"The University of North Dakota," with emphasis on the university. "I had intended going to Heidelberg, but felt that we loyal Americans should patronize home institutions. The choruses of Euripides may ring as grandly on our Western plains as in Athens itself," she added with finality. She enunciated with great care and seemed terribly in earnest to Evelyn, who felt an uncontrollable desire to laugh. But there was, she now imagined, something back of all this, and she waited patiently for its unfolding. The denouement was, she hoped, near at hand, for Miss Morris moved her eyeglasses higher up on her nose and appeared even more formidable than before. "I have heard that great emphasis is laid at Smith on social and political economy. You must be very anxious to make practical use of your knowledge," continued Miss Morris. Evelyn recalled guiltily her cuts in these studies. "Carlyle or somebody"--she was afraid to quote before a doctor of philosophy, and thought it wise to give a vague citation--"calls political economy the dismal science, and I'm afraid I have looked at it a little bit that way myself." She smiled hopefully, but Miss Morris did not relax her severity. "Civic responsibility rests on women as strongly as on men; even more so," declared Miss Morris. "Well, I think we ought to do what we can," assented Evelyn. "Now, our Local Council has been doing a great deal toward improving the sanitation of Clarkson." "Oh yes," exclaimed Mrs. Wingate from her corner. "And we feel that every educated woman in the community should lend her aid to all the causes of the Local Council." "Yes?" said Evelyn, rather weakly. She felt that the plot was thickening. "I really know very little of such things, but--" The "but" was highly equivocal. "And we are very anxious to get a representative on the School Board," continued Miss Morris. "The election is in November. Has it ever occurred to you how perfectly absurd it is for men to conduct our educational affairs when the schools are properly a branch of the home and should be administered, in part, at least, by women?" She punctuated her talk so that her commas cut into the air. Mrs. Wingate, the third and silent lady, approved this more or less inarticulately. "I know there's a great deal in that," said Evelyn. "And we, the Executive Committee of the Council, have been directed to ask you"--Mrs. Wingate and Mrs. Atherton moved nervously in their seats, but Miss Morris now spoke with more deliberation, and with pedagogic care of her pronunciation--"to become a candidate for the School Board." Evelyn felt a cold chill creeping over her, and swallowed hard in an effort to summon some word to meet this shock. "Your social position," continued Miss Morris volubly, "and the prestige which you as a bachelor of arts have brought home from college, make you a most natural candidate." "Destiny really seems to be pointing to you," said Mrs. Atherton, with coaxing sweetness in her tone.