rry.
The freshmen, however, had to have matters explained to them by their
friends.

"That Semper Fidelis club was the life of Overton," Althea Parker
explained to Evelyn Ward. "That's one reason I asked you to come here
with me to-night. I wanted you to see them together." The two were
seated at a small table not far from that of the Sempers.

Evelyn made no response. Her eyes were fixed upon the mission alcove.
She knew, only too well, that Althea's invitation to dinner had not been
disinterested. She had learned to know that Althea was not only
snobbish, but self-seeking as well. For whatever she gave she demanded
value received. Evelyn had been in the living-room when Grace and
Elfreda returned from their shopping. She had heard them discussing the
dinner, and had lost no time in slipping on her wraps and carrying the
news to Althea, who, as she had hoped, had at once invited her to dinner
at Vinton's.

"Althea thinks I'll attract the attention of those girls," Evelyn had
speculated shrewdly.

Meanwhile the girls in the alcove, quite unconscious of the discussion
going on about them at the other tables, were in their element. One
after another the dear wraiths of their Overton days were summoned, to
be laughingly and lovingly reviewed, then lingeringly laid to rest
again.

"Girls, do you remember the dinner we gave here after the ghost party?"
asked Mabel Ashe, her brown eyes alight with mischief. "Some of you
girls weren't here that night, but at least half of you were."

"I ought to remember it," declared Elfreda significantly.

"Yes, Elfreda, it was in honor of you, I believe," laughed Arline. The
dinner to which Mabel referred belonged to Elfreda's freshman year at
Overton.

"It was indeed," affirmed Anne Pierson. "Every one of our four years
brought its own parties."

"And its own problems," supplemented Miriam.

"Of whom we were which," murmured J. Elfreda.

Every one laughed at this naive assertion.

"But we've all turned out creditably," smiled Miriam Nesbit, "thanks to
our Loyalheart. She opened the way to good comradeship for me, long ago,
in my high school days."

"She found my father for me!" said Ruth Denton, her eyes eloquent.

"She stood by me when I needed her most," said Anne.

"Girls, I won't--" Grace half rose from her chair, but was gently shoved
into it again.

"Sit still and hear the rest of your misdeeds," commanded Mabel. "Go on,
Arline."

"She helped me to be unselfis