“It’s David and the boys,” said Jessica.  “Shall I tell them that they can’t come in?”

“Of course,” responded Nora.  “You and Grace go to the door, while Anne and I stay here with our victims.  Be careful they don’t play you a trick.”

The two girls cautiously approached the door, opening it very slowly, and saw—­not the three boys—­but Eleanor.  She smiled serenely and said:  “Good evening.  I decided, after all, that I would come.”

“Come right in,” said Jessica cordially.  “I am so glad you changed your mind and came.  The initiation is about to begin.  Have you ever belonged to a secret society?”

“Never,” replied Eleanor.  “But now that I’m here, I am willing to try it.”

“Come this way.”

“Girls,” said Grace, addressing the three blindfolded girls, “this is Eleanor Savell.  You can’t see her yet, but you may all shake hands with her.  She is to be your companion in misery.”

Eleanor laughed, shook hands with the others and graciously allowed Nora to tie a handkerchief over her eyes.

“All ready!  March!” called Grace, and the eight girls solemnly proceeded to the initiation chamber.

CHAPTER V

THE PHI SIGMA TAU

At the door a halt was called.

“Prepare to jump,” commanded Grace in a deep voice.  “One, two, three!  Jump down!  Be careful!”

The four candidates gave four uncertain jumps and experienced the disagreeable sensation usually felt in attempting to jump downward when on level ground.  This was one of the oldest and mildest forms of initiation, but Nora had insisted upon it, and giggled violently as the four girls prepared for a long leap.  Even Grace, who was conducting the ceremony with the utmost seriousness, laughed a little at the picture they made.

“They’ll do anything you tell them,” whispered Nora.  Which was perfectly true.  To show fear or reluctance in obeying the demands made upon one, was to prove one’s self unworthy of membership in the Phi Sigma Tau.

“Let the music begin,” said Grace.

There was a faint snicker as Anne, Nora and Jessica raised three combs, wrapped in tissue paper, to their lips and began the “Merry Widow” waltz, with weird effect.

“You must waltz around the room fifteen times without stopping,” continued Grace, “and then sit down in the four opposite corners of the room, on the cushions provided for you.”

The girl chums retreated to the doorway of the room, that had previously been cleared of almost all the furniture, to watch the movements of their victims as they endeavored to circle the room the required number of times.  They lost their count, bumped each other at every turn, and at last staggered dizzily toward what they thought were the corners of the room.  Miriam Nesbit made straight for the door in which the chums stood, and Grace was obliged to take her by the shoulders and gently steer her in the opposite direction.  Eleanor, after groping along one side of the room for a corner, was the first to find one, and sank with a sigh of relief upon the pile of cushions.  The other girls had not been so successful.  They all endeavored to sit in the same corner at once, and Grace was obliged to go to the rescue, and lead two of them to opposite sides of the initiation chamber.