opinion that a slouching way of standing and walking is bad for the health. The girl who enjoys vigorous, outdoor exercise does not slouch. So to-morrow we ask you to vote for our field. Here in Northfield we want you to be proud of the girl who gets the sort of red in her cheeks that is supplied by nature and not by the kind that is bought in the drug stores."
There was no doubt that Betty had struck a human and a humorous note. The audience had warmed up noticeably. Perry, in the wings, was poking one of his long fingers into Mr. Banning's ribs, all unconscious of what he was doing.
"We have them now, sir," he was saying. "Oh, but that hooked them beautifully. Now it's up to old sober-face George to go out and finish it."
The teacher of civics looked at Praska. "Nervous?" he asked. The boy shook his head. "Why should I be? I'm only going to tell them facts." He said it soberly, with no attempt at boasting. After all, that was how it seemed to him—merely telling Northfield's needs to the parents of those who came to Northfield High. It was like saying what he had to say to Northfield's family.
And yet when he walked out on the stage, his breath caught momentarily in his throat. He
