there was no one on hand to guard
it. The menu and serving were wholly in the hands of a caterer from the
city.

Knowing that the affairs of the Alumnae must not be tampered with, the
freshmen turned all their energies toward the seniors and juniors.

The juniors were to give a play. The costumes were to be rented for the
occasion. The play itself was zealously guarded lest it be stolen. Erma,
whose talent lay in a histrionic direction, had charge of the copies of
the drama. Erma had talent but no forethought. She put the pamphlets in
the place most suited to them. Hester, who had been sent out by her
class as a scout to find what she could of the plans of the juniors,
discovered the books the first day; and not only the books but the names
of the juniors and the parts which each was to take. Hester reported
immediately the results of her investigation. The following day, while
Erma was engaged elsewhere the play disappeared, was hurriedly copied by
the freshmen and replaced. Not a member of the junior class, so the
freshmen believed, was aware of what took place and was not the wiser
that the freshmen had begun the preparation of the same play.

"We can outdo them," said Louise at the class-meeting. "The play is
booked for Tuesday evening. Monday evening is the band concert and
promenade from seven o'clock until eight-thirty. After that, the
freshmen class will have the floor and we'll give the play before the
juniors. Their efforts will fall flat on Tuesday evening."

"But the costumes!" exclaimed Hester. "What will we do for them?"

"Borrow them from the juniors when they are from their rooms. We will
need them but one evening. We'll return them as fresh as ever the
following morning."

"Will they lend them?" It was a little first term girl who asked the
question.

"No, you dear little freshie, they will not lend them if they can help
themselves. We will ask them Tuesday morning and use them Monday. It is
the safest way," said Emma, who was exceedingly enthusiastic over this
part of school life. While at home, she had read volumes on the subject
of life at a boarding school. From the impression left by those books,
life at school was one succession of receptions, public meetings, and
practical jokes. Discipline and lessons were in the undercurrent of
life. Life at Dickinson had been wholly different from what Emma had
anticipated. This stealing of the junior play and presenting it before
the juniors had the