to say consolingly, "Cheer up, Eleanor. When you
come to think it over, it won't seem so----"

"Please go home," repeated Eleanor, and Kate hurried after her roommate.

CHAPTER XIII

SAINT VALENTINE'S ASSISTANTS

If Eleanor had taken Kate's advice and indulged in a little calm
reflection, she would have realized how absolutely reasonless was her
anger against Betty Wales. Betty had been told of the official
objections which made it necessary for Eleanor to be withdrawn from the
debate. Her action, then, had been wholly proper and perfectly friendly.
But Eleanor was in no mood for reflection. A wild burst of passion held
her firmly in its grasp. She hated everybody and everything in
Harding--the faculty who had made such a commotion about two little low
grades--for Eleanor had come surprisingly near to clearing her record at
mid-years,--Jean, who had stupidly brought all this extra annoyance upon
her; the class, who were glad to get rid of her, Betty, who--yes, Jean
had been right about one thing--Betty, who had taken advantage of a
friend's misfortune to curry favor for herself. They were all leagued
against her. But--here the Watson pride suddenly asserted itself--they
should never know that she cared, never guess that they had hurt her.

She deliberately selected the most becoming of her new evening gowns,
and in an incredibly short time swept down to dinner, radiantly
beautiful in the creamy lace dress, and--outwardly at least--in her
sunniest, most charming mood. She insisted that the table should admire
her dress, and the pearl pendant which her aunt had just sent her.

"I'm wearing it, you see, to celebrate my return to the freedom of
private life," she rattled on glibly. "I understand you've found a
genius to take my place. I'm delighted that we have one in the class.
It's so convenient. Who of you are going to the Burton House dance
to-night?"

So she led the talk from point to point and from hand to hand. She
bantered Mary, deferred to Helen and the Riches, appealed in comradely
fashion to Katherine and Rachel. Betty alone she utterly, though quite
unostentatiously, ignored; and Betty, too much hurt to make any effort,
stood aside and tried to solve the riddle of Eleanor's latest caprice.
On the way up-stairs Eleanor spoke to her for the first time. She went
up just ahead of her and at the top of the flight she turned and waited.

"I understand that you quite ran the class to-day," she said wit