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diff --git a/36851-8.txt b/36851-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3eba4b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/36851-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7004 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Marjorie Dean College Freshman, by Pauline Lester + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Marjorie Dean College Freshman + +Author: Pauline Lester + +Release Date: July 25, 2011 [EBook #36851] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARJORIE DEAN COLLEGE FRESHMAN *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank, Katherine Ward, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +[Illustration: The next day's recitations hastily prepared, the +Lookouts had gathered in Ronny's room for a spread.] + + + + + MARJORIE DEAN + COLLEGE FRESHMAN + + BY PAULINE LESTER + + AUTHOR OF + "Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore," "Marjorie Dean, + College Junior," "Marjorie Dean, College Senior," + and + The Marjorie Dean High School Series + + A. L. BURT COMPANY + Publishers New York + + + + + THE + Marjorie Dean College Series + A Series of Stories for Girls 12 to 18 Years of Age + + By PAULINE LESTER + + Marjorie Dean, College Freshman + Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore + Marjorie Dean, College Junior + Marjorie Dean, College Senior + + Copyright, 1922 + By A. L. BURT COMPANY + + MARJORIE DEAN, COLLEGE FRESHMAN + Made in "U. S. A." + + + + +MARJORIE DEAN, COLLEGE FRESHMAN + + + + +CHAPTER I.--A LONELY LOOKOUT. + + +"Oh, dear! I wish Jerry would come home! I want to see her! I've always +missed her terribly during vacations, but this summer I've missed her +more than ever. I'm simply starved for a sight of her dear jolly face! +Here it is, the twenty-fourth of August, and no Jerry Jeremiah Geraldine +Macy!" + +Marjorie Dean had addressed this little series of wistful remarks to no +one in particular. She stood at one of the long French windows of the +living room, her nose flattened against the pane, little-girl fashion, +watching a very wet outdoors. All morning, the rain had been beating +down with a sullen persistency which Marjorie found distinctly +disheartening. She was as near to having a case of the blues as was +possible to one of her care-free, buoyant nature. Wet weather did not +often interfere with her happiness. Given her particular girl friends +within telephone call and she could discount a rainy day. + +Today she was without that source of entertainment and consolation. None +of her chums had returned to Sanford from their summer outings. Susan +Atwell, Irma Linton, Muriel Harding, Constance Stevens, Jerry Macy--all +were missing from the town into which Marjorie had come, a stranger, but +of which she now was, to use her own expression, "a regular citizen." + +Marjorie's thoughts were dwelling on her absent schoolmates as she +pensively watched the rain. She wondered if, wherever they were, they +were penned in by the rain too. It seemed rather queer to her that she +should be the only one of the sextette of girls, who had founded the +Lookout Club, to be spending the summer in Sanford. She was not a real +Sanfordite by birth. With the exception of Constance Stevens, the others +claimed Sanford as their native town. + +Readers of the "Marjorie Dean High School Series" have already an +acquaintance with Marjorie Dean, and have followed her course as a +student at Sanford High School. They have seen her through both sad and +happy days, the events of which have been chronicled in "Marjorie Dean, +High School Freshman," "Marjorie Dean, High School Sophomore," "Marjorie +Dean, High School Junior," and "Marjorie Dean, High School Senior." + +"There goes that old mail carrier and he isn't going to stop here!" This +time Marjorie's tones were not wistful. Their disgusted energy indicated +her patent disappointment. Her red lips drooped in dejection as she saw +the unfeeling object of her hopeful anticipation plod stolidly past the +gate without so much as a glance at the mailbox at the foot of the +driveway. + +"Not one single solitary letter," mourned the watcher. "Why doesn't +Jerry write?" + +"When did you hear from Jerry last, Lieutenant?" Mrs. Dean had entered +the room in time to hear Marjorie's plaint. + +"Oh, Captain, I'm _so_ glad you came to the rescue! I was _so_ lonely! +You asked me when last I heard from Jerry. Why, it's almost two weeks. +She wrote me it was awfully hot at the beach and--Are you going to stay +here awhile and talk to me, Captain?" + +Marjorie interrupted herself with this question. Her downcast face had +begun to brighten. + +"If you are," she continued, "I'll run up to my house and get Jerry's +last letter. I'd love to read it to you." + +"I'll oblige you by staying awhile." Mrs. Dean sat down in her own +particular wicker rocker, her eyes resting fondly on Marjorie. + +"You're a dear. Be back in a minute." A rush of light feet on the stairs +proclaimed that Marjorie had gone to her "house," as she chose to call +her pretty pink and white room, for her letter. + +"I can't find it," presently announced a disappointed voice from above +stairs. "Have you seen a square gray envelope with large writing on it +anywhere in the living room, Captain?" + +"I am looking straight at one now," came the reassuring information. +"You left it on the mantelpiece, Lieutenant." + +"Oh, thank you." A moment and Marjorie was heard making a vigorous +descent of the stairs. + +"I came down stairs at a positive gallop," she said lightly, as she +crossed the room and secured her letter. "I was afraid I had left it in +the table drawer in the pagoda. If I had, that would have meant a wading +trip for me. I suppose I'd have gone after it, but I am glad it's here." + +"You are overflowing with repressed energy, Marjorie," Mrs. Dean said, +looking a trifle anxious. "I wonder if a quiet summer at home has really +been best for you. While there is no place I know more comfortable than +our own home, the change would have been beneficial to you. I believe we +should have spent, at least, two weeks at the beach or in the +mountains." + +"Please don't feel that you haven't done the very best for me, Captain!" +was Marjorie's instant response. "You know it was my fault that we +didn't go away this vacation. I said I had rather stay at home. We +didn't care to go anywhere for an outing without General, and, so long +as he couldn't be with us, we decided that home was nicest. That's the +way things were. How can you say you were to blame?" + +Marjorie was hanging over her mother's chair now, soft hands patting the +face she loved most in the world. + +"I wanted particularly to be at home this summer on account of my going +to college in the fall. Ever since we came to Sanford to live I have had +one long succession of good times. Most of them have taken me away from +you. If I had a party, then I had to be with my guests. If I was invited +to one, that took me away from you." + +"But my own dear lieutenant, your captain wished you to have these good +times with your school friends," reasoned her mother. "I could hardly +expect to keep you tied to my apron string." + +"I know you have been the most unselfish mother in the whole world," +stoutly asserted Marjorie. "I know I haven't appreciated you half so +highly as I ought. It all comes over me now just because it is growing +nearer the time to go to college. I can't bear to think about it." + +The merry light had faded from Marjorie's features. Her lips had begun +to quiver. Her two hands dropped inert to her captain's shoulders and +rested there. She had no words for all that was in her heart. + +Leaving her captain to go to Hamilton College was bound to be the +greatest cross Marjorie had, thus far in her happy young life, been +called upon to bear. She always missed her general keenly when he went +away on long business trips. This in the warm shelter of her mother's +devotion. But to part from Captain! Not to see her every day; not to +hear her beloved voice! Marjorie sometimes tried to dwell on this sad +feature of entering college. She found it unendurable and frequently +entertained the desperate wish that her parents might suddenly discover +that they could not afford to send her to college. That would be a +legitimate excuse for staying at home. + +A brief interval of silence followed her woeful declaration. It was +broken by a stifled sob. The little lieutenant had struggled hard to +keep back her tears, but had failed. Without a word she bundled herself +in to her mother's arms. Heavy showers were due to fall indoors as well +as out. + + + + +CHAPTER II.--A TALK WITH CAPTAIN AND A SURPRISE. + + +Presently clearance came. With a long sigh, Marjorie raised her head. +She was just in time to see her mother wiping her own eyes and making a +valiant effort to smile. It pulled the little lieutenant together as +nothing else could have done. + +"Oh, Captain, forgive me!" she cried out in contrition. It was unusual +to see tears in her mother's soft eyes. "I'm a nice kind of soldier!" + +"No harm done," was the tender response. "This little tear shower was +bound to fall, sooner or later. I am all right now." Her mother's +wavering smile steadied itself. + +"I've tried to keep away from the sad side of going away to college," +Marjorie said somberly, "but how many girls are there who have the dear +beautiful home life that I have? And this summer alone with you! It's +been great happiness and sadness all jumbled together. Every once in +awhile when I am very happy, I suddenly remember that there's a shadow. +I have to stop for a minute to think what it is. Then I know--I am going +away from my captain before long." + +"You must also stop to remember that you can't go through life only half +educated," practically reminded Mrs. Dean, with a view toward lightening +the lieutenant's pessimistic views. "At least, General and I do not +propose that you shall. Suppose you wished more than all else to go +through college and we could not afford to send you? That would really +be a case for lamentation." + +"I've thought of all that," Marjorie returned soberly. "I know it is +splendid that I have the opportunity. I am thankful for all my benefits, +truly I am. I ought to be glad I haven't Lucy Warner's problem to +solve." + +"I don't believe either General or I could truly accuse you of being +ungrateful." Mrs. Dean smiled down upon the flushed face so near her +own. "Do you think Lucy Warner will try to enter Hamilton College this +fall?" She asked this question with a double object in view. First, to +take Marjorie's mind off herself. While on the subject of college, she +wished also to draw from Marjorie, if possible, Lucy's present attitude +toward the world in general. When, occasionally, Marjorie had +entertained Lucy at the house that summer at luncheon or dinner, Mrs. +Dean had accorded her the same friendly courtesy she would have extended +to Jerry or Muriel. She had never quite forgiven Lucy for the +unhappiness she had caused Marjorie during both her junior and senior +years at high school. She had not yet come to a point where she could +repose faith in the odd, green-eyed girl of whom Marjorie had grown so +fond. + +"She would like to, but she is worried about the expenses. They are so +high at Hamilton." Marjorie's face clouded momentarily. "She could draw +whatever sum of money she needs from the Lookouts' treasury, but she +won't. I may tell you, Captain, but no one else--Lucy feels dreadfully +yet, over that misunderstanding we had last year. She blames herself for +not having believed in me. She says the other girls would not have +doubted me, and she had no right to be so hard on me. She thinks she +isn't worthy of help from the club. She told me this, privately, because +she felt it was my right to know." + +Mrs. Dean's long-harbored sense of injury against Lucy Warner took +sudden flight. She understood at last the peculiar girl's innate honesty +of character, and could not do else than respect her for her drastic +stand. + +"Lucy feels afraid she may not find any kind of work at Hamilton to help +her out with her personal expenses," Marjorie continued. "She can tutor +in either Latin or mathematics. She has saved nearly two hundred dollars +from her work last year and this summer. If she should enter Hamilton +this fall her mother will do practical nursing. Then she will be earning +quite a good deal of money and she won't be so lonely. That's the way +things are with Lucy. I wish she would enter college with the rest of +us. It would be easier for her and nice for us to be freshmen together." + +"Would Lucy accept financial help from you? You may offer it to her if +you think best, Lieutenant." Mrs. Dean's generous proposal arose from a +relieved mind. She could make it with absolute freedom of spirit. + +"No, Captain. I am the last one Lucy would allow to help her. If Ronny +were here she might be able to make Lucy see things in the right light. +Ronny is the only one, I feel sure, who could convince her. She would +not give up until she had. But goodness knows when we shall see Ronny +again!" + +An anxious little pucker appeared between Marjorie's brows. Not since +the first of July had she heard word from Veronica Lynne, Miss Archer's +God-child. Ronny had left Sanford a few days after Commencement, and had +written her a lengthy train letter, en route for California. This +Marjorie had answered, using a San Francisco address Ronny had given +her. For one reason or another, Ronny had not replied to it. + +"I wish Ronny would write me," she said. "She promised me she'd write +_me_ if she didn't write anyone else. I know she will keep her word; but +when?" + +During their confidential talk, Marjorie had remained seated on her +mother's lap. Tardy recollection that she was altogether too heavy for +comfort brought her to her feet. + +"Poor, dear Captain!" she exclaimed. "You can't help but be tired from +holding a great, heavy elephant like me! We had so much to talk about. I +forgot everything except how nice it was to snuggle close to you and be +comforted. That's the very hardest part of being away from you. I won't +have my superior officers near by to report to." + +"You will have to tuck your reports away in your mind and have a +reporting session when you come home on your vacations," her mother +suggested. + +"Yes; and I promise you, Captain, that all my vacations will be spent +with _you_." Marjorie pointed an emphatic finger at her mother. "I'll +never desert my Captain and my General when I have a furlough. No, sir!" + +"I think I shall hold you to that promise, Lieutenant. You have made it +of your own accord. I would rather have it a free will promise. You will +be away the greater part of the year. Those precious vacations belong to +us. I know General feels the same." + +"I wish you both to be very stingy of me. Then I shall be sure you love +me a lot," Marjorie replied with playful emphasis. She no longer felt +like crying. While outdoors the rain continued to beat down; indoors the +sun had broken through the clouds. + +"Once, oh, very long ago, you spoke of reading me Jerry's letter," Mrs. +Dean presently reminded. "Then the rain descended and the floods came, +and----" + +"We forgot all about it," supplemented Marjorie. "All right, my dearest +Captain, I will proceed to read it to you this minute." This time she +picked it up from the floor. It had dropped from her hand when she had +briefly descended into the valley of woe. Settling herself in an easy +chair, she unfolded the letter and promptly began: + +"'Magnificent Marjoram: + +"'I want to go home! It is hot here. This part of the globe is getting +ready to burn down. The beach is hot; the hotel is hotter and the sun is +hottest. It was nice and cool here until about a week ago. Then the sun +came rambling along and started to smile. After that he beamed. Now he +is on the job all day with a broad grin. Maybe we don't notice it! Still +our family love to linger in this hot berg. Hal hates to give up the +bathing. Mother and Father are deep in a series of old-fashioned whist. +They meet the same friends here each year, and they always play whist. +They are anxious to stay for the last game in the series. + +"'I'm the only one who longs for home. I offered to go home by myself +and keep Lonesome Hall. Mother said, "Nay, nay!" I pleaded that you +would feed and nourish me and let me sleep in your garage until she came +home. That didn't go. Here I languish while some of the Macys swim in +the surf and others of them hold up a hand at whist. + +"'Everyone at Severn Beach is growling about the heat. It has never been +like this before. While I'm sitting squarely in front of an electric +fan, I'm moderately cool. The minute I move off from it, I'm wilted. The +last leaf of the last rose of summer was beautiful as compared to me at +the end of a perfect day down here. + +"'Next year, we are going to the mountains. I don't know which mountains +the folks intend to put up on, but I know where Jeremiah is going. I'm +going straight to the top of Mount Everest, which our good old geography +used to inform us was the highest peak on earth. Five miles high! Think +of it! I shall go clear to the top and roost there all summer. I shall +have my meals brought up to me three times a day. That means five miles +per meal for somebody. I certainly shall not go after them myself. It +will be a wonderful vacation! So restful! Tell you more about it when I +see you. You may go along if you happen to need perfect peace and rest. + +"'Oh, Marjorie, I am so anxious to see you and talk my head off! There +isn't a single girl at the beach this year that amounts to a handful of +popcorn. They are so terribly grown-up and foolish; idiotic I might +better say. They make eyes at poor old Hal and he gets so wrathy. Every +time he sees one coming towards him, when he is down on the main +veranda, you ought to see him arise and vanish. Sometimes, when he gets +so disgusted he has to talk, he comes around and tells me how silly he +thinks they are. Then, to tease him, I tell him he shouldn't be so +beautiful. You ought to hear him rave. If there is anything he hates it +is to be called "beautiful." + +"'By the way, how are you enjoying this letter? Great, isn't it? I am +trying to tell you all the news, only there is none to tell. Oh, I +almost forgot. I must tell you of the lovely walk I had one day last +week. I came in from bathing one morning and thought I would take a walk +around the town. It had been raining early in the morning and then had +grown quite cool for this furnace. + +"'I dressed up in a new white pongee suit, which is very becoming to +Jeremiah, and I wore my best round white hemp hat. It is imported and +cost money. + +"'I started out and walked briskly up one avenue and briskly down +another. Fast walking is supposed to be good exercise for people who +weigh one hundred and forty pounds, when they are hoping to weigh one +twenty-five. I won't speak of myself. The streets of this town were +paved just after paving was invented, as an advertisement, I suspect, +and they have never been touched since. With this explanation, as Miss +Flint was fond of remarking, I will proceed with my story. + +"'I was about half way across one of these ancient, hobblety-gobble +outrages, when I came to grief. My feet slipped on a slimy brick and I +landed flat on my back in a puddle of dirty water. I hit my poor head an +awful bang. I'm speaking of myself all right enough now. I was so mad I +couldn't think of anything to say. All my choicest slang flew away when +I whacked my head. My nice round hemp hat was saved a ducking. It jumped +off my head and almost across the street. Some little jumper, that hat! +An obliging breeze caught it, and it scuttled off around the corner and +would have been home ahead of me if it hadn't collided with a horse +block. It sat down with a flop and waited for me. + +"'The spectators to Jeremiah's fall were three children, a horse, and an +old green and yellow parrot. The kiddies weren't impressed, but the +parrot yelled and ha-ha-ed and enjoyed himself a whole lot. He was in a +cage hung on a porch right near where I fell. I don't know what the +horse thought. He behaved like a gentleman, though. He didn't either +rubber or laugh. That's more than I can say of the other witnesses to my +disaster. + +"'But, on with my narrative. I'll leave you to imagine how I looked. My +white pongee suit was no longer suitable. It was a disgrace to the noble +house of Macy. I had to get home, just the same, so I faced about and +hit up a pace for the hotel. I had gone about two blocks when I met a +jitney. I never enjoyed meeting anyone so much before as that jitney +man. Of course the hotel verandas were full of people. It was just +before luncheon and folks were sitting around, hopefully waiting for the +dining rooms to open. + +"'Fortunately it was my back that had suffered injury from the mud. I +gave one look to see who was behind me. There was no one but an old man +in a wheel chair and a couple of spoons. They were so busy beaming on +each other that I was a blank to them. I made a dash for the side +entrance to the hotel and caught the elevator going up. I went with it. +Thus ends the tale of Jeremiah's fateful walk. Thus ends my news also. +When you hear from me again, it will probably be in person. I shall hit +the trail for Sanford, first chance I have. I must stop now and go to +dinner. I send you the faithful devotion of a loyal Lookout. That is no +mean little dab of affection. Remember me to your mother and pat Ruffle +for me. Now that I'm ending this letter, I can think of a lot of things +to tell you. Oh, well, I'll write 'em another day or else say 'em. + + "'Lovingly your friend, + "'Jerry Macy.'" + +Marjorie had stopped reading to laugh more than once at Jerry's droll +phrasing. "Isn't Jerry funny, Mother?" she exclaimed. "Hal is funny, +too. Still he isn't so funny as Jerry. I think----" + +Whatever Marjorie might have further said regarding Jerry's letter +remained unspoken. Her gaze chancing to travel to a window, she sprang +to her feet with an exclamation of surprise. Next she ran to the window +and peered curiously out. A taxicab from the station had stopped before +the gate. From the house it was not easy to distinguish, through the +driving rain, the identity of the solitary fare, for whom the driver had +left his machine to open the gate. It was a slim girlish figure, too +slender to be Jerry. Through the mist Marjorie caught the smart lines of +a navy blue rain coat, buttoned to the chin and a gleam of bright hair +under a tight-lined blue hat. + +Could it be? Marjorie's heart began a tattoo of joy. It didn't seem +possible--yet the blue-clad figure, making for the house at a run, was +unmistakable. + +"Captain, it's Ronny!" she shrieked in a high jubilant treble. "She just +got out of a taxicab and she's here!" + +Without stopping to make further explanation, Marjorie rushed to the +front door to welcome the last person she had expected to see on that +stormy morning, Veronica Lynne. + + + + +CHAPTER III.--THE REAL RONNY. + + +"Ronny Lynne, who would have expected to see you?" rejoiced Marjorie. "I +can't believe my own eyes." Two welcoming arms embraced the beloved +visitor, regardless of her dripping rain coat. + +"Oh, I know I'm the great unexpected," laughed Veronica, warmly +returning Marjorie's embrace. "Now break away, reckless child, before +you are quite as wet as I. See what you get for hugging a rushing +rivulet. Oh, Marjorie Dean, but I'm glad to see you! I can't begin to +tell you how much I have missed you. I received your letter and meant to +answer at once. Then I----" + +Veronica broke off in her abrupt fashion. This time it was to greet Mrs. +Dean, who, after leaving the two girls together during the first +enthusiasm of meeting had now come forward to welcome Ronny. + +"A bad day for traveling, but a happy one for us," she said, as she +affectionately kissed Miss Archer's God-child. "Help Ronny out of that +wet rain coat, Lieutenant. Better go straight upstairs with Marjorie, +Veronica. She will soon make you comfortable with one of her negligees +and house slippers. I will bring you a cup of consommé. I know you must +be hungry." + +"I am hungry, and I would love to dress up in some of Marjorie's +clothes," Ronny made reply. Marjorie was already busy undoing the +buttons of her friend's coat. + +"Come right along upstairs then," Marjorie invited. "I'll soon have you +fixed all nice and comfy. I am so happy, Ronny. I've been thinking of +you as away off in California, and here you have been hustling across +the continent to visit me." + +"And all the time I have been congratulating myself on the blessed fact +that I would really have a chance to be chummy with you when I finally +arrived," exulted Ronny, as she ran lightly up the wide open staircase +behind her hostess. Mrs. Dean had already hurried kitchenward to see to +the consommé. + +"We will be the best chums ever!" Pausing on the top step, Marjorie +stretched forth a hand. "Welcome to my house and heart," she said. +Tucking her friend's hand within her arms she drew her down a short hall +and into her own particular domain. The door of Marjorie's "house" stood +open as though hospitably awaiting the arrival of the guest. Its dainty +pink and whiteness shed a light and beauty, infinitely cheering on a +dark day. + +"And now to give you something to dress up in." Loosing Veronica's hand, +Marjorie crossed the room and threw open the door of a large dress +closet. "Yours to command," she offered with a hospitable gesture. +Pressing a button in the wall the wardrobe sprang alight, disclosing the +finery of girlhood in all its rainbow hues. + +"Oh, you choose a garment for me to luxuriate in," Ronny returned. "I +don't know the whys and wherefores of your clothes." + +Marjorie peered thoughtfully at her array of gowns and selected a +half-fitted negligee of old-rose silk. A moment's search in a cunningly +contrived shoe cupboard at one side of the closet, and she held up +quilted satin slippers to match. + +"Thank you, hospitable one." Veronica was already clear of her dark blue +bengaline frock and reaching for the silken comfort of the negligee. Her +wet pumps soon removed, she donned the soft slippers and settled back in +a willow rocker with a sigh of satisfaction. "I can't begin to tell you +how comfortable I am," she said. "I had to change cars this morning +before eight, and in the rain. All I had to console me was the thought +that I would be in Sanford before noon. God-mother doesn't know I am +east. I didn't write her because I was anxious to give her a surprise. +I'll go to see her tomorrow. I wanted to come to you first. I never had +much chance to be here when I was 'Miss Archer's servant.'" + +Ronny's tones rippled with amused laughter. An answering smile rose to +Marjorie's lips. Memory recalled the sedate, reserved girl she had known +as Veronica Browning. She was now beginning to glimpse the real Ronny; +brilliant, high-spirited, sure of herself, with the independence of +those who have known the bitterness of poverty. + +"You are so different, Ronny," she said. "I mean from last year. Once in +a great while I used to see flashes of you as you are now. I remember +the night you danced that wonderful butterfly number at the Campfire. +You seemed happy and so much more like a real girl than as I saw you in +school each day. You are like a butterfly who is so glad to be free of +the chrysalis." + +"How nice in you to compare me to anything so beautiful as a butterfly. +I am glad to be free of the part I played last year. I am not sorry I +played it, though. Is Mignon La Salle going to Hamilton College?" she +asked, with an abrupt change of subject. "I hope not. I think I can +never forgive her for the trouble she made you. I never minded in the +least the way she treated me." + +"No; Mignon is going to Smith College. She is all right now, Ronny," +Marjorie earnestly assured. "When she faced about last spring she truly +meant it." + +"You deserve the credit for having hauled her through," was Ronny's +blunt opinion. "I never would have had the patience. A good many times +last year I was tempted to tell you who I really was. I did not care to +have the other girls know, and Jerry was so curious about me. I was +afraid it might make trouble for you if you knew and they didn't. The +Lookouts would have been likely to ask you about me. Then, if I had +pledged you to secrecy, it would have meant your refusal to answer any +questions concerning me. This year----" + +Veronica broke off in the old way which had always been so baffling to +Marjorie. For an instant a vague sense of disappointment visited her. It +was as though Ronny had once again suddenly dropped the curtain of +mystery between them. + +Her brown eyes fixed with unconscious solemnity on her guest, she became +aware that Veronica was laughing at her. "I know what you are thinking," +Ronny declared. "You think I am the same aggravating old mystery who +used never to finish a sentence. Good reason why I chopped off a remark +I was about to make. I almost told you a secret." Her tone was now +purposely tantalizing. "Had I best tell you now or wait awhile?" + +The entrance into the room of Mrs. Dean, bearing a lacquered tray, on +which was a steaming cup of consommé and a plate of small crisp rolls, +interrupted any confidence Ronny might have been on the point of making. +Lingering for a few minutes' talk with Veronica, Mrs. Dean left the two +girls with the reminder that the luncheon bell would soon ring. + +Marjorie, meanwhile, had learned something new of Ronny. She realized +that now her friend was only playing at secrecy. Ronny would never again +be a mystery to her as in the past. + +"I've learned something about you, Ronny Lynne," she commented in merry +accusation. "You love to tease. Well, you can't tease me. As for your +old secret you may do just as you please. You may tell me now or after +while. I'm not a bit curious. Ahem! I won't say I am not _interested_. +Wouldn't you like to tell me now?" + +She laid a coaxing hand on Ronny's arm. The latter's radiant face was an +index to pleasant news. + +"Would I? Perhaps." Ronny pretended to deliberate. "Well, listen hard. +Once upon a time there was a person named Ronny who decided to go to +college. She had heard about a college named Hamilton, and----" + +"You're going to Hamilton! You're going to Hamilton!" Marjorie had +sprung from her chair and was performing a dance of jubilation about +Veronica. "It is the best old secret I ever heard!" + +"I hoped you would be pleased." There were tears just back of Ronny's +eyes. She loved Marjorie with the great strength of a first friendship. +Naturally she was moved by the hearty reception of her news. + +"_Pleased!_ That doesn't express it! This morning I was lonesome and +wished something pleasant would happen. The girls are all away from +Sanford. Lucy Warner and I are the only Lookouts at home. Lucy is +secretary to Mr. Forbes, a Sanford lawyer, so I don't see her very +often. I never dreamed that the rain would bring me you. And now comes +the crowning happiness! You are going to be with me at Hamilton. I think +I am a very lucky Lookout." Marjorie had paused in front of Veronica, +hands resting lightly on the arms of the latter's chair. "When you left +Sanford last June, Ronny, had you any idea then of entering Hamilton?" + +"No." Ronny shook a decided head. "I was not sure of coming east again +for a long while. Father missed me dreadfully last year. I could tell +that from his letters. I thought he would ask me to stay at home and +engage a tutor for me. After I had been at home awhile we went on a pony +riding trip over some of his fruit ranches. We had lots of long talks +and I told him a great deal about you. He was much interested in the +Lookouts and asked a good many questions about the club. He asked which +college you expected to enter, and if I would like to go east again to +college. I found that he really wished me to go to an eastern college, +provided I was of the same mind. He always gives me the privilege of +choice. Of course, I chose Hamilton. So here I am. I shall divide my +visits between you and God-mother until time to go to Hamilton, and then +we'll journey into the far country of college together along with as +many of the Lookouts as shall decide for Hamilton." + +"Jerry is going to be a Hamiltonite," returned Marjorie, her bright face +showing her happiness. "Muriel Harding, too. I am not sure about Lucy +Warner, Ronny. She may have to wait until next year to enter college. +She won't let anyone help her with her personal expenses." + +"I expected some such hitch in her plans," was Ronny's almost grim +reply. "I would have offered her personal aid last June, but knew it +would not be best then. I intended to write you about it. When I decided +for college I knew I could talk things over with you and plan how to +help Lucy while on this visit." + +"If anyone can persuade her that she really ought to enter Hamilton, +this year, it will be you," Marjorie asserted confidently. + +"I will do my best," promised Ronny. "I ought to have made that +scholarship cover everything in the way of expense down to a shoestring. +I was positive Lucy would win it. She is so proud. I merely tried to +save her dignity by offering the regulation scholarship." + +The musical tinkle of a bell from below stairs announced luncheon. +Marjorie caught Ronny's hands and drew her up from her chair. + +"There's the luncheon bell," she announced. "Come along, Ronny. We have +some glorious news to tell Captain." + +Their arms twined about each other's waists, the two friends walked +slowly toward the half open door. There they stopped to talk. A second +and louder jingling of the bells soon informed them that they were +loiterers. + +"That's Captain," laughed Marjorie. "She knows we've stopped to talk. +Delia rang the bell first time. She only tinkled it a little." + +Accelerating their pace, the two gaily descended the stairs. More fully +the joy of the occasion was borne upon Veronica. It was wonderful to her +to be so near and dear to a girl like Marjorie. More, this happy state +of affairs would continue all year. There would be no cloud of mystery +between them as had been at high school. She was determined also that no +clouds should obscure Marjorie's college sky if she could prevent their +gathering. If Marjorie's strict adherence to truth and justice brought +her the disfavor of the unworthy, she would not have to contend against +them single-handed. + + + + +CHAPTER IV--CONCERNING JEREMIAH. + + +Luncheon proved a merry little meal. When one has been suddenly lifted +out of the dumps by the arrival of a friend from afar, and afterward +doubly cheered by exceptionally good news, the dreariness of a rainy day +is soon forgotten. + +Returned to the living room after luncheon, Marjorie drew forward a +deep, soft-cushioned chair with wide padded arms. + +"Take this chair, Ronny," she invited. "It's the most comfortable old +thing! In winter it is my pet lounging place at twilight. I love to curl +up in it and watch the firelight. Captain likes that wicker chair near +the table. General and I always fight over this one. If he gets it +first, I try to tip him out of it. I might as well try to move a +mountain. He braces his feet and sits and laughs at me. Ruffle, my big +Angora cat, claims it, too. He always looks so injured if I lift him +from it." + +"An extremely popular chair," commented Ronny, smiling. Settling back in +it, she added: "I don't wonder you all fight for it. I shall enter the +lists, too." + +"You are welcome to it. You're company. It's only the Deans who won't +respect one another's claims, Captain excepted. By the Deans, I mean +General, Ruffle and me." + +"Much obliged for clearing me of the charge," her captain remarked with +twinkling eyes. "You should hear those squabbles, Veronica. They are +noisy enough to bring the house down." + +Veronica laughed, yet into her gray eyes sprang a wistful light. "My +father loves to tease me like that," she said. "We had such good times +this summer at Mañana. That is the name of our largest ranch. We live +there most of the time." + +"Mañana?" Marjorie looked questioningly at Ronny. "That means 'morning' +in Spanish, doesn't it? I know a few Spanish words. General speaks the +language. His trips often take him to Mexico." + +"Yes, it also means 'tomorrow,'" Ronny answered. "The full name of our +Mañana is 'Lucero de la Mañana.' It means 'Star of the Morning.' I named +it. Father bought it when I was twelve years old. The first time I saw +it was one morning before seven. We were on a riding trip and could look +down on it from a height. It was so beautiful, I asked Father to find +out if it were for sale. It belonged to a Spanish woman, Donna Dolores +de Mendoza. She was willing to part with it, as she wished to go to +Spain to live. So Father bought it. I hope someday you will visit me +there. I shall never be satisfied until the Dean family are under the +Lynnes' roof tree." + +"Someday," Marjorie made hopeful promise. "General has said he would +take us on a western trip sometime." + +"I hope that 'sometime' will be next summer," returned Ronny. "When I +grow to know your worthy General well, I shall interview him on the +subject." + +Veronica's allusion to her far western home furnished Marjorie with an +opportunity she had long desired. She was anxious to hear more of +Ronny's life prior to her advent into Sanford. She had, therefore, a +great many interested questions to ask which she knew Ronny would now be +willing to answer. Formerly, while Ronny had been securely wrapped in +her cloak of reserve, Marjorie had never attempted to question her +personally. + +Ronny, in turn, had an equal number of questions to ask regarding +Sanford and the Lookouts. The afternoon slipped away before either of +the reunited friends was aware that it had gone. + +"Do you suppose we'll ever catch up in talking?" Ronny asked in +pretended despair, as the three women lingered over the dessert at +dinner that evening. + +"Oh, after a long while," easily assured Marjorie. "You see I couldn't +get you to talk about yourself last year, so we lost a good deal of +time. I am actually ashamed for asking you so many questions, Ronny. +Still there were so many things I wanted to ask you last year and did +not feel free to. Wait until you see Jerry. She will ask you more +questions than I have. She said in her last letter to me that she had no +news to tell. Well, I shall have some news to tell her when she comes +home. She will be so surprised when she----" + +"_Surprised?