Then the banquet went on only to have its progress interrupted at intervals by bustling attendants who came rushing in with telegrams, special delivery letters, and telephone messages from the Hatter, the Red Queen, the Dormouse, and many another well-beloved Wonderland character. Afterward the Walrus and the Carpenter sang a song and then, with great acclaim and a crash of the orchestra, the folding doors opened and Alice herself, impersonating 1921, entered, gathered up the _March Hare_, and with a graceful little poem of farewell to 1920 took the head of the table. With a sigh glad yet regretful, Paul surrendered his place. He had longed for the day when he should be graduating from school and setting forth for college; but now that the moment had really arrived, he found himself not nearly so glad to depart from the High School as he had expected to be. Many a pleasant memory clustered about the four years he had spent in those familiar classrooms. And the comrades of those years,--he was parting from them, too. Some were scattering to the various colleges; some were going into business; others were to remain at home. Never again would they all travel the same path together. Alas, graduation had its tragic as well as its happy aspects! Perhaps some such thought as this lurked deep down in the breast of every member of 1920, but for the sake of one another, and to make the last moments they were to spend together unclouded by sadness, each bravely struggled to banish this sinister reflection. Hence the dance that followed the banquet was an uproarious affair. When one is young and all the world lies before, the conqueror Gloom is short-lived. So 1920 danced gayly until midnight, forgetful of every shadow, and when weary, sleepy, but triumphant, a half-jubilant, half-sorrowful lot of girls and boys betook themselves to their homes, it was with ringing cheers for the Burmingham High School, the class of 1920, the _March Hare_, Mr. Carter, its printer, and Paul Cameron, its editor-in-chief. [Transcriber's Note: The following errors have been corrected: List of Illustrations: The page number for the last illustration has been changed from 137 to 136. Page 77: "Strasburg" changed to "Strasbourg" (a native of Strasbourg,) Page 111: "acounts" changed to "accounts" (When the accounts were found to be short,) Page 171: "papier-mache" changed to "papier-mache" (a sort of _papier-mache_) All other spelling and punctuation inconsistencies have been retained.] End of Project Gutenberg's Paul and the Printing Press, by Sara Ware Bassett