r a slight illness. Still she could not force this
perverse young woman to tell that which she did not choose to tell.

"I am sorry you won't let me help you. Are you sure that I can't be of
service to you."

"_You._" Evelyn laughed shortly. "No; I am quite sure that _you_ can't
be."

"Very well." Grace was about to leave the room.

"Wait a minute!" Evelyn's voice rang out sharply. "I--I--will tell you
my trouble, Miss Harlowe. It's about--my college fees. I paid part of
the money when I came here. My--my--sister has been very ill and can't
send the rest of the money. She made a special arrangement with the
registrar to make the other payment in November. I've received two
notices. I don't know what to do. I can't bear to leave Overton."

"Why didn't you come to me before?" asked Grace with gentle reproach. "I
can help you in this matter through the Semper Fidelis fund."

Grace went on to explain the purpose of the Semper Fidelis Club. "We
lend the students the money rather than give it to them, because they
like to feel that they are proceeding on a strictly business basis. It
takes away the slightest idea of charity and makes the girls quite
responsible for themselves."

"I see," murmured Evelyn. "But suppose I borrowed the money and then
found that I couldn't return it for ever so long?"

"There is neither time limit set nor interest charged on any reasonable
sum of money a girl may wish to borrow," returned Grace. "We have the
utmost confidence in our borrowers. The very fact that they come to us
for help is an avowal of their honesty. How much money do you wish to
borrow, Miss Ward?"

Evelyn rather hesitatingly named a sum considerably in excess of that
needed for her college fees. "It--will--pay my expenses for the year and
leave me a little besides for emergencies," she explained
apologetically. "Then poor Ida can get well and won't have to worry. I
am sure I can work at something this summer and pay at least part of the
money back to the club."

She swept a swift, speculative glance at Grace from under her eyelashes
which quite belied her earnest tones. Grace, however, absorbed for a
brief moment in her own thoughts, failed to see it. When she looked at
Evelyn the latter's face bore a sweetly grateful expression that made
her wonder if she had not been mistaken in her estimate of the,
hitherto, troublesome freshman. Her apparent anxiety to relieve her
sister of worry over financial difficulties was d