“The freshman frolic is to be given next Saturday evening in the gym. Miss Ferguson has invited me to go. I understood her to say that her roommate, Miss Waters, was going to invite you. Have you seen her?” Stephanie Norris’s voice betrayed no sign of pleasant interest in the information she had just delivered to her stout roommate, Laura Fisher. Laura, deep in a novel, had not glanced up from it at her chum’s entrance into the room.

“Nope.” Laura did not raise her eyes from her book.

“Anything but a manless dance.” Stephanie shrugged disdainfully as she walked to the dressing table mirror and began a critical survey of the attractive reflection it threw back to her. Tall, and charmingly slender, the violet-gray of her tailored cloth frock strikingly emphasized the black of hair and eyes and the clear, lovely pallor of skin.

“You haven’t heard a word I’ve been saying,” Stephanie turned petulantly away from the mirror to frown at Laura.

“Um-m-m,” Laura went on reading.

“Will you please stop behaving like a dummy, and listen to me?” Stephanie’s black eyes had begun to flash ominously.

“Um-m-m,” Laura’s pale blue eyes lifted themselves slowly from her book. Reaching a hand into a conveniently-near box of nut chocolates she carefully selected one, bit into it enjoyingly, then drawled, “I’m listening.”

“Did you hear anything I said?” Stephanie demanded crossly.

“Not much. You say such a lot, Steve, it’s hard to keep track of your remarks. I heard you say something about the freshman frolic, and then something more—about a dummy,” Laura paused, a glint of malice in her pale eyes.

“You are—”

“I’m really listening this time,” Laura interrupted sweetly.

“You are going to be invited to the frolic by Miss Waters.” Stephanie had intended to tell Laura that she was detestable. Policy warned her to more impersonal speech. “Miss Ferguson has invited me.”

“You don’t seem to be crazy over the honor,” Laura fished for another chocolate.

“I’m not,” Stephanie declared pettishly. “Miss Ferguson is all right. I like her better than I like the rest of this Wayland Hall crowd. Hamilton is, and has been from the first, a disappointment to me. But then—I never wanted to come here.” She sank into a chair, frowning moodily.

“You didn’t?” Laura at last showed indication of interest. “Then why in Pete’s name did you make the gang think it was the only college on the map?”

“Because—” Stephanie flushed, “I wanted the gang with me,” she said lamely.

“We’d have gone with you to Smith, or Bryn Mawr—to any of the others you might have picked. None of us were crazy about Hamilton. We’d heard of it as a stiff-necked proposition, all tied up with Brooke Hamilton traditions. You said it led the rest socially; that it was a college of millionaires’ daughters,” she finished accusingly.

“That’s true; about the millionaires’ daughters,” Stephanie defended. “My father heard that the wealthiest men in the U. S. favor Hamilton as a college for their daughters. He was determined I should enroll at Hamilton; not because of that. He had another reason for wishing me to come here; a stronger one.”

“What was it?” Laura was eyeing Stephanie speculatively.

“I don’t know,” Stephanie confessed. “He didn’t say he had, but—I understand my father, when he’s set his mind upon some certain thing. He talked to me very seriously about Hamilton. He wants me to make a notable record for myself here; win honors, you know, and make my influence felt on the campus. He’s promised me a diamond necklace next June if I succeed in carrying out his ideas on the subject.” Stephanie’s lowering features cleared themselves for the moment.

“Go to it.” There was a hint of indolent satire in the stout girl’s tone. “What are you going to do to start the noble influence ball to rolling?”

“How should I know?” Stephanie countered irritably. “The very idea of it makes me weary. I want the necklace. I know that much. I’ll have to study the situation, and then try to hit the high spots at the psychological moment.”

“It sounds easy. I wonder—” Laura made a tantalizing pause.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Stephanie turned upon her roommate with sudden fierceness of tone. “It’s—it’s outrageous in Father to expect any such thing of me, necklace or no necklace. I like to do as I please, without having to watch my step all the time. I’ll have to see to it that I make brilliant recitations. That means digging, when I’m longing to be out in my car. I’ll have to make myself popular with the girls that count as powers on the campus. That will be a frightfully tiresome task. I’m going to entertain a good deal. Father has doubled my allowance. I shall pick the best sorority, and try to make it, and go in for dramatics and sports.”

“Good-bye, in case I shouldn’t see you again,” Laura crunched a chocolate almond, smiling at Stephanie out of half-closed eyes. “You’re going to be so busy.”

