“Don’t say that, Grace,” said Anne quickly.  “I never shall.  I am wild to play this engagement, because it means that I am sure of at least two years in college, and I think if I can get tutoring to do, I can pull through the whole four.  Aside from that, the stage is the last career in the world that I should choose.  You know my views on that subject.”

“I was only jesting, dear,” Grace assured her, seeing the look of anxiety that crept into Anne’s eyes.  “I know you’ll come back.  We couldn’t graduate without you.  When shall you write to Mr. Southard?”

“I have already written,” replied Anne gravely.  “I knew that nothing could induce me to refuse, so I settled the matter at once.”

“Confess, you bad child,” said Grace, rising and putting one finger under Anne’s chin.  “Look me straight in the face and tell the truth.  You thought I’d be shocked.”

Anne colored, laughed a little and then said frankly, “Yes, I was afraid you wouldn’t look at the matter in the same light.  Now, I must go, because it is after nine and sister worries if I stay out late.”

“Wait, I’ll go to the corner with you,” said Grace.

Slipping into her coat, and throwing a silk scarf over her head.  Grace accompanied Anne into the street.

“Come as far as the next corner,” begged Anne, and the two girls walked slowly on.

“Now I must go back,” said Grace, as they neared the corner.

Just then Anne exclaimed very softly, “Look, Grace, isn’t that Marian and her cavalier?”

“Where!” asked Grace, turning quickly.

“Across the street, coming in this direction.  I do believe Marian is crying, too.  They are crossing now, and will pass us.  I don’t think they’ve seen us yet.”

Completely absorbed in their own affairs the approaching couple had not noticed either Grace or Anne.

“How could I have been so foolish!” the two girls heard Marian say tearfully.

“Don’t be an idiot,” her companion answered in rough tones.  “You may win yet.  I had inside information that it was safe to put the money on it.  You act like a baby.”  Then he muttered something that was inaudible to the listeners.

“You are very unkind, Henry,” wailed Marian.

But in the next instant Henry Hammond had seen the two girls.  With a savage “cut it out, can’t you!  Don’t let every one know your business,” his scowling expression changed to the polite smiling mask that he habitually wore.

But Grace, who in spite of her former disagreement with him, had for Marian’s sake favored him with a cool bow when he happened to cross her path even after Marian had stopped speaking, was up in arms at his display of rudeness to the girl who had cut herself off from her dearest friends to please him.

Marian averted her face as they passed opposite the chums, but her companion, who was preparing to bow, became suddenly disconcerted by the steady, scornful gaze of two pairs of eyes, that looked their full measure of contempt, and hastily turning his attention to Marian passed by without speaking.