ran
away. One night, just before college closed--it was long after ten
o'clock, too--Miss Harlowe telephoned me and asked if Evelyn were with
me. I found out afterward that she had gone to New York all by herself.
She'd never been there but once before when she spent a week-end with
me, and she didn't know a soul. I never could find out anything else,
though. Evelyn went to her classes on Monday, and not one word did she
ever say about it. I didn't find out about the New York part of it until
this fall, though. A Willston man whom we both know saw her in New York
with that clever Miss West, who wrote 'Loyalheart.'"

Jean listened with attentive gravity. She guessed that Althea had
perhaps hit upon the truth. Evelyn had confessed to her that there had
been that in her freshman year of which she was ashamed. She had said it
was about clothes, yet what had clothes to do with breaking the rules of
Overton and running away to New York? Whatever it was, it should remain
Evelyn's secret. She would tell Althea nothing.

"Let's go to Vinton's for dinner," she proposed, with an abrupt change
of subject. "I've plenty of money now--while it lasts."

"All right," agreed Althea, "only I mustn't stay out late. I've a
frightful lesson in physics to study for to-morrow."

Jean did not particularly enjoy her dinner. In spite of her defiant
manner she had begun to feel slightly conscience-stricken. She almost
wished she had not gone on with the sale. Still she could have obtained
the necessary money in no other way. Now that the mischief was done she
could hope only that Miss Harlowe would hear nothing of it--not for a
long time, at any rate.

As she crossed the campus and ran lightly up the steps of Harlowe House
she resolved to shake off her recent fear of the discovery, on Grace's
part, of her disobedience and act as though nothing had happened.

Her resolution was destined to receive an unexpected jolt. "Miss
Harlowe wants to see you, Miss Brent," were the words with which the
maid greeted her as she stepped into the hall.

Jean's heart sank. So it had come already. She stopped for a moment in
the hall to gather her forces. Her feeling of penitence vanished. She
threw up her head with a defiant jerk and walked boldly into the little
office where Grace sat making up her expense account for November.

"You wished to see me, Miss Harlowe?" Her tone was coldly interrogative,
her eyes hostile, as she stared steadily at Grace.

G