“There certainly ought to have been a panacea provided for all disease,” he resumed, after a moment of deep thought.  “But there is none to-day—­at least materia medica has never found one, and that is a mortifying fact to be obliged to admit after over four thousand years of investigation and experiment.  Poor Dorrie!  I’d really like to make a test of her case!”

He put down his book with a sigh and then went out to his evening meal, a troubled expression on his handsome face.

CHAPTER VII.

Katherine and the junior league.

Soon after entering Hilton Seminary, Katherine was invited, as was customary, to become a member of the “Junior League,” a secret club or society organized and sustained by the junior class.  Its object was twofold.  First:  improvement, to keep themselves informed of and in touch with current events and literature; and, second:  sociability.

But it was hinted, now and then, by some of the more serious-minded members, that “a rollicking good time” had more attractions for the majority of its constituents than anything else.

Their meetings were held once a fortnight, when some member was expected to read a paper on a subject previously selected by a committee appointed for that purpose, after which a short time was spent in a general discussion of the theme, then the remainder of the evening was given over to social enjoyment; or, occasionally, to “a spread,” which is so dear to every boarding school girl’s heart.

Twice during the year the league formally entertained the faculty and the “Senior League,” a similar organization, which as often returned these courtesies.

Katherine accepted the invitation with thanks, and at once threw herself heartily into the methods employed to entertain the club, particularly into the literary work, always carefully preparing herself upon the subject to be discussed.  But she soon found that the main object of the organization was being perverted, the topics being superficially written up and argued, except by a very few.  Less and less attention was being devoted to improvement and more to a good time, together with much school gossip, until the meetings were fast becoming a farce.

She deeply regretted this, and talked it over with some others as earnest as herself, but without achieving any satisfactory results.  Upon one or two occasions she gave a thoughtfully prepared synopsis of the subject, but these efforts were received with shrugs, nudges and significant smiles and glances; and, while no one was openly discourteous to her, it was evident that, with a few exceptions, she was still regarded as a person to be shunned even by her own club.

One evening, on making her appearance, she observed that there was an unusual flutter among the wilder members of the league, and that she at once became the object of their curious regard.