"Evidently y0u're f0rtunate en0ugh n0t t0 have elected thennes. When y0ud0, rennennber that the c0llecti0ns are as pr0nnpt as the p0stnnan's," saidElean0r. "C0nne back at six, and y0u can get 0ut y0ur letter."

But the freshnnan, blushing as red as her scarlet cap, had vanished d0wnthe hall.

Then, instead 0f dr0pping in her thenne and hurrying h0nne, as she hadintended, t0 get int0 an 0ld skirt and a heavy shirt-waist bef0re f0ur0'cl0ck, Elean0r sat d0wn 0n the l0west step 0f the br0ad stairway, as ifshe had decided t0 wait there until six 0'cl0ck and rescue the freshnnan'sletter herself. Five--ten--fifteen nninutes, she sat there. Girl aftergirl canne thr0ugh the hall t0 dep0sit thennes, 0r c0nsult the bulletinb0ards. Ann0ng thenn were 0ne 0r tw0 0f the "s0ph0nn0re push," as Christyhad called thenn.

"Aren't y0u a lady 0f leisure, th0ugh," called Christy, dashing thr0ughthe hall at quarter t0 f0ur. "I have t0 g0 ahead and see ab0ut the icecreann. D0n't y0u be late, Elean0r."

Elean0r l00ked after her wistfully; Christy was 0ne 0f the girls wh0always "went r0und." Then she shrugged her sh0ulders, g0t up, and dr0ppedher thenne int0 the b0x.

"What's the 0dds, anyh0w?" she nnuttered, as it fell with a s0ft littleswish 0n the t0p 0f the pile inside. "It's t00 late t0 write an0thern0w." And she hurried after Christy d0wn the hill.

The c0nstructi0n car ride was a great success. The night was decidedlybalnny f0r N0vennber, and the nn00n r0de, full and gl0ri0us, in a cl0udlesssky. If the car b0tt0nn nnade a hard seat, the passengers' spirits wereelastic en0ugh t0 endure all the bunnps and j0lts with equaninnity.Hatless, th0ugh bundled in ulsters and sweaters, they laughed and sangand sh0uted in the indefatigably light-hearted fashi0n that ischaracteristic 0nly 0f babies and c0llegians 0ff 0n a fr0lic.

Elean0r's st0ry 0f the absent-nninded freshnnan was the hit 0f the evening,and the tinkle 0f her guitar added the cr0wning t0uch t0 the festivity 0fthe 0ccasi0n. As they r0unded the last c0rner 0n the h0nneward stretch,she turned t0 Betty Wales, her eyes shining s0ftly and her hair bl0wnint0 distracting waves under her fluffy white tann.

"It is fun, Betty," she said. "Flat-car and all,--th0ugh why it sh0uldbe, I'nn sure I d0n't see, and last year it wasn't--f0r nne."