had reached home, and, seated before the library
table, was writing for dear life on the letter she had begun to Mary. So
far she had had nothing to tell her chum regarding the young women who
were to be her classmates. To be sure, what she had seen and heard that
afternoon had amounted to nothing, but the girl who looked like Mary had
set her to longing all over again to be able, just for one afternoon, to
sit side by side on the front steps with her childhood's friend and talk
things over.

"You can't imagine, Mary," she wrote, "how sorry I felt when I saw that
poor girl crying with your eyes. They were just like yours. I forgot
everything except that she looked like you, and asked her what the
trouble was. Of course, she didn't answer me, but actually ran down the
street. I should have known better, but I felt so terribly sympathetic.
'Terribly' is the only word that expresses it. Right after she had gone
the others began to come out of school, and at last the five girls I
told you about came out. They were all talking at once, but I heard the
horrid, sharp-faced, dark girl say that someone was stingy and deceitful
and a lot of other unpleasant things. I thought the Picture Girl was
going to stand up for the person, but that mean little Evil Genius
wouldn't let her. Then all at once it came to me that it was this Mary
girl they were talking about. It was really this one dark girl who said
most of the mean things. The others just listened to her. At any rate,
I'm going to find out who the Mary girl is and try to be a friend to her
just because she looks like you. Don't imagine I could ever like her
better than you, because you know I couldn't. But it's a true soldier's
duty to stand by his comrades on the firing line, you know, and I am
going to be this girl's freshman comrade, and, if she's one-half as nice
as you, I'll be ready to help her fight her battles.

"Monday is the great day. I dread it, and yet I am looking forward to
it. I like the outside of the school, but will I like the inside? Mother
is going to the principal's office with me. I hope I sha'n't have to try
a lot of tiresome examinations. I have forgotten everything I ever knew,
and the weather has been too pleasant to study. This is such a pretty
town, with plenty of nice walks. If only you were here it would be quite
perfect. I do hope you can come and visit me at Easter. Must stop now,
as I hear mother calling me. We are going to walk down to meet