Rutledge. I'd rather not tell even her. I hate telling tales."

"I don't," disagreed Judith. "If we let it go without saying a word,
we'll have trouble right along. It ought to be stamped out _now_."

"I intend that it shall be," Jane tersely assured.

"How?"

Judith's query rang with skepticism.

"By going straight to Miss Noble and ordering her to stop it," was
Jane's determined reply. "I shall ask her to give me that paper."

"A lot of good that will do." Judith gave a short laugh. "You might as
well tell the wind to stop blowing."

"It will do this much good," retorted Jane. "We shall give Miss Noble
her choice between giving up that paper or being reported to the
faculty."

"Who's going to tell her all this?" demanded Judith in a slightly
ruffled tone.

"I am," returned Jane composedly.

"And I. I shall be there also," instantly supported Adrienne.

"Very fine. It looks as though I'd be there myself."

Judith's annoyed expression vanished in a wide grin.

"When do we do this valiant stunt?" she inquired facetiously. "When does
the great offensive take place?"

"We'll have to put it off until to-morrow," Jane answered. "It's too
late to do it to-night. We'll go to her just before dinner, or else
right after. There won't be time enough in the morning or at noon."

"Suppose she won't let us inside her room?" argued Judith.

"She isn't rooming alone," was Jane's reminder. "I intend to see Alicia
Reynolds to-morrow and find out just why she wouldn't talk to me the
other day. I promised myself that I'd never ask her. But something I saw
to-day makes me feel that I must. This Miss Noble has been making
trouble between us. I'm convinced of that. It can't go on. The tangle
between Alicia and me must be straightened out by a frank understanding
of what caused it. Once that is done, Alicia will stand by us, I
believe."

"But you said yourself that she'd gone back to Marian Seaton."

Judith looked amazement of Jane's sudden change of opinion.

"So I thought," admitted Jane, "until I saw her pass Marian on the
campus to-day without speaking. It came to me right then that only Miss
Noble was to blame for the snub Alicia gave me. But I was too proud to
run after Alicia and have it out with her. Now I'm going to do it."

CHAPTER XIV

OPENLY AND ABOVEBOARD

When Jane awoke the next morning her first thought crystalized into a
determination to interview Alicia Reynolds before the day was over.
S