osed her eyes and within five minutes was oblivious to the world.

The three travelers obligingly lowered their voices, conversing in low
tones, as the train whirled them toward their destination. Their hearts
were with those they had left, and as the afternoon began to wane, one
by one they fell silent and became wrapped in their own thoughts. Grace
was already beginning to experience a dreadful feeling of depression,
which she knew to be homesickness. It was just the time in the afternoon
when she and her mother usually sat on their wide, shady porch, talking
or reading as they waited for her father to come home to dinner, and a
lump rose in her throat as she thought sadly of how long it would be
before she saw her dear ones again.

Far from being homesick, self-reliant Miriam was calmly speculating as
to what college would bring her, while Anne, who had quite forgotten her
own problems, sat eyeing Grace affectionately and wondering how soon her
friend would make her personality felt in the little world which she was
about to enter. And J. Elfreda Briggs, of Fairview, slept peacefully
on.

CHAPTER III

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

"Overton! Overton!" was the call that echoed through the car. After
handing down the hats of her friends, Grace reached to the rack above
her head for her broad brimmed panama hat. Obeying a sudden kindly
impulse, she carefully deposited J. Elfreda's hat in the sleeping girl's
lap, touched her on the shoulder and said, "Wake up, Miss Briggs. We are
nearing Overton."

J. Elfreda sleepily opened her eyes at the gentle touch, saying
drowsily, "Let me know when the train stops." Then closed her eyes
again.

Miriam shrugged her shoulders with a gesture that signified, "Let her
alone. Don't bother with her."

At that moment the train stopped with a jolt that caused the sleeper to
awake in earnest. She looked stupidly about, yawned repeatedly, then
catching a glimpse of a number of girls on the station platform, clad in
white and light colored gowns, she became galvanized into action, and
pinning on her hat began quickly to gather up her luggage. "Good-bye,"
she said indifferently. "I'll probably see you later." Then, rapidly
elbowing her way down the aisle she disappeared through the open door,
leaving the chums to make their way more slowly out of the car. As they
stepped from the car to the station platform Grace caught sight of her
at the far end of the station in conversation with a ta