or shall we four celebrate in
solitary state?"

"Don't invite any outsiders this time," said Elfreda. "Then we'll be
free to talk over our visit to Mabel and anything else we choose."

"There is one person who really ought to be invited," broke in Grace,
with conviction. "I mean Kathleen West. Then we can deliver Mabel's
invitation to her. I have an idea that she won't refuse to go to New
York with us. I hope she will be different from now on. It would be
simply splendid to glide peacefully through the rest of one's senior
year without a single hitch, wouldn't it?"

"Have you seen her since last night?" asked Anne.

Grace shook her head. "I knocked on her door at noon, but neither she
nor Patience was in. I saw Patience afterward, and she said Kathleen had
hurried through her luncheon and gone. I don't think Patience knew
anything about last night. If she had known, she would have mentioned
it. I will try to see Kathleen before dinner."

"You will have to hurry if you do. It is almost time for the dinner bell
now," said Elfreda. "You might ask Patience, too."

"All right, I'll go at once. Wait for me. I'll be back in a minute. Then
we can go down to dinner together."

Grace knocked lightly upon the door of the end room. It was opened by
Kathleen herself.

"Good evening. Won't you come in?" Kathleen's voice was as cold and
unfriendly as it had formerly been.

"Good evening." Somewhat puzzled at Kathleen's return to her old,
cavalier manner, Grace hardly knew how to proceed. "Did you see today's
paper?" she asked, by way of beginning.

"Which paper?" was the brusque inquiry.

"Why, the 'Evening Journal,' of course."

"Oh!" Kathleen's tense expression relaxed a trifle. "Yes, I saw it."

"I am so glad Chief Ellis kept his word. I hope you were on time with
your New York story."

"Thank you. It went through nicely!" Kathleen answered in a low tone.

"I just stopped for a moment to ask you to come to a little
jollification in Miriam's room to-night. We want Patience, too."

"Miss Eliot went to Westbrook this afternoon. She will not return until
to-morrow morning. As for me, I thank you, but it will be impossible for
me to come. I have another engagement."

"I am sorry," returned Grace. "Perhaps, under the circumstances, I had
better deliver another invitation I have for you at once. I recently
received a letter from Miss Ashe inviting us to spend Thanksgiving at
her home in New York. She wished me to exte