"She is a
born diplomat. She knows exactly how to proceed with J. Elfreda. I hope
there won't be anything more said about the registrar affair, though. I
want Elfreda to like college better every day."

"Grace," said Anne hesitatingly, "if I tell you something, will you
promise not to worry over it?"

"What do you mean?" asked Grace quickly, a puzzled look in her eyes. "I
can't promise not to worry until I know that there's nothing to worry
over. If you have heard something disagreeable about me, I'm not afraid
to listen."

"I know it," said Anne. Then she went on almost abruptly. "I heard two
freshmen talking about you the other night at the reception. One of them
said that she had been prepared to like you, but had heard something
that had caused her to change her mind." Anne looked distressed.

For a moment Grace sat very still.

"Oh, dear!" lamented Anne. "I'm sorry I told you. Now I've hurt your
feelings."

"Nonsense!" retorted Grace stoutly. "It will take more than that to hurt
my feelings. I am beginning to see a light, however. At the reception
the other night Frances told me that Mabel had heard about my call at
Stuart Hall from a senior who is a friend of a certain sophomore. Now,
that sophomore is either Miss Wicks or Miss Hampton. It looks as though
these two girls were not willing to let bygones be bygones. I haven't
the slightest idea what they may have said about me, but I am sure they
must have circulated some untruthful report among the freshmen. I don't
like to accuse any one of being untruthful, but I am quite sure that I
have done nothing reprehensible. Now that you have told me I'm going to
watch closely. If a number of the girls snub me, I shall know that it is
serious."

"Then you will fight for your rights, won't you?" pleaded Anne. "It
isn't fair that you should be misjudged for trying to help Elfreda."

"I don't know," replied Grace doubtfully. "It might not be worth while.
I have a theory that if one is right with one's conscience nothing else
matters."

Anne shook her head dubiously. "That won't protect you from
unpleasantness unless the girls think so, too. Our freshman year is our
foundation year, and if we allow any one even to think that we are not
putting our best material into it, the shadow is likely to follow us to
the very threshold of graduation. It is easy enough to start a rumor but
once let it gain headway, it is almost impossible to check it. Nearly
all of your sopho