Cathalina had fallen in with Lilian and Betty as they came in, and seeing Eloise and Grace beckoning, all had gathered at the same table. Regular places, of course, could not yet be assigned. As the tables seated ten, only four people new to Cathalina and Hilary were to be introduced. Miss Middleton, an instructor in piano, was at the head. Very thin, tall and pleasant was she. Next was one of the “Senior C” girls, whom Miss Middleton seemed to know well. Then came a very small girl, Avalon Moore, who acknowledged the introductions shyly and looked as if she wanted to escape. Cathalina, who sat next to Avalon, in feeling sorry for her and trying to think of little things to relieve her embarrassment, began to forget her own strangeness. The poor little girl dropped her fork, upset a glass of water, and in trying to take some gravy trailed a plentiful supply over the side of her plate on the tablecloth. The whole table was sorry for her and she knew it, which only made things worse. But Eloise came to the rescue immediately with a question to the music teacher of such general interest that everybody joined in the discussion and allowed little Miss Moore to recover herself unnoticed. Cathalina quietly began to talk to her about the school and the girls, mentioning how lost and homesick she had felt that morning, but how beautiful the place was and what nice girls she had met already. Avalon began to feel quite natural and looked at the dainty Cathalina with such admiring eyes that she was pleased; for among the relatives it was Cathalina who looked up to the older girls, Ann Maria, Emily or Louise. Another girl at the table aroused Cathalina’s interest. She had been introduced as Evelyn Calvert and came from Kentucky. There was a little difference between her speech and that of Helen Paget, who was also from the South, Cathalina did not know from what part as yet. At first Cathalina thought Evelyn affected, but held her decision for some future time. Although Evelyn was probably no older than Cathalina, she had all the airs and graces of an older girl and, indeed, real charm with it all. Her long, dark lashes lifted or dropped, and smiles came and went as she talked. “Aunt Sue put huh hands on huh hips,” Evelyn was saying to the Senior C girl across the table, “and said ‘Miss’ Ev’lyn, yo’ gettin’ maghty fat an’ peart up Nawth, whut foh yo’ taken ridin’ lessons lak yo’ said? Caint yo’ ride good nuff?’ “‘I just ride foh the fun of it, Aunt Sue,’ I told huh. She was actually insulted to heah that I had been takin’ ridin’ lessons in the Nawth. ‘Why, chile,’ she said, ‘de Calv’ts is jus’ nachelly bawn to de saddle!’”