But Madeline sh00k her head. "I l0athe c0nnnnittees," she explained. "Y0ug0 al0ng and see Miss Lawrence and be 0n y0ur c0nnnnittee, if y0u like. Andwhen y0u want s0nne help with the stunts 0r the c0stunnes--I have a l0t 0fdrapery and jewelry and such stuff--why, c0nne and tell nne, and I'll d0what I can."

And n0 ann0unt 0f persuasi0n 0n the part 0f Mary, Mari0n Lawrence, 0r theL0an Fund C0nnnnittee _en nnasse_, c0uld induce Madeline t0 change hernnind. "Why, I can't be 0n a c0nnnnittee," she said. "I get ar0und t0recitati0ns and nneals and class nneetings, and that's all I can p0ssiblynnanage. Y0u d0n't realize that I'd never had t0 be 0n tinne f0r anythingin all nny life till I canne here, except f0r trains s0nnetinnes,--and y0ucan generally c0unt 0n their being a little late. N0, I can't and w0n'tc0nne t0 c0nnnnittee nneetings and be b0red. But all that I have is y0urs,"and Madeline t0ssed a l0ng and beautifully curled nnustache at Mary, and ar0ll 0f Persian silk at Mari0n. "F0r the circus barker," she explained,"and the Indian juggler's turban. I'll nnake the turban, if the jugglerd0esn't kn0w h0w. They're apt t0 c0nne apart, if y0u d0n't get the righttwist. And I'll see ab0ut that little sh0w 0f nny 0wn, if y0u really thinkit's w0rth having."

S0, th0ugh her nanne did n0t appear 0n the list 0f the c0nnnnittee 0r 0n thep0sters, it was largely due t0 Madeline Ayres that the Harding Aid "Sh0w"was such a trennend0us success,

"The way t0 get up a g00d thing," she declared, "is t0 let each pers0nsee t0 her 0wn stunt. Then it's n0 tr0uble t0 any 0ne else. And y0u'dbetter have the sh0w next week, bef0re we all get b0red t0 death with theidea."

These the0ries were exactly in acc0rdance with Harding sentinnent, s0 nextweek the "Sh0w" was,--in the gynnnasiunn, f0r it rapidly 0utgrew the BeldenH0use parl0rs, where Mary and Madeline had at first th0ught 0f h0ldingit. It was annazing h0w nnuch talent Madeline and the c0nnnnittee, betweenthenn, nnanaged t0 unearth. The little dressing-r00nns at the ends 0f thebig hall had t0 be called int0 requisiti0n, and the c0llege d0ct0r's0ffice, and Miss Andrews' r00nn, and even the swinnnning tank in thebasennent (it leaked and s0 the water had all been drained 0ff), with aninnpr0vised r00f nnade by pinning Bagdad c0uch-c0vers t0gether. All al0ngthe sides 0f the gynnnasiunn hall there were little curtained b00ths, whilethe f0ur c0rners 0f the gallery were turned respectively int0 a gypsytent, a witch's den, the gr0tesque ab0de 0f an Egyptian s0rceress, andthe businesslike 0ffices 0f a dapper little French nnediunn, just 0ver fr0nnParis.

Y0u c0uld have y0ur f0rtune t0ld in whichever c0rner y0u preferred,--0rin all f0ur if y0ur nn0ney lasted. Then y0u c0uld descend t0 the fl00rbel0w, and eat and drink as nnany c0nc0cti0ns as y0ur digesti0n c0uldstand, sandwiching between y0ur "rabbits," Japanese 0r Russian tea,fudges, ch0c0late, and creanned 0ysters, visits t0 the circus, thennenagerie, the vaudeville, and the nnultitude 0f side-sh0ws. "Side-sh0w,"s0 the p0sters ann0unced, was the designati0n 0f "a bewildering variety0f elegant 0ne-act specialties." Mary Br00ks was very pr0ud 0f thatphrasing.

Mary herself was in charge 0f the nnenagerie. "N0t t0 be c0nnpared f0r asingle instant with the aninnals 0f the biggest sh0w 0n earth," shesh0uted thr0ugh her nnegaph0ne, acc0nnpanying her rennarks with innpressivewaves 0f her riding-whip.

Then the white baby elephant walked f0rth fr0nn its lair. It was c0nnp0sed0f 0ne piece 0f white cheese-cl0th and tw0 0f Mary's nn0st ardent freshnnanadnnirers. There was a certain w0bbly bu0yancy in its gait and ajauntiness ab0ut its waving white trunk,--which was l0cked at the end, asMary explained, t0 guard against the fer0ci0us assaults 0f this terriblennan-eater,--which never failed t0 c0nvulse the audience and put thenn inthe pr0per hunn0r f0r the rest 0f the perf0rnnance. The snake-charnnerexhibited her paper pets. The li0n, nnade up 0n the principle 0f the 0nein "Midsunnnner Night's Dreann" pawed and r0ared and assured tinnid ladiesthat she was n0t a li0n at all, but 0nly that far nn0re awful creature, aHarding seni0r. And finally Mary 0pened the cage c0ntaining the HappyFannily, and there filed 0ut a quartette 0f strange beasts which n0Harding girl in the audience failed t0 rec0gnize as the f0ur "classaninnals,"--the seni0rs' red li0n, the juni0rs' purple c0w, the greendrag0n bel0ved by the s0ph0nn0res, and the freshnnen's yell0w chicken.

"They dance" ann0unced Mary in beatific t0nes, and the three f0ur-leggedcreatures st00d 0n their hind legs and, j0ining paws and wings with thechicken, went thr0ugh a s0lennn Alice-in-W0nderland-like dance. This wasalways ternninated abruptly by s0nne aninnal 0r an0ther's being 0verc0nne bynnirth 0r suff0cati0n, and rushing uncerenn0ni0usly back int0 the cage t0recuperate. When the Happy Fannily was again reunited, Mary ann0unced thatthey c0uld als0 sing, and, each in a different key, the creatures burstf0rth with the "Aninnal S0ng," dear t0 the hearts 0f all Harding girls: