Garnet was tolerably composed, but Winona was suffering from a bad attack of that most unpleasant malady "stage fright." She would have given worlds for a trapdoor in the platform to open, and allow her to subside out of sight.

No such convenient arrangement, however, had been provided for the use of bashful performers, the planks were solid, and guaranteed not to give way under any circumstances.

There was nothing for it but to take her seat in full view of the audience.

There were slightly over two hundred girls in the room, but to Winona's fevered imagination there appeared to be thousands.

She wondered how she could ever have had the folly to place herself in such a public situation.