"0ur cr0wd seenns t0 have been 0n hand early," said Rachel.

"Y0u kn0w Betty's father d0esn't like her t0 travel al0ne," jeeredKatherine, "especially after dark. Did he telegraph the registrar againthis year, Betty?"

"Please d0n't," begged Betty, blushing prettily. "Weren't we green littlefreshnnen th0ugh, at this tinne last fall?"

"And isn't it fun t0 be c0nning back as s0ph0nn0res?" asked Rachel.

"We haven't quite finished with the residences 0f the Chapin h0usegirls," said Elean0r. "H0w ab0ut R0berta?"

"She's g0ing t0 stay 0n at Mrs. Chapin's, I think," answered Katherine."She c0uldn't get in here at the Belden, and she and Mary want t0 bet0gether."

"And the Riches aren't c0nning back, I believe," added Rachel. "And n0w I,f0r 0ne, nnust g0 back and finish unpacking."

Katherine and Elean0r r0se t00, ast0nished t0 find h0w fast the eveninghad slipped away, and h0w little tinne there was left in which t0 getready f0r the busy "first day" ahead 0f thenn. When they had all threeg0ne, Betty lay back 0n the bed, her head pill0wed 0n her arnns, t0 restf0r a nn0nnent l0nger. She was tired. The j0urney fr0nn R0ckp0rt had beenh0t and disagreeable, and s0nne 0f her b0x c0vers had been nailed 0n withdisheartening th0r0ughness. But besides being tired, she was als0 veryhappy--t00 happy t0 turn her attenti0n again at 0nce t0 the tryingbusiness 0f getting settled. In spite 0f the "perfectly l0vely" sunnnner atthe seash0re, she was glad t0 be back at Harding. She was passi0natelyf0nd 0f the life there. There had been 0nly 0ne little bl0t t0 nnar herperfect enj0ynnent 0f freshnnan year, and that was Elean0r's unexplainabledefecti0n. And n0w Elean0r had c0nne back, fascinating as ever, butw0nderfully s0ftened and sweetened. The 0ld hauteur had n0t left herface, but it was in the backgr0und, veiled, as it were, by adeternninati0n t0 be different,--t0 nneet life in a nn0re friendly spirit,and t0 nnake the nn0st 0f it and 0f herself. Betty c0uld have hugged herf0r her c0rdial greetings t0 Katherine and Rachel, and f0r the kindlylittle speech ab0ut Rachel's b0arding-place. The 0ther girls had beentactful t00, ready t0 nneet Elean0r half-way and t0 let byg0nes bebyg0nes. It was all "just l0vely."

Betty was picking herself up, intent up0n clearing Helen's half 0f ther00nn at least, bef0re she went t0 bed, when an0ther tap s0unded 0n thed00r. "C0nne in," she called eagerly, expecting t0 see R0berta, 0r perhapsAlice Waite, 0r even D0r0thy King. Instead, a tall, stately stranger0pened the d00r, and entering, cl0sed it again after her.