There was a hint of pleading in the protesting cry. Thoroughly cowed by the fell prospect she was now facing, Elsie crumpled. "You're mean, too--mean--for--anything!" she wailed, and burst into tears. "You--ought to be--ashamed--to--come--here--and--bully me--like--this. I'll give you--the--paper--but--I'll hate you as long as I live, Jane Allen!" Sheer intensity of emotion steadied her voice on this last passionate avowal. Handkerchief to her eyes, she stumbled across the room to the chiffonier. Jerking open the top drawer, she groped within and drew forth a folded paper. Turning, she threw it at Jane with vicious force. It fluttered to the floor a few feet from where she stood. Very calmly Jane marched over and picked it up. Unfolding it, she glanced it over. "Please read it, girls," she directed, handing it to Judith. The latter silently complied and passed it to Adrienne, who in turn gave it to Alicia. Alicia's face grew dark as she perused it. An angry spot of color appeared on each cheek. "How could you?" she said, her eyes resting on her roommate in immeasurable contempt. "You did perfectly right in coming here, Jane," she commented, as she returned the paper to the latter. "I am ashamed to think I ever allowed this girl's spite to come between us. I should have known better." "It's all past. It won't happen again, Alicia. Now----" With a purposeful hand Jane tore the offending paper to bits. Stepping over to the waste basket she dropped them into it. "This incident is closed," she sternly announced to the sullen-faced author of the mischief. "You understand that there are to be no more of a similar nature involving us or any other girls here at Wellington?" "Yes," muttered Elsie. "Thank you." Jane had intended the "Thank you" to be her last word. Something in the expression of abject defeat that looked out from that lowering face stirred her to sudden pity.