rd herself. Unlike the
friendship with Jean, Eleanor's intercourse with her had been
inconspicuous, confined mostly to the Chapin house itself. Even the
girls there, because Eleanor had stood so aloof from them, had seen
little of it, so Eleanor was free to break it off without thinking of
public opinion, and she did so ruthlessly. From the day of the class
meeting she spoke to Betty only when she must, or, if no one was by,
when some taunting remark occurred to her.

At first Betty tried her best to think how she could have offended, but
she could not discuss the subject with any one else and endless
consideration and rejection of hypotheses was fruitless, so after
Eleanor had twice refused her an interview that would have settled the
matter, she sensibly gave it up. Eleanor would perhaps "come round" in
time. Meanwhile it was best to let her alone.

But Betty felt that she was having more than her share of trouble; Helen
was quite as trying in her way as Eleanor in hers. She had entirely lost
her cheerful air and seemed to have grown utterly discouraged with life.

"And no wonder, for she studies every minute," Betty told Rachel and
Katherine. "I think she feels hurt because the girls don't get to like
her better, but how can they when she doesn't give them any chance?"

"She's awfully touchy lately," added Katherine.

"Poor little thing!" said Rachel.

Then the three plunged into an animated discussion of basket-ball, and
Rachel and Katherine, who were on a sort of provisional team that
included most of the best freshman players and arrogated to itself the
name of "The Stars," showed Betty in strictest confidence the new
cross-play that "T. Reed" had invented. "T. Reed" seemed to be the
basket-ball genius of the freshman class. She was the only girl who was
perfectly sure to be on the regular team.

It is one of the fine things about college that no matter who of your
friends are temporarily lost to you, there is always somebody else to
fall back upon, and some new interest to take the place of one that
flags. Betty had noticed this and been amused by it early in her course.
Sometimes, as she said to Miss Ferris in one of her many long talks with
that lady, things change so fast that you really begin to wonder if you
can be the same person you were last week.

Besides the inter-class basket-ball game, there was the Hilton House
play to talk about and look forward to, and the rally; and, nearer
still, St. Val