ht," answered the sophomore, stoutly, sure that
the source was a reputable one.

Patty groaned. "And I suppose that every blessed one of that dozen girls
has told it to another dozen by this time, and that it's only bounded by
the boundaries of the campus. Well, there's not a word of truth in it.
Lucille Carter doesn't know what she is talking about. That's a likely
story, isn't it?" she added with fine scorn. "Does Professor Winters
look like a man who'd ever dare propose to a girl, let alone marry her?"
And she stalked out of the room and up to the single where Lucille
lived.

"Lucille," said Patty, "what do you mean by spreading that story about
Professor Winters's bride's mumps?"

"You told it to me yourself," answered Lucille, with some warmth. She
was a believing creature with an essentially literal mind, and she had
always been out of her element in the lofty imaginative realms of local
color.

"I told it to you!" said Patty, indignantly. "You goose, you don't mean
to tell me you believed it? I was just playing local color."

"How should I know that? You told it as if it were true."

"Of course," said Patty; "that's the game. You wouldn't have believed me
if I hadn't."

"But you never said it wasn't true. You don't follow the rule."

"I didn't think it was necessary. I never supposed any one would believe
any such absurd story as that."

"I don't see how it was my fault."

"Of course it was your fault. You shouldn't be spreading malicious tales
about the faculty; it's irreverent. The story's all over college by this
time, and Professor Winters has probably heard it himself. He'll flunk
you on the finals to pay for it; see if he doesn't." And Patty went
home, leaving a conscience-smitten and thoroughly indignant Lucille
behind her.

* * * * *

ABOUT a month before the introduction of local color, Patty had entered
upon a new activity, which she referred to impartially as "molding
public opinion" and "elevating the press." The way of it was this:

The college, which was a modest and retiring institution craving only to
be unmolested in its atmosphere of academic calm, had been recently
exploited by a sensational newspaper. The fact that none of the stories
was true did not mitigate the annoyance. The college was besieged by
reporters who had heard rumors and wished to have them corroborated for
exclusive publication in the "Censor" or "Advertiser" or "Star." And
they