Carol felt a quick pang of pity and self-reproach. "Haven't you?" she
asked.

Ruth shook her head. In spite of herself, the kindness of Carol's tone
brought the tears to her eyes.

"My mother died a year ago," she said in a trembling voice, "and since
then I have had no real home. We were quite alone in the world, Mother
and I, and now I have nobody."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," cried Carol impulsively. She leaned
forward and took Ruth's hand in a gentle way. "And do you mean to say
that you'll have to stay here all through the holidays? Why, it will
be horrid."

"Oh, I shall not mind it much," said Ruth quickly, "with study and
practice most of the time. Only now, when everyone is talking about
it, it makes me wish that I had some place to go."

Carol dropped Ruth's hand suddenly in the shock of a sudden idea that
darted into her mind.

A stray girl passing through the hall called out, "Ruth, Miss Siviter
wishes to see you about something in Room C."

Ruth got up quickly. She was glad to get away, for it seemed to her
that in another minute she would break down altogether.

Carol Golden hardly noticed her departure. She gathered up her letters
and went abstractedly to her room, unheeding a gay call for "Golden
Carol" from a group of girls in the corridor. Maud Russell was not in
and Carol was glad. She wanted to be alone and fight down that sudden
idea.

"It is ridiculous to think of it," she said aloud, with a petulance
very unusual in Golden Carol, whose disposition was as sunny as her
looks. "Why, I simply cannot. I have always been longing to ask Maud
to visit me, and now that the chance has come I am not going to throw
it away. I am very sorry for Ruth, of course. It must be dreadful to
be all alone like that. But it isn't my fault. And she is so fearfully
quiet and dowdy--what would they all think of her at home? Frank and
Jack would make such fun of her. I shall ask Maud just as soon as she
comes in."

Maud did come in presently, but Carol did not give her the invitation.
Instead, she was almost snappish to her idol, and the Princess soon
went out again in something of a huff.

"Oh, dear," cried Carol, "now I've offended her. What has got into me?
What a disagreeable thing a conscience is, although I'm sure I don't
know why mine should be prodding me so! I don't want to invite Ruth
Mannering home with me for the holidays, but I feel exactly as if I
should not have a minute's peace of mind all