Just Patty

fo

me!" said

utrage!" s

insult!"

after we've been t

re awfully bad last year. Lot

as sort of conspicu

od the last three we

e my new room-mate

ny worse than I

up in China. Her name is Keren-happuch Hersey, after Job

, "gained twenty pounds thro

Patty, in exasperation. "Her na

and expects me to walk on t

o know what mine was. I told her he was a reform judge, and that he spent his time pu

old i

and has been pr

r made her choo

strict, church school. Mae doesn't know how she's ever going to fix her hair without a maid. She's awfully superstitious about moonstones. She neve

m. The others listened sympathetically

sound I hear at night, is Irene crunching chocolates-and the first sound in the morning. She never says anything; she simply chews. It's like rooming with a cow. And I have a sweet collectio

ther desirabl

t Gladden's rooming with her, as limp and mournful as an oyster, and Evalina

beastly!"

The Dowager never would have sepa

nd Waddams, and they're nice, sweet, unsuspicious lambs; bu

warned. "Her

ure of clothes and books and sofa cushions that littered the bed, and politely rose to her feet.

perch about on

ee pairs of wide, uplifted eyes. They knew, from gleeful past

studied the room. Patty wa

and finish unpacking. The tru

Miss

ou out of doors with the other girls,

ime, and now that we are separated-" commenc

eing prepared. Upon the thorough foundation that you lay here depends your success for the next four years-for your whole lives, one might s

nod between the t

anted Patty, with ironical emphasis, as she rummaged out a blu

resented themselves-but with a carefully folded top layer. The overworked young teacher, who performed the ungrateful task of inspecting six

ng," said Priscilla, frowning over an armful o

ew dancing dress," cried Patty, as her h

pped off a mass of blue chi

h Job's youngest daughter is goin

McCullough out of my room," Conny echoed.

ought five evening gowns cut low, and all her shoes have French heels. And she laces-my dears! She just holds in her breath and pulls. But that isn't the worst."

horrified whisper fro

her lips

it dr

Conny s

la. "Let's make the Dowager give us

, two parallel wrinkles a

unless she does

n to hitch up the hearse and drive us to the station for the six-thirty trai

," Conny agreed. "We must a

on," sai

t a hand and broug

king. We'll go down now while our c

roached the door of Mrs

ed the knob in response to the summons from within

chingly upon their long friendship, and their sorrow at being se

ee, Mrs. Trent, they don't match us; and it is extremely hard to conce

the end of her existence. A brief smile flitted over the

college, and we realize the necessity of being prepared. Upon the thorough foundation that

rningly. It was too paten

ll my things are blue, and Mae has a p

ard," the Dow

ise Al-I mean, the West Wing-an

tfully tapped the desk with her lorgnette. The three studied her f

w girls this year; and instead of putting them together, it has seemed wisest to mix them with the old girls. You three have been with us a long time. You know the traditions of

tened her bac

influ

e has lived in fashionable hotels, and under such conditions, it is inevitable that a girl s

hild, and I fear has been a trifle spoiled. It would please me if you could waken her

t so suddenly finding herself cast in

sed, Constance, if you would assume an oversight of her school career. She can help y

aughter of a naval officer should have much in common with the daughter of a missionary. Keren bids fair to become an earnest student-almost, if such a thing were possible, too earnest. She has

rent," Prisc

government of the school a strong, healthy Public Opinion. You three exert a great deal of influence. See what you can do in the directions I have indicated-and in others

hemselves in the hall again. They looked at

ormers!" C

id Patty, "She thinks she's fou

getting back to Paradise A

e seized them each by an elbow and s

ll d

t?" ask

just keep at it-steady-you'll see! We'll be b

a, thoughtfully. "I

ng to details, "and make her lose that twenty pounds. That's wh

odded energetically. "And we'll give Mae

a, "we'll teach her to become fr

e three," said Conny. "The Dowager said to m

e'll teach her manners. Rosalie doesn't like to study. We'll pour her full of algebra and Latin. Harriet Gladd

