reda, forgetting her grief and assuming a
belligerent air.

"You are not fighting your own battles when you carry your grievances to
the dean, the registrar, or any other member of the faculty," said Grace
gravely. "You are merely giving them unpleasant information to which
they dislike to listen."

"Humph!" was the contemptuous ejaculation. "The dean made it hot for the
girls just the same. I guess she didn't object much to hearing about
it."

"You are not looking at things in their true light, Elfreda," put in
Miriam. "I'll venture to say that when the members of the faculty were
students they were just as careful not to tell tales as are the girls
here to-day. Of course, if students are reported to them, they are
obliged to take action in the matter, but I'm sure that they'd rather
not hear about the girls' petty difficulties."

"'Petty difficulties!'" almost screamed Elfreda. "Well, I like your
impudence." Jerking herself from the girls' embrace she stood up and
walked to the other side of the room. Stumbling over one of her shoes
she kicked it viciously aside, then, leaning her head against the door,
her sobs broke forth afresh.

In a twinkling Miriam was beside her. "Poor Elfreda," she soothed. "You
are tired and worn out. Take off your hat and coat and bathe your face.
You'll feel ever so much better after you've done that. You mustn't be
cross with Grace and me. We are only trying to help you. While you are
bathing your face, I'll make some chocolate and we'll have a cozy little
time. Won't that be nice?"

Elfreda nodded, winked back her tears, and slowly drawing the pins from
her hat, flung it on the foot of her bed. Her coat followed, and seizing
her towel from the rack she stalked out of the room and down the hall to
the bath room.

"Miriam, you're a darling and a diplomat!" exclaimed Grace, closing the
door, which the stout girl had left wide open. "Chocolate is the one
thing calculated to reduce J. Elfreda to reason. We will feed her, then
renew our lectures on tale-bearing. Never call me a reformer. I am
certain that before the year is over J. Elfreda won't know herself."

"Nonsense," scoffed Miriam. "She is an interesting specimen, and
furnishes variety, of a certain kind," she added with an impish grin,
glancing comprehensively at the disordered room. "As long as I have
taken her unto myself as a roommate I might as well do what I can for
her. What seems so strange to me is that with all her mo