d Eleanor, when they were
outside. "Did you know that Miss Carter tutored in French?"

"No," answered Betty. "Helen never gave me the impression that she was
poor. Her room doesn't look much as if she was helping to put herself
through college, does it?"

"Not a bit," agreed Eleanor, "nor her clothes, and yet Miss Harrison
certainly acted as if she had come on business."

"Yes, exactly like Rachel's pupils. They always come bouncing in late,
when she's given them up and we're all having a lovely time. Miss Carter
acted businesslike too. She seemed to expect us to go."

"Well then, what about Jean?" asked Eleanor. "I couldn't make her out at
all. Has she struck up some sort of queer friendship with Miss Carter or
was she being tutored too?"

Betty gave a little gasp of dismay. "Oh, I don't know. I hoped you
would. You see--she's trying for a part in the play."

"Then she can't be conditioned," said Eleanor easily. "Teddie Wilson has
advertised the rule about that far and wide, poor child."

"And you don't think Jean could possibly not have heard of it?" Betty
asked anxiously.

"Why, I shouldn't think so, but you might ask her to make sure. She
certainly acted very much as if we had caught her at something she was
ashamed of. Would you mind coming just a little way down-town, Betty? I
want to buy some violets and a new magazine."

Betty was quite willing to go down-town, but she smiled mournfully at
Eleanor's careless suggestion that she should speak to Jean. Asking Jean
Eastman a delicate question, especially after the interview they had had
that morning, was not likely to be a pleasant task. Betty wondered if
she needed to feel responsible for Jean's mistakes. She certainly ought
to know on general principles that conditions keep you out of everything
nice from the freshman team on.

A visit from Helen Adams that evening threw some new light on the
matter.

"Betty," Helen demanded, "isn't Teddie Wilson trying for a part in our
play?"

"Helen Chase Adams," returned Betty, severely, "is it possible you don't
know that she got a condition and can't try?"

"I certainly didn't know it," said Helen meekly. "Why should I, please?"

"Only because everybody else does," said Betty, and wondered if Jean
could possibly belong with Helen in the ignorant minority. It seemed
very unlikely, but then it seemed a sheer impossibility that Helen
should have sat at the Belden House dinner-table day after day and not
have h