he
best it has to offer, the inner circle of its friendships.

Each one told the funniest Irish bull she had ever heard, and then all
sorts of conundrums and foolish questions were propounded, like, "Which
would you prefer, to be as green as you look or to look as green as you
are?" When the conversation touched on the birthstone for March, some
one suggested that Mary ought to be made to do some stunt to show that
she was worthy to wear a bloodstone, since it called for such high
courage.

"Make her kiss the Blarney stone!" cried Judith Ettrick.

"At Blarney castle they let you down by the heels. That's the only way
you can kiss the real stone. But Mary can hang by her knees from one of
the turning-pole bars, and we'll build up a pyramid under her to put the
Blarney stone on, so that she can barely reach it, you know. Make a
shaky one that will topple over at a breath. That will make it harder to
reach."

The suggestion was enthusiastically received by all but Mary, who felt
somewhat dubious about making the attempt, when she saw them begin to
catch up glasses and plates from the table with which to build the
pyramid. But by the time the structure was completed and topped by a
little china match-safe in the shape of a cupid, to represent the
Blarney stone, she was ready for her part of the performance.

"That's what you get for being born in Mars' month," said Elise, as Mary
balanced herself a moment on the bar, and then made a quick turn around
it to limber herself.

"You wouldn't be expected to do such things if the signs of your zodiac
were different."

"Look out!" warned Cornie. "You'll see more stars than the ones in your
horoscope if you lose your grip."

"Abracadabra!" cried Mary gamely. "May I hold on to the pole, and the
pole hold on to me till we've done all that's expected of us."

It was a dizzy moment for Mary, and a breathless one for all of them as
she swung head downward over the tottering pile of china and glass ware.
The china cupid was almost beyond her reach, but by a desperate effort
she managed to swing a fraction of an inch nearer, and seizing its head
in her mouth came up gasping and purple.

"Now what about being born in Mars' month!" she demanded triumphantly of
Elise as soon as she could get her breath. "A bloodstone will do more
for you any day than an agate."

Taking this as a challenge, all sorts of feats were attempted to prove
the superior virtues of each girl's birthstone