The President was a very democratic and motherly woman who not only guided the affairs of the college with a wise hand, but kept in personal touch with her girls, and it was not unusual to see her walking home from Vespers with several students. This time, however, she took Molly's arm and led her down the village street without asking any of the others to join her. The young girl was very sensible of the honor paid her, thus singled out by the President to walk back to college. She felt a shy pleasure in the sensation they created as the crowd of students parted to let them pass. "I am very, very sorry to receive this news from your mother, Miss Brown," began the President. "I suppose you know what it is?" "You mean about leaving college, Miss Walker?" "Yes. It's really a great distress to me to think that one of my Queen's girls especially must give up in the middle of her course. Instead of listening to that young man at Vespers, I was thinking and thinking about this unwelcome news." Molly smiled. She had managed to listen to the preaching and to think about her affairs at the same time, because they somehow seemed to fit together. Once she almost felt that perhaps he knew all about her case and was preaching to her. But, of course, everybody had problems and lots of the girls thought the same thing, no doubt,--Madeleine Petit, for instance. "Is there no possible way it could be arranged?" went on the President. "Is this decision of your mother's final?" Evidently Mrs. Brown had not explained why Molly was obliged to come home. "Oh, she didn't decide it," answered the young girl, quickly. "It's because--because the money's gone--lost." "I suspected it was something of that sort," went on the President. "Now, there is a way, Miss Brown, by which you could remain if you would be willing to leave Queen's Cottage. I am in charge of a Student Fund for just such cases as yours. This provides for tuition and board,--not on the campus, but in the village. You're making something now tutoring the little Japanese girl, I understand. That's good. That will help along. You will have to manufacture some excuse to your friends about leaving Queen's. Otherwise, the fund arrangement may remain a secret between you and me." Miss Walker pressed the girl's hand and smiled kindly as she searched her face for some sign of gladness and relief at this offer. Molly tried to smile back. "We'll leave everything as it is until the end of this semester," continued the President. "Thank you very, very much," Molly said, making a great effort to keep her voice from sounding shaky. Leave Queen's! Was it possible the President didn't know that life at Queen's was the best part of college to her? Would there be any pleasure left if she had to tear herself away from her beloved chums and take up quarters in the village, living on a charity fund?