t her, but I had
something else to do. I jumped up and offered my resignation to the
AOU, and said I wished to withdraw my subscription to the Sorority
House, that I couldn't have anything to do with a bunch of girls that
would stand for a thing as contemptible and mean as that."

"Of course!" said Allison with a proud look at his sister.

"And Phoebe Kemp jumped up and withdrew hers until they all apologized
to Jane, and then Alice Lowe said she'd have to withdraw hers,
too--she's given the highest amount subscribed, you know; she has
slews of money all in her own right, because she's of age, you
know--and then the girls began to get scared and Elsie Dare got right
up and said she thought there had been some kind of a mistake--a
blunder--they mustn't get excited--they must begin all over, and
somebody must go after Jane and bring her back and explain--as if
there was any way to explain a bold, bare insult like that!--and they
sent a committee after her. They wanted me to go, but I declined to go
in their name. I said I had handed in my resignation and I wasn't one
of them any more, and they might send somebody who would better
represent them, and they said they hadn't accepted my resignation and
a lot of stuff, but they sent off a committee to find Jane, and they
tried to think up something quickly to say to her, and they got Eunice
Brice to crying and made Eugenia real mad so the powder came off her
nose from rubbing it so much, and I came away. I've been hunting for
Jane for half an hour, but I can't find her in any of the places she
always is, and I thought I better come and tell you----"

"That's right. I'll find her----" Allison made one step to the
hat-rack and took his hat, then raising his voice: "Cloudy, I've been
called away on business suddenly. Don't bother keeping anything for
me, I've had all I want----" and he was gone.

Julia Cloud gave a glance at Allison's plate and saw that he had
scarcely touched his lunch, and she sighed as she heard Leslie run
quickly up the stairs and shut the door of her own room. Was Leslie
going to spend the afternoon in weeping?

But Leslie was down again in a moment and standing in the doorway, her
curls tumbled, her eyes bright and anxious, an indignant little set of
lips and chin giving her a worried expression.

"Jewel, dear, I've got to go; there's something important on--I'll
tell you about it all when I get back. No, please, I couldn't eat now.
You get Cherry to