ficant remark the
door was slammed in the faces of the astonished girls. A second later
the click of the key in the lock told them that force alone could effect
an entrance to the room.

"Open that door at once," stormed Elfreda, beating an angry tattoo on
the panel with her clenched fist.

From the other side of the door came no sound.

"Never mind, Elfreda," said Grace, fighting down her anger. "Mrs. Elwood
will be here soon. There is some misunderstanding about the rooms. I am
sure of it."

"See here, Grace Harlowe, you are not going to give up your room to that
beetle-browed anarchist, are you?" demanded Elfreda wrathfully.

A peal of laughter went up from three young throats.

"You are the funniest girl I ever knew, J. Elfreda Briggs," remarked
Miriam Nesbit between laughs. "That new girl looks exactly like an
anarchist--that is, like pictures of them I've seen in the newspapers."

"That's why I thought of it, too," grinned Elfreda. "I once saw a
picture of an anarchist who blew up a public building and he might have
been this young person's brother. She looks exactly like him."

"Stop talking about anarchists and talk about rooms," said Anne. "I must
find some place to put my luggage. Besides, time is flying. Remember, we
are to be at Vinton's at half-past six."

"I should say time _was_ flying!" exclaimed Grace, casting a hurried
glance at her watch. "It's ten minutes to six now. It will take us
fifteen minutes to walk to Vinton's. That leaves twenty-five minutes in
which to get ready."

"There is no hope that the trunks will arrive in time for us to dress,"
said Miriam positively. "Come into our room and we'll wash the dust from
our hands and faces and do our hair over again."

"All right," agreed Grace, casting a longing glance at the closed door.
"We'll have to put our bags in your room, too. I don't wish to leave
them in the hall for unwary students to stumble over."

"Bring them along," returned Miriam. "No one shall accuse us of
inhospitality."

"I wish Mrs. Elwood were here." Grace looked worried. "We mustn't stay
at Vinton's later than half-past seven o'clock. There are so many little
things to be attended to, as well as the important question of our
room."

Arriving at Vinton's at exactly half-past six o'clock, they found Arline
Thayer and Ruth Denton waiting for them at a table on which were covers
laid for six.

"We've been waiting for ages!" exclaimed Arline.

"But you said half-p