someone we didn't know after having had the same room-mate for three
years," explained Aileen diplomatically, striving to pour a drop or two
of oil upon perturbed waters.

"I couldn't very well feel any resentment toward you or Miss Conant when
I didn't know either of you from Eve, and I'm sorry if I seemed to. The
truth is I was lonely and homesick and just ready to light into anybody.
Is Miss Woodhull always so high and mighty, and Miss Baylis so like an
iceberg?"

"Mercy, did you fall into her clutches the first jump? She's the limit!
Oh, Miss Woodhull's so deadly afraid she won't uphold the dignity of dear
Bosting and her Massy Alma Mater that she almost dies under the burden,
but thank goodness, we don't see much of her, and Miss Baylis is _such_ a
fool we laugh behind her back. She's trying to make herself solid with
the Empress because she thinks she will succeed to her honors when the
high and mighty lady retires. But she's harmless because all her airs and
graces are veneer. Give her one good scratch some day and you'll see how
thin the veneer really is. But come on up to No. 10, and let's get
settled. Neither Aileen nor I had any heart to do a thing until we found
out who had been popped into A. Cricky, but I'm glad it's _you_," and
slipping her arm through Beverly's right one while Aileen took possession
of the left, all three hurried toward the house, Sally announcing:

"We'll introduce you to all the nice girls and we'll call ourselves the
"Three Mousquetaires." There may not be any such word, but that doesn't
matter in the least: It's Frenchy and I _love_ French. And besides, we
mean to band together to fight for our rights and down oppression,"
asserted this young Jacobin, as arm in arm all three made their way to
the pretty suite allotted to them on the second floor of the wing, for
Beverly had entered Leslie Manor as a junior, her previous work under
Norman Lee having well fitted her to do so.

CHAPTER VII

A RUNAWAY

By the end of October, the golden month, and always beautiful in
Virginia, things had shaken into routine. During that time suite Number
10 had become one of the most popular in the school, as well as one of
the most attractive, for, to the intense satisfaction of the trio their
belongings were in as perfect harmony as themselves, Beverly's things
being pink, Sally's the softest green and Aileen's all white and gol