There was plenty of lively conversation, in which everyone took part. It was easy to see that Dolly was the light of the house, and that she was woefully missed by her home people. Rob Steele proved to be a good talker. He had been through so much in the course of his short life, that he had an endless fund of stories on hand for almost any occasion. He was not at all conceited, but he talked well and easily. "You must have acquaintances all over the United States," Beth exclaimed at last. "Aren't you always seeing people that you know?" "Not often; you see, I was hardly in a position to make acquaintances, Miss Newby. I was doing all sorts of odd jobs, and while I will doubtless remember the faces of the persons for whom I worked, they will not recall me, and would certainly not claim acquaintanceship. However, I did see a young lady on your train whose face was so familiar to me that I bowed involuntarily." "I noticed you speaking to that stunning girl all dressed in brown. Who is she, Bob?" "Her name is Hamilton--Miss Margaret Hamilton. I knew her just casually in Chicago, where I stayed longer than I ever did in any other place after Father died. We were in the same class, that is, we graduated the same year. I saw nothing much of her at school, but I frequently caught glimpses of her when I was sent to old Worthington's on some errand." "Was she a relation of that rich old Worthington who died two years ago?" "No relation, she was the daughter of his housekeeper, a very nice girl, too. Rather proud, I fancied, but thoroughly free from nonsense and silly sentimentalism." It was some moments before Dolly dared to glance at her friends. There were significant glances interchanged, but no comments were made, and Dolly's people did not surmise then, that the young woman under discussion had been Dolly's successful rival for the class presidency. There were music and singing later in the evening, and Beth felt that she knew for the first time, perhaps, what home-life might really mean. After the girls had slipped into their dressing-gowns that night, they ran over to Dolly's room to discuss the subject that was just then uppermost in the minds of them all--Margaret Hamilton. They halted at the door, however, for there was Dolly enjoying a comfortable chat with her mother. [Illustration: There were music and singing later in the evening.] "Come in, girls, I've just been telling Mother all about Margaret. I always tell her everything, you know, and she has just asked if Margaret ever made any statements at variance with the real truth about herself. It is no disgrace to be poor, and I hope that we are not snobs enough to care for that part of it; but has she been trying to pass herself off for something that she is not?"