Skip to main content

Full text of "Betty Wales, freshman : a story for girls"

See other formats 


/ALE  St 

RESHMAl 

ARGARET  WARDE; 


EX     LIDRIS 


nAn  cf  Cc^^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/bettywalesfreshmOOward 


TBfi  NfW  YORK 


L 


PARDON  ME,"  SHE  SAID,  "COULD  I  HELP  VOU  ? 


BETTY  WALES.  FRESHMAN 


gy   sTon^    roR^GJKI^s 


J^MARGARET 
WARD  E 


£^uihor  of 
'Betty  Wales  ,Sophomorc" 
**Betty  Wales,  Junior" 


Illusirafed  by 
EVA  M.  NAGEi 


Xphe  Penn    Publishing  Company 

PHIl^ADE    LPHIA        M   C   M  V  I 


I         Tlit  NEW  VOilK 
1    j'-;-,^"-  I.li;;UUY 

!  149646B 

5  ■■    •     :;.   Ll^NOX  AND 

'l   :     /.:■.   1-.>UNUAT1UNS 

u  iy4i  i* 


J 


Copyright  1904  by  The  Penn  Publishing  Company 


Betty  Wales,  Freshman 


Contents 


CHAP. 
I 
II 
III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

I     X 

XI 
CO    XII 
XIII 


PAGE 

First  Impressions 7 

Beginnings 21 

Dancing  Lessons  and  a  Class-Meet- 
ing       35 

Whose  Photograph  ? 50 

Up  Hill — and  Down 63 

Letters  Home 80 

A  Dramatic  Chapter 95 

After  the  Play 112 

Paying  the  Piper 128 

A  Rumor 146 

Mid- Years  and  a  Dust-Pan  ....  166 

A  Triumph  for  Democracy  ....  185 

Saint  Valentine's  Assistants     .     .     .  208 

A  Beginning  and  a  Sequel    .     .     ,     .  233 

At  the  Great  Game 255 

A  Chance  to  Help 279 

An  Ounce  of  Prevention       ....  299 

Into  Paradise — and  Out 321 

A  Last  Chance 337 

Loose  Threads 355 


Illustrations 

PAGE 

**  Pardon    Me,"    she    said,    *'  Could    I    Help 
You  ?  "      Frontispiece 

The  Floor  Was  Crowded 59 

*'  Sing  a  Li'l'  ?  "  she  Asked 97 

Betty  Stood  in  the  Door  of  Her  Room    .  128 

"  Girls,  This  Has  to  Stop,"  she  Announced  225 

The  Freshmen  Were  Shouting  and  Thump- 
ing      265 

Betty  Was  Now  Up  to  Her  Knees  in  the 

Water 349 


BETTY     WALES 


CHAPTER  I 

FIRST    IMPRESSIONS 

''  Oh,  dear,  what  if  she  shouldn't  meet  me !  " 
sighed  Betty  Wales  for  the  hundredth  time  at 
least,  as  she  gathered  up  her  bags  and  um- 
brella, and  followed  the  crowd  of  noisy, 
chattering  girls  off  the  train. 

''  So  long,  Mary.     See  you  to-morrow." 

''  Get  a  carriage,  Nellie,  that's  a  dear. 
You're  so  little  you  can  always  break  through 
the  crowd." 

''  Hello,  Susanna !  Did  you  get  on  the 
campus  too?  " 

''  Thanks  awfully,  but  I  can't  to-night. 
My  freshman  cousin's  up,  you  know,  and 
homesick  and " 

*'  Oh,  girls,  isn't  it  fun  to  be  back  ?  " 

It  all  sounded  so  jolly  and  familiar.  Weren't 
7 


8  BETTT    WALES 

any  of  them  freshmen  ?  Did  they  guess  that 
she  was  a  freshman  ^'  and  homesick "  ? 
Betty  straightened  proudly  and  resolved  that 
they  should  not.  If  only  the  registrar  had 
got  father's  telegram.  As  she  stood  hesitating 
on  the  station  platform,  amazed  at  the  wil- 
derness of  trunks  and  certain  that  no  one 
could  possibly  find  her  until  that  shouting, 
rushing  mob  in  front  of  her  had  dispersed,  a 
pretty  girl  in  immaculate  white  duck  hurried 
up  to  her. 

''  Pardon  me,"  she  said,  reaching  out  a  hand 
for  Betty's  golf  clubs,  ''  but  aren't  you  a 
stranger  here?  Could  I  help  you,  perhaps, 
about  getting  your  luggage  up  ?  " 

Betty  looked  at  her  doubtfully.  "■  I  don't 
know,"  she  said.  ''  Yes,  I'm  going  to  enter 
college,  and  my  elder  sister  couldn't  get  here 
until  a  later  train.  But  father  telegraphed 
the  registrar  to  meet  me.  Do  you  know  her? 
Could  you  point  her  out?  " 

The  pretty  girl's  lips  curved  into  the  faint 
suggestion  of  a  smile.  ''  Yes,"  she  said,  ''  I 
know  her — only  too  well  for  my  peace  of 
mind  occasionally.  But  I'm  afraid  she  hasn't 
come  to  meet  you.     You  see  she's  very  busy 


BETTT    TFALES  g 

these  first  days — there  are  a  great  many  of 
you  freshman,  all  wanting  different  things. 
So  she  sends  us  down  instead." 

''  Oh,  I  see."  Betty's  face  brightened. 
"'  Then  if  you  would  tell  me  how  to  get  to 
Mrs.  Chapin's  on  Meriden  Place." 

''  Mrs.  Chapin's  !  "  exclaimed  the  pretty  girl. 
''  That's  easy.  Most  of  you  want  such  out- 
landish streets.  But  that's  close  to  the  cam- 
pus, where  I'm  going  myself.  My  time  is 
just  up,  I'm  happy  to  say.  Give  me  your 
checks  and  your  house  number,  and  then 
we'll  take  a  car,  unless  you  wouldn't  mind 
walking.     It's  not  far." 

On  the  way  to  Mrs.  Chapin's  Betty  learned 
that  her  new  friend's  name  was  Dorothy 
King,  that  she  was  a  junior  and  roomed  in  the 
Hilton  House,  that  she  went  in  for  science, 
but  was  fond  of  music  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Glee  Club  ;  that  she  was  back  a  day  early 
for  the  express  purpose  of  meeting  fresh- 
men at  the  trains.  In  return  Betty  explained 
how  she  had  been  obliged  at  the  last  moment 
to  come  east  alone  ;  how  sister  Nan,  who  was 
nine  years  older  than  she  and  five  years  out 
of  college,    was  coming  down   from  a  house 


lo  BETTT    WALES 

party  at  Kittery  Point,  but  couldn't  get  in  till 
eight  that  night ;  and  father  had  insisted  that 
Betty  be  sure  to  arrive  by  daylight. 

''Wales — Wales "  repeated  the  pretty 

junior.  "■  Why,  your  sister  must  have  been  the 
clever  Miss  Wales  in  '9 — ,  the  one  who  wrote 
so  well  and  all.  She  is?  How  fine!  I'm 
sorry,  but  I  leave  you  here.  Mrs.  Chapin's  is 
that  big  yellow  house,  the  second  on  the  left 
side — yes.  I  know  you'll  like  it  there.  And 
Miss  Wales,  you  mustn't  mind  if  the  sopho- 
mores get  hold  of  that  joke  about  your  asking 
the  registrar  to  meet  you.  I  won't  tell,  but  it 
will  be  sure  to  leak  out  somehow.  You  see 
it's  really  awfully  funny.  The  registrar  is  al- 
most as  important  as  the  president,  and  a  lot 
more  dignified  and  unapproachable,  until  you 
get  to  know  her.  She'll  think  it  too  good  to 
keep,  and  the  sophomores  will  be  sure  to  get 
hold  of  it  and  put  it  in  the  book  of  grinds  for 
their  reception — souvenirs  they  give  you,  you 
know.  Now  good-bye.  May  I  call  later? 
Thank  you  so  much.     Good-bye." 

