But it was not until they were on the train the next day, that an opportunity came for Beth to tell her story. There had been a jolly, sleepy crowd that had eaten the early breakfast and then gone down to the station. The boys had supplied them well with magazines, flowers and boxes of candy. To Mary Sutherland it was all like a new world–the handsome house, the elegant furnishings, the plenty and comfort that pervaded the whole atmosphere, and while that part was nothing at all new to Beth, she, too, felt as if she were in a new world, for it was a world in which the home-atmosphere was sweet and wholesome, blessed as it was with love and mutual forbearance.

The good-byes were all said at last, and Dolly had to wink hard to keep back the tears. “Do you remember how homesick I was in September, Beth, and how you came to the rescue like a good angel? What should I have done without you? It will be only a month now until the Christmas holidays, and I certainly ought to be able to stand it four weeks without getting lonesome.”

“You should have seen what a forlorn object she was, Mary,” interrupted Beth. “She sat on the edge of her bed looking as if she had not a friend in all the world.”

“In all the college, you mean, and I had not, either, until you walked in. I shall bless you forever for that deed of humanity. Even my room-mate was missing then; you stayed for the marriage of a sister, did you not, Mary?”

“Yes, and I am afraid that I was not much comfort to you after I did appear. I didn’t mean to be dictatorial and horrid, but I am afraid that–”

“You were nothing but what was all right, Mary,” Dolly interrupted. “We were not acquainted at first, that was all.”

“I was not nice, but I meant to be, and I’ll try to fit in better hereafter. You should have had Beth for a room-mate, though I’m too selfish to propose any change this year.”

“We can all three be good friends, Mary, so far as that goes, but I certainly wish that some other room-mate had been allotted to me than Margery Ainsworth.”

“You were going to tell us something about her, Beth; now is a good opportunity.”

“Very well, only you girls must understand that I am telling this in confidence, because I want your advice. I don’t know whether it is my duty to say anything or not. Of course, girls don’t like to be tell-tales any more than boys do, but it seems to me that the good name of the college is more or less concerned in this, and we cannot afford to have any girl do things which would bring us into disrepute.”

“Of course not,” Dolly said energetically. “Well, what is it?”

“In the first place, she systematically breaks all of the rules. I cannot room with her, of course, and not know that. She probably depends upon my good nature or sense of honor not to give her away. She never reports any broken rule, and she goes downtown whenever she feels inclined, and only once a month or so gets permission. I imagine that she goes for some reason instead of shopping, for she never has any bundles sent home. The worst thing, in my mind, was a couple of Sundays ago. She pretended to go to church with the rest of us, but she did not; she went off some place else and appeared again just as church was over. She went back to the college with the rest of us. I did ask her what she had been doing that time.”

“What did she say?”

“Nothing very satisfactory. She wanted to know if I would like an outline of the sermon, and she proceeded to give me the text and some of the leading points. Of course, she heard all of the girls discussing it at the table, for it was the day that Dr. Hyde preached, and we were all intensely interested.”

“Where do you suppose she was?” It was Mary Sutherland who asked the question.

“I really have not the faintest idea. I know, though, that she was some place where, of course, she could not have gotten permission to go, had she asked, for otherwise she would never have run the risk she ran. The faculty do not overlook that sort of thing readily.”“She would certainly be suspended at the least.”

“Well, I cannot go and tell any one of the professors what she does, but I wish something would happen to make her more careful. I don’t like to have the college girls talked about. I feel jealous of our good name.”

Beth looked perplexed and worried. All three of the girls knew that Margery Ainsworth had violated one of the strictest rules, and she could only have done it in order to achieve some end which the faculty would never have countenanced. It was not pleasant for Beth to room with a girl as utterly devoid of principle as Margery Ainsworth daily proved herself to be. It was inevitable that they should be thrown more or less together. Margery was no student at all, and she and Beth really had no ideas in common.

