"Hello, Sozie," she said to Mary, pinching her cheek affectionately. Mary colored with the pleasure that comes from being noticed by one of the older and evidently popular girls in the school. "Hello, Annabel," she answered. "This is my new room-mate--Carita Judson, from Texas." Annabel acknowledged the introduction indifferently. Carita was too young to be particularly interesting to her. Annabel was eighteen, and considered herself quite a young lady. Blue Bonnet and Annabel drifted on toward their rooms. "What sort of a girl is Mary Boyd?" Blue Bonnet asked. "She's rooming with a little friend of mine. Carita and I come from near the same place in Texas." "Mary? Oh, Mary is a dear. A little spoiled, I reckon. She's an only child, I believe, and has a perfectly doting father. She's always just as you see her--smiling or laughing. Did you ever see such teeth in your life? The girls call her 'Sozie.' You know that picture, don't you? Sozodont! Girl all smiles and teeth." "What do we do now?" Blue Bonnet asked, pausing at her own door. "Now we exercise--walk. Generally we go over to the Fenway. In the spring and fall we play tennis." "Do we all go? I mean all the girls together?" "Yes, all of us--à la chain gang. The animals march out two by two." "Alone?" "Hardly. It's like the Charge of the Light Brigade--teacher to the right of us--teacher to the left of us--teacher in front of us--" "Really?" "No, not really. Only to the back and front of us--usually. You'll have fifteen minutes to get into a walking suit if you care to; if you don't, just put on a big coat. It's raw out to-day." Blue Bonnet preferred to freshen up. She brushed the tumbled hair, bathed her face in cold water, and put on a very smart-looking little grey suit with a Norfolk jacket and tam-o'-shanter to match. She thought of Carita as she came out of her room, and started up-stairs after her. A teacher stopped her. "The young ladies meet for their walk in the reception-room down-stairs," she said. "There is no visiting back and forth in the rooms except between four and five o'clock." Blue Bonnet found the girls, Carita among the rest. "We will walk together, Carita," she said. "All right, I have so much to tell you, Blue Bonnet." A teacher overheard the remark. "The younger girls usually walk together," she said, turning to Blue Bonnet. "Have you no partner?" "No. I only entered yesterday." Mrs. White cast her eye over the waiting group. Each girl seemed supplied with a companion. "So many of the girls are not back yet. Perhaps you would walk with me," she said. "Thank you," Blue Bonnet answered politely. They took their places at the rear of the line, and the brisk walk began. During that brief half hour, Blue Bonnet laid the foundation of a friendship that was to prove invaluable to her throughout her school year.