Betty  was  blushing  hotly  as  she  climbed 
Mrs.  Chapin's  steps.  But  her  chagrin  ac 
having  proved  herself  so  ''  verdant "  a  fresh- 


BETTT    WALES  ii 

man  was  tempered  with  elation  at  the  junior's 
cordiality.  ''  Nan  said  I  wasn't  to  run  into 
friendships,"  she  reflected.  ''  But  she  must  be 
nice.  She  knows  the  Clays.  Oh,  I  hope  she 
won't  forget  to  come  !  " 

Betty  Wales  had  come  to  college  without 
any  particular  enthusiasm  for  it,  though  she 
was  naturally  an  enthusiastic  person.  She 
loved  Nan  dearly,  but  didn't  approve  of  her 
scheme  of  life,  and  wasn't  at  all  prepared  to 
like  college  just  because  Nan  had.  Being  so 
much  younger  than  her  sister,  she  had  never 
visited  her  at  Harding,  but  she  had  met  a  good 
many  of  her  friends  ;  and  comparing  their  stor- 
ies of  life  at  Harding  with  the  experiences  of 
one  or  two  of  her  own  mates  who  were  at  the 
boarding-school,  she  had  decided  that  of  two 
evils  she  should  prefer  college,  because  there 
seemed  to  be  more  freedom  and  variety  about  it. 
Being  of  a  philosophical  turn  of  mind,  she 
was  now  determined  to  enjoy  herself,  if  possi- 
ble. She  pinned  her  faith  to  a  remark  that 
her  favorite  among  all  Nan's  friends  had  made 
to  her  that  summer.  ''  Oh,  you'll  like  college, 
Betty,"  she  had  said.  "■  Not  just  as  Nan  or  I 
did,  of  course.     Every  girl  has  her  own  reasons 


12  BETTT    WALES 

for  liking  college — but  every  nice  girl  likes 
it.'' 

Betty  decided  that  she  had  already  found  two 
of  her  reasons  :  the  pretty  Miss  King  and  Mrs. 
Chapin's  piazza,  which  was  exceedingly  attract- 
ive for  a  boarding-house.  A  girl  was  loung- 
ing in  a  hammock  behind  the  vines,  and  an- 
other in  a  big  piazza  chair  was  reading  aloud 
to  her.  '*  They  must  be  old  girls,"  thought 
Betty,  ^'  to  seem  so  much  at  home."  Then  she 
remembered  that  Mrs.  Chapin  had  said  hers 
would  probably  be  an  "•  all  freshman  house," 
and  decided  that  they  were  friends  from  the 
same  town. 

Mrs.  Chapin  presently  appeared,  to  show 
Betty  to  her  room  and  explain  that  her  room- 
mate would  not  arrive  till  the  next  morning. 
Betty  dressed  and  then  sat  down  to  study  for 
her  French  examination,  which  came  next 
day ;  but  before  she  had  finished  deciding 
which  couch  she  preferred  or  where  they  could 
possibly  put  two  desks  and  a  tea-table,  the  bell 
rang  for  dinner. 

This  bid  fair  to  be  a  silent  and  dismal  meal. 
All  the  girls  had  come  except  Betty's  room- 
mate, and  most  of  them,  being  freshmen,  were 


BETTr    WALES  13 

in  the  depths  of  examinations  and  homesick- 
ness. But  there  was  one  shining  exception,  a 
very  lively  sophomore,  who  had  waited  till 
the  last  moment  hoping  to  get  an  assignment 
on  the  campus,  and  then  had  come  to  Mrs. 
Chapin's  in  the  place  of  a  freshman  who  had 
failed  in  her  examinations. 

''  She  had  six,  poor  thing  !  "  explained  the 
sophomore  to  Betty,  who  sat  beside  her. 
''  And  just  think  !  She'd  had  a  riding  horse 
and  a  mahogany  desk  with  a  secret  drawer 
sent  on  from  home.  Wish  I  could  inherit 
them  along  with  her  room.  Now,  my  name 
is  Mar}^  Brooks.  Tell  me  yours,  and  I'll  ask 
the  girl  on  the  other  side  and  introduce  you  ; 
and  that  will  start  the  ball  rolling." 

These  energetic  measures  succeeded  much 
better  than  Mrs.  Chapin's  somewhat  perfunc- 
tory remarks  about  the  dry  weather,  and  the 
whole  table  was  soon  talking  busily.  The 
two  piazza  girls  proved  to  be  sisters,  Mary  and 
Adelaide  Rich,  from  Haddam,  Connecticut. 
Betty  decided  that  they  were  rather  stupid 
and  too  inclined  to  stick  together  to  be 
much  fun.  A  tall,  homely  girl  at  the  end 
of  the    table  created   a   laugh    by    introduc- 


14  BETTT    WALES 

ing  herself  as  Miss  Katherine  Kittredge  of 
Kankakee. 

"•  The  state  is  Illinois,"  she  added,  ''  but 
that  spoils  the  alliteration." 

''  The  what  ?  "  whispered  Betty  to  the  sopho- 
more. 

But  Miss  Brooks  only  laughed  and  said, 
''  Wait  till  you've  finished  freshman  Eng- 
lish." 

Betty's  other  neighbor  was  a  pale,  quiet  lit- 
tle girl,  with  short  hair  and  a  drawl.  Betty 
couldn't  decide  whether  she  meant  to  be 
"  snippy  "  or  was  only  shy  and  offish.  After 
she  had  said  that  her  name  was  Roberta  Lewis 
and  her  home  Philadelphia,  Betty  inquired 
politely  whether  she  expected  to  like  college. 

''  I  expect  to  detest  it,"  replied  Miss  Lewis 
slowly  and  distinctly,  and  spoke  not  another 
word  during  dinner.  But  though  she  ate  bus- 
ily and  kept  her  eyes  on  her  plate,  Betty  was 
sure  that  she  heard  all  that  was  said,  and 
would  have  liked  to  join  in,  only  she  didn't 
know  how. 

The  one  really  beautiful  girl  at  the  table 
was  Miss  Eleanor  Watson.  Her  complexion 
was  the  daintiest  pink  and  white,  her  black 


BETTT    WALES  15 

hair  waved  softly  under  the  big  hat  which  she 
had  not  stopped  to  take  off,  and  her  hazel  eyes 
were  plaintive  one  moment  and  sparkling  the 
next,  as  her  mood  changed.  She  talked  a 
good  deal  and  very  well,  and  it  was  hard  to 
realize  that  she  was  only  sixteen  and  a  fresh- 
man. She  had  fitted  for  college  at  a  big  pre- 
paratory school  in  the  east,  and  so,  although 
she  happened  to  be  the  only  Denver  girl  in 
college,  she  had  a  great  many  friends  in  the 
upper  classes  and  appeared  to  know  quite  as 
much  about  college  customs  as  Miss  Brooks. 
All  this  impressed  Betty,  who  admired  beauty 
and  pretty  clothes  immensely.  She  resolved 
to  have  Eleanor  Watson  for  a  friend  if  she 
could,  and  was  pleased  when  Miss  Watson  in- 
quired how  many  examinations  she  had,  and 
suggested  that  they  would  probably  be  in  the 
same  divisions,  since  their  names  both  began 
with  W. 

The  remaining  girl  at  Mrs.  Chapin^s  table 
was  not  particularly  striking.  She  had  a 
great  mass  of  golden  brown  hair,  which  she 
wore  coiled  loosely  in  her  neck.  Her  keen 
grey  eyes  looked  the  world  straight  in  the  face, 
and  her  turned-up  nose  and  the  dimple  in  her 


i6  BETrr    WALES 

chin  gave  her  a  merry,  cheerful  air.  She  did 
not  talk  much,  and  not  at  all  about  herself,  but 
she  gave  the  impression  of  being  a  thoroughly 
nice,  bright,  capable  girl.  Her  name  was 
Rachel  Morrison. 

After  dinner  Betty  was  starting  up-stairs 
when  Mary  Brooks  called  her  back.  ''  Won't 
you  walk  over  to  the  campus  with  me,  little 
girl  ? "  she  asked.  ''  I  have  one  or  two 
errands.  Oh  no,  you  don't  need  a  hat.  You 
never  do  here." 

So  they  wandered  off  bareheaded  in  the 
moonlight,  which  made  the  elm-shaded  streets 
look  prettier  than  ever.  On  the  dusky  cam- 
pus girls  strolled  about  in  devoted  pairs  and 
sociable  quartettes.  On  the  piazza  of  one  of 
the  dwelling-houses  somebody  was  singing  a 
fascinating  little  Scotch  ballad  with  a  tinkling 
mandolin  accompaniment. 

"  Must  be  Dorothy  King,"  said  the  sopho- 
more. *'  I  thought  she  wouldn't  come  till 
eight.     Most  people  don't." 

*'0h!"  exclaimed  Betty,  ''I  know  her!" 
And  she  related  her  adventure  at  the  station. 

''  That's  so,"  said  Miss  Brooks.  ''  I'd  for> 
gotten.     She's  awfully  popular,  you  know,  and 


BETTT    WALES  17 

very  prominent, — belongs  to  no  end  of  so- 
cieties. But  whatever  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  wants  of  her  she  does. 
You  know  they  appoint  girls  to  meet  fresh- 
men and  help  them  find  boarding-places  and 
so  on.  She's  evidently  on  that  committee. 
Let's  stop  and  say  hello  to  her." 

Betty,  hanging  behind,  was  amazed  to  see 
the  commotion  caused  by  Miss  Brooks's  ar- 
rival. The  song  stopped  abruptly,  the  man- 
dolin slammed  to  the  floor,  and  performers 
and  audience  fell  as  one  woman  upon  the 
newcomer. 