_ Well, yes; _quite_ a lot." + +The familiar voice that gave utterance to this pithy affirmation +proceeded from the doorway leading into the reception hall. It +electrified the placid trio at the table. Three heads turned +simultaneously at the sound. Marjorie made a dive for the doorway. + +"Jeremiah!" she exclaimed, with a joyful rising inflection on the last +syllable. "Wherever did you come from? This is my third splendid +surprise today. You can see for yourself who's here. You've had one +surprise, at least." Marjorie clung to Jerry with enthusiastic fervor. + +"I have, I have," agreed Jerry, putting two plump arms around Ronny, who +had come forward the instant she grasped the situation. "Now how in the +world do you happen to be here, mysterious Mystery? You are the last +person I thought would be on the job to welcome me to our city." + +"How long have _you_ been here? That is what I should like to know," +Marjorie interposed, patting the hand she held between her own. + +"Long enough to hear all you said about me. I'm simply furious. No; I am +perfectly delighted, I mean. Now what do I mean?" Jerry showed her white +even teeth in a genial grin. + +"We didn't say anything about you that would either delight you or make +you furious. I know you didn't hear a single thing we said, except maybe +the last sentence. How did you get in? Not by the front door or we would +have heard the bell. Now confess: Delia let you in by the back door." +Marjorie waved a triumphant finger before Jerry's nose as she made this +conjecture. + +"I'll never tell how I came in. No; that won't do, Geraldine. You must +try to be civil to these Deans. They may ask you to stay a few days and +you----" Jerry paused significantly, then sidled up to Mrs. Dean. "I'm so +pleasant to have around," she simpered. "You will positively adore me +when you get used to my ways." She put both arms around Mrs. Dean and +gave her a resounding kiss. + +"You may stay as long as you please, and the longer you stay the better +pleased we shall be." Her invitation thus extended, Mrs. Dean was now +assisting Jerry to remove her long coat of tan covert cloth. "How did +you manage to keep so dry, Jerry?" she inquired. "It has been raining +steadily all evening. Veronica came to us thoroughly drenched." + +"The beautiful truth is, Delia hung my coat in front of the range and +dried it. I had an umbrella, too, and I ran like a hunter the minute I +left the taxi. I made the driver stop at the corner below the house and +I ducked in at the side gate. I landed on your back porch just as Delia +was going to serve the dessert. I asked her not to tell you I was here. +It's a great wonder she didn't laugh and give me away." + +"I noticed she had a broad smile on her face when she came into the +dining room. I thought it was in honor of Ronny. Here she was aiding and +abetting _you_, Jeremiah Macy! She knows I have been anxiously waiting +for you to come home. Just wait till I see her!" + +Marjorie chuckled in anticipation of her interview with Delia. The +latter would regard Jerry's stealthy arrival as a huge joke in which she +had played an important part. + +"I thought a relative had come to see you," Jerry continued. "Delia said +it was a young lady from away off. That's all she seemed to want to tell +me. I didn't quiz her. It was none of my business." + +"That is the time Delia fooled you," Ronny asserted. "Delia knows me. +She wanted to surprise you, too." + +"All right for Delia. Wait until _I_ interview her for keeping so quiet +about you." All of which pointed to a lively session for Delia. "Anyhow +I had some cherry pudding with whipped cream. I saw it the minute I +struck the kitchen. I hoped it wouldn't give out before it got around to +me. There was enough, though, for Delia and me. We emptied the dish." + +"All this going on behind my back!" Mrs. Dean made an unsuccessful +effort to look highly displeased. "I shall have to discipline the +commissary department for smuggling vagrants into the house under my +very nose. Not to mention distributing pudding with a free hand!" + +"Vagrants! She means me." Jerry rolled her eyes as though greatly +alarmed. "I see I'll have to swallow the insult. If I make a fuss I may +be put out." + +"Promise good conduct in future and we'll try to overlook the past," +Marjorie graciously conceded. + +"Thank you, kind lady! I wasn't always like this. Once I had a home----" +Jerry gave vent to a loud snivel. "I lost it. Now all I can say is: + + "Into your house some tramps must fall, + Some Deans must be made aweary." + +Sobbing out this pathetic sentiment, Jerry endeavored to lean on +Marjorie, with disastrous results. They were saved from toppling over by +landing with force against Veronica. + +"Here, here!" expostulated Ronny. "Don't add assault and battery to +vagrancy. Have some respect for me. I'm a real guest. I arrived by the +front door." + +"Excuse me and blame Marjorie for being an unstable prop. Try to regard +me as your friend." Jerry leered confidently at Ronny. + +"I'll think it over. You are the funniest old goose ever. I'll try to +prevail upon the Deans to let you stay." + +"Oh, I think I can manage them," Jerry returned in a confident stage +whisper. + +"Yes, we are going to be kind to our tramp now." Marjorie gently +propelled Jerry to the table and shoved her, unresisting, into a chair. +"You had dessert. Now you had better have the rest of the dinner. While +Delia is getting it ready you can tell us how it all happened. How did +you get away from the beach before your folks were ready to come home?" + +"I teased Mother good and hard and she finally said 'yes.' It took me +about two hours to pack and wish the beach good-bye. The folks will be +home Saturday. I'll have three whole days with you girls. I hadn't +figured on the distinguished presence of Miss Veronica Browning Lynne." + +"Neither had I," smiled Marjorie. "The best part of Ronny's visit is +that it is going to last until the very day I start for Hamilton. Ronny +is going to Hamilton, too, Jerry." + +"Did I get that right?" Jerry placed an assisting hand to one ear. "Say +it again, will you? Hooray!" Jerry picked up a dessert fork and waved it +jubilantly. "The three of us; and Muriel Harding as a fourth staunch +supporter! We can teach the Hamilton faculty how to act and +revolutionize the whole college. Oh, yes! Lucy Warner makes a fifth. +Ummm! She will have to be supported until she gets on her ear. Then +she'll freeze solid and support herself." + +Neither Ronny nor Marjorie could refrain from laughing at this view of +Lucy. It was so precisely like her. + +"Thank goodness there won't be Mignon to reform." Jerry sighed +exaggerated relief. "Any more sieges like the four years' siege of +Mignon ahead of me, and I'd stay at home and go to night school for a +change. Talk about the wars of the Trojans! They were simple little +scraps compared with the rows we've had at Sanford High with various +vandals." + +Delia appearing from the kitchen with a heavily laden tray, the three +girls greeted her with a concerted shout. Not in the least dismayed, she +only beamed more broadly, as each of the trio attempted to take her to +task, and refused to commit herself. + +After Jerry had made a substantial repast, she was triumphantly +conducted to her room by Ronny and Marjorie. + +"Have you a kimono or negligee in your bag, Jerry? If you have, put it +on and be comfy. If you haven't, speak now and you can have one of mine. +Captain will be on guard duty in the living room this evening. If any +one calls they won't have the pleasure of seeing us. We are going to +have an old-time talking bee in my house. Come along as soon as you are +ready." + +"I have a kimono in my traveling bag. It has probably acquired about a +thousand wrinkles by this time," returned Jerry. "Wrinkled or no, I +shall hail it with joy. You may expect me at your house in about fifteen +minutes." + +"All right," Marjorie called over her shoulder, as she and Ronny left +Jerry. "Don't be longer than that. Remember we have weighty matters to +discuss this evening. If we began early enough we may have the affairs +of the universe settled before midnight." + +When within the prescribed fifteen minutes Jerry joined her chums, it +was their own personal affairs that came up for discussion. Enough had +happened during the summer in their own little sphere to keep them +talking uninterruptedly all evening. + +"There is one thing we must do before we leave Sanford for college and +that is pass the Lookout Club on to the senior class at Sanford High. +You know we planned to do so when we organized the club, Jeremiah," +Marjorie reminded. + +"That's so," Jerry agreed, "but how do we go about it? If we just hand +it to the senior class, they may not carry it on as we would wish them +to. It was really our own little private club. I'm not crazy to continue +it as a sorority." + +"We ought to, Jerry, just the same. The Lookouts have been a credit to +Sanford High, and the influence we have tried to exert should be carried +on each year by fifteen seniors." Marjorie spoke with conviction. "I +have thought a good deal about it this summer. I believe the best way +for us to do is for each of the Lookouts to propose the name of one +member of the present senior class. As soon as the other girls come home +we will have a meeting. The names of the candidates can be written on +slips of paper and read out to the club in turn. If any one of us +objects to another's choice, she must say so and state her reason. If it +is sufficient, the name will be dropped and the Lookout who proposed it +may propose another." + +"That's a good idea. While we can be trusted, I hope not to pick lemons, +slackers and shirkers, still it makes our choice surer to have it +approved by the gang. So long as we are to be the ones to do the +choosing, I begin to see light." Jerry had begun to show more +enthusiasm. + +"It's really organizing what one might call a new Lookout chapter. We +are the charter members and will continue to run our chapter as we like. +Next year the girls we choose will select their fifteen members for a +new chapter, and so on, indefinitely," said Veronica. + +"We need these new girls, Jerry," Marjorie earnestly pointed out. "We +can't look after the day nursery and go to college, too. While we have +hired help there, and Miss Allison, you know, is always ready to do all +she can to help keep it running smoothly, we need the personal influence +of the seniors at the nursery. There should be two club members to take +their turn each day from four to six, as we did." + +"Who has been looking after that part of it this summer?" Jerry demanded +abruptly, her keen eyes on Marjorie. "I wrote and asked you that and you +never answered my question. You are the one who has probably been making +a slave of yourself at that same nursery while the rest of us have been +having a lovely time." + +"I have been down there twice a week from four to six," Marjorie +replied. "Sometimes Captain went with me. Thanks to _that_ generous +person," she indicated Ronny, "we could afford to engage some one to +amuse the children. Ronny put five hundred dollars in bank for a +vacation fund and never said a single word about it. When she was half +way to California I received a note from Mr. Wendell asking me to call +at the bank. You can imagine what a surprise it was to me. It was fine +in you to think of it, Ronny. The girls were worried, for we found out +that all of the Lookouts except me, were going to be away from Sanford +at about the same time. + +"While we had quite a good deal of money in the treasury we didn't think +of engaging anyone from outside," she continued. "It worked beautifully. +Miss Stratton, a kindergarten teacher, needed the work on account of +having an invalid sister to support. Then, Nellie Wilkins, one of the +mill girls, had been sick for a long time and when she was well enough +to go back to her work as a weaver there was no position for her. She is +a very sweet girl and knows all the children. She was a great help to +Miss Stratton and I would like her to have the position permanently at +the nursery. She knows all the songs and games now that Miss Stratton +taught the children and is the best person one could have there." + +"Whew!" whistled Jerry. "Things have certainly been happening at the +nursery. You are simply splendid, Ronny. You are always thinking of some +way to help people. Just wait until I take my presidential chair as +chief boss of the Lookouts. I will publish your noble deed abroad." + +"If you _don't_, I _will_," emphasized Marjorie. "There isn't much we +can say to tell you how grateful we are to you, Ronny." + +"Don't say anything." A bright flush had risen to Ronny's cheeks. "I +knew the girls would be away. I thought you would be quite apt to worry +about the nursery and spend a lot of time there for conscientious +reasons. I was thinking more of you I presume than the nursery." + +"It was a great relief," Marjorie made honest response. "Besides, it +helped two splendid girls along." + +"Then let it rest at that. Never mind about publishing my, thus-called, +noble deed at a club meeting. I prefer not to let my right hand know +what my left happens to be doing," declared Ronny. "What we must think +of is getting the new Lookout chapter started. We ought to have it +organized by the fifth of September so it will stand on its own feet. +After the fifth you know what a rush there will be. We shall be going to +farewell teas, luncheons and parties. At least I hope so. Last year I +had very good times. This fall things have changed. Now I'd love to +dance and be happy with the crowd of Sanford boys and girls who were so +friendly with me when I was a senior. Marjorie said today, Jerry, that I +was like a butterfly that had won free of the chrysalis. The butterfly +is anxious to spread its wings for a few last delightful flights around +Sanford." + + + + +CHAPTER V.--THE BREAKING UP OF THE OLD GUARD. + + +"This saying good-bye business is growing harrowing," complained Jerry +one hazy September morning. She stood with her chums on the station +platform, waving farewell to Florence Johnston, who was leaving for +Markham College, a western university. "This is the third time for us at +the station this week. Monday it was Mignon, Daisy Griggs and Gertrude +Aldine, all bound for Smith. Wednesday it was Esther, Rita, Susan and +Irma. I am not over the blues yet on account of losing Susan and Irma. I +wish they had chosen Hamilton instead of Wellesley." + +The seven Lookouts still left in Sanford were strolling soberly across +the green station yard to the drive behind the station where Jerry had +parked the Macys' ample touring car. She had elected to drive it that +morning because of its capacity. + +"Harriet and I are going to be the lonesome ones before long," remarked +Constance Stevens, her blue eyes roving somberly from friend to friend. +The private conservatory Constance and Harriet were to enter did not +open until the latter part of October. This would make them the last to +leave Sanford. "It is going to seem awfully queer for us without you +girls, isn't it, Harriet?" + +"Yes." Harriet was looking unduly solemn. "Still we knew long ago that +it would have to come sometime; this breaking up of the old crowd." + +"We must try to be together a lot during vacations. Most of us will be +home for Thanksgiving, and all of us for Christmas and Easter," was +Marjorie's philosophical consolation. + +"Well, we're going to have one last good old frolic at Connie's tonight, +anyway," was Jerry's cheering reminder. + +"I can't come tonight, Constance," Lucy Warner announced in her brusque +fashion. "I must give these last few evenings to Mother. Besides, I +don't feel at home in your crowd when the boys are there. I don't care +much about young men. I never know what to say to them," she added, +coloring slightly. + +"I understand the way you feel about it," Constance returned with a +smile. She had once been visited by the same discomfiture in the first +days of her friendship with Marjorie. The others were laughing at Lucy's +blunt avowal. "I'll forgive you for turning down my party. You know we +would love to have you with us, but if you were not at ease it would be +hard for you." + +"Yes, it would. Much obliged." Lucy's terse agreement provoked fresh +laughter. + +Ronny had promised Marjorie to take Lucy in hand and try to overcome her +objections to entering Hamilton College that fall. Three times she +besieged Lucy before success came. On the third interview, Ronny learned +the real difficulty. Very solemnly Lucy told her the story of the +Observer and her subsequent ingratitude toward Marjorie. Ronny had felt +righteous anger flame within her as she had listened. She had almost +wished she had never offered a scholarship in behalf of such an ingrate. +Her brain clearing of its hasty resentment, she had been visited by the +same divine pity for poor, embittered Lucy that had swayed Marjorie on +the occasion of the Observer confession. + +Very cleverly Ronny had seized upon the confession to move Lucy from her +torturing resolve. She argued that, as it was Marjorie's wish to see +Lucy enter college with herself and friends, she therefore owed it to +Marjorie as an amend honorable. Her point gained, Ronny managed also to +persuade Lucy to accept financial help from her if necessary. This she +reluctantly promised to do, provided she were allowed to repay her young +benefactor when in position to do so. Thus Lucy became the fifth +Lookout, Hamilton-bound, greatly to Marjorie's delight. + +"What you ought to do is practice hanging around with our gang until you +are not the least bit scared at Hal or Laurie or the rest of our boys," +Jerry advised. "They aren't ogres and hob-goblins. There is really +nothing very awe-inspiring about a young man. If you had lived in the +same house with Hal as long as I have, you would know how to talk to him +all right enough." + +"I haven't; therefore I don't," Lucy returned concisely, but with an +open good nature which showed how greatly she had emerged from her shell +since becoming a Lookout. + +"There goes Flora Frisbee," suddenly called out Muriel, as she exchanged +a gay salute with a girl who had just passed in an automobile. + +"Where?" inquired three or four voices. A particularly well liked +senior, Flora had acquired a further high standing with the Lookouts as +the president of the new chapter. + +"Too late. She is out of sight. I just happened to see her as she +flashed by in her brother's roadster. I think she is going to make a +dandy president. Don't you?" + +"The very best." It was Jerry who answered. "I am certainly glad the new +chapter is going so nicely. They have settled down to that nursery +detail like veterans." + +"I was so proud of them that day at Muriel's when we organized the new +chapter," praised Ronny. + +"They did as well as we when we began," commented Muriel. "If only they +keep it up. We picked the best of the seniors." + +Following a meeting at Jerry's home, at which the Lookouts had selected +the candidates for the new chapter, a second meeting had been held at +Muriel's. Each charter Lookout had gallantly escorted her choice there. +Fifteen gratified seniors had listened to the rules of the club and +promised to live up to them. They had pledged themselves to faithfully +carry on the work of their absent elder sisters at the day nursery and +be always ready to help those in need of friendly aid. They had then +capably taken up the pleasant task of electing their officers and +performed it with business-like snap. + +Soon after their organization they had accompanied the charter members +to the nursery and spent a merry afternoon getting acquainted with the +little ones. From then on they had begun their regular duty tours +accompanied, at first, by one of the old guard on each tour. Soon +accustoming themselves to the routine, their elder sisters breathed more +freely and set about attending to their own manifold affairs. + +"We hope we picked fifteen winners. If we didn't we'll soon know it with +a bang. That nursery will run on wheels, minus one trouble maker. Just +one will throw the whole concern up in the air. While I don't doubt our +new sisters, let time do its perfect work. So says Jeremiah. She says +further, get into the car all of you. I'm going to take you straight +home. I'm going to a party tonight and I have no time to waste standing +talking on the corner. There will be young men at that party!" Jerry +dropped her voice to a hoarse melodramatic whisper and stared wildly at +Lucy, chin thrust forward. + +"I can't help that. I--I should worry. I'm no buttinski." Lucy's +unexpected use of slang raised a gale of laughter. + +"I am afraid you learned that from me. You are growing up precautious. +You need a guardian." With this Jerry bundled Lucy into the tonneau of +the machine and turned her over to Marjorie and Muriel who had already +climbed into the car. + +In her usual energetic fashion she proceeded to drive her chums to their +various homes, where she dropped them with scant ceremony. "I know you +are all in a hurry to get home," she sweetly assured them. "If you +aren't, I am. It's all one. Good-bye. Shall I see you this evening? You +had better believe it." + +The informal gathering at Gray Gables would comprise the remaining +Lookouts of the charter and six or seven of the Sanford boys whom +Constance knew best and who were intimate friends of Laurie Armitage's. +Marjorie, in particular, was happy in the invitation. She thought it so +beautiful that Connie, who had known the bitterest want, should be the +hostess at their last frolic, commemorative of their high school days. + +As she dressed for the party that evening, her thoughts traveled back to +the eventful night of the freshman dance when Constance had worn the +blue gown and made her entrance into the social side of high school +under difficulties. At that time she had been a very humble person. Now +she was perhaps the most admired young woman in Sanford on account of +her beautiful voice. Things had changed a good deal in four years for +Connie, Marjorie reflected. She took a special pride in her appearance +that night, not only in honor of Constance, but because she owed it to +herself to look her best on that last happy evening with her friends. + +When Veronica entered Marjorie's house, attired in her white lace +Commencement Day frock, a pale blue evening cape composed of many +ruffles of chiffon hanging over one arm, she found a pensive little +figure in white occupying the pink and white window seat. Marjorie was +also wearing her graduation gown and looking utterly lovely in it. + +"I'm mooning," she announced, turning her curly head as Ronny entered, +her eyes very bright. "It's a perfect night, Ronny. Almost warm enough +to go without a wrap. Hal will be here for us. I forgot to tell you. He +called me on the 'phone yesterday to ask me if he might take us over in +his car." + +Veronica smiled slightly at this frank announcement. It contained not a +trace of self-consciousness. Long ago Ronny had glimpsed Hal Macy's mind +regarding Marjorie. She knew the latter to be the likable young man's +ideal and had seen boyish worship of Marjorie more than once in his +clear blue eyes. She also understood that Marjorie was wholly fancy +free. While she valued Hal as a near friend, any awakening to a deeper +sentiment on her part belonged to a far distant day. + + + + +CHAPTER VI.--THE BOWKNOT OF AFFECTION. + + +That evening as Hal assisted the two girls into the tonneau of the +limousine, he was of the romantic opinion that he had merely persuaded a +couple of stray moonbeams to ride with him. The light of the fair, +increasing moon endowed the duo with a peculiar ethereal beauty which +gave him a feeling of reverence. Girls were mostly like flowers was his +boyish comparison. The most beautiful flower of them all was Marjorie. +Someday he would dare tell her so, but not for a long time. + +Arrived at Gray Gables Hal had no further opportunity to "moon." The +rest of the company had arrived and were impatiently awaiting them. The +limousine had hardly come to a stop on the drive when out of the house +they trooped, shouting the Sanford and Weston High School yells by way +of welcome. Danny Seabrooke and the Crane then broke into the "Stars and +Stripes" on mouth organs. Miles Burton rattled out a lively +accompaniment on little Charlie Stevens' toy drum. + +"I had no idea I was so popular." Hal bowed his thanks to the noisy +musicians. + +"You are not," the Crane hastened to inform him. "That choice selection +we just rendered was in honor of the girls. Don't credit yourself with +everything. It's horribly conceited." + +"I'm glad you named it as a 'selection,'" Hal made scathing retort. + +"What, may I ask, would you name it?" queried Danny with a dangerous +affability. + +"Making night hideous, or, a disgraceful racket, or, the last +convulsions of a would-be jazz band. Any little appellation like that +would be strictly appropriate." Hal beamed ironically on the three. +"Nice little drummer boy you have there." + +Supposedly offended, Danny could not repress a loud snicker at this +fling. Miles Burton stood six feet, minus shoes. With Charlie's toy drum +strung round his neck on a narrow blue ribbon, he was distinctly +mirth-inspiring. + +"Throw any more remarks like that about me and you'll find out my real +disposition," warned Miles in a deep bass growl. + +"Come ladies; let us hasten on before trouble overtakes us--me, I mean. +Back, varlets. Grab your instruments of torture and begone." Hal grandly +motioned the objectionable varlets out of the way. + +"That's what I say," called Jerry from the top step. "For once I agree +with Hal. Let the girls come up on the porch, can't you? You four +sillies can stay outside and rave. Notice how well Laurie and Harry are +behaving. Try to be a little like them, if you can." + +"You can't know them as I do," rumbled Miles. + +"No; I _guess not_," emphasized Hal. "Well, I'd rather be called a silly +than a varlet." + +"That will do from all of you." Jerry ran down the steps and with a few +energetic waves of the arms drove the masculine half of the guests up +onto the brightly-lighted veranda. There the entire company lingered to +talk, presently strolling into the long old-fashioned drawing room which +Constance used for dancing purposes when entertaining her friends. + +"Be happy and make yourselves at home," she said in her pretty, graceful +fashion. "Father and Uncle John will soon be here to play for us. They +are helping Mr. Beaver, the leader of the Sanford orchestra, organize +some of the Sanford working boys into an orchestra. It's a fine idea. I +think Father and Uncle John will help him all they can whenever they are +at home." + +Marjorie cast a quick, inquiring look toward Constance. Her eyes +luminous with affection, she asked: "Has it come at last, Connie?" + +"Yes, Marjorie," Constance answered, in a proud, happy tone. "I would +like you to know," she continued, turning to the others, "that Uncle +John is to be a first violin in Father's symphony orchestra. You can +understand just how glad we feel about it." + +Connie's news met with an echoing shout. All present cherished the +warmest regard for gentle Uncle John, who had ever been so willing to +play for them. Far removed from poverty, he had gradually regained the +lost faculty of memory and could now be relied upon for symphony work. + +"Oh, just wait until he gets home!" promised Hal. "Won't he get a +reception, though?" + +"Surest thing in the world!" Laurie's dark blue eyes were darker from +emotion. Laurie had known for a very long time that, if Constance's +adopted family were not his own, some future day, it would not be his +fault. + +"That explains why we haven't seen Charlie," smiled Marjorie. "He is +actually helping, at last, to organize a big band. I meant to ask for +him. There was so much sarcasm being hurled back and forth, my voice +would have been lost in the uproar," she slyly added. + +"He took his violin and music. The music was a lot of old stray song +sheets. He will play them and put everyone out, if he has a chance," +Constance predicted with an infectious little giggle. + +The entrance of Miss Allison into the drawing room brought the young +folks to their feet. Her fondness for youth made her a welcome addition +at their parties. She particularly enjoyed Danny Seabrooke's antics and +the sham penalties they invariably brought on him. + +"You young gentlemen will soon be leaving for college as well as our +girls," she remarked to Hal. "I am glad Laurie has decided to go through +college before making music his profession. He really needs the college +training. Constance, on the contrary, will do as well to begin her +training for grand opera at once. She must study Italian and Spanish. +That, with her vocal practice, will keep her fully occupied. How I shall +miss my boys and girls! They have been life to me." Miss Allison's +delicate features saddened unconsciously. + +A muffled sob, too realistic to be genuine, rent the air at her right. +Her sad expression vanished as her eyes lighted upon the mourner. +Slumped into the depths of a big velvet chair, Danny was struggling +visibly with his sorrowful emotions. + +"To see us all here tonight, who would dream of the parting to come so +soon-n; s-o s-o-o-o-on-n!" he wailed, covering his freckled, +grief-stricken countenance with both hands. No one arising to assuage +his sorrow, his gurgles and sobs grew louder. + +"Won't some one please choke off that bellow?" Laurie viewed the +perpetrator of the melancholy sounds with a cold, unrelenting eye. + +"_De_-lighted." Hal rose from a seat on the davenport beside Marjorie +and advanced with threatening deliberation upon Danny. + +"You needn't mind. I am getting used to the idea of parting now." The +"bellow" ceased like magic. Danny spoke in a small, sad voice that might +have belonged to a five-year-old girl. "Soon I shall be able to +contemplate it without a single tear. I could part from _you_," he +suddenly recovered his own voice, "or that ruffian of an Armitage, and +smile; yes, sir; actually _smile_. I'd rather part at any time, and from +anybody than to be murderously 'choked off' by you two bullies." + +Danny hastily arose, after this defiant declaration, and retreated to +the lower end of the room. Crowding himself into a small rocking chair +belonging to Charlie, he rocked and smirked at Hal, who had followed him +to the chair and now stood over him. + +"Move back a trifle, Mr. Macy. I refuse to be responsible for other +people's shins. I have all I can do to take care of my own. If I were to +kick you, _accidentally_, I should be _so_ sorry!" + +"Oh, undoubtedly! Wouldn't you, though?" Bending, with one swift +movement of the arm, Hal upset the rocker and its grinning occupant. +"Now will you be good?" he inquired sarcastically. Leaving the +struggling wag to right himself, Hal strolled back to Marjorie. + +The room rang with laughter at Danny's upheaval, nor did it lessen as he +went through a series of ridiculous attempts to rise from the floor. In +the midst of the fun Charlie Stevens marched into the drawing room, his +little leather violin case tucked importantly under one arm, his music +under the other. Behind him were Mr. Stevens and John Roland. + +"What for is he doing to my chair?" Charlie asked very severely. + +"He's trying to part with it, Charlie, and he's either stuck in it or +pretending he is," Harry Lenox replied to the youngster. + +"You mustn't ever sit in a chair that don't look like you, Danny," +reproved Charlie. "That chair looks like me. You ought to know better." + +This was too much for the erring Daniel. With a shout of mirth he +slipped free of the chair, and, catching up the little boy, swung him to +his shoulder. "You're the funniest little old kid on creation!" he +exclaimed. + +"That's what I think," returned Charlie, with an innocent complacency +that again brought down the house. From that on Charlie divided honors +with Uncle John, who was due to receive the sincere congratulations of +the young folks he had so often made happy by his music. To see the +white-haired, patient-faced old musician surrounded by his young friends +was a sight that Miss Allison never forgot. When, a little later, she +led Charlie from the room, bedward bound, there was thankfulness in her +heart because she had found the lonely people of the Little Gray House +in time. + +With the musicians on the scene, dancing was promptly begun and +continued unflaggingly until a late supper was served in the dining +room. There a surprise awaited Marjorie. While the company were engaged +in eating the dessert, she had a dim idea that something unusual was +pending. She dismissed it immediately as a vague fancy. + +Next she became aware that a silence had settled down upon the supper +party. Then Hal Macy rose from his chair and said in his clear, direct +tones: "I am going to read you a little tribute to a very good friend of +ours. I know you will agree with me that Marjorie Dean is largely +responsible for a great many pleasant times we have enjoyed since we +have known her. By that I mean, not only the merry evenings we have +spent at her home, but the happiness that has been ours because of her +fine influence. As well as I could, for I am no poet, I have tried to +put our sentiments into verse. While the meter may be faulty, the +inspiration is flawless." + +Applause greeted this frank, graceful little preamble. When it had +subsided, Hal read his verses. They fitly expressed, to the amazed, and +all but overcome, subject of them, the strength of her friends' +devotion. When he had finished she had no words with which to reply. She +was grateful for the fresh round of approbation that began. It gave her +time to force back her tears. She did not wish to break down if she +could help it. She felt that she owed it to Hal to thank him with a +smile. + +Hardly had quiet been restored when Constance took the floor. In her +right hand she held an oblong box of white velvet. When she began to +speak, it was directly to Marjorie. + +"What Hal has said to you, tonight, Marjorie, is so true and beautiful +that I couldn't better it if I tried. He has expressed just the way we +feel about you, and what your sunny, dear influence has been to us. We +are afraid that someday you may run away and leave us, so we wish to tie +you to us with a bowknot of affection." + +Constance flitted the length of the table and around the end to the side +opposite from her seat. Pausing behind Marjorie's chair, she slid a bare +white arm over her chum's shoulder and gently dropped the velvet box in +front of her. + +"I--I think I am going to cry," quavered Marjorie, "and I don't--want--to. +Please--I--don't think--I--deserve----" + +"I would advise you not to weep, Marjorie, or you may be treated as I +was," warned Danny's bland tones. "It's not safe to sob around here." + +Marjorie gave a half tremulous giggle that was the forerunner of +recovery. Her tears checked, her hands trembled as she opened the white +velvet box. Then her emotion became that of sheer wonder. Resting on its +satin bed gleamed a string of graduated pearls from which hung a pearl +pendant in the form of a bowknot. + +"What made you do this?" she faltered. "It isn't _I_ who have ever done +anything to make you happy. It's _you_ who have done everything to make +me happy. I don't know what to say, only you are all so dear to me and +thank you." + +Constance standing beside Marjorie, an arm over her shoulder, Marjorie +turned and childishly hid her flushed face in the frills of Connie's +white organdie gown. While her thoughts were far from collected, she was +experiencing a gladness of spirit because Constance could thus be her +refuge at a time of overwhelming happiness. + + + + +CHAPTER VII.--ON THE THRESHOLD. + + +The day after Constance's party brought Marjorie her General. With her +father at home, after a lengthy absence, the sorrow of leaving her dear +ones came forward again. Marjorie tried earnestly to keep all locked +within and succeeded in a measure. Her General was not blind to the +situation, however, and exerted himself on all occasions to keep his +somewhat sober-faced lieutenant in good spirits. + +On the morning of the day before Marjorie's departure for college, he +announced his firm intention to help her pack. Nor did he swerve for an +instant from his self-imposed duty. Breakfast over, he chased the +lieutenant, screaming with laughter, up the stairs, landing in the +middle of her "house" with a flying leap which an acrobat might have +envied. + +Regardless of his giggling daughter's ideas on the subject of packing, +he swept down upon whatever lay nearest at hand and stowed it into one +of the two open trunks. His efforts at being helpful were brief. Three +determined pairs of hands intercepted his bold attempt to safely caché a +small taboret, a large embroidered doyley, a satin chair cushion, a cut +glass scent bottle and a Japanese vase. The energetic general's services +were summarily dispensed with. He was banished from the room and the +door shut in his face with a bang. In less than fifteen minutes he +announced his return by a tattoo which threatened demolishment to the +door. He was not re-admitted until he had given his word not to meddle +with the packing. When Marjorie cautiously opened the door to him she +found him staggering under a load of pasteboard boxes. He dumped them at +her feet with a bow so profound that he all but stood on his head. + +"There you are, unfeeling child!" he exclaimed. "How shocking to have a +daughter who doesn't scruple to turn her poor old father out of her +house!" + +"Well, I let you into my house again, didn't I? Just please recall why +you were turned out." Marjorie clasped both arms about her father's neck +and swung on him gleefully. No one could be the least bit sad when +General elected to be funny. Mrs. Dean and Ronny had already busied +themselves with straightening the pile of boxes which had scattered when +dumped to the floor. + +"It's a good thing for you that you did," retorted Mr. Dean +significantly. "I might have gone away from the door and never NEVER +have come back again. Then think what you would have missed." + +"Oh, you would have had to come back sometime," was the serene +assurance, as Marjorie plumped down on the floor to explore her +newly-acquired riches. + +They were all the heart of a girl could wish. One box contained a white +chiffon evening scarf, thickly embroidered with tiny pink daisies. It +draped itself in graceful folds to the waist, the ends reaching to the +hem of her gown. Another held a white velour sports coat, the cut and +design of it being particularly smart. From another box tumbled a dozen +pairs of kid gloves. There was also a box of silk hosiery, another of +fine linen handkerchiefs with butterfly and bowknot corners, her +favorite designs, a box of engraved monogrammed stationery, and a pair +of black satin evening slippers. + +One long wide box she had left until the last. The lid removed and the +folds of white tissue paper lifted, Marjorie breathed a little "Oh!" She +stared in admiration at an exquisite evening frock of delicately shaded +Chinese crêpe. It might have represented a spring dawn, shading as it +did from creamy white to pale, indeterminate violet, and from violet to +faintest pink. It was fashioned with a cunning simplicity of design +which made it of the mode, yet strikingly individual. About the hem of +the skirt, around the square neck and short sleeves and on the ends of +the separate sash trailed shadowy clusters of violets, stamped upon the +crêpe with an art known only to the Chinese. + +"Where did you find it, General?" she gasped, as she held up the lovely, +shimmering frock for her captain and Ronny to see. "I never expected to +own a dream gown like this." + +"It is a spring poem in shades," declared Ronny, lightly touching an end +of the sash. "I can guess where it came from. Only a high-grade Chinese +bazaar could furnish a gown of its kind. There are a few such shops west +of the Mississippi. I never saw a gown so beautiful as this one even in +San Francisco." + +"It did not come from a shop. A Chinese merchant sent to China for it as +a gift to Marjorie. In Denver I have a good friend, Mah Waeo, the last +of an ancient Chinese house. He looks like an Eastern nobleman in carved +ivory. He is a fine elderly man of irreproachable business and social +reputation. He is a tea merchant and has great wealth. He lives very +simply and spends most of his business gains in trying to educate and +uplift his own people. We have been fast friends for fifteen years." + +"I am familiar with that type of Chinese," Ronny spoke eagerly. "At +home, Father and I have a good Chinese friend, too; Sieguf Tah. He lives +alone on the smallest of his fruit ranches and acts as a benevolent +father to all the China boys around there. The China boys, as they like +to be called, are faithful, wise, intelligent and industrious. Best of +all, they are strictly honest." + +"I hope Mah Waeo will sometime make us a visit. I suppose you must have +often invited him, General. He was a perfect dear to take such pains for +a present for me." Marjorie raised a radiant face to her father. "All +this is about the nicest surprise you ever gave me. I can't help liking +my spring poem gown best of all. I shall write to Mah Waeo and tell him +so and ask him myself to please make us a visit someday." + +"I don't see how we are going to pack all these new treasures in your +two trunks," Mrs. Dean practically interposed. "We shall have to do some +skilful managing." + +"They simply all _must_ go," decreed Marjorie. "I couldn't leave one +behind." + +"Which reminds me that I have something for you and Captain which I +brought from the Golden West and have been saving until an appropriate, +moment. With your gracious permission, I will retire and return anon, as +the old-style novelists loved to write." + +Attired in a full, half-fitted morning gown of soft white silk, Ronny +spread her arms, bowed down to the floor, East Indian fashion, and made +a quick backward exit from the room. + +"I am going to make Ronny dance for us tonight," planned Marjorie. "She +isn't going to pack that frock she has on. It will be a perfect dancing +costume. We will have a little home party tonight; just the four of us. +No; five. I want Delia to be with us, too. I've grown up under Delia's +wing. She has always worked so hard to do her best for me whenever I +have had a party, and she's been so good to me in all ways." + +"By all means let us have Delia at our party," heartily indorsed Mr. +Dean. "I shall ask her to dance the minuet with me. Do you think there +will be music? I hope some one will be able to play a minuet fit to be +heard. Did I hear you say that you had practised occasionally this +summer?" + +"No, you didn't, you old tease!" Marjorie sprang to her feet and made a +rush at her general. + +"Careful! I'm very fragile," he protested. Then he caught her in his +strong arms and held her close. Her face buried against his shoulder, +Marjorie knew that her father had loosed one arm from around her and +drawn Captain into the circle of it + +Thus Veronica found them when she returned with her love offerings. She +halted in the doorway, her face alight with tenderness for these three +who had succeeded more nearly than any other persons she had ever known +in living the ideal family life. + +In her hand Ronny held two small black leather cases. The one contained +a ring of pure gold, artistically chased with a running vine, and set +with one large, perfect sapphire. This was intended for Marjorie. For +Mrs. Dean she had bought a gold and pearl pin of ancient Peruvian +handiwork. Both pieces of jewelry were from an old Spanish collection. +She had bought them at a private sale in San Leandro for her friends and +now delighted to add her tribute to Marjorie's happiness. + +Standing very still in the doorway, her eyes meditatively sought the +cases in her hand. Then she turned and stole noiselessly away from the +little scene of adoration. Ronny knew that Marjorie was taking her real +farewell of her general and captain. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII.--THE FIVE TRAVELERS. + + +"Hamilton, did you say? Lead me to it." Jerry Macy opened her eyes and +peered through the car window with revived interest. For an hour or more +she had been leaning back against the high green plush car seat dozing +lightly. It was now five o'clock in the afternoon and active Jerry was +feeling the strain of sitting still, hour after hour. + +"No; I didn't say Hamilton." Muriel gently tweaked Jerry's ear. "Wake +up, sleepy head. That station we just passed was Harcourt Hill. What +comes next?" Muriel opened a time table and frowningly perused it. "It's +hard to remember the names of these little stations. Now where was I at? +Oh, yes; Harcourt Hill. Next comes Palmer; then Tresholme. After that, +West Hamilton, and then Hamilton. Hamilton is the first stop this +express makes, thank goodness!" + +"Muriel, you have really been invaluable to us on this journey. Allow me +to decorate you." Ronny leaned forward and pinned a huge lace-paper +rosette on the obliging Lookout. "Wear this for my sake." + +While Muriel had been industriously engaged in calling out the stations, +Ronny had hastily ripped a piece of decorative lace-paper from a half +emptied box of candied fruit, which the travelers had shared, and busied +herself with it. The result of her effort she now generously tendered +Muriel. + +"I will--not." Muriel intercepted the rosette before it found a place on +the lapel of her brown taffeta traveling coat and crumpled it in her +hand. "No such decorations for me when I'm so near Hamilton. Suppose I +forgot about it and wore it off the train. Some college wag would be +sure to see it and post me in the grind book. Freshmen are good material +for grinds. Remember that and keep your old rosettes out of sight." + +"What would be written about you?" asked Lucy Warner curiously. "I can't +see anything in that to write about." + +"Don't think for a minute that enough couldn't be found in one foolish +old paper rosette to make me feel silly for a half term, at least. I +don't know what the method of teasing me would be. I do know that I am +not going to give strange students a chance to try it." + +"Then I shall hardly dare answer anyone, even if I am first addressed." +Lucy fixed her green eyes on Muriel with an expression of alarm. + +Muriel burst out laughing as she met the steady stare. She had never +taken prim Lucy seriously. Lucy's austere solemnity always had an +hilarious effect on keen-witted Muriel. Coupled with a direct stare from +those peculiar greenish eyes, Muriel invariably felt a strong desire to +laugh when in her presence. As a result, there was no strain between the +two, as was the case with the majority of the Lookouts and Lucy. + +"You had better be very, _very_ careful," warned Muriel with simulated +cautiousness. + +"I intend to be. I may not even speak to you, once I am on the campus," +was the retort. + +"Oh, it will be safe to speak to me," Muriel assured. "You may even +speak to others when you are spoken to and be safe. You are not strictly +of the information-bureau type. Don't worry about being afraid of the +Hamiltonites. They will probably stand in awe of you." + +"What is all this advice you are giving Lucy?" From across the aisle +Marjorie leaned toward the quartette in the double seat. "Since it was +my turn to be exiled across the aisle, I've lost a lot of pearls of +speech." + +As only four could occupy the double seat, the five girls had arranged +on entraining, to take turns sitting in the seat opposite their own. +This was somewhat lonely for the fifth member of the party. The +exclusive isolation of the chair car had not found favor with them. They +preferred the more democratic day coach where they could be together. +While Marjorie could catch little of Muriel's remarks to Lucy, she knew +by the half-amused smile on Lucy's face that she was being chaffed and +enjoying it. + +"Oh, I am simply reassuring Lucy. Now that we are almost in sight of our +Mecca, she is beginning to be scared." + +"A nice kind of reassurance," scoffed Lucy. "She just finished telling +me the grind hunters would lie in wait for me and to look out for them." + +"We'll protect you, Lucy," promised Marjorie lightly. "When we leave the +train we will walk two on each side of you. Then you will be safe +from----" + +"Stretch-your-necks, wags and grind hunters," supplied Jerry, now +sufficiently aroused to join in the conversation. + +"Something like that. So glad to have you with us again, Jeremiah. We +must have bored you terribly or you wouldn't have gone to sleep." +Marjorie had adopted Muriel's methods. + +"Oh, I can't say I was bored more than usual," drawled Jerry, with a +languid wave of her hand. "You are all about the same as ever. No relief +in sight before next June. I must do the best I can. In the words of +good old Proffy Fontaine: 'No wan can do mo-rr-rr!'" Jerry's imitation +of the sorely-tried French professor evoked a chorus of reminiscent +giggles. + +"Much obliged for your high opinion of our society," said Veronica. "All +we can do is to trail around after you, hopeful that someday you will +discover how brilliant we really are." + +"You may hope," graciously permitted Jerry. "If I discover signs of +brilliancy sprouting in any of you, I'll let you know instantly. I won't +keep the precious knowledge to myself. There's nothing stingy about me." + +"Thank you, thank you," was the united, grateful answer, ending in a +burst of low-toned laughter which caused several older persons to smile +indulgently upon the bevy of merry-faced girls. + +Nine o'clock that morning had seen the five travelers to Hamilton +playing their parts at the Sanford station, surrounded by their families +and a number of devoted friends. It was not a large crowd that had +gathered at the nine-twenty train, but it was a loyal one. + +Marjorie had felt very sad and solemn during that last brief wait for +the train which was to bear her from home and her own. When it had +arrived she had made brave farewells to her captain and general. She had +fought hard to keep a smile on her face. Complete control of her +emotions returned from a sudden mishap to Jerry. An unexpected jarring +of the train threw Jerry off her balance as she was about to deposit a +traveling bag in the rack above her head. With a forward lurch, she +described a wavering semi-circle in the air with the bag. Banging it +down on Muriel's lap, she sprawled helplessly between Muriel and +Veronica. + +Her timely spill turned the tide of mourning into mirth. Marjorie forgot +her sadness, for the time being, in listening with laughter to Jerry's +scathing remarks on the subject of trains. + +Now, after the greater part of the day spent on the cars, the somewhat +tired Lookouts were nearing their journey's end. Fifteen minutes and the +town of Hamilton would be reached. Marjorie was wondering, as she idly +glimpsed the passing scenery from the car window, if there were many +other Hamilton-bound girls on the train. There were only one or two +young girls besides her party in the car they were occupying. + +"West Hamilton, children," announced Muriel oracularly. "Observe, if you +please, the charming beauty of this little burg." She took on the tone +of a hired guide. "One of the most picturesque spots in the United +States. We will pretend it is, anyway." + +"Nothing like having a vivid imagination," murmured Ronny. + +"Quite true Miss Lynne," beamed Muriel. "So glad you appreciate my +abilities. You are so different in that respect from some girls." She +fixed a significant eye upon Jerry, who merely grinned lazily. "Before I +go further in expiating on the scenery of this place, one quarter, +please, all around. You pay me another quarter after you've seen the +town. Just recall that it takes breath and patience to be a successful +guide." + +"Yes, I guess so," scoffed Jerry. "Kindly tell me where you get the word +_guide_ as applying to you. A guide is one who guides. All your guiding +is done in your mind. I wouldn't pay ten cents to see this town at +present. I can see it later for nothing. On to Hamilton! That's my +watchword." + +"I couldn't see much of it, guide or no guide," remarked Lucy. "The +train went so fast, I'm amazed that Muriel could see it well enough to +describe the scenery." + +"That's something we will let Guide Muriel explain before she collects +any of our precious quarters," decreed Jerry. + +"I'll do no explaining, and don't you call me Guide Muriel. Start that +and it will stick to me. I can't shake it off as I did that old rosette. +I see that you and Ronny are determined to make trouble for me. I think +I had better keep very quiet from now on." + +"Just think what a restful time we might all have had if you had only +decided to do that an hour or two earlier," declared Jerry regretfully. +"As it is, we are so tired. I suppose you must be tired, too?" She +beamed questioningly on Muriel, who beamed on her in satirical return, +wholly unabashed. + +"We are five weary travelers," said Veronica, "about to be dumped down +in the strange country of college." + +"I like that idea," approved Lucy Warner, with the sudden crispness +which marked her speech. "I like to fancy us as five travelers in the +country of college. We might call ourselves that." Her eyes darkened +with the interest of her own suggestion. "I mean, just in private. There +is a certain touch of romance about it that pleases me." + +"I like it, too, Lucy," commended Muriel. "I know something we could do +as the five travelers, too. Once a week we could meet in one another's +rooms, in the evening, and we could each tell how everything has been +for us during the week. Whatever happens, we could agree to keep +strictly to ourselves until then. That is, unless it were something that +had to be settled at once. In that way we would be certain to keep clear +of any silly misunderstandings among ourselves. Close friends that we +are, none of us is infallible, you know. We know we are not going to +quarrel, of course, but a misunderstanding is different. It crops up +when you least expect it." + +"I'm filled with admiration for you, clever Muriel," praised Veronica. +"I wish you hadn't ruined that pretty rosette I made you. I would +decorate you all over again. Shall we become the United Order of the +Five Travelers? We shall. Our rooms will serve as a wayside inn where we +shall gather to tell our tales of joy, woe or adventure. Do tell +Marjorie about it. There she sits by her sweet little self, with no idea +of the great work going on under her very nose. Here, I'll tell her +myself." + +Slipping past Muriel, Ronny crossed the aisle and touched Marjorie on +the shoulder. Unable to hear with comfort what was being said by her +chums, Marjorie had briefly leaned back in her chair and closed her +eyes. The excitement of the day was beginning to tell on her. She was +feeling dispirited. What a long time it had been since she had said +good-bye to Captain and General! And yet it was now only late afternoon +of the same day. + +"Move over," genially ordered Ronny. "I've something to report, +Lieutenant, and only about five minutes to report it in. We are in sight +of the fateful town of Hamilton." + +Marjorie obeyed the order, brightening visibly at Ronny's invasion. "I +saw you four with your heads together," she returned. "I knew something +was stirring." + +"I beg to inform you that you are now a member of the United Order of +the Five Travelers," Ronny announced, dropping her arm over Marjorie's +shoulder. Rapidly she repeated what had been talked over across the +aisle. Marjorie listened in absorption. Her quick brain instantly +grasped the value of the project from its ethical side. It would be good +for all of them, she thought, to have these little confidence sessions. +It would be the very best thing in the world for Lucy. + +"Hamilton! Hamil-lton-n-n!" The stentorian call echoed through the car. +Their interest centered on the new idea, both girls were startled by the +brakeman's loud tones. + +"I must gather up my luggage." Ronny sprang up and hurriedly sought her +own seat with: "More later about the Five Travelers." + +Marjorie nodded and began mechanically to gather up her own luggage. It +consisted of a suit case and a smart leather hand bag across the aisle. +The box of candied fruit, presented to her by Mr. La Salle, was going +the rounds for the last time. It had been mischievously started by +Muriel and smilingly declined by three canny freshmen. + +"You don't catch me marching out of the train with my mouth full of +candy, looking as though I were about seven years old," was Jerry's +decided stand. "Go ahead. Eat some yourself, Muriel." + +"I don't think it would be polite to eat all of Marjorie's candy," +declined Muriel. + +"The delicate consideration of that girl! Ahem! Here's your candy, Sweet +Marjoram." Reaching over, Jerry deposited it on Marjorie's seat. "Now +for a first timid look at Collegeburg!" As the train began to slow down +for a dead stop, Jerry peered curiously out of the car window. + +From her own window, Marjorie was also casting her first glances at the +Hamilton station. Like the stations of exclusive suburban towns, +adjacent to large cities, this one had two separate station buildings; +one for outgoing and the other for incoming trains. The two connected by +a stone passage-way underneath, ascent or descent made possible by a +short flight of stone steps at each end of the passage. + +As it happened, Marjorie had been sitting on the side of the car that +faced toward the outgoing trains. In consequence, her first impression +of Hamilton was a blank. She had expected to see groups of girls in +white and light-colored gowns walking up and down the platform. She had +looked forward to a scene of moving color and young life. Now all she +saw was a platform, empty save for an elderly man, who was leading a +little boy of perhaps five or six years along it. This surely was not +the Hamilton of her dreams. + + + + +CHAPTER IX.--A DISAPPOINTMENT AND A FRIEND. + + +A moment later she was moving out of the train with her chums, smiling +over her recent flat sense of disappointment. A glance out of a window +on the opposite side of the car had proved reassuring. On the platform +toward which she and her friends were directing their steps were girls +in abundance. + +"Look at the mob!" Jerry made this low-tone exclamation over her +shoulder as she went down the car steps. + +Soon the Five Travelers had left the car behind them and become a part +of the throng on the station platform. Unconsciously they drew together +in a compact, little bunch, somewhat as a quintette of homeless kittens +might have done, who had been thrown out on a very big, inhospitable +world to wonder what was going to happen to them next. + +There they continued to stand for at least three minutes, each busily +forming her own opinions of this particular feature of college life. Two +girls who had left the train just ahead of them had already been pounced +upon by a group of their friends and whisked off the platform. At the +right of them a tall, dignified girl in glasses was shaking hands warmly +with three welcoming friends. She looked as though she might be a +senior. It was not until long afterward that Marjorie learned that she +was a prospective freshman who failed ignominiously in her entrance +examinations and left Hamilton, disconsolate. + +The longer they stood and watched what went on around them, the more it +became enforced upon them that there was a welcome for everyone but +themselves. + +"I am afraid they didn't get our telegram," commented Jerry, with a +degree of sarcasm that bespoke her contempt for everything she had ever +heard or read of college hospitality and tradition. + +"Our telegram? Why, did you send a----? Oh, I see." Muriel Harding +shrewdly surveyed the scene before her, a glint of belligerence in her +eyes. + +"Of course I didn't send a telegram. Can't you tell when I am sarcastic? +I supposed I was extremely sarcastic just then. I'll have to try again." +The fact of being ignored by the upper class students of Hamilton had +not disturbed Jerry's ever ready sense of humor. + +"Come on, girls." Ronny spoke almost authoritatively. "We know our +destination is Wayland Hall and it is on the campus. We can find a +taxicab easily enough. We don't have to wait for a reception committee, +apparently not on duty today." + +"Shades of the Students' Aid where art thou?" declaimed Marjorie, the +tiniest touch of satire in the remark. + +"Humph! I must say that I am not so particular about that minus welcome. +Fortunately we are neither children nor idiots. I think we can find our +way without any help." + +With this sturdy assertion Jerry lifted her suitcase from the platform +and gazed defiantly about her. The others followed her example, and the +five girls headed for a short set of stone steps at the back of the +platform which formed an exit from the station premises. In order to +reach the steps they had to wind their way in and out of the groups of +young women which filled the platform. Several pairs of bright eyes were +turned on them for the conventional, well-bred second, yet none came +forward to speak to them. + +As Veronica had predicted, it was no trouble to find a taxicab. Two or +three dark blue cabs, belonging to the railroad company, were drawn up +in the open space behind the station. Selecting the first one they came +to, Veronica gave the driver the address, and the Five Travelers stepped +into the automobile. + +As they drove out of the station yard they passed a large gray car +driving in. It was filled to overflowing with girls, all of them in high +spirits. Marjorie noted as the car glided by her that the girl at the +wheel was particularly attractive. Even a passing glance revealed that +fact. A little ache tugged at her heart. It seemed rather hard that they +should have been so utterly ignored. + +"Now that I've seen some of these dear little children of our Alma +Mater, I'm better pleased with myself than ever. Let me tell you one +thing and that isn't two," Jerry paused impressively, "they need +reforming badly. But don't you ask me to tackle the job. I feel in my +aristocratic bones that I owe it to myself to be very exclusive this +year; and _I am going to be it_." + +"I don't care to know anyone except you girls." Lucy Warner looked +almost pleased at the prospect of forming no new acquaintances at +college. + +"I don't like the idea of being slighted," Muriel complained. "I can't +say that I expected to have a fuss made over me. Still, we Lookouts have +been at the head of things so much in Sanford High that it hurts to be +passed by entirely. Besides, I wish to like college. I would not be +content to go on all year without meeting _some_ pleasant girls with +whom I could be friendly. You know what I mean." + +Muriel looked almost appealingly about her. The five girls had tucked +themselves into the tonneau of the machine, three on the main seat and +two occupying the small chair-like stools opposite. Her eyes rested last +on Marjorie whose meditative expression promised support. + +Thus far, none of the travelers had paid the slightest attention to the +clean, well laid out town of Hamilton through which they were passing. +They were too wholly concerned at the utter lack of courtesy which had +been accorded them. It brushed Veronica least of all. Her experience of +the previous year had made her case-hardened. While Lucy was not anxious +to make new acquaintances, she did not like to see the others ignored. +Jerry, Muriel and Marjorie had, however, been cut to the quick. + +"I feel queer over it," was Marjorie's candid admission. "It is just as +though some one had given poor old Hamilton College a hard slap. It is +not according to the tradition of any really fine college to forego +hospitality. Why, you will recall, Ronny, Miss Archer was telling us +that one of the oldest traditions of Hamilton was 'Remember the stranger +within thy gates.' I thought that so beautiful. Different girls I know, +who have gone to college, have told me that there was always a committee +of students to meet the principal trains and make things comfortable for +entering freshmen. + +"We didn't go about matters scientifically," Jerry asserted. "We should +have seen to it that the railroad company posted a large bulletin in +front of the station announcing us something like this: 'Sanford High +School takes pleasure in announcing the arrival at Hamilton, on the +five-fifty train, of the following galaxy of shining stars: Veronica +Browning Lynne, Millionairess; Lucy Eleanor Warner, Valedictorian, i. +e., extra brilliant; Muriel Harding, Howling Beauty and Basketball +Artist; Marjorie Dean, Marvelous Manager of Everyone; Jeremiah Macy, +Politician and Fat Girl. A full turn out of all college societies and +classes is requested in order to fitly welcome this noted quintette. +Orchestra take notice. Brass Band must be present in dress uniform.'" + +Jerry drew a long breath as she concluded, then giggled softly as the +absurdity of her own conception struck her. + +"Honestly, Jerry Macy, you are the limit. Do you or do you not care that +nobody has cared enough for us to show us the ordinary college +courtesies?" Muriel's question was half laughing, half vexed. + +"Oh, I am not made of wood," Jerry retorted. "Still I am not so grieved +that I won't be able to eat my dinner, provided the doors of Wayland +Hall aren't slammed in our faces. By the way, what does this town look +like? I have been so busy with our united sorrows that I forgot to +inspect it." + +Jerry turned her attention to the broad, smooth street through which the +taxicab was passing. They were traveling through the prettiest part of +Hamilton, the handsome stone residences on each side of the street with +the close-cropped stretches of lawn, denoting the presence of luxury. +Against the vivid green of the grass, scarlet sage flaunted its gorgeous +color in carefully laid out bed or border. Cannas, dahlias and caladiums +lent tropical effect to middle-state topography. Here and there the +early varieties of garden chrysanthemums were in bloom, their pink, +white and bronze beauty adding to the glorious color schemes which +autumn knows best how to paint. Nor did the little piles of fallen +leaves that dotted the lawns, brown heaps against the green, detract +from the picture. + +Continuing for some distance along the street which was now claiming +their attention, the car turned into another street, equally ornamental. +Soon they noticed that the houses were growing farther apart and more +after the fashion of country estates. There were immense sweeps of +velvety lawn, shaded by trees large and small of numerous variety. The +residences, too, were veritable castles. Situated far back from the +thoroughfare, they were often just visible through their protecting +leafy screen. + +"We can't be far from Hamilton." It was Veronica who broke the brief +silence that had fallen on them as their appreciative eyes took in the +beauty spread lavishly along their route. "The Hamilton bulletin says +the college is a little over two miles from the station. These beautiful +country houses, that we have been passing, belong to what is called the +Hamilton Estates, I imagine. The bulletin speaks of the Hamilton Estates +in describing the college, you know." + +"Yes; it said that Brooke Hamilton, the founder of Hamilton College, +once owned all the country around here. One of these estates is called +Hamilton Arms," supplemented Marjorie. "It said so little about this +Brooke Hamilton. I would have liked to know more of his history. He must +have been a true gentleman of the old school. It mentions that many of +the finest traditions of Hamilton College were oft repeated sayings of +his. So he must have been a noble man." + +"Well, I am only sorry that he wasn't on hand to welcome us," regretted +Jerry, the irrepressible. "Now you needn't be shocked at my levity. I +meant seriously that he was really needed today." + +"Look!" The single word of exclamation from Lucy centered all eyes to +where she was pointing. + +Upon their view had burst the wide, gently undulating green slopes of +Hamilton Campus. While the grounds surrounding the majority of +institutions of learning are laid out with an eye to the decorative, +Hamilton campus has a peculiar, living charm of its own that perhaps +none other has ever possessed. It is not that its thick short grass +grows any greener than that of other campuses. Still it is more pleasing +to the eye. The noble growth of elm, beech and maple, shading the lawns +at graceful distances apart carries a personality that one feels but can +hardly express by description. + +Ornamental shrubs there are in tasteful plenty, but not in profusion. It +is as though nothing grows on that immense, rolling tract of land that +is not necessary to the picture formed by natural beauty and intensified +by intelligent landscape-gardening. Even the stately gray stone +buildings, which stand out at intervals on the broad field of green, +bear the same stamp of individuality. + +"It is wonderful!" Lucy spoke in an awed voice. The majesty of the scene +had gripped her hard. + +"How beautiful!" The spell was on Ronny, too. She was gazing across the +emerald stretches with half-closed, worshipping eyes. "My own dear West +is wonderful, but there is something about this that touches one's +heart. I never feel quite that way when I look out at the mountains or +the California valleys, dear as they are to me." + +"I love it all!" Marjorie's wide brown eyes had grown larger with +emotion. She was meeting for the first time one that would later be her +steadfast friend, changing only from one beauty to another--Hamilton +Campus. + + + + +CHAPTER X.--AN AMIABLE SOPHOMORE. + + +"I cannot really help but feel that there must have been a mistake about +our being ignored at the station." Marjorie made this hopeful remark +just as the taxicab passed through a wide driveway and swung into a +drive that wound a circuitous course about the campus. "It is hard to +believe that any student of this beloved old college wouldn't be ready +and willing to look after freshman strays like us." + +"I am afraid times have changed since Mr. Brooke Hamilton laid down the +laws of courtesy," Veronica made sceptical reply. "Beg your pardon, +Sweet Marjoram, I should not have said that. I am just as much in love +with Hamilton Campus as you are. I regret to say, I haven't the same +generous faith in Hamilton's upper classmen. There has been a shirking +of duty somewhere among them. I know a receiving committee when I see +one, and there was none on that station platform, for I took a good look +over it. I saw a number of students greeting others that they had come +to the station purposely to meet, but that is all. Sounds disagreeably +positive, doesn't it? I do not mean to be so, though." + +"I can't blame you for the way you feel about the whole business, +Ronny," Marjorie returned. "We had all looked forward to the pleasure of +being taken under the wing of a friendly upper class girl until we knew +our way about a little. Well, it didn't happen, so there is no use in my +mourning or spurting or worrying about it. I am going to forget it." + +"''Twere wiser to forget,'" quoted Ronny. Her brief irritation +vanishing, her face broke into smiling beauty. "'Don't give up the +ship.' That's another quotation, appropriate to you, Marjorie. You +aren't going to let such grouches as Jeremiah and I spoil your belief in +the absent sophs and juniors. The seniors usually leave the welcoming +job to them. Of course, there are a few seniors who have the freshmen's +welfare upon their consciences." + +The taxicab was now slowing down for a stop before a handsome four-story +house of gray stone. It stood on what might be termed the crest of the +campus, almost on a level with a very large building, a hundred rods +away, which the newcomers guessed to be Hamilton Hall. An especially +roomy and ornamental veranda extended around three sides of the first +story of the house. Its tasteful wicker and willow chairs and tables, +and large, comfortable-looking porch swings made it appear decidedly +attractive to the somewhat disillusioned arriving party. Their new home, +at least, was not a disappointment. + +The lawns about the house were no less beautiful with autumn glory than +those they had already seen. Marjorie in particular was charmed by the +profusion of chrysanthemums, the small, old-fashioned variety of garden +blooms. There were thick, blossoming clumps of them at the rounding +corners of the veranda. They stood in the sturdy, colorful array as +borders to two wide walks that led away from entrances to the Hall on +both sides. At the left of the Hall, toward the rear of it, was an +oblong bed of them, looking old-fashioned enough in its compact +formation to have been planted by Brooke Hamilton himself. + +The drive led straight up to the house, stopping in an open space in +front of the veranda, wide enough to permit an automobile to turn +comfortably. It was here that the Five Travelers alighted, bag and +baggage. + +"I wonder if we are early at college. The place seems to be deserted. +Maybe our fellow residents are at dinner. No, they are not. It is only +twenty minutes past six." Jerry consulted her wrist watch. "The Hamilton +bulletin states the dinner hour at Wayland Hall to be at six-thirty +until the first of November. After that six o'clock until the first of +April; then back to six-thirty again." + +"It would not surprise me to hear that a good share of the students who +live at Wayland Hall had not yet returned. According to our valued +bulletin,--we have to fall back on it for information,--Wayland Hall is +the oldest campus house. That would make it desirable in the eyes of +upper class girls. We were fortunate to obtain reservations here." + +They had crossed the open space in front of the house and mounted the +steps. As they reached the doorway a girl stepped out of it. So sudden +was her appearance that she narrowly missed colliding with the arrivals. +She had evidently hurried out of a reception room at the left of the +hall. Passing through the hall or coming down the open staircase she +would have seen the group before reaching the door. + +"Oh, I beg your pardon," she apologized, viewing the newcomers out of a +pair of very blue, non-curious eyes. "I never pay proper attention to +where I am going. I was so busy thinking about an examination I must +take tomorrow that I forgot where I was. I'll have to stop now for a +second to remember what I started out to do," she added ruefully, her +face breaking into a roguish smile which displayed two pronounced +dimples. + +Instantly the hearts of the Five Travelers warmed toward her. Her +dimples brought back fond memories of Susan Atwell. She was quite a tall +girl, five feet, seven inches, at least, and very slender. Her hair was +a pale flaxen and fluffed out naturally, worn severely back from her low +forehead though it was. Her one-piece frock of white wash satin gave her +a likeness to a tall white June lily, nodding contentedly on a sturdy +stem. + +"I wonder if I can be of service to you," she said quickly. Courtesy had +not deserted her. _She_ could, it seemed, pay proper attention to the +needs of the stranger. + +"I wish you would be so kind as to tell us where we will find Miss +Remson. We are entering freshmen, and are to live at Wayland Hall." +Marjorie introduced herself and friends to the other girl, stating also +from whence they had come. + +"Oh, you are the Sanford crowd!" exclaimed the girl. "Why, Miss Weyman +was to meet you at the train! She went down to the garage for her car. +Two sophomores from her club, the Sans Soucians, were to go down with +her to the five-fifty train. They left here in plenty of time for I saw +them go. They must have missed making connections with you somehow. I +forgot to introduce myself. I am Helen Trent of the sophomore class." + +The Lookouts having expressed their pleasure in meeting this amiable +member of the sophomore class, Miss Trent led the way inside and ushered +them into the reception room. It was a medium-sized room, done in two +shades of soft brown and furnished with a severely beautiful set of +golden oak, upholstered in brown leather. The library table was littered +with current magazines, giving the apartment the appearance of a +physician's receiving room. + +Seized by a sudden thought, Jerry turned to their new acquaintance and +asked: "Does the Miss Weyman you spoke of drive a large gray car?" + +"Why, yes." Helen Trent opened her blue eyes a trifle wider in patent +surprise. She was speculating as to whether it would be within bounds to +inquire how the questioner had come by her knowledge. + +Jerry saved her the interrogation. "Then we saw her, just as we drove +out of the station yard. She was driving this gray car I mentioned. It +looked to me like a French car. There must have been seven or eight +girls in it besides herself." + +"It was Natalie you saw. There isn't another car like hers here at +Hamilton. It is a French car." + +Jerry turned to Marjorie, a positive grin over-spreading her plump face. +"Right you were, wise Marjorie, about the mistake business. Perhaps time +may restore our shattered faith in the Hamiltonites. What did you say +Veronica?" She beamed mischievously at Ronny. + +"I did not say a single word," retorted Ronny. "I am glad Marjorie was +right, though." + +Helen Trent stood listening, her eyes betraying frank amusement at +Jerry, her dimples threatening to break out again. + +"We were a little bit disappointed because not a soul spoke to us after +we left the train. We had looked forward to having a few Hamilton upper +classmen, if only one or two, speak to us. Perhaps we were silly to +expect it. To me it seemed one of the nicest features of going to +college. I said I thought there must have been a mistake about no one +meeting us. That is what Geraldine meant." + +Marjorie made this explanation with the candor of a child. Her brown +eyes met Helen's so sweetly and yet so steadfastly, as she talked, that +the sophomore thought her the prettiest girl she had ever seen. Helen's +sympathies had enlisted toward the entire five. Even Lucy Warner had +struck her as a girl of great individuality. A slow smile touched the +corners of her lips, seemingly the only outward manifestation of some +inner cogitation that was mildly amusing. + +"I am glad, too, that it was a mistake," she said, her face dropping +again into its soft placidity. "We wish our freshmen friends to think +well of us. We sophs are only a year ahead of you. It is particularly +our duty to help the freshmen when first they come to Hamilton. I would +have gone down to the station today to meet you but Natalie Weyman took +it upon herself. I have this special exam to take. I have been preparing +for it this summer. It is in trigonometry. I failed in that subject last +term and had to make it up this vacation. I only hope I pass in it +tomorrow. Br-r-r-r! the very idea makes me shiver." + +"I hope you will, I am sure." It was Ronny who expressed this sincere +wish. She had quickly decided that she approved of Helen Trent. +Certainly there was nothing snobbish about her. She showed every mark of +gentle breeding. + +"I am afraid we may be keeping you from what you were about to do when +we stopped you." Lucy Warner had stepped to the fore much to the secret +amazement of her friends. A stickler for duty, Lucy's training as +secretary had taught her the value of time. During that period that she +spent in Miss Archer's office, her own time had been so seriously +encroached upon that she had made a resolution never to waste that of +others. + +"Oh, no; I can pick up my own affairs again, later. None of them are +important except my exam, and I am not going to worry over that. If you +will excuse me, I will go and find Miss Remson. She will assign you to +your rooms. Dinner is on now. There goes the bell. It is later this one +week; at a quarter to seven, on account of returning students. It's on +until a quarter to eight. Beginning next week, it will be on at +precisely half-past six and off at half-past seven. After that you go +hungry, or else to Baretti's or the Colonial. Both are quite near here. +No more explanation now, but action." + +With a pleasant little nod the sophomore left the reception room in +search of Miss Remson, the manager of Wayland Hall. She left behind her, +however, an atmosphere of friendliness and cheer that went far toward +dispelling the late cloud of having been either purposely or carelessly +overlooked. + + + + +CHAPTER XI.--SETTLING DOWN AT WAYLAND HALL. + + +"Yes; to be sure. I have the correspondence from all of you Sanford +girls. I think there has been no mistake concerning your rooms. Just a +moment." + +Miss Remson, a small, wiry-looking woman with a thin, pleasant face and +partially gray hair, bustled to a door, situated at the lower end of the +room. Thrown open, it disclosed a small, inner apartment, evidently +doing duty as the manager's office. Seating herself before a flat-topped +oak desk, she opened an upper drawer and took from it a fat, black, +cloth-covered book. Consulting it, she rose and returned with it in her +hand. + +"Miss Dean and Miss Macy made application for one room together, Miss +Harding for a single room, provided a classmate, who expected to enter +Wellesley, did not change her mind in favor of Hamilton. In that case +she would occupy the room with Miss Harding. Miss Lynne applied for a +single and afterward made request that Miss Warner might share it with +her. Am I correct?" + +The manager spoke in an alert tone, looking up with a slight sidewise +slant of her head that reminded Marjorie of a bird. + +"That is the way we meant it to be. I hope there have been no changes in +the programme." Jerry had constituted herself spokesman. + +"None, whatever. I have a request to make of Miss Harding." Unerringly +she picked out Muriel, though Marjorie had only gone over their names to +her once by way of general introduction. "Would you be willing to take a +room-mate? We have so many applications for Wayland Hall to which we +simply can pay no attention save to return the word 'no room.' This +particular application of which I speak has been made by a junior, Miss +Hortense Barlow. She was at Wayland Hall during her freshman year, but +left here to room with a friend at Acasia House during her sophomore +year. Her friend was a junior then and was therefore graduated last +June. Miss Barlow is most anxious to return to this house." + +Muriel looked rather blank at this disclosure. She was not at all +anxious for a room-mate, unless it were a Lookout, which was out of the +question. + +"I hardly know yet whether I should care to take a room-mate," she said, +with a touch of hesitation. "I will decide tonight and let you know +tomorrow morning. Will that be satisfactory?" + +"Perfectly, perfectly," responded Miss Remson, and waved her hand as +though urbanely to dismiss the subject. "I will show you young women to +your rooms myself. Dinner, this week, is from a quarter to seven until a +quarter to eight." She repeated the information already given them by +Helen Trent. "That means that no one will be admitted to the dining room +after a quarter to eight. We are making special allowances now on +account of returning students." + +With this she led the way out of the reception room and up the stairs. +Down the hall of the second story she went, with a brisk little swishing +of her black taffeta skirt that reminded Marjorie more then ever of a +bird. At the last door on the left of the hall she paused. + +"This is the room Miss Lynne and Miss Warner are to occupy," she +announced. "Directly across find the room Miss Macy and Miss Dean are to +occupy." She turned abruptly and indicated the door opposite. "Miss +Harding's room is on the third floor. I will conduct you to it, Miss +Harding. I trust you will like your new quarters, young ladies, and be +happy in them." + +Immediately she turned with "Follow me, Miss Harding," and was off down +the hall. It was a case of go without delay or lose her guide. Making a +funny little grimace behind the too-brisk manager's back, Muriel called, +"See you later," and set off in haste after Miss Remson. She had already +reached the foot of the staircase leading to the third story. + +"She's the busiest busybody ever, isn't she?" remarked Jerry. Marjorie, +Ronny and Lucy at her back, she opened the door of her room and stepped +over the threshold. "Hmm!" she next held forth. "This place may not be +the lap of luxury, but it is not so bad. I don't see my pet Circassian +walnut set or my dear comfy old window seat, with about a thousand, more +or less, nice downy pillows. Still it's no barn. I only hope those couch +beds are what they ought to be, a place on which to sleep. They're more +ornamental to a room than the regulation bed. I suppose that's why +they're here." + +"Stop making fun of things, you goose, and let's get the dust washed off +our hands and faces before we go down to dinner. I am smudgy, and also +very hungry, and it is almost seven o'clock," Marjorie warned. "We +haven't a minute to lose. A person as methodical as Miss Remson would +close the dining room door in our faces if we were a fraction of a +minute late." + +"Don't doubt it. Good-bye." Veronica made a dive for her quarters +followed by Lucy. + +"You and I _will_ certainly have to hurry," agreed Jerry, as she +returned from the lavatory nearly twenty minutes later. Marjorie, who +had preceded her, was just finishing the redressing of her hair. It +rippled away from her forehead and broke into shining little curls about +her ears and at the nape of her neck. Her eyes bright with the +excitement of new surroundings and her cheeks aglow from her recent +ablutions, her loveliness was startling. + +"I won't have time to do my hair over again," Jerry lamented. "It will +have to go as it is. Are you ready? Come on, then. We'll stop for Ronny +and Lucy. What of Muriel? Last seen she was piking off after Miss Busy +Buzzy. Hasn't _she_ the energy though? B-z-z-z-z! Away she goes. I hope +she never hears me call her that. I might go to the foot of the stairway +and howl 'Muriel' but that would hardly be well-bred." + +"She will probably stop for us. You can't lose Muriel." Marjorie was +still smiling over Jerry's disrespectful name for the manager. "For +goodness' sake, Jerry, be careful about calling her that. Don't let it +go further than among the Five Travelers. We understand that it is just +your funny self. If some outsider heard it and you tried to explain +yourself--well, you couldn't." + +"I know that all too well, dear old Mentor. I'll be careful. Don't worry +about me, as little Charlie Stevens says after he has run away and Gray +Gables has been turned upside down hunting him. I presume that is Muriel +now." A decided rapping sent Jerry hurrying to the door. About to make +some humorous remark to Muriel concerning her late hasty disappearance, +she caught herself in time. Three girls were grouped outside the door +but they were not the expected trio of Lookouts. + + + + +CHAPTER XII.