Mr. Gordon. Hateful old thing!"

"But perhaps he _isn't_ hateful," Nancy objected, shaking her head.

"I bet he is. Scorch says he is hiding something. That boy is bright."

"Really brilliant--when it comes to his hair," suggested Nancy,
laughing.

But there were so many other things to take up the thoughts of the two
chums after this brief separation, that the mystery about Nancy figured
little in their activities for a time.

Nancy's new dignity as president of the class bore heavily upon her at
first, for she feared that she would not discharge her duty to the other
freshmen in a proper way.

The Montgomery clique was of course a continual thorn in her side. It
never numbered, however, more than eight or ten girls of that class.
Grace made many of her friends in the sophomore class.

The teachers, however, were decidedly in favor of Nancy. She gained the
head of her classes in most studies, and did not slight lessons to join
in the fun of the other girls. Yet she was no prig--no matter what Grace
and Cora said.

A rather solemn thought had come to the girl on the night of that day
when she had started to run away from Pinewood Hall. Suppose she should,
suddenly and without warning, be thrown upon her own resources?

Most girls of Nancy's age do not think of such unpleasant things. Nor,
in many cases, could such an unhappy turn of circumstances affect them.

Yet it might happen at any time to Nancy. That was the way she felt
about it.

Suppose the mysterious fountain from which, through the channel of Mr.
Gordon, flowed the money to support her, suddenly should dry up?

She could be pretty sure that Mr. Gordon would not go on supporting her
and paying for her schooling, and all. No, indeed! He had not struck
Nancy in her single interview with him as being that sort of a man.

So with this thought hovering in the background Nancy made the most of
her opportunities as the days passed. She was determined to learn
everything Pinewood Hall and its mistress and instructors had to teach
her.

She learned to be an expert typewriter before Easter, and improved her
spelling immensely. Other girls had the same opportunity, if they cared
to exercise it; for there were plenty of machines they could learn on as
Nancy did. But few of the girls at Pinewood Hall cared to take "extras."
Most of their parents were very well-to-do, and why should they exert
themselves to merely practical things?

Nancy took up stenogra