''  Why,  Mary  Brooks !  When  did  you 
come?  " 

"■  Did  you  get  a  room,  honey  ?  " 

''  Oh,  Mary,  where  did  you  put  on  that 
lovely  tan?" 

"Mary,  is  Sarah  coming  back,  do  you 
know?" 

"  Hush  up,  girls,  and  let  her  tell  us  !  " 

It  was  like  the  station,  only  more  so,  and 
oh,  it  was  nice — if  you  were  in  it.  Mary  an- 
swered some  of  their  questions  and  then 
looked  around  for  Betty.  ''I've  lost  a  fresh- 
man," she    said.     ''  Here,   Miss  Wales,   come 


i8  BETTy^    PVALES 

up  and  sit  on  the  railing.  She  knows  you, 
Dottie,  and  she  wants  to  hear  you  sing.  These 
others  are  some  of  the  Hilton  House,  Miss 
Wales.  Please  consider  yourselves  intro- 
duced.    Now,  Dottie." 

So  the  little  Scotch  ballad  began  again. 
Presently  some  one  else  came  up,  there  were 
more  effusive  greetings,  and  then  another 
song  or  two,  after  which  Miss  King  and 
''  some  of  the  Hilton  House  "  declared  that 
they  simply  must  go  and  unpack.  Betty,  sud- 
denly remembering  her  trunk  and  her  sister, 
decided  to  let  Miss  Brooks  do  her  other  ''  er- 
rands "  alone,  and  found  her  way  back  to 
Mrs.  Chapin's.  Sure  enough.  Nan  was  sitting 
on  the  piazza. 

''  Hello,  little  sister,"  she  called  gaily  as 
Betty  hurried  up  the  walk.  ''  Don't  say 
you're  sorry  to  be  late.  It's  the  worst  possi- 
ble thing  for  little  freshmen  to  mope  round 
waiting  for  people,  and  I'm  glad  you  had 
the  sense  not  to.  Your  trunk's  come,  but  if 
you're  not  too  tired  let's  go  up  and  see  Ethel 
Hale  before  we  unpack  it." 

Ethel  Hale  had  spent  a  whole  summer  with 
Nan,  and  Betty  beat  her  at  tennis  and  called 


BETTT    JVALES  19 

her  Ethel,  and  she  called  Betty  little  sister, 
just  as  Nan  did.  But  here  she  was  a  memher 
of  the  faculty.  ''  I  shall  never  dare  come 
near  her  after  you  leave,"  said  Betty.  Just  as 
she  said  it  the  door  of  the  room  opened — Nan 
had  explained  that  it  was  a  freshman  trick  to 
ring  front  door-bells — and  Ethel  rushed  out 
and  dragged  them  in. 

''  Miss  Blaine  and  Miss  Mills  are  here,"  she 
said. 

Betty  gathered  from  the  subsequent  conver- 
sation that  Miss  Blaine  and  Miss  Mills  were 
also  members  of  the  faculty ;  and  they  were. 
But  they  had  just  come  in  from  a  horseback 
ride,  and  they  sat  in  rather  disheveled  atti- 
tudes, eating  taffy  out  of  a  paper  bag,  and 
their  conversation  was  very  amusing  and  per- 
fectly intelligible,  even  to  a  freshman  who 
had  still  an  examination  to  pass. 

**  I  didn't  suppose  the  faculty  ever  acted 
like  that.  Why,  they're  just  like  other  peo- 
ple," declared  Betty,  as  she  tumbled  into  bed 
a  little  later. 

*'  They're  exactly  like  other  people,"  re- 
turned Nan  sagely,  from  the  closet  where  she 
was    hanging    up   skirts.       ''  Just   remember 


20  BErrr  wales 

that  and  you'll  have  a  lot  nicer  time  with 
them." 

So  ended  Betty's  first  day  at  college.  Nan 
finished  unpacking,  and  then  sat  for  a  long 
time  by  the  window.  Betty  loved  Nan,  but 
Nan  in  return  worshiped  Betty.  They  might 
call  her  the  clever  Miss  Wales  if  they  liked ; 
she  would  gladly  have  given  all  her  vaunted 
brains  for  the  fascinating  little  ways  that  made 
Betty  friends  so  quickly  and  for  the  power  to 
take  life  in  Betty's  free-and-easy  fashion. 
''  Oh,  I  hope  she'll  like  it !  "  she  thought.  "  I 
hope  she'll  be  popular  with  the  girls.  I  don't 
want  her  to  have  to  work  so  hard  for  all  she 
gets.  I  wouldn't  exchange  my  course  for 
hers,  but  I  want  hers  to  be  the  other  kind." 

Betty  was  sound  asleep. 


CHAPTER  II 

BEGINNINGS 

The  next  morning  it  poured. 

^'  Of  course,"  said  Eleanor  Watson  impress- 
ively at  breakfast.  ''  It  always  does  the  first 
day  of  college.  They  call  it  the  freshman 
rain." 

''  Let's  all  go  down  to  chapel  together,"  sug- 
gested Rachel  Morrison. 

'^  You're  going  to  order  carriages,  of  course?  " 
inquired  Roberta  Lewis  stiffly. 

"  Hurrah !  Another  joke  for  the  grind- 
book  ! "  shrieked  Mary  Brooks.  Then  she 
noticed  Roberta's  expression  of  abject  terror. 
''  Never  mind,  Miss  Lewis,"  she  said  kindly. 
''  It's  really  an  honor  to  be  in  the  grind-book, 
but  I  promise  not  to  tell  if  you'd  rather  I 
wouldn't.  Won't  you  show  that  you  forgive 
me  by  coming  down  to  college  under  my 
umbrella?" 

'^  She  can't.  She's  coming  with  me,"  an- 
swered Nan  promptly.  ''  I  demand  the  right 
to  first  choice." 

21 


22  BETTT    JVALES 

"  Very  well,  I  yield/'  said  Mary,  ''  because 
when  you  go  my  sovereignty  will  be  undis- 
puted.    You'll  have  to  hurry,  children." 

So  the  little  procession  of  rain-coats  flapping 
out  from  under  dripping  umbrellas  started 
briskly  off  to  join  the  longer  procession  that 
was  converging  from  every  direction  toward 
College  Hall.  Roberta  and  Nan  were  ahead 
under  one  umbrella,  chatting  like  old  friends. 

''  I  suppose  she  doesn't  think  we're  worth 
talking  to,"  said  Rachel  Morrison,  who  came 
next  with  Betty. 

''  Probably  she's  one  of  the  kind  that's 
always  been  around  with  grown  people  and 
isn't  used  to  girls,"  suggested  Betty. 

''  Perhaps,"  agreed  Rachel.  "  Anyhow,  I 
can't  get  a  word  out  of  her.  She  just  sits  by 
her  w^indow  and  reads  magazines  and  looks 
bored  to  death  when  Katherine  or  I  go  in  to 
speak  to  her.  Isn't  Katherine  jolly?  I'm  so 
glad  I  don't  room  alone." 

''  Are  you  ?  "  asked  Betty.  ''  I  can  tell  bet- 
ter after  my  roommate  comes.  Her  name 
sounds  quite  nice.  It's  Helen  Chase  Adams, 
and  she  lives  somewhere  up  in  New  Hamp- 
shire.    Did  you  ever  see  so  many  girls  ?  " 


BETTT    WALES  23 

There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  them.  They 
jostled  one  another  good-naturedly  in  the  nar- 
row halls,  swarmed,  chattering,  up  the  stairs, 
and  filled  the  chapel  to  overflowing.  It  was 
very  exciting  to  see  the  whole  college  together. 
Even  Roberta  Lewis  condescended  to  look  in- 
terested when  Mary  Brooks  showed  her  the 
faculty  rows,  and  pointed  out  the  college 
beauty,  the  captain  of  the  sophomore  basket- 
ball team,  and  other  local  celebrities. 

^'  That's  evidently  a  freshman,"  declared 
Eleanor  Watson,  who  w^as  in  the  row  behind 
with  Katherine  and  the  Riches.  '^  Doesn't 
she  look  lost  and  unhappy  ? "  And  she 
pointed  out  a  tall,  near-sighted  girl  who  was 
stalking  dejectedly  down  the  middle  aisle. 

A  vivacious  little  brunette  was  sitting  next 
Eleanor.  ''  Pardon  me,"  she  said  sweetly, 
'^  but  did  you  mean  the  girl  who's  gone  around 
to  the  side  and  is  now  being  received  with 
open  arms  by  most  of  the  faculty?  She's  a 
senior,  the  brightest  girl  in  the  class,  we  think, 
and  she's  sad  because  she's  lost  her  trunk  and 
broken  her  glasses.  You're  a  freshman,  I 
judge?" 

^'  Thank  you,  yes,"  gasped  Eleanor  with  as 


24  BETTT    WALES 

much  dignity  as  she  could  muster,  and  re- 
solved to  keep  her  guesses  to  herself  in  future. 

