Shaking hands warmly with Miss Tebbs and bowing to the admiring girls, Mr. Southard hurriedly departed, leaving his audience devoured with curiosity as to the chosen ones.

Anne stood perfectly still, looking rather dazed.  The unexpected had happened.  She was to have not only a part, but the best part, at that.  The girls gathered eagerly about her, congratulating her on her success, but she was too overcome to thank them, and smiled at them through a mist of tears.

“Look at Eleanor,” whispered Nora to Grace.  “She’s so angry she can’t see straight.  She must have wanted to play Rosalind herself.  I told you she’d sulk if she couldn’t be the leading lady.”

Grace glanced over toward Eleanor, who stood biting her lip, her hands clenched and her face set in angry lines.

“She looks like the ‘Vendetta’ or the ‘Camorra’ or some other Italian vengeance agency, doesn’t she?” said Nora with a giggle.

Grace laughed in spite of herself at Nora’s remark, but regretted it the next moment, for Eleanor saw the glances directed toward her and heard Nora’s giggle.  She turned white and half started toward Grace, then stopped, and, turning her back upon the Phi Sigma Tau, began talking to Edna Wright.

Just then Miss Tebbs, who had been busy with her list, announced that she would now name the cast, and all conversation ceased as by magic.

Miriam Nesbit was intrusted with the “Duke,” while Marian Barber was to play “Frederick,” his brother.  Jessica was in raptures over “Phebe,” while Nora had captured “Touchstone,” Eva Allen, “Audrey,” and, to her great delight, Grace was told that she was to play “Orlando,” with Eleanor as “Celia.”  The other parts were assigned among the sophomores and freshmen who had made the best showing, Mabel Allison getting the part of Jaques.

“You will report for rehearsal next Tuesday afternoon after school, when typewritten copies of your parts will be handed you,” said Miss Tebbs, as she was about to leave the room.

The moment Miss Tebbs ceased talking the girls began, as they gathered in little groups around the lucky ones and gave vent to their feelings with many exclamations of approval and congratulation.  Several girls approached Eleanor, but she fairly ran from them and hurried out of the gymnasium after Miss Tebbs with Edna Wright and Daisy Culver at her heels.

“There goes Eleanor after Miss Tebbs,” observed Marian Barber.  “What do you suppose she’s up to now?”

“Oh, never mind her,” said Nora impatiently.  “You’ll see enough of her during rehearsal.  It will be so pleasant to rehearse with her, considering that she isn’t on speaking terms with any of us.”

Had the girl chums known then what Eleanor “was up to,” it would have been a matter of surprise and indignation to all of them.  After imperiously commanding her satellites to wait for her in the corridor, Eleanor overtook Miss Tebbs just outside Miss Thompson’s office.