clara Adams was the
one who was chief among them. It was the greatest grievance she had ever
known, in the first place not to take part in such a thing an