onduct of the newcomers at Overton, only stepping in to
interfere in extreme cases.

Grace and her friends had met nearly all the members of the sophomore
class at the freshman dance, but in reality they had very few
acquaintances among them that bade fair to become their friends.

"I don't suppose we'll have the honor of being escorted to the reception
by sophomores," remarked Grace several evenings before the event, as she
and Miriam strolled out of the dining room. "We'll have to go in a crowd
by ourselves and look as though we enjoyed it."

"Why not stay at home?" yawned Miriam. "I'm not as over-awed at the idea
of this affair as I might be."

"No," replied Grace, shaking her head. "It wouldn't do. We ought to go.
The dance is to be given in honor of the freshmen, and it's their duty
to turn out and make it a success. Are you going to study your Livy
to-night, Miriam?"

"If I can," replied Miriam grimly. "It depends on what my talkative
roommate does. If she elects to give me another instalment of the story
of her life before she came here, Livy won't stand much chance. We have
progressed as far as her twelfth year, and I was just on the point of
learning how she survived scarlet fever when the doctor didn't expect
her to live, last night, when she happened to remember that she hadn't
looked at her history lesson and I was mercifully spared further
torture."

"Poor Miriam," laughed Grace. "But you could have said you didn't want
her the day Mrs. Elwood brought her here. What made you decide to let
her stay? I saw by your face something interesting was going on in your
mind."

Miriam looked reflectively at Grace. "I don't know I'm sure just why I
let her stay. It wasn't because I wished to please Mrs. Elwood, though
she is so nice with all of us. I had a curious feeling that I ought to
take J. Elfreda in hand. If it had been you whose room she invaded you
wouldn't have hesitated even for a second. Ever since you and I settled
our differences back in our high school days I've always held you up to
myself as an example. Now, honestly, Grace, you would have taken her in
without a murmur, wouldn't you?"

"Ye-e-s," said Grace slowly, her face flushing. "I would have said she
might stay, I think. But, Miriam, you mustn't hold me up as an example.
I couldn't be more generous and loyal and broadminded than you."

"In the words of J. Elfreda, 'let's change the subject,'" said Miriam
hastily. "Where's Anne?"

"Ann