“After I had sat there for at least two hours, I made up my mind to go in even if I were ordered out the next minute.  I marched up to the door and opened it and walked into the office.  There was no one in sight but a young woman who was putting on her hat.  ‘Where’s the registrar?’ I asked.  ‘He hasn’t been here to-day,’ she said.  ’I thought the registrar was a woman,’ I said.  She seemed surprised at that and asked what made me think so.  I said that two of the students had told me so.  Then she looked at me in the queerest way and began to smile.  ’Do you want to see the registrar of Overton College?’ she asked.  ‘Of course I do,’ I said, for I began to suspect that something was wrong.  Then she stopped smiling and said it was too bad, but whoever had sent me there had played a trick on me and brought me to the office of the Register of Deeds.  Instead of Overton Hall I was in the county court house.  Now can you beat it?” finished Elfreda slangily.

“I should say not,” cried Grace indignantly.  “I think it was contemptible in them to accept your hospitality and then treat you in that fashion.  No really nice girl would do any such thing, even in fun.”

“I should say not,” sympathized Miriam, forgetting that she did not yearn for J. Elfreda as a roommate.  “What did you do after you discovered your mistake?”

“I left the Register’s office, his deeds, and all the rest of that building in pretty short order,” continued Elfreda.  “When I reached the street I went straight back to the station and hired a carriage to take me to Ralston House.  Mrs. Arnold gave me my supper even though it was late, and the next day I saw the registrar in earnest.  I told her the whole story and described the girls.  I didn’t know their names, but she said she thought she knew who they were from the description.  So I suppose she’ll send for me before long to identify them.”

“But you’re not going to?” questioned Grace in astonishment.

“Why not?” returned the stout girl calmly.  “Do you think I’ll let slip a chance to get even with them?  I guess not.”

“But this will be carried to the dean and they will be severely reprimanded and the whole college will know it,” expostulated Grace.

“Well, the whole college should know it,” stoutly contended Elfreda.  “I’ll show those two smart young women that I’m not as green as I appear to be.”

Grace was on the verge of saying that J. Elfreda would have shown more wisdom by keeping silent, but suddenly checked herself.  She had no right to criticize J. Elfreda’s motives.  To her the bare idea of telling tales was abhorrent, while this girl gloried in the fact that she had exposed those who annoyed her.

“I’m sorry you told the registrar,” she said slowly.  “Perhaps in the rush of business she’ll forget about it.”

“She’d better not,” threatened Elfreda, “or she’ll hear it from me.  When it comes to getting even, I never relent.  I’m just like Pa in that respect.  However, let’s change the subject.  Now that I’m here, show me where I can put my clothes,” she added, addressing Miriam.  “Do you keep your things in order?  I never do.  The morning I left home Ma said she felt sorry for my future roommate.”