“Come on, we shall forgive you this once, and Winifred shall eat humble-pie for your room-mate’s benefit at the first opportunity. As class president I decree it.”
There by tacit consent, the subject dropped. The girls had a pleasant walk, and when the dinner-gong sounded, Dolly hurried up to her room; she knew that she would not find her room-mate very congenial, but at least she would not be so selfish as to let Miss Sutherland go down to the dining-room alone, on this first night.
As she opened the door of their common sitting-room she stopped in amazement.
CHAPTER III
She looked around with a gasp of surprise, and then rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not dreaming. All of her own dainty trifles were back in place. Every vestige of the obnoxious red decorations had vanished.
Dolly felt a sudden moisture in her eyes. The poor girl! She knocked lightly on Miss Sutherland’s door. There was a faint stir inside, but no response. Dolly hesitated, and then boldly opened the door.
“Excuse me, please, for coming in when you did not ask me to, but I was sure you were here, and you must come down to dinner at once.”
“I am not going down tonight.”
“Indeed you are,” Dolly said, after one comprehensive look at the mottled, tear-stained face before her. “The students must all be on hand promptly for meals. I cannot take you to my table, for that is full now, and we have been given our permanent places for the term, but I will introduce you to Professor Newton; there is a vacant place at her table, I know. You will like her, I am sure.”