It was the best of the times, and it was the worst of times--all under the same roof in Grays Middle.

As results of the third annual freshman housing lottery arrived yesterday. rooming groups in the entry received both the highest and the lowest spots among the 477 blocking groups.

Lea M. Borkenhagen '91 and her roommate Julie E. Peters '91, who garnered number one, were modest about their windfall. They said they would have gladly auctioned off their coveted number, since they said they had no strong preference for housing.

"An old river house is definitely in order," said Borkenhagen. "But which one, we're still not sure, maybe Dunster. We want something that's not stereotyped."

"It's our first and last [time] to get `number one' at Harvard. We never have to work again," said Borkenhagen, who lives on the top floor of her entry.

But things were not so cheery four flights' down. Michael E. Bobbitt '91, who lives on the first floor, was one of a group of six unfortunates who received number 477 in the lottery.

"The joke going around Grays is, `that says something about Radcliffe women on top'," said Borkenhagen.

While those with very low numbers prepared to celebrate, those with higher numbers refused to be left out. An elite `400 and up party' is being planned by some residents of Mass Hall.

Groans of agony echoed through the Freshman Union at lunch after Borkenhagen and Peters were involuntarily toasted as this year's top finishers in the lottery. Later a friend pretending to be from the Freshman Dean's Office called the two lucky winners and announced that there had been a mistake and that they had not received the top number. The two were not duped.

Another lucky freshman, Thomas J. Hershenson, said yesterday, "With a number like 29, you know you can get into the house you want. We're psyched because we're Currierbound."

As one freshman put it, "it's not where you are, it's who you're with." Not all freshmen agreed, however.

The door of one down-and-out Wigglesworth rooming group displayed the cover of yesterday's