The  chapel  service  was  short  but  very  beau- 
tiful. The  president's  kindly  welcome  to  the 
entering  class,  ''  which  bids  fair  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  history  of  the  institution,"  com- 
pletely upset  the  composure  of  some  of  the 
aforesaid  class,  and  a  good  many  moist  hand- 
kerchiefs grew  moister,  and  red  eyes  redder 
during  the  prayer.  But  on  the  whole  the 
class  of  190 —  conducted  itself  with  com- 
mendable propriety  and  discretion  on  this  its 
first  official  appearance  in  the  college  world. 

''I'm  glad  I  don't  have  that  French  exam.," 
said  Katherine,  as  she  and  Betty  picked  out 
their  umbrellas  from  a  great,  moist  heap  in 
the  corner  of  the  hall.  ''  Come  down  with 
me  and  have  a  soda." 

Betty  shook  her  head.  ''  I  can't.  Nan 
asked  me  to  go  with  her  and  Eth — I  mean 
Miss  Hale,  but  I  simply  must  study."  And 
she  hurried  off  to  begin. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  campus  Eleanor 
Watson  overtook  her.  ''  Let's  go  home  and 
study  together,"  she  proposed.  "  I  can't  see 
why  they  left  this  French  till  so  late  in  the 


BETTT    WALES  25 

week,  when  everybody  has  it.  What  did  you 
come  to  college  for?  "  she  asked  abruptly. 

Betty  thought  a  minute.  ''  Why,  for  the 
fun  of  it,  I  guess,"  she  said. 

''  So  did  I.  I  think  we've  stumbled  into  a 
pretty  serious-minded  crowd  at  Mrs.  Chapin's, 
don't  you?'' 

''  I  like  Miss  Morrison  awfully  well,"  ob- 
jected Betty,  ^^  and  I  shouldn't  call  Katherine 
Kittredge  of  Kankakee  serious-minded, 
but " 

''  Oh,  perhaps  not,"  interrupted  Eleanor. 
"  Anyhow  I  know  a  lot  of  fine  girls  outside, 
and  you  must  meet  them.  It's  very  impor- 
tant to  have  a  lot  of  friends  up  here.  If  you 
want  to  amount  to  anything,  you  can't  just 
stick  with  the  girls  in  your  own  house." 

''  Oh,  no,"  said  Betty  meekly,  awed  by  the 
display  of  worldly  wisdom.  ''  It  will  be 
lovely  to  meet  your  friends.  Let's  study  on 
the  piazza.     I'll  get  my  books." 

''  Wait  a  minute,"  said  Eleanor  quickly. 
**  I  want  to  tell  you  something.  I  have  at 
least  two  conditions  already,  and  if  I  don't 
pass  this  French  I  don't  suppose  I  can  possi- 
bly stay." 


26  BETTr    WALES 

''  But  you  don't  act  frightened  a  bit/^  pro- 
tested Betty  in  awestruck  tones. 

"•  I  am,"  returned  Eleanor  in  a  queer,  husky 
voice.  ''  I  could  never  show  my  face  again 
if  I  failed."  She  brushed  the  tears  out  of  her 
eyes.  ''  Now  go  and  get  your  books,"  she  said 
calmly,  ^'  and  don't  ever  mention  the  subject 
again.     I  had  to  tell  somebody." 

Betty  was  back  in  a  moment,  looking  as  if 
she  had  seen  a  ghost.  ^'  She's  come,"  she 
gasped,  ''  and  she's  crying  like  everything.'^ 

^'  Who?  "  inquired  Eleanor  coolly. 

''  My  roommate — Helen  Chase  Adams." 

^^  What  did  you  do?" 

^'  I  didn't  say  a  word — -just  grabbed  up  my 
books  and  ran.  Let's  study  till  Nan  comes 
and  then  she'll  settle  it." 

It  was  almost  one  o'clock  before  Nan  ap- 
peared. She  tossed  a  box  of  candy  to  the 
weary  students,  and  gave  a  lively  account  of 
her  morning,  which  had  included  a  second 
breakfast,  three  strawberry-ices,  a  walk  to  the 
bridge,  half  a  dozen  calls  on  the  campus,  and 
a  plunge  in  the  swimming-tank. 

''  I  didn't  dream  I  knew  so  man}^  people 
here  "  she  said.     ''  But  now   I've  seen  thero 


BErrr  jvales  27 

all  and  they've  promised  to  call  on  you,  Betty, 
and  I  must  go  to-night." 

'^  Not  unless  she  stops  crying,"  said  Betty 
firmly,  and  told  her  story. 

'*  Go  up  and  ask  her  to  come  down-town 
with  us  and  have  a  lunch  at  Holmes's,"  sug- 
gested Nan. 

''  Oh  you  come  too,"  begged  Betty,  and  Nan, 
amused  at  the  distress  of  her  usually  self- 
reliant  sister,  obediently  led  the  way  up- 
stairs. 

''  Come  in,"  called  a  tremulous  voice. 

Helen  Chase  Adams  had  stopped  crying,  at 
least  temporarily,  and  was  sitting  in  a  pale 
and  forlorn  heap  on  one  of  the  beds.  She 
jumped  up  when  she  saw  her  visitors.  ''  I 
thought  it  w^as  the  man  with  my  trunk,"  she 
said.  ''  Is  one  of  you  my  roommate  ?  Which 
one?" 

''  What  a  nice  speech.  Miss  Adams  !  "  said 
Nan  heartily.  ''  I've  been  hoping  ever  since 
I  came  that  somebody  would  take  me  for  a 
freshman.  But  this  is  Betty,  who's  to  room 
with  you.  Now  will  you  come  down-town  to 
lunch  with  us?" 

Betty  was  very  quiet  on  the  way  down-town. 


28  BETTT    WALES 

Her  roommate  was  a  bitter  disappointment. 
She  had  imagined  a  pretty  girl  like  Eleanor 
Watson,  or  a  jolly  one  like  Katherine  and 
Rachel ;  and  here  was  this  homely  little  thing 
with  an  awkward  walk,  a  piping  voice,  and 
short  skirts.  ''  She'll  just  spoil  everything," 
thought  Betty  resentfully,  ''  and  it's  a  mean, 
hateful  shame."  Over  the  creamed  chicken, 
which  Nan  ordered  because  it  was  Holmes's 
''  specialty,"  just  as  strawberry-ice  was  Cuyler's, 
the  situation  began  to  look  a  little  more  cheer- 
ful. Helen  Chase  Adams  would  certainly  be 
an  obliging  roommate. 

'^  Oh,  I  wouldn't  think  of  touching  the  room 
till  you  get  back  from  your  French,"  she  said 
eagerly.  ''  Won't  it  be  fun  to  fix  it  ?  Have 
you  a  lot  of  pretty  things  ?  I  haven't  much, 
I'm  afraid.  Oh,  no,  I  don't  care  a  bit  which 
bed  I  have."  Her  shy,  appealing  manner  and 
her  evident  desire  to  please  would  have  dis- 
armed a  far  more  critical  person  than  Betty, 
who,  in  spite  of  her  love  of  fine  feathers  "  and 
a  sort  of  superficial  snobbishness,  was  at  heart 
absolutely  unworldly,  and  who  took  a  naive 
interest  in  all  badly  dressed  people  because  it 
was  such  fun  to  '^  plan  them  over."     She  ap- 


BETTT    WALES  29 

plied  this  process  immediately  to  her  room- 
mate. 

"■  Her  hat's  on  crooked,"  she  reflected, ''  and 
her  pug's  in  just  the  wrong  place.  Her  shirt- 
waist needs  pulling  down  in  front  and  she 
sticks  her  head  out  when  she  talks.  Other- 
wise she'd  be  rather  cute.  I  hope  she's  the 
kind  that  will  take  suggestions  without  get- 
ting mad."  And  she  hurried  off  to  her  French 
in  a  very  amiable  frame  of  mind. 

Helen  Chase  Adams  thanked  Nan  shyly  for 
the  luncheon,  escaped  from  the  terrors  of  a 
tete-a-tete  with  an  unfamiliar  grown-up  on 
the  plea  of  having  to  unpack,  and  curled  up 
on  the  couch  that  Betty  had  not  chosen,  to 
think  it  over.  The  day  had  been  full  of 
surprises,  but  Betty  was  the  culmination. 
Why  had  she  come  to  college?  She  was 
distinctly  pretty,  she  dressed  well,  and  evi- 
dently liked  what  pretty  girls  call  "  a  good 
time."  In  Helen  Chase  Adams's  limited  ex- 
perience all  pretty  girls  were  stupid.  The 
idea  of  seeing  crowds  of  them  in  the  college 
chapel,  much  less  of  rooming  with  one,  had 
never  entered  her  head.  A  college  was  a  place 
for  students.     Would  Miss  Wales  pass  her  ex- 


30  BETTT    IVALES 

amination  ?  Would  she  learn  her  lessons  ? 
What  would  it  be  like  to  live  with  her  day  in 
and  day  out  ?  Helen  could  not  imagine — but 
she  did  not  feel  in  the  least  like  crying. 

