“Dotty!” cried Dolly, “your new leather portfolio?”
“Yep. Celia is just daffy over it, and says she’ll vote for Bernice if I give her that, and on no other condition. Oh, I don’t mind. And it’s no harm to bribe in a little election like this. If the girls want these things, they might as well have ’em, and then we get their votes.”
“Not a bad idea,” said Lollie, musingly. “I bet Jim Lee would vote for anybody, if I gave him my last year’s skates. And I don’t want them.”
“That’s it,” said Dotty. “Try every means, Lollie, and then we must get the election.”
Bernice knew that she was a candidate for the Presidency, but she did not know how Dolly and Dotty were working for her election. She remarked to Dolly, that if she should be made President of the class she should consider it a mark of popularity more than almost anything else.
“And you’ll remember our bargain,” said Dolly, eagerly.
“Yes, I will. If I’m President, it’ll be because the class likes me, of course, and I’m quite ready to admit that I owe that liking in great part to you.”
“And you’ll do what you promised?”
“Of course I will. I can easily make father arrange for your father to stay here. I sounded him, and I found out he’ll do it if I say so.”
“Oh, Bernice, then I think you might do it, whether you get elected or not! For I’ve done everything I could for you, and I can’t help the result.”