n't know what
has come over you anyway, Nancy--you don't approve of a single thing I
do----"

"Oh, Alma--darling! How _can_ you say such things?" The tears began
to roll down Nancy's cheeks. "Whatever put such thoughts into your
head, when you _know_ how much I love you. It's not me, but you who
have changed. Can't you see that I can't let my work go just to play
around with a lot of girls who don't care a rap for me, myself? Life
isn't a song and a dance for _us_, Alma--and we can't waste our time
just for a little popularity with girls who'd forget us to-morrow.
Mildred----"

"Oh, go ahead, and say a lot of mean things about Mildred," interrupted
Alma bitterly. "You never liked her. You took a prejudice to her at
first sight. You never even tried to know her. I never heard of
anything so unjust in my life! You don't think that anyone is capable
of a real friendship but you and Charlotte. Mildred is every bit as
good a friend. Just because she's rich you think that she must be
selfish--you're the most narrow-minded girl I ever knew. It's the same
way with all my friends--you think Frank Barrows is just an idler--a
conceited little----"

"What on earth did I ever say against Frank Barrows?" Nancy defended
herself weakly.

"Oh, you never _say_ anything. You just look--and I know perfectly
well what you think. It seems as if we can never agree about anything,
any more. Now, this afternoon you might have been just a little bit
sociable--instead of that you shut yourself up, as if you thought all
those girls were simply a lot of sillies; but you were able to spend an
hour and a half with Charlotte."

"I had to finish my English paper, and that's all there was to it,"
retorted Nancy. "In any other school under the sun work has to come
before play. Neither one of us can afford to take advantage of the
leniency of the teachers here--if I did only what they required I
wouldn't get to college in ten years. And I've got to get to college,
no matter what _Mildred_ thinks of me. I'm sorry she doesn't approve
of my behavior, but it can't be helped." In her hurt anger, she had
lost her head a little bit, or she would not have thrown that last
stone at Alma's chosen friend. For the time being at least, it was
impossible to repair the breach that the two wounded, indignant girls
had made between each other.

Too sick at heart for tears, too despairingly conscious of the
uselessness of any attempt at reco