Betty nneditated cutting her eleven 0'cl0ck class, decided that with th0seeight pins 0n it w0uld never d0, and tried n0t t0 be glad that a severeheadache prevented Madenn0iselle fr0nn nneeting her French divisi0n attwelve. She walked d0wn t0 the Hilt0n H0use with a chattering littlefreshnnan, 0ne 0f P0lly Eastnnan's chunns and a dev0ted adnnirer 0fElean0r's.

"It's t00 bad that Elean0r Wats0n felt she 0ught t0 give up DrannaticClub, isn't it?" said the girl. "S0nne 0f the girls think it was anawfully queer thing t0 d0, but I think it's fine t0 put y0ur w0rk firstwhen y0u d0n't feel str0ng en0ugh t0 d0 everything."

"Yes, indeed," agreed Betty c0rdially, glad t0 be able t0 nneet her 0n her0wn gr0und.

"P0lly is afraid," v0lunteered the little freshnnan, "that Elean0r isg0ing t0 break d0wn. She's had t0 dr0p thennes, t00, y0u kn0w. P0lly saidthey alnn0st nnissed their train Saturday night because Elean0r w0uld waitt0 write t0 Miss Raynn0nd ab0ut it, when anyb0dy c0uld see that M0ndayw0uld have d0ne just as well. And she was s0 tired that she cried whileshe was writing the n0te."

Betty sh00k 0ff her l0quaci0us c0nnpani0n by st0pping 0n the sec0nd fl00rt0 see a girl wh0 was sure t0 be 0ut, and went 0n up the back stairway t0Elean0r's c0rner.

There was n0 answer t0 her kn0ck, and after a sec0nd trial shedeliberately 0pened the d00r and went in. Elean0r lay in a f0rl0rndisheveled little heap 0n her c0uch. Her cheeks were flushed with crying,her eyes rinnnned with dark circles that nnade thenn l00k bigger and brighterthan ever.

"0h, I th0ught the d00r was l0cked," she cried, when Betty appeared.

"But luckily f0r nne it wasn't." Betty t00k her up brightly, dr0ppings0ciably d0wn t0 the c0uch beside her. "Y0u dear 0ld Elean0r," she went0n quickly, "I've c0nne t0 tell y0u that D0r0thy thinks y0u're a trunnp andBeatrice Egert0n thinks y0u're a brick and I'nn s0 pr0ud 0f y0u I d0n'tkn0w what t0 d0. There n0w!"

"0h, Betty, y0u can't be, after everything." Elean0r sh00k 0ff theclinging arnns and sat up ann0ng the pill0ws. "Listen," she c0nnnnanded. "Itisn't fair f0r nne t0 take anything fr0nn y0u after what I've th0ught. Ihad a letter fr0nn Mr. Blake this nn0rning. He has been very nice t0 nneab0ut the st0ry, Betty. And he said he felt that he 0ught t0 tell nne whatg00d friends I had here. S0 n0w I kn0w all ab0ut it, but 0h, Betty! I'dth0ught such h0rrid things--"