ing not only yourself but a great many other girls an
injustice if you make public Miss Thayer's plans for the girls who
remain at Overton for the holidays. Miss Thayer wishes the girls to feel
perfectly independent in this matter, and whatever she contributes
privately toward it is strictly her own affair. If this article appears
on the school and college page, some of these girls are sure to hear of
it and feel humiliated and resentful, particularly if the rest of the
article is as callously cruel as its beginning."

Kathleen West laughed disagreeably. "That is not my affair. I have
agreed to furnish my paper with snappy college news. This makes a good
story. To supply my paper with good stories is my first business."

"Pardon me," retorted Grace scornfully, "I should imagine that loyalty
to one's self and one's college constituted an Overton girl's first
business."

"I can't see that this particular story has anything to do with being
loyal to Overton," sneered Kathleen. "As for being loyal to myself, that
is for me to judge. Who dares say I am disloyal?"

"Nothing very daring about that," drawled Elfreda. "I say so."

"You," stormed Kathleen. "Who are you?"

"J. Elfreda Briggs," murmured the stout girl sweetly.

"Yes," continued Kathleen sneeringly, "I have heard of the jumble you
made of your freshman year. It took a number of influential friends to
pull you into favor again, I believe."

"Not half such a jumble as you are making of yours," smiled Elfreda.
Then she went on gravely: "I am glad you mentioned that freshman year. I
did behave like an imbecile. Thanks to a number of girls who believed I
was worth bothering with, I have learned to know what Overton requires
of me. If you are wise, you'll face about, too. You will find it pays,
and there are all sorts of pleasant compensations for what one expends
in effort. That's all. I've said my say."

A curious, half-admiring expression flitted across Kathleen's thin
little face. Then, turning to Grace, she said defiantly: "Give me my
copy. I don't wish to rewrite it and I am going to send it to-night."

"I'm sorry you won't be fair about this, Miss West," said Grace
regretfully, "but perhaps I can induce you to change your mind."

"I don't understand you," said Kathleen West stiffly.

Grace held a folded paper before the newspaper girl's eyes.

"Here is the letter you wrote the dean regarding our bazaar. The dean
gave it to me. She does not nor never w