gave a smothered exclamation that sounded like, "What a shame,"
and disappeared into her room, slamming the door.

"I'm coming into your room for a while," said Miriam. "Elfreda will open
the door before long."

"Yes, do," returned Grace hospitably. "Is she angry because you are
going away over Thanksgiving?"

"No, not angry, but awfully disappointed. She almost cried last night
when I told her about it. I suspect she is crying now. She's like an
overgrown child at times."

"I'm sorry we can't take her with us," deplored Grace. "Does she know
where we are going?"

"Yes," returned Miriam. "She was practically thunderstruck when she
learned we were to visit the Southards. The queer part of it is this.
She saw Mr. Southard and Anne in 'As You Like It' last year. She thinks
Mr. Southard the greatest actor she ever saw, and she even spoke of
Anne's cleverness as Rosalind; she doesn't know it was Anne who played
the part."

"Anne doesn't wish her or any one else here to know it," cautioned
Grace. "Do you suppose any other girl here saw Anne as Rosalind?"

"Goodness knows," replied Miriam, with a shrug. "There's an old saying
that 'murder will out.' If any one here did see her, sooner or later
she'll be identified and lionized."

"That's just why I don't wish the girls here to know," protested Anne,
who had been listening to the conversation of her friends, a slight
frown puckering her smooth forehead. "I don't care to be patronized and
petted, but secretly held at arms' length because I am a professional
player. If the girls find out that I played Rosalind in Mr. Southard's
company I'll never hear the last of it." In her anxiety Anne's voice
rose above its customary low key. In fact, all three had been talking
rather loudly, and the entire conversation had been carried straight to
the ears of the girl who stood outside the almost closed door. Elfreda
had come across the hall to hear the details of the proposed visit, but
had remained outside the door transfixed at what she heard. Then she
found her voice.

"So that's your idea of true friendship, is it?" demanded an angry,
choking voice that caused the surprised young women to start and look
toward the door. Elfreda stepped into the room, her face flushed with
anger, her blue eyes fairly snapping. "You make a great fuss over me
when there's nothing going on, but none of you would invite me to go
with you to New York, when you know I'm crazy to go. And that's not