"Nettie, do you know about the Triangles? How are they lining up? For Jane?"
"Oh, I am so disappointed," and the pretty face submerged its dimples. "Someone has been telling about the college the most absurd story about Jane."
"Story about Jane!" both girls exclaimed, indignantly.
"Yes, too ridiculous. Said she has adopted a girl, actually adopted a girl, who is at this college. And that she has brought her here just to wait on her. Did you ever hear such trash?"
A light filtered through Judith's mental reservation. That story must mean Helen. And the "adoption" must belong to the scholarship clause. How awful it seemed to struggle against class prejudice! Why must some girls always be snobs?
"Who would have spread such a crazy yarn?" asked Gloria.
"Well, someone who shopped in New York late this summer, I guess. Said she saw Jane lots of times, and the little girl carrying her bundles."
Judith's face fell to zero. After all they had done for Helen, to think the tables had been turned, making Jane the beneficiary!
"We have to come right out and contradict that," exclaimed Gloria. "We could never win with Jane wearing the stigma of--snob."
"And Jane Allen above all girls! She who has always been so generous and so considerate. Why, I would as soon think of accusing her of theft, or any crime outright, as to say she would bring a girl here under false pretenses."