Grace Harlowes Return to Overton Campus | Page 7

Grace, as they ascended the open staircase
which led to the second floor. "These are to be my quarters," she
announced, opening a door at the end of the hall on the left side of the
stairs. "This left wing was designed especially for me. The right wing
has the same amount of space, but it is divided into two bedrooms. But
the left has a sitting-room and bedroom, with a bathroom between the
two. It seems selfish in me to have so much room, but Mrs. Gray insists
that I need it and wishes me to be thoroughly comfortable. She wanted
me to have circassian walnut bedroom furniture, but I chose oak. I don't

wish my rooms to suggest luxury. It wouldn't seem in touch with the
spirit of my undertaking."
Elfreda regarded Grace with loving admiration. "You're the squarest,
fairest girl I ever knew or even expect to know, Grace," was her tribute.
"And you deserve the best that the Harlowe House girls can give you."
CHAPTER III
AN UNEXPECTED CALLER
"'And if I do say it as shouldn't,' this room is a credit to our college and
our own sweet native land," proclaimed Elfreda, as she viewed with
critical eyes the long cheerful living-room, to which she and Grace had
just put the final touches. The morning sunshine of a perfect
midsummer day poured in at the windows flooding the scene with
dazzling light, as though smiling its approval of the pretty room. The
walls and ceilings were papered in cream color with a running border
of green leaves. The floor rug was in two shades of green, and the
window draperies were in green and white. The furniture was in
mission oak, but there were several comfortable arm chairs and willow
rockers scattered about the room. A long library table took up
considerable space at one end of the room, and conveniently near it
were rows of book shelves, lined with special books required by the
Overton curriculum of study, which, in price, were out of reach of the
more impecunious students, and were in such constant demand at the
library that their temporary possession often meant weeks of waiting.
There was a piano, of course, but the crowning feature of the room,
however, was the wide window seat built across the bow-window at its
upper end. It was at least four feet wide, upholstered in thick green
velvet and piled high with sofa pillows. It was indeed a cozy corner
which invited rest, and Elfreda confidently predicted that it would be
the most popular spot in the house.
The house itself had not followed the usual plan of modern architecture.
In fact, it was distinctly old-fashioned and built for room rather than
effect. The hall ran the length of the house to the kitchen, dividing it

into two parts. The dining-room was on the side opposite the
living-room, and had also a bow-window. Directly behind it lay the
servants' quarters. Adjoining the living-room was Grace's little office
and behind that was a room furnished with every convenience for the
benefit of those girls who were obliged to launder their own clothing to
save expense.
The second, third and fourth floors were, with the exception of Grace's
suite, given up entirely to bedrooms, of which there were sixteen. This
meant the accommodation of thirty-two students for whom the
perplexing problem of food and shelter was solved for their entire four
years' course at Overton, provided they complied with the rules of
Harlowe House.
"Doesn't it seem wonderful, Elfreda, that through Mrs. Gray's
generosity the girls who come here will be free from the dreadful worry
of paying board? All they will have to look out for is their regular
college fees, and if they happen to be lucky enough to enter Overton on
scholarships they will have absolutely plain sailing." Grace's face was
alight with appreciation of Mrs. Gray's gift.
"What a pity Ruth Denton couldn't have had such a chance," mused
Elfreda. "Poor little Ruth, how hard she worked."
"And now she has everything," returned Grace. "It seems miraculous
that she found her father, doesn't it?"
Elfreda nodded. "Arline Thayer was good to her those first three years.
Do you remember the ridiculous quarrel they had because Ruth
wouldn't tell us what she was like when she was a little girl?"
"I ought to remember it, considering the fact that I officiated as peace
maker," smiled Grace. "How I shall miss Arline. There is only one
other girl, outside of you and Miriam and Anne, whom I shall miss as
much."
"Emma Dean?" guessed Elfreda.

"Yes, Emma Dean. I can't begin to tell you how fond of her I am and
always have been. She was the life of Wayne Hall. Mrs. Elwood was
sighing fond remembrance of