as happened?"

"I want a new room-mate! I can't stand Priscilla any longer. She's been
having a birthday party in my room--"

"A birthday party?" Mrs. Trent turned questioningly to Miss Wadsworth.

She nodded unhappily.

"Yesterday was Priscilla's birthday, and she received a box from her
aunt. This being Friday night, I gave her permission--"

"Certainly." The Dowager turned to the tragic figure in the center of
the floor. "It is Priscilla's room as much as yours and--"

Keren plunged into a sea of words. The four leaned forward in a strained
endeavor to pluck some sense from the torrent.

"They used my bed for a table because it wasn't against the wall, and
Patty tipped a pot of chocolate over in the middle of it. She said it
was an accident--but she did it on purpose--I know she did! And because
I objected, Priscilla said it wasn't polite to notice when a guest
spilled anything, and she tipped a glass of current jelly on my pillow,
to make Patty feel comfortable. That was the polite thing for a hostess
to do, she said; they learned it last year in manner class. And the
chocolate soaked right through, and Conny Wilder said it was fortunate I
was thin, because I could sleep in a curve around it; if it had happened
to Irene McCullough, she would have had to sleep in it, because she's
so big she takes up the whole bed. And Priscilla said I could be
thankful to-morrow's Saturday when we get clean sheets; it might have
happened so that I would have had to sleep in that puddle of chocolate a
whole week. And then the "Lights-out" rang, and they left me to clean
up, and the housekeeper's gone to bed, and I can't get any fresh bed
clothes, and I _won't_ sleep that way! I'm not used to sleeping in
chocolaty sheets. I don't like America and I _hate_ girls."

Tears were dripping from Keren's cheeks onto the fire-breathing dragons
below. The Dowager, without comment, rose and rang the bell.

"Katie," she said, as the maid on duty appeared at the door, "some fresh
sheets for Miss Keren, please, and remake her bed. That will do for
to-night, Keren. Get to sleep as quickly as possible, and don't talk.
You mustn't disturb the other girls. We can see about changing
room-mates to-morrow."

Katie and the outraged dragons withdrew.

A silence followed, while Miss Wadsworth and Mademoiselle exchanged
glances of despair, and Miss Lord buckled on her war armor.

"You see!" she said, with a suggestion of triumph, "when they get t