A Sweet Girl Graduate

versity town of Kingsdene. From these, however, particularly in the winter, they could see the gabled colleges, the chapels

ed the gaze of the curious. Inside there were cheerful halls and pleasant gardens and gay, fresh, unre

ing on, and they were walking about the gardens, and greeting old friends, and telling each other their e

he full moon seemed to the girls even nicer than broad daylight to linger about in. They did not wan

ll stood in its own grounds and was more or less a complete home in itself. There were resident lecturers and dem

pal under her at Vincent Hall, the largest and newest of these spacious homes, where young wo

ustic paling. Miss Heath was the very popular vice-principal of this hall, and Prissie was considered a fortunate girl to obtain a home in her house. She sat now a forlorn and

d herself for feeling nervous. She had told Aunt Raby that, of course, she would have n

t so violently that she dropped one of her few treasured sixpences,

by magic, popped it into Priscilla's hand and then vanished. Priscilla knew that this was the girl who had laughed; she heard her laughing a

" said the girl who had picked u

a warning voice, "I know you

now myself. What awful indiscretion does

out a fortnight, and make her imagine that you are going to be excellent friends for the rest of your life,

hear talking?" said a voice

htened color rushed up eagerly to shake han

e you quite well, Maggie, and you, Nancy? Had you a pleasa

me up and joined the group, all anxious to shake hands

or dinner sounded, and the little

ecently arrived were standing about; all had a

nd see me to-night in my room, won't

r good-natured, affec

, was gay and bright, but quieter than Maggie. Her face was

e corridor which led to their rooms, "you know you will have to sit up until morning. W

e lau

t. Now we have barely time to change our dresses for dinner. Surely, though, Nance, there's a light under Annabel Lee's door. Who have they dar

ould the college afford to keep a room empt

always be a shrine. I shall hate the person who lives in it." Tears filled her bright brown eyes. Her arched, prou

a moment. A quick si

the most inconsequent. It is the greatest wonder she has kept so long out of some serious scrape. She will never leave here without doing something outrageous,

, she went up to the door of the

silence, then a con

me

ntered

g removed, stood in a prominent position, half on the hearthrug, half on the square of carpet which covered the center of the floor. Priscilla had taken off her jacket and hat. She had washed her hands, and removed her muddy boots, and smoothed out her

name is Banister. I have a room in the same corridor, but quite at the other end. You must come and visit me presently. Oh, has no one lit your fire? Wou

y and smother her with kisses, but she could only stand in the middle o

step, chilled in

gong that will sound in a minute will be for dinner, and Miss Heath always likes us to be punctual for that meal. It

you. I- I c

ith pleasure if

r you didn't t

wn the broad stairs, then turn to the right, then to t

ntly, although she did not feel gentle, for s

d yearningly in the direction where the bright face and trim, neat girlish fig

dren say if they saw their Prissie now? And I'm the girl who is to fight the world, and kill the dragon, and make a home for the nestlings. Don't I feel like it! Don't I look like it! Don't I just loathe myself! How h

ed all along the corridor; light steps passed Priscilla's room. She h

n made a rush for it, flew down the wide stairs in a bashful agony, and, as a ma

ittle more than those which must be exercised in any well-organized family. But there is the unspoken etiquette made chiefly by the students themselves, w

mediately made her the cynosure of all eyes. Poor Priscilla was unconscious of any offense. She grew scarlet under the g

Priscilla, who would thankfully have taken her dinner in the scullery, heard hints about a certain young person'

aking poor way with the fish that followed, w

's," said the voice. "I hope you will be

tent flash and glow in them which gave them a red, half-wild gleam now and then. The lips that belonged to this face were slightly pa

oden tone; but her eyes did not look s

, but every one calls me Maggie. That is, of course, I mean my friends do.

d love beyond words to come into your room"; but instead she r

ar Dorothea- I mean Miss

Priscilla. "I think she

find out for yourself. But now, about the rules. I don't mean the printed rules. We have, I assure you, at St. Benet's all kinds of little etiquettes which we expect each other to observe. We are supposed to be

ery one stared at me when I came into the hall, but I thought it was because

ere besides yours. You should have come down under the

ne? Do tell me. I'd

who are going in for a tripos take their august meals. That is pretty good for a fresher. Forgive me, we call the new girls freshers for a week or two. Oh,

id Priscilla. "And please tell me n

t's merry ey

t door at the further end- that is the students' d

well,

shall make you quite an enthusias

lla bl

spoke too eage

ot a bit t

where I ought to h

near that lower

Priscilla. "My name

y that entrance door is a table, a table rather in a draught, and consec

s far from the righ

far as y

all the girls hav

let them stare. Who

ds removed her plate; her almost untasted dinner lay upon it. Miss

ce, stiff but with a brea

ts at St. Benet's m

e most fascinating college in Engla

brimful of laughter. But Priscilla, unaccustomed to light repartee o

e dons' entrance and which is the right seat to take at table? If nobody shows her, how c