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 "I've had a little luck this week," he told her, to explain his purpose otherwise. "Have anything you want." But she did no buying herself.

In the afternoon, she took all her new things in a suitcase to Willard where she was to have supper with Myra and afterwards dress in Myra's room. Lan and Dave would call for them with a cab to take them to the dance; such was their arrangement ever since Alice had taught David to dance in freshman year and the four of them began going together.

Myra was out when Alice arrived and Myra's roommate, who was doubling with another girl that night in order to lend Alice her bed, already had departed. Alice lay down, glad to be quiet and alone; it was going to be hard for her to talk to Myra but that would be better than to have to deal with the concern of her mother and father for her while she made ready for the dance. What was happening to her, was her own affair; no one, no one could help her, however well they meant, however hard it was for them to have to stand by and watch it happen. Whatever any one said or did, only made it worse for her.

Myra's room was in the modern, pleasant wing of Willard with windows to the south through which slanted yellow streaks of late afternoon sunshine. Sunshine! How often Alice thought of sunshine as an ally of Fidelia, as something which shone on Fidelia's hair. A window was partly open, for the day was warm for March; there had been a thaw all week so that the snow was gone from the walks and the lawns, leaving damp spots here and there.

To-day the college had come outdoors. Groups