. Her mind was so filled with other and more
important things that her social conquests impressed her but little. She
did, however, think a good bit about poor Rebecca Frayne's situation.
She warned her personal friends among the freshmen, especially those at
Dare Hall, to say nothing to Rebecca about the unfortunate affair.

Rebecca came into the dining-room again. Ruth knew that she had actually
begun to crochet a baby blue tam-o'-shanter. But it was a question in
Ruth's mind if the odd girl would be able to "keep up appearances" on
the little money she had left and that which her brother could send her
from time to time. It was quite tragic, after all. Rebecca was sure of
good and sufficient food as long as she could pay her board; but the
girl undoubtedly needed other things which she could not purchase.

Naturally, youth cannot give its entire attention to even so tragic a
matter as this. Ruth's gay friends acted as counterweights in her mind
to Rebecca's troubles.

The girls were out on the lake very frequently as the cold weather
continued; but Ruth never saw again the strange girl whom she and Helen
had interviewed at night on Bliss Island.

Hearing from Aunt Alvirah as she did with more or less frequency, the
girl of the Red Mill was assured that Maggie seemed content and was
proving a great help to the crippled old housekeeper. Maggie seemed
quite settled in her situation.

"Just because that queer girl looked like Maggie doesn't prove that
Maggie knows her," Ruth told herself. "Still--it's odd."

Stormy weather kept the college girls indoors a good deal; and the
general sitting-room on Ruth's corridor became the most social spot in
the whole college.

The girls whose dormitory rooms were there, irrespective of class, all
shared in the furnishing of the sitting-room. Second-hand furniture is
always to be had of dealers near an institution like Ardmore. Besides,
the girls all owned little things they could spare for the general
comfort, like Rebecca Frayne's alcohol lamp.

Helen had a tea set; somebody else furnished trays. In fact, all the
"comforts of home" were supplied to that sitting-room; and the girls
were considered very fortunate by their mates in other parts of the
hall, and, indeed, in the other three dormitory buildings.

But during the holiday recess something happened that bade fair to
deprive Ruth and her friends of their special perquisite. Dr. McCurdy's
wife's sister came to Ardmore.