u have kept it from me? Dear old Nance!"

Judy blew her nose violently.

"Why don't you answer me, Judy? Isn't Nance coming back? I haven't heard
from her for weeks. Oh, do tell me."

"I'm going to tell you in a minute," answered Judy. "I can't blow my
nose and talk at the same time. It's a physical impossibility. I've got
a wretched cold, you see. I am afraid it's going into influenza."

"Julia Kean, you are keeping something from me. I don't care a rap about
your nose. Isn't Nance coming back?"

Molly almost fell on her knees in the excess of her anxiety. Judy turned
her face away from those appealing blue eyes and coughed a forced
throaty cough.

"Suppose I should say she wasn't coming back, Molly? Would you mind
it?"

"Would I mind it?" repeated Molly, her eyes filling with tears.

Suddenly the closet door was flung open and out rushed Nance.

"Oh, Molly, forgive me," she cried, throwing her arms around her
roommate's neck. "Judy thought it would be a good practical joke, but I
couldn't stand the deception any longer. It was worth it, though, if
only to know you would miss me."

"Miss you?" exclaimed Molly. "I should think I would. Judy, you wretch!"

"I never did say she wasn't coming," replied Judy. "I simply said, 'Is
it possible you haven't heard the news about Nance?' It shows how your
heart rules your head, Molly. You shouldn't take on so until you get at
the real truth. Your impetuous nature needs----"

Here Judy was interrupted by the noise of a headlong rush down the hall.
Then the door was burst open and three girls blew into the room all
laughing and talking at once.

"My goodness, it sounds like a stampede of wild cattle," exclaimed
Judy. "How are you, old pals?"

A general all-round embrace followed.

It was Margaret Wakefield, last year's class president; her chum, Jessie
Lynch; and Sallie Marks, now a senior, but not in the least set up by
her exalted state.

"Where's Mabel Hinton?" someone demanded.

"She's moved over to the Quadrangle into a singleton. She wanted to be
nearer the scene of action, she said, and Queen's was too diverting for
her serious life's work," so Margaret explained.

"I'm sorry," said Molly. "I'm one of those nice comfortable home bodies
that likes the family to keep right on just the same forever, but I
suppose we can't expect everybody to be as fond of this old brown house
as we are. Sit down, everybody," she added, hospitably. "And--oh, yes,
wait a mom