he thief
soon again. Next morning Emily Lawrence telegraphed her father about her
watch with diamonds set in the back, and he sent up two detectives from
Boston, who, so everybody supposed, would make short work of finding
the robber. They took statements from girls who had lost their
valuables during the year and from Fay, prowled about the campus and the
town, and finally went back to Boston and presented Emily's father with
a long bill and the enlightening information that the case was a
puzzling one and if anything more turned up they would communicate it.

Georgia Ames displayed no unusual interest in the robbery. She happened
to tell Betty that she had spent the entire evening of the bacon-roast
with Roberta, and Betty, watching her keenly, was almost sure that she
knew nothing of the excitement at the Westcott until the B's came over
before chapel to inquire for "the runaway lady" and brought the news of
the robbery with them. The "runaway lady" explained that she wasn't even
very lame and should have to go to classes just as usual. Then she hid
her face for a minute on Bob's broad shoulder,--for though she wasn't
lame she had dreamed all night of Lady and stones and briars and broken
collar-bones,--and Bob patted her curls and told her that Lady was going
to be sold, and that she should have been frightened to pieces in
Betty's place. After which Betty covered her scratches with a very
bewitching white veil and went to chapel, just as if nothing had
happened.

CHAPTER XV

PLANS FOR A COOPERATIVE COMMENCEMENT

It was Saturday afternoon and time for the "Merry Hearts'" meeting,
which had been postponed for a day to let every one recover from
Thursday evening's excitement.

"Come along, Betty," said Roberta Lewis, poking her head in at Betty's
half-open door. "We're going to meet out on the back campus, by Nita's
hammock."

"Could you wait just a second?" asked Betty absently, looking up from a
much crossed and blotted sheet of paper. "If I can only think of a good
way to end this sentence, I can inform Madeline Ayres that my
'Novelists'' paper is done. She said I couldn't possibly finish it by
five. See my new motto."

"'Do not let study interfere with your regular college career,'" read
Roberta slowly. "What a lovely sentiment! Where did you get it?"

"Helen gave it to me for a commencement present," said Betty, drawing a
very black line through the words she had written last. "Isn't it just
li