Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College

by Josephine Chase

  CHAPTER XXI

  WHO WILL WIN THE HONOR PIN?

  After the Famous Fiction masquerade a noticeable lull in socialactivities at Overton ensued. Except for basketball, which alwaysflourished between midyear and Easter, little occurred to break thestudious wave that swept over the college. There was one topic, however,that furnished food for endless discussion, and that was the senior playcontest. In the beginning a goodly number of girls had entered thelists, imagining that to write a play was an extremely simple matter.After two or three feeble attempts at writing, the majority of them hadgiven up in disgust, and from all that could be learned there were lessthan twenty contestants who had persevered.

  The decision of the judges was to be reserved until after the beginningof the spring term, but the contest closed the Tuesday before the Easterholiday began, and it had been stipulated in the rules that allmanuscripts must be in the hands of the judges on, or previous to, thattime.

  As far as was known, no one from Wayne Hall, save Kathleen West andElfreda, had entered the contest, and even Patience Eliot was not surethat Kathleen had finished and submitted her play. Several timesPatience endeavored adroitly to lead up to the subject, but Kathleeninvariably turned the conversation into other channels.

  "Patience can't find out whether or not Kathleen West entered thecontest," observed Grace. A week had passed since the beginning of thespring term, and Miriam, Elfreda, Grace and Anne were strolling acrossthe campus enjoying the tender beauty of a late April day.

  The Four Friends Were Strolling Across the Campus.]

  "I imagine she did," said Miriam. "I have an idea she is likely to win,too. I can appreciate her ability if I can't wax enthusiastic over herdisposition."

  "I am so tired of being asked what my play was about," declared Anne."Everyone seems to take it for granted that I wrote one. I only wish Iwere clever enough to write a play or even a sketch."

  "The announcement is to be made to-morrow isn't it?" asked Miriam.

  Grace nodded. "Miss Duncan told me yesterday that there had been onlyfourteen manuscripts handed in. She said at least five of them werereally clever. She and the other judges were to meet last night to talkover the matter and make their final decision. It is to be announced atfive o'clock to-morrow afternoon in the gymnasium. Didn't you see thenotice on the big bulletin board this morning?"

  "The girl who wins will stand a chance of having her head completelyturned," said Miriam. "If she is a senior, her class will bankruptthemselves entertaining her, and if she belongs to one of the otherclasses, her own class will probably prostrate themselves at her feet ina body, not to mention the general adulation that is bound to come tothe winner."

  "Then I hope I win," was Elfreda's calm statement. "I know I won't,because my play was a comedy, and, besides, I know some one else whoseidea for a play was a hundred times better than mine."

  "Who is it?" The question came simultaneously from Miriam and Grace.

  Elfreda shook her head. "I won't say. The person made me promise Iwouldn't tell."

  "Then we aren't curious to know," said Grace promptly. "Forget that weasked you."

  "Oh, that's all right," assured Elfreda. "You'll know soon enough if shewins the honor."

  "What are the latest developments in the campus mystery, ProfessorHolmes?" laughed Grace.

  "There aren't any," responded Elfreda, shrugging her shoulders. "I foundwhat I supposed to be a clue, and, careful investigator that I am, ranit down, but it led to nothing. However, I haven't given up. I'll solvethe problem yet. The noble name of Briggs shall never be associated withfailure."

  "Any time before commencement, Elfreda," jeered Miriam. "You might keepit as a parting surprise. We shall need something to help bolster up ourcourage on that last day when the air is rent with good-byes."

  "That isn't a bad idea," commented Elfreda. "Perhaps I will. I wishto-morrow were here. I am more anxious to know who won the honor prizethan I am to discover who is responsible for our mysterious campushouse."

  "What are you girls going to do this evening?" asked Grace, as theyreached Wayne Hall and seated themselves on the veranda for a fewminutes' further chat before going upstairs to get ready for dinner.

  "I am going to see Ruth and Arline to-night," announced Anne. "Will yougirls go with me?"

  "I can't," said Miriam regretfully. "I have letters to write."

  "I'll go," agreed Grace.

  Elfreda alone was silent.

  "And what has J. Elfreda Briggs on her mind?" questioned Anne.

  "I can't go. I have another little investigation to pursue," saidElfreda pompously. "If it turns out well, I may have something to tellyou girls."

  But that night, when the four chums gathered in Grace's room for a briefsocial session before retiring, Elfreda shook her head soberly whenreminded of her partial promise. "I am sorry, but I didn't saypositively that I'd tell you."

  "Then it didn't turn out well?" from Miriam.

  "No," replied Elfreda shortly, "it didn't."

  Three pairs of eyes were fixed inquiringly upon Elfreda. "I didn'tpromise to tell you anything, you know," she reminded bluntly.

  "We are well aware of that fact, my dear Miss Briggs," laughed Miriam,"but we would appreciate your confidence, and having aroused ourcuriosity you ought to do something to satisfy it."

  "All right, I'll tell you," decided Elfreda. "I purposely waylaidKathleen West as she was going out of the house to-night and walked asfar as the library with her. I could see she wasn't yearning for mycompany, but I wanted to tell her that I knew she was 'Peter Rabbit' atthe dance. Well, I told her," continued Elfreda grimly, "but I had hardwork doing it. She talked about everything under the sun and wouldn'tgive me a chance to say a word. And how she did walk! But I kept up withher. I could see she wanted to get away from me. I told her just as wereached the library steps." Elfreda paused.

  "Well, what did she say?" asked Grace almost impatiently.

  "She said 'good night' and ran up the library steps like a flash. Idon't know whether she was angry or not. I can't see why she should be."

  "Here is something at last that Elfreda can't see," murmured Miriam.

  "I can see that it will be a long time before I tell you girls anythingagain," retorted Elfreda, but her smiling face belied her brusque words.