Emma Dean, who grumbled at her
repeated ringing and then announced that she had rung six times that
afternoon before any one had condescended to let her in. "Have you seen
Elfreda?" flung back Grace on her way upstairs.

"You'd better hurry," called Emma after her. "I heard her growling to
herself as I passed her door."

"I began to think you were never coming," greeted Elfreda, as Grace
burst into the room, her eyes bright and her cheeks becomingly flushed
from her recent run across the campus.

"Why didn't you ask some one else to hook you up?" retorted Grace
mischievously, throwing down her gloves and beginning on the top hook.

"Because I wanted you to see how nice I looked in this new frock,"
replied the stout girl. "If I had not stipulated that you were to
perform this extremely important service for me, you would have in all
probability absented yourself from my immediate vicinity, unmindful of
the rare exhibition of youth and beauty that was being prepared for you
in my room."

"If I had closed my eyes I could have sworn it was Miss Atkins," laughed
Grace. "Even she herself couldn't fail to recognize that impersonation.
It's ridiculously funny, Elfreda, but I wish you wouldn't do it." As
Grace and Elfreda were standing with their backs directly away from the
door neither girl saw the tense little figure that stood rigid, one hand
on the door casing, listening with eyebrows drawn fiercely together. An
instant later it had vanished. Grace, after triumphantly placing the
last hook in its eye, began helping Elfreda find her handkerchief and
gloves. "Now you have everything you need," she declared, holding up the
stout girl's coat. "Do you wait here for your dinner partner or does she
call for you?"

"She is coming in here for me," answered Elfreda. "I wish she would
hurry along. I haven't had even a cracker to eat since luncheon and I'm
famished."

"I think I'll go if you don't mind. I'm hungry, too. I must see if Anne
has come in yet. Miss Atkins will be here in a moment. Good-bye. I hope
you will have a nice time. I am so glad she invited you."

Grace crossed the hall to her own room. Anne was rearranging her hair
preparatory to going down to dinner.

"I think I'll do my hair over again," decided Grace. "That run across
the campus shook most of my hairpins loose. It will be at least ten
minutes before the bell rings, so I shall have plenty of time." But her
hair proved refractory and the clang of the d