oo glad to know that it has opened the
way to college for you."

"Shall you let the fact that you have appeared professionally be known
at Overton?" asked Miriam.

"I shall make no secret of it," returned Anne quietly, "but I won't
volunteer any information concerning it."

"I wonder what our freshman year at Overton will bring us," mused Grace.
"I have read so many stories about college life, and yet so far Overton
seems like an unknown land that we are about to explore. From all I have
heard and read, exploring freshmen find their first term at college
anything but a bed of roses. They are sometimes hazed unmercifully by
the upper classes, and their only salvation lies in silently standing
the test. Julia Crosby says that she had all sorts of tricks played on
her during her first term at Smith. Now she's a sophomore and can make
life miserable for the freshmen. I am going to try to cultivate the true
college spirit," concluded Grace earnestly. "College is going to mean
even more to me than high school. I don't imagine it's all going to be
plain sailing. I suppose, more than once, I'll wish myself back in
Oakdale, but I'm going to make up my mind to take the bitter with the
sweet and set everything down under the head of experience."

"To tell you the truth," Miriam said slowly, "I am not enthusiastic over
college. I value it as a means of continuing my education, and I'll try
to live up to college ideals, but I'm not going to let anyone walk over
me or ridicule me. I'm willing 'to live and let live,' but, as Eleanor
Savelli used to say when in a towering rage, 'no one can trample upon me
with impunity.'"

"I wonder when we shall see Eleanor again," said Anne, smiling a little
at the recollection called up by Miriam's quotation.

"That reminds me," exclaimed Grace. "I have a letter from Eleanor that
I haven't opened. It came this morning just before I left the house."
Fumbling in her bag, Grace drew forth a bulky looking letter, bearing a
foreign postmark, and tearing open the end, drew out several closely
folded sheets of thin paper covered with Eleanor's characteristic
handwriting.

"Shall I read it aloud?" asked Grace.

"By all means," said Miriam with emphasis.

Grace began to read. Anne, who sat beside her, looked over her shoulder,
while Miriam, who sat opposite Grace, leaned forward in order to catch
every word. They were so completely occupied with their own affairs,
none of them noticed that the tra