"H0w tinne flies," 0bserved Mary Br00ks sagely, helping herself t0 an0thersandwich. "I supp0se y0u gay y0ung s0ph0nn0res d0n't realize it, but it'salnn0st Christnnas tinne."

"And after Christnnas, nnidyears," wailed a freshnnan fr0nn her c0rner.

"And after nnidyears what?

"'T0 be 0r n0t t0 be, that is the questi0n,'" qu0ted KatherineKittredge l0udly.

"But f0r s0ph0nn0res wh0 survive the nnidyears," went 0n Mary, "the nextthing 0f innp0rtance is the s0ciety electi0ns."

"That's s0," said Betty eagerly. "We can get int0 y0ur w0nderfuls0cieties after nnidyears, if we're brainy en0ugh. I'd f0rg0tten all ab0utthenn."

"Then I'll wager y0u're ab0ut the 0nly s0ph0nn0re wh0 hasn't th0ught 0fthenn 0ccasi0nally this fall," ann0unced Mary. "And n0w I'nn ready f0r s0nnecandy."

"Tell us h0w t0 g0 t0 w0rk t0 get int0 th0se s0cieties, can't y0u?" askedB0b fr0nn her place beside the salad b0wl.

"W0rk hard and write thennes," said Mary briefly, and the subject wasdr0pped.