“You girls are ever so much nicer than I thought you’d be,” she said reflectively, between cakes.  “I must say that I’m agreeably disappointed in you, Miriam.  I was pretty sure you were a regular snob, but you’re nothing like one.  I couldn’t help thinking about what you said, Grace, while I was bathing my face,” she continued.  “It made me mad for a minute, but I’ve come to the conclusion that you were talking sense, and from now on the faculty will have to go some to get any information from me.”

CHAPTER VII

GRACE TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS

“We have had, what might be considered by some people, a momentous evening,” remarked Grace as Anne Pierson walked into their room shortly before ten o’clock.  Having left the now almost cheerful Elfreda to the good-natured ministrations of Miriam, Grace had said good night and returned to her own room for a few more minutes of silent devotion to Livy.

“What happened?” asked Anne as she hung up her wraps, took down her kimono, and prepared to be comfortable.

“What might be expected,” returned Grace, and briefly recounted what had transpired in Miriam’s room.

“Wasn’t it nice of Miriam to make a fuss over her, though?” said Anne warmly.

“Yes, of course, but it isn’t Miriam’s amiability that I’m thinking about at present.  It’s what we’d better do to straighten out this trouble for Elfreda,” said Grace anxiously.  “I felt glad when I came to Overton that I did not have to worry about any one but myself, and now I’m confronted with Elfreda’s troubles.”

“I think it would be best to see Miss Ashe first,” agreed Anne, after a brief silence.

“That settles it, then, I’ll go.  Tell me about your new freshman friend, Anne.”

“She’s a very nice girl,” Anne replied, “and has lots of the right kind of courage.  She lives in a big, bare room in the top of an old house, clear down at the other end of the town, and the way she has made that room over to suit her needs is really wonderful.  She has one corner of it curtained off for her kitchen and has a cupboard for her dishes, what there are of them.  She cooks her meals over a little two-burner gas stove, and does her own washing and ironing.  Every spare moment she has she devotes to doing mending.  She does it beautifully, too.  Ever so many girls have given her their silk stockings and lingerie waists to darn.”

“Poor little thing,” mused Grace.  “I suppose she never has a minute to play.  I don’t see how she manages to do all that work and study, too.  I wish we could do something to help her.”

“I don’t know what we could do,” returned Anne thoughtfully.  “I imagine she wouldn’t accept help.  She strikes me as being one of the kind who would rather die than allow her friends to pay her way.”

“There must be some way,” Grace said speculatively, “and some day we’ll find it out.”