“Oh, stop trying to be funny. You can help me a lot if you choose. You can keep the rest of our gang in line to help me, too. Only they mustn’t be let into the real reason why. It wouldn’t do. I can trust you. I’m not so sure of the others. Through one, or another of them, my plan would leak out on the campus, and make not only myself, but my father, too, seem ridiculous. You are so clever. You can pick up bits of campus news from the students without them suspecting they are being pumped. Then I’ll know exactly how I stand at all times, and can act accordingly. You’ll be something on the order of a prime minister to me.” Stephanie had now become flatteringly appealing.

“Yes, I can wind the girls around my finger,” Laura conceded confidently. “Only they never suspect they’re being wound. You get the credit as leader, while I do the managing. You’re in luck, Steve, to have me around. Do you get that?”

“Oh, I know it.” Stephanie had changed to sweetly grateful. Laura’s boast, made in significant assurance, called for sugar on her part. “You’re quite wonderful, dear,” she continued purringly. “What do you think we ought to do first?”

“Get on the good side of those three high and mighty P. G.’s,” Laura made instant reply. “I’ve been finding out a few things on the campus about them. We made a mistake the day we came to the Hall in snubbing them when they tried to be friendly.”

“I didn’t care to be patronized by them,” Stephanie cut in coldly.

“They weren’t trying to patronize us. I told you so then, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but I—”

“You wouldn’t believe that I knew what I was talking about. And the moral to that, my dear, is—they’ve given us a fine letting-alone ever since.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sheer stubbornness prompted Stephanie to contest her chum’s triumphant statement. “I imagine it’s only because they’ve been busy with their own affairs that we’ve seen so little of them. Half the time they’re away from meals. We’ve merely kept to ourselves which is—”

“Another mistake we’ve made,” Laura supplemented with curt conviction. “It has cut us off from finding out things about them, and also about this confoundedly high-brow institution of learning.”

“Rubbish. I’ve heard too much about it already.”

“And about them?” Laura persisted coolly.

“Well; I’ve asked Miss Ferguson about them. She has no time for them, though she is too well-bred to say it outright. When I spoke to her about the station business, and about having met them she said in the sweetest way that she hardly knew them, and would prefer not to discuss them.”

“Naturally; don’t doubt it,” Laura commented with lazy sarcasm.

“What do you mean?” Stephanie questioned in a sharp tone.

“Just what I say. She has good reason for pretending to mind her own business. I happen to know that much about her.”

“What do you mean?” Stephanie repeated, eyeing her roommate narrowly.

“Oh, I heard a few little things about Miss Ferguson the other day. For one thing, she is a trouble-maker. She tried to start trouble, it seems, last year at the Hall for Miss Cairns. I don’t know why. I’m going to find out, though. Anyway, she didn’t get away with it. Miss Remson, and a crowd of P. G.’s who were at the Hall then, and who belonged to the same sorority as Miss Cairns, stood by her. At the last, almost all of Miss Ferguson’s pals, who had backed her, turned against her. This P. G., Marjorie Dean something or other, who, according to report is the Great I Am here at Hamilton, was on Miss Cairns’ side, too. Miss Ferguson didn’t have a look-in.”

“I don’t believe any such tale,” Stephanie said contemptuously. “Who told it to you?” she asked with displeased curiosity.

“Nothing doing. I promised not to tell what I’ve just told you, or from whom I heard it. I’ve partly broken my word already by repeating it to you. I thought you ought to know about it, but it’s not necessary for you to know who said it,” Laura answered coolly.

“No one except an enemy of Miss Ferguson’s would say such mean things about her; that she was a trouble-maker, and that she hadn’t a look-in,” was Stephanie’s scornful opinion.

“Then I must be the enemy,” Laura laughed softly. “What’s the matter with you, Steve? But, no; it’s not your fault. I didn’t make myself clear. The person who told me about Miss Ferguson wasn’t trying to down her. She simply told me a little about the trouble last year, and I drew my own conclusions about Miss Ferguson. You’ll find out, sooner or later, that they’re correct. Look out for her. Remember, I’ve warned you.”

“I don’t need your warning. I consider myself capable of judging character. I like Miss Ferguson.” Stephanie’s chin tilted itself to a defiant angle.

“Which goes to show what a punk judge of character you are,” was the dry retort. “Never mind. Let it go at that. No use in raving at me, Steve. The person who told me is a friend of Miss Ferguson’s, but she has a wholesome respect for Miss Cairns, and her P. G. supporters. That’s why I couldn’t glean much from her. Better success next time,” Laura predicted, indolently confident.

