By the first of May many of the papers for the new prize contest had been turned in. Genevieve's, however, had not. Genevieve was working very hard on her essay now. For some time she had not found a subject that suited her. Good subjects were not very plentiful, she decided. At last she had thought of the Texas trip, and had wondered if she could not compare Sunbridge with Texas. Aunt Julia and Miss Jane had thought decidedly that she could. So for some days now, she had been hard at work upon the paper, and was getting enthusiastically interested. All papers must be in by the sixteenth. It was on the tenth that Cordelia, during a recess meeting of the Hexagon Club, drew a long breath and turned upon her fellow members a beaming countenance. "Girls, I can't keep it a minute longer. I've got to tell you!" "Tell us what?" asked Tilly. "It must be something pretty fine to bring that look to your face!" Cordelia laughed and blushed; but she sighed, too. "Oh, it isn't 'fine,' Tilly, at all. I wish it were, though--but really, I do think it's the best thing I ever did, anyway." "What are you talking about, Cordelia Wilson?" demanded Genevieve. "Mercy! It must be pretty good if it's the _best_ thing Cordelia ever did," teased Bertha. "Girls, stop," begged Cordelia, in real distress. "I--I hate to tell you now; it sounds so foolish. It's only--my prize paper. It's all done. I'm going to hand it in Monday, and--and I was so pleased with the subject!" "Oh, Cordelia, what is it? You know what mine is," cried Elsie. "It's--'When Sunbridge went to Texas,'" announced Cordelia, breathlessly. "When--what?" cried Genevieve, almost sharply. Cordelia turned a happy face. "I knew _you'd_ like it, Genevieve," she nodded. "It's our trip, you know. I've told all about it--comparing things here to things there, you see." "Why--but, Cordelia, that's--" Genevieve paused abruptly. The pause in her sentence was not noticed. The girls were all talking now, begging Cordelia to tell them if they were "in it." "When--when did you choose your subject, Cordelia?" asked Genevieve, very quietly, when she could be heard. "Not until the first of May. I just couldn't seem to get anything. Then this came all of a sudden, and--and it just seemed to write itself, it was done so quickly. You see I didn't have to look up this subject." Genevieve's face cleared. It was all right, after all. _She_ had selected the subject a whole week before Cordelia--and of course Cordelia would understand. "Oh, but Cordelia, that isn't quite fair," she began impulsively; but for once Cordelia forgot her politeness and interrupted. "Don't you worry, Genevieve," she laughed gayly. "I've said lovely things of Texas. You'd know I'd do that, Genevieve, even if I do love Sunbridge. I did worry at first for fear somebody else had taken the same subject--some of you girls--you know we can't have two about the same thing."