“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.”
“I don’t think that friendships bought in that way last; do you?” asked Nancy.
“Say! how do you expect to get popular in a school like this?” demanded Cora, in disgust.
“I—I don’t know,” sighed Nancy.
“How is it Grace is so popular?” cried Cora Rathmore. “Why, she’s always doing something to get the other girls interested. She’s going to be our class president.”
Nancy said nothing. She wondered if Grace Montgomery, after all, was quite as popular as Cora thought.