lly light kind of blue--they look so
cold and unfeeling; and she was so--so--un-cordial when Mrs. Goodwin
said I was to room with her. She wasn't even polite. She didn't say she
was glad, or that would be nice or--she didn't say anything--"

"There wasn't time to say much," Miss Clyde answered.

"Grandmother says there is always time for courtesy," Blue Bonnet
flashed, and Miss Clyde knew that her niece had the best of the
argument.

"Nothing can be done at present, Blue Bonnet. You heard Mrs. Goodwin say
that all the rooms are taken. Perhaps some change can be made later--but
now--"

"Now, I shall just have to take up my cross and bear it, of course; but
I sha'n't cling to it a minute longer than I have to, you may be sure of
that."

Despite the seeming irreverence, Miss Clyde smiled. Blue Bonnet's
tempestuous little outbursts were often entertaining if they were
reprehensible. They sometimes reminded Miss Clyde of a Fourth of July
sky-rocket. They glowed in brilliancy and ended in--nothing! Likely
enough Blue Bonnet would finish the term quite adoring her room-mate.
She ventured to suggest this.

Blue Bonnet scorned the idea. She was sure that she should just hate
her!

Blue Bonnet was up early the next morning, ready for the shopping
expedition which promised to be of more than ordinary interest. Aunt
Lucinda seemed inclined to be almost extravagant, Blue Bonnet thought,
as together they made out the shopping list and pored over the
advertisements in the papers.

"Let's begin at Hollander's, Aunt Lucinda," Blue Bonnet said. "I love
Hollander's. We could get the Peter Thompsons there, and my evening
dresses and slippers and things."

The "evening dresses" amused Miss Clyde.

"I am afraid you did not read the school catalogue very carefully, Blue
Bonnet. It especially requested simplicity of dress."

"I know it did, Aunt Lucinda, but you saw how sweetly the girls were
gowned at dinner. Perhaps the dresses _were_ simple, but they looked
expensive and--dressy," she added for want of a better word. "That
pretty dark girl that sat next me had on the darlingest pink organdy
with a Dutch neck. Oh, it was so dear. I wonder where she got it?"

She had not long to wonder. The Boston shops seemed to have anticipated
the needs of girls all over the country. Blue Bonnet stood entranced
before cases of the daintiest frocks that could be imagined.

"Oh, Aunt Lucinda," she exclaimed, holding up two that attracted her