look back.

Grace stood in the open door until the echo of his footsteps died out.
Then she rushed into the living room and, throwing herself down on the
big leather sofa, burst into bitter tears.

CHAPTER XVII

THE SUMMONS

"There are Deans and _deans_," observed Emma Dean with savage emphasis,
"but the Deans, of whom I am which, are, in my humble opinion,
infinitely superior to the dean person stalking about the halls of dear
old Overton."

"What do you mean, Emma?" asked Grace. The dry bitterness of her
friend's outburst regarding deans in general was too significant to be
allowed to pass unquestioned.

It was the evening of Grace Harlowe's return from the Christmas holiday
she had spent with her dear ones at Oakdale. Grace and Emma were in
their room. Despite the one sad memory which time alone could efface,
Grace was experiencing a peace and comfort which always hovered about
her for many days after her visits home. Next to home, however, Overton
was, to her, the place of places, and she had returned to her work with
fresh energy and enthusiasm. She believed that she had definitely put
behind her forever all that unhappy part of her life regarding Tom Gray.
It had been hard indeed, and had brought tears to the eyes so
unaccustomed to weeping. Still Grace was glad that she had faced the
inevitable and seen clearly. Tom would, in time, forget her and perhaps
marry some one else. She wished with all her heart that he might be
happy, and her one regret was that she had caused him pain.

In reality Grace had exhibited toward her old friend a hardness of
purpose quite at variance with her usually sweet nature. She wondered a
little that she could have been so inexorable in her decision, yet she
believed herself to be wholly justified in the course she had taken.
Already she was beginning to commend herself inwardly for her loyalty to
her work, and Emma's blunt arraignment of the dean of Overton College
acted like a dash of cold water upon her half-fledged self-content.

"All day I've been tempted to tell you a few things, Gracious," began
Emma, "but I hated to disturb you. I know just how you feel when you
come back from that blessed little town of yours. So I've been keeping
still while you told me all about Anne's wedding and the good times you
had. It was one glorious succession of good times, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Grace was silent for a brief