"But I think Margaret should be chosen," interrupted Molly. "She was a good one last year. Why change?" "Don't you think it looks rather like favoritism?" put in Mabel. "Some of the other girls should have a chance. There's you, for instance." "Me?" cried Molly. "Why, I wouldn't know how to act in a president's chair. I'd be embarrassed to death." "You'd soon learn," said Katherine. "It's very easy to become accustomed to an exalted state." "But why not one of you?" began Molly. "It's a question," here remarked the silent Edith, "whether a class president should be the most popular girl or the best executive." "Margaret is both," exclaimed Molly loyally; "but, after all, why not leave it to the vote at the class meeting?" "Oh, it will be finally decided in that way, of course," said Katherine, "but such things are really decided beforehand by a little electioneering, and I was proposing to do some stump speaking in your behalf, Molly, if you cared to take the place." "Oh, no," cried Molly, flushing with embarrassment; "it's awfully nice of you, but I wouldn't for anything interfere with Margaret. She is the one to have it. Besides, as Queen's girls, we ought to vote for her. She belongs to the family." "But some of the girls are kicking. They say we are running the class, and are sure to ring in one of our own crowd just to have things our way." "How absurd!" ejaculated Molly. "I'm sure I never thought of such a thing. But if that's the case, why vote for me, then?" "Because," replied Mabel, "the Caroline Brinton faction proposed you. They say, if they must have a Queen's girl, they'll take you." "'Must' is a ridiculous word to use at an honest election," broke in Molly hotly. "Let them choose their candidate and vote as they like. We'll choose ours and vote as we like." "That's exactly the point," said Katherine. "They are something like Kipling's monkey tribe, the 'banderlog.' They do a lot of chattering, but they can't come to any agreement. They need a head, and I propose to be that head and tell them whom to vote for. Shall it be Molly or Margaret?" "Margaret," cried Molly; "a thousand times, Margaret. I wouldn't usurp her place for worlds. She's perfectly equipped in every possible way for the position." Nance and Judy now came into the room. Nance looked a little excited and Judy was red in the face. "Do you know," burst out the impetuous Judy, "that Caroline Brinton has called a mass meeting of all the sophomores not at Queen's? She has started up some cock-and-bull tale about the Queen's girls trying to run the class. She says we're a ring of politicians. We ran in all our officers last year and we're going to try and do it this year." "What a ridiculous notion," laughed Molly. "Margaret was elected by her own silver-tongued oratory, and Jessie was made secretary because she was so pretty and popular and seemed to belong next to Margaret anyway."