it, there's something the matt

," amended

n, "I can't think of a thing the matter with us-

her feet, a bu

laymates and begin the good work-

f Thursday evening manner class. Crowds of girls in blue middy blouses were g

y nodded toward a comfortable bench

ae Mertelle roll hoops around the oval. That will kill 'em bot

the oval constituted a mile, and a mile of hoop-rolling freed one for the day from dumb-bells and Indian clubs. The three div

e. Don't let her put on any grown-up airs. If she tells you she's been proposed to twice, tell her you've been proposed to so many times that you'

ions. St. Ursula's peace had ende

dy. "Lights-out" had rung five minutes before, and three harried teachers, relieved of duty for ni

Trent, in tones of judicial calm, as she vai

iss Wadsworth quavered. "They have not broken any rules so fa

d lips, "has come to me separately, and begged to have Patt

ir of speaking eyes to heaven. "The things

uggested separating them, that it was a very doubtful experiment. T

worth, on the verge of tears. "Of course they do

"Their heads are together planning fresh es

hey done?" persi

endeavor to choose examples from the w

nny stick, and when I asked what she was doing, she replied without the least embarrassment,

"that was not my precis

rayers out loud. One night, after a peculiarly trying day, she prayed that Priscilla might be forgiven for being so aggravating. Whereupon Priscilla knelt before her bed, and prayed that Keren might bec

!" cried

d in-er-idiomatic English. The phrase that I overheard her rep

d the Dowager, with a

e gum-s

It was foreign to her nature even

e. A very naughty little girl, if she managed to be funny, might hope to escape; whereas an equally naughty little girl, who was not funny,

chool. Mae Van Arsdale says that she will go home if she has to room

The whole school laughs. It is to

ademoiselle's English was at times diffic

t. The sweetch is ruin-entirely ruin-and Patty is desolate. She has apologize. She thought it would wash, but since it will not wash, she has suggest to Mae that she color her own hair to match the sweetch, and Mae lose her temper and

ager, unmoved. "I do not wish to

ple of the thing

tale, "she dissolves herself in tears. Those three insist tha

ble; they make her go without dessert, and they do not allow her to eat sugar on her oatme

th a touch of sarcasm, "that Irene wer

gainst her," rem

educe her twenty pounds! Patty said that it was hard work, they were getting thin themselves, but they realized that they were seniors and must exert an influen

" said Miss Lord, "th

It's good, healthy mischief and I wish there were more of it. They don't bribe the maids to mai

" gasped

d the Dowager, "but never to do the slightest thing dishon

brilliant Japanese kimono, the other she reserved for gestures. The kimono was sprinkled with fire-eating dragons as large as cats; and to the astonished spectators, Keren's flushed face and disheve

ss Wadsworth. "Wh

nd Priscilla any longer. She's been

. Trent turned question

ded unh

she received a box from her aunt. This be

gic figure in the center of the floor. "It

four leaned forward in a strained endea

he polite thing for a hostess to do, she said; they learned it last year in manner class. And the chocolate soaked right through, and Conny Wilder said it was fortunate I was thin, because I could sleep in a curve around it; if it had happened to Irene McCullough, she would have had to sleep in it, because she's so big she takes up the whole bed. And Priscilla said I could be thankful to-

the fire-breathing dragons below. The Dowag

ease, and remake her bed. That will do for to-night, Keren. Get to sleep as quickly as possible, a

outraged dra

nd Mademoiselle exchanged glances of despa

on of triumph, "when they get to the

"it is a girl's own fault when she is persecuted. Their methods

ou can't allow

move in with Irene McCullough, and Patty and Conny and Priscilla go back t

st-what you say?-exhilarating. It is when

oing to reward their disgraceful conduct? It

Dowager, "that they have worked h

ons, gaily two-stepped down the length of "Paradise Alley" while a relieved school assisted at the flitting.

to go t

n to the

appy in

rly love o

of Saint