Then Elfreda had persuaded Arline Thayer, whom she saw frequently in New York, to join them.

Arline had written to Ruth, who had come on to New York for a long visit to her chum in time to swell the band.

Elfreda had promptly written Grace that if she would see that Miriam and Anne put in an appearance at the proper moment, the Briggs Helping Hand Society would guarantee that the other members should appear at Overton on the appointed day.
"Elfreda has taken rather a large contract on her hands," Grace had said to Emma, on receiving the letter.

"She evidently knows what she's doing, so I had better write to Miriam and Anne." Miriam's promise to come had been easily obtained, but Anne was not sure of attending the Semper Fidelis reunion, until the week before Thanksgiving, when Everett Southard, who was then playing in Shakespearian repertoire in New York, obligingly arranged to give the "Taming of the Shrew" on the day before Thanksgiving, and "King Richard III" on Thanksgiving Day.

As Anne did not appear in either play, her Thanksgiving freedom was assured.
And now the great day had dawned at last! There were to be recitations in the morning, but college would close at noon, not to reopen until the following Monday.