“I will,” answered Ruth happily.  “You don’t blame me for saying so?” she asked, looking pleadingly at Grace.

“Not after having just given my official consent,” retorted Grace.  “Your penalty for deserting us is that you must come to see us at Wayne Hall to-morrow.  We have rich gifts for you.  Now I must go.  Are you going my way home?”

“No,” answered Arline.  “I’m sorry, but Ruth and I are going to cook our own supper.  I’ve been asked to help.  We are going to have a regular feast.  Won’t you stay and help eat it?  Ruth doesn’t care who I invite,” she added saucily.

“Please stay, Grace,” begged Ruth.

Grace shook her head.  “Not to-night.  Invite me some evening after the holidays.  Good-bye, Arline.”  She extended her hand, but Arline put both arms around Grace’s neck, kissing her warmly.  “I hope I can do something for you some day,” she whispered.  After the usual good wishes for a Merry Christmas had been exchanged, Grace emerged from the house, filled with that sense of warmth and elation that comes from having made others happy.  She smiled to herself as her mother’s face rose before her.  It was only a matter of hours now until she would see her.  She could almost hear her father’s voice and feel his hand on her shoulder in the old caressing way.  Smiling to herself Grace walked rapidly on toward Wayne Hall, so rapidly, in fact, that she ran squarely against a tall girl, who, coming from the opposite direction, had apparently been traveling at the same rate of speed.  The collision occurred directly under the arc light.  The tall girl gave a smothered exclamation and would have rushed on, but Grace put forth a detaining hand, saying:  “Stop a moment, Elfreda.  I wish to say something to you.”

“I don’t wish to hear anything you have to say,” sneered Elfreda.  “Take your hand off my arm.  You can’t fool me twice.  I know What a hypocrite you are.”

Grace’s hand dropped to her side.  “I beg pardon,” she said formally.  “I am sorry you have such a bad opinion of me.  I was about to say that Anne, Miriam and I join in wishing you a Merry Christmas.”

“You can keep your good wishes,” snapped Elfreda.  “I don’t want them.”  With that she turned on her heel and walked angrily away from Grace and reconciliation.

CHAPTER XVIII

BASKETBALL RUMORS

After the holidays a great interchanging of visits began at Overton that drove away, for the time being, the terrifying shadows of the all too rapidly approaching mid-year examinations.  Almost every girl had brought back with her some treasure that she insisted her friends must see, or some delicious goody they must taste.  It was all very delightful, but extremely demoralizing as far as study was concerned.

Santa Claus had been particularly kind to Anne, Grace and Miriam, as Miriam’s muff and scarf of Russian sable, Grace’s camera, and Anne’s diamond ring (a present from the Southards) testified.  Then there were the less expensive but equally valued remembrances in the way of embroidered sofa pillows, center pieces, and collar and cuff sets, every stitch of which had been taken by the patient fingers of their girl friends.