hungrily on the door through which her waiter was momentarily expected
to pass. By the time that the chums had given their order to another
waiter, J. Elfreda's luncheon was served and she devoted herself
assiduously to it. When Grace and her friends had finished luncheon,
however, the stout girl still sat with elbows on the table waiting for a
second order of dessert.

"Good gracious!" remarked Miriam as they made their way back to their
seats. "No wonder J. Elfreda is stout! I suppose I shouldn't refer to
her, even behind her back, in such familiar terms, but nothing else
suits her. I'm not charitable like you, Grace. I haven't the patience to
look for the good in tiresome people like her. I think she's greedy and
selfish and ill-bred and I wouldn't care to live in the same house with
her."

"You're a very disagreeable person, Miriam, in your own estimation,"
laughed Grace, "but fortunately we don't take you at your own valuation,
do we, Anne?"

"Miriam's a dear," said Anne promptly. "She always pretends she's a
dragon and then behaves like a lamb."

"What time is our train due at Overton?" asked Miriam, ignoring Anne's
assertion.

"We are scheduled to arrive at Overton at five o'clock," answered Grace.
"I wish it were five now. I'm anxious to see Overton College in broad
daylight."

At this juncture J. Elfreda made her appearance and sinking into the