Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton College

r feet, regarding the sobbing,

the matter, Elfr

il that made the girls glance

me in to inquire what has happened." Going over to the couch, she knelt beside Elfreda and said a

wer, but in a lower tone, nevertheless;

ng one of the girl's limp hands in hers. "Something dread

ophomores. I can't go to the reception. They

to a sitting position on the couch and dropping down beside her put one arm over her shoulder. Miriam promptly sat down on the other side, and being thus s

neously, Miriam and Grace exchanged dismayed glances. Elfreda had come t

a, unrolling her handkerchief from the ball in

Grace said wit

ort. "I'll write to Pa and Ma that I want to go home ne

very anxious that you shou

"Ma picked out Overton for me long before I left high sch

isappointed if you go home witho

e and have the whole college down on me, and that's wh

beginning and tell us everything," su

o mean," burst forth Elfreda. "I went to the dance with Virgi

ean by 'they'

tly furious with me for telling. They found out that Virginia had invited me to the dance, and told her the whole story. She was horrid to me, and hardly spoke to me all the way to the gymnasium or coming home. They must have told every girl I know, for not one of them would come n

am n

y were going to hand me a whole block of ice. It was bad enough to have them cut me in classes and on the street, but I had set my heart on the reception and wrote to Ma to send me

oing to ask you to-night, when just before dinner a boy came here with this note." From the inside of her white silk bl

paper from the envelop

s Br

You have shown yourself so entirely incapable of understanding the first principles of honor, that Overton would be much better off

phomore

ed the not

t?" asked Miriam, looki

le what is really a personal affair. Even though the sophomores are angry, they have no right to threaten El

erly. "I think I'd better; then they

you fail in your studies or do something really reprehensible, but there is one thing

inquired Elfre

er. "No matter what the girls do or say to you,

ults and not take my own part?" demanded Elfreda, f

an, the registrar, or any other member of the faculty," said Grace gravely. "Yo

dean made it hot for the girls just the same. I

lty were students they were just as careful not to tell tales as are the girls here to-day. Of course, if students are reported to

he girls' embrace she stood up and walked to the other side of the room. Stumbling over one of her sho

athe your face. You'll feel ever so much better after you've done that. You mustn't be cross with Grace and me. We are only tryi

at, flung it on the foot of her bed. Her coat followed, and seizing her towel

n. "Chocolate is the one thing calculated to reduce J. Elfreda to reason. We will feed her, then renew our lectures

"As long as I have taken her unto myself as a roommate I might as well do what I can for her. What seems so strange to me is that with all her money she is so crude and slangy. She doe

her make his mon

racts of timber land in Michigan. Elf

iam, despite her avowal that she was tired of picking up her roommate's scattered clothing, busied herself with reducing Elfreda's half of the r

note?" Grace asked, picking it u

think?" quest

ace. "I'm going to see Mabel Ashe to-morrow morning. I'll tell her about

phomore class object

urned Grace. "I have a curious conviction that not many of them kno

ks and Miss Hampton wr

o would have an object in doing so," declared Grace. "I hear Elfreda coming down

cabinet in one corner of the room and taking out the necessary ingredients. "Here, Grace, ope

mono, J. Elfreda sat drinking chocolate and devouring

etty sure you were a regular snob, but you're nothing like one. I couldn't help thinking about what you said, Grace, while I was bathing my face," she continued. "It