Grace Harlowes Fourth Year at Overton College | Page 6

hastily. "I'll find out, never fear, and then I'll tell you girls."
"What a comfort it is to have the latest news brought to one's door
every morning," jeered Anne.
"You'll find yourself without that comfort if you are not more
respectful," threatened Elfreda. "I'll carry my news to other doors
where it will be more highly appreciated."
"Your threats fail to impress me," retorted Anne. "You know that you
couldn't bear to ignore us."
"I know I shall be late to chapel, and that you will be later," replied
Elfreda significantly. "Tardiness is unbecoming in a senior. I am sorry
to be obliged to remind you of it."
"Save your sorrow and come along," called Miriam Nesbit from the
doorway. "Aren't you going to chapel this morning, Grace?"
"Not this morning," replied Grace, not raising her eyes from the book
over which she was poring. "This is psychology morning and I'm very
shaky on the lesson. I feel in my bones that I'll be called upon to recite,
so please go away, all of you, and don't bother me," she finished with
an affectionate smile that did not accord with her blunt words.

"Going, going, gone!" flung back Elfreda over her shoulder as she left
the room, followed by Miriam and Anne.
Grace glanced anxiously at the clock, then concentrated her mind anew
upon her reading. The sound of hurried feet on the stairs and through
the halls, accompanied by an occasional murmur of voices as the
students left Wayne Hall, was borne to her ears as she read and tried to
familiarize herself with the main points of the lesson. Gradually the
house settled down to quiet, and Grace, becoming thoroughly interested
in her work, lost all track of time.
The sound of a terrific crash, apparently just outside the half-opened
door, brought her to her feet in alarm. "What was that?" she exclaimed.
Stepping to the door she looked up and down the hall. From the room
at the end, the door of which was ajar, came a jingling sound as of
dishes being piled together. For a moment Grace hesitated, then walked
toward the sound. At the doorway she paused again; then the sight that
met her eyes caused her to spring forward with an impulsive, "What a
dreadful smash! Do let me help you."
The extremely tall young woman who sat on the edge of her bed
surveying the wreck of her washbowl, pitcher and every other piece of
china that five minutes before had reposed confidently on the top of her
washstand regarded Grace ruefully. There was a twinkle in her eyes,
however, that belied her regret. "It did make considerable noise, I
imagine," she said crisply. "Strange the rest of the students here haven't
appeared on the scene."
Grace involuntarily retreated a step or two, her face flushing. She could
not endure the idea of being thought an intruder.
"Don't go," said the tall young woman, in the same crisp tone. "I didn't
mean that you were an intruder. I only wonder that no one else came.
The wreck of the Hesperus wasn't serious compared with this," she said
dryly, indicating the littered floor. "I tried to move my wash stand. It
stuck. Then all of a sudden it gave way and I fell back, dragging it with
me. I had hold of one end of it with both hands, and I was stronger than
I thought, for I just missed sitting on the floor and receiving all that

china in my lap. I was horrified for a second, but all of a sudden the
funny side of it struck me, and I sat down on my couch and laughed
until I cried. I was just wiping my eyes and preparing to pick up the
pieces when you came in. Perhaps you thought I was crying over it.
Can you imagine me in tears?" she added humorously.
"Hardly," said Grace with a frank smile that was reflected on the tall
young woman's face.
"No, I am not one of the weeping kind," she declared sturdily. "I come
of good, old, undaunted New England stock. My name is Patience Eliot
and I live just outside Boston. I might as well tell you all about myself
in the first place, because I decided at breakfast that I liked you. I know
your Christian name because I heard your friends addressing you as
"Grace" this morning, but I don't know your surname."
"I am Grace Harlowe, at your service," replied Grace lightly, "and it is
always gratifying to be liked. I saw you last night when you arrived. I
was entertaining a crowd of girls, and, of course, we couldn't resist
running to the window when one of the girls happened to see the bus
stopping in front