ours to whatever Patricia might care to say, but to-night
she was in a contrary mood.

CHAPTER II

THE FIRST SOCIAL

Two weeks at Glenmore, and Dorothy and Nancy were content. Letters from
Mrs. Dainty and Aunt Charlotte assured them that the dear travelers were
well, and that already Mrs. Dainty was feeling the benefit of the change
of scene.

Mrs. Dainty had engaged a large, front room at Glenmore for the two
girls to enjoy as a sitting-room and study, from which led a tastefully
furnished chamber, and already they called it their "school home."

Patricia and Arabella had a fair-sized room farther down the corridor.
Vera Vane and Elfreda Carleton were snugly settled in cozy quarters a
few doors beyond the one that bore Dorothy's and Nancy's names. Patricia
Levine had ordered a large card, elaborately lettered in red and green,
announcing that:

THIS SUITE IS OCCUPIED

BY

MISS P. LEVINE

AND

MISS A. CORREYVILLE

A small card was all that was necessary, indeed only a small card was
permitted, but Patricia did not know that. After her usual manner of
doing things, she had ordered a veritable placard of the village sign
painter, and when she had tacked it upon the door, it fairly _shouted_,
in red and green ink.

"There!" she exclaimed, "I guess when the other girls see that, they'll
think the two who have this room are pretty swell."

"Isn't it,--rather--loud?" ventured Arabella timidly.

Patricia's eyes blazed.

"_Loud?_" she cried. "Well, what do you want? A card that will whisper?"

"Maybe it's all right," Arabella said quickly, to which Patricia
responded:

"Of course it's all right. It's more than all right! It's very el'gant!"

Arabella was no match for her room-mate, and whenever a question arose
regarding any matter of mutual interest, it was always Patricia who
settled it, and Arabella who meekly agreed that she was probably right.

Arabella was not gentle, indeed she possessed a decidedly contrary
streak, but she always feared offending Patricia, because Patricia could
be very disagreeable when opposed.

Patricia was still admiring the gaudy lettering when a door at the far
end of the corridor opened.

She sprang back into her room, closed the door and standing close to it
waited to hear if the big card provoked admiring comment.

Nearer came the footsteps.

Could they pass without seeing it? They paused--then:

"Well, just look