Bess. "And such a
romantic place."

"Romantic?" repeated Nan curiously.

"Yes, indeed! A great big stone castle overlooking Lake Michigan, a
regular fortress, they say. It was built years ago by Colonel Gilpatrick
French, when he came over from Europe with some adventurous Irishmen
who thought all they had to do was to sail over to Canada and the whole
country would be theirs for the taking."

"Goodness me! I've read something about that," said Nan, interested.

"Well, Lakeview Hall, as the school is called, was built by that rich
Colonel French. And they say there are dungeons under it."

"Where they keep their jams and preserves, now, I suppose?" laughed Nan.

"And secret passages down to the shore of the lake. And the great hall
where the brave Irishmen used to drill is now the assembly hall of the
school."

"Sounds awfully interesting," admitted Nan.

"And Dr. Beulah Prescott, who governs the hall, the preceptress,
you know, is really a very lovely lady, my mother says," went on the
enthusiastic Bess. "MY mother went to school to her at Ferncliffe."

"Oh, Bess," Nan said warmly, "It must be a perfectly lovely place! But I
know I can never go there."

"Don't you say that! Don't you say that!" cried the other girl. "I won't
listen to you! You've just got to go!"

"I'm afraid you'll have to kidnap me, then," repeated Nan, with a
rueful smile. "I'm very sure that my father won't be able to afford it,
especially now that the mills will close."

"Oh, Nan! I think you're too mean," wailed her friend. "It's my pet
project. You know, I've always said we should go to preparatory school
together, and then to college."

Nan's eyes sparkled; but she shook her head.

"We sat together in primary school, and we've always been in the same
grade through grammar and into high," went on Bess, who was really very
faithful in her friendships. "It would just break my heart, Nan, if we
were to be separated now."

Nan put her arm about her. They had reached the corner by Bess's big
house where they usually separated after school.

"Don't you cry, honey!" Nan begged her chum. "You'll find lots of nice
girls at that Lakeview school, I am sure. I'd dearly love to go with
you, but you might as well understand right now, dear, that my folks are
poor."

"Poor!" gasped Bess.

"Too poor to send me to Lakeview," Nan went on steadily. "And with the
mills closing as they are, we shall be poorer still. I may have to get a
certi