Grace Harlowes Second Year at Overton College | Page 8

glaring incivility returned, and without further
hesitation Grace walked into the living-room, followed by her
companions.
Mrs. Elwood, who was sitting in her favorite chair reading a magazine,
looked up absently, then, staring incredulously at the newcomers,
trotted across the room, both hands outstretched in welcome. "Why,
Miss Harlowe and Miss Nesbit, I had given you up for to-night. Here
are Miss Pierson and Miss Briggs, too. I'm so glad to see you. When
did you arrive? I thought there was no train from the north before nine
o'clock."
"Didn't Miss Dean tell you we had arrived?" asked Grace, as Mrs.
Elwood shook hands in turn with each girl.
"I haven't seen Miss Dean. She went out before I came home," replied
Mrs. Elwood.
"Wait until we catch the faithless Emma," threatened Anne. "She
promised to be our herald. We arrived here at a little after five o'clock.
We did not stay here long, for Miss Thayer, of Morton House, invited
us to dinner at Vinton's."

"How do you like the way I fixed your room this year?" asked Mrs.
Elwood.
"We haven't been in it yet," answered Grace. "That is, we went only as
far as the door."
"Oh, then you must see it at once," said Mrs. Elwood briskly. "I have
had it repapered. There is a new rug on the floor, too, and I have put a
new Morris chair in and taken out one of the cane-seated chairs."
"No wonder the Anarchist refuses to vacate," muttered Elfreda.
"What did you say, my dear?" remarked Mrs. Elwood amiably.
"Oh, I was just talking nonsense," averred Elfreda solemnly.
"I won't keep you girls out of your rooms any longer. I know you must
be tired from your long journey. Come upstairs at once,"
Mrs. Elwood had already crossed the room and was out in the hall, her
foot on the first step of the stairs. The girls exchanged glances. There
was a half smothered chuckle from Elfreda, then Grace hurried after
their good-natured landlady. "Wait a minute, Mrs. Elwood," began
Grace, "I have something to tell you before you go upstairs. This
afternoon, when we arrived, we went directly to our rooms. The door of
our room was locked, however. We knocked repeatedly, and it was at
last opened by a young woman who said the room was hers and refused
to allow us to enter it."
During this brief recital Mrs. Elwood looked first amazed, then
incredulous. Her final expression was one of lively displeasure, and
with the exclamation, "I might have known it!" she marched upstairs
with the air of a grenadier, the girls filing in her wake. Pausing before
the door she listened intently. The sound of some one moving within
could be heard distinctly. Mrs. Elwood rapped sharply on the door. The
footsteps halted; after a few seconds the sound began again.
"She thinks we have come back," whispered Elfreda.

"So we have," smiled Grace, "with reinforcements."
Her smile was reflected on the faces of her friends. Mrs. Elwood,
however, did not smile. Two red spots burned high on her cheeks, her
little blue eyes snapped. Again she knocked, this time accompanying
the action with: "Open this door, instantly. Mrs. Elwood wishes to
speak with you."
"Do not imagine that you can gain entrance to this room through any
such pretense," announced a contemptuous voice from the other side of
the door. "I believe I stated that I did not wish to be disturbed."
"And I state that you must open the door," commanded Mrs. Elwood.
"You are not addressing one of the students. This is Mrs. Elwood."
A grating of the key in the lock followed, then the door was cautiously
opened far enough to allow a scowling head to be thrust out. The
instant the Anarchist's narrowed eyes rested on Mrs. Elwood her
belligerent manner changed. She swung the door wide, remarking in
cold apology; "Pray, pardon me, Mrs. Elwood. I believed that a number
of rude, ill-bred young women whom I had the misfortune to encounter
earlier in the day were renewing their attempts to annoy me."
"There are no such young women at Wayne Hall," retorted Mrs.
Elwood, who was thoroughly angry. "The majority of the young
women here were with me last year, and not one of them answers your
description. Really, Miss Atkins, you must know that you are
trespassing. This room belongs to Miss Harlowe and Miss Pierson. It
was theirs last year and they arranged with me last June to occupy it
again during their sophomore year. How you happened to be here is
more than I can say. I believe I gave you the room at the end of the
hall."
"The room to which you assigned me did not meet with my approval,"
was the calm