Just  as  the  dinner-bell  rang,  Betty  appeared, 
looking  rather  tired  and  pale.  ''  Nan's  gone," 
she  announced.  ''  She  found  she  couldn't 
make  connections  except  by  leaving  at  half 
past  five,  so  she  met  me  down  at  the  college. 
And  just  at  the  last  minute  she  gave  me  the 
money  to  buy  a  chafing-dish.  Wasn't  that 
lovely  ?  I  know  I  should  have  cried  and 
made  a  goose  of  myself,  but  after  tha — I  beg 
your  pardon — I  haven't  any  sense."  She 
stopped  in  confusion. 

But  Helen  only  laughed.  ''  Go  on,"  she 
said.  ''  I  don't  mind  now.  I  don't  believe 
I'm  going  to  be  homesick  any  more,  and  if  I 
am  I'll  do  my  best  not  to  cry." 

How  the  rest  of  that  first  week  flew  !  Next 
day  the  freshman  class  list  was  read,  and  for- 
tunately it  included  all  the  girls  at  Mrs. 
Chapin's.  Then  there  were  electives  to  choose, 
complicated  schedules  to  see  through,  first 
recitations  to  find,  books  to  buy  or  rent,  rooms 
to  arrange,  and  all  sorts  of  bewildering  odds 


BETTT    IVALE&  31 

and  ends  to  attend  to.  Saturday  came  before 
any  one  was  ready  for  it,  bringing  in  its  wake 
the  freshman  frolic,  a  jolly,  informal  dance  in 
the  gymnasium,  at  which  the  whole  college 
appears,  tagged  with  its  name,  and  tries  to  get 
accustomed  to  the  size  of  the  entering  class, 
preparatory  to  becoming  acquainted  with  parts 
of  it  later  on.  To  Betty's  great  delight  Dorothy 
King  met  her  in  the  hall  of  the  Administration 
Building  the  day  before  and  asked  permission 
to  take  her  to  the  frolic.  At  the  gymnasium 
Miss  King  turned  her  over  to  a  bewildering 
succession  of  partners,  who  asked  her  the 
stereotyped  questions  about  liking  college, 
having  a  pleasant  boarding-place,  and  so  on, 
tried  more  or  less  effectively  to  lead  her 
through  the  crowd  to  the  rather  erratic  music 
of  one  piano,  and  assured  her  that  the  fresh- 
man frolic  was  not  at  all  like  the  other  college 
dances.  They  all  seemed  very  pleasant,  but 
Betty  felt  sure  she  should  never  know  them 
again.  Nevertheless  she  enjoyed  it  all  im- 
mensely and  was  almost  sorry  when  the  frolic 
was  over  and  they  adjourned  to  Dorothy's 
pretty  single  room  in  the  Hilton  House, 
where  a  few  other  upper-class  girls  had  been 


32  BETTT    WALES 

invited  to  bring  their  freshmen  for  refresh- 
ments. 

''Wasn't  it  fun?"  said  Betty  to  a  fluffy- 
haired,  dainty  little  girl  who  sat  next  her  on 
Dorothy's  couch. 

''  I  don't  think  I  should  call  it  exactly  fun," 
said  the  girl  critically. 

"'  Oh,  I  like  meeting  new  people,  and  get- 
ting into  a  crowd  of  girls,  and  trying  to  dance 
with  them,"  explained  Betty. 

^'Yes,  I  liked  it  too,"  said  the  girl.  She 
had  an  odd  trick  of  lingering  over  the  word 
she  wished  to  distinguish.  ''  I  liked  it  be- 
cause it  was  so  queer.  Everything's  queer 
here,  particularly  roommates.  Do  you  have 
one?" 

Betty  nodded.  ""  Well,  mine  never  made 
up  her  bed  in  her  life  before,  and  first  she 
thought  she  couldn't,  but  her  mother  told  her 
to  take  hold  and  see  what  a  Madison  could  do 
with  a  bed — they're  awfully  proud  of  their 
old  family — so  she  did  ;  but  it  looks  dread- 
fully messy  yet,  and  it  makes  her  late  for 
chapel  every  single  morning.  Is  yours  any- 
thing like  that?" 

Betty      laughed.      ''  Oh,     no,"     she     said. 


BETTT    U^ALES  33 

'  She's  very  orderly.     Won't  you  come  and 
see  us  ?  " 

The  little  freshman  promised.  By  that 
time  the  ''  plowed  field "  was  ready — an 
oiDiiging  friend  had  stayed  at  home  from  the 
frolic  to  give  it  an  early  start — and  they  ate 
the  creamy  brown  squares  of  candy  with  a 
marshmallow  stuffed  into  each,  and  praised 
the  cook  and  her  wares  until  a  bell  rang  and 
everybody  jumped  up  and  began  saying  good- 
bye at  once  except  Betty,  who  had  to  be 
enlightened  by  the  campus  girls  as  to  the  dire 
meaning  of  the  twenty-minutes-to-ten  bell. 

''Don't  you  keep  the  ten  o'clock  rule?" 
asked  the  fluflpy-haired  freshman  curiously. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Betty.  ''  Why,  we  couldn't 
come  to  college  if  we  didn't,  could  we  ? " 
And  she  wondered  why  some  of  the  girls 
laughed. 

"  I've  had  a  beautiful  time,"  she  said, 
when  Miss  King,  who  had  come  part  way 
home  with  her,  explained  that  she  must  turn 
back.  *'  I  hope  that  when  I'm  a  junior  I  can 
do  half  as  much  for  some  little  freshman  as 
you  have  for  me." 

^'  That's  a  nice  way  to  put  it,  Miss  Wales," 


34  BETTT    WALES 

said  Dorothy.  ''  But  don't  wait  till  you're 
a  junior  to  begin." 

As  Betty  ran  home,  she  reflected  that  she 
had  not  seen  Helen  dancing  that  evening. 
"  Oh,  Helen,"  she  called,  as  she  dashed  into 
the  room,  ''  wasn't  it  fun  ?  How  many  min- 
utes before  our  light  goes  out  ?  Do  you  know 
how  to  dance  ?  " 

Helen  hesitated.  ''  I — well — I  know  how, 
but  I  can't  do  it  in  a  crowd.  It's  ten  minutes 
of  ten." 

''  Teach  you  before  the  sophomore  recep- 
tion," said  Bett}^  laconically,  throwing  a  slip- 
per into  the  closet  with  one  hand  and  pulling 
out  hairpins  with  the  other.  "  What  a  pity 
that  to-morrow's  Sunday.  We  shall  have  to 
wait  a  whole  day  to  begin." 


CHAPTER  III 

DANCING    LESSONS    AND    A    CLASS-MEETING 

The  next  morning  Helen  had  gone  for  a 
walk  with  Katherine,  and  Betty  was  dressing 
for  church,  when  Eleanor  Watson  knocked  at 
the  door.  She  looked  prettier  than  ever  in 
her  long  silk  kimono,  with  its  ruffles  of  soft 
lace  and  the  great  knot  of  pink  ribbon  at  her 
throat. 

*'  So  you're  going  to  church  too,"  she  said, 
dropping  down  among  Betty's  pillows.  "  I 
was  hoping  you'd  stay  and  talk  to  me.  Did 
you  enjoy  your  frolic?  " 

''  Yes,  didn't  you  ?  "  inquired  Betty. 

''  I  didn't  go,"  returned  Eleanor  shortly. 

"Oh,  why  not?"  asked  Betty  so  seriously 
that  Eleanor  laughed. 

''  Because  the  girl  who  asked  me  first  was 
ill ;  and  I  wouldn't  tag  along  with  the  little 
Brooks  and  the  Riches  and  your  fascinating 
roommate.     Now  don't  say  '  why  not?  '  again, 

35 


36  BETTT    JVALES 

or  I  may  hurt  your  feelings.  Do  you  really 
like  Miss  Brooks?" 

Betty  hesitated.  As  a  matter  of  fact  she 
liked  Mary  Brooks  very  much,  but  she  also 
admired  Eleanor  Watson  and  coveted  her  ap- 
proval. ''  I  like  her  well  enough,"  she  said 
slowly,  and  disappeared  into  the  closet  to  get 
something  she  did  not  want  and  change  the 
subject. 

Eleanor  laughed.  "  You're  so  polite,"  she 
said.  ''  I  wish  I  were.  That  is,  I  wish  I 
could  make  people  think  I  was,  without  my 
taking  the  trouble.     Don't  go  to  church." 

''  Helen  and  Katherine  are  coming  back 
for  me.  You'd  better  go  with  us,"  urged 
Betty. 

