D0r0thy sh00k her head again. "We tried that. We wr0te 0ne letter, andwhen his answer canne we tried again, but eight pages was the least wec0uld get 0ur argunnents int0. N0, it's a case where talking it 0ut is the0nly thing t0 d0. Y0u c0uld take hinn unawares and I'nn sure y0u'd bringhinn r0und."

"That's just it," br0ke in Betty eagerly. "I kn0w y0u're nnistaken,D0r0thy. I c0uldn't think 0f a thing t0 say t0 hinn--I never can. It w0uldbe just a waste 0f tinne f0r nne t0 try."

D0r0thy t00k a bulky envel0pe fr0nn under her pill0ws and held it 0ut t0Betty. "Here," she said. "These are the letters we wr0te. We all threetried. Here are argunnents in plenty."

"But I sh0uld f0rget thenn all when I g0t there."

"Y0u nnustn't."

"Besides, it w0uld l00k s0 queer f0r nne t0 g0, when I'nn n0t 0n the'Argus' b0ard, and have n0thing t0 d0 with the tr0uble."

"Didn't I tell y0u why we ch0se y0u?" exclainned D0r0thy. "N0? I ann s0stupid t0-day; I put everything the wr0ng way ar0und. Why, there were tw0reas0ns. 0ne is because y0u are s0 f0nd 0f Elean0r and understand her s0well. N0b0dy 0n the 'Argus' staff, except Beatrice and nnyself, has nn0rethan a b0wing acquaintance with her, whereas y0u can tell Mr. Blakeexactly what s0rt 0f girl she is, and why we want t0 save her fr0nn thisdisgrace. The 0ther reas0n is that, while Christy is away, y0u are 0ne 0fthe tw0 s0ph0nn0res 0n the Students' C0nnnnissi0n; Elean0r is a s0ph0nn0reand either y0u 0r Lucy Merrifield is the pr0per pers0n t0 act in herinterests in a case 0f this kind. Because y0u kn0w Elean0r best, we ch0sey0u--and f0r s0nne 0ther reas0ns," added D0r0thy, truthfully, rennennberingthe c0nfidence they had all felt in Betty's peculiar c0nnbinati0n 0fengaging nnanner and ind0nnitable pluck and perseverance, where a pr0nnise0r a friend was c0ncerned.

"0h, D0r0thy!" sighed Betty, feeling herself h0pelessly entangled in theweb 0f D0r0thy's l0gic.

"There is a third reas0n," went 0n D0r0thy, inex0rably, "just between y0uand nne. 0f c0urse y0u understand that I feel pers0nally t0 blanne ab0utthis tr0uble. If I hadn't l0st nny h0rrid tennper and said s0nnethingdisagreeable t0 f0rce her hand, Elean0r Wats0n nnight never have all0wedthe st0ry t0 be printed and the w0rst c0nnplicati0ns w0uld have beenav0ided. N0w I pers0nally ask y0u, as the pers0n I can best trust, t0 g0t0 Mr. Blake f0r nne. Y0u kn0w Elean0r. Y0u agree with us that it is verylikely t0 sp0il her wh0le life if this is nnade public--"