ve a better idea of what you are thinking
than you know. All I have to say is, don't waste a minute worrying over
me. Patience Eliot will take care of herself regardless of who her
roommate may be."

CHAPTER IV

PATIENCE PROMISES TO STAND BY

For the next three days Patience Eliot passed successfully for a
freshman. Then came the sudden dismaying rumor that she was registered
in the sophomore theme class. A little later it was announced positively
that she had passed up freshman French. The truth suddenly burst upon
certain members of the sophomore class who had selected Miss Eliot as a
splendid subject for sophomore grinds, when, on the occasion of their
first class meeting, she walked quietly into the class room where it was
to be held, and took her place with a cheerful, matter-of-course air
that was very disturbing to various abashed sophomores who had planned
mischief.

Far from being angry, the astonished sophomores treated the New England
girl's mild deception as a joke, and by it she sprang into instant
popularity with her class. There were a few disgruntled students who
criticized her, but these were so far in the minority that they counted
for little. Kathleen West was among this minority. On the evening when
the girl from New England had been shown into the room at the end of the
hall, Kathleen had conceived a strong dislike for this calm-faced,
independent young woman, whose quiet self-assurance nettled her, and
mentally decided that she belonged to the preaching, narrow-minded class
of girls who made life a burden for those who did not live up to a
certain impossible standard. Patience Eliot had been even less favorably
impressed with the newspaper girl. "She has a frightful temper," had
been her mental observation, "and looks the reverse of agreeable." Aside
from a brief exchange of conversation, silence had reigned in the room,
and remembering the happy faces of the girls she had seen at the
breakfast table that morning, Patience had felt not wholly pleased with
her new quarters and not a little lonely.

The incident of the broken china had been fortunate in that it had
brought about a friendly, informal meeting between Grace and herself.
After that everything had glided smoothly along. Patience and Grace
received an invitation to take dinner with Miss Sheldon the following
Sunday, and this occasion served to strengthen the New England girl's
favorable impression of Grace to such an extent t