"  Now  that  Kankakee  person "  began 

Eleanor.  The  door  opened  suddenly  and 
Katherine  and  Helen  came  in.  Katherine, 
who  had  heard  Eleanor's  last  remark,  flushed 
but  said  nothing.  Eleanor  rose  deliberately, 
smoothed  the  pillows  she  had  been  lying  on, 
and  walked  slowly  off,  remarking  over  her 
shoulder,  ''  In  common  politeness,  knock  be- 
fore you  come  in." 

"  Or  you  may  hear  what  I  think  of  you," 


BETTT    WALES  37 

added  Katherine  wickedly,  as  Eleanor  shut 
the  door. 

Helen  looked  perplexed.  ''Should  I, 
Betty?"  she  asked,  ''when  it's  my  own 
room." 

"  It's  nicer,"  said  Betty.  "  Nan  and  I  do. 
How  do  you  like  our  room,  Katherine  ?  " 

"  It's  a  beaut.,"  said  Katherine,  taking  the 
hint  promptly.  "  I  don't  see  how  you  ever 
fixed  your  desks  and  couches,  and  left  so 
much  space  in  the  middle.  Our  room  is  like 
the  aisle  in  a  Chicago  theatre.  That  Japa- 
nese screen  is  a  peach  and  the  water-color 
over  your  desk  is  another.  Did  you  buy  back 
the  chafing-dish  ?  " 

Betty  laughed.  She  had  amused  the  house 
by  getting  up  before  breakfast  on  the  day 
after  Nan  left,  in  her  haste  to  buy  a  chafing- 
dish.  In  the  afternoon  Rachel  had  suggested 
that  a  teakettle  was  really  more  essential  to  a 
college  establishment,  and  they  had  gone  down 
together  to  change  it.  But  then  had  come 
Miss  King's  invitation  to  eat  "  plowed  field  " 
after  the  frolic  ;  and  the  chafing-dish,  appear- 
ing once  more  the  be-all  and  end-all  of  exist- 
ence, had  finally  replaced  the  teakettle. 


38  BETTT    iVALES 

"  But  we're  going  to  have  both,"  ventured 
Helen  shyly. 

"  Oh  yes,"  broke  in  Betty.  "  Isn't  it  fine 
of  Helen  to  get  it  and  make  our  tea-table  so 
complete?  "  As  a  matter  of  fact  Betty  much 
preferred  that  the  tea-table  should  be  all  her 
own  ;  but  Helen  was  so  delighted  with  the 
idea  of  having  a  part  in  it,  and  so  sure  that 
she  wanted  a  teakettle  more  than  pillows  for 
her  couch,  that  Betty  resolved  not  to  mind  the 
bare-looking  bed,  which  marred  the  cozy  effect 
of  the  room,  and  above  all  never  to  let  Helen 
guess  how  she  felt  about  the  tea-table.  ''  But 
next  year  you  better  believe  I'm  hoping  for  a 
single  room,"  she  confided  to  the  little  green 
lizard  who  sat  on  her  inkstand  and  ogled  her 
while  she  worked. 

When  church  was  over  Katherine  proposed 
a  stroll  around  the  campus  before  dinner.  ''  I 
haven't  found  my  bearings  at  all  yet,"  she 
said.     ''  Now  which  building  is  which?  " 

Betty  pointed  out  the  Hilton  House  proudly. 
''  That's  all  I  know,"  she  said,  ''  except  these 
up  here  in  front  of  course — the  Main  Build- 
ing and  Chapel,  and  Science  and  Music 
Halls." 


BETTT    WALES  39 

*' We  know  the  gymnasium,"  suggested 
Helen,  '*  and  the  Belden  House,  where  we 
bought  our  screen,  is  one  of  the  four  in  that 
row." 

They  found  the  Belden  House,  and  picked 
out  the  Westcott  by  its  name-plate,  which,  be- 
ing new  and  shiny,  was  easy  to  read  from  a 
distance.  Then  Helen  made  a  discovery. 
'^  Girls,  there's  water  down  there,"  she  cried. 
Sure  enough,  behind  the  back  fence  and  across 
a  road  was  a  pretty  pond,  with  wooded  banks 
and  an  island,  which  hid  its  further  side  from 
view. 

'*  That  must  be  the  place  they  call  Para- 
dise," said  Betty.  '^  I've  heard  Nan  speak  of 
it.  I  thought  it  was  this,"  and  she  pointed  to 
a  slimy  pool  about  four  yards  across,  below 
them  on  the  back  campus.  "■  That's  the  only 
pond  I'd  noticed." 

''  Oh,  no,"  declared  Katherine.  ''  I've  heard 
my  scientific  roommate  speak  of  that.  It's 
called  the  Frog  Pond  and  '  of  it  more  anon,' 
as  my  already  beloved  Latin  teacher  occasion- 
ally remarks.  To  speak  plainly,  she  has 
promised  to  let  me  help  her  catch  her  first 
frog." 


40  BETTT    WALES 

They  walked  home  through  the  apple  or- 
chard that  occupied  one  corner  of  the  back 
campus. 

"  It's  not  a  very  big  campus,  and  not  a  bit 
dignified  or  imposing,  but  I  like  it,"  said 
Betty,  as  they  came  out  on  to  the  main  drive 
again,  and  started  toward  the  gateway. 

''  Nice  and  cozy  to  live  with  every  day/' 
added  Katherine.  Helen  was  too  busy  com- 
paring the  red-brick,  homely  reality  with  the 
shaded  marble  cloisters  of  her  dreams,  to  say 
what  she  thought. 

Betty's  dancing  class  was  a  great  success. 
With  characteristic  energy  she  organized  it 
Monday  morning.  It  appeared  that  while  all 
the  Chapin  house  girls  could  dance  except 
Helen  and  Adelaide  Rich,  none  of  them  could 
''  lead  "  but  Eleanor. 

''  And  Miss  King's  friends  said  we  freshmen 
ought  to  learn  before  the  sophomore  recep- 
tion, particularly  the  tall  ones  ;  and  most  of  us 
are  tall,"  explained  Betty. 

"That's  all  right,"  interposed  Eleanor,  "  but 
take  my  advice  and  don't  learn.  If  you  can't 
lead,  the  other  girl  always  will ;  and  the  men 
say  it  ruins  a  girl's  dancing." 


BETTT    WALES  41 

^'  Who  cares  ?  "  demanded  Katherine  boldly. 
'^  Imagine  Betty  or  Miss  Brooks  trying  to  see 
over  me  and  pull  me  around !  I  want  to 
learn,  for  one — men  or  no  men." 

'*  So  do  I,"  said  Rachel  and  Mary  Rich  to- 
gether. *^  And  I,"  drawled  Roberta  lan- 
guidly. 

''  Oh  well,  if  you're  all  set  upon  it,  I'll  play 
for  you,"  said  Eleanor  graciously.  She  was 
secretly  ashamed  of  the  speech  that  Katherine 
had  overheard  the  day  before  and  bitterly  re- 
gretted having  antagonized  the  girls  in  the 
house,  when  she  had  meant  only  to  keep  them 
— all  but  Betty — at  a  respectful  distance.  She 
liked  most  of  them  personally,  but  she  wished 
her  friends  to  be  of  another  type — girls  from 
large  schools  like  her  own,  who  would  have 
influence  and  a  following  from  the  first ;  girls 
with  the  qualities  of  leadership,  who  could 
control  votes  in  class-meetings  and  push  their 
little  set  to  first  place  in  all  the  organized  ac- 
tivities of  the  college.  Eleanor  had  said  that 
she  came  to  college  for  "■  fun,"  but  ''  fun  "  to 
her  meant  power  and  prominence.  She  was  a 
born  politician,  with  a  keen  love  of  manoeu- 
vring and  considerable  tact  and  insight  when 


42  BETTT    WALES 

she  chose  to  exercise  it.  But  inexperience 
and  the  ease  with  which  she  had  ''  run  '^ 
boarding-school  affairs  had  made  her  over-con- 
fident. She  saw  now  that  she  had  indulged 
her  fondness  for  sarcasm  too  far,  and  was  ready 
to  do  a  good  deal  to  win  back  the  admiration 
which  she  was  sure  the  Chapin  house  girls 
had  felt  for  her  at  first.  She  was  particularly 
anxious  to  do  this,  as  the  freshman  class-meet- 
ing was  only  a  week  off,  and  she  wanted  the 
votes  of  the  house  for  the  Hill  School  candi- 
date for  class-president. 