“This is the second secret that has come our way this vacation,” Dolly said. “Such secrets are not nice. I hope we shall not be compelled to hear any more. First, we learned more about our president’s life than she would probably care to have us know, and now comes this, which is, of course, a thousand times worse. As far as I am concerned, I have no suggestions to offer.”

“As I understand the matter, you want her forced to obey the rules, but at the same time you are not going to tell any member of the faculty about her.”

“Of course I am not,” Beth said indignantly. “That is simply out of the question.”

“And yet, for her own sake, it would be much better if the faculty knew something of her doings. She cannot go into town so often for any good purpose. She may be getting into mischief that she will repent all of her after-life.”

“Very true, still I can say nothing.”

“Will you let me see what I can do?”

“That would be the same as doing it myself, Mary, and then trying to sneak out of a mean act by putting it on your shoulders.”

“If you are willing to trust me, I will not tell anything definite. I will not mention your name, or tell what Miss Ainsworth has done. I shall merely make sure that she will be so warned and hedged in hereafter, that she will not dare to break the rules again. And this ought to be done, Elizabeth, both for her own sake and the sake of the college.”

“My dear infant, do you suppose for a moment that you could make the indefinite statement which you propose, to any member of the faculty, and not have a full explanation demanded at once of everything that has been done?”

“That would be true, usually, I know–”

“But–” Beth’s voice sounded a trifle impatient–“do you think you could manage the professors better than the rest of us?”

“Not all of them,” Mary returned serenely, “but I probably can Professor Newton, because, you see, she is my aunt.”

“What!” The amazement in her companions’ voices made Mary leap back and burst into laughter.

“It is true. She is Mother’s sister. I really do not know why I told no one at first. I took a notion that I didn’t want the girls to know, and Aunt Mary humored me. I am her namesake.”

“And that is where you have been evenings when I wondered so where you were,” Dolly broke out a trifle incoherently.“Yes, I was up in her room. I can go there any time I wish. I thought that I would leave you and Beth an opportunity to talk and study in our sitting-room.”

“Professor Newton must have a high opinion of me,” Dolly interjected discontentedly, “if she thinks that I drive you away.”

“You needn’t worry about Aunt Mary. She knows how lovely you have been to an awkward, green girl from the western prairies, and she is very grateful. Now you see, don’t you, that I can say just enough to her confidentially to warrant her in warning Miss Ainsworth that the faculty will expect different behavior from her in the future? That is all that will be necessary, I am sure, only, of course, she will be watched after this. I will not mention a single name, and I will not tell anything that she has done in the past. If she behaves herself after the warning, she will be all right. There will be no harm done, but lots of good will have been accomplished. If she doesn’t choose to take heed–”

“She will deserve to suffer the full consequences,” declared Beth. “Yes, go ahead, that is the best plan. Truly, I am not thinking entirely of the college either, when I say it. While I care nothing, personally, for Margery Ainsworth, I do not want her to ruin her whole life by some piece of folly.”

The girls talked the subject over more fully, and the matter was finally left entirely in Mary’s hands.

A sudden recollection struck Dolly. “No wonder that you did not care to have me introduce you to Professor Newton that first evening; do you remember? And of course she had saved a place at her table purposely for you. Mary Sutherland, if I supposed you repeated to her all the nonsense that you have heard me talk about her, I should never let you return to college alive.”

Mary smiled, not very much overcome by the threat. “You always say nice things about her; now, if it had been Professor Arnold–you really don’t like her at all.”

“Of course I don’t. An angel from heaven couldn’t suit Professor Arnold when it comes to a Latin translation. But just to think how I have gushed over Professor Newton. Mary Sutherland, have you ever told her the silly things I have said?”“You might know that I would not repeat anything that would displease Aunt Mary.”

Dolly looked at her sharply. “You are evading my questions, Mary Sutherland. I just know that you have told Professor Newton how I have gushed over her, and how deeply in love with her I am. Don’t try to fool me. I will never, never tell anything to you again. Don’t talk to me about unsophisticated girls from the country, they are deeper than any city girl I ever saw.”

