Betty Wales, Sophomore

les ran up two flights of stairs at the Hilton House, and bursting into Eleanor's "extr

speak. "And dirty," she added, looking ruefully at t

Eleanor, who was always vastly entertaine

, and I ought to rush back to the gym. this very minute, but

hed copying. "I helped wind the balcony railings with yellow cheese-cloth all the morning, and I th

erfully. "But I'm glad you're throu

ked Eleanor, fastening her sheets togeth

kly. "She didn't at all. I

o is it that you're going to take to-night?" she asked. "You tol

eline Ayres-

esting girl in her class, I think, and she's going to be t

her, because I came over to see if

rplexity. "Why, I'm goin

, you know. Do you mean

Are you s

asles or something. Jean told me about it, and an A.D.T. boy was just leaving a

ely card for her, too. Pity it's got to go to waste. Well, she can have her violets all the same. I'll go down and

her Math. division, and when the other girl spoke about the reception this one-her name is Dora Carlson-hadn't heard of it. So the other freshmen very sensibly went in and told the registrar about it, and the registrar sent word to the gy

dertone of very real compunction in her voice, "do you think I'd do that? Have I ever been quite so mean as you make me out? Di

e I am," began

the gym. and work for the two of us, while I go and invite Miss Ca

u really take her? She's probably-oh, not a bi

her life all the same," said Elean

gem," declared Betty, ex

ace at the gym. Good-

unload the boughs. Through one window she could see Rachel and Alice Waite stringing incandescent lights into Japanese lanterns. Katherine Kittredge was standing behind them in her gym suit. She had evidently been hanging lanterns along the rafters. It had been bad eno

s gate, she heard some one calli

n. "Did you get Polly's note? A

Polly, and for myself, too. I shall get back to the gym. as soon a

demande

," answered E

eanor, that you're getting a l

. Then she caught herself up sharply. "Don't let's get to bickering, Jean. You know I ought to ask her, and you know how much I want to. But I'm going to do it, and I exp

chool were called) more than her high-handed attempts to run her own set, and her eventual wrecking of its influence, had done the year before. But t

if she cared to exert herself, but the question was: would Dora Carlson in the concrete arouse the best-or the worst-of her nature? Betty loved Eleanor in spite of everything, but she had to admit to herself that a timid little freshman might infinitely prefer staying at home from the sophomore reception to going in Eleanor's company, if s

g herself that would have interested almost any one. But it was the frank good-nature with which she accepted her eleventh hour invitation that appealed most to Eleanor, newly alive to the charm that lies in courageously making the best of a bad matter. For half an hour Eleanor devoted herself to finding out something about Miss Carlson and to makin

ng her freshman in the background. All through the reception that preceded the dancing she took her from group to group, introducing her to sophomores whom she would dance with later and to prominent members of her own class. Eleanor Watson might be considered odd and freakish by the Hill girls, and very snobbish by the rest of the college; but nobody of either persuasion cared to ignore her, when she chose to make advances. And there was, besides, a good deal of curiosity about the short, dark little freshman, with the merry brown eyes, the big, hu

s Carlson answered with a delighted "yes," Eleanor, who always refused to lead, and d

reshmen up into the gallery, where they could look

er done for me," sa

her?" returned Bet

rest, before she had become hopelessly estranged from their counsels. But to all their attentions Eleanor paid as little heed as she did to the persistent appeals of Paul West, a friend at Winsted College, a few miles away, that she shoul

ood time?" said Eleanor

see Miss C

first partner was sick, but I guess I enjoyed it fully as

nner, nor the careless self- absorption of one or two of her other partners. "And now that you've met the girls,"

other gifts. It doesn't come natural to some people. But," she added, brightening, "I came here to learn Greek and Latin, so that

mes don't have to last, because one always leads to another. Why, I know another that's coming to you very soon. I've had a good deal of company for dinner latel

s your head to a perfect stranger, whom you never expected to see again. Later, after Dora's appearance at the Hilton for Sunday dinner, Jean declared that it was a shame for Eleano

aint little freshman, and she and the other Chapin house girls ral

up in the gallery and there she was in the front row, hanging over the railing as far as she dared, with her eyes glued to you. Some day she'l

ood-nature, and seemed rather pleased th

h. But Dora Carlson is so absolutely frank and straightforward, and so competent and quick to see through things. She ought to have been a man. Then she could

the reception. Nobody ever cared for me, or trusted me, as she does-or for the reasons that she does. I hope I can show her