-you know, the pretty little one
with the two black braids."

"She looks rather desirable," said Patty.

"She might be if she could talk, but she only knows about fifty words.
Harriet Gladden's rooming with her, as limp and mournful as an oyster,
and Evalina Smith's at the end of the corridor. You know what a
_perfect_ idiot Evalina is."

"Oh, it's beastly!" they agreed.

"Lordy's to blame," said Conny. "The Dowager never would have separated
us if she hadn't interfered."

"And I've got her!" wailed Patty. "You two have Mam'selle and Waddams,
and they're nice, sweet, unsuspicious lambs; but the girls in the East
Wing simply can't sneeze but Lordy--"

"Sh!" Conny warned. "Here she comes."

The Latin teacher, in passing, paused on the threshold. Conny
disentangled herself from the mixture of clothes and books and sofa
cushions that littered the bed, and politely rose to her feet. Patty
slid down from the white iron foot-rail, and Priscilla descended from
the top of the trunk.

"Ladies don't perch about on the furniture."

"No, Miss Lord," they murmured in unison, gazing back from three pairs
of wide, uplifted eyes. They knew, from gleeful past experience, that
nothing so annoyed her as smiling acquiescence.

Miss Lord's eyes critically studied the room. Patty was still in
traveling dress.

"Put on your uniform, Patty, and finish unpacking. The trunks go down
to-morrow morning."

"Yes, Miss Lord."

"Priscilla and Constance, why aren't you out of doors with the other
girls, enjoying this beautiful autumn weather?"

"But we haven't seen Patty for such a long time, and now that we are
separated--" commenced Conny, with a pathetic droop of her mouth.

"I trust that your lessons will benefit by the change. You, Patty and
Priscilla, are going to college, and should realize the necessity of
being prepared. Upon the thorough foundation that you lay here depends
your success for the next four years--for your whole lives, one might
say. Patty is weak in mathematics and Priscilla in Latin. Constance
_could_ improve her French. Let us see what you can do when you really
try."

She divided a curt nod between the three and withdrew.

"We are happy in our work and we dearly love our teachers," chanted
Patty, with ironical emphasis, as she rummaged out a blue skirt and
middy blouse with "St. U." in gold upon the sleeve.

While she was dressing, Priscilla and Conny set about transferring the
contents of her trunk t