empt to appear
unconcerned.

"Yes," answered Grace firmly. "The only alternative would be to take it
to the faculty, and that is not to be thought of. I shall make a
personal appeal to each sophomore for Miss Briggs."

"Then I suppose rather than bring down a hornet's nest about our ears,
we might as well tell you that the majority of the class know nothing of
this. A number of sophomores, with a view to the good of the college,
decided themselves to be justified in sending the letter to Miss Briggs.
We do not wish young women of her type at Overton, and Miss Briggs will
do well to go elsewhere. She will never be happy at Overton."

"Is that a threat?" asked Grace quickly.

Alberta merely shrugged her shoulders in answer to Grace's question.

"You may call it what you please," remarked Mary Hampton sullenly.

"Thank you," said Grace gravely. "I think I have a fair idea of the
situation. I believe I know too, just how many sophomores were concerned
in the writing of the letter, and am sure that their adverse opinion
will neither make nor mar Miss Briggs. Good afternoon."

With this Grace walked serenely out of the house, leaving behind her two
discomfited and ignominiously defeated young women.

"Do you believe she would have kept her word and put the matter before
the class?" asked Mary Hampton after Grace had gone.

"Yes," responded Alberta, frowning. "She wouldn't have hesitated. She
meant what she said. She is one of those tiresome persons who is forever
advocating fair play. She only does it as a pose. She imagines, I
suppose that it will attract the attention of the upper class girls. I
should like to teach her a lesson in humility, but it is dangerous, for
with all her faults she is by no means stupid, and unless we were very
careful we would be quite likely to come to grief."

CHAPTER VIII

THE SOPHOMORE RECEPTION

It was the night of the sophomore reception and the gymnasium was ablaze
with light and color. All day the valiant sophomore class had labored as
decorators. Sofa cushions, portieres, screens and anything else that
might add to the beauty of the decorations had been begged and borrowed
from good-natured residents of the campus and nearby boarding houses.
There were great branches of red and gold leaves festooning and hiding
the gymnasium apparatus, and the respective sophomore and freshman
colors of blue and gold were in evidence in every nook and corner of the
big room. There was