A certain percentage of the class who knew Everett Southard’s standing in the theatrical world and understood that Anne must have the highest ability to be able to play in his company treated the young girl with the deference due an artist.  Then there were a number of young women who, though fond of attending the theatre, looked askance at the clever men and women whose business it was to amuse them.  They approved of the theatre, but for them the foot-lights divided the two worlds, and they wished no trespassing of the stage folks on their territory.  Quite their opposite were the girls who were desperately stage struck and cherished secret designs on the stage.  They were extremely friendly for the sake of plying Anne with questions about her art.  At first Anne’s position among her classmates was rather difficult to define.  After the ball which Elfreda had set in motion had rolled itself to a standstill for want of more gossip to keep it going, Grace saw with secret trepidation that despite the loyalty of a few, Anne had lost caste at Overton.

“History is repeating itself,” she remarked gloomily to Miriam, as together the two left the library one afternoon and set out for a short walk before dinner.  “Anne told me last night that the girls in her elocution class are very distant since she came back from New York.  It’s Elfreda’s fault, too.  How could she deliberately try to make it hard for a girl like Anne?”

A slow flush mounted to Miriam’s forehead.  She gave Grace a peculiar look.

Grace, interpreting the look, exclaimed contritely:  “Forgive me, Miriam.  I wasn’t thinking of you when I spoke.”

“I know it,” replied Miriam.  “It seems as though I can never do enough for Anne to make up for behaving so contemptibly toward her in high school.”

“Anne had forgotten all that, ages ago,” comforted Grace.  “Don’t think about it again.”

“I’d like to find an opportunity for a serious talk with Elfreda,” returned Miriam.  “I think I could bring her to her senses.  She keeps strictly away from me.  She knows that I wish to talk with her, too.  I wonder how she likes rooming with Virginia, or rather how Virginia likes rooming with her.”

“She is furious with both Anne and me,” declared Grace.  “She won’t look at either of us.  It seems a pity, too.  She can be awfully nice when she chooses, and I had begun to feel as though she belonged with us.  Here we are on the threshold of ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men,’ and are at odds with at least five different girls.  Miss Alden doesn’t like us because Mabel Ashe does.  Miss Gaines disapproves of us on general principles.  Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton dislike me for defending Elfreda’s rights.  Elfreda thinks us disloyal and deceitful.  And it isn’t mid-year yet.  We are not what you might call social successes, are we?” she concluded most bitterly.

“Still we have made some staunch friends like Ruth and Mabel and Frances.  Then there are the girls at Morton House, and Constance Fuller, and I think the freshmen at Wayne Hall are friendly.”