Grace Harlowes Fourth Year at Overton College | Page 7

of the house."
"Were you at the window?" asked Miss Eliot unconcernedly. "I didn't
see you. In fact, I wasn't thinking of anything but getting into my room
and to bed. I had been on the train long enough to become thoroughly
tired of it. It was two hours late, too. We should have arrived at
Overton at half-past seven, but it was half-past nine when the train
pulled into the Overton station."
"You must have been very tired," sympathized Grace. "I hope you
rested well last night. If there is anything I can do for you in the way of
showing you to the registrar's office or wherever you may wish to go, I
shall be only too glad to do so. My first recitation happens to be at ten
o'clock this morning, so I have plenty of time."
"My first duty lies before me," returned Miss Eliot grimly, pointing to
the floor. "I think you had better direct me to a store where I can
replace this. If I ask Mrs. Elwood to set a price on it, she will cheat

herself."
"Why, how did you know that?" asked Grace in surprise. "You only
saw her for a few minutes last night."
"That was long enough to discover several things concerning her
greatly to her credit," was the calm answer. "However, as you have
been so kind as to offer to direct me, I think I will ask you to take me to
the registrar's office. She has been expecting me ever since college
opened. I imagine she has given me up by this time." Stepping over the
wreck of broken china to the closet, she took her hat from its hook on
the inner side of the door, and, putting it on without glancing into the
mirror, announced herself in readiness to depart. "I'll lock the door on
this wreck and have it removed when I return," she said.
The registrar was writing busily, her head bent intently over her work,
when Grace led the way into her office. "Good morning, Miss
Sheldon," she began. "This is Miss Eliot of the----" Grace was about to
say freshman class when the registrar rose and came toward them with
outstretched hand.
"My dear Patience!" she exclaimed cordially, "I am so glad you arrived
at last. How is your father?"
"Much better, thank you," replied the tall girl. "We still have two
nurses, but I think he is out of danger now. I hated to leave him, but he
was so worried because I had missed the first two weeks of college,
that he insisted I should come on here at once. I arrived last night and
went directly to Holland House, but the matron there thought I had
given up coming, and the room I engaged by letter had been given to
some one else only yesterday morning. She directed me to Wayne Hall,
where, by the merest luck, I managed to secure half a room."
During this flow of explanations, delivered in Miss Eliot's crisp,
business-like tones, Grace had listened in open amazement. This tall
freshman's manner of addressing Miss Sheldon, the dignified registrar,
betokened long acquaintance, while the registrar looked as delighted as
though she had found a long-lost relative.

"I see you have fallen into good hands," said the registrar, a pleasant
smile lighting her rather austere face as she glanced at Grace.
"I am quite sure of that," responded Miss Eliot heartily. "I also brought
disaster upon myself." An account of the morning's accident followed.
"I believe you were born to disaster, Patience Eliot," laughed Miss
Sheldon.
"I shouldn't be at all surprised," was the dry response.
"Miss Harlowe, I have known Miss Eliot since she was a little girl,"
explained Miss Sheldon. "I am pleased to know that she is to live at
Wayne Hall. I am sure she will be happy there. I understand that the
Wayne Hall girls make a very congenial household."
"We try to," said Grace with a frank smile. "My three friends and I
have never lived in any other house since our freshman days. Perhaps
Miss Eliot will find her freshman year there as delightful as we found
ours."
"My freshman year!" exclaimed Miss Eliot in evident surprise.
"Yes," returned Grace rather blankly. "Aren't you a freshman? I don't
know why I thought so, but I supposed, of course, that----" She paused
irresolutely.
Miss Sheldon and the tall girl exchanged openly smiling glances, then
the latter turned toward Grace almost apologetically. "I am a freshman
in one sense," she said. "I have never before been to college, but as far
as work goes I studied with my father and was lucky enough to pass up
the freshman year. I ran down here last June to talk things over and find