“How absurd!” exclaimed Grace.  “They would never have dared to go that far.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Nora O’Malley.  “Ruth Deane is a terror when she gets fairly started.  Besides, she would have had both High Schools on her side.  Even the boys like Miss Thompson.”

“It was an effectual threat at any rate,” said Jessica.  “They left before the game was over.  Perhaps they were afraid of being waylaid.”

“I suppose they couldn’t bear to see us win,” said Grace.  “But, O girls, I am so proud of our invincible team.  It was a great game and a well-earned victory.”

“We ought to celebrate,” said Miriam.  “Come on.  Here we are at Stillman’s.”

Without waiting for a second invitation, the Phi Sigma Tau trooped joyfully into the drug store.

CHAPTER XVII

THE LAST STRAW

The days glided by rapidly.  The Christmas holidays came, bringing with them the usual round of gayeties.  Thanks to the Phi Sigma Tau, the lonely element of High School girls did not lack for good cheer.  As at Thanksgiving, each member of the sorority entertained two or more girls on Christmas and New Year’s, and were amply repaid for their good deed by the warm appreciation of their guests.

Tom Gray came down for the holidays, bringing with him his roommate, Arnold Evans, a fair-haired, blue-eyed young man of twenty, who proved himself thoroughly likable in every respect.  He lost no time in cultivating Miriam’s acquaintance, and the two soon became firm friends.

Tom gave a dinner to his roommate, inviting “the seven originals,” as he expressed it, and Miriam, who felt that at last she really belonged in the charmed circle.  David was even more pleased than his sister over the turn affairs had taken.  To have Miriam a member of his own particular “crowd” had always been David’s dearest wish, and the advent of Arnold Evans had done away with Miriam being the odd one.  So the circle was enlarged to ten young people, who managed to crowd the two weeks’ vacation with all sorts of healthful pleasures.

There were coasting and sleighing parties, and on one occasion a walk to old Jean’s hut in Upton Wood, where they were hospitably entertained by the old hunter, who had smilingly pointed to the wolf skins on the wall, asking them if they remembered the winter day two years before when those same skins held wolves who were far too lively for comfort.  Then the story of their escape had to be gone over again for Arnold’s benefit.

They had stayed until the moon came up, and, accompanied by the old hunter, had walked back to Oakdale in the moonlight.

After the holidays came the brief period of hard study before the dreaded mid-year examinations.  Basketball enthusiasm declined rapidly and a remarkable devotion to study ensued that lasted until examinations began.  By the last week in January, the ordeal was past.