ed to
take Miss Taylor."

"I did not arrange for a single room," was the stiff response.

"Then you haven't any case, have you?" queried Elfreda cheerfully. "Now,
see here. I am going to tell you a few things. You are beginning all
wrong. It is just what I did last year, and I had a pretty disagreeable
time, you may rest assured. The best thing you can do is to tell Miss
Taylor to come and claim her half of the room before anything happens to
you. If you leave Wayne Hall, sooner or later the whole college will
hear of it and it won't help you to be popular, either. It is easy
enough to do as you please regardless of whether or not it pleases
others, but you are bound to pay for the privilege. If you don't believe
me, just wait and see."

A flush mounted to the defiant stranger's cheeks.

"Public opinion is usually a matter of small importance to me," she
said, but her tone of lofty indifference was not convincing. "There is,
however, a certain amount of wisdom in what you have just said. I should
not care to appear ridiculous in the eyes of the really important
students at Overton. You may inform Miss Taylor that I have altered my
decision. I shall raise no further objections to her as a roommate."

With a pompous gesture of dismissal this self-centered young woman rose
and walked majestically to the window. Turning her back squarely upon
Grace and Elfreda, she appeared to be deeply absorbed in watching what
went on in the street, and, divided between vexation and laughter, the
two girls left the room. Elfreda hurried back to her unpacking and Grace
to her own room.

"It is all right, Miss Taylor. Your roommate is prepared to receive
you," Grace announced.

"I shall be glad to have some place I can call all my own," sighed the
little girl, "but I know I shall never like her," she added resentfully.

"On the contrary, you may learn to like her very much," returned Grace.
"Now I'll help you with your things." Picking up Miss Taylor's heavy
suit case, Grace escorted her to the door of the end room.

"How did it happen?" greeted Anne, when five minutes later Grace
returned alone, smiling and triumphant.

"Don't ask me," laughed Grace. "Ask Elfreda. She wrought the miracle."

"What did she do?" asked Anne.

"She won the day, or rather the half of the room, by plain speaking."
Grace recounted to Anne what had taken place in the belligerent young
woman's room. "She made more impression on the Anarchist in five mi