“A good deal more anxious than I am,” responded Elfreda.  “Ma picked out Overton for me long before I left high school.  She thinks it the only college going and so does Pa.”

“Then, of course, they will be disappointed if you go home without even trying to like college.”

“I can’t help that,” whined Elfreda.  “I can’t stay here and have the whole college down on me, and that’s what will happen.  You girls don’t know how serious it is.”

“I think you had better begin at the beginning and tell us everything,” suggested Miriam, a trifle impatiently.

“It was the night of the freshman hop that they began to be so mean,” burst forth Elfreda.  “I went to the dance with Virginia Gaines, that sophomore who sits next to me at the table.”

“Who do you mean by ’they’?” asked Grace.

“Alberta Wicks, the tall red-haired girl, and Mary Hampton, the short dark one.  They took me over to the court house,” was the prompt answer.  “The registrar reported them to the dean.  She sent for them the very day of the dance and gave them an awful talking to and they were perfectly furious with me for telling.  They found out that Virginia had invited me to the dance, and told her the whole story.  She was horrid to me, and hardly spoke to me all the way to the gymnasium or coming home.  They must have told every girl I know, for not one of them would come near me.  I had to sit around all evening, for I didn’t know half a dozen girls, and you three were too busy to look at me.  You can imagine I had a slow old time, and I was glad to get home.  Maybe you noticed I wasn’t very talkative that night after we got back to the house, Miriam?”

Miriam nodded.

“After that, Virginia and I didn’t speak.  I didn’t care much anyhow, for she made me tired,” continued Elfreda.  “But when the talk about the sophomore reception began I saw that they were going to hand me a whole block of ice.  It was bad enough to have them cut me in classes and on the street, but I had set my heart on the reception and wrote to Ma to send me a new dress.  It came yesterday.  It’s pale blue with pearl trimmings and it’s a dream.  But what good does it do me now?” She stared gloomily ahead of her for an instant, then went on: 

“Of course, I knew no one would invite me, but I made up my mind to ask if I could go along with you folks, and I was going to ask you to-night, when just before dinner a boy came here with this note.”  From the inside of her white silk blouse she drew forth an envelope addressed to “Miss J. Elfreda Briggs.”  Handing it to Grace she said briefly:  “Read it.”

Grace drew a sheet of paper from the envelope, unfolded it and read: 

“Miss Briggs: 

“In reporting to the registrar two members of the sophomore class you have offended not merely those members, but the class as well.  You have shown yourself so entirely incapable of understanding the first principles of honor, that Overton would be much better off without you.  Do not attempt to attend the sophomore reception.  If you are wise you will leave Overton and enter some other college.