So  three  evenings  that  week,  in  spite  of  her 
distaste  for  minor  parts  and  bad  pianos,  she 
meekly  drummed  out  waltzes  and  two-steps 
on  Mrs.  Chapin's  rickety  instrument  for  a  long 
half  hour  after  dinner,  while  Betty  and  Ro- 
berta— who  danced  beautifully  and  showed  an 
unexpected  aptitude  in  imparting  her  accom- 
plishment— acted  as  head-masters,  and  the 
rest  of  the  girls  furnished  the  novices  with  the 
necessary  variety  of  partners,  practiced  ''  lead- 
ing," and  incidentally  got  better  acquainted. 
On  Friday  evening,  as  they  sat  in  the  parlor 
resting  and  discussing  the  progress  of  their 
pupils  and  the  appalling  length  of  the  Livy 


BETTT    WALES  43 

iesson  for  the  next  day,  Eleanor  broached  the 
subject  of  the  class-meeting. 

"'  You  know  it's  to-morrow  at  two,"  she  said. 
"-  Aren't  you  excited  ?  " 

''  It  will  be  fun  to  see  our  class  together," 
said  Rachel.  Nobody  else  seemed  to  take 
much  interest  in  the  subject. 

''Well,  of  course/'  pursued  Eleanor,  ''I'm 
particularly  anxious  about  it  because  a  dear 
friend  of  mine  is  going  to  be  proposed  for 
class  president — Jean  Eastman — you  know 
her,  Betty." 

"  Oh  yes,"  cried  Betty,  enthusiastically. 
"  She's  that  tall,  dark  girl  who  was  with  you 
yesterday  at  Cuyler's.     She  seemed  lovely." 

Eleanor  nodded  and  got  up  from  the  piano 
stool.  "  I  must  go  to  work,"  she  said,  smiling 
cordially  round  the  little  group.  "  Tell  them 
what  a  good  president  Jean  will  make,  Betty. 
And  don't  one  of  you  forget  to  come." 

"  She  can  be  very  nice  when  she  wants  to," 
said  Katherine  bluntly  when  Eleanor  was  well 
out  of  hearing. 

"  I  think  she's  trying  to  make  up  for  Sun- 
day," said  Betty.  "  Let's  all  vote  for  her 
friend." 


44  BETTT    WALES 

The  first  class-meeting  of  190 —  passed  off 
with  unwonted  smoothness.  The  class  before 
had  forgotten  that  it  is  considered  necessary 
for  a  corporate  body  to  have  a  constitution  ; 
and  the  class  before  that  had  made  itself 
famous  by  suggesting  the  addition  of  the 
''  Woman's  Home  Monthly  "  to  the  magazines 
in  the  college  reading-room.  190 —  avoided 
these  and  other  absurdities.  A  constitution 
mysteriously  appeared,  drawn  up  in  good  and 
regular  form,  and  was  read  and  promptly 
adopted.  Then  Eleanor  Watson  nominated 
Jean  Eastman  for  president.  After  she  and 
the  other  nominees  had  stood  in  a  blushing 
row  on  the  platform  to  be  inspected  b}^  their 
class,  the  voting  began.  Miss  Eastman  was 
declared  elected  on  the  first  ballot,  with  ex- 
actly four  votes  more  than  the  number  neces- 
sary for  a  choice. 

^'  I  hope  she'll  remember  that  we  did  that," 
Katherine  Kittredge  leaned  forward  to  say  to 
Betty,  who  sat  in  the  row  ahead  of  her  with 
the  fluffy-haired  freshman  from  the  Hilton 
and  her  ''  queer  "  roommate. 

That  night  there  was  a  supper  in  Jean's 
honor  at  Holmes's,  so  Eleanor  did  not  appear 


BETTT    TFALES  45 

at  Mrs.  Chapin's  dinner- table  to  be  duly  im- 
pressed with  a  sense  of  her  obligations.  ''  How 
did  you  like  the  class-meeting?"  inquired 
Rachel,  who  had  been  for  a  long  walk  with  a 
girl  from  her  home  town,  and  so  had  not  seen 
the  others. 

''  I  thought  it  was  all  right  myself,"  said 
Adelaide  Rich,  ''  but  I  walked  home  with  a 
girl  named  Alford  who  was  dreadfully  dis- 
gusted. She  said  it  was  all  cut  and  dried,  and 
wanted  to  know  who  asked  Eleanor  Watson 
to  write  us  a  constitution.  She  said  she  hoped 
that  hereafter  we  wouldn't  sit  around  tamely 
and  be  run  by  any  clique." 

"  Well,  somebody  must  run  us,"  said  Betty 
consolingly.  ^'  Those  girls  know  one  another 
and  the  rest  of  us  don't  know  any  one  well. 
I  think  it  will  all  work  around  in  time.  They 
will  have  their  turns  first,  that's  all." 

*'  Perhaps,"  admitted  Adelaide  doubtfully. 
Her  pessimistic  acquaintance  had  obtained  a 
strong  hold  on  her. 

''  And  the  next  thing  is  the  sophomore 
reception,"  said  Rachel. 

"■  And  Mountain  Day  right  after  that," 
added  Betty. 


46  BETTT    IVALES 

''What?"  asked  Helen  and  Roberta  to- 
gether. 

"■  Is  it  possible  that  you  don't  know  about 
Mountain  Day,  children  ?  "  asked  Mary  Brooks 
soberly.  ''  Well,  you've  heard  about  the  phys- 
ical tests  for  the  army  and  navy,  haven't  you  ? 
This  is  like  those.  If  you  pass  your  entrance 
examinations  you  are  allowed  a  few  weeks  to 
recuperate,  and  then  if  you  can  climb  the  re- 
quired mountain  you  can  stay  on  in  college." 

""  How  very  interesting  !  "  drawled  Roberta, 
who  had  some  idea  now  how  to  take  Mary's 
jibes.     ''  Now,  Betty,  please  tell  us  about  it." 

Betty  explained  that  the  day  after  the 
sophomore  reception  was  a  holiday,  and 
that  most  of  the  girls  seized  the  opportunity 
to  take  an  all-day  walk  or  drive  into  the 
country  around  Harding. 

''  Let's  all  ask  our  junior  and  senior  friends 
about  the  nicest  places  to  go,"  said  Rachel, 
emphasizing  ''junior  and  senior  "  and  looking 
at  Mary.  "  Then  we  can  make  our  plans,  and 
engage  a  carriage  if  we  want  one.  I  should 
think  there  might  be  quite  a  rush." 

"You  should,  should  you?"  jeered  Mary. 
*'  My  dear,  every  horse  that  can  stand  alone 


BETTT    WALES  47 

and  every  respectable  vehicle  was  engaged 
weeks  ago." 

''  No  one  has  engaged  our  lower  appen- 
dages," returned  Katherine.  **  So  if  worse 
comes  to  worst,  we  are  quite  independent  of 
liveries.  Which  of  us  are  you  going  to  take 
to  the  sophomore  reception  ?  " 

''  Roberta,  of  course,"  said  Mary.  ''  Didn't 
you  know  that  Roberta  and  I  have  a  crush  on 
each  other  ?  A  crush,  my  dears,  in  case  you 
are  wanting  to  know,  is  a  warm  and  adoring 
friendship.  Sorry,  but  I'm  going  out  this 
evening." 

"  Has  she  really  asked  you,  Roberta  ? " 
asked  Betty. 

''  Yes,"  said  Roberta. 

''  How  nice  !  I'm  going  with  a  sophomore 
whose  sister  is  a  friend  of  Nan's." 

''  And  Hester  Gulick  is  going  to  take  me 
— she's  my  friend  from  home,"  volunteered 
Rachel. 

''  I  was  asked  to-day,"  added  Helen.  '*  After 
the  class-meeting  an  awfully  nice  girl,  a  junior, 
came  up  here.  She  said  there  were  so  many 
of  us  that  some  of  the  juniors  were  going  to 
help  take  us.     Isn't  it  nice  of  them  ?  " 


48  BET  TV    lf\^LES 

Nobody  spoke  for  a  moment  ;  then  Kath- 
erine  went  on  gaily.  "  And  we  other  three 
have  not  yet  been  called  and  chosen,  bnt  1 
happen  to  know  that  it's  because  so  many 
people  want  us.  and  nobody  will  give  up.  So 
don't  the  rest  of  you  indulge  in  any  crowing." 

"  By  the  way.  Betty,"  said  Rachel  Mor- 
rison, "  will  you  take  some  more  dancing 
pupils  ?  1  was  telling  two  girls  who  board 
down  the  street  about  our  class  and  they  said 
they  wanted  to  learn  before  the  reception  and 
would  much  rather  come  here  than  go  to  that 
bis:  class  that  two  seniors  have  in  the  c:vm. 
But  as  they  don't  know  you,  they  would 
insist  on  paying,  just  as  they  would  at  the 
other  class." 

Betty  looked  doubtfully  at  Roberta.  "  Shall 
we  ?  "  she  said. 

"  I  don't  mind,"  answered  Roberta,  "  if 
only  you  all  promise  not  to  tell  my  father. 
He  wouldn't  understand.  Do  you  suppose 
Miss  Watson  would  play  ?  " 

"  If  not,  I  will."  said  Mary  Rich. 

