tely nonplussed."

"Most people do when the lady Eleanor turns and rends them," returned
Jean, with a reminiscent smile.

"Just the same," continued Kate Denise, "I say you have a lot to thank
her for this afternoon, Jean Eastman. She got you out of a tight hole in
splendid shape. None of us could have done it without stamping the whole
thing a put-up job, and most of the outsiders who could have helped you
out, wouldn't have cared to oblige you. It was irritating to see her
rallying the multitudes, I'll admit; but I insist that it wasn't her
fault. We ought to have managed better."

"Say I ought to have managed better and be done with it," muttered Jean
crossly.

"You certainly ought," retorted Eleanor. "You've made me the
laughing-stock of the whole college."

"No, Eleanor," broke in Kate Denise pacifically. "Truly, your dignity is
intact, thanks to Miss Wales and those absurd B's who followed her
lead."

"Never mind them. I'm talking about Betty Wales. She was a friend of
mine--she was at the supper the other night. Why couldn't she leave it
to some one else to object to your appointing me?"

"Oh, if that's all you care about," said Jean irritably, "don't blame
Miss Wales. The thing had to be done you know. I didn't see that it
mattered who did it, and so I--well, I practically asked her. What I'm
talking about is her way of going at it--her having pushed herself
forward so, and really thrown us out of power by using what I--" Jean
caught herself suddenly, remembering that Eleanor did not know about
Betty's having been let into the secret.

"By using what you told her," finished Kate innocently. "Well, why did
you tell her all about it, if you didn't expect--"

Eleanor stood up suddenly, her face white with anger. "How dared you,"
she challenged. "As if it wasn't insulting enough to get me into a
scrape like this, and give any one with two eyes a chance to see through
your flimsy little excuses, but you have to go round telling people----"

"Eleanor, stop," begged Jean. "She was the only one I told. I let it out
quite by accident the day I came up here to see you. Not another soul
knows it but Kate, and you told her yourself. You'd have told Betty
Wales, too,--you know you would--if we hadn't seen you first this
afternoon."

"Suppose I should," Eleanor retorted hotly. "What I do is my own affair.
Please go home."

Jean stalked out in silence, but Kate, hesitating between Scylla and
Charybdis, lingered