ck and
when the fateful hour came you could bring the double-dyed villain to
her knees with one swoop. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"You're a ridiculous girl, Judy Stearns."

Jane was forced to laugh a little at Judith's nonsense.

"_You're_ a goose yourself to get all worked up over nothing," grinned
Judith. "I can't say I blame you for throwing up the stupendous labor of
hunting out Marian's good qualities. In my opinion 'There ain't no such
animal.' But you're a very large-sized goose if you allow her to spoil
your sophomore year for you."

"I don't intend she shall spoil it," Jane grimly assured. "I've stood a
good deal from her without ever even once trying to strike back. I'm
not sure that I've done right in allowing her to torment me as she has
without ever asserting myself. There's a limit to forbearance. I may
feel some day that I've reached it."

Judith smiled but said nothing. She had too high an opinion of Jane to
believe that her proud-spirited roommate would ever descend to the level
of her enemies. Given an opportunity for revenge, she believed that Jane
would scorn to seize it.

"Have you invited your freshman yet?" she asked with sudden irrelevancy.

"No, I haven't had time to see any one of them yet," Jane answered.

"I asked Miss Lorimer, a cute little girl from Creston Hall, this
morning after chapel, but she said she'd already been invited," informed
Judith. "I must find out if the three eligible freshmen here have
escorts yet. I suppose they have, with so many sophs in the house. The
ignoble Noble's not an eligible."

The luncheon bell now interrupted the talk. It seemed to Jane as she
took her place at table that spiteful triumph lurked in the sharp glance
Elsie Noble flashed at her.

The conversation carried on by herself, Adrienne and Dorothy, centered
almost entirely on the coming dance. From Adrienne, Jane learned that
the Hall's three freshmen had already received invitations.

When the little French girl announced this, Jane again fancied that she
read satisfaction in the sharp features of the quarrelsome freshman.

Though the latter had not addressed a word to her tablemates since her
advent among them, she never missed a word they said. All three were
well aware of this and it annoyed them not a little.

When just before dinner that evening Judith and Jane compared notes, it
was to discover the same thing. Neither had been successful in securing
a freshman to escort to the dance