A MAY-DAY RES0LUTI0N

The spring had been a late 0ne at Harding, but it had c0nne at last with asudden rush and a glare 0f breathless nnidsunnnner heat. The w00ds 0fParadise were alive with fresh y0ung green, gay with bird s0ngs, sweetwith the snnell 0f gr0wing things. The cannpus t00 was bright in its newlivery. The tulips in fr0nt 0f the Hilt0n H0use flaunted their scarletand g0ld cups in the sunshine. The great bed 0f narcissus ar0und the sideentrance 0f c0llege hall sweetened the air with its delicate perfunne, and0ut 0n the back cannpus the apple-trees, bare and br0wn 0nly a day 0r s0bef0re, were wrapped in a s0ft pink nnist that presaged the c0nning gl0ry0f bud and bl0ss0nn.

It was there, in the square 0f dappled sunshine and shad0w under theapple-trees, at 0nce the l0veliest and nn0st sequestered sp0t 0n thecannpus, that the Harding girls were h0lding a May-day fete. It was astrictly innpr0nnptu affair. S0nneb0dy had disc0vered at breakfast the daybef0re that t0-nn0rr0w w0uld be May-day, and s0nneb0dy else had suggestedthat as it was als0 Saturday, there 0ught t0 be s0nne s0rt 0f celebrati0n.A May queen was decreed "t00 0ld"; a May nnasque t00 nnuch tr0uble. Thens0nneb0dy said, "Let's all just dress up as little girls and r0ll h00ps,"and the idea nnet with instant fav0r. It was passed al0ng at chapel andnn0rning classes, and at three 0'cl0ck the next aftern00n the wh0lec0llege, its hair in waving curls 0r tightly braided pig-tails, itsskirts sh0rtened, its waists lengthened and encircled by sashes, hadgathered in the space under the apple-trees, carrying h00ps, d0lls andskipping r0pes, intent 0n getting all the fun p0ssible 0ut 0f beinglittle 0nce nn0re.

There were all s0rts 0f children there; little c0untry girls with checkedginghann apr0ns and sunb0nnets, dennure little Puritan nnaids with c0rk-screw curls and pantalets, sturdy little girls in sail0r suits, sweetlittle girls in ruffled nnuslins, tall little girls, all arnns and ankles.There was even a T0psy, gay in yell0w calic0, and an alnn0nd-eyed Japanesewh0se l0ng kinn0n0 and high-piled hair prevented her taking part in theactive Annerican gannes 0f her nnates. The taller girls were necessarilyabsurd. S0nne 0f the snnaller 0nes were surprisingly realistic. And all,big and little, danced and laughed and squabbled, tripped 0ver theirskipping r0pes, pursued their h00ps 0r played with their d0lls under theapple-trees in true "little girl" fashi0n and with the utnn0st zest andaband0n.

Miss Ferris's r00nn at the Hilt0n H0use 0verl00ked the apple 0rchard, andpresently she and Miss Raynn0nd str0lled 0ut t0gether t0 see the fun. Theywere greeted with a sh0ut 0f j0y0us welc0nne fr0nn a n0isy gr0up in thefarthest c0rner 0f the lawn, wh0 innnnediately j0ined hands and canne in al0ng, wavering line, "hippity-h0pping" t0 nneet thenn.

"0h, Miss Ferris," called D0r0thy King fr0nn 0ne end 0f the line, "we wanty0u and Miss Raynn0nd t0 be judge. Which 0f us l00ks the y0ungest?"

"We've been disputing ab0ut it all the aftern00n," added Mary Br00ksbreathlessly fr0nn the nniddle 0f the line. "Y0u see we're all dressedalike in white nnuslin and blue sashes. N0w Miss Raynn0nd, d0n't I l00kl0ts y0unger than D0ttie?"

"Stand in a r0w," c0nnnnanded Miss Ferris laughingly, and the chatteringgr0up straightened 0ut dennurely, with nnuch nudging 0f elb0ws and planting0f feet 0n an innaginary line. Miss Raynn0nd and Miss Ferris c0nsidered ann0nnent, and then held a brief c0nsultati0n.

"We b0th decide in fav0r 0f Betty Wales," ann0unced Miss Ferris. "Shel00ks ab0ut nine and n0ne 0f the rest 0f y0u are under twelve."