THE LAST QUESTION BROUGHT A CRIMSON FLUSH TO HIS CHEEKS, CAUSING THE OTHER GIRLS TO GIGGLE AT HIS DISCOMFITURE.

HE TRIED HIS

BEST TO SPEAK IN A FEMININE TONE AS JOSIE AND HIS AUNT HAD TAUGHT HIM TO DO.

FINALLY ONE OF THE GIRLS COMMENTED ON HOW SHY "SHE" SEEMED TO BE, AND JANIE CAME TO HIS DEFENSE.

"EVERYONE OF US WAS SHY ON HER FIRST DAY IN SCHOOL. I KNOW I WASI" SHE SAID.

HE WAS JANIE WAS HIS FRIEND, NOW. HE GAVE HER HAND AN AFFECTIONSURE OF IT. ATE SQUEEZE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE FAVOR SHE HAD DONE HIM.

CONVERSATION WAS NOW HUSHED BY THE RINGING OF THE BELL, AND SILENCE REIGNED THE LESSONS ONCE MORE IN THE CLASSROOM.

GERALD

BEGAN ANEW, THIS TIME MATHEMATICS. FOUND THIS COURSE EASY AND WAS TEMPTED TO VOLUNTEER FOR RECITAL, BUT HE WAS STILL UNSURE HE COULD KEEP HIS VOICE FEMININE ENOUGH FOR PUBLIC EXPOSURE.

DURING THE RECESS PERIOD, GERALD KEPT CLOSE TO HIS NEWFOUND FRIEND JANIE. AS THEY WANDERED ABOUT THE GARDEN OF THE SEMINARY, HE WAS HAPPY TO NOTICE THAT THE OTHER GIRLS PAID LITTLE ATTENTION TO THEM.

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SOME OF THE GIRLS STOOD IN LITTLE GROUPS CHATTING; OTHERS PAIRED OFF TO WANDER ABOUT IN EARNEST CONVERSATION, GERALD COULD HEAR SUCH FASCINATING TIDBITS AS 000

"MY NEW FROCK IS JUST TOO SWEET FOR WORDS. JUST WAIT TILL I APPEAR IN IT AT THE DANCE. WILL I BE THE POPULAR ONE!"

"I HEAR EMILY HAS A NEW BOYFRIEND. HE'S A REAL SQUARE, THEY SAY."

000

000

"DID YOU KNOW THAT BEATRICE DYES HER HAIR. I THOUGHT THAT SICKLY SHADE OF YELLOW WAS NATURAL!"

900

AND SO ON. GERALD HAD NOT EXPECTED PROFOUND CONVERSATIONAL PLOYS FROM HIS NEW SCHOOLMATES, BUT THIS WAS TOO ICKY FOR WORDS! HE WONDERED IF HE COULD EVER DESCEND TO SUCH A DEGREE OF BANALITY.

JANIE FINALLY BROKE THE SILENCE BETWEEN THEM. "YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SATURDAY EVENING SOCIALS, I SUPPOSE?" SHE INQUIRED.

GERALD ALLOWED AS HE HAD NOT.

"OH, THEY ARE WONDERFUL FUN. WE GET

TO DRESS UP IN OUR PRETTIEST, FRILLIEST DUDS ALL FORMAL AND SWEET AND ACT LIKE REAL GROWN-UP LADIES. I HOPE YOU WILL BE COMING TO THEM, EVEN IF YOU ARE A DAY PUPIL."

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