ed Arline's valiant
attempt at making a Spanish omelet from a recipe in a cook-book she had
purchased that very day for twenty-five cents at the little book store
just below the campus. "It was called the 'Model Housewife,' but the
omelet was really a dreadful affair," continued Anne. "Then I let the
potatoes boil dry and they scorched on the bottom, and no one knew how
to make a cream dressing for the peas.

"Ruth made a Waldorf salad. We had a bottle of dressing, thank goodness.
And Arline made coffee, which she really does know how to make. We had
olives and pickles and cakes, and two dozen of those cunning little
rolls from that German bakery down the street. So we really managed to
get enough to eat after all. There wasn't much left except the omelet,
and no one wanted that."

"I don't suppose it would be of the least use to propose tea," said
Grace innocently.

"Well, of course, if you insist," declared Elfreda politely.

At this juncture Miriam appeared in the door. "I thought I'd drop in for
a minute. You were making so much noise I suspected that a tea party was
in progress," she said significantly.

"We were just talking about making tea," declared Anne. "In fact, I was
on the point of remarking that tea was really the one thing needed to
complete our happiness."

A little gust of laughter greeted this pointed remark. It echoed down
the hall, and was carried through the half-opened door of the room at
the end, where a girl sat busily engaged in writing a theme. She lay
down her pen, listened for a moment, then went on writing, a sarcastic
little smile playing about her lips. But in her eyes flashed two danger
signals.

CHAPTER XIII

ARLINE MAKES THE BEST OF A BAD MATTER

"What shall we do for our eight girls this year?" asked Grace
reflectively of Arline Thayer. It was barely two weeks until Christmas
and the two girls had decided to spend their half holiday in doing the
Overton stores.

"I know the stock better than the saleswomen themselves do," chuckled
Arline, "but it is great fun to go on exploring expeditions and watch
other people buy the things. Of course, I always buy something, too,
unless I am deep in that state of temporary poverty that lies in wait
for me at the end of every month."

"Of course you do," agreed Grace, with an answering chuckle. "Even
though it is a hat and you feel obliged to dispose of it before going
home, so that the Morton House girls won't laugh at you."