."

"She must be either sick or in love," said Madeline. "Nothing else will
account for it."

"Then I think she's in love," declared little Helen Adams sedately. "She
has a happy look in her eyes."

"Bosh!" jeered Bob. "Mary isn't the sentimental kind. I'll bet she feels
different after the spread."

But though the spread was quite the grandest that had ever been seen at
Harding, and though Mary seemed to enjoy it quite as heartily as her
guests, who had conscientiously starved on campus fare for the week
before it, it failed to arouse in her the proper enthusiasm for college
functions.

On Tuesday "after partaking of a light but elegant noontide repast on
me," as Katherine put it, Mary declared her intention of taking a nap,
and went to her room. But half an hour later, when Babbie tiptoed up to
ask if she really meant to waste a glorious afternoon sleeping, and to
put the runabout at her service, the room was empty, and Mary turned up
again barely in time for the grand dinner at Cuyler's.

"We were scared to death for fear you'd forgotten us," said Madeline,
helping her off with her wraps. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Why, dressing," explained Mary, wearing her most innocent expression.
"It takes ages to get into this gown, but it's my best, and I wanted to
do honor to your very grand function."

"That dress was lying on your bed when I stopped for you exactly fifteen
minutes ago," declared Bob triumphantly. "So you'll have to think of
another likely tale."

Mary smiled her "beamish" smile.

"Well, I came just after you'd gone and isn't fourteen minutes to waste
on dressing an age? If you mean where was I before that, why my nap
wasn't a success, so I went walking, and it was so lovely that I
couldn't bear to come in. These hills are perfectly fascinating after
the city."

"You little fraud," cried Madeline. "You hate walking, and you can't see
scenery----"

"As witness the nestle," put in Katherine.

"So please tell us who he is," finished Madeline calmly.

"The very idea of coming back to see us and then going off fussing with
Winsted men!" Babe's tone was solemnly reproachful.

But Mary was equal to the situation. "I haven't seen a Winsted man since
I came," she declared. "I was going to tell you who was with me this
afternoon, but I shan't now, because you've all been so excessively mean
and suspicious." A waitress appeared, and Mary's expression grew
suddenly ecstatic. "Do I see crea