e would have disarmed a far more critical person than Betty, who,
in spite of her love of "fine feathers" and a sort of superficial
snobbishness, was at heart absolutely unworldly, and who took a naive
interest in all badly dressed people because it was such fun to "plan
them over." She applied this process immediately to her roommate.

"Her hat's on crooked," she reflected, "and her pug's in just the wrong
place. Her shirt-waist needs pulling down in front and she sticks her
head out when she talks. Otherwise she'd be rather cute. I hope she's
the kind that will take suggestions without getting mad." And she
hurried off to her French in a very amiable frame of mind.

Helen Chase Adams thanked Nan shyly for the luncheon, escaped from the
terrors of a tete-a-tete with an unfamiliar grown-up on the plea of
having to unpack, and curled up on the couch that Betty had not chosen,
to think it over. The day had been full of surprises, but Betty was the
culmination. Why had she come to college? She was distinctly pretty, she
dressed well, and evidently liked what pretty girls call "a good time."
In Helen Chase Adams's limited experience all pretty girls were stupid.
The idea of seeing crowds of them in the college chapel, much less of
rooming with one, had never entered her head. A college was a place for
students. Would Miss Wales pass her examination? Would she learn her
lessons? What would it be like to live with her day in and day out?
Helen could not imagine--but she did not feel in the least like crying.

Just as the dinner-bell rang, Betty appeared, looking rather tired and
pale. "Nan's gone," she announced. "She found she couldn't make
connections except by leaving at half past five, so she met me down at
the college. And just at the last minute she gave me the money to buy a
chafing-dish. Wasn't that lovely? I know I should have cried and made a
goose of myself, but after tha--I beg your pardon--I haven't any sense."
She stopped in confusion.

But Helen only laughed. "Go on," she said. "I don't mind now. I don't
believe I'm going to be homesick any more, and if I am I'll do my best
not to cry."

How the rest of that first week flew! Next day the freshman class list
was read, and fortunately it included all the girls at Mrs. Chapin's.
Then there were electives to choose, complicated schedules to see
through, first recitations to find, books to buy or rent, rooms to
arrange, and all sorts of bewildering odds and ends