riends talking
and laughing about it.

"Guess the old doctor has a grouch again. Isn't that mean? There isn't a
boy in sight."

"Not one!"

"Isn't it horrid of him?" cried another.

"I'll wager the old doctor has a channel sawed through the ice at the
bend here before he lets the boys out," declared a third.

"I _did_ want so to see Bob Endress," Grace Montgomery complained. "I
want him to bring a lot of nice boys home from the Academy at the
holidays, so as to have them at my party."

It struck Nancy that she had heard this Bob Endress spoken of before;
but she had no idea that there was any reason why _she_ should be
interested in him.

The girls came in from the ice half an hour before supper, cold, tired,
but merry. Nancy ran up to tidy her hair and wash. She found two of
Cora's chief chums in Number 30; but Cora herself chanced to be out.

These girls did not even notice Nancy when she came in. But that was not
strange. Often a dozen would come and go at Number 30 without once
speaking to the quiet little girl who occupied one-half of the
dormitory.

"Well, you take it from me," one was saying to the other while Nancy
brushed her hair, "she's got to do her share. It looks to me as though
she was sponging."

"Oh, do you think so?"

"Everybody else has put up for a fudge party, or something of the kind,
while she hasn't done a thing."

"Maybe she hasn't the money?"

"Then she shouldn't be in on all the other girls' good times. And she
wouldn't be if she didn't toady so to Grace."

"Ah, now----"

"That's right. Lou would have left her out of the pound party last week,
only of course Grace demanded to look over the list of invited guests."

"Well! I _do_ think Grace takes too much upon herself sometimes."

"She's going to be class president. Voting comes just before the
Christmas holidays, and when we come back we'll know who gets the chair.
Madame doesn't allow the freshies to organize until then. Well! Cora's
got to do different."

"Mamie Beasley says she isn't going to invite her to her tea on Friday.
And, you know, the teachers approve of afternoon teas. It makes for
sociability, they say."

"But Cora----"

"Hush-up!" commanded another. "Want everybody to hear you?" and she
motioned toward Nancy. The latter saw her in the glass.

So the two went out. Nancy wondered if Cora was so popular, after all.
If it _was_ Cora of whom the two were speaking.

She noted, however, that for a day or