--UNEXPECTED CALLERS. + + +"Good evening," Jerry managed to say politely, amazed though she was at +the unlooked-for callers. + +"Good evening," came the prompt response from the foremost girl, spoken +in a cool velvety tone that somehow suggested patronage. "Are you Miss +Dean?" + +"No, I am Miss Macy. Miss Dean is my room-mate. She is here. Will you +come in?" + +"Thank you." The caller stepped into the room, her two companions at her +heels. She was a young woman of about the same height as Marjorie and +not unlike her in coloring, save that her eyes were a bluish gray, +shaded by long dark lashes, her eyebrows heavily marked. Her hair, a +paler brown than Marjorie's, suggested in arrangement a hairdresser's +art rather than that of natural beauty, pleasing though the coiffure +was. Her frock of pale pink and white effects in silk net and taffeta +was cut short enough of sleeve and low enough of neck to permit the +white shapeliness of her arms and shoulders to be seen. While her +features might be called regular, a close observer would have pronounced +her mouth, in repose, a shade too small for the size of her face, and +her chin a trifle too pointed. + +Standing as she was where the electric lights, which Jerry had recently +switched on, played upon her, she made an undeniably attractive picture. +Marjorie recognized her instantly as the girl she had seen driving the +gray car. One of her companions was a small, dark girl with very black +eyes and a sulky mouth. She was wearing a gown of Nile green pongee, +heavily trimmed with expensive ecru lace. It gave her the appearance of +being actually weighed down. The third of the callers Marjorie took an +instant dislike toward. She represented a type of girl that Marjorie had +rarely seen and never encountered at Sanford High School. + +While her companions were attired in evening frocks, she was wearing a +sports suit of a white woolly material that was a marvel as to cut and +finish. The white silk velour sports hat, the heavy white silk stockings +and fine, stitched buckskin ties that completed her costume were the +acme of distinctive expense. Despite her carefully chosen apparel, she +was very near to possessing an ugliness of face and feature which no +amount of smart clothes could mitigate. Her hair, such as could be seen +of it from under her hat, was coarse and black. Small, shrewd brown +eyes, which had a trick of half closing, high cheek bones, a rather +retroussé nose and a large, loose-lipped mouth completed an outer +personality that Marjorie found unprepossessing in the extreme. Last of +the three to enter the room, she had closed the door and now stood +almost lounging against it, eyeing Marjorie with a smile that suggested +bored tolerance. + +"I am Marjorie Dean." Immediately she heard her name, Marjorie had come +forward. She guessed that the girl of the gray car had come to offer an +apology for her non-appearance. Memory furnishing her with the +spokesman's name, she held out her hand courteously, saying: "Your are +Miss Weyman, are you not? Won't you and your friends sit down?" + +Into Natalie Weyman's darkening eyes flared an expression of affronted +surprise. The little dark girl also showed surprise, while the girl in +the sports suit drew down the corners of her wide mouth as though she +had heard something funny but dared not laugh outright. + +"Yes, I am Natalie Weyman." Whatever her thoughts were her tones were +still velvety. "I am a sophomore and these are my sophy pals, Miss Vale +and Miss Cairns." She indicated first the small girl, then the lounger. +Both sophomores bowed nonchalantly and lightly clasped the hand Marjorie +extended to each in turn. + +"This is my room-mate and very dear friend, Geraldine Macy." Marjorie +now took her turn at introducing. + +Jerry bowed and shook hands with the trio, but exhibited no enthusiasm. +She was inwardly raging at them for having chosen a time so inopportune +for making a call. She felt like shouting out in a loud, terrifying +voice: "Have you had your dinner? Well, we haven't had ours. Now beat +it, all of you!" + +Introductions over, the callers sat down. Miss Weyman dropped gracefully +into the nearest easy chair, of which the room could count two. The +others seated themselves, side by side, on one of the couch beds. Hardly +had they done so when a second rapping was heard. This time it was +Veronica, Lucy and Muriel. Marjorie opened the door and said quickly: +"Come in, girls. I wish you to meet three members of the sophomore class +who have done us the honor to call." + +Involuntarily Veronica's eloquent eyebrows went up in surprise. Lucy's +green eyes took on a peculiar gleam, and Muriel felt displeasure rising +within her. It seemed too bad that, after being neglected, they should +be thus sought before they had had time to get their dinner. The long +ride on the train had left them hungry. Still, there was nothing to be +done save make the best of it. How long the callers had been in +Marjorie's and Jerry's room, Muriel could not know. If they took prompt +leave the Sanford five could still get into the dining room before it +closed. It was twenty minutes to eight. She had looked at her watch +while Ronny was rapping on the door. + +After further introductions Miss Weyman said sweetly: "I have an apology +to make Miss Dean. Consider it as being made to all of you. I was to +meet you at the train today, and unfortunately I started a little later +than I had intended. I belong to a club which a few of the freshmen +started last year. All the girls who are members were friends of mine +before I entered Hamilton. We attended a very private preparatory school +and entered college together. We call ourselves the San Soucians and our +club is limited to eighteen members. We do not intend to pass it on +after we are graduated from Hamilton. It is really only a little social +club of our own. Of course, we _try_ to be considerate toward the other +students here, as in the case of welcoming the freshmen." + +"Every one was so perfectly sweet to us last year when we entered +Hamilton." Miss Vale now raised a voice in the conversation. "You see we +came from New York to Hamilton in my father's private car. My father is +president of the L. T. and M. Railroad. We had not thought much about +being met at the train by the upper classmen. I _wish_ you might have +_seen_ the crowd that was there to meet us! Girls from _all three +classes_ turned out. We had a smart old celebration, I can tell you." +Her sulky mouth lost its droop as she went on to describe boastingly the +glories of that particular reception. She ended with: "What prep. school +do you come from?" + +Informed by Jerry that the Five Travelers were graduated from high +school, she glanced pityingly about the Sanford group, and subsided +with: "I really know nothing at all about high schools. I did not +suppose you could enter college from one." + +"Of course one can." Veronica spoke with an energy that her friends +understood, if the callers did not. "Let me ask you a question. Were you +obliged to try entrance examinations to Hamilton College?" + +"Ye--s." The reply came a little slowly. + +"We are not obliged to take examinations. The senior course in our high +school comprises collegiate subjects. Our diplomas will admit us to any +college in the United States. So you see that high school has at least +that advantage," Ronny concluded evenly. + +"I have heard that some of those high schools are really excellent," +drawled Miss Cairns. "I have heard too that they turn out a lot of digs +and prigs. Girls, you understand, that have to get all they can out of +high school because college is out of the question for them. I feel +sorry for them. I never knew any of that sort, though. In fact, you are +the first high school girls I have ever met. What?" She turned to +Natalie Weyman. + +The latter, however, was paying little attention to the conversation. +Her gaze had rested almost uninterruptedly on Marjorie since she had +entered the room. From the discomfited lieutenant's lovely face to her +slender, graceful figure, clothed in a one-piece frock of dark blue +crêpe de chine, the other girl's eyes wandered, only to turn themselves +away for a moment, then begin a fresh inspection. + +Meanwhile time was flying, the Five Travelers were growing minutely +hungrier, yet the visitors made no move to go. Miss Weyman had gone no +further than to explain that she had started for the train a little +late. This apology did not coincide with what Helen Trent had said. None +of the Lookouts had forgotten _her_ remarks on the subject. It was in +each girl's mind that she preferred to believe Helen. This did not argue +well as to a future friendship with Natalie Weyman. None of them could +endure even the shadow of untruth. + +"Please pardon me for breaking into my apology with an explanation of +our club." Her inspection of Marjorie over for the present, Natalie +returned to the original object of her call. "I meant to say that by the +time I had reached the station you had gone on to Wayland Hall, I +suppose." + +"We drove away from the station in a taxicab just as your car drove into +the yard." Muriel fixed the lamely apologetic sophomore with a steady +gaze. Her brown eyes appeared to be taking the other's measure. + +"Did you, indeed," Natalie returned somewhat hastily. It was beginning +to dawn upon her that she did not in the least like any of these +freshmen. They were entirely too independent to suit her. Recalling that +which she had been aching to ask when Marjorie had asked her if she were +Miss Weyman, she now questioned almost rudely: "How did you know who _I_ +was when you saw me at the station?" + +"We did not know who you were then," explained Muriel. "We merely saw a +gray car full of girls. Miss Macy said it looked like a French car. +Afterward, we met a delightful sophomore, Miss Trent. In talking with +her, she mentioned that you had gone to the station to meet us." + +"Oh, yes. Miss Trent. She was on the veranda when we left here." She +looked toward Miss Cairns for corroboration. The latter nodded slightly +and made an almost imperceptible gesture with her left hand. + +"We are so sorry we missed you, at any rate." Miss Vail took it upon +herself to do a share of the apologizing. At the same time she rose from +her seat on the couch bed. "How do you like the table here?" she queried +condescendingly. "We find it better than last year. Remson has a new +cook now. She can see the other cook silly when it comes to eats." + +A peculiar silence ensued as Miss Vale's high-pitched tones ceased. It +had been forced upon the Lookouts to defer an opinion of said "table" +until the next day. They were certainly at present in no position to +make a statement. + +"As we have been here so short a time we can't pass an opinion on a +thing at Wayland Hall yet." Marjorie answered for her friends, not +daring to look toward any of them. + +"Naturally not," agreed Miss Cairns suavely. "Mind if we leave you now? +We really must go, Nat. We had our dinner at Baretti's tonight. Some of +the Sans are waiting at the Colonial for us. We are going on there for +dessert." + +"Yes, the gang will wonder what has become of us." Natalie now got to +her feet. She favored the Lookouts with a smile, which was intended to +be gracious, but utterly lacked sincerity. Her pals already at the door, +she joined them. This time there was no handshaking. While it would not +have been necessary, a truly sincere bevy of girls would have +undoubtedly shaken hands and enjoyed that act of fellowship. + +"Thank you for remembering us at the station today, even though we did +miss connections. We appreciate your coming to call on us this evening, +too. Freshmen are very lowly persons at college until they have won +their spurs on the field of college honors. We shall try not to be an +annoyance to our sophomore sisters." + +Marjorie tried conscientiously to put aside all trace of irritation as +she made this little speech. She realized that her chums had left it to +her to handle the situation. While they had all exchanged a certain +amount of conversation with the visitors, they had run out from sheer +lack of sympathy. The callers had aroused belligerence in Jerry, Ronny +and Muriel. Lucy Warner had fairly congealed with dislike. Marjorie had +alone stayed on an even keel. + +Perhaps the unfailing courtesy of the tired, hungry lieutenant made some +slight impression on the departing sophomores. Halfway out the door as +Marjorie answered, Natalie Weyman had the grace to say: "You really +haven't anything to thank us for, Miss Dean. Wait until we do something +for you, worth while. We will drop in on you again when we have more +time. Good night." + +She had been on the point of offering her hand at the last, stirred out +of her usual self-centeredness by Marjorie's gentle manners. Then she +had looked again at the freshman's exquisite face, and fellowship had +died before birth. Natalie Weyman was considered a beauty at home, in +New York City, and at Hamilton College. She had at last seen a girl whom +she considered fully as pretty as herself. As a result she was now very, +very jealous. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII.--ON THE TRAIL OF DINNER. + + +"Can you beat it? Uh-h-h-h!" Jerry dropped with angry force into the arm +chair which Natalie Weyman had so recently vacated. "What was the matter +with those girls, anyway? How could they help but know that we hadn't +had our dinner? It was after six o'clock when we reached here. It took +time to get hold of Busy Buzzy and be assigned to our rooms, and more +time to make ourselves presentable. Why couldn't they have figured out +that much? Next step in our process of deduction; they came to the door +about twenty minutes past seven. Now how could we have had time to go +down stairs, eat our dinner and be back in our room again?" + +"The answer is, they didn't do any deducing," declared Muriel. "I +suppose they simply chose their own time to call." + +"A very inconvenient time, I must say," grumbled Jerry. "Here's another +point that needs clearing up. If that Miss Weyman drove her car down to +the station, expecting to bring the five of us back in it, why was it +cram-jam full of girls?" + +"They may have been friends of hers who merely wanted to ride down to +the station, Jerry," surmised Ronny. "Why trouble your brain about our +callers now? Let us think about where we are going to have our dinner. +The dining room is closed, of course. We shall have to call on the +hospitable Baretti for sustenance. He's hospitable if his restaurant is +still open. Otherwise, I don't think much of him." + +"First thing to do is to find out where he holds forth. I hope the place +is not far from here. I'm so hungry and so tired." Marjorie spoke with a +tired kind of patience that ended in a yawn. "We had better start out at +once. We'll probably find some one downstairs who can direct us." + +The others no less hungry, the Five Travelers lost no more time in +getting downstairs, preferring to leave the subject of their recent +callers until a time more convenient for discussion. At the foot of the +stairs they encountered two girls about to ascend. + +"Good evening. Will you please direct us to Baretti's?" It was Ronny who +asked the question in a clear, even tone that, while courteous, was so +strictly impersonal as to be almost cool. Having just encountered a trio +of girls whom she had instantly set down as snobs, Ronny had donned her +armor. + +"Good evening." Both girls returned the salutation. The taller of the +two, a sandy-haired young woman with sleepy gray eyes, a square chin and +freckles now became spokesman. "You will find Baretti's about a square +from the west wall of the campus. Turn to your right as you pass out the +main gate." + +"There is the Colonial, too, about two squares beyond Baretti's," +informed the other, a pretty girl in a ruffled gown of apricot organdie +that accentuated the black silkiness of her hair which lay off her low +forehead in little soft rings. + +"Thank you." Ronny modified the crispness of her tone a trifle. "We +shall not care to go further than Baretti's tonight. May I ask what time +the restaurant closes?" + +"Ten o'clock." The gray-eyed girl seemed on the point of volunteering a +remark. She half-opened her lips, then closed them almost tightly as if +repenting of the impulse. + +With a second "Thank you" a shade cooler than the first, Ronny concluded +the brief interview. The four Lookouts had walked toward the Hall door, +which stood open, and there paused to wait for her. Ordinarily, Ronny +would have addressed the strangers with a certain graciousness of manner +which was one of her charms. She had relaxed a little from her first +reserve on the strength of their apparent willingness to direct her to +Baretti's. She had not missed, however, the gray-eyed girl's deliberate +checking of her own purposed remark. While she forebore to place an +adverse construction upon it, nevertheless it had annoyed her. Trace of +a frown lingered between her dark brows as she joined the others. + +"I noticed you didn't get very chummy with that pair," greeted Jerry. +"Just so you located our commissary department, Baretti. He's our star +of hope at present." Jerry led the way across the veranda and down the +steps. + +"I know the way to Baretti's, never fear," Ronny assured. "It is one +square from the west wall of the campus. Just how much of a walk that +means, we shall see. It may be anywhere from a quarter to three-quarters +of a mile to the west wall. We turn to our right as we go through the +gateway." + +"We will have to walk it, even if it is a mile," decreed Muriel. "I'd +walk two miles for something to eat. I am about as hungry as I can ever +remember of being. Our introduction to Hamilton! _Good night!_" + +"I can't get it through my head that we are actually students at +Hamilton College," declared Muriel. "I feel more as though I had just +arrived at a summer hotel where people came and went without the +slightest interest in one another." + +"It is missing dinner at the Hall that makes it seem so. If we had had a +fair chance at the dining room we would have felt more----" Jerry paused +to choose a word descriptive of their united feelings. "Well, we would +have felt cinched to Hamilton. That nice Miss Trent helped us, of +course, but she faded away and disappeared the minute she turned us over +to Miss Remson. I don't believe we can be, what you might call, +fascinating. No one seems to care to linger near us. Wouldn't that be a +splendid title for one of those silly old popular songs? 'No one cares +to linger near,' as sung by the great always off the key vocalist, Jerry +Macy. Wh-ir-r! Bu-z-z-z! What has happened to you swe-e-etart, that you +do not linger near-r-r? I am lonele-e-e----" + +Jerry's imitation of a phonograph rendering a popular song of her own +impromptu composition ended suddenly. Muriel placed a defensive hand +over the singer's mouth. "Have mercy on us, Jeremiah," she begged. "You +are at Hamilton now. Try to act like some one. That's the advice I heard +one of the mill women give her unruly son at the nursery one day last +winter." + +"I trust no one but ourselves heard you," was Veronica's uncomplimentary +addition, delivered in a tone of shocked disapproval. + +"I don't blame anyone for not caring to linger near such awful sounds." +Lucy's criticism, spoken in her precise manner, produced a burst of +low-keyed laughter. It appeared to amuse Jerry most of all. + +By this time they had passed through the gateway, flanked by high, +ornamental stone posts, and were following a fairly wide, beaten +footpath that shone white in the light shed by the rising moon. On their +right hand side, the college wall of matched gray stone rose +considerably above their heads. + +"This wall must be at least ten feet high and about three or four +thick." Jerry calculatingly appraised the wall. "It extends the whole +around the campus, so far as I could tell by daylight. I was noticing it +as we came into the grounds today." + +"We are not so far from the end of it now." Marjorie made the +announcement with a faint breath of relief. "You can see the corner post +from here. I think it about a quarter of a mile from the gate." + +"And only a square from it lies our dinner, thank goodness! Let's run." +Muriel made a pretended dash forward and was promptly checked by Jerry. +"You wouldn't let me sing. Now you need a clamp. I'll give you a piece +of advice I heard last winter at that same old nursery: 'Walk pretty. +Don't be runnin' yourse'f all over the place.'" + +"There is Baretti's across the road." Marjorie pointed down the road a +little, to where, on the opposite side, two posts, topped by cluster +electric lights, rose on each side of a fairly wide stone walk that was +the approach to the restaurant. It stood fully a hundred feet from the +highway, an odd, one-story structure of brown stone, looking like an inn +of a bygone period. In sharp contrast to the white radiance of the guide +lights at the end of the walk, the light over the doorway was faint and +yellow, proceeding from a single lamp, set in a curious wrought-iron +frame, which depended from a bell-like hood over the door. + +Through the narrow-paned windows streamed the welcome glow of light +within. It warmed the hearts of the Five Travelers even as in departed +days it had gladdened the eyes of weary wayfarers in search of purchased +hospitality. + +"What an odd old place!" Lucy Warner cried out in admiration. "It is +like the ancient hostelries one reads of. I wonder if it has always been +an inn. It must be considerably over a hundred years old." + +"I suppose it is. A good deal of the country around here is historic, I +believe. You remember the bulletin said Brooke Hamilton was a young man +at the time of La Fayette's visit to America. That was in 1824. He and +La Fayette met and the Marquis was so delighted with him that he invited +him to join his suite of friends during his tour of the country. I wish +it had said more about both of them, but it didn't," finished Marjorie +regretfully. + +"Perhaps the old Marquis de la Fayette and young Brooke Hamilton walked +down the very road we walked tonight and supped at the same old inn," +Veronica said, as they approached the two wide, low steps that formed +the entrance to the restaurant. + +"Quite likely they did," agreed Jerry. The foremost of the party, she +opened the heavy, paneled door of solid oak. + +A faint, united breath of approbation rose from the visitors as they +stepped into a room of noble proportions. It was almost square and as +beautiful an apartment as the girls had ever seen. Beam ceiling, +wainscoting and floor were all of precisely the same shade and quality +of dark oak. So perfectly did every foot of wood in the room match that +it might have all come from one giant tree, hewn out and polished by +gnomes. There was something about its perfection that suggested a castle +hall of fairy lore. On each side of the room were three high-backed, +massive oak benches. The tops of these were decorated by a carved oak +leaf pattern, the simplicity of which was the design of genius itself. +The heavy, claw-legged oak tables, oval in shape and ten in number, all +bore the same pattern, carved in the table top at about two inches from +the edge. There was no attempt at placing the tables in rows. They stood +at intervals far enough apart to permit easy passage in and out among +them. Yet each table seemed fitted into its own proper space. Moved two +inches out of it, the whole scheme of artistic regularity would have +been spoiled. + +"It's evident that Signor Baretti never furnished this room," commented +Ronny in a voice just above a whisper. "I never saw anything like it, +before! never! Lead me to a seat at one of those beautiful tables." + +"Yes; do let us sit down as soon as we can," echoed Muriel eagerly. "I +am dying to look and look and look at everything in this adorable old +room. I am glad it is almost empty. We can sit and stare and no one will +be here to resent it." + +This time it was Muriel who took the lead and made a bee-line for a +table at the far end of the room on the right. The others followed her, +quickly slipping into the oak chairs, each with its spade-shaped, high +back and fairly broad seat. That these chairs were built for comfort as +well as ornament the Lookouts soon discovered. + +"Oh, the joy of this comfy chair," sighed Ronny. "It actually fits my +back. That's more than I can say of those train seats. I am going to +turn in the minute I am back at Wayland House. I am _so_ tired, and a +little bit sleepy." + +Marjorie and Ronny shared one menu, while each of the others had one to +herself. After the usual amount of comment and consultation, all decided +upon consommé, roast chicken, potatoes au gratin, and a salad, with +dessert and coffee to follow. Their order given to a round-faced, +olive-tinted Italian girl, the Five Travelers were free to look about +them for a little. + +Directly across from them at a table which formed a wide obtuse angle +with theirs were four girls. While the quartette had appeared to be +occupied in eating ices on the entrance into the restaurant of the +Sanford party, no move of the strangers had been lost on them. Four +pairs of young eyes covertly appraised the newcomers. That the Five +Travelers interested the other girls was clearly proven by the frequency +of their glances, discreetly veiled. Deep in the exploration of the +menu, the Sanford quintette were unaware that they had attracted any +special attention from the diners at the one other occupied table in the +room. Nevertheless, while they were busy with the ordering of their +dinner, they were being subjected to a most critical survey. + +By the time the consommé was served, the other group had finished the +eating of their ices and risen to depart. As they left the table +Marjorie glanced impersonally toward them. A sudden wave of color +deepened the pink in her cheeks as she encountered four pairs of +unfamiliar eyes all fastened on her. Immediately she looked away, +annoyed with herself, rather than them for staring. Nor had she gained a +definite idea of the appearance of any one of them, so keen was her own +momentary discomfiture. + +Regarding herself and her chums, the departing diners had a very clear +idea. Hardly had they stepped outside the restaurant when a low buzz of +conversation began. + +"Leila Harper, did you ever see anyone lovelier than that brown-eyed +freshie?" inquired one of the quartette, a tall, stately girl with pale +gold hair and a rather thin, interesting face. "The one in dark blue, I +mean." + +"No; I see a certain someone's finish, don't you?" The girl who made the +reply smiled as though signally amused. In the light cast by the +powerful post lights, the faces of her companions reflected that amused +smile. "I could have shrieked for joy when that crowd of freshmen walked +in with Beauty in their midst," she continued. "They were all very +pretty girls, Selma. I really think we ought to take up the matter and +have some fun over it." + +"Incidentally, it would pull someone off a pedestal where she never +truly belonged. I never considered Natalie Weyman a _real_ beauty. She +is pretty, but rather artificial, I think." The author of this criticism +was an attractive young woman with wavy chestnut hair and deep blue +eyes, the beauty of which was partly obscured by eyeglasses. + +"I don't admire Miss Weyman's style of good looks, either, Nella." This +from the fourth member of the party, a small girl with pale brown hair, +pale blue eyes, with very dark brows and lashes, and a skin dazzlingly +white. Standing five feet one in high heels, Vera Mason was noticeable +for her doll-like daintiness of form and feature. She was not beautiful, +so far as regularity of feature went, for her small nose turned up a +trifle and her mouth was too wide to be classically perfect. She was, +however, singularly charming. + +"I had rather call you a beauty any time than apply it to her, Midget," +was Leila Harper's quick return. Her eyes of true Irish blue twinkled as +she said this. Suddenly she threw back her head and laughed aloud, +showing white even teeth, their very soundness matching the rest of her +strong-featured face and blue-black hair. Leila was of old Irish stock +and very proud of it. + +"Oh, girls, I have it; a plan I mean!" she exclaimed. "Now listen to the +wise Irish woman and you'll agree with me that there's nothing that +could fit the occasion more nearly than what I have in mind. It will do +wonders in the way of curing Nat Weyman's swelled head and no one can +possibly say it isn't fair." + +Four abreast in the moonlight, the sophomores who had so heartily +admired Marjorie strolled back to the campus, listening as they went to +a plan Leila was unfolding which appeared to afford them much +anticipatory delight. + +Meanwhile at the quaint old inn the Five Travelers were hungrily +disposing of a comforting meal, wholly unconscious of being already a +subject for discussion among a certain group of sophomores. It was as +well for Marjorie's peace of mind that she did not know she had already +been acclaimed a beauty at Hamilton College. Neither could the four +sophomores, who were thoughtlessly planning the merited discomfiture of +one girl through the raising up of another, know what a difference the +carrying out of that plan would make in Marjorie Dean's life at Hamilton +College. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV.--A SILENT DECLARATION OF HOSTILITY. + + +Not very long after the Five Travelers returned to Wayland Hall the +half-past ten o'clock bell sounded. Desirous of complying with the rules +of the college from the start, they had prepared for sleep in much +greater haste than usual, a proceeding which Veronica deplored most of +all. Accustomed to making leisurely preparations for retiring, she had +known beforehand that this would be her chief annoyance when at college. + +For fully twenty-five minutes after the penetrating clang of the house +bell had ceased, sound of voices and light footsteps in the hall +indicated that a few students, at least, were not taking the ten-thirty +rule very seriously. + +"What was that?" Jerry, who had dropped to sleep almost on the instant +her head had found the pillow, started up in the darkness, awakened by +the sharp slam of a door further down the hall. + +"Oh, someone slammed a door," Marjorie replied sleepily. "I was almost +asleep, but not quite. It startled me, too. There seems to be very +little attention paid to the retiring bell in this house. I've heard the +girls talking and laughing in the halls ever since it rang. It's quieter +now. I imagine next week it will be different. College doesn't really +open until Monday, you know." + +"Busy Buzzy doesn't look as though she would stand for much noise. +She'll begin laying down the law about next week. I hope whoever slammed +that door hasn't the habit. Well, what now!" + +From somewhere out on the campus the musical rhythm of chimes had begun. +They played the quarter, the half, the three-quarters of the hour, then +sweetly and clearly the stroke of eleven followed. Listening to it, +Marjorie felt a strange new peace of mind steal over her. Longfellow's +understanding lines: + + "The night shall be filled with music, + And the cares that infest the day, + Shall fold their tents like the Arabs, + And silently steal away." + +The silvery tones had a vastly soothing effect upon her troubled spirit. +Altogether, it had been one of the most dispiriting days she had ever +lived. She now hailed the ringing of the chimes as a kind of lullaby to +her cares. Here was a second friend of whom she was sure she could never +grow tired. + +"That's eleven o'clock. Didn't those chimes sound pretty? I suppose +that's the end of the limit bell here at Hamilton. If you aren't in bed +when the chimes play eleven, you are a disgrace to your Alma Mater. If +you aren't asleep by that time, well--you can hear 'em. I've heard them, +I'm going to sleep this minute. Night, Sweet Marjoram." + +"Good night, Jeremiah." Marjorie lay awake for a little, her thoughts on +her father and mother. She knew that they were thinking of her and a +sense of soothing warmth enfolded her, born of the knowledge of their +steadfast adoration. + +Marjorie awakened next morning to find the sun in her eyes and herself +not quite certain of where she was. She glanced across the room to where +Jerry's couch was situated. It was without an occupant. "Oh!" she +exclaimed in consternation. Her eyes hastily sought the mission wall +clock. It was only ten minutes to seven. Reassured, she lay still and +viewed the room by broad daylight. The furnishings were pretty and +comfortable. The color scheme of the room was delft blue. The walls were +papered in a white mica-stripe with a plain white ceiling. A wide, +ragged border of bachelor's buttons added vastly to the dainty effect. +The two wash-stands, chiffoniers and dressing tables had Japanese covers +of white stamped in blue figures. The hard-wood floor was covered by a +velvet rug in three shades of blue, and the couch covers were also in +indeterminate blues. There were two easy chairs, one willow rocker and +two straight cane-seated chairs. A good sized library table occupied the +center of the room. It was of black walnut and an antique. At each end +of the room was a door opening into a closet, large enough to permit the +hanging of wearing apparel without crowding. All the necessary effects +having been provided, it remained to the occupants to supply their own +individual decorations. + +The entrance into the room of Jerry, her round face rosy from her +morning scrub, brought Marjorie's inspection of her new "house" to an +end. + +"I've been looking at our new room ever since I woke up," saluted +Marjorie. "It is pretty, I think. I am not used to blue, though. It +matches you better than me, Jerry." + +"Yes, I see it does. It's large enough for the furniture, without +crowding. That's what I like about it. I believe----" + +The silver-tongued chimes cut into Jerry's speech, ringing out a live +little prelude before striking seven. Came the striking of the hour, a +slow, measured salute to the sunny autumn morning. + +"You may politely say 'excuse me,' next time you butt into my +conversation." Jerry nodded an admonishing head in the direction from +whence the musical sounds had come. "Funny I didn't hear those chimes at +six o'clock. I was awake." + +"Maybe they don't play them every hour," suggested Marjorie. "I remember +when we were living in B---- an Episcopal Church near where we lived had a +set of chimes installed. They started out by having them played every +hour. It annoyed the nearby residents so much that they finally rang +them only at six o'clock in the evening and on special occasions. They +never bothered General and Captain and me. We were sorry to lose them. +It was like meeting some one I hadn't heard of in a long while to hear +those good old bells last night. There are two things I love already +about Hamilton. One is the campus; the other is the chimes." + +"I agree with you about the campus. I don't know yet about the chimes. +Familiarity with them may breed anything but admiration." Jerry was only +jesting. Such was her nature that she shied at the proximity of +sentiment. She had it in her to be sure, but she kept it hidden far +beneath the surface. + +"You had better hurry along to your bath," she now advised. "By +half-past seven the lavatory will become suddenly very popular." + +"I'm going this minute." Marjorie had already donned a negligee and was +hastily thrusting her feet into quilted satin slippers. + +As she stepped from her room into the hall, a door on the opposite side, +above the room occupied by Lucy and Ronny, swung open with a jerk. On +the threshold appeared Natalie Weyman. She was evidently in a bad humor, +for her heavy brows were sharply drawn in an ugly scowl. Her eyes +happening to light on Marjorie, her face grew perceptibly darker. With a +smothered exclamation, she disappeared into her room again, banging the +door. She had not even attempted a "good morning," but had stared at +Marjorie as though she had never seen her before. + +Not in the least impressed, Marjorie continued imperturbably toward the +lavatory. She had made two discoveries, however. She knew now who had +slammed the door on the previous night. She knew, too, that Natalie +Weyman had no real feeling of friendliness toward her. She had heard +enough from the three callers of the evening before to arraign them in +her mind as leaning very hard toward snobbishness. If they were snobs, +she wished to keep far away from them. Further, she had no intention of +regarding Miss Weyman's call as anything but a duty-prompted affair. Not +one of the three young women had extended an informal invitation to the +Five Travelers to visit them in their rooms. If the select Sans Soucians +expected to see herself and chums go out of their way to please, they +would be disappointed. + + + + +CHAPTER XV.--THE GIRLS OF WAYLAND HALL. + + +In the lavatory she encountered the two students of whom Ronny had made +inquiry regarding Baretti's. The black-haired girl looked at her, then +nodded pleasantly. Marjorie returned the salutation with a half-shy +smile which the square-chinned, sandy-haired girl shrewdly noted. +Regarding Marjorie intently for an instant, very deliberately she +stretched forth a hand. + +"Good morning," she said, in a rather deep voice for a girl. "Did you +have any trouble finding Baretti's?" + +"Not a bit, thank you." This time Marjorie's smile broke forth in all +its sunny beauty. "We might have lost our way if we had not met you. We +saw some girls in the rustic house as we left the Hall, but we met no +others. If we had tried to find it ourselves, and turned to the left +instead of the right, I don't know where we would have landed." + +"Not anywhere near food; I can tell you that." It was the tall girl's +turn to smile. Marjorie liked her instantly. She admired her capable +chin and direct, honest expression. "You would have gone rambling along +toward the Hamilton Estates." + +"We saw them yesterday as we drove to the college from the station. They +are so artistically laid out. I am anxious to see Hamilton Arms. I have +been interested in what the bulletin says of Brooke Hamilton. We loved +Baretti's. It must have been an inn, long ago. That is what we thought." + +"It was," answered the brunette. She now offered her hand. "It used to +be called 'Comfort Inn.' You and your friends are freshmen, I know. Miss +Remson told us that there were to be five freshmen from the same town at +the Hall this year. You see the Hall was fairly well filled last June +with prospective sophs and a few juniors and seniors. I think only two +other freshmen besides yourselves were able to get in here, this year. +We mustn't keep you standing here. I am Martha Merrick, and this is my +pal, Rosalind Black. We are sophomores. We are not so very much inflated +over our high estate. You may look at us, of course, and even speak to +us." + +"I will try not to overstep bounds," Marjorie promised. "I am Marjorie +Dean, and I am glad to meet you. I haven't yet learned a freshman's +prerogatives. I must rely upon my high and mighty sophomore sisters to +enlighten me." + +"We will, never fear. You may expect to see us in your room before long; +perhaps this evening, if you are not busy." + +"You will be welcome. We have nothing special to do this evening. We +shall look forward to seeing you, and treat you with proper respect, you +may be sure." + +All three laughed merrily at Marjorie's assurance. The two sophomores +then left her to her morning ablutions. + +"'The sweetest flower that grows'" sang Martha Merrick softly, the +minute the door closed between them and Marjorie. + +"Isn't she, though," quietly agreed her companion. "She isn't a snob, +Martha. She has gentle manners." + +"Oh, I know it! What a relief to see a beauty who isn't wrapped up in +herself. Did you ever see anything more gorgeous than that head of brown +curls. If I wished to be further poetical I could quote numerous lines +that would apply to her." + +"She is lovely enough to inspire them, but she is more than that. She is +a very fine girl. Depend upon it, Martha, her friends are worth knowing +or they wouldn't be her friends. That's the way I read our stunning +freshie. I hope I am right. A few staunch democratics besides ourselves +and Nella and Leila are needed here to offset Millionaire Row." + +Meanwhile Marjorie was luxuriating in her morning scrub, a happy little +smile playing about her lips. It was so cheering to meet friendliness at +last. Miss Merrick and Miss Black were far more according to her college +ideals. Before she had completed her toilet several girls dropped into +the lavatory. Long before this, her curls had been fastened up, close to +her head. Nevertheless the strangers stared more or less politely at +her. Two of them she thought she recognized as among the four she had +seen at Baretti's. + +About to leave the lavatory, one of the towels on her arm slid to the +floor as she essayed to open the door. Some one behind her recovered it +and handed it to her. Turning to thank the doer of the courtesy, she +caught a flash of white teeth and the steady regard of two bright blue +eyes. This was Marjorie's first impression of Leila Harper. + +"I am ever so much obliged to you," she said. + +"You are welcome." The other girl betrayed no special interest in +Marjorie. Nevertheless Leila Harper was interested to the point of +deliberately endeavoring to draw her into conversation. About to turn +away, Leila spoke again. "I believe I saw you last night at Baretti's." + +"I thought I recognized you as one of the students who sat at a table on +the right," Marjorie instantly replied. Not a word more did she +volunteer. Instinctively she recognized a difference in the stranger's +manner from that of the two students with whom she had recently talked. + +"Baretti's is a quaint old place, is it not?" remarked the other, a +shade more cordially. + +"We admired it. We were too late for dinner at the Hall last night, so +we were directed there." Marjorie could not bring herself to be too +casual. + +"It's a good place to eat when you have a brand new check from home in +your pocket. Toward the last of the month I am generally to be found at +the Hall at meal-time." Her blue eyes twinkled in true Irish fashion and +her white teeth again flashed into evidence. + +"I suppose it will be the same with me before I have been here long. At +home my chums and I used to part with our pocket money at a tea-room +called Sargent's. Now we shall undoubtedly do our best to make Baretti +rich." + +"Where do you come from?" The question was asked with abrupt directness. + +Marjorie answered in quietly even tones, adding a few more explanatory +sentences concerning herself and chums. It had occurred to her that this +latest acquaintance had engaged in conversation with her for a purpose +of her own. Realizing that time was on the wing, and Jerry probably +impatient at her non-return, she excused herself and pattered down the +hall to her room. + +"I thought you would never come back," greeted Jerry. "Have you seen the +girls?" + +"No; not one of them. I met those two girls who directed us to Baretti's +last night. They are sophomores. I like them. Miss Remson mentioned us +to them. + +"Now I told you Busy Buzzy was on the job all the time. She ought to be +our press agent. Only we don't need one. True worth will always be +discovered, sooner or later. Who else knows our home town and past +history as given out by our little Buzz-about?" + +"No one else, so far as I know." Marjorie was forced to smile at Jerry's +nonsense. She did not altogether approve of Busy Buzzy and Buzz-about as +names for the odd little manager. She doubted if Miss Remson would hail +either with joy. "I met another girl, too. One of those we saw at +Baretti's last night." Marjorie briefly described her and the +circumstances of the meeting. + +"Yes; I remember her. I took a good look at those four. They were +watching us, too. They were very clever about it, though." + +Marjorie said nothing for a little. Engaged with her hair at the +dressing table, a decided frown shadowed her forehead. + +"What's the matter?" Seated where she could see her chum's face in the +mirror, Jerry had instantly noted the shadow. + +"Oh, nothing much. It seemed to me this girl didn't care about being +friendly. She acted more as if she were trying to find out what sort of +person I was. It wasn't what she said to me, but her manner that made me +think it. I felt toward her as I might have toward a stranger I had +chanced to meet somewhere in public and exchanged courtesies with." + +"She was probably trying to find out your principles and so forth. She +may be either a snob or a snob-hater. It wouldn't surprise me if that +were the main issue here," was Jerry's shrewd guess. "In either case she +would be anxious to know how to class you. According to Miss Archer's +friend, Miss Hutchison, the snob proposition has become a grand nuisance +here. Who knows? Before long we may be taking part in a regular fight +against 'our crowd.' Maybe both sides are looking for freshman +recruits." + +"Well, if it's a fight based on money, you and Ronny are eligible to +'our crowd,'" retorted Marjorie mischievously. "The rest of us can't +qualify." + +"It's a good thing," Jerry said sarcastically. "Any time you catch me +toddling along with that foolish aggregation you may discard me +forever." + +The measured raps on the door turned the attention of both girls to it. +Jerry answered it, admitting Muriel. + +"Top of the morning," she saluted. "Ready to go down to breakfast? Have +you seen Ronny and Lucy yet?" + +"I am ready and Marjorie soon will be. No; the girls haven't appeared. +We have loads of time for breakfast this morning. No danger of getting +left." + +Muriel at once began to recount her meeting in the lavatory with two +freshmen. She was in the midst of it when more rapping announced Ronny +and Lucy. + +"I was afraid you had gone down stairs," were Ronny's first words. "I +slept until the last minute as usual. Lucy was up long before me. She +set off for the lavatory, bold as you please. When she opened the door +and saw half a dozen strangers, she took fright and hustled back to our +room. Then she sat around like a goose until I woke up." + +Lucy merely smiled a little at this exposé. "I needed Ronny's moral +support," she said whimsically. "Afterward I was sorry I didn't brave it +out. The second time the lavatory held twice as many girls." + +"We landed in the middle of 'our crowd,'" reported Veronica, looking +extremely bored. "They paid no attention to us, for which I was duly +thankful. Like myself, I suppose they hate to get up early. I didn't +mind it at home, for I can take my time. I often get up at five o'clock +when Father and I are going for a long ride over the ranch. But to rise +early, then have to hurry!" Ronny made a gesture eloquent of disfavor. + +"Miss Weyman said there were eighteen girls in their sorority," +interposed Jerry. "I wonder how many of them room in this house?" + +"A dozen at least; perhaps the whole eighteen," replied Ronny. "There +were eight or nine of them in the lavatory. I heard them asking where +Florence and Lita were, so I daresay they are among the elect. Miss +Weyman wasn't there nor Miss Cairns. I saw and heard Miss Vale, she was +talking at the top of her lungs." + +"Did that Miss Vale speak to you?" Jerry questioned abruptly. + +"I happened to catch her eye and she gave me a wee little nod and a +sickly smile," Ronny answered, in satirical amusement. + +"Marjorie and I have an inkling that there are two factions at the Hall. +If that's the case--Good-bye to a peaceful college life," predicted +Jerry. "While we may think we can keep clear of both factions, we can +never do it. Mark my words, within six weeks from now we'll be all out +of patience with 'our crowd.' Then look out for fireworks." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI.--CULTIVATING CLASS SPIRIT. + + +Following Jerry's ominous prophecy, nothing of any special moment +occurred to mar the Five Travelers' peace of mind during their first +week at Hamilton. So occupied were they in choosing their subjects, +arranging their recitation periods and adapting themselves to the new +life that they paid small attention to the comings and goings of the +coterie of millionaire's purse-proud daughters which Wayland Hall +housed. + +The Sans Soucians were deep in a round of sociabilities, to which it +appeared that only a few juniors and seniors were eligible. To the other +girls of the sophomore class, they accorded a cool shoulder. A handful +of moneyed freshmen found favor with them and were therefore made much +of. The Lookouts, however, were not among these. They had been privately +rated by their quondam callers as plebians and dropped. + +While Marjorie and Muriel had chosen the classical course, Lucy and +Jerry had decided on the scientific and Ronny on the philosophical. As +they had arrived at Hamilton three days before the official opening of +the college, they had plenty of time to discuss together the respective +merits of their chosen courses and arrange satisfactorily their +recitation periods. + +The making of these necessary arrangements, together with unpacking +their trunks and attention to the countless details relative to their +physical comfort, left them little time during those first busy days for +social amenities outside their own intimate circle. + +With Helen Trent, Martha Merrick and Rosalind Black they had become +fairly friendly. Helen, in particular, had already become a welcome +visitor to their rooms. She had a habit of dropping in on one or another +of them with a bit of lively, but harmless, college gossip, that was +infinitely diverting. She never prolonged her visits to the wearisome +point. She was never in the way. In fact, she was usually in a hurry. +The difficulty lay in trying to hold her, never in wishing for her to +depart. + +Thanks to Miss Remson, the five girls had been given places at one table +in the dining room. At meal time they were, therefore, a close +corporation. Muriel's acquaintance with the two freshmen, Mary Cornell +and Eva Ingram, both from New York City, had flourished to the extent +that they had made her one evening call which she had returned. Like +herself, they had made no acquaintances outside the Hall since their +arrival and relied on each other for company. + +Toward the end of the Sanford girls' second week at Hamilton a number of +things happened. First of all, Muriel acquired a room-mate as a result +of persistent "buzzing" on the part of the manager. When first asked to +share her room with the dissatisfied junior, Miss Barlow, Muriel had +thought it over and decided in the negative. Miss Barlow was not to be +thus easily balked of her desire. She persisted with Miss Remson and +Miss Remson persisted with Muriel until the latter finally revoked her +earlier refusal. + +"Anything to have the subject off my mind," she confided to her chums. +"I'm tired of being waylaid by Miss Remson. I don't blame Jeremiah for +calling her Busy Buzzy. Just wait until you see my room-mate! Her name +is Hortense. It ought to be Moretense. She is the stiffest person I ever +saw. She walks as though she were wired and then starched for the +occasion. I had a lovely conversation with her last night. She moved in +after classes yesterday. I talked quite a lot. All she said was 'Yes,' +'Do you?' and 'I believe not.'" + +The name "Moretense" found instant favor with Jerry, while the other +three Lookouts had hard work to keep their faces straight when they +chanced to encounter dignified Miss Barlow about the Hall. Very tall and +straight to rigidity, her set features never seemed to relax. Even an +abundant head of blue black hair, loosely coiffed, did not serve to +soften the wax-like immobility of her rather broad face. Whether her +disposition and temperament matched her peculiar physical presence was +something Muriel had not had time to fathom. + +Muriel's room-mate, nevertheless, was of more interest to the Five +Travelers than the notice of the class election which was to take place +at the beginning of their third week at Hamilton. They had long since +learned that the majority of the freshmen had made harbor at Acasia +House and Silverton Hall, both noted as freshmen domiciles. Recitations +had familiarized them with the other members of their class, which was a +small one for Hamilton, numbering only eighty-two students. Still they +had not become much acquainted with their classmates and they had not +yet reached a stage of active interest in their class. + +Summoned to election one windy Tuesday afternoon, following recitations, +the Lookouts began to experience the beginning of class enthusiasm. The +majority of 19-- were bright-faced, bright-eyed girls who reminded +Marjorie of her class at Sanford High. It was seeing them together that +brought to her a tardy realization that she had been too entirely +wrapped up in her own affairs to cultivate a proper class spirit. Had +she entered Hamilton College alone, she would have made acquaintances in +her class more quickly. Surrounded by four of her intimate friends, her +hours of leisure were always spent with them. Of the five girls, she had +the peculiar personality which invites friendship. Muriel came next in +this, Ronny was not interested in acquiring new friends. Jerry was hard +to please, and Lucy was too reserved. A large number of freshmen at +Wayland Hall would have also made a difference. As this was not the +case, the Lookouts were obliged to admit among themselves that they had +been lacking in class spirit. + +The freshmen from Silverton Hall, about thirty in number, were, to all +appearances, taking the lead in the class election. Three of the +candidates nominated for office who won, respectively, the presidency, +vice-presidency and secretaryship were from there. As the candidates +were obliged to come up to the front of Science Hall where the meeting +was held, the Lookouts had at least the opportunity to see the nominees +and judge their fitness, as nearly as they could, from their personal +appearance. All five approved in particular the new president, Miss +Graham, a fair-haired, pink-cheeked young woman with sparkling brown +eyes and a ready, sunshiny smile. + +The treasurer-elect was an Acasia House girl, while the various +committees were about equally divided between the two houses. While the +Lookouts were entirely satisfied with the result of the election, they +felt, nevertheless, a trifle out of things. They had had no part in the +merry electioneering which had evidently gone on under their very noses. +More, it appeared that another class meeting had been held before this, +of which they had seen no notice on the Hall bulletin board, neither had +they received a written or verbal summons to it. + +During a recess after the election granted for the purpose of shaking +hands with the officers, Marjorie found the golden brown eyes of the +president fixed very kindly on her. + +"You are at Wayland Hall, aren't you? I know you are Miss Dean, for I +saw you on the campus over two weeks ago and made inquiry about you. It +is too bad we don't have any of the same recitation periods. I would +have met you before this. I thought you would be at our other class +meeting, but neither you nor your four friends came. I haven't time to +talk any more now. Observe that line of congratulators. After the +meeting, if you will wait for me, several of the Silverton girls would +like to meet you and your friends." + +"Of course we will wait, and feel highly honored." Marjorie flashed the +president a winsome smile, albeit she was nonplussed as to why pretty +Miss Graham had been so anxious to meet her, in particular. She was also +bent on learning more of the other class meeting from which they had in +some strange manner been cut out. + +The meeting over, the Sanford quintette stood off to one side, waiting +for Miss Graham. She presently came up to them, accompanied by half a +dozen freshmen, evidently close friends of hers. An introducing session +ensued, punctuated by laughter and gay pleasantries. It produced a more +comforting effect on the Five Travelers than had anything since the day +when Helen Trent, by her kindly manner, had taken the strain off their +arrival. + +"What do you think of that, girls? Miss Dean and her friends did not +know a _thing_ about the other class meeting we held here! We sent +notices to all the campus houses, requesting them bulletined. There was +a notice on the big bulletin board, too. The one outside Hamilton Hall, +you know." + +"Why, Portia, don't you remember? It was awfully windy that day and some +one came into the Hall and said that there wasn't a sign of our notice +on the large board. It must have blown away. That was at noon. We were +to put out another and I believe it was forgotten." This information +came from a small girl with very wide-open gray eyes and brown hair, +cropped close to her head. She had the face of a mischievous, small boy. + +"Yes, Robin, I do recall it, now that you have reminded me. Much +obliged. That explains, perhaps, why you did not see it on the main +bulletin board. It seems strange that the notice we sent to Wayland Hall +was not posted there. Miss Remson, I understand, is always particularly +careful to post the notices sent her." + +"If Miss Remson received it, she would not fail to post it," asserted +Marjorie. "Was it mailed or delivered by a freshman messenger?" + +"I took it to Wayland Hall." It was the girl Miss Graham addressed as +Robin who answered. "I handed it to a maid in a sealed envelope, +addressed to Miss Remson." + +"Perhaps some of the sophs saw it on the bulletin board and nabbed it +for a joke," suggested a tall, handsome brunette who had been introduced +to the Lookouts as Miss Scott. + +"A poor sort of joke, I should say," Robin Page said, a trifle +contemptuously. + +"Well, we were told we might expect----" Blanche Scott broke off short, +with a significant twitch of compressed lips. + +"It was unfortunate, of course," Portia Graham hastily remarked, "but +we'll hope no more notices go astray. You freshmen at the Hall had +better keep in closer touch with us. That means come over to our house +and be sociable. How many more freshmen besides yourselves live at +Wayland Hall?" + +"Two; Miss Cornell and Miss Ingram." Muriel supplied this information. +"They were sitting toward the back of the hall when the meeting began. +There they are!" She located the two at a short distance from them, +talking earnestly to the student who had been elected to the +vice-presidency. She bore a slight resemblance to Irma Linton. The +Lookouts often saw her on the campus and during recitation periods, but +did not know her name. + +"Oh; I see them. They are in good hands." Miss Graham looked relieved. +"Elaine Hunter is the sweetest girl in the whole world, I believe. Just +to be in the same house with her is to love her." + +"She reminds us of a friend of ours at home." Jerry glanced very +approvingly toward the pretty freshman. "We have noticed her on the +campus. If she is as fine as Irma Linton, our friend, she is worth +knowing. We were sorry that Irma didn't choose Hamilton, but her mother +was a Wellesley graduate and anxious for Irma to enter Wellesley." + +"I know how that goes," nodded Miss Graham. "My dearest friend was +packed off to Smith College to please her family. She didn't care to +enter Smith, but went as a matter of duty." + +At this juncture, Elaine Hunter, accompanied by Miss Cornell and Miss +Ingram, joined the group around the president and more introducing +followed. Presently the whole party trooped out of Science Hall and +across the wide campus together, making the still autumn dusk ring with +their clear young voices. + +From the Silverton Hall girls the Lookouts learned that the regular +freshman dance, which the sophomores gave each year to their younger +sisters, was soon to take place. The date had not yet been given out. It +was the autumn event at Hamilton. The juniors and seniors could come to +it if they chose. On St. Valentine's night the juniors always gave a +masquerade to all three of the other classes. Washington's birthday the +seniors claimed as theirs and gave either a play or a costume dance. To +the freshmen belonged the Apple Blossom hop, a dance given by them each +spring in the time of apple blossoms. + +When the seven freshmen bade their congenial classmates good-bye, and +struck off across the campus for Wayland Hall, it was with a new and +delightful sense of fellowship and cheer. Like the Lookouts, the two +girls from New York City had been disappointed at the lack of cordiality +they had met with at Hamilton. Neither had known of the first class +meeting until after it had been held, and both were a trifle hurt at +having been ignored. As the Lookouts had known nothing at all about it, +they at least could not be blamed for not having passed word of it +along. + +"Well, we are at last beginning to meet the folks," Jerry said with a +certain touch of grim satisfaction, as the five girls settled themselves +in Ronny's and Lucy's room for a few moment's private chat before the +dinner bell sounded. + +"If we were living at Silverton Hall or Acasia House we would be far +more in touch with college matters," commented Ronny reflectively. + +"You may blame me for choosing Wayland Hall," Marjorie reminded. "I +liked the picture of it better than the others." + +"Yes; you picked this stately old lemon and we followed your lead." +Jerry favored her room-mate with a genial grin which the latter returned +in kind. "We forgive you for it. How could you guess who else beside +Busy Buzzy lived here? I like the Hall. The rooms are good, the meals +are gooder, and the conveniences are goodest of all. It has the +prettiest lawn and veranda of them all, too." + +"It's a blue-ribbon place or Moretense wouldn't have besieged Miss +Remson to let her in here. I decline to say Busy Buzzy for fear of +getting the habit. I am too careless to apply it to her only in privacy. +I'm likely to come to grief," Muriel said lightly. + +"It's no worse than 'Moretense,'" argued Jerry. "You say that all the +time. I hope, for your sake, you won't get caught saying _that_." + +"It sounds so much like 'Hortense' that I could get away with it," +retorted Muriel. "Anyway, I like to name people according to their +lights and so do you. Long may we wave with no embarrassing accidents." +Whereupon Jerry and Muriel solemnly shook hands. + +"Isn't it time we had a meeting of the Five Travelers?" Lucy Warner +broke in irrelevantly. "On the train we said we would have one once a +week. This is our third week here and we haven't had even one." + +"Quite true, Lucificus Warneriferous, sage and philosopher," agreed +Jerry, with a gravity which would have been admirable on any other +occasion. + +"Jeremiah is all taken up with the naming habit," put in Ronny slyly. + +"Ain't I jist," chuckled Jerry. "Our cook always says that when I ask +her if she is going to the movies on Saturday night." + +"We are away off the subject." Marjorie had done little but laugh since +the five had sat down to talk. + +"Certainly, we are." Lucy regarded Jerry with pretended severity. "We +never keep to a subject when Geraldine Macy is present." Though she +spoke in jest there was a curious light in Lucy's green eyes which no +one present except Marjorie understood. It always appeared when Lucy was +anxious to impart a confidence. + +"You have something special to tell us, haven't you, Lucy?" Marjorie +quietly asked. + +"Yes, I have, but I wish it to be a confidence made to the Five +Travelers," Lucy said with stiff positiveness. "While what I have to +tell you is not anything which touches us personally, it is something +which should be brought to your attention. I don't wish to tell you +until we have a meeting. I think we had better have that meeting no +later than tomorrow night." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII.--A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF. + + +The result of Lucy's strong plea for an official meeting of the Five +Travelers was a gathering, in hers and Ronny's room, on the next +evening. As all had agreed to prepare for tomorrow's recitations first, +it was nine o'clock when they assembled to hear what Lucy had to say. + +What Marjorie said, however, the next moment after Ronny had turned the +key in the door was: "Girls, I'd like to have Ronny take charge of this +meeting. While there are only a handful of us, someone ought to be at +the head." + +Veronica demurred vigorously. She was overruled and found herself +mistress of ceremonies whether she would or no. + +"Very well," she at last accepted, "I will do the best I can to be an +illustrious head to this noble organization. To begin with, I will say +that I admire Lucy's policy. What we report here weekly is official. If +we merely talked it over in our rooms it would sometimes seem like +gossiping, even though we did not intend it to be such. I don't know +that I have anything special to tell. I will say this: Much as I like +Wayland Hall and Miss Remson, I do not like the atmosphere of it. It is +a house quietly divided against itself. There is no unity here of the +better element of girls. There ought to be. I am ready to say how such +unity might be brought about. I am not sure that I wish to make it my +business. I am not sure that it would come under the head of being a +Lookout. As the Five Travelers we have made no pledges, thus far," she +concluded with her strange, flickering smile. + +"While I was anxious to carry out the plan we made on the train about +the Five Travelers, what I have to tell you really comes under the head +of being a Lookout." Lucy paused and glanced around the uneven +semi-circle into which the girls had drawn their chairs. "Someone I know +is in great need of help, or rather protection, and that is Miss +Langly." + +"In need of protection," repeated Muriel Harding in a surprised tone. +"What awful calamity hangs over that quiet little mouse's head?" The +other three girls also looked in mild amazement. Katherine Langly, a +quiet little sophomore, was the one acquaintance Lucy had made by +herself. + +"It is those hateful sophomores from whom she needs protection," +explained Lucy, smiling faintly at Muriel's question. "They torment her +in all sorts of sly ways. I mean the ones Jerry named 'our crowd.' They +wish her to leave the Hall as a friend of theirs, a freshman, is trying +to get in here. You see she won a Hamilton scholarship. I mean one +offered by Hamilton College. She tried special examinations made up by +the Hamilton faculty of years ago. Her papers were considered so nearly +perfect that she was awarded the special scholarship which no one had +won for twenty years. It covers every expense. Mr. Brooke Hamilton +founded it and laid aside a sum of money for it. It is still in bank. So +few have won this scholarship, the money has accumulated until it is now +a very large sum." + +"How interesting!" the four listeners exclaimed in the same breath. + +"Truly, I shall never rest until I have dug up a lot of Mr. Brooke +Hamilton's history," asserted Marjorie. "He was almost as interesting as +Benjamin Franklin, who was the most interesting person I ever heard of. +Pardon me, Lucy. I am the one who is off the subject tonight." + +"What does 'our crowd' do in the way of ragging Miss Langly?" demanded +Jerry, bristling into sudden belligerence. "They make me weary! The idea +of insulting a girl who has more mind in a minute than the whole bunch +will have in a century." + +"They never speak to her, although this is her second year at the Hall. +You see, the scholarship mentions a certain room in each of four campus +houses which the winner may have the use of. She cannot share it with +anyone. The terms state that a young woman brilliant enough to win the +scholarship has the right to exclusive privacy." + +"Wasn't that dear in Brooke Hamilton?" Ronny cried out involuntarily. "I +adore the memory of that fine gentleman. I shall certainly join you in +the history-digging job, Marjorie." + +"Now let Brooke Hamilton rest," ordered Jerry. "I am the only one of you +who really has a mind to the subject." + +"Give me credit," emphasized Muriel. "I haven't said a word. I've +listened hard. What else do these millionaires do, Lucy?" Muriel wagged +her head proudly at Jerry to show the latter how closely she had been +paying attention. + +"Oh, they make remarks about her clothes and snub her dreadfully at +table. She sits at the same table as that Miss Cairns and Miss Vale. +They take turns staring steadily at her, sometimes, until they make her +so nervous she can scarcely eat. She said it wasn't so bad last year for +she sat at a table with Miss Harper and Miss Sherman. Besides, these +girls weren't trying to get her room. It has been worse this year. One +day last week Miss Myers, she is a ringleader among them, stopped her in +the hall and asked her if she would not be willing to trade rooms with +Miss Elster, the freshman they are working to get into the Hall. Miss +Langly explained that, on account of her scholarship, she had no choice +in the matter. She was angry, and she also said that if she were free to +make the exchange she would not do it. Then she walked away. That +evening Miss Myers reported her to Miss Remson for burning her lights +late, walking noisily about her room and slamming her door after the +ten-thirty bell had rung." + +"Why, that is simply outrageous!" cried Marjorie, her brown eyes +sparkling with indignation. "Surely, Miss Remson did not credit it." + +"No; she told Miss Langly to pay no attention to it. She called her +privately into her office and told her about the report soon after it +had been made. She said that she had simply informed Miss Myers that the +person who slammed her door so frequently and late was Miss Weyman, not +Miss Langly. That if Miss Langly burned her lights after the bell had +rung it was because she had had permission to do so. That if a number of +the other young women at the Hall would pattern after Miss Langly, it +would save her an infinite amount of trouble." + +"Good for Busy Buzzy," cheered Jerry, standing up and waving her arms. + +"Less noise or some one will report us," warned Ronny laughingly. "These +millionairesses will be out for our scalps when they know us a little +better. I think the whole thing is shameful. It is just the way the +girls at Miss Trevelyn's used to be. Only there were no poor girls +there. They used to act spitefully to one another. Of course Miss Langly +knows that you have told us this, Lucy?" + +"Yes; I asked her if she cared if you girls knew it. I said I was sure +you would fight for her. She said she did not wish you to do so, but she +did not care if I told you. She supposed almost every one at the Hall +knew it. + +"There isn't much we can do at first," said Marjorie thoughtfully. Every +pair of eyes were turned on her sweet face as she began speaking. "Our +best plan is the old way we have always done; take her under our wing. +There is room at our table for another plate. I will ask Miss Remson to +make that change. That will help a good deal. The rest of the time she +can keep out of those girls' way." + +"We ought to do a little press-agenting. I mean, tell everybody how +brilliant Miss Langly is and about the scholarship," was Muriel's +inspiration. "We'll start the Silverton Hall crowd to eulogizing her. If +these bullies find most of the college admires her, they will be a +little more careful. They aren't crazy to take a back seat. They love to +be popular and have the mob follow them about." + +"Lucy, you must tell Miss Langly to be sure and attend the reception. +She owes it to herself to be there." This from Ronny, in decided tones. + +"She said she would like to invite me," Lucy colored with shy +embarrassment, "but she was afraid we would not be well-treated. So many +of those girls are sophomores. She thinks they will run the reception." + +"You tell _her_ to go ahead and invite you," commanded Jerry. "We'll be +there to stand behind you. We may not have a special escort. If not, we +can go in a bunch. Has she a family, or is she an orphan, or what about +her?" + +"She's an orphan. She worked her way through high school. She lived with +an old lady and worked for her board. She has had a very sad life." + +"I am proud to know her," Ronny said simply. "If I had known her long +ago I would have helped her." + +"We will make her our close friend and see what happens," planned +Marjorie. "If the Sans Soucians choose to become offended with us on +that account, we shall understand better how to deal with them. It may +be as well to let them know our principles. They will then set us down +as prigs and leave us alone." + +This sentiment having been approved, Ronny inquired if there was +anything else to be reported by anyone present. Nothing of an adverse +nature happened to the Lookouts since the evening of their arrival, +neither had anything especially pleasant occurred which they had not +shared. The official confidence session was therefore closed until the +next week, and the girls fell to discussing the coming dance and what +they intended to wear. None of them except Lucy were likely to have a +special escort, was the modest opinion. + +Two days after their private conclave, the date of the dance was +announced on all the bulletin boards. All freshmen were earnestly urged +to be present. Followed the happiness of special invitation for all of +the Lookouts. Helen Trent invited Jerry. Leila Harper invited Marjorie, +greatly to the latter's amazement. Vera Mason requested the pleasure of +becoming Ronny's escort. As for Muriel, she held her breath when stolid +Miss Barlow made offer to become her escort on the eventful night. +Muriel accepted ceremoniously and escaped from the room immediately +after being invited for fear of disgracing herself by laughing. Later, +Nella Sherman invited her, but Muriel had to decline, with some regret, +in favor of her odd room-mate. + +The dance was to take place in the gymnasium on Thursday evening one +week after the first announcement had been made. For three afternoons +and evenings before the festivity, the majority of the sophomores were +to be found in the gymnasium, following classes, industriously engaged +in beautifying the spacious room for the affair. It may be said that the +Sans Soucians were strictly on the scene. In fact, they endeavored to +take charge. As they contributed a wealth of decorative material in the +way of small velvet rugs, expensive satin and velvet cushions and velour +draperies, they appeared to consider themselves of vital importance to +the affair. + +The laborious part of the decorating, however, they took good care to +portion out to the sophomores outside their own intimate circle. Joan +Myers, as president of the sophomore class, had called a special meeting +and appointed a special committee on decorations for the dance. This +committee comprised Leila Harper, Helen Trent, Nella Sherman, Vera +Mason, Hortense Barlow, Martha Merrick and Selma Sanbourne. The Sans +Soucians were generous in the extreme in contributing luxurious effects, +but they were niggardly in offering to help with the hard work attending +the disposal of them. They lounged about the gymnasium and criticized +freely, but they did very little actual labor. + +The odd part was to see the stolidity of the hard-working committee, as +assisted by the willing element among the sophomores, they toiled on, +paying scarcely more attention to their indolent classmates than if they +had been a few ubiquitous flies. On the first afternoon of the three +preceding the hop, the committee hired a light wagon and went to the +Hamilton Forest, a piece of woods situated about two miles south of the +college. They returned at dusk laden with the fragrant spoils of the +woods. On the second afternoon and evening the work of transforming the +gymnasium into an autumn bower was skilfully performed. A creditable +number of juniors and seniors did diligent service on this hard detail. +On the third afternoon they arranged the cushions, draperies, chairs and +like effects. Fortunately for them the Sans were absent. They were +bending their valuable energies toward beautifying themselves for the +evening. + +The Sans Soucians numbered eighteen sophomores, but their sympathizers +numbered as many more. In a class of ninety-two, at least twenty took +small interest in class matters. This left a trifle less than half of +the class to uphold democracy. As freshmen, the nobler element of girls +had made some effort to stem the rising tide of snobbishness in their +class. Utterly disgusted, they had at length, quietly withdrawn from +association with an unworthy enemy. Now at the beginning of their +sophomore year, indications marked no change for the better. + +"Well, sophies, the job is done, and be-utifully done!" sang out Leila +Harper. Unfastening the voluminous blue bungalow apron she had worn +while at work, she whipped it off and stood surveying her scratched and +dusty hands. + +"The whole thing is a positive dream!" admired Vera Mason, clasping her +small hands. "I can't help saying the gym looks much finer than last +year." + +"You may say it. Don't let the junies hear you." Leila's voice carried +the peculiar inflection that marks the Celt the world over. "It remains +to be seen who will claim the credit," she added with a touch of satire. +"Never mind, wait until the evening is over. There will be a grand +surprise for some folks." She laughed softly, in anticipatory enjoyment +of the surprise she was predicting. "I must hurry along. Remember, I am +to escort Beauty to the hop." + +"Do try to be on time, Leila," counseled Selma Sanbourne. "You're always +late, you know." + +"That I am, Swede," retorted Leila, in good-humored agreement. + +While Vera Mason rejoiced in the nickname "Midget," Selma, being a +Scandinavian, had received that of "Swede." She occasionally retaliated +by calling Leila "Ireland," the latter having been the one to apply the +two aforesaid nicknames to her chums. + +"Don't be disappointed if I'm not the first one here," warned Leila. +Rolling up the apron and tucking it under one arm, she prepared to +depart. + +"That means Leila is going to walk in at the last minute with our +rosebud girl on her arm," Martha Merrick declared. "Honestly, mates, +it's going to be so funny, if all works out as it should. It will be the +first definite blow we have attempted to strike. After the way Natalie +Weyman behaved on the day she volunteered to meet that Sanford crowd, +she _needs_ a lesson." + +"What possessed her, do you suppose?" Nella Sherman asked. "As nearly as +I can remember, she insisted upon going to the train to meet them. Then +she missed them, although she had plenty of time to reach the station +before their train arrived. Afterward, she went to one of their rooms, I +don't know which, to apologize for her non-appearance. Result, they had +their dinner at Baretti's." + +"What do you mean, Nella?" Martha Merrick looked nonplussed. "I don't +see the connection between your last two remarks." + +"I'll enlighten you. You are the one who told me that our five Sanford +freshmen asked you to direct them to Baretti's that night. It was after +six o'clock when they arrived at the Hall. Naturally it took them time +to scrub and generally freshen after an all day's ride on the train. +What did Natalie Weyman do but decide to make them an apology call +precisely at the time when they should have gone down to dinner. Miss +Cairns and Dulcie Vale were with her. They stayed until after the dining +room had closed. We didn't find this out, all in a minute, Martha. It +took Leila, Midget, Selma and I to piece it together. You helped by +remarking to us about you and Rosalind meeting them." + +"Yes, and since then Natalie Weyman hardly speaks to those girls," added +Selma. + +"There is only one explanation for such contemptible conduct," Martha +said scornfully, "and you know it as well as I. This is the first I have +heard of Natalie's call. Last year she was quite friendly with me until +I said to her that I thought it was ill-bred to base social values on +money. She cut me after that. I was not sorry." + +"She is very malicious and if she had known those five girls beforehand +I would say that she had an object in playing dog in the manger about +meeting them and keeping them from their dinner afterward," Leila Harper +said. "As it happens, they knew no one here. They are thoroughbred to +the bone. Not one word have they ever said to anyone of that night." + +"It was a case of selfishness and lack of consideration, I imagine," +surmised Vera Mason. "I mean, on Miss Weyman's part." + +"Whatever prompted such inconsideration, I am sick of it," was Leila's +vehement utterance. "Why should the fine traditions of this college be +trodden under by such vandals? That's precisely what they are. We should +have gone to the train to meet those girls. When it was distinctly given +out that Natalie Weyman intended to go, what was our conclusion? That +they belonged to her circle. I made acquaintance very warily with them, +on that account. They dress as well as any of the Sans ever dreamed of +dressing. Miss Warner dresses more plainly, but her gowns are pleasing. +They may be the daughters of millionaires, for all we know, but they are +not snobs. Have you noticed the way they have taken up nice little Miss +Langly? She has actually been abused by the Sans. Why? They were +determined to make her give up her room to that obnoxious little +freshie, Miss Elster. I despise the ultra-sophisticated type of girl she +is. She boasts that she rides to hounds, enters dachshunds at bench +shows, plays billiards and so on. She swaggers about like a detestable +young man instead of a young girl." + +"Really, Leila, you are certainly a successful information gleaner," +Nella regarded her room-mate with an amused smile. "You know how to keep +it to yourself, too. I hadn't heard that Miss Langly had been abused by +the Sans, or, that a freshman who rode to hounds was conspiring with the +Sans to snatch her room." + +"You've heard now," returned Leila, the twinkle in her eye evident. +"After tonight, oh, how many things we shall be hearing! After the ball +is over we shall be at one, I hope, with the Sanford five. If so, then +the crowd of us ought to be able to work together for a more congenial +condition of affairs at the Hall. The Sans are trying hard to run it and +overrun us. They make it hard for Miss Remson, and it is a shame. If +enough of us stand together for our rights, they will have to respect +them. They won't like us, but, then, do we admire them?" + +"If things turn out tonight as we have planned, the Sans will be raving. +Do you think it is perfectly fair to Miss Dean, Leila?" Vera's tones +carried a slight anxiety. + +"Yes, I do, Midget," came the instant reply. "She won't like it, +perhaps. Still it can't do anything more than make her unpopular with +the Sans. She is that, already, as I happen to know. If she is the girl +I think her, she will simply pay no attention to them. Set your mind +easy. We are doing her a service." + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII.--A DISCOMFITED SAN SOUCIAN. + + +When, at eight o'clock, Leila Harper knocked on Marjorie's door, the +vision who opened it brought a gleam of triumph to her bright blue eyes. +Marjorie was wearing the frock of Chinese crêpe and looking her +beautiful, young-girl best in it. The dress was exquisite enough in +itself. Worn by her it seemed invested with fresh beauty. In turn, it +lent to her a certain soft loveliness which no other frock she had ever +possessed had brought out. + +"Oh, my stars, what a dream you are, little Miss Dean!" praised Leila, +laughingly adopting a touch of brogue which she used to perfection. +Inwardly she was so delighted she could have squealed for joy. Her +appraising eyes instantly picked Marjorie's frock as unique. + +Veronica, who was talking animatedly to Vera, her escort, as she drew on +her long gloves, looked equally charming in her own way. She was attired +in an imported gown of pleated French chiffon in two shades of silvery +gray. It was banded about the square neck and very short pleated sleeves +with black velvet ribbon on which were embroidered a Persian pattern of +silver stars. The wide black velvet ribbon sash was also thickly +star-studded, as were her black satin slippers. + +Jerry, who had gone on with Helen, was wearing a stunning gown of old +gold satin with deeper gold embroideries. Lucy, thanks to Veronica, had +had the severity of her white organdie graduation gown transformed by a +fine white lace overdress which Ronny had fairly forced upon her, +together with a pale green satin sash with fringed ends, a pair of +embroidered white silk stockings and a pair of white satin slippers. +Muriel, who had also gone ahead with her ceremonious escort, was the +true Picture Girl, as Marjorie loved to call her, in a pale lavender +silk net over lavender taffeta. At her belt she wore a huge bunch of +lavender orchids, for which gallant Moretense had sent to New York. + +The gymnasium was not far from Wayland Hall, therefore the democratic +element of sophomores who lived there had not favored taking their +freshmen to the dance in automobiles. Leila Harper, Hortense Barlow and +Vera Mason had their own motor cars at Hamilton, in a near-by garage, +but common sense smiled at using them in preference to the short walk +under the twinkling autumn stars. + +"Don't forget your violets, Marjorie," called Veronica over her +shoulder, as she went out the door. "I'll wait for you downstairs. +Pardon me, I forgot I was being escorted," she made laughing apology to +Vera. "We'll wait for you, I should have said." + +"As if I could forget these darlings!" Marjorie took an immense bunch of +single, long-stemmed violets from a vase of water and wiping them gently +re-rolled the stems in their sheath of silver and violet paper. "They +are my favorite flower," she told Leila. "They go perfectly with this +frock." She pinned them securely against her sash with a quaint silver +clasp pin. "There, I won't be likely to lose them!" + +"Would you mind telling a poor Irish girl where under the stars that +gown grew?" Leila had not been able to remove her eyes from it long at a +time. + +Marjorie obligingly complied, going further to tell of the happy +surprise which had attended the receipt of it. + +"Your father must love you oceans," Leila said almost sadly. "My father +died when I was three. I have a step-father. He is not so much to my +liking. My mother and he maintain a residence in the United States, but +they are in England most of the time. I live with my father's sister +when I am home on vacations. She is keen on clubs and welfare work. She +allows me to do as I please. What kind of life is that for a young +girl?" Leila shrugged her white shoulders with true Irish melancholy. +Dressed in a beautiful gown of old rose Georgette with a partial +over-frock of frost-like white lace, she was a magnificent study. The +combination of fine, strong features which went to make up her face, +made it striking rather than beautiful. + +Suddenly her brooding features broke into smiling light. "Pay no +attention to me. Let's be off to the dance. Just a word before we go. I +wish you would feel that I am your true friend. If, when we first met, +you thought me, well--not quite frank, it was because I wished to be sure +that I liked you. That's all, except, remember what I have just said +about being your friend." + +"I will," Marjorie promised gravely. "I shall hope always to prove +myself your true friend." She offered her hand. + +Leila took it and shook it vigorously. "Now we have a bargain," she +said. "Never forget it." + +In the lower hall they found Ronny and Vera Mason waiting, and the four +stopped only long enough to cover their fine raiment, temporarily, with +evening capes. During the short walk through the soft fall night Leila +made them all laugh with her funny sallies. She had apparently lost her +recent pensive mood. Nevertheless at intervals that evening the hopeless +melancholy of her tone came back to Marjorie. She thought Leila must +have been born in Ireland, for she was at times utterly un-American in +her manner of speaking. + +The scene of festivity upon which they presently came was one of color +and light. The great room was already well-filled with merry-makers, +each in her prettiest gown. From a corner of the room, screened by palms +and huge branches of red and yellow autumn leaves, an orchestra was +playing a _valse lente_. That the sophs had outdone anything for several +years in the way of artistic decorations was the opinion of the faculty, +present almost to a member. Though they graciously lent their presence +to an affair, such as the freshmen's frolic, they obligingly left the +dance early, rarely remaining more than an hour. + +The San Soucians were well represented in the receiving line, the +majority having been appointed to it by their ally, Joan Myers. Lined +up, they made a gorgeous appearance. The majority of them were attired +in frocks of striking colors and displayed considerable jewelry. Looking +up and down the long row, it seemed to Marjorie that she glimpsed the +white fire of diamonds on every girl that composed it. It struck her as +rather ridiculous that, so long as the Sans Soucians snubbed the +majority of the students, they should wish to be on a committee to +receive the very girls they affected not to know. + +"Be easy," remarked Leila, in a tone which only Ronny, Vera and Marjorie +heard. "We are to run the one-sided gauntlet, it seems. Let us be about +it and have it done. Follow your leader and not too much cordiality. +They have none for us, though they will be sweet on the surface." + +These being the first remarks of the kind Marjorie had heard Leila make, +she glanced at the latter rather searchingly. Leila was not looking at +her. Her eyes were playing up and down the receiving line, a world of +veiled contempt in their blue depths. + +As the quartette approached the row of brightly-garbed young women, Joan +Myers, who stood at its head, bent a steady stare upon Marjorie. Next +she turned to the girl on her left and muttered in her ear. The latter +chanced to be Natalie Weyman, resplendent in an apricot satin frock, +with over panels of seed pearls on satin and a garniture of the same at +the very low bodice. The gown was sleeveless, and smacked more of the +stage than of a college frolic. A cluster of peculiar orange and white +orchids trailed across one shoulder. These Marjorie could honestly +admire. Of Natalie's gown she did not approve. + +At sight of Marjorie, Natalie's face grew dark. Nor did the further +sight of Veronica improve her sulky expression. How she managed to smile +and murmur a few words of welcome she hardly knew. She was literally +seething with jealous rage at the two freshmen. Her eyes did not deceive +her as to the distinction of their frocks. She knew after a first +appraising glance that there were no others in the room to compete with +them. They were the unobtainable so far as money went. They were the +kind of frocks that only proper influence might secure. She forgot her +earlier grudge against Marjorie's loveliness in jealousy viewing her +later offense. + +Piloted by Leila, the quartette made short work of being received by as +chilly a lot of young patronesses as jealousy could furnish. When they +had won clear of the receiving line, Leila indulged in a subdued ripple +of laughter. + +"Oh, my heart, but were they not icy?" she inquired, her eyes dancing. +"Vera, did you see Nat Weyman's face? She used to be jealous of you. Now +she has other trouble to worst." + +"Don't mind Leila's outbreak," Vera turned to Marjorie and Ronny who +were looking eagerly about them, charmed by the animated scene. "She +can't endure Natalie Weyman, and neither can I. This is not the place to +say such things, but we are not fond of the Sans and we had rather you +knew it. It will help you to understand much that may happen later on." +Vera colored as she said this. She felt that it would in a measure +mitigate any displeasure that Marjorie in particular might afterward +feel for Leila. + +"We do not know much of the Sans Soucians, but we are not in favor of +snobs," Ronny made steady utterance. She had seen the dark glance +Natalie Weyman had leveled at Marjorie, and quite understood Leila's +comments. She could also understand why Vera had aroused the vain +sophomore's jealousy. Vera's white chiffon frock over pale green +taffeta, made her look like a fairy queen who might have stepped from +the heart of a white flower to attend the frolic. + +"We know that. Otherwise you might be escorting yourselves here for all +Vera and I should care," returned Leila with a genial smile that was +irresistible. "Let us bury them deep, as we say in Kilarney, and have a +good time. I wish you to meet two or three pets of mine among the +seniors. Then off to the dance we shall wend. I tell you now, I am a +fine Irish gentleman when it comes to playing the part at a hop." + +With Leila doing the honors, the two Lookouts had a lively time for the +next half hour. Though the dancing had begun, she insisted upon parading +the three girls from one end of the gymnasium to the other. She appeared +to have a wide acquaintance among the juniors and the seniors. +Consequently Ronny and Marjorie met girls they had seen on the campus, +but whom as upper class young women they had hardly hoped to meet. + +When they finally joined in the dancing, which both had been longing to +do, they were soon besieged with invitations. It was such a complete +surprise to both, which they refused mentally to stop and think about +it, preferring to drift comfortably along on the tide of youthful +enjoyment. It was an hour after their arrival before they had an +opportunity to talk with Jerry, Lucy and Muriel. All three had been +enjoying themselves hugely. Lucy had had an interesting, though short, +talk with Professor Wenderblatt, the director of the biology department, +whose daughter, Lillian, was a freshman. She had met them both through +Katherine. The latter and herself were now rejoicing in an invitation to +dinner at the Wenderblatts on the following Sunday. + +Jerry, according to her own enthusiastic version, was simply falling all +over herself with happiness. Helen was the "Prince of Hamilton" when it +came to playing escort. Muriel was no less pleased. She gigglingly +confided to her chums that Moretense was considerably less tense when +she danced than she had expected to find her. + +The delightful evening had winged its way toward eleven o'clock when, +after a spirited fox trot, the bell in the gymnasium clanged out the +five strokes which stood for "attention" at Hamilton. Instant with the +last stroke, a breathless silence fell. It was broken by a high-pitched +call from one side of the gymnasium. From an ante room a figure in a +page's costume of hunter's green darted out and ran to the center of the +floor. Trumpet to her lips, the sophomore page played a lively little +rondelay. It was answered from the ante room on the oppo-side and +another page, similarly clad, joined the first. Another fanfare of +trumpets and three figures in dark brown robes with immense snow-white +wigs appeared from the left-hand ante-room. + +"Hear ye! Hear ye! Comes now a friende to Beautye brighte. An ye are +fair, O, maid, the Beautye crowne shall win ye! Mayhap, mayhap! An ye +are fair!" + +The voice of the central be-wigged figure echoed through the room. The +owner was a senior who sang bass in the Idlehour Glee Club, hence the +robust tones. + +"What is it to be? I don't understand," was whispered about the room. