142

XVI. Thanksgiving with the Southards 150

XVII. Christmas Plans 161

XVIII. Basketball Rumors 171

XIX. A Game Worth Seeing 181

XX. Grace Overhears Something Interesting 190

XXI. An Unheeded Warning 206

XXII. Turning the Tables 214

XXIII. Virginia Changes Her Mind 227

XXIV. Good-bye to their Freshman Year 239

Grace Harlowe's First Year
at Overton College

CHAPTER I

OFF TO COLLEGE

"Do you remember what you said one October day last year, Grace, when we
stood on this platform and said good-bye to the boys?" asked Anne
Pierson.

"No, what did I say?" asked Grace Harlowe, turning to her friend Anne.

"You said," returned Anne, "that when it came your turn to go to college
you were going to slip away quietly without saying good-bye to any one
but your mother, and here you are with almost half Oakdale at the train
to see you off to college."

"Now, Anne, you know perfectly well that people are down here to see you
and Miriam, too," laughed Grace. "I'm not half as much of a celebrity as
you are."

Grace Harlowe, Miriam Nesbit and Anne Pierson stood on the station
platform completely surrounded by their many friends, who, regardless
of the fact that it was half-past seven o'clock in the morning, had made
it a point to be at the station to wish them godspeed.

"This is the second public gathering this week," remarked Miriam Nesbit,
who, despite the chatter that was going on around her, had heard Grace's
laughing remark.

"I know it," agreed Grace. "There was just as large a crowd here when
Nora and Jessica went away last Monday. Doesn't it seem dreadful that we
are obliged to be separated? How I hated to see the girls go. And we
won't be together again until Christmas."

"Oh, here come the boys!" announced Eva Allen, who, with Marian Barber,
had been standing a little to one side of the three girls.

At this juncture four smiling young men hurried through the crowd of
young people and straight to the circle surrounding the three girls,
where they were received with cries of: "We were afraid you'd be too
late!" and, "Why didn't you get here earlier?"

"We're awfully sorry!" exclaimed David Nesbit. "We had to wait for
Hippy. He overslept as usual. We threw as much as a shovelful of