“You’re altogether too mysterious. You know more about—well, about this story than you’ve told me,” Stephanie coldly accused.

“No; I don’t; and that’s flat. When I do find out more, you’ll be the first to hear it.” There was finality in the lightly-given promise.

Stephanie frowningly accepted defeat. She could not well afford to quarrel with Laura. Once thoroughly angered, Laura was apt to turn stonily silent, refusing to speak to her for weeks. “What shall you wear to the freshman dance?” She changed the dangerous subject half sulkily.

“Haven’t decided yet.” A glint of amusement appeared, and as quickly disappeared in Laura’s eyes. “The pale blue georgette with the silver lace tunic, maybe. It’s my prettiest frock.”

“I shall wear my white satin dress; the imported one, you know. It’s a stunning thing; too stunning to be wasted on a girl hop, but first impressions count. There’s to be a beauty contest. How I’d love to win it. Miss Ferguson says there are to be no juniors or seniors at the frolic this year. The sophomore class is a little larger than the freshie class, so the juniors and seniors won’t be needed as escorts. I haven’t seen any startling beauties yet among either the freshies or the sophs. Have you?” Stephanie’s question betrayed ill-suppressed eagerness.

“I’ve seen three or four beautiful girls on the campus. They may be upper class girls, for all I know. Of course, Miss Monroe, here at the Hall, is a beauty, but she’s a senior, and that lets her out. I heard she’d won it two successive years. I heard, too, that this Marjorie Dean, I can’t remember her married name, had won it, twice; that she was prettier than Miss Monroe, though of a different type of beauty.”

“Do you think there is a chance that I might win the contest?” Stephanie could not resist asking the question.

“Yes; I think there is,” Laura returned speculatively, “particularly if you should wear the white satin dress. You are beautiful, Steve, but—” Laura paused, shaking her head.

“But what?” Stephanie demanded, half affronted.

“You’re too imperious in manner. It somehow shows itself in your face, and lessens your good points. You ought to be more gracious of manner. You’d make a better impression all around. Just try it out for the rest of the week and go to the frolic looking radiant, whether you feel like being gracious, or not,” was Laura’s calmly pertinent advice.

“What do you expect me to do? Go about the campus grinning like a Chessy cat?” came the nettled retort.

“It will do more for you in the way of popularity than your empress of the world pose. You asked me for my opinion. You now have it. I’m going for a ride, and a stop at Baretti’s on the way back to dinner.” Laura rose with the deliberate slowness which characterized her every movement. “You’d better come along.”

“No; I have letters to write,” Stephanie replied curtly. She was still piqued at Laura’s scarcely flattering criticism.

“Then you’d better put a ‘Busy’ sign on the door. Miss Ogden has been here twice to see you while you were out.”

“Oh, that tiresome little upstart!” Stephanie’s face darkened. “I can’t endure her.”

“She seems to have a crush on you.”

“She’ll have to get over it, then, for I can’t endure her. She’s underbred.” Stephanie’s red upper lip lifted itself scornfully.

“She’s a freshie, though. Don’t forget that,” Laura reminded. “Class election’s next week. Be nice to her, and she may nominate you for president. Antagonize her, and she may do you a lot of damage among the freshies. Those black eyes of hers can shoot danger signals. Try snubbing her once, and then—look out.”

“You’re positively maddening today,” Stephanie exclaimed in angry vexation. “You’ve done nothing but criticize me ever since I came into the room.”

“At least I’ve said what I had to say to your face.” Laura’s unconcern at her roommate’s displeasure was apparent. “You’d like it a good deal less if I had said it to one of the other girls, and behind your back.”

Stephanie accepted the truth of Laura’s calm statement with a pettish little shrug. “I shall not put up a ‘Busy’ sign, nor answer the door if she should knock,” she declared perversely.

“It’s up to you.” It was Laura’s turn to shrug. “Don’t forget, though, that Miss Ogden rooms with Miss Cairns, and Miss Cairns is one of the high powers on the campus, as nearly as I can judge. She’s a pal of the Great I Am.”

“I fail to see any special reason why all that nonsense should be of interest to me.” Stephanie chose to continue to be perverse.

“Think it over. So long. Shall I hang out the ‘Busy’ sign?”

“No,” Stephanie all but shouted the reply.

“All right. Have your own way about it, and be sorry afterward.” With this prophetic warning, Laura went out the door, laughing softly, leaving her stubborn roommate to digest the unwelcome prediction as best she might.