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX.--THE GIFTE OF BEAUTYE. + + +"Oh, I know what this is going to be," Helen Trent informed Jerry under +her breath. "It's an old Celtic beauty contest. Away back in the history +of the Celts, they set aside one day in the year for games and contests. +Just at sunset came the beauty contest. The Brown Judges, there are +always three, who were in charge of all ethical matters, for the Celts +had their own ideas about ethics, came down from their writing in the +court tower and made this proclamation. All the pretty girls and women +in the village would enter it. The judges would take their places on the +fiddler's platform and the beauty line had to pass them three times in +slow succession. As they knew everyone in their village, I suppose it +wasn't very hard for them to pick the winner! She was accorded +thereupon," Helen quoted from memory, "'the acclamation of her people, +and, added to the joy of knowledge of Beauty, a silver purse, containing +three heavy gold pieces, together with a solemn adjuration to do well, +breed no vanity of the mind and say a prayer of thankfulness at even for +the gift of Beauty, by the grace of God.'" + +"How pretty," Jerry said softly. "Well, if this is a beauty contest, I +hope the judges won't be partial. I know whom I think ought to win it." + +"You mean Marjorie?" Helen asked guardedly. "I think so too. Now listen +to this charge to the contestants. I know it pretty well. Leila Harper +let me take a book on the Celts. She brought it with her from Ireland. +She was born in Dublin and came to this country when she was twelve. She +is at the bottom of this and I know why. The clever maneuverer that she +is!" Helen laughed, then her face suddenly sobered. She glanced +anxiously at Marjorie, who stood not far away, her brown eyes riveted on +the three judges. The conditions of the contest were about to be laid +down by one of them. + +"One makes this charge to winsome maids, not all may win the crowne! All +ye who are to Beautye bent have had the assurance long. No mirrore +'flects a fairness back there be no fairenesse there. The twisted eye, +the fanged tooth, the loose-lippede mouth, the mottlede skin, the +unclassike nose, the sharpenede chin are not of Beautye's kin. Beare +this in mind and venture not 'fore the Judges' critike heighte an ye are +cursede with these. Now not too talle, nor yet too lowe; e're be ye +passinge faire. The heighte of man, five feete and nine, is not our +favore gainede. Nor is the midge of four feete teyne, more than the +olde, olde childe. Of grace we thinke on heavilye and note the free +lighte step, the slendyre carriage of the budding flower, whiche she of +grace does have. Of frank sweete looke, yet not so bolde, we rank as +beautied worth. No countenance is perfecte yet when guile lurkes backe +its eyese. So shalle ye rate yourselvese in mind upon our honeste scale, +spokyne in hones klaryte to save the injuryede feeling of the sex, and +we who judge ye much of vexede delaye and crude annoye. Beare last of +all this sacrede truthe, goode Beautye needs no artifyce. The cosmetykes +of cheatynge maides are instante knowne to use to be abhorrede." + +With this pointed laying down of entrance conditions to the contest, His +Honor, the center judge, and the tallest of the three, fell back a +little, to allow his companion on the left to speak. With a dramatic +wave of the arms he began: + +"Upon yon heighte we now shalle stand to sighte ye as ye passe." A +second sweep of the arm designated a small platform profusely decorated +in hunter's green, the freshman class color, and old gold, that of the +sophomore class. It stood near the big Japanese lemonade bowl and had +excited considerable curiosity during the evening, as no one seemed to +know its purpose. + +The third judge, who had thus far been silent, now called out in a +veritable town-crier voice: "Heede ye! Heede ye! Beautye waites her +worthynge. Lyne ye single fylinge. Passe ye once before us! Passe ye +twice before us! Passe ye thryce before us! Walke ye to slowe measure." + +Having delivered himself of these succinct directions, the speaker +joined his companions in bowing low to the enthralled assemblage. +Whereupon, all three turned and strode majestically toward the fateful +platform. Luckily the builders of the stand had not forgotten to place +two makeshift steps of soap boxes, carpeted in green. The august judges +had also been cautioned beforehand to tread upon them lightly or run a +chance of disgracing their high and mighty personages by an ignominious +tumble. + +While they were disposing themselves on the platform with as much +dignity as a wary ascent would allow, their hearers were fascinatedly +considering the proclamation. Hardly a young girl who does not take a +pardonable interest in a beauty contest. While she may be honestly sure +that she would never be chosen the winner, she has a secret desire to +enter it simply because she is a young girl. + +From all parts of the gymnasium a subdued murmur of voices now arose, +mingled with much soft laughter. Thus far the proclamation was too new +to court action. Besides, it took temerity, after hearing the +conditions, to walk boldly forth, an aspirant for beauty honors. Finally +a knot of juniors, who had been loitering near the Judges' stand +exchanging pleasantries with the brown-robed critics, obeyed a +mischievous impulse to start the ball rolling. Forming into line, these +six, none of whom had a claim to more than fairly good looks, marched +solemnly out onto the floor and approached the stand at an exaggeratedly +slow walk. A shout of mirth arose, which they acknowledged with wide +smiles. The ice was broken, however, and the line began to grow +amazingly. At each end of the room, the two pages had now taken up their +station in order to direct the progress of the beauty line. + +"Catch me joining that line," declared Jerry. "I know just how beautiful +I am without any opinions from those three old wigs." + +"You goose!" exclaimed Helen, in an undertone. "Come on. There's Muriel +just going into line with Miss Barlow." She giggled at the idea of stiff +Moretense courting beauty honors. "If Marjorie sees all of us in it she +will join, too. Otherwise she will stay out of it, and Veronica along +with her. Either one of them are positively stunning types. Only I would +vote for Marjorie. She really is the prettiest girl I ever saw. Why, on +the campus now, the really worth-while girls rave over her." + +"Maybe the judges won't see it that way," deprecated Jerry. "Do you know +them?" + +"Yes, I do. They are all right. Leila picked them and she is always +fair. I told you this was her work. Now come on." Helen slipped an arm +into Jerry's and towed her, unresisting, into the long line that was now +moving decorously around the gymnasium. Needless to say, the Sans had +joined it. Even Lola Elster, accompanied by Leslie Cairns, had swaggered +into line. Both had arrived late, attired in expensive, but somewhat +flashy fall sports suits and hats. Neither removed her hat when dancing, +a proceeding which many of the juniors and seniors present regarded with +no leniency. The Sans appeared to consider this rude ignoring of +convention a huge joke. Lola Elster's impudent face bespoke her +satisfaction in having thus defied the canons of good taste. + +By the time the entire procession had passed the judges' stand once, +fully two-thirds of the company had joined it. Marjorie had been among +the last to do so. Even then she would have preferred to stay out of the +contest, had not Leila insisted that she must take part in it, pointing +out to her Jerry, Muriel, and greatly to her surprise, Ronny, among the +aspirants. + +"It is only for fun, modest child," argued Leila, in her most persuasive +tones. She had foreseen this very snag in the way of her plan. Already +the line had passed the stand for the second time. "Ah, come on!" she +implored, catching Marjorie by the hand. + +With a half sigh of reluctance, Marjorie yielded. Next second, Leila was +hurrying her across the lower end of the room where the last of the +procession was just rounding a corner. At least a third of the guests +had elected to stay out of the contest. From different points of the +gymnasium arose an energetic clapping of hands as Marjorie and Leila +caught up with the line. Leila chuckled under her breath. Marjorie's +reluctance had only served to strengthen her chances for winning. Leila +knew that the judges' decision could not be attacked. She had been +careful to select three seniors whose word was law at Hamilton. If they +pronounced Marjorie Dean the most beautiful girl present, then, +undoubtedly, she was. + +As for Marjorie, she felt her face flame until it seemed to her that it +must be bright vermilion. She experienced a momentary desire to upbraid +Leila for thus bringing her into such undesired notice. She had not +realized how conspicuous their cutting across the corner had made them +until the applause had begun. Walking ahead of Leila, she was so +chagrined at her own stupidity that she moved along mechanically, hardly +cognizant of what was happening. + +It seemed a long time to her before the line completed its third tour of +the room. Came an echoing order from one of the judges to halt and the +contestants obeyed with admirable alacrity. Part of them were viewing +the beauty judges with smiles, perfectly content in knowing they would +not be chosen. To a number, however, the contest had taken on a serious +aspect. Two very pretty freshmen, pets of the Sans, stood looking at the +judges as though determined to force their approval. Among the Sans +Soucians there was an element of alertness that pointed to a smug belief +in their claim to beauty. + +Of the contestant, none was more concerned in the decision than Natalie +Weyman. For a whole college year she had been acclaimed as the Hamilton +College beauty. While considerable of this reputation had been built up +for her by the Sans, it had gained ground, for one reason or another. +She had taken care to live up to it, spending time and money in the +cause of her personal adornment. Now, after having fought hard for it, +she did not propose to relinquish it. She was inwardly furious over the +contest. There were half a dozen girls whom she feared, all looking +radiantly lovely. Vera Mason had never looked prettier. Martha Merrick +was simply stunning in that maize tissue gown. More than once that +evening Natalie had watched Muriel with a frown. But those other two +hateful girls! Her envy had been thoroughly aroused by Marjorie's and +Ronny's gowns. Her jealousy was rampant because of the beauty of their +wearers. Though nothing could have forced from her the truth, she knew +that the palm belonged to Marjorie. + +Standing a little in front of a group of her friends, where she might be +plainly seen by the judges, she assumed an attitude in which a portrait +painter had posed her for a portrait the previous winter. Having slyly +loosened one of the orchids from the cluster she was wearing, she began +picking it to pieces, her head slightly bent. Falling into the pose with +consummate art of the practiced deceiver, she really made an attractive +study. + +Marjorie and Leila had halted almost the length of the gymnasium from +Natalie, to Leila's inward vexation. She had hoped to see the two +brought close together. She was sternly determined to see the false +colors stripped from Natalie Weyman, whom she despised for a just reason +which no one but herself knew. + +"Let us have faith that the judges have good eyesight," she muttered, as +the judge who had delivered the charge to "Beautye brighte" held up a +brown-winged arm for silence. + +If the single gesture had been a wizard's charm, it could hardly have +taken effect more quickly. A hush, almost painful, ensued. The roll of +the spokesman's announcing tones fairly jarred the absolute stillness. + +"Upon our queste of Beautye brighte, we have not soughte in vaine. So +manye maides of faire young pryde make hard the chosynge then. Nor had +the taske been done e'en yet, walkyede Beautye not amongst ye. On +Mystresse Marjorie, of the Deans, our critike favor falles. Beautye has +she to bless the eye and satisfye the heart." + +A murmur of acclamation began with the announcement of Marjorie's name. +It increased in volume until it drowned the judge's speech. "Delighted," +that dignitary managed to shout so as to be heard, and, with a profound +bow, waited for the noise to subside. + +Standing beside Leila, who was applauding vigorously, a positive +Cheshire-cat grin on her usually indifferent face, Marjorie fervently +wished that she might suddenly drop through the floor. Her embarrassment +was so great that she hardly knew in which direction to look or what to +do. When quiet again descended the judge went on with the rest of a very +complimentary speech. It ended in a summons to come to the stand and be +acclaimed Beautye and receive Beautye's guerdon. + +At this Marjorie absolutely balked. Neither could Leila nor several +other students, who had gathered round her, persuade her to go forward. +It ended by a flushed and half indignant Beautye being forcibly marched +up to the stand by a crowd of laughing girls. The guerdon was an immense +bunch of long-stemmed American Beauty roses. Marjorie made a +never-to-be-forgotten picture, as surrounded by her body guard, she +stood with her arms full of roses and listened to the quaint adjuration +to Beautye. + +Unbidden tears crowded to her eyes as the judge ended with fine dramatic +expression: "Brede ye, therefore sweete maids, no vanitye of the mind, +but, say ye raythere, at even, a prayer of thankfulnesse for the gifte +of Beautye, by the grace of God." The emotional side of her nature +touched by the fineness of the sentiment, she forgot herself as its +object. + +A group of Silverton Hall girls, headed by Portia Graham and Robin Page, +gathered to offer their warm congratulations. Entirely against her will, +Marjorie Dean, Hamilton College freshman, had been accorded an honor +which she had neither expected nor desired. + + + + +CHAPTER XX.--LIVING UP TO TRADITION. + + +To be ignored on one's arrival at Hamilton and in less than six weeks to +be acclaimed the college beauty seemed the very irony of fate to +Marjorie. The week following the freshman frolic was a hard one for her. +Used to going unostentatiously about with her chums, she now found +herself continually in the limelight. Whenever she appeared on the +campus she had the uncomfortable feeling that every movement of hers was +being watched. + +"You may thank your stars that you are at college where the newspapers +aren't allowed to trespass," Ronny had laughingly assured her when she +complained. Nevertheless she was far from pleased when a prominent +illustrator wrote her a polite note asking permission to make sketches +of her. Worse still, she received later a letter from a New York +theatrical manager offering her an engagement in a musical comedy he was +about to launch. How either man had come into knowledge of her name she +could not imagine. + +While she had been deeply annoyed at the artist's note, she grew angry +at the temerity of the theatrical manager and promptly tore the letter +into shreds. How she wished that she had never allowed herself to be +dragged into that foolish beauty contest. Afterward Leila had candidly +owned to Marjorie her part in the affair. While Marjorie had been +obliged to laugh at the Irish girl's clever move against the Sans, she +had wondered whether she really liked Leila. Instead of being pleased +over her triumph, she was distinctly put out about it. + +"I never saw you so near to being really downright cross as you've been +since that old beauty contest," observed Jerry one afternoon in late +October, as Marjorie entered the room, a frown between her brows, a +tired droop to her pretty mouth. + +"I _feel_ like being downright cross," emphasized Marjorie, accompanying +the last three words with three energetic slams of her book on chemistry +on the table. "I wish this popularity business were in Kamchatka. I +thought I would like to take a walk around the campus today, all by +myself, and think about what I would write this evening. I have to write +a theme for poetics to be handed in tomorrow morning. I wasn't allowed a +minute to myself. There are some awfully nice girls here, but I wasn't +anxious for company today. I haven't the least idea what I shall write +and I wanted to save time by choosing my subject this afternoon." + +"Go and ask Ronny for a subject," calmly advised Jerry. "She loves +poems, poets and poetics in general. She is in her room writing to her +father. She fired me out, but you may have better luck. She may have +finished writing. It seems a long while since she inhospitably requested +me to make myself scarce. My, but you are sympathetic!" Marjorie was +already half way through the door, regardless of Jerry's plaint. + +"Come in," called Ronny, in response to Marjorie's two measured raps. +"Oh, Marjorie, I was just coming to see you. I have a piece of news for +you." + +"Come along," invited Marjorie, "but first give me a subject for a theme +for poetics. I need one in a hurry. Jerry said you were authority on the +subject." + +"I am amazed at her charity," chuckled Ronny, "after the way I shooed +her away from my door." + +"She mentioned it," returned Marjorie significantly, whereupon both +girls laughed. + +"Let me see," pondered Ronny. "Why don't you write on the genius Poe as +above that of any other American poet? Illustrate by quoting from other +poets and then comparing the excerpts with his work. Read his essay on +poetry tonight before you begin to write. It will give you inspiration. +I brought a five volume set of Poe from home. Here's the volume +containing the essay you need." + +Ronny took from a near-by book-case the desired volume and handed it to +Marjorie. + +"Thank you." Marjorie accepted it gratefully. "I believe I _can_ write a +fairly good theme on that subject. I have always admired Poe's work." + +"I adore his memory," asserted Veronica solemnly. "I have read every +scrap I could find concerning him. He ranked next to Shakespeare in +genius. I know he was an earnest worker and a good man. I am sure that +he was not a drunkard, but a terribly maligned genius. He was purposely +kept down through jealousy and had to sell the products of his genius +for a copper. He suffered terribly, but I imagine he had the inner +happiness of knowing that not one brilliant emanation of his master mind +could be snatched from him by the unworthy." + +Veronica's gray eyes flashed in sympathy for the misunderstood man whose +transcendental genius made him an outlander among the writers of his +period. + +"Again I thank you. This time for your lecture." Marjorie bobbed up and +down twice in quick succession. "I'll try to put some of it into my +theme. Now for my room, and the news." + +Jerry pretended not to see Ronny until she was well inside the room. She +then rose up, and, in a purposely gruff voice, ordered her out. Needless +to say, Ronny was not to be intimidated. + +"No, Jeremiah, I shall not budge an inch. Here you sit doing nothing. +Why shouldn't I come in and sit on Marjorie's side of the room? I have +news to impart--n-e-w-s," spelled Ronny. + +At this Jerry pricked up her ears and became suddenly affable. + +"I heard today," began Ronny impressively, "that there will be a basket +ball try-out next Friday afternoon in the gym, at four-thirty." + +"That's cheering news!" Marjorie's sober features lightened. "Where did +you hear it, Ronny?" + +"Miss Page told me. The notices will appear in a day or two. She played +on a team all the time she was at Wildreth, a prep school she was +graduated from. Naturally she is anxious to make the team this year." + +"I'd like to play," Marjorie said wistfully. "I suppose I won't stand +much chance among so many, though." + +"Well, you won the Beauty contest," cited Jerry wickedly. "That was a +case of one in a multitude." + +Marjorie rose and going over to where Jerry sat, waved her book +menacingly over her room-mate's head. "Dare to say another word about +that hateful old contest and I'll disown you," she threatened. "I want +to forget all about it, if I can. Basket ball is different, thank +goodness. If I make the freshman team, I have actually achieved +something." + +"I hope you make it." Jerry spoke with a sudden sincerity arising from +her devotion to Marjorie. "Muriel will try for it. Moretense is too +tense to make a startling player. Shall you try for it, Ronny?" + +"No, indeed," Ronny answered. "You and Lucy and I will be fans. I am not +very partial to basket ball unless the game happens to move fast. Then I +grow interested. Miss Page says the seniors are managing the sports. +They usually do. A senior told her of the try-out." + +"Did Miss Page say anything else about it?" quizzed Jerry. + +"No; she heard only that. She said she thought the sports committee were +purposely keeping back the information. The senior who told her +overheard the two of the committee talking to Miss Reid, the physical +instructor. She happened to be in the gymnasium at the time. She was not +asked to keep it secret, so she felt at liberty to mention it to me." + +Jerry regarded Ronny in silence for a moment. "This college makes me +weary," she burst out in an impatient voice. "There are too many +undercurrents here. Why should the sports committee keep back +information about basket ball? To suit their own pleasure, of course. +Very likely they are banded into a clique like those silly Sans +Soucians. If it happens to be the same kind of clique, then look out for +trouble at the try-out." + +"Perhaps they have a good reason for not giving out the information +until a certain time," argued Ronny. "Maybe they don't approve of the +Sans. As seniors, they should be on the heights, so far as college +ethics are concerned." + +"I trust they are," Jerry returned, in a prim voice, rolling her eyes at +Ronny. "Just the same, I doubt it. I'll tell you more about 'em after +the try-out. They'll have to show me." + +It was on Monday that Ronny heard of the try-out. Not until Thursday +afternoon did the notices of it appear on the various bulletin boards. +Their advent led to a certain amount of jubilation on the part of those +freshmen who were fond of the game. When, at four-thirty, the next +afternoon, the committee appeared in company with Miss Reid, they found +at least thirty-five of the freshman class as aspirants to the team. A +part of the unaspiring members had come to look on. There was also a +large percentage of sophomores on the scene. Outside the committee there +was only a sprinkling of juniors and seniors. + +Marjorie and Muriel had put on their gymnasium suits at the Hall and had +arrived at the gymnasium shortly after four o'clock. Jerry, Ronny and +Lucy did not appear until almost half-past four. They were accompanied +by Vera Mason, Nella Sherman and Leila Harper. In the meantime Marjorie +and Muriel had been watching, with some longing, a number of freshmen +who were out on the floor practicing with the ball. Prominent among them +was Lola Elster, who seemed to know the game, or thought she did, better +than her companion player. She was quite in her element, and was issuing +frequent orders, in a rather shrill voice, as she darted about in +pursuit of the ball. The "pick-up" squad with whom she was playing +appeared to be completely under her domination. + +"I don't care to make a team that Miss Elster is on," Muriel confided to +Marjorie in a disgusted tone. "She is altogether too fond of her own +playing. Besides, she is inclined to be tricky and I wouldn't trust her. +She'd elbow her best friend out of the way if they were both after the +ball." + +"Those girls seem to like her," commented Marjorie. "I should say none +of them were very good players. It is conceited, perhaps, to say that we +know the game better than they, but if that is a sample of their work, +we are stars compared with them. They couldn't make more than a scrub +team at Sanford High." + +"I know it," agreed Muriel. "They aren't quick enough. That's their +greatest trouble." Glancing from the players to the audience, who stood +in groups about the room, she exclaimed: "There are the girls! Let's go +over and see them." + +"Only for a minute," Marjorie stipulated. "This affair is going to begin +soon." + +They had no more than exchanged a few words with their chums when the +bell rang for a clear floor. Incidental with it the senior manager of +basket ball interests stepped forward to make the usual announcements +for the try-out and lay down the conditions which the players must +observe. Those wishing to try for a place on the regular freshman team +were then requested to come forward on the floor. About thirty-five +girls responded and enough of them to make two squads were selected. +These were ordered to the floor for a twenty-minutes' test. Their work +was carefully noted by Miss Reid, three seniors, including the manager, +and a Mr. Fulton, a professional coach. + +Altogether, four sets of players were tried out. Several of the freshmen +who had worked on the first squads did duty again. Among these was Lola +Elster. It was among the third round of players that Marjorie and Muriel +appeared, and only half-heartedly at that. Both felt the utter futility +of trying for the team, after they had looked on for a little. They did +not like the methods of either the coach or Miss Reid. Neither were +expert in proper knowledge of the game. Worse, their sympathies were +plainly with Miss Elster, who, when not on the floor, stood between +them, talking animatedly, now indicating one or another of the players, +or expressing an opinion to which both agreed by nodding affably. + +Both Lookouts made a conscientious effort to play their best, but their +team-mates were fit only for scrub players. The result was the slowest +twenty-minutes' work that either ever remembered. Try as they might, +they could not overcome the disadvantage under which they were laboring. +Hardest of all was the knowledge that they could make a good showing if +they but had the opportunity. + +When their time was up both gladly hurried from the floor to where their +group of friends awaited them. The expressions of the five girls varied +only in the degree of contempt each registered for what they had just +witnessed. + +"Why didn't you wait to see whether you made the team?" inquired Jerry +with gentle sarcasm. + +"A-h-h-h!" was Muriel's reply, expressive of her feelings. + +"We couldn't make that team in a century." Marjorie was smiling a +whimsical little smile which contained no bitterness. + +"I guess not. You might as well have played for twenty minutes with a +bunch of nine-pins. Anyway, you were dead before you ever set foot on +the floor. That Miss Elster has the coach, Miss Reid and several others +right on her side. This is the Sans inning, n'est ce pas? Uh-huh! No +mistake about it." Jerry bowed and smirked as she carried on this bit of +conversation with herself. + +"Cast an eye upon the Sans just now," Leila said scornfully. "Are they +not pleased with themselves? Do you think they would have let you or +Muriel make that team? Not so long as they could influence those in +charge. The seniors are not to blame. They kept the date of the try-out +to themselves until the last to prevent the Sans from fixing things for +their freshman friends. It did small good." Leila shrugged her +shoulders. + +"They shouldn't be allowed to run things," Jerry asserted stoutly. "The +trouble is everyone stands back and allows them to take the lead. Their +cast-iron nerve is what helps them out. Besides they are an unscrupulous +lot. They boast that they are the daughters of millionaires. Well, the +rest of us are not paupers. Only we are above trading upon our folks' +money as a means of influence. That is ignoble and should be stamped out +of Hamilton." + +"It never will be unless we all work together for a new spirit of +democracy," broke in Ronny's resolute tones. "We must establish it in +our class regardless of these unfair sophomores and their false notions, +so detrimental to nobility of character." + +"Unfair indeed." Leila smiled wryly. "Vera and I know. You should have +seen us last year. We had a disagreeable freshman cruise, thanks to the +Sans. They thought for a short time that we were perhaps poor. We found +it out and let them think so to their hearts' content. You should have +seen their scorn of us. At Thanksgiving we had our cars sent on to us. +Then they were in a quandary! We were not poor, so it seemed, but how +wealthy were we? They never found out. They tried so hard." + +A blast of the manager's whistle signalled attention. The names of the +successful contestants were about to be read out by the coach. Lola +Elster had been awarded center. Two of her particular friends had won +right and left guard. Robin Page had achieved right forward. At this, +none watching wondered. She had played in the first squads and done good +work. Left forward fell to a Miss Burton, a freshman Dulcie Vale had +been rushing and whom she had escorted to the frolic. + +"I am glad it is over. I am not sorry I tried for a place on the team," +soliloquized Marjorie aloud. "Neither Muriel nor I had a fair chance. I +was hurt and disappointed for a minute or so after I saw the way things +were going. I am not now. I shall wait until next year," she announced, +in a calm, determined voice, "then I shall make the team. That means we +will all have to work together to bring about a happier state of affairs +at Hamilton. None of us can be free or happy with this shadow hanging +over us. There can be no true class spirit unless we base it on the +traditions which Mr. Brooke Hamilton wished observed by the students of +Hamilton College." + + + + +CHAPTER XXI.--ON THE EVE OF THE GAME. + + +Following the basket ball try-out, which the Sanford five agreed was the +tamest attempt at playing basket ball that they had ever witnessed, +little of moment befell them as the days slipped by and the Thanksgiving +holiday drew near. As they would have four days' vacation, all were +determined on spending them in Sanford. Ronny was going to Miss +Archer's, as she had promised her God-mother this holiday before leaving +for college. + +Lucy Warner was the only one of the Five Travelers who intended to +remain at Hamilton during the holiday. She had flatly refused to allow +Ronny to defray her expense home. + +"There is no use in my going home. I would not see Mother except for a +very short time. She is nursing a fever patient and won't be able to +leave her for at least three weeks. Yes, I know I could be with you +girls. I'd love to, but Katherine has no place to go. I might better +stay here with her. I am going home for Christmas and she has promised +to spend those holidays with me." This was Lucy's view of the matter. + +The day of their departure for home was typical Thanksgiving weather, +fairly cold, and marked by snow flurries. If the trip to Hamilton had +seemed long, the journey home was longer. With all four impatiently +counting the miles between Hamilton and Sanford, time dragged. Their +train having left Hamilton at eleven o'clock that morning, it was after +dark when it pulled into Sanford. A fond company of home folks were on +the station platform to greet the travelers, who for the first time +since leaving for college, separated, to go in different directions. + +Marjorie thought the most beautiful sight she had ever looked upon were +the lights of her own dear home. Encircled by her captain's arm, they +blinked her a mellow, cheery welcome as the automobile sped up the +drive. She never forgot the wondrous happiness she experienced in +returning to her father and mother after her first long absence from +them. + +It was after dark on the Sunday evening following Thanksgiving when four +of the Five Travelers alighted from the train at Hamilton station. Tired +though she was, and a little sad, Marjorie thrilled with an odd kind of +patriotism as the lights of the campus houses twinkled on her horizon. +There was, after all, a certain vague joy in having returned to college. + +Ronny, Jerry and Muriel all agreed with her in this, as the Lookouts +gathered in hers and Jerry's room after Sunday night supper to tell Lucy +the news of home. Mrs. Warner had called at the Deans on Saturday and +intrusted a letter and package to Marjorie for Lucy. The package, when +opened, revealed a pretty knitted sweater and cap in a warm shade of +blue. Lucy's mother had knitted them during intervals while her patient +slept. + +"How have things been here?" queried Jerry, after the admiring comments +relative to Lucy's cap and sweater had subsided. + +"It has been so blissfully quiet," sighed Lucy. "There were only five +girls here over Thanksgiving. Miss Remson says she has experienced a +spell of heavenly calm. We had a fine Thanksgiving dinner. Two of Miss +Remson's nephews were here for the day. They brought their violins and +Miss Remson plays well on the piano. We had music Thanksgiving evening. +Friday evening we were both invited to Professor Wenderblatt's home. Mr. +Henry Arthur Bradburn, a friend of his, who has made a number of Arctic +journeys is visiting him. There were about twenty-five guests. You can +imagine how proud Kathie and I were. Lillian came over on Friday morning +and invited us." + +"You may go to the head of the class," commented Jerry. "You're +graduated from the stay-in-your-shell period. I never before heard of +such a sudden and unparalleled blossoming into the high-brows' garden." + +The Five Travelers lingered to talk that evening until the last minute +before the ten-thirty bell rang. The next day was not characterized by +particularly brilliant recitations on the part of any of the returned +students. + +On the third day of December notices appeared on the bulletin board +announcing the first basket ball game of the season. The sophomores had +challenged the freshmen to meet them on the second Saturday in the +month, which fell on the fourteenth. The sophomore team was composed +entirely of Sans Soucians. Natalie Weyman, Dulcie Vale, Joan Myers, +Adelaide Forman and Evangeline Heppler were the select five who were to +wrestle with the freshmen for the ball. + +"Can they play basket ball?" was Muriel Harding's pertinent question put +to her room-mate, Miss Barlow, who had just finished naming the players +on the sophomore team. The two girls had met outside Hamilton Hall and +stopped as was their wont to consult the main bulletin board. + +"They are fairly fast players, but," Miss Barlow's eyebrows went up, +"they are so tricky. They composed the freshman team, last year. +Gratifying, isn't it, to be able to head basket ball two years in +succession?" The question was freighted with sarcasm. + +"Very," returned Muriel, inwardly amazed at this new attitude on the +part of her reserved room-mate. It was the first time Moretense had ever +grown personal in regard to any of the students. + +"I am positive the juniors won't play them this year," Hortense +continued. "They had enough of them last. Really, the umpire nearly wore +herself out shrieking 'foul' during that game. My word, but they worked +hard--cheating. It did them not a particle of good. They lost by ten +points." + +"Do you like basket ball?" Muriel was further astonished at her +companion's apparent interest in the sport. + +"Yes, I do, when it is well and fairly played. I have never yet seen a +really clever game played at Hamilton." + +Similar information drifted to the Lookouts concerning the sophomores' +work at basket ball, during the few days that preceded the game. Far +from the usual amount of enthusiasm which attends this sport was +exhibited by the upper class students. The freshmen, however, were duly +excited over it. While many of them had disapproved the partiality shown +at the try-out, they could only hope that the freshman team would rally +to their work on the day of the game and vanquish the sophs. The team +was practicing assiduously. That was a good sign. The sophomores were +not nearly so faithful at practice. + +"If 'our crowd' can play even half as well as the scrub teams could at +Sanford High they can whip this aggregation of geese, Robin Page +excepted," Jerry asserted scornfully to her chums on the evening before +the game. The next day's recitations hastily prepared, the Lookouts had +gathered in Ronny's room for a spread. + +"I feel sorry for Miss Page," remarked Ronny, without lifting her eyes +from their watch on the chafing dish in which the chocolate had begun to +bubble. + +"So do I. I told her so yesterday," confessed Muriel. "I met her in the +library and we had quite a long talk. She said she would have resigned +after the first day of practice, but she felt that it would be cowardly. +She knows the game as it should be played, but the other four girls are +quite shaky on some points of it and they won't let her correct them +when they make really glaring mistakes. She tried it twice. Both times +she just escaped quarreling with them. So she quit." + +"I think she is so plucky to stay on the team under such circumstances." +Marjorie looked up from her sandwich-making labors, her face full of +honest admiration for Robin. "She is such a delightful girl, isn't she?" + +"She makes me think of a small boy," was Jerry's comparison. "Tell you +something else about her when I get this tiresome bottle of olives +opened. If I don't extract the treacherous old cork very gently, I'm due +to hand myself a quarter of a bottle of brine in the eyes or in my lap +or wherever it may happen to land. There!" She triumphantly drew forth +the stubborn cork without accident. "Now about Robin Page. She asked me +to ask you girls to go to the game with the Silverton Hall crowd. Then +she wants us to be her guests at dinner at the Hall and spend the +evening with her and her pals. I've accepted for us all, so make your +plans accordingly." + +"I've already asked Moretense to go to the game with us." Muriel looked +briefly perplexed. "I don't think anyone will care if I ask her to go +with us to meet the Silverton Hall girls. I can't go with you folks to +dinner, for my estimable room-mate has invited me to the Colonial and +engaged a table ahead. I am to meet Miss Angier and Miss Thompson, +juniors and friends of hers." + +"When did you make all these dates and right over our heads?" Jerry +quizzed, trying to appear offended and failing utterly. + +"Oh, the other day," returned Muriel lightly. "It shows you that I am +well thought of, too, in high-brow circles." She cast a sly glance +toward Lucy. The latter was happily engaged in cutting generous slices +from a fruit cake which had come by express that day. Mrs. Warner had +made it early in the fall and had put it away to season. It had arrived +at an opportune time, and Lucy had gladly contributed to the feast. + +She chuckled softly over Muriel's good-natured thrust, but made no +reply. It was her chief pleasure to listen to her chums, rather than +talk. While she had expanded wonderfully as a result of association with +a fun-loving, talkative quartette of girls who had taken pains to draw +her out, she still had spells of the old reserve. She was gradually +growing used to the gay badinage, which went on constantly among her +chums, and on rare occasions would convulse them by some dry remark of +her own. + +While the Five Travelers were preparing their little feast in the utmost +good fellowship, in a room two doors farther up the hall five other +girls sat around a festal table, arguing in an anything but equable +manner. Four of them were members of the sophomore team. The fifth was +Leslie Cairns. + +"It's not fair to the kid if you girls don't give her a chance to win." +Leslie Cairns' shaggy eyebrows met in a ferocious scowl. "Don't be +stingy. You won enough games last year. Have a heart!" + +"Honestly, Les, you talk like an idiot!" exclaimed Natalie Weyman +impatiently. "You have a crush, and no mistake, on that little Elster +simpleton. I don't care whether you like what I say or not. You think +she is a scream because she behaves more like a jockey than a student. I +think she is so silly. You will get tired of her swaggering ways before +long. See if you don't." + +"She's a game little kid, and I like her," flung back Leslie with +belligerent emphasis. "Why did you put me to all the trouble to fix +things so that she could make the team if you didn't intend to give her +a showing. That cost me time and money." Her voice rose harshly on the +last words. + +"Shh!" Dulcie Vale held up a warning finger. "You are almost shouting, +Les. Lower your voice." + +"I should _say_ so." Natalie Weyman's face was a disagreeable study. +Before the arrival of Lola Elster at Hamilton, she and Leslie had been +intimate friends. Now Leslie had in a measure deserted her for the bold +little freshman she so detested. + +"Beg your pardon." Leslie's tones dropped back to their usual drawl. +"Sorry you girls have decided you must break the record tomorrow. Why so +strenuous? You haven't Beauty and her gang to fight. They haven't had +even a look-in. I hear they are really _players_, too. The trouble with +you, Nat, is you are two-faced. You pretended that you were anxious for +Lola to make the team because you thought she would make a fine record +for herself on the floor. You said her pals ought to be on the team, +too. So they are, the three of them. I worked that. Now you didn't say +that you wanted these three freshmen on the team so as to keep those +Sanford upstarts off. I caught that, too, and fixed it. I didn't mind. I +can't see them. What you wanted was a crowd of freshmen your team could +whip easily." + +"That is absolutely ridiculous and unkind in you, Leslie!" Natalie's +face was scarlet. "How could I possibly know beforehand just how well +the freshmen we--that is--you----" Natalie stammered, then stopped. + +Leslie Cairns' upper lip drew back in a sneering smile. "How could you +know? Well, you dragged them over to the gym and set them at work with +the ball. This was before the try-out. What? You took good care not to +ask me along that day. Joan is as deep in it as you are. Then you came +back puffing about what wonderful players these kids were and so forth. +Would I fix it for them. I did. The day of the try-out I was pretty +sore. You can't fool me on a basket ball. They are not much more than +scrubs; except Lola. She is O. K. I saw you and Joan had put one over on +me, but it was too late to make a fuss. Think I don't know you, Nat? Ah, +but I do!" + +Natalie sat biting her lip, her eyes narrowed. She was well aware that +Leslie knew her traitorous disposition. For selfish reasons she did not +wish to quarrel with her. + +"All right, Leslie," she shrugged. "Have it your own way. Go on thinking +that, if it will be any satisfaction to you. You must remember we have +our own end to hold up as sophomores. Why, if we _tried_ to favor Lola +during the game, it would be noticed and we would have trouble over it. +Ever since that Beauty contest, I've noticed a difference in the way I +am treated. I used to be _It_ on the campus. I've lost ground, somehow. +We Sans have worked too hard for first place here to give way now. We +must keep up our popularity or be at the dictation of the common herd. +Our team simply _has_ to make good tomorrow." + + + + +CHAPTER XXII.