And Dolly settled back in her seat with a look of vengeance in her eyes, that did not disturb Mary in the least. It was very true that Dolly had fallen deeply in love with Professor Newton, after the harmless fashion that students have. Her lessons for Professor Newton were faultlessly prepared, and while she was a good student in all her chosen studies, she absolutely shone in Professor Newton’s classes. There was something very attractive about this teacher. She understood girls and knew how to deal with them.

She had written a couple of textbooks herself, and it was generally understood among the students that she had supported herself when attending college. Yet she had not become hard or bitter. Her face was strong, but sweet, and her own experience made her very tender toward those girls who were trying to win an education against great odds. It was to this aunt that Mary Sutherland went, knowing that she could trust her implicitly to do the very best for all concerned.

Beth knew that her room-mate was summoned to the president’s room the following Wednesday, and that she came back looking very angry and half frightened as well. Evidently, whatever had been said to her was of such a nature that she did not suspect Beth in the least. In fact, the president (alluding, of course, to Professor Newton) had said that “one of the members of the faculty had told her that Miss Ainsworth was proving herself untrustworthy.” Then there had followed a serious talk in which Margery said as little as she could. She surmised that she had probably been seen by some one of the professors on one of her many escapades; on which one it might have been, she had no means of knowing, and she was afraid of saying too much in extenuation or excuse, lest she might inadvertently admit some misdemeanor of which the president was ignorant up to this time. Therefore, she returned to her room both wrathful and alarmed.

Beth reported later to Dolly, that her room-mate was doing more studying and paying more attention to the rules, than she ever had before.

“Will it last, do you think?” queried Dolly anxiously.

“I have my doubts. In my humble opinion, she is simply trying to throw them off their guard now, and to induce them to believe that she does not need watching. From several little things that have happened, however, I am perfectly positive that the faculty is keeping a very wide-awake eye on her. We have not many rules here, you know, but it goes hard with any girl who attempts to break those few.”

“Yes, the mere fact that we are on our honor to a great extent, ought to make the girls behave. I feel like being doubly careful.”

“My dear, you are hardly the same type of girl as Margery Ainsworth. She is the sort to take advantage of any privilege. She is so very quiet now, that I cannot help thinking there is some special reason why she is endeavoring to throw them off their guard before the Christmas holidays.”

“They are only a week distant. Remember that you are going to eat Christmas dinner with me, Beth. Mary will go, too, and Fred has invited Mr. Martin and Mr. Steele for the holidays, so that we shall have the same crowd we did at Thanksgiving time.”

“That will be jolly, but you must go home with me after Christmas. I don’t pretend that you will have as good a time in Philadelphia with me, as I did at your home, but I want you to come. I asked Mary to go, too, because I knew she could not afford to go way out to her own home, but she said that she was to take a little trip with her aunt, and so I shall have you all to myself. I’m rather glad of it, to tell the truth.”

“Yet you like Mary?”

“More than I ever imagined that I could. I am getting to know her better, for one thing. Of course, I shall never care for her as much as I do for you, but she is thoroughly genuine. There is nothing mean or underhanded about her.”

“No, there certainly is not, and hasn’t she improved wonderfully in personal appearance since she came?”

“You are responsible for that. Since she allows you to superintend her purchases, and tell her what colors to wear, she looks more like a girl, and less like a relic of some former geological era.”

“Poor child, she had no opportunity to learn on the farm, and very little money to spend for anything, I fancy.”

“All very true, and Professor Newton is a trump for giving her forlorn namesake this chance. Of course, she pays all Mary’s expenses.”

“Yes, and Mary is going to be a credit in the end to all her relatives and friends. I wish I could say as much of your room-mate.”

“You can’t. The most I dare hope in that direction is that Margaret will not do anything to make us ashamed of her.”

But the next week proved that this hope would not be realized.