Ringing the bell with a brave little air Marjorie waited. She recalled the first visit she had ever made to the president’s house. On that occasion she had been a messenger for Miss Humphrey the registrar. That had been long ago, in her sophomore year. Since that day, her first personal meeting with President Matthews, Marjorie had become a welcome visitor and guest at Prexy’s home. The maid, a stolid Swedish girl with pale gold hair and round blue eyes broke into smiles at sight of her.

“Gude afternoon, Miss Dean. How you ben all sommer?” she greeted Marjorie with pleased effusion.

“Good afternoon, Hilda. How have you been? I have been very well, and very happy.”

“Tha’s gude. I am pritty gude, too. We go sea shore, you know. Nize place. I go tak the bathe in the oshin. I gat awful much sunburn. Ha, ha!” Hilda showed her white teeth enjoyingly over her calamity. “You come see Mrs. Matthews? She is gone away this afternoon. The president is here. May-bee you come see him?”

85“I hope your sunburn is all well now.” Marjorie smiled at the jolly pink and white maid. “Yes, I came to see President Matthews. Is he busy?”

“He see you.” Hilda nodded confidently. “You come in, pleese, Miss Dean. I tell him.” She ushered Marjorie into the colonial reception hall and disappeared into the room at the right, the president’s office. She was back in an instant with: “The president pleese to see you, Miss Dean.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Marjorie. This is a most unexpected pleasure.” President Matthews met Marjorie at the door of his office and warmly shook her by the hand. She saw that he was alone in the office.

“Good afternoon, President Matthews. I am very glad to see you. Miss Susanna and I are coming to make a social call upon Mrs. Matthews and you as soon as you are fairly settled again after your summer away from the campus. I came today on business of my own. I hoped to find you here and not too busy to see me.” Marjorie’s color heightened a trifle as she made the frank statement.

“I am at your service, Miss Marjorie.” The president bowed her into a chair in his courtly fashion and sat down opposite her in his own. “What can I do for you?”

“I will give you a direct answer, and explain things afterward.” Marjorie raised candid eyes to those of the president. “I wish you would give Leslie Cairns an opportunity to return to Hamilton 86College, and earn the degree she forfeited when she was expelled from Hamilton.”

A dead silence followed her straight-forward request. President Matthews regarded her with contemplative gravity.

When he spoke it was to say: “You astonish me. Still I am confident you realize the peculiarity of the request you have just made.” He continued to regard Marjorie as though half curious to learn what strong motive had prompted her amazing plea for reinstatement of the girl who had despitefully used her.

“Yes, I understand fully how much I am asking of you. Can it be done for Miss Cairns?” Again she came directly to the point.

“You mean from the standpoint of my permission and that of the Board?” he interrogated with equal directness.

“Yes.” Marjorie inclined her head in affirmation.

“Well,” President Matthews paused briefly; “such a thing has never been done at Hamilton. I do not say that it could not be arranged. Let me ask you, Miss Marjorie, what I regard as a most pertinent question: Why should such a sweeping favor be granted Miss Cairns? She furnished in my opinion, the most glaring example of bad conduct of any Hamilton culprit with whom I have ever had occasion to deal. However, I know you would not be here today with such a request 87except under strong conviction of right.” He paused again, looking at her as though inviting an explanation.

“Miss Cairns has undergone a great change of mind and heart, President Matthews. I should like to tell you as much as I know of it,” Marjorie returned. She was resolved to be frank, yet to choose her words so carefully as to spare Leslie so far as she could.

“I never knew Miss Cairns personally when she was a student at Hamilton,” she began, “but last spring we became acquainted by chance.” Marjorie thus magnanimously bridged over her years at Hamilton which Leslie Cairns had made so troublous for her.

Followed the interesting story of Peter Carden who had run away from Carden Hedge and made a name in finance for himself as Peter Cairns. She felt the intensity of President Matthews’ interest as she continued to tell of Leslie’s humiliating business mistake of having paid sixty thousand dollars for a garage site, the ground of which had already belonged to her father. Again Marjorie omitted all reference to the intended spitefulness of Leslie’s business venture as in relation to the Travelers’ dormitory enterprise. Nor was she to learn until long afterward that President Matthews had been in possession of the true state of Page and Dean’s dormitory set-backs at the time when she made her earnest plea for Leslie.

88Generously ignoring the past Marjorie chose to dwell instead upon Leslie’s great affection for her father and of her desire for re-instatement at Hamilton solely on his account.

“I came to you upon my own responsibility, and unbeknown to Miss Cairns. Miss Susanna Hamilton and six of my best friends know this. Last night we met informally at Wayland Hall............