--A HARD ASSIGNMENT. + + +When the chimes rang out a melodious Angelus at six o'clock that +evening, the sophomore-freshman game was over and the freshman had +received the most complete whitewash on record at Hamilton. The score at +the end of the game was 26-4 in favor of the sophs. In the freshman +quarters, just off the main floor of the gymnasium, Lola Elster sat +weeping tears of sheer fury, with Miss Cairns alone to comfort her. + +"They told me they wouldn't work hard! They told me it would be a walk +away!" she reiterated vengefully. "You wait. I'll be even with that Joan +Myers!" The bulk of her spite was directed against Joan, with whom she +had come most into contact during the game. + +On the way to their respective campus houses, groups of indignant +freshmen freely discussed and deplored the disgrace that had fallen upon +them. At least thirty-five girls were bound for Silverton Hall, walking +five abreast, their clear voices rising high in the energy of +discussion. Among these were Marjorie, Ronny, Jerry and Lucy. All four +were separated, each walking in a different group. + +In the foremost rank were Robin Page, Portia Graham, Elaine Hunter, +Blanche Scott and Marjorie. Four of them were engaged in trying to +console Robin, who was feeling the disgrace keenly. + +"You should have resigned from that team, Robin, the minute you saw what +they were at practice," Blanche Scott said energetically. "It was fine +in you to stick for the honor of the class. You did your best today, +under the circumstances. You were the only one who scored." + +"Yes; you need not feel bad, Robin," consoled Portia Graham. "I know one +thing. There is going to be a new freshman team before long, and I hope +you will play center." + +"You believe, then, Portia, that we ought to raise a real fuss and +demand a new team?" Elaine Hunter's blue eyes were alight with +anticipation. She was glad to have some one else express her own +thought. + +"Yes; don't you? It is the only way to wipe our escutcheon clear. Don't +you agree with us, Miss Dean? We should all stand together in a matter +of this kind. We can only guess as to why such a team was picked in the +first place. Good players ignored and 'flunks' taken on, with the +exception of Robin. Miss Reid, I understand, favors a certain element of +students here. The management of the sports is in her hands, but it +should not be. It really belongs to the senior sports committee. I hear, +that, for two or three years, they have been positive figureheads. She +has done all the managing. It is time there was a change." + +"Two of the senior committee did not care much, I believe. The manager, +Miss Clement, told me that she was simply overruled. She objected, but +that was all the good it did," informed Blanche Scott. + +Portia had gone on talking, without giving Marjorie a chance to agree +with her. She now laughingly apologized and again solicited an opinion. + +"I think a new team should be chosen," Marjorie said evenly. Her eyes +were sparkling in the darkness like twin stars. Here, at last, were +girls like the Lookouts. She was so glad that the matter was to be taken +up and threshed out she could have shouted. A definite blow for +democracy was about to be struck at Hamilton. "My friends and I thought +the try-out very unfair. We are considered good players at home, but we +were not even chosen to sub." + +She went on a little further to explain why, in her estimation, the team +chosen were so unfit for the responsibility. Her short talk proved +conclusively that she understood basket ball as only an expert could. + +"Won't you and Miss Harding please enter the lists again, when we have +the new try-out?" coaxed Elaine Hunter. + +"No." Marjorie's refusal was quietly emphatic. "Not this year. I am +willing to do all I can to help the good work along, but I don't care to +play. Muriel feels the same. Next year we hope to make the team. There +are some good players among the freshmen who had no chance at the +try-out. I would like to see them play. I would like to see Miss Page +play center. She plays a wonderful game." + +"Thank you." Walking beside Marjorie, Robin gave her arm a grateful +little squeeze. "You and I are going to be great friends," she laughed. +"How did you guess my pet ambition?" + +"I didn't guess it. I only said what I thought about it. You deserve the +position." + +"Yes; and she is going to have it, if there is any such thing as fair +play at Hamilton, and I think there is." Portia Graham spoke with a +sternness that presaged action. "After dinner, tonight, I am going to +call a meeting in the back parlor. We can all get into that room without +crowding. Then we will see what happens." True to her word, Portia saw +to it, the moment she reached the Hall, that every freshman in the house +was notified of the meeting. + +The ringing of the dinner gong shortly afterward was a pleasing sound to +the hungry girls. Dinner at Silverton Hall was served at two long tables +set lengthwise in a pretty green and white dining room. The Lookouts +found the meal as appetizing as any they had eaten at Wayland Hall, +though no better. They liked the line-up of merry girls, with most of +whom they now had some acquaintance. + +Dessert did not receive its usual attention that night. The excited +freshmen finished their dinners in some haste and promptly repaired to +the back parlor. The same thirty-five who had walked five abreast across +the campus were gathered again for action. While the murmur of +conversation, mingled with frequent laughter, went on until Portia +Graham took up her station near the old-fashioned fireplace where she +could be seen and heard. Immediately the buzzing subsided, to be +succeeded by a total silence. + +Her freshman honor stung by the whitewashing the freshman team had +received, she made an address that came straight from her injured +feelings. It was not long, but it was convincing and evoked loud +approbation. Her suggestion was that a letter of protest be written to +Miss Reid and signed by every freshman in sympathy with the movement. + +"That excludes four members of the team and a few of their supporters, +but we can't help that," she said. "I think a committee of three had +best draw up the letter. Then it can be passed around for approval and +signatures. Be very sure to read it carefully. This letter is going to +make Miss Reid very angry, for she will have to know that we considered +her methods unfair. I do not believe she will take up the matter with +Doctor Matthews. If she should, we will stand our ground. We are going +to stamp out favoritism if we can. After the letter leaves here with our +signatures it will be handed to the freshmen at Acasia House. I will +obtain their signatures. There are six at Wayland Hall and all are in +sympathy. That leaves about twenty-four, including the team. The +majority of the twenty besides the team are doubtful. Elaine, I am going +to ask you and Miss Dean if you will accept the delicate task of +obtaining the signatures of any of the twenty whom you think are with +us." + +"I will do the best I can. That is no simple undertaking, Portia +Graham," Elaine reminded, her gentle face rather blank at the mission. +Marjorie also looked a trifle anxious. Then her face cleared and she +expressed her willingness to comply with Portia's request. + +Jerry's lips puckered as though about to emit a whistle when she heard +Portia commission the two freshmen to the difficult task. She was about +to set Portia hastily down in her mind as on the order of a shirker. She +had passed the hardest task to some one else. Then it suddenly dawned +upon her that, among the freshmen, there were no two better able to +diplomatically perform that task than Marjorie and Elaine. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII.--A FRESHMAN REVOLT. + + +The committee of three, which included Portia Graham, Veronica and Ethel +Laird, an Acasia House freshman, duly met on the following evening. +After two hours of good hard work they succeeded in preparing a letter +of protest which suited them. It was a drastic letter, written out of +the adamant hardness of youth against injustice. The Silverton Hall +freshmen hailed it with acclamation and vowed that it ought to be placed +on record with the world's great documents. The Acasia House contingent +were no less enthusiastic. There were twenty of them, which, with the +six at Wayland Hall, swelled the number of protestants to fifty-eight. +This represented two-thirds of the class. + +It was a week from the time the letter was written and copied before it +was signed by the loyal two-thirds. Portia made haste prudently, never +allowing the precious document to be out of her sight during the signing +process. Each freshman was also pledged not to mention it outside the +class. During that period of time, Marjorie and Elaine were carefully +scouting about for signers among the doubtful contingent. It was indeed +a hard detail. + +She and Elaine made a list of the names of the twenty doubtfuls and +divided it between them. That made only ten apiece, but, oh, that ten! +She finally managed by dint of inquiry to obtain three signatures from +three girls who lived off the campus and did their own light +house-keeping. They appeared to be pleased with her call, which she made +one snowy December afternoon, and became willing signers. She promptly +told Ronny of them, who as promptly pricked up her ears. These were the +very girls Ronny was always ready to help. This brought her list down to +seven. Five of these she learned were devoted supporters of Lola Elster. +Thus, only two of her original ten were left. One of these two was a +Miss Savage, who lived at Alston Terrace, the most distant house from +Hamilton Hall on the campus. She roomed with her sister, a junior, and +recited French in Marjorie's class. The other, a Miss Greene, Marjorie +knew only by sight. She lived in the town of Hamilton and a chauffeur +brought her and came for her with a limousine every afternoon. + +How to get in touch with them she did not know. She was certain that +Leila Harper could help her in this, but she was under promise of +silence. The freshmen signers were growing a trifle impatient, as they +wished to have the affair out of the way before going home for +Christmas. Elaine had secured six of her ten signatures. The other four +she reported as hopeless. She volunteered to see Miss Savage, whom she +had met socially on several occasions. + +"I don't believe I will be able to get that Miss Greene's signature," +Marjorie confided to Ronny. "I am never anywhere near her. I never see +her with any of the Sans or Miss Elster's friends. She is not chummy +with them. Still, I dislike going up to her and asking her to sign when +I don't know her even to bow to." + +"I would not trouble myself about her," advised Ronny. "I do not like +her looks. I heard, quite a while ago, that she was very distant. It is +too bad you had to bother with that list. Still, I would have accepted +it had I been asked to do so. The end is worth the pains in this case." + +Marjorie nodded. "Oh, I didn't much mind. I am glad I slid through +without any fussing. Right is right, only one can't always make the +other person see it. I will go over to Silverton Hall today after +classes and tell Portia I can't get hold of Miss Greene. Perhaps she +can." + +Shortly after four that afternoon, Marjorie walked slowly down the main +drive, intending presently to strike off across the campus in the +direction of Silverton Hall. She had not gone far when she heard the +crunch of a footstep behind her. Involuntarily she turned her head to +encounter the cold stare of two pale blue eyes. "Oh!" was her +soft-breathed interjection. The eyes belonged to Miss Greene. More, Miss +Greene was about to address her. + +"Are you Miss Dean, the young woman who is getting signatures for a +protest against Miss Reid's management of basket ball?" she asked icily. + +"Yes," Marjorie unhesitatingly answered, measuring the questioner with a +calm, uncritical glance. "I have not your signature. Do you wish to sign +the paper we shall presently send Miss Reid?" + +"Where is this paper?" counter-questioned Miss Greene. "I wish to see +it. I have never heard of anything more outrageous! Miss Reid is a dear +friend of mine." + +Marjorie colored hotly at the other's tone. Raising her head she coolly +stared Miss Greene straight in the eye. "I have not the paper with me. +In any case you would not care to sign it. It is in the form of a letter +to Miss Reid and is just. The outrageous part of the affair lies in Miss +Reid having shown favoritism, not in the freshmen having resented it. +Good afternoon." She continued on down the drive, leaving an angry +freshman behind her. + +Portia Graham received the account of the interview with troubled eyes. +"Who do you suppose told her?" she asked Marjorie. "We were anxious to +send the letter before news of it reached Miss Reid. She deserves it, +you know. My sister graduated from here last June and she could not +endure Miss Reid. Of course, Miss Greene will tell her, if she hasn't +already. We had best send the letter at once. A little early for a +Christmas greeting, but it will give her food for reflection," Portia +finished sarcastically. + +"There are no games to be played before Christmas, anyway," returned +Marjorie. "What we wish to prevent is another exhibition of how not to +play basket ball as given by that limping team. Suppose Miss Reid +ignores our letter?" + +"Then we will take it higher," was the quick response. "She won't. She +will probably send for the committee which I informed her in the letter +would meet her to discuss the matter. I did not mention any names. Will +you go with me if she sends for us? I would like Miss Lynne and Miss +Harding, Elaine and Miss Cornell." + +"I will go and so will Ronny and Muriel." Marjorie gave the promise for +herself and friends. + +Miss Greene now out of the question, and Elaine having obtained Miss +Savage's signature, there was no further time wasted. The letter was +sent and the freshmen rested their case until a reply came. Reply, +however, was not forthcoming. Up to the day when college closed for the +Christmas holidays Miss Reid had made no sign save to haughtily ignore +the justice-seeking freshmen when she encountered them on the campus. +The six girls, who formed the committee for final action, quietly agreed +that as soon as they returned from their holiday vacation they would +immediately wait upon Miss Reid and demand justice. + +Occupied with this matter, Marjorie had allowed her own affairs to slide +for a time. The day before going home, she recalled with regret that she +had intended to invite Leila Harper to spend the holidays with her. It +was too late now. Still, there would be the Easter vacation. She would +invite Leila for that, before going home. Leila's bright blue eyes +filled with tears when Marjorie delivered her invitation. + +"You are a darling," she said unsteadily. "I would accept in a minute, +but I am going home with Vera. Easter, now you have asked me, I will +accept with loud Irish rejoicing. Vera is almost as much of a stray as +I. Her father is Roderick Mason, the portrait painter. They have a +whopping old apartment in the Glendenning, on Central Park, west. It is +part studio. Her mother died when she was three weeks old. Her father +brought her up. He's a fine man, but erratic. Whatever she asks him for +he says: 'Yes, yes; but don't annoy me with it.' He loves her when he +happens to recall that he has a daughter," Leila ended half bitterly. + +"I wish Vera would spend Easter with us, too," Marjorie said quickly. "I +shall invite her before I go home. Come along. We will ask her now. I am +going home on that eight-ten train in the morning, so I won't have time +then to see her." + +Leila's face was aglow with a new-found happiness as she and Marjorie +ran up the stairs to Vera's room. There was that in Marjorie's sweet +cordiality which thawed the ice about her heart. Next to Vera, she had +received Marjorie into her affections. In consequence, she was more in +touch with Marjorie's college affairs than the latter dreamed. Leila was +in possession of the news of the freshman revolt against Miss Reid, but +she kept it strictly to herself. She also honored Marjorie and her chums +for being able to keep a secret. The news, in reality, had been +published abroad by Miss Reid herself, who had showed the letter to +Natalie Weyman, Leslie Cairns and even Lola Elster. These three had been +furiously angry over the attempt to "put one over," as Leslie Cairns had +expressed herself. + +"Let it go until we come back from our vacation. Don't see any of them," +she stolidly advised Miss Reid. "I will find a way to settle them. Lola +stays on the team. I heard this Miss Dean, Beauty, you know," she +sneered, "was trotting around with the paper. I know a way to even up +scores with her. Leave it to me. Oh, yes. I'll tell you one thing you +may do. Write that snippy Miss Page and demand her resignation from the +team. That will make the revolutionists wild. As soon as we come back +make the freshies challenge us to play. I'll see that they win next time +and don't you flunk, either. The soph's team will have to do as I say. +They all owe me money." + +Miss Reid entertained great respect for the Cairns money, though at +heart she was not fond of Leslie and her bullying ways. She was obliged +to admit that Leslie Cairns was a born politician. This was not strange. +Her father was Peter Cairns, the hardest-headed tyrant among a group of +financiers who based all values on money. + +"I believe you are right, Leslie, about the freshman team challenging +the sophomore team directly after the holidays," she reluctantly +conceded. "If the freshman team should win, it would put a stop to this +nonsense. I shall put a stop to it, at any rate, by simply ignoring it." +Miss Reid was carefully ignoring all recognition of the fact that Leslie +had the upper hand and was dictating to her. This fact was not lost on +Leslie. + +"The freshman team must win," she said, looking hard at the physical +instructor. "If you can't manage it, I will send for a coach who can. I +can have him here for two weeks before the game. He can live in town and +I'll run him out here in my car every day to coach the team. I don't +mean Fulton. He is too namby-pamby. I mean a coach who will really train +the team and at the same time keep off any freshmen who start to +interfere." + +"That will not be necessary, Leslie." Miss Reid's tones were freighted +with annoyance. "I believe I can be trusted to coach the freshman team +so that they will--well, make a good showing at the next game." + +"Win the game?" was the significant question. + +"Yes, win the game," repeated Miss Reid. "Please recall that I selected +that team; not the coach. It doesn't include any of your pet aversions. +I hope I am equal to this emergency." + +"I hope so," returned Leslie, without enthusiasm. "Anyway, I shall keep +an eye on the team myself. Now if Nat comes raving to you about Lola or +me pay no attention to her. She wants to be a basket ball star and it's +an inconvenient time to aspire to it. Understand? What?" With this final +characteristic interjection, Leslie sauntered out of the instructor's +room without troubling to say good-bye. It had not occurred to her to +say "Merry Christmas" or wish Miss Reid the season's compliments, +although the conversation took place between them not more than two +hours before Leslie left Hamilton to go to New York for the holidays. + +Happily unconscious of any dark conspiracies against her welfare, +Marjorie's last night at the Hall was congenially spent. The Five +Travelers had packed in the afternoon and were free to spend the evening +together. They had decided to use the time in wrapping and directing a +number of packages, containing simple remembrances for a few of the +Hamilton students whose home addresses they had secured. These they +could mail at the station the next morning. While the five girls talked +and worked, their old friend, the chimes, entertained them with his ever +beautiful Christmas repertoire. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Silent +Night," "Little Town of Bethlehem," "Cheerful Adoration," and other +Yuletide favorites rang gloriously out on the still snowy air. The +concert ended with "God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen," which had been +Brooke Hamilton's pet carol. + +"Thank you ever so much, old dear," Marjorie made a childish little bow +in the direction of her friend as the little prelude before the striking +of eleven began. The ten-thirty rule was not being observed that night +and no one cared. + +"Yes; much obliged chimes," echoed Jerry. "It will be quite awhile +before we hear your melodious voice again. There, that's my last +package." She laid an oblong bundle on a pile beside her with an audible +sigh of satisfaction. + +"Mine, too. Come on, Lucy, we must turn in. Shoo, shoo, Muriel. Go right +straight to your room. It's late. Didn't you know it." Ronny made a +playful attempt to drive Muriel to the door. The latter braced her feet +and stood her ground. Both girls were laughing as were also the three +onlookers. The sound of mirth could be faintly heard in the hall. + +Coming in from a motor ride with several of the Sans, Natalie Weyman +heard the laughter as she passed Marjorie's room on the way to her own. +Her face clouded perceptibly. What a lot those girls seemed to find to +laugh at, was her resentful thought. She was always hearing sounds of +laughter from both Marjorie's room and that of her friend across the +hall. It was evident they did not quarrel much. For an instant Natalie +wished she knew them better. Leslie and Dulcie were always so +disagreeable unless they could have their own way. Remembering her +grudge against Marjorie, her lips tightened. What she really wished was +not to know Marjorie better; only to be even with her for what she +considered an irreparable injury done her. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV.--THE FIRST VICTORY. + + +After two weeks of undiluted happiness at home, Marjorie's return to +Hamilton was a wrench, keenly felt by all immediately concerned. +According to her own ideas it was like a plant; nicely rooted in one +soil, only to be jerked up by the roots and transplanted. Once returned +to Wayland Hall, it took her longer to settle down than at Thanksgiving. +She had little spells of yearning for her father and mother which only +time dimmed. + +For a week following the return of the Five Travelers to Hamilton, they +heard nothing of basket ball interests save that Miss Reid had still +made no reply to the letter sent her. Another week passed, during which +the fall term ended and two days of written tests ensued. Then came one +day of vacation which was always given the students of Hamilton at the +closing of a term. It was on the afternoon of this holiday that the +freshman class, minus fourteen members, who had purposely been left out, +met in the living room of Silverton Hall. It was a tight squeeze, but +every one of the sixty-eight girls managed to crowd into the room. +Portia Graham stood on a chair backed against the wall to address them. +When she had finished speaking the room rang with cheers. She had +advocated a committee to wait on Miss Reid and insist on fair treatment. + +"In the event that Miss Reid refuses us justice, are you in favor of +taking our grievance higher?" she questioned in purposeful tones. + +"YES!" was the unanimous shout. + +"Contrary?" she inquired sweetly, but there were no contrary members +present. + +"Are you satisfied with the choice of the following members as a +committee? Their names are: Veronica Lynne, Marjorie Dean, Muriel +Harding, Elaine Hunter, Mary Cornell, Portia Graham." + +Another resounding affirmative, followed by no dissenting voices, was +immediately forthcoming. + +"That settles it," she declared grimly. "We will call on Miss Reid +tomorrow evening at eight o'clock. For the benefit of any one not yet +familiar with Hamilton, I will say that Miss Reid lives at Randolph +House. If she is not in, we will make another call on the next evening. +I ask you on your honor as freshmen of 19-- not to speak of this to +anyone after you leave here." + +At ten minutes to eight the next evening the committee met in front of +Wayland Hall and proceeded across the campus toward the north to +Randolph House which was devoted to faculty. They walked briskly along +on the frozen lawn, almost in silence. Portia was to be spokesman, and +she was mentally framing her remarks as she went. She was not in the +least diffident when it came to facing Miss Reid, and she intended to +drive home her point. + +The assurance of the maid who answered their ring that Miss Reid was in, +sent a queer little thrill over them all. Marjorie smiled to herself as +she entered the reception room. This was not the first disagreeable call +she had been obliged by duty to make. + +A ten-minutes' wait, during which they conversed a little in low tones, +and Miss Reid appeared. She was a tall woman, rather attractive at first +glance, but not as one studied her features. Her small black eyes were +shrewd and furtive, while the expression of her full face in repose was +self-satisfied rather than agreeable. + +"Good evening," she saluted, in an uninterested tone. She looked from +one to another of her visitors as though nonplussed by the invasion. +Both tone and look were intended to deceive. Miss Reid guessed the +nature of the call. + +"Good evening," was the united salutation. The committee viewed the +instructor with a gravity which nettled her. + +"We called this evening, Miss Reid," Portia began sternly, "because you +have paid no attention to the letter we sent you before the holidays. It +was signed by more than two-thirds of the freshman class and merited a +reply which you did not make. We were serious in our intent, and +expected you would treat our complaint with traditional courtesy. You +did not. We have, therefore, come here to ask you if you intend to grant +us the justice of a new team." + +"Certainly not." A tide of dull color had risen to Miss Reid's face as +she listened to Portia's blunt arraignment. Her eyes had begun to snap +and her pronounced black brows were drawn together. "You are insolent, +Miss Graham. I simply will not discuss the matter with you. I will say +only that the present team remains, with the exception of Miss Page. I +have requested her resignation. Her team-mates complain she is not fast +enough for the work. I mailed her a note this afternoon. You must +understand that you cannot fly in the face of a member of the faculty +and hope to gain by such an act. I am amazed at freshman--we will +say--temerity." + +A sinister stillness followed Miss Reid's caustic retaliation. A battery +of scornful eyes was leveled at the disgruntled instructor. The very air +was thick with the committee's displeasure. This latest piece of +injustice, directed against Robin Page, capped the climax. It was two +minutes, at least, before Portia could trust her voice in a reply. She +was angry enough to wrathfully denounce Miss Reid, then and there. + +"It will not be necessary for Miss Page to resign from the team. She has +already been sufficiently humiliated by having been identified with a +set of scrub players. There will be a new freshman team and Miss Page +will play on it. I am certain that Doctor Matthews will understand that +something of unusual unfairness has happened to stir the majority of the +freshman class into revolt." Every word Portia uttered cut clearly on +the stillness of the room. + +"Oh, not the majority of the freshman class, Miss Graham." Miss Reid's +intonation was that of one correcting a glaring exaggeration. It was +accompanied by a smile of malicious incredulity. + +"If you will refer to the letter sent you before the holidays, you will +find that it was signed by sixty-eight freshmen. The class numbers +eighty-two. A meeting of the sixty-eight freshmen who resent your +unfairness was called yesterday. The result--we are here tonight." +Portia's retort was laden with cold, uncompromising dignity. + +It was distinctly chilling to the physical instructor's audacious stand. +For the first time since her entrance into the room she became ill at +ease. The force with which she had to deal was altogether too active for +comfort. She knew that Portia would keep her word. With sixty-eight +incensed freshmen at her back, Doctor Matthews would not only listen but +investigate. An investigation would be decidedly humiliating to her, and +also jeopardize her position at Hamilton. She found herself caught +between two fires. She had promised Leslie Cairns that Lola Elster's +team would win. It would not be easy to pacify Leslie if she acceded to +the committee's demand. Self-preservation must be considered first, +however. After the high hand she had just taken in answering Portia, she +hardly knew what to say. + +"I--that is----" she began, stopped, then said with as much of an attempt +at offended dignity as she could muster: "I cannot talk further with you +concerning this matter tonight. I have an engagement with two members of +the faculty and am already late. If you will come to the gymnasium at +four o'clock tomorrow afternoon I will see what I can do to pacify the +freshman class. I would prefer resigning all interest in basket ball +rather than be the center of a freshman quarrel." She rose from her +chair, as though determined to end the uncomfortable interview. + +"Very well," Portia coldly inclined her head. "We shall expect to see +you in the gymnasium at four o'clock. We will not detain you longer." + +She rose. Her companions immediately followed suit. Portia's "good +evening" was echoed by the others as they filed through the door, their +soft, young faces set in cold contempt. + +Not a word passed among them until they were well away from the house. +Elaine Hunter was the first to speak. "Did you ever see anyone more +upset than Miss Reid was toward the last?" she asked her companions in +general. + +"She had good reason to be," returned Portia grimly. "We have won our +point. I hope she does resign basket ball management. A senior told me +recently that she has always been a bugbear to the teams. She insists on +managing everything and everybody who will let her. Miss Reid has had +the reputation for years of favoring money and fighting principle. She +has repeatedly used basket ball favors as means of ingratiating herself +with wealthy students. If she really makes good what she said about +resigning it will be the first important victory for democracy at +Hamilton." + + + + +CHAPTER XXV.--A NEW CONSPIRACY. + + +Not daring to break the appointment she had made with the freshman +committee, Miss Reid met them the next afternoon in the gymnasium at the +time she had set. She had been very careful, in the meantime, not to +come in contact with Leslie Cairns or Lola Elster. Deep in her soul, she +was raging at the choice which had been forced upon her. Fear of losing +her position of years' standing at Hamilton, and the even more active +fear that perhaps her connivance with Leslie Cairns was known in +college, urged her to shun campus publicity. Resignation was the one way +out of her difficulties with both parties. It would check all freshman +activities against her. As for Leslie, what could she say or do in the +face of it? She would be angry, of course, and insulting. Insults, +however, broke no bones. Leslie could not circulate malicious reports +about her without implicating herself. To resign also meant a saving of +dignity. Miss Reid determined, therefore, to resign, but without +appointing a time for a new try-out. She would slide from under and let +the freshmen straighten the snarl as best they might. + +A plan is not a success until it has been carried out. This Miss Reid +learned at her second interview with the committee. Portia, backed by +the other members of the committee, insisted that Miss Reid should sign +a notice of her own composition, announcing a new try-out. + +"You may say, if you choose, that, owing to the dissatisfaction of the +preponderance of the freshman class with the work of the present basket +ball team, you have been requested by a committee, representing freshman +interests, to call another try-out for the purpose of selecting another +team, composed of players, adequate to the work." + +"But no such thing has ever been heard of, much less done, here at +Hamilton," objected Miss Reid, when Portia coolly outlined the notice. + +"It has been heard of now and must be done," came the instant answer. "I +assure you, Miss Reid, that you will go further toward gaining the +respect of the students by being impersonal in this affair. You have +been severely criticized for allowing so inadequate a team to take the +floor. On the day of the first try-out good players were ignored and +unskilful ones chosen. You will gain more by rectifying this error. You +owe it to yourself to do so before you resign. We freshmen prefer the +seniors as managers of our college sports. You have not been just with +us and we have resented your injustice." + +Portia's denunciation of the physical instructor's methods was, +undoubtedly, candid. It had the desired effect, however. Miss Reid wrote +and posted the notice. Further, she sent a frigid little note to the +senior manager of college sports, whom she had treated so discourteously +on the day of the try-out, renouncing all voice and interest in basket +ball. + +The victorious committee's next move was to get in touch with the senior +sports committee of three, which included Miss Clement, the senior +manager, and notify them of the complete revolution of affairs. The two +who had sided with Miss Reid agreed quite meekly now with the +committee's ideas. The try-out was held in the gymnasium shortly after +the notice had been posted, and, for once, a team was made up on its +merits. Robin Page again made good and won the coveted position of +center. The request for her resignation from the other team had not +specially troubled Robin, knowing that a shake-up was imminent. + +Four released and exasperated freshmen, headed by Lola Elster and +reinforced by the ten classmates in sympathy with the ex-team besieged +Miss Reid, demanding re-instatement. She very quickly thrust the burden +on the shoulders of the senior sports committee. She made it plain to +her favorites, also, just who was responsible for the affair. As they +had no case they dared not take their grievance higher. What they +proceeded to do was seek the consolation of the Sans, all fourteen of +them being at least eligible to association with these exclusives. Their +domineering sophomore sisters obligingly promised them vengeance against +the obnoxious committee. + +Leslie Cairns' receipt of the movement against collusion was a fit of +temper such as she seldom gave way to. Spying the notice on the bulletin +board, she deliberately ripped it off and tore it to bits. Then she set +off for the gymnasium at a pace quite foreign to her usual leisurely +gait. Luckily for Miss Reid, she happened to be elsewhere at the time. +Thus, when she and Leslie came to classes on the following afternoon, +the latter had calmed considerably. She did not spare the older woman's +feelings, but scored her sharply for "bungling" and then leaving her +friends in the lurch in order to save herself. + +"You may say what you please, Leslie, but it would have done no good to +defy them," the instructor defended. "The freshman class this year is a +collection of young anarchists. I would advise you to be very careful +what you do. There has not been such a class in years at Hamilton. A few +more like it and Hamilton will lose its reputation as a really exclusive +college." + +"What Hamilton ought to lose is some of its freshie freshmen," retorted +Leslie. "I have a friend who knows a lot about one of them, at least, +and she probably knows enough about some others to queer them here. I +mean those ninnies from that little one-horse town of Sanford. The whole +five of them are an eyesore to me. The only one who hates 'em harder +than I do, is Nat. She never will forgive that moon-eyed Miss Dean for +putting it over her at the Beauty contest. Leila Harper was back of +that. She is another I could see leave Hamilton without going into +mourning." + +"You can place the blame upon the Silverton Hall crowd, with Miss Graham +and Miss Page as ringleaders," informed Miss Reid sourly. + +Leslie shrugged sceptically. "Oh, I don't know," she differed. "Nat +thinks Miss Dean's crowd started it. They took up the cudgels for that +dig, Miss Langly. The minute we started to rag her for being so +bull-headed about her room, this crowd of sillies started in rooting for +her. Now old Proffy Wenderblatt and his family have taken her up and +they make a fuss over her. She and the green-eyed Sanford dig are _so +chummy_. They make me sick. We have to be careful now about ragging her. +Wenderblatt is a terror when he isn't pleased. He would report us to +Doctor Matthews. Ragging is forbidden here, same as hazing. I'd do both +to any one I didn't like, if I thought I could get away with it." + +Despite Leslie Cairns' threats, made not only to Miss Reid but to +Natalie Weyman and a few others, life slid along very peacefully for the +Five Travelers. The holidays past, they found enjoyment in settling down +for the winter term to uninterrupted study, lightened by impromptu +social gatherings, held in one another's rooms. Occasionally they made +dinner engagements at Silverton or Acasia House or entertained at +Baretti's, their favorite haunt when in search of good cheer. Once a +week they spent an hour together as the Five Travelers, and found the +little confidential session helpful. No misunderstandings had crept in +among them. Often their talks branched off into impersonalities, of +interest to all. + +Neither Marjorie nor Muriel had entered the second basket ball try-out. +Both had decided to wait until their sophomore year. Fond of the game, +they dropped into the gymnasium occasionally for an hour's work with the +ball by way of keeping up practice. There were always plenty of subs +willing to make up a team. + +February came, bringing with it St. Valentine's day, and the masque +which the juniors always gave on St. Valentine's night. A Valentine post +box was one of the features. For days beforehand the girls spent odd +moments in making valentines, the rule being that all valentines posted +must have been hand wrought. Marjorie, remembering the cunning +little-girl costume Mary Raymond had worn to Mignon La Salle's fancy +dress party, shortened a frilled pink organdie gown of hers and went +back to childhood for a night. With pink flat-heeled kid slippers and +pink silk stockings, an immense pink top-knot bow tying up a portion of +her curls, she was a pretty sight. Ronny went as a Watteau shepherdess, +Lucy as a Japanese girl, Muriel as Rosalind in Shakespeare's "As You +Like It," and Jerry as a clown. + +The valentine party was always a delightful feature of the college year, +for the reason that it was a masquerade. Though the Sans had been +holding themselves rigidly aloof from all but a few students since the +downfall of Lola Elster as a basket ball star, they could not resist the +lure of a masquerade. They took good care to keep together until after +the unmasking, presumably for fear of mingling with what they considered +as "the common herd." + +"Anyone with a good pair of keen eyes can tell the precious Sans though +they should be happening to wear a dozen masks," Leila Harper had +derided. "They wear such silks and satins and velvets and jewels! They +are wearying to the sight with their fine clothes. Look at me. A poor +Irish colleen with nothing silk about me but one small neckerchief." + +Following the masquerade by only a few days came the excitement of the +first game between the new team and the sophomores. The latter had not +challenged the freshman team after its reorganization, as Leslie Cairns +had voiced against it and neither Natalie nor Joan Myers cared to oppose +her. Leslie possessed a very large fortune in her own right. In +consequence she always had money in abundance. While the former had +large allowances, they managed usually to overstep them. In such case +they fell back on Leslie and were invariably in her debt. + +Later Leslie changed her mind about not wishing the sophomores to play +against the "upstarts," as she termed them. Having overheard on the +campus that the sophs were afraid to meet the freshies, she accordingly +urged Joan to challenge the freshman team. + +When the game came off on the third Saturday in February, the freshmen +gave the sophomores a drubbing they would not soon forget. It was not a +whitewash, but it was painfully near it. The sophomore players took the +defeat with very poor grace. The freshman class had gone wild when the +game had ended 26-10 in favor of the freshmen. While the sophs had not +expected a walk-away victory, they had confidently expected to win. +Further, Leslie had promised them a dinner at Baretti's that should +outdo anything she had given that year. Now that they had lost the game, +she obstinately refused to keep her word. + +"Why spend my good money on a crowd of no accounts like you?" she had +roughly queried. "I said if you _won_ I'd give the dinner. You did not, +so what's the use in celebrating. The fault with you girls is you've +been slackers about practicing. You've gone motoring when you should +have been in the gym and after the ball." This rebuke was delivered in +the sophs' dressing room after the game, whence the team had hurried to +hide their diminished heads. + +"Do you know what I heard out on the floor?" she continued, with intent +to hurt. "I heard that the sophs might have won if they had practiced +once in a while." + +"Just the same the freshies had coaching all the time and we didn't," +Dulcie Vale asserted. "Miss Dean and Miss Harding are both expert +players. It seems that they play basket ball a lot at these high +schools. These girls get to be very clever at it. Like the Indians, you +know, who make such good foot ball players. They showed the team +different plays to use against us. That's why they won. They have been +over to the gym almost every day." + +Dulcie's comparison of Muriel and Marjorie to the Indians raised a +laugh, as she intended it should. Even Leslie laughed in her peculiar +silent fashion. Next instant she frowned. She had again been thwarted by +the girls she despised. Things were not going rightly at all. Born a +bully, she looked upon even her friends as created only for her +amusement. She had the insatiable desire for power, and could not bear +defeat. Tucked in an inner pocket of her tweed top coat was a letter she +had recently received. It was not the first one she had received from +the same source. This particular letter had appeared to afford her great +satisfaction on reading. Her hand strayed to the pocket which held it. + +"I have a letter here I would like to read to you girls," she drawled. +"On second thoughts I'll take back what I said. I'll stand for that +blowout at Baretti's. That would be a good place to read you the letter. +Then I would like your advice on it." + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI.--FRIENDS GOOD AND TRUE. + + +"Do you see anything about me to laugh at?" demanded Marjorie one snowy +afternoon in early March, as she walked into her room, eyes sparkling, +cheeks aglow, not only from the winter air, but from annoyance as well. + +Jerry looked up from an illustrated magazine she was interestedly +perusing. "No; I don't. I'll laugh if you say so. Ha, ha! Ha, ha!" This +obligingly and without a smile. + +"You needn't mind. That laugh of yours has a hollow sound. It's not what +I would call true mirth." + +"No wonder it has a hollow sound. I'm hungry," Jerry complained. "It is +almost an hour until dinner, too. Tell me what's bothering you. It will +take my mind off my hungry self." + +"Oh, nothing startling, only every time I meet any of the Sans or those +few freshmen who go around with them, they look me all over and then +they do everything from smiling just the least bit, a hateful sarcastic +smile, to laughing outright. Just now, as I came across the campus, I +met Miss Cairns. Miss Elster, Miss Myers and Miss Weyman were with her. +As soon as they saw me, they began to talk among themselves, quite +loudly. I didn't hear what they said. I know it was about me. Then they +all laughed. The other day I met the same girls and they simply smiled. +I know they are doing it purposely; but why?" + +"Humph!" ejaculated Jerry, her blue eyes widening in sudden +belligerence. "I know why! They have started out to rag you. That's a +nice proposition! I suppose they are sore at you because you were on +that committee." + +"But that was quite a while ago. This making fun of me has only been of +late. I noticed it first the Sunday after the game. I met a crowd of +those girls as I came from chapel. I felt just a little hurt. I had had +such a peaceful time in chapel. It was the Sunday you had a cold and did +not attend chapel. If they keep it up, I shall probably grow so used to +it that it won't trouble me." + +"Well, if they confine themselves to snickering, smirking, ha-ha-ing and +te-he-ing, let 'em enjoy themselves. If they start to say anything to +you, for that's the next stage in ragging, give them one lovely +call-down that will settle them for good. You can do it. I've heard you +speak straight from the shoulder. Will you ever forget the day you and I +had the fuss with Rowena Fightena Quarrelena Scrapena?" + +"No; I will not." Marjorie never could resist giggling at the long name +which Jerry had applied to Rowena Farnham on account of the latter's +quarrelsome disposition. "I hope none of those Sans will try her +tactics. I don't wish to come to bitter words with any of those girls. +They are set against me on account of having served on that committee, +perhaps. Maybe because Muriel and I went over to the gym occasionally +and helped the team along. They have not liked us, you know, from the +night Miss Cairns, Miss Weyman and Miss Vale called and privately rated +us as nobodies. It is queer they never tried to take Ronny up, for she +has made no secret of her name this year. They must surely have heard of +Alfred Lynne, her father. Leila says that Miss Cairns is always writing +her father and asking him to have this or that student's parents looked +up financially." + +"Contemptible!" Jerry's scorn of such tactics was sweeping. "If ever +they try to look me up and I hear of it, even long afterward, I will get +them together and give them such a call-down their hair will stand on +end and stay that way for a week. If you should happen to see the Sans +switching around the campus with their coiffures resembling that of +Feejee Islanders, you will know what has occurred to the dear creatures. +I shall probably do that, anyhow, if they don't let you alone." + +"No." Marjorie's negative was decided. "You must never fuss with them on +my account. I daresay they will grow tired before long of making fun of +me. All I can do is this. Appear not to see them at all." + +"I would just as soon fuss with them as look at them," Jerry declared +valorously. "Now who are they, pray tell me? One thing is certain to +come to pass. Sooner or later we will have to tell that crowd where they +get off at. I have seen it coming ever since the freshman dance. Miss +Weyman is so mad at you she can't see straight. She expected to win that +contest. Helen Trent called my attention to her that night. She was +posing to beat the band for the judges' benefit. Helen was worried a +little. She thought Leila ought not to have pitted you against Miss +Weyman. That is what she did, you know. Afterward Helen said she guessed +you would have been unofficially declared the college beauty anyway, for +so many of the girls were already raving over you. Now don't rave at me +for telling you that. You are such an old sorehead about that contest. I +hardly dare think of it in the same room with you." + +Marjorie sat very still, an expression of blank amazement on her lovely +face. She now recalled her own vexation on the night of the dance when +Leila had brought her into too prominent notice by hurrying her across +one end of the gymnasium to join the line. So Leila had purposely +dragged her into that contest! For a moment or two she wavered on the +verge of indignation at Leila. Then the Irish girl's face, brooding and +wistful, as she had seen it so many times when Leila was referring to +her own affairs, rose before her. No; it was too late to be angry with +Leila. Marjorie was tempted to laugh instead at the clever way in which +Leila had managed the whole affair. + +"You have told me some news," she said at last. "I had no idea Miss +Weyman was anxious to win the contest. I didn't know, either, that Leila +had a hand in it. She didn't say much about it after it was over, except +to congratulate me. I don't think she has ever mentioned it since." +Marjorie had begun to smile. + +"She is a clever one." Jerry grinned appreciation of the absent Leila. +"Why, Marjorie, she arranged that contest! She took it from an old book +on the Celts. She brought the book with her from Ireland. She got up the +contest to score one against the Sans and take a rise out of Miss +Weyman. I would have told you this before, but Helen told me in +confidence. She said the other day she didn't care if I told you, for +she felt that you understood Leila well enough now not to be cross with +her. She was afraid of making trouble in the beginning if she said +anything." + +"It's past now. I don't care. Miss Weyman is nothing to me. I am glad I +know about it, though." Marjorie considered for a brief space. "Perhaps +that is why those girls are acting so queerly toward me. They may think +me very much elated over winning the contest. If that's the case, all +the more reason why I should pay no attention to them." + +Jerry agreed that this was so and the subject was dropped for the time +being. Having resolved to appear oblivious to any ill-bred acts on the +part of the Sans, Marjorie proceeded to carry out her resolution. For a +week or more she presented a strictly impersonal face whenever she +chanced to encounter any of the Sans or their friends in going about the +college premises. She was greatly annoyed to find that this method +seemed to have no effect. Instead, their derision of herself was growing +more pronounced. Several times she thought she detected a difference in +the salutations of certain upper class students who had formerly shown +cordiality of greeting. Late one afternoon she met Miss Kingston, one of +the seniors on the sports committee, on the steps of the library, and +received from her merely a blank stare. Marjorie went on to the Hall, +feeling very much crushed. To be sure she was not particularly +interested in Miss Kingston. She had sided with Miss Reid at the +try-out. Since the freshmen had regulated matters, however, Miss +Kingston had been quite affable to her when they had chanced to meet in +the gymnasium. + +In the growing dusk of the hall, for the maid had not yet turned on the +lights, she ran plump into another girl who had just come from upstairs. +"I beg your pardon," she apologized. + +"Ex-cuse me!" exclaimed a familiar voice. "Blame the maid for no light, +but never yours truly. And where may you be hurrying to, Miss Marjorie +of the Deans?" + +"Oh, is that you, Leila? I didn't know you in the dark until you spoke." + +"Nor I you," returned Leila. "I have been to your room twice looking for +you. I was just going back to see if Miss Remson knew where you were. +Ronny is in my room. I am needing you there, too. Will you come up with +me now?" Leila turned toward the stairs. + +"Certainly, I will. What has happened, Leila?" + +"Nothing, dear heart. Only Vera and I have something to talk over with +you and Ronny." Leila spoke in the friendliest kind of tones. Marjorie +followed her up the stairs to the third floor where Leila and Nella +Sherman roomed. Nella was absent, but Vera and Ronny greeted their +entrance with expressions of satisfaction. + +"I had the good fortune to bump into Marjorie in the hall," Leila said, +as she ranged herself beside Marjorie, who had taken a seat on Leila's +couch bed. "Now for the talk I must give you. Some of it will make you +laugh and some of it will not. May I ask you, Ronny, do you spell your +name L-y-n-n or L-i-n-d?" + +"Neither way. It is spelled L-y-n-n-e," responded Ronny. "It is an old +English name." + +Leila and Vera both broke into laughter. Marjorie and Ronny regarded +them with mild wonderment. + +"Oh, my gracious! Did you know, Ronny, that the thick-headed Sans call +you Lind? They are walking about on the campus proclaiming that you are +a poor Swedish servant girl who lived with the principal, Miss Someone, +I have not the name, of Sanford High School. She pays your expenses +here. You are not much, Ronny, so never think you are." Again Leila +broke into laughter. "Do poor Swedish servant girls have imported gowns +of gray chiffon? I am remembering one of yours." + +"They do not, as a rule." Ronny's whole face was alive with mirth. "Now +who could have started that absurd tale?" She turned to Marjorie. + +"I don't know." Marjorie looked troubled. Incidental with Leila's +recital, Jerry's remarks concerning being "looked up" by the Sans had +returned to her. "Part of that amazing information must have come from +some one in Sanford who wanted to be malicious. Not the Lind part. That +is funny." Her sober features relaxed into an amused smile. "You had +better explain to the girls about the servant girl part, Ronny." + +"O-h-h!" sighed Ronny. "You tell them, please, Marjorie." + +"All right; glad to." Marjorie's revelation of the part Ronny had played +during the previous year at high school was received with absorbed +attention. When she went on to say that Ronny's father was Alfred Lynne, +the noted western philanthropist, Leila gave a sharp little whistle of +surprise. + +"Oh, the poor Sans!" she chuckled. "Might not your father be able to buy +out all their fathers and still have a dollar left?" + +"He might," emphasized Ronny, with a companion chuckle. "I haven't made +a secret of my identity this year. Oh, those simpletons! Well, I shall +not disabuse them of their beliefs concerning me. Let them hug them to +their hearts if they choose." + +"That is not all, girls." Leila's features grew suddenly grave. "The +rest has to do with you, Marjorie. We can't get at it. A sophomore +friend of ours told Vera and me this. She asked us to pass it on to you. +The Sans are talking you over among the upper class girls. Those who +will listen, I mean. Our friend heard it from a soph who is about half +snob, half democrat. One of the Sans received a letter from someone who +seems to know all about your town and you, Marjorie. The letter is +making mischief. There is something against your high school record in +it. We have found out that much. We believe in you. We would like to +know what you wish done concerning it." + +As Leila continued speaking, Marjorie had turned very white. It was the +white of righteous wrath. "There is only one person I know in Sanford +who would write such a letter," she said, her voice thick with anger. "I +mean Rowena Farnham, Ronny. How she happens to be in touch with the Sans +I do not know. It isn't surprising. She is ill-bred, unfair and +untruthful; a girl, who, without knowing me, tried to make trouble for +me on her very first day at high school. I will find out who has that +letter and make the person read it to me. Then I shall post a notice on +the bulletin board saying that an untruthful, injurious letter is being +circulated at Hamilton about me. I will not allow such a letter to gain +headway!" Her tones rose in passionate protest. + +"Easy, now. Don't worry." Leila's hand, warm and reassuring, closed over +Marjorie's clenched fingers. "You can't make the Sans give up the +letter, Marjorie. The ring king of 'em has it. Leslie Cairns is carrying +this outrage on. I believe you are right about this Farnham person. +Where is she now?" + +"At boarding school, I suppose. She went away to school last year. The +Farnhams have a cottage at the sea shore. It is about ten miles from +Severn Beach. That's where the Macys always go. Maybe Miss Cairns met +Rowena there," Marjorie speculated. "I am going to tell you the whole +story of my trouble with Rowena Farnham. Then you will see for +yourselves the sort of a person she is." + +It was a long story Marjorie had to tell. It was listened to with deep +interest. Ronny had already heard the details of it from her God-mother. + +"Whatever she has said against me she has made up. That doesn't remedy +things; just to know yourself that it is all untrue," she concluded +almost piteously. "I didn't wish such troubles to creep into my college +life like hideous snakes." + +"It remedies matters when you have some one to fight for you," asserted +Ronny, her gray eyes steely with purpose. "I am going to make an ally of +Miss Remson. Now this is my plan. I shall ask her to notify all the +students that she wishes them to come to the living room at a certain +time, on a certain evening. They will all respond for they will think it +is something concerning their own welfare. Then I shall rise and lay +down the law. You won't need to resort to the bulletin board, Marjorie. +We will quash the whole thing right in the living room of Wayland Hall." + +"That will be best," nodded Vera. "Miss Remson will be there and she +won't stand any nonsense from the Sans. She doesn't need to accept their +applications for rooms at the Hall next year." + +"Well they know it," put in Leila. "Remember we shall all be there to +support you, Ronny. We will rage like lions at your command." + +"I shall not need it. I mean I can forge through alone. I shall love +your support." Ronny's face had taken on the old mysterious expression. +Too much engrossed in her own sense of injury, Marjorie did not notice +this. + +"My advice to you, Marjorie, is--act as though you had never seen any of +the Sans when you meet them," counseled Vera. "The sooner we can call +the house together the better. It is easier to spread scandal than to +crush it. We must lose no time." + +"This is Monday," mused Ronny. "Friday night will be best, I think." + +"That is late, Ronny," objected Leila. Marjorie also regarded her chum +with somber anxiety. + +"It must be then," Ronny made firm reply. "Trust me in this. I have my +own reasons for setting the date for Friday. There is one little item in +my plan that I am not going to speak of just yet. All I can say is that +it will be of great help when the time comes." + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII.--THE SECOND VICTORY. + + +That particular week seemed the longest to Marjorie she had ever spent. +While she could only guess that the damaging letter held by Leslie +Cairns was from Rowena Farnham, she was quite positive that there was no +one else who would be mean-spirited enough to write it. Her high school +record entirely clear, still it would have to be proven. She had been +vilified by Rowena, and lies about her published among the students of +Hamilton. Unchecked, there was no telling how wide a circulation it +might gain. + +Jerry, who had been told of the trouble, was ready to descend upon the +entire college and vanquish it single-handed. Muriel and Lucy were no +less incensed. As for Miss Remson, she was for vindication on Friday +night. Being as shrewd as she was good, she merely posted a notice on +the house board requesting every student at the Hall to meet her in the +living room at eight o'clock on Friday evening. All attempts to find out +from her the nature of the meeting were fruitless. She kept her own +counsel. The Sans, not wishing to curtail their chances for next year's +accommodations, prudently decided to attend in a body. + +"It is better to meet her, girls," Natalie Weyman urged. "She won't keep +us long. She has some idiotic bee in her bonnet that is aching to buzz. +We had best humor her." + +"It isn't my policy to humor anyone," objected Leslie Cairns. + +"Except Lola Elster," cut in Natalie with jealous sarcasm. + +"That will be about all from you," retorted Leslie, insolence animating +her heavy features. + +"Oh, really!" flashed back Natalie, ready for battle. "How long since +you acquired any authority over me?" + +"Forget it," advised Joan Myers wearily. "All you two have done this +evening is quarrel. I thought we were to meet in Nat's room for a good +time, not a general row." + +"Nat is to blame," muttered Leslie. "Let her be a little less waspish +and I will try to get along with her. This is no time for us to fuss. I +have been a good friend to Nat. She forgets that." + +"I don't," icily contradicted Natalie. "Only I won't take dictation from +my father and mother, let alone my friends." + +"Drop it, then, and listen to me." Leslie still continued to dictate, +but in a modified tone. This was not lost on Natalie. She bore it, +however, in discreet silence. "It is time to start on that Dean girl. I +mean, to do some talking. We must catch her out on the campus and rag +her a little. Leave it to me. I know how to begin on her. The rest of +you, who happen to be along, can join in. Notice what I say and how I +say it." + +By the merest chance, Marjorie's path did not cross that of the Sans +during the early part of the week. On Wednesday, after classes, she saw +a number of them far down the drive, hurrying toward the Hall. Within a +few yards of the steps, she entered the house and was opening the door +of her room when she heard their voices in the lower hall. She tried not +to think of the blight which hung over her, but she could not throw off +a sense of heavy-heartedness such as she had not experienced since the +time when Lucy Warner had chosen to disbelieve her word. Of all her +chums, Lucy longed most to help her. She was understanding now how much +her disbelief had made Marjorie suffer. Nothing could be done until +Friday night, and the work of clearance lay in Veronica's capable hands. + +Friday dawned, clear and sunshiny. Marjorie hailed the day with relief. +That evening would end her suspense. It was time it ended, she thought. +She had received signs of what might lead to partial coventry on the +part of a number of upper class students. She mentally set them down as +girls whom she would take a just pleasure in avoiding, later on, when +the smudge had been erased from her escutcheon. + +From Ronny she had learned that Miss Remson expected a full attendance +in the living room that evening. The brisk little manager was up in arms +at the affair and declared that she would lend every effort to stamp out +the rumor. "These young women are becoming insufferable," she confided +to Ronny. "Between you and me, they are not going to room at Wayland +Hall next year unless the management should change hands." + +On Friday afternoon Marjorie hurried from the laboratory, where she had +been at work during the last recitation period of the afternoon, and set +off at a rapid walk across the campus. Her hands were stained from +experimentations, and she was anxious to bathe and dress for the evening +before dinner. She had thought of wearing a dark green cloth gown, +fur-trimmed, as the most inconspicuous dress she owned. She was greatly +depressed at the idea of being dragged again into prominence. +Nevertheless, no one could have persuaded her not to go on and thresh +the matter out with those who had sought to injure her. + +Influenced by her thoughts, her face showed a sternness which seldom +visited it. A fairly strong east wind which had risen and blew against +her caused her to bow her head to it a trifle. Enwrapped in her somber +reflections, she was over half way to the Hall when the sound of voices +smote her ears. Looking up quickly, she saw a bevy of girls coming +toward her. She recognized them as Sans. More, that she was their +objective. She could not avoid them, nor did she wish to do so. She +simply kept on walking until within a few feet of them. + +"Steady there, Joan!" suddenly drawled a voice Marjorie knew and +disliked. "Be careful. Don't walk over the college beauty. Why, _good +afternoon_, Miss Bean! Oh, I beg your pardon; Dean, I believe is +correct. A fine day, isn't it? I imagine it is much colder in Sanford. A +fine little town, I hear. It has such a splendid high school. One has to +have a high standard of honor to be admitted to it. If one cheats in +examinations or does anything dishonest one is expelled from school. +Just like that!" Leslie struck her hands smartly together. "One really +should be very careful. Even if one has been expelled and then happened +to get back into this wonderful high school, through influence, the +story of one's dishonesty is likely to travel into college." + +"Yes, I have heard that, too," chimed in Natalie Weyman. "We should be +delighted to hear your opinion, Miss Dean. Don't be in a hurry. We have +been told that you can make the prettiest little speeches. Make a speech +now." + +"Speech! Speech!" chorused the others, simulating avid enthusiasm. Very +innocently they drew nearer, as though partially to hem her in. + +"Oh, she _doesn't care_ to make a speech now, girls," sneered Dulcie +Vale. "Too bad! We really ought to take her down to the Colonial and +blow her off to one of our real dinners. I doubt if you could get one +like these specials to the San Soucians in Sanford. We haven't yet had +the honor of escorting the college beauty about the campus." + +"She has _so_ many studies," sighed Leslie Cairns, "and with committee +meetings and team work, too, her valuable time is _just simply all taken +up_! What I would advise, Miss Bean; no, Dean, is a little less interest +in----" + +Up to this point Marjorie had listened with calm serenity to the Sans' +attempts to follow out an old English school custom of "ragging." The +instant she noted the change from sarcasm to belligerence in Leslie +Cairns' tones, she became ready to speak and act. + +"How utterly silly you all are," she said with the utmost composure. +"You have no wish to know me. I have no wish to know you. As for the +things you are attempting to insinuate against me, what possible harm in +the end can such untruths do? Good afternoon." + +Her steady brown eyes turned searchingly on her tormentors for an +instant, Marjorie made a detour, passed the momentarily speechless group +and continued steadily across the campus. + +"What?" Leslie Cairns uttered her usual expression blankly. "What?" she +said again. This time with growing displeasure. + +"Well, I never!" exclaimed Natalie Weyman's high cold voice. "Of all the +insolence! One might think we were peasants and she a princess!" + +"Why didn't somebody say something before she got away?" demanded Joan +Myers wrathfully. "I was speechless when she said that about our being +silly. She might as well have called us all liars." + +"Are you sure your friend Rowena is right about that high school +trouble, Les?" Natalie anxiously inquired. + +"Yes, she is," Leslie snapped, irritated out of her customary drawl. +"She saw the whole thing. Then this Dean girl tried to lay it to her. +Her father was so enraged over it that he took Rowena out of high school +and sent her to Miss Alpine's School for Girls. That is an expensive +school, too. The Farnhams have millions. You ought to see their place at +Tanglewood! An English duke built the house and then went broke. It's a +humming little palace, I will say. Cost a million at least." + +"Is that so?" returned several impressed satellites, who, while eligible +to the Sans, could not boast of million dollar summer homes, built by +English dukes. + +"Why don't you invite your friend Rowena down here for a day or so, +Les?" asked Dulcie Vale. "It would be good sport to see her and that +little Dean prig meet. I am so furious to think we let her stand there +and have her say without simply extinguishing her before she had said +three words." + +"Oh, yes; this is a nice time to tell it," grumbled Leslie. "Why didn't +you do it while you had the opportunity?" + +"Why didn't you?" pertly queried Lita Stone. "You had the same +opportunity." + +"What?" Leslie cast a withering look at Lita, then deliberately turned +her back on the questioner and began talking to Natalie in an undertone. +She had not given up her intention to continue to rag Marjorie. Next +time, she planned, she would dispense with the company of all but +Natalie and Dulcie. The three of them would not bungle matters. + +As for Marjorie, the reaction had set in. Divided between anger and the +nervous shock attending the sudden attack, she trembled a little as she +continued her way to the Hall. She was glad that she was to be cleared +of the shadow that night. If Ronny had not insisted on taking up the +cudgels for her, she would have braved Leslie Cairns in the latter's +room and fought her own fight for honor. + +Not knowing that Natalie Weyman was jealous of her, Marjorie resolved to +look her prettiest, with a view toward exasperating the vain sophomore. +In her wardrobe hung a frock she had not yet worn at Hamilton. It was a +one-piece frock of fine wisteria-colored broadcloth which her captain +had designed and made. It had a wide bertha, cuffs and over panels of +wisteria panne velvet. The velvet was further beautified by a two inch +appliqué of silk violets on an old gold background. It was the most +becoming of her afternoon gowns, and stunning enough to make the Sans +wonder if it were imported. + +She reached her room to find Jerry out. She sat down limply in one of +the easy chairs. After ten minutes of absolute quiet, she felt better +and rose to prepare for the evening in her usual methodical manner. An +hour later Jerry entered to find Marjorie, looking exceptionally +charming, seated at the table, deep in her trigonometry theorems for +next day's class. + +"You look _perfectly_ sweet, Marjorie," was Jerry's honest praise. "I'm +glad you chose that dress. I was afraid you wouldn't dress up much. I am +going to wear that dark blue velvet gown you like so well. It's my best +outside my evening dresses. Ronny is going to wear her black taffeta. +You know how stunning she is in black. I haven't seen Muriel today, and +I don't know what Lucy will wear. I know that frozen expression of hers +will be there. If it doesn't scare the Sans it ought to. I must hustle +along to get togged out before dinner." + +It took Jerry until the last minute before the bell rang to dress for +the momentous evening. She and Marjorie went down to dinner without the +latter having told her of the afternoon's disagreeable occurrence. When +the Five Travelers sat down at their table there was a peculiar gleam of +satisfaction in Ronny's eyes. She had the air of one who had +accomplished something which greatly pleased her. + +"I had a little trouble with the Sans this afternoon," Marjorie quietly +informed her chums as they began their dessert. She had waited until +this moment rather than distract their attention from the substantial +part of the dinner. "I wish you would come to Jerry's and my room after +we leave the dining room. You ought to know of it before we meet the +rest of the students in the living room. I hope those Sans will all be +there." Into her eyes leaped stern resentment of the afternoon's +insults. + +"Miss Remson thinks they will all be on hand," Muriel replied. "Oh, +won't I enjoy watching their faces when they hear why she called them +together!" + +"They may turn on you Ronny, and me, too," warned Marjorie. "If they do, +don't give way a particle to them." + +Ronny smiled on Marjorie in the rare wonderful fashion she so loved. +"You don't know what a good fighter I am," she returned. "Wait until you +see my defenses." + +There was no sign of a smile on Ronny's face when she listened with the +others to Marjorie's recital of the Sans ill-bred act of the afternoon. +Her face registered an austerity which gave her the expression of an +offended deity. Jerry and Muriel sputtered angrily over it and Lucy's +green eyes gleamed threateningly enough to promise any of the offenders, +who chanced to meet their concentrated stare, an uncomfortable moment. + +"It is five minutes to eight." Jerry pointed to the clock. "Let's go +down. On where victory points the way!" she declaimed humorously. + +"And it will be victory," said Veronica, with a sureness of tone that +was vastly comforting to Marjorie. + +She walked down the stairs and into the living room with Veronica. Lucy, +Muriel, Katherine Langly and Jerry were directly in their wake. Chairs +from the dining room had been brought into the living room and placed in +regular rows facing the west wall. These chairs were already occupied by +the house students. Of the thirty-six girls who lived at Wayland Hall, +the Lookouts and Katherine were the last to enter. At the west end of +the room were three chairs. Miss Remson occupied one. She was talking +busily to a dark-haired, fine-featured woman who sat in the chair next +to her own. The third chair was still vacant. Five of the six girls +seated themselves on a large oak bench at the back of the room, which +was still vacant on their arrival. Ronny walked serenely up the +improvised side aisle to where Miss Remson and her guest were seated. +Very demurely she slipped into the vacant chair. + +A united gasp arose from four of the occupants of the oak bench as their +eyes lighted upon Miss Remson's guest. A great wave of unexpected joy +swept over Marjorie. She realized how much the presence of that beloved +guest meant to her. She felt Lucy's hand slip into hers. The two girls +clasped hands in an expression of silent thankfulness and rejoicing. + +Conversation died out as Miss Remson rose to address the assemblage. +Aside from Vera, Leila, Katherine and the Lookouts, no one present had +an inkling of Miss Remson's purpose in calling them together. + +"I wish to introduce to you Miss Archer, principal of the Sanford High +School for Girls, of Sanford, New York. She has come to Hamilton College +to right a wrong that has been done a student here, a most estimable +young woman who lives among you at Wayland Hall. Had Miss Archer been +unable to leave her work to come here, I should have seen justice done. +However, as the case in hand comes so entirely under her jurisdiction, I +am very glad of her presence tonight in that respect as well as the +pleasure to be derived from her society." + +Miss Remson resumed her chair and Miss Archer rose, a gracious, +dignified figure in a dark brown broadcloth traveling gown. Speech for +the time being was impossible. The students in the room, with the +exception of the Sans, were applauding vigorously. The nature of Miss +Archer's errand alone had aroused their finer sentiments. As for the +Sans, they were in a quandary. The words "Sanford High School" and +"right a wrong" pointed to trouble for some of them, at least. Natalie +Weyman half rose from her chair. A sharp tug at her gown from Leslie +Cairns and she resumed her seat. Common sense had warned Leslie that it +was too late to run. The Sans were fairly caught. + +"Sit still," she whispered. "Remson won't stand for our leaving. We must +brazen this out. Pass the word along." + +"I am going to tell the young women of Wayland Hall a little story," +Miss Archer began in her direct fashion, when quiet was once more +restored. "This story is about two girls. One of these two girls was +entering her junior year at Sanford High School. The other girl wished +to enter the sophomore class. The time of this occurrence which I shall +relate was on the first day of high school. The girl who wished to enter +the sophomore class reported to my office in order to take the entrance +examinations. I chanced to be without a secretary at the time and was +not in my office when the prospective sophomore entered it. While she +waited for me she amused herself by going over the private papers on my +desk. Among them was a set of examination papers marked 'Sophomore' +which she would be obliged to take. She was interested in these and did +not scruple to go over them. + +"While she was engaged in this dishonesty, another girl entered the +office. She was the bearer of a note to me from her mother. Seeing the +stranger at the desk she naturally surmised her to be my new secretary, +my former secretary having left me the previous June when she was +graduated from high school. The young woman with the note asked the +other frankly if she were not the secretary. She did not answer the +question with a direct 'yes'; she merely smiled and made it appear that +she was. She continued to stand at the desk as though she had permission +to be there. + +"Presently she engaged the junior, who was waiting for me, in +conversation about an algebra problem on one of the papers. She +pretended that she was interested in the problems as review work. This +was nothing strange, as my secretary always takes charge of the special +examination papers. The junior had long since finished algebra and was +not thinking much about the other's apparent interest in a certain +problem in quadratic equations which she pointed out on one of the +papers. + +"To make a long story short the one girl tricked the junior into showing +her how to solve the problem. The junior, believing the other to be +simply amusing herself by solving a few of the printed problems during +my absence, worked out the one for her which she could not solve. During +this time several girls entered the office. In each case they were +interviewed and sent about their business by my supposed secretary. +Rather to the surprise of the junior the other girl finally picked up +the papers containing the finished problem and walked out of the office +with them. Still the junior did not suspect her of trickery. She +continued to wait for me. I did not return to the office for some time +after that and she left without seeing me." + +Miss Archer went on to tell of the trouble which had ensued as a result +of the junior having learned that the girl she had talked with was not +the secretary. Also of her own misjudgment of the innocent junior. She +told of the anonymous report of the affair sent her in a letter which +had been written by one of the students who had seen the two at work +over the problem and misjudged the junior as being a willing party to +the other's dishonesty. + +Her denunciation of Rowena Farnham, for at the last she named her and +Marjorie as the principals in the affair, was sharp and merciless. Her +openly expressed contempt for the malicious attempt on Rowena's part to +blacken Marjorie's fair name at Hamilton cut deeply into the courage of +the Sans. Under the weight of evidence presented they dared not say a +word. Her final remark: "My deep regard for Miss Dean as a former pupil +and personal friend has made it a pleasure for me to come to Hamilton to +defend her integrity," was received with acclamation on the part of +Marjorie's loyal supporters. + +When Ronny could make herself heard she rose and said: "I wish it +understood by all present that I am the person responsible for Miss +Archer's presence here tonight. No one except Miss Remson and Miss +Warner knew that I had sent for her. I would like also to say that my +name is _Lynne_, not _Lind_, and that I am not Swedish, but English. Any +reports concerning me I should prefer to have authentic. That's all." +Ronny left her station and sought the oak bench where Marjorie sat +quietly crying, her head against Jerry's plump shoulder. + +Following Ronny's example more than half of the assemblage left their +seats and made for Marjorie. Under their warm expressions of sympathy +and loyalty, her tears soon disappeared. The lesser portion of the +students made their exit the moment they conveniently could, hoping not +to attract too much attention. Going directly to their rooms, they came +forth again in hats and coats, leaving the Hall by twos and threes. An +indignation meeting at the Colonial was their objective. For once Leslie +Cairns was out of favor all around for having accepted the word of her +friend, Rowena Farnham, against Marjorie, without having been sure of +her ground. + +While the Sans were engaged in one of their futile altercations Miss +Remson, assisted by the two maids, was engaged in passing around +strawberry ice cream and thick-layered chocolate cake to Marjorie and +her supporters. + +"We have won our second victory for democracy!" exclaimed Leila +triumphantly from her place on the oak bench beside Marjorie. She had +made Jerry give it to her. Miss Archer sat at her beloved pupil's other +side. + +"I can't be sorry it happened now," Marjorie said happily. "It brought +me my Miss Archer. Besides it is a real victory. We have shown those +trouble makers, thanks to Ronny, first of all, that we are not going to +be talked about at their pleasure." + +"They certainly slid out of here in a hurry," commented Jerry. "They +didn't dare stay." + +"They did not," agreed Leila. "They will not be bothering us for some +time to come. They will have to hunt well for trouble. Now, with spring +here, they will be motoring and forgetting us for awhile. Do not believe +they are done forever. Leslie Cairns will try again if she sees her +chance. We may not see much of them the rest of this year, but look out +for them as juniors. The poor, simple earth will not hold them." + +"Really, I don't know where the year has gone," sighed Muriel Harding. +"We are almost into the spring term and it seems to me that I haven't +been here but a few weeks. We were going to try to find out a lot about +the founder of this college, Brooke Hamilton. Have any of you ever +looked up his history outside of what it says of him in the college +bulletin?" + +"I tried to find more about him at the library, but the librarian said +there wasn't a single thing about him there that was of any importance. +He didn't appear in books, I suppose, because he was a private +gentleman. I would love to go to Hamilton Arms some time. His private +library is there, they say, just as it was in his time. If we were +allowed to look through it, we might find out a little about him from +his collection of books. His tastes and so on, I mean." Marjorie spoke +with the eagerness she always betrayed when on the subject of Brooke +Hamilton. Never in a student had the departed philanthropist possessed a +more generous admirer. + +"If that is your heart's desire, I will be the one to tell you it is not +easily obtained. A niece of his, a very old lady, lives there. She will +see no one. She is not in sympathy with the college. They say she has no +liking for girls," was Leila's dampening information. + +"Then there is no use in sighing for the unattainable," smiled Marjorie. +"Oh, well, I can keep on admiring his traditions, anyway, and help, as +much as I can, to keep them green at Hamilton." + +When the little feast of rejoicing was over and the Loyalites, as Leila +named the participants, had sought their rooms, Marjorie's earnest +words, "and help, as much as I can, to keep them green at Hamilton," +rang in their ears. Each vowed in her heart to do likewise. + +How Marjorie left her freshman estate behind, and traveled on into the +broader realm of the sophomore, will be narrated in "Marjorie Dean, +College Sophomore." + + THE END. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Marjorie Dean College Freshman, by Pauline Lester + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARJORIE DEAN COLLEGE FRESHMAN *** + +***** This file should be named 36851-8.txt or 36851-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/5/36851/ + +Produced by Roger Frank, Katherine Ward, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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