Out of the eighty girls, about thirty-five only stepped over to the side from which the principal characters were to be chosen.  Many of the girls had no serious intentions whatever regarding the play, and the awe inspired by Mr. Southard’s presence made them too timid to venture to open their mouths before him.  Jessica, whose courage had fled, would have been among the latter if Nora had not seized her firmly by the arm as she prepared to flee and marched her over with the rest of the Phi Sigma Tau.  Eleanor and Edna Wright were among the junior contestants, while there was a good showing of sophomores and freshmen.

Mr. Southard took in the aspirants with keen, comprehensive glance.  His eyes rested a shade longer on Eleanor.  She made a striking picture as she stood looking with apparent indifference at the girls about her.  Then his quick eye traveled to Grace’s fine face and graceful figure, and then on to Anne, whose small face was alive with the excitement of the moment.

A breathless silence had fallen over the room.  Every eye was fixed on the actor, who stood with a small leather-covered edition of “As You Like It” in his hand.  Miss Tebbs stood by with a pencil and pad.  The great try-out was about to begin.

CHAPTER XIX

THE TRY OUT

“Will the young lady on the extreme right please come forward?” said Mr. Southard pleasantly, indicating Marian Barber, who rather timidly obeyed, taking the book he held out to her.  At his request, she began to read from Orlando’s entrance, in the first scene of the fourth act.  She faltered a little on the first two lines, but shortly regained her courage and read on in her best manner.  When she had read about a dozen lines he motioned for her to cease reading, said something to Miss Tebbs, who made an entry on her pad, and beckoned to the girl next to Marian to come forward.

Straight down the line he went, sometimes stopping a girl at her third or fourth line, rarely allowing them to read farther than the eleventh or twelfth.

Nora was the second Phi Sigma Tau to undergo the ordeal.  As she briskly delivered the opening lines, the actor stopped her.  Taking the book from her, he turned to the part where Touchstone, quaintly humorous, holds forth upon “the lie seven times removed.”

“Read this,” he said briefly, holding out the book to Nora.

Nora began and read glibly on, unconsciously emphasizing as she did so.  Down one page she read and half way through the next before Mr. Southard seemed satisfied.

Then he again held conversation with Miss Tebbs, who nodded and looked smilingly toward Nora, who stood scowling faintly, rather ill-pleased at attracting so much attention.