ed
degree," she added.

"Has she, indeed?" returned Miss Wharton, with what Grace felt to be
forced politeness. "I shall be interested in visiting Harlowe House and
learning Miss Harlowe's successful methods of management." Then she
turned to Miss Wilder and began a conversation from which it appeared as
though she deliberately sought to exclude Grace.

"I must go, Miss Wilder," said Grace, rising almost immediately. She
decided that she could not and would not endure Miss Wharton's rudeness.

Miss Wilder looked distressed. She could not understand Miss Wharton's
attitude, therefore there was nothing to do save ignore it.

"Very well, my dear. Run in and see me to-morrow. I shall be here from
two o'clock until four in the afternoon." She took one of Grace's soft
hands in both of hers. The brown eyes met the gray questioning ones with
a look of love and trust. Grace's resentment died out. She said a formal
good-bye to Miss Wharton and hurried from the room. She would go to see
Miss Wilder the next day as she had requested. Perhaps Miss Wharton's
rude reception of her was due merely to a brusque trait of character.
Perhaps she belonged to the old school who believed that youth and
responsibility could not go hand in hand. At any rate she would try
hard not to judge. Although she usually found her first impressions to
be correct, still there were always exceptions. Miss Wharton might prove
to be the exception.

On her way home she stopped at Wayne Hall. To her it was a house of
tender memories, and she never entered its hospitable doors without half
expecting to see the dear, familiar faces of the girls long gone from
there to the busy paths of the outside world.

"Why, how do you do, Miss Harlowe?" was Mrs. Elwood's delighted
greeting. "It certainly is good to see you. I think you might run over
oftener when you're so near, but I s'pose you have your hands full with
all those thirty-four girls. Did you come to see Miss West and Miss
Eliot? If you did, they're both at home, for a wonder. Miss West doesn't
have a recitation at this hour, and Miss Eliot's sick."

"Sick!" Grace sprang to her feet. "Oh, I must run up and see her at
once. To tell you the truth, Mrs. Elwood, I came to see you. I hadn't
the least idea that either of the girls were in, but if you'll forgive
me this time I'll run upstairs to see Patience and make you a special
visit some other day."

"Oh, I'll forgive you, all right," laughed Mrs. Elwood.