t." She regarded the freshman tentatively. "Are you
awfully busy?"

"Not very. My room-mate hasn't come yet, so I can't settle."

"That's nice; then you can help us move furniture."

"Patty!" said Priscilla, "I think you are too bad."

"I should really love to stay and help, if you'll let me."

"Certainly," said Patty, obligingly. "I forgot to ask your name," she
continued, "and I don't suppose you like to be called 'Freshman'; it's
not specific enough."

"My name is Genevieve Ainslee Randolph."

"Genevieve Ains--dear me! I can't remember anything like that. Do you
mind if I call you Lady Clara Vere de Vere for short?"

The freshman looked doubtful, and Patty proceeded: "Lady Clara, allow me
to present my room-mate Miss Priscilla Pond--no relation to the extract.
She's athletic and wins hundred-yard dashes and hurdle races, and gets
her name in the paper to a really gratifying extent. And my dear friend
Miss Georgie Merriles, one of the oldest families in Dakota. Miss
Merriles is very talented--sings in the glee club, plays on the comb--"

"And," interrupted Georgie, "let me present Miss Patty Wyatt, who--"

"Has no specialty," said Patty, modestly, "but is merely good and
beautiful and bright."

A knock sounded on the door, which opened without waiting for a
response. "Miss Theodora Bartlet," continued Patty, "commonly known as
the Twin, Miss Vere de Vere."

The Twin looked dazed, murmured, "Miss Vere de Vere," and dropped down
on a dry-goods box.

"The term 'Twin,'" explained Patty, "is used in a merely allegorical
sense. There is really only one of her. The title was conferred in her
freshman year, and the reason has been lost in the dim dawn of
antiquity."

The freshman looked at the Twin and opened her mouth, but shut it again
without saying anything.

"My favorite maxim," said Patty, "has always been, 'Silence is golden.'
I observe that we are kindred spirits."

"Patty," said Priscilla, "do stop bothering that poor child and get to
work."

"Bothering?" said Patty. "I am not bothering her; we are just getting
acquainted. However, I dare say it is not the time for hollow
civilities. Do you want to borrow anything?" she added, turning to the
Twin, "or did you just drop in to pay a social call?"

"Just a social call; but I think I'll come in again when there's no
furniture to move."

"You don't happen to be going into town this afternoon?"

"Yes," said the Twin. "But," she added guardedly, "i