y
up late at night, whether you wanted to or not. You wouldn't be treated
like a lady," she added innocently, "and you'd have to cover your face
with grease and paint every night."

"I don't care," answered Judith. "Anything would be better than being
banished from Wellington and living in a room next to that talkative
little southern girl who does laundry work."

"Judith," exclaimed Molly, "I'm being banished from Wellington, too.
I've taken a room at O'Reilly's. I've been through all the misery you're
going through, and I know what you are suffering. I was almost at the
point of going home once. But Judith, don't you see that it's rather
cowardly to enjoy prosperity and the good things that come in time of
peace, and then run away when the real fight begins? And it wouldn't do
any good, either. It would only make other people suffer and we'd be
much worse off ourselves. Don't you think Judith Blount, B. A., would
be a more important person than Judith Blount, Chorus Girl?"

Judith began picking the leaves off a piece of holly. Almost everything
she did was destructive.

"I suppose you're right," she said at last. "Mamma and Richard would
have a fit and the chorus girl role wouldn't suit me, either. I'm too
high-tempered and I can't stand criticism. But you're going to
O'Reilly's? That puts a new face on it. I'll change to O'Reilly's, too."

Molly groaned inwardly. She would almost rather live next to a talking
machine than a firebrand.

"They aren't such bad rooms," she said quietly. "When we get our things
in, they'll be quite nice."

"And now, I'll hurry on," continued Judith, utterly absorbed in her own
affairs. "I think I will take the train to New York this afternoon. I
suppose it would be rather cowardly to leave mamma and Richard alone,
this Christmas, especially. Good-by." She held out her hand. "What are
your plans? Are you going to do anything tonight to celebrate?"

"No," answered Molly, shaking Judith's hand with as much cordiality as
she could muster. "Just go to bed."

"I thought perhaps you had formed some scheme of entertainment with my
cousins."

"You mean the Greens? I didn't know they were here."

"I don't know that they are here, either. They have been careful to keep
their plans from me."

Molly ignored this implication.

"I hope you'll enjoy your Christmas, Judith," she said. "Perhaps
something will turn up."

"Something will have to turn up after next year," exclaimed Judith, "