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“It’s delicious,” said Ida heartily, swallowing her own disappointment with the cake. “I’m–I’m glad I happened to drop in as I was passing.” Ida hoped that speech didn’t come under the head of a fib.

“So am I,” said the other Ida brightly. “Oh, I’ve been so lonesome and downhearted this week. I’m so alone, you see–there isn’t anybody to care. Father died three years ago, and I don’t remember my mother at all. There is nobody but myself, and it is dreadfully lonely at times. When the Academy is open and I have my lessons to study, I don’t mind so much. But the holidays take all the courage out of me.”

“We should have fraternized more this week,” smiled Ida, regretting that she hadn’t thought of it before. “I couldn’t go home because of the measles, and I’ve moped a lot. We might have spent the time together and had a real nice, jolly holiday.”

The other Ida blushed with delight.

“I’d love to be friends with you,” she said slowly. “I’ve often thought I’d like to know you. Isn’t it odd that we have the same name? It was so nice of you to come and see me. I–I’d love to have you come often.”

“I will,” said Ida heartily.

“Perhaps you will stay the evening,” suggested the other Ida. “I’ve asked some of the girls who board here in to have some cake, I’m so glad to be able to give them something–they’ve all been so good to me. They are all clerks in stores and some of them are so tired and lonely. It’s so nice to have a pleasure to share with them. Won’t you stay?”

“I’d like to,” laughed Ida, “but I have some guests of my own invited in for tonight. I must hurry home, for they will most surely be waiting for me.”

She laughed again as she thought what else the guests would be waiting for. But her face was sober enough as she walked home.

“But I’m glad I left the cake with her,” she said resolutely. “Poor little thing! It means so much to her. It meant only ‘a good feed,’ as Josie says, to me. I’m simply going to make it my business next term to be good friends with the other Ida Mitchell. I’m afraid we third-year girls are very self-centred and selfish. And I know what I’ll do! I’ll write to Abby Morton in Trenton to send me Mrs. Henderson’s address, and I’ll write her a letter and ask her not to let Ida know she didn’t send the cake.”

Ida went into a confectionery store and invested in what Josie Pye was wont to call “ready-to-wear eatables”–fancy cakes, fruit, and candies. When she reached her room she found it full of expectant girls, with Miss Monroe enthroned in the midst of them–Miss Monroe in a wonderful evening dress of black lace and yellow silk, with roses in her hair and pearls on her neck–all donned in honour of Ida’s little celebration. I won’t say that, just for a moment, Ida didn’t regret that she had given up her cake.

“Good evening, Miss Mitchell,” cried Mary Craig gaily. “Walk right in and make yourself at home in your own room, do! We all met in the hall, and knocked and knocked. Finally Miss Monroe came, so we made bold to walk right in. Where is the only and original fruit cake, Ida? My mouth has been watering all day.”

“The other Ida Mitchell is probably entertaining her friends at this moment with my fruit cake,” said Ida, with a little laugh.

Then she told the whole story.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint you,” she concluded, “but I simply couldn’t tell that poor, lonely child that the cake wasn’t intended for her. I’ve brought all the goodies home with me that I could buy, and we’ll have to do the best we can without the fruit cake.”

Their “best” proved to be a very good thing. They had a jolly New Year’s Eve, and Miss Monroe sparkled and entertained most brilliantly. They kept their celebration up until twelve to welcome the new year in, and then they bade Ida good night. But Miss Monroe lingered for a moment behind the others to say softly:

“I want to tell you how good and sweet I think it was of you to give up your cake to the other Ida. That little bit of unselfishness was a good guerdon for your new year.”

And Ida, radiant-faced at this praise from her idol, answered heartily:

“I’m afraid I’m anything but unselfish, Miss Monroe. But I mean to try to be more this coming year and think a little about the girls outside of my own little set who may be lonely or discouraged. The other Ida Mitchell isn’t going to have to depend on that fruit cake alone for comfort and encouragement for the next twelve months.”