"Then she shouldn't be in on all the other girls' good times. And she wouldn't be if she didn't toady so to Grace."
"That's right. Lou would have left her out of the pound party last week, only of course Grace demanded to look over the list of invited guests."
"Well! I _do_ think Grace takes too much upon herself sometimes."
"She's going to be class president. Voting comes just before the Christmas holidays, and when we come back we'll know who gets the chair. Madame doesn't allow the freshies to organize until then. Well! Cora's got to do different."
"Mamie Beasley says she isn't going to invite her to her tea on Friday. And, you know, the teachers approve of afternoon teas. It makes for sociability, they say."
"Hush-up!" commanded another. "Want everybody to hear you?" and she motioned toward Nancy. The latter saw her in the glass.
So the two went out. Nancy wondered if Cora was so popular, after all. If it _was_ Cora of whom the two were speaking.
She noted, however, that for a day or two Cora remained in her room, and few of her friends visited her. This suited Nancy very well, even if she did not like her roommate. The dormitory was quieter and one could study.
"My mother's just as mean as she can be!" blurted out Cora one day when she and Nancy were alone. "She won't give me another cent of pocket-money until the week we go home for Christmas. And I spent all my allowance right away when school opened. Did you, Nancy?"
"Did I what?" asked Nancy, looking up from her book.
"No-o," said Nancy slowly, not quite sure that she _had_ an allowance, Mr. Gordon gave her money so irregularly.
"Lucky girl! And I promised I'd give the crowd a big blow-out here next week. I sent to mother for the money, and told her about it, and she won't even send me another box of goodies."
"That is too bad," observed Nancy, with a faint smile.
"Isn't it?" exclaimed Cora. "And they'll all say Number 30 is so mean! I hate to have our room get _that_ name."
This was the first time that Nancy had supposed Cora cared anything for the reputation of the room. Certainly, she had never before appeared to consider that Nancy and she had anything in common.
"You see, we're just freshmen, and the sophs criticise us so. I got acquainted with Belle Macdonald and some of those other girls away back last spring. They expect us freshies to treat them if we want their friendship."