Whereupon Hippy raised his voice in a loud monologue that entirely drowned Tom's and Nora's voices.
"For goodness' sake, say something that will please him, Nora," begged Tom.

"This is awful." Hippy babbled on, apparently oblivious of everyone.
"I have something very important to tell you, Hippy," interposed Nora slyly.
Hippy stopped talking.

"What is it ?" he asked suspiciously.
"Come over to the other end of the veranda and find out," said Nora enigmatically.
Hippy accepted the invitation promptly, and followed Nora to the end of the veranda, unmindful of Tom Gray's jeers about idle curiosity.
Those who read "Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School," "Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year at High School," "Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School" and "Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School" will have no trouble in recognizing every member of the merry party of young folks who had taken possession of the Harlowes' veranda.

The doings of Tom, Hippy, David, Reddy, Nora, Jessica, Anne and Grace have been fully narrated in the "High School Girls Series." There, too, appeared Miriam Nesbit, Eva Allen, Eleanor Savelli and Marian Barber, together with the four chums, as members of the famous sorority, the Phi Sigma Tau.
With the close of their high school days the little clan had been separated, although David, Reddy and Hippy were on the eve of beginning their senior year in the same college.

Nora and Jessica were attending the same conservatory, while Grace, Anne and Miriam Nesbit were students at Overton College.
During their freshman year at Overton, set forth in "Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton College," the three girls had not met with altogether plain sailing.