“Miriam, not I, is responsible for the change,” said Grace.  “She is a born diplomat.  She knows exactly how to proceed with J. Elfreda.  I hope there won’t be anything more said about the registrar affair, though.  I want Elfreda to like college better every day.”

“Grace,” said Anne hesitatingly, “if I tell you something, will you promise not to worry over it?”

“What do you mean?” asked Grace quickly, a puzzled look in her eyes.  “I can’t promise not to worry until I know that there’s nothing to worry over.  If you have heard something disagreeable about me, I’m not afraid to listen.”

“I know it,” said Anne.  Then she went on almost abruptly.  “I heard two freshmen talking about you the other night at the reception.  One of them said that she had been prepared to like you, but had heard something that had caused her to change her mind.”  Anne looked distressed.

For a moment Grace sat very still.

“Oh, dear!” lamented Anne.  “I’m sorry I told you.  Now I’ve hurt your feelings.”

“Nonsense!” retorted Grace stoutly.  “It will take more than that to hurt my feelings.  I am beginning to see a light, however.  At the reception the other night Frances told me that Mabel had heard about my call at Stuart Hall from a senior who is a friend of a certain sophomore.  Now, that sophomore is either Miss Wicks or Miss Hampton.  It looks as though these two girls were not willing to let bygones be bygones.  I haven’t the slightest idea what they may have said about me, but I am sure they must have circulated some untruthful report among the freshmen.  I don’t like to accuse any one of being untruthful, but I am quite sure that I have done nothing reprehensible.  Now that you have told me I’m going to watch closely.  If a number of the girls snub me, I shall know that it is serious.”

“Then you will fight for your rights, won’t you?” pleaded Anne.  “It isn’t fair that you should be misjudged for trying to help Elfreda.”

“I don’t know,” replied Grace doubtfully.  “It might not be worth while.  I have a theory that if one is right with one’s conscience nothing else matters.”

Anne shook her head dubiously.  “That won’t protect you from unpleasantness unless the girls think so, too.  Our freshman year is our foundation year, and if we allow any one even to think that we are not putting our best material into it, the shadow is likely to follow us to the very threshold of graduation.  It is easy enough to start a rumor but once let it gain headway, it is almost impossible to check it.  Nearly all of your sophomore year in high school was spoiled through standing up for me.  That’s why I’m so determined to make you look out for your own interests.”

While Anne was earnestly urging Grace to action, Grace was frantically rummaging in her closet for her blue dress.  It was several minutes before she found it.  If the blue dress could have spoken it would have borne witness to the fact that its owner dashed her hand suspiciously across her eyes before emerging from the closet with it over her arm.