CHAPTER IV.
GRACE TURNS IN THE FIRE ALARM "I wonder what sort of excitement we shall have next ?" remarked Grace Harlowe to her three friends one afternoon as they gathered in the senior locker-room, before leaving school.
Three weeks had elapsed since Mabel Allison and her mother had met in Room 47 of the hospital, and many events had transpired in that short space of time.
The girl chums had been entertained at "Hawk's Nest" by Mrs.Gibson, and were in consequence the most important persons in the Girls' High School.

They had found Mrs.Gibson charming, and had been invited to repeat their visit at an early date.

Mabel's story had circulated throughout Oakdale, and she and her friends were the topic of the hour.
The one cloud on their horizon had been the fact of the inevitable separation.

They had begged and entreated Mrs.Allison to take up her residence in Oakdale for the balance of Mabel's junior year, but on account of home matters she had been unable to comply with their wishes.
So Mabel had departed for Denver with her mother, while the chums had kissed her and cried over her and had extracted a laughing promise from Mrs.Allison to bring her to Oakdale during commencement week to witness the graduation of the Phi Sigma Tau.
"It seems as though we have done nothing but say good-bye to people ever since school began," said Anne Pierson with a little sigh.
"I know it," exclaimed Nora.

"First our boys, then Mabel, and--" "And now all we can do is to wonder who will fade away and disappear next," finished Grace.