und
around her head."

The girls were about to depart when Mame Welch exclaimed, "There, I almost
forgot! Anna Cresswell has been invited down to Gleasonton to visit at the
Senator's. Mrs. Gleason is arranging quite a party of Exeter girls as soon
as they can have a free Saturday."

"Elizabeth and I were invited to-day," said Mary. "We were to let Mrs.
Gleason know what Saturday we would have free."

"They have fine times there--so they tell me," Azzie said. "I've never
been invited to see for myself."

"I do not know Mrs. Gleason personally," remarked Landis, "but we have the
same set of friends. No doubt if I should tell her that I'm Robert
Stoner's daughter, she'd out-do herself to be kind to me."

"Why," said Elizabeth guilelessly, "was she such a friend of your
father's?"

Landis shrugged her shoulders. "My father was a man of some prominence,"
was the response. "But how is it that she invited you? Did you not tell me
that you did not know her?"

"I don't. I have never so much as seen her."

"She's very philanthropic--always trying to help people who need it. I
suppose she knew you were a new student, and perhaps hadn't a wide
acquaintance here, so she invited you that you might not find life too
dull."

"Perhaps," was the reply, with a smile of amusement. Elizabeth was
learning a great deal, not less important that it lay outside of classes
and books.

The other girls had departed. Only Landis and Miss O'Day remained. Then
the former with a whispered "good-night" went tip-toeing down the hall.
Miss O'Day lingered.

Much to Elizabeth's surprise she bent her head to kiss her. "It was very
kind of you, Elizabeth, to ask me to come this evening. But the other
girls did not like it. Come to see me. You and I will grow chummy over my
tea-table. But you do not need to ask me again when you entertain. I will
not feel hurt. If you persist in being good to me, they will drop you and
you will find it very lonely."

"They may do as they see fit," she responded with determination. "I will
entertain whom I wish. If they do not choose to come, then they have the
alternative. Good-night! Don't worry about me, Miss O'Day. I'm learning to
take care of myself." Then she put up her lips to be kissed again.

The following morning the preceptress did not appear at breakfast, as
Azzie had predicted. The dinner hour, according to the custom for all
holidays, had been postponed until two o'clock. Devotional exercises were