ll enough, Elizabeth, to know that I'm always on the side
of what is right. I have thought the matter over and have decided that it
is worthy of success. I do hope it will succeed. That, of course, depends
upon those who are backing it. Yet I can not put my name to it. Now," with
a serious and most impressive air such as Landis only could assume, "do
not misunderstand me. It is not that I do not approve of your plan, think
it needed and all that, but there is a personal reason why I feel that I
cannot join the movement."

"Why,--because you feel that you can not live up to the requirements?" was
the brusque question.

"Hardly. I fancy I do whatever I make up my mind to do. I'm sure living up
to the requirements would be doing just as I have always done."

"Then what is it?"

Again Landis looked serious. Her expression was that of one who could tell
much if they would. Her habit of seeming to weigh her words gave them
undue value. Her hearers expected her to express lofty sentiments.

"I hesitated about speaking of the matter to anyone. It is so easy to be
misunderstood. I would not have anyone think me a cad; but there are some
among your signers whom I object to. I wouldn't care to have my name
appear there with that of another girl whom I have in mind."

To Elizabeth who blurted out everything, and who was frank and out-spoken,
there was nothing more distasteful than insinuations.

"Whom do you mean, Landis?"

"It is not necessary to say," was the response. "I mentioned the fact only
to let you understand that it was not the policy to which I objected. As I
said before, I am on the side of right. I wish my influence always to be
for good."

"But it is necessary to tell. The girls who signed that first petition to
Dr. Morgan are friends of mine. They are girls who stand well in school,
and they're popular, every one of them. You cannot make such a statement
and think that I'm going to let it pass. I'm not. You've insinuated
something against either me or my friends, and you must come straight out
and say what it is."

Min, who had been sitting by the window mending a pair of old gloves for
Landis, gave a nervous giggle. Any little unpleasantness was painful to
her. She stopped sewing to listen to the conversation between the girls.
Landis was not nonplussed, whatever the circumstances. She was not
offended now by Elizabeth's words, but was surprised. She appeared shocked
that Elizabeth should be crude enough