."

"Well, it may be my way, and it may not. I do not know what you are
talking about. If I have done what you call a generous, noble deed, this
is the first I have heard of it. If your mind is still upon the speech I
made yesterday, you may be sure there was nothing noble about that. Why,
you have no idea how angry I was! It made me so indignant to hear some
explain what should be done and how. I didn't approve of their plans at
all, so the only thing left for me to do was to say what I thought about
it. It is news to me that being indignant and expressing yourself
rather--well, rather forcibly, is noble and generous. Though," dryly, "I'm
rather glad it is so, for it will be easy for me to be noble in that
fashion."

Miss O'Day turned to look closely at her.

"Really, Elizabeth, upon your honor now, did you really not have me in
mind when you made that speech yesterday?"

"I did not, 'pon honor," she laughed softly. Then she gave Miss O'Day's
hand a very loving squeeze to mitigate the hurt her next words might
contain. "It may be rather galling to your pride, but I did not even think
of you after we entered the meeting, although I suppose you must have been
sitting by me. I was all eyes and ears for what was going on up front. I
suppose you might add all mouth, too, for that matter."

"Then you did not know what happened here last spring? Did none of the
girls tell you?"

"I do not know what particular happenings you have in mind. But no one
told me of anything that was unusual."

"Well, then I shall tell you. It was not until last evening that I felt
that I could talk the matter over with any one; but after you spoke as you
did, I knew that you could understand. I have borne it so long without
letting any one know, that it is a relief to think I can tell just how I
feel, and how awful these months at Exeter have been. I might have gone
somewhere else this fall and not returned at all; but when I thought it
over, it seemed to me that it would be cowardly to slip away like that.
Last summer I wrote to Dr. Morgan that I intended returning. Then I made
up my mind that I would stay here until I made every one at Exeter, from
Dr. Morgan down to the dining-hall girls, respect me." She paused, then
added slowly, "But I don't seem to have made much headway yet."

There was a sadness in the girl's voice which embarrassed Elizabeth. She
knew that Nora O'Day was sad--had known that for a long time. She would
have been gl