The girls came in from the ice half an hour before supper, cold, tired, but merry. Nancy ran up to tidy her hair and wash. She found two of Cora’s chief chums in Number 30; but Cora herself chanced to be out.
These girls did not even notice Nancy when she came in. But that was not strange. Often a dozen would come and go at Number 30 without once speaking to the quiet little girl who occupied one-half of the dormitory.
“Well, you take it from me,” one was saying to the other while Nancy brushed her hair, “she’s got to do her share. It looks to me as though she was sponging.”
“Oh, do you think so?”
“Everybody else has put up for a fudge party, or something of the kind, while she hasn’t done a thing.”
“Maybe she hasn’t the money?”
“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.”
“Ah, now——”
“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.”