"  And  we  could  use  the  money  for  a  house 
spread,"  added  Betty,  "  since  we  all  help  to 
earn  it." 


BETTT    fVALES  49 

''  And  christen  the  chafing-dish,"  put  in 
Katherine. 

''  Good.  Then  I'll  tell  them— Mondays, 
Tuesdays  and  Fridays,"  said  Rachel  ;  and  the 
dinner-table  dissolved. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WHOSE    PHOTOGRAPH? 

The  dancing  class  went  briskly  on ;  so  did 
the  Livy  class  and  the  geometry,  the  English  1, 
the  French  required  and  the  history  elective. 
The  freshmen  were  getting  acquainted  with 
one  another  now,  and  seldom  confused  their 
classmates  with  seniors  or  youthful  members 
of  the  faculty.  They  no  longer  attempted  to 
go  out  of  chapel  ahead  of  the  seniors,  or 
invaded  the  president's  house  in  their  frantic 
search  for  Science  Hall  or  the  Art  Gallery. 
For  October  was  fast  wearing  away.  The 
hills  about  Harding  showed  flaming  patches 
of  scarlet,  and  it  was  time  for  the  sophomore 
reception  and  Mountain  Day.  Betty  was  very 
much  excited  about  the  reception,  but  she  felt 
also  that  a  load  would  slip  off  her  shoulders 
when  it  was  over.  She  was  anxious  about 
the  progress  of  the  dancing  pupils,  who  had 
increased  to  five,  besides  Helen  and  Adelaide, 
and  for  whom  she  felt  a  personal  responsibilityt 

50 


BETTT    WALES  51 

because  the  Chapin  house  girls  persisted  in 
calling  the  class  hers.  And  what  would  father 
say  if  they  didn't  get  their  money's  worth? 
Then  there  was  Helen's  dress  for  the  re- 
ception, which  she  was  sure  was  a  fright,  but 
couldn't  get  up  the  courage  to  inquire  about. 
And  last  and  worst  of  all  was  the  mysterious 
grind-book  and  Dorothy  King's  warning  about 
father's  telegram  to  the  registrar.  She  had 
never  mentioned  the  incident  to  anybody,  but 
from  certain  annoying  remarks  that  Mary 
Brooks  let  fall  she  was  sure  that  Mary  knew 
all  about  it  and  that  the  sophomores  were 
planning  to  make  telling  use  of  it. 

''  How's  your  friend  the  registrar  ?  "  Mary 
would  inquire  solemnly  every  few  days.  And 
if  Betty  refused  to  answer  she  would  say  slyly, 
''  Who  met  you  at  the  station,  did  you  tell 
me?  Oh,  only  Dottie  King?"  until  Betty 
almost  decided  to  stop  her  by  telling  the 
whole  story. 

Two  days  before  the  reception  she  took 
Rachel  and  Katherine  into  her  confidence 
about  Helen's  dress. 

''  You  see  if  I  could  only  look  at  it,  maybe 
I    could    show   her   how  to    fix    it    up,"   she 


52  BETTT    WALES 

explained,  ''  but  I'm  afraid  to  ask.  I'm 
pretty  sure  she's  sensitive  about  her  looks 
and  her  clothes.  I  should  want  to  be  told  if 
I  was  such  a  fright,  but  maybe  she's  happier 
without  knowing." 

''  She  can't  help  knowing  if  she  stays  here 
long,"  said  Rachel. 

''  Why  don't  you  get  out  your  dress,  and 
then  perhaps  she'll  show  hers,"  suggested 
Katherine. 

''  I  could  do  that,"  assented  Betty  doubt- 
fully. ''  I  could  find  a  place  to  mend,  I  guess. 
Chiffon  tears  so  easily." 

''  Good  idea,"  said  Rachel  heartily.  ''  Try 
that,  and  then  if  she  doesn't  bite  you'd  better 
let  things  take  their  course.  But  it  is  too  bad 
to  have  her  go  looking  like  a  frump,  after  all 
the  trouble  we've  taken  with  her  dancing." 

Betty  went  back  to  her  room,  sat  down  at 
her  desk  and  began  again  at  her  Livy.  ''  For 
I  might  as  well  finish  this  first,"  she  thought ; 
and  it  was  half  an  hour  before  she  shut  the 
scarlet-covered  book  with  a  slam  and  an- 
nounced somewhat  ostentatiously  that  she  had 
finished  her  Latin  lesson. 

*'  And   now  I  must  mend  my  dress  for  the 


BETTT    WALES  53 

reception,"  she  went  on  consciously.  ''  Mother 
is  always  cautioning  me  not  to  wait  till  the 
last  minute  to  fix  things." 

''  Did  you  look  up  all  the  constructions  in 
the  Livy  ? "  asked  Helen.  Betty  was  so 
annoyingly  quick  about  everything. 

"•  No,"  returned  Betty  cheerfully  from  the 
closet,  where  she  was  rummaging  for  her 
dress.  "  I  shall  guess  at  those.  Why  don't 
you  try  it?  Oh,  dear !  This  is  dreadfully 
mussed,"  and  she  appeared  in  the  closet  door 
with  a  fluffy  white  skirt  over  her  arm. 

^^  How  pretty  !  "  exclaimed  Helen,  deserting 
her  Livy  to  examine  it.     ''  Is  it  long?  " 

''  Um-um,"  said  Betty  taking  a  pin  out  of 
her  mouth  and  hunting  frantically  for  a 
microscopic  rip.  ''  Yes,  it's  long,  and  it  has  a 
train.  My  brother  Will  persuaded  mother  to 
let  me  have  one.     Wasn't  he  a  brick  ?  " 

''  Yes,"  said  Helen  shortly,  going  back  to 
her  desk  and  opening  her  book  again.  Pres- 
ently she  hitched  her  chair  around  to  face 
Betty.     ''  Mine's  awfully  short,"  she  said. 

"  Is  it?  "  asked  Betty  politely. 

There  was  a  pause.  Then,  '*  Would  you 
care  to  see  it?  "  asked  Helen. 


54  BETTr    STALES 

Betty  winked  at  the  green  lizard.  ''  Yes 
indeed,"  she  said  cordially.  ''  Wh}^  don't 
you  try  it  on  to  be  sure  it's  all  right  ?  Fm 
going  to  put  on  mine  in  just  a  minute." 

She  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief  when  she  saw 
the  dress.  It  was  a  simple  white  muslin. 
The  sleeves  were  queer,  the  neck  too  high  to 
be  low  and  too  low  to  be  high,  and  the  skirt 
ridiculously  short.  ''  But  it  might  have  been 
a  lot  worse,"  reflected  Betty.  ''  If  she'll  only 
fix  it ! " 

*'  Wait  a  minute,"  she  said  after  she  had 
duly  admired  it.  ''  I'll  put  mine  on,  and  we'll 
see  how  we  both  look  dressed  up." 

"  You  look  like  a  regular  princess  out  of  a 
story-book,"  said  Helen  solemnly,  when  Betty 
turned  to  her  for  inspection. 

Betty  laughed.  ''  Oh,  wait  till  to-morrow 
night,"  she  said.  ''  My  hair's  all  mussed  now. 
I  wonder  how  you'd  look  with  your  hair  low, 
Helen." 

Helen  flushed  and  bit  her  lip.  ''  I  shan't 
look  anyhow  in  this  horrid  short  dress," 
she  said. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  make  it  longer,  and 
lower   in    the  neck  ?  "  inquired  Betty   impa- 


BETTT    WALES  55 

tiently.  Helen  was  as  conscientiously  slow 
about  making  up  her  mind  as  she  was  about 
learning  her  Livy.  *' It's  hemmed,  isn't  it  ? 
Anyhow  you  could  piece  it  under  the  ruffle." 

^' Do  you  suppose  mamma  would  care?" 
said  Helen  dubiously.  "  Anyway  I  don't 
believe  I  have  time — only  till  to-morrow 
night." 

"■  Oh  I'll  show  you  how,"  Betty  broke  in 
eagerly.  '^  And  if  your  mother  should  object 
you  could  put  it  back,  you  know.  You  begin 
ripping  out  the  hem,  and  then  we'll  hang  it." 

Helen  Chase  Adams  proved  to  be  a  pains- 
taking and  extremely  slow  sewer.  Besides, 
she  insisted  on  taking  time  off  to  learn  her 
history  and  geometry,  instead  of  ''  risking " 
them  as  Betty  did  and  urged  her  to  do.  The 
result  was  that  Betty  had  to  refuse  Mary 
Brooks's  invitation  to  ''  come  down  to  the  gym 
and  dance  the  wax  into  that  blooming  floor  " 
the  next  afternoon,  and  was  tired  and  cross  by 
the  time  she  had  done  Helen's  hair  low, 
hooked  her  into  the  transformed  dress,  and 
finished  her  own  toilette.  She  had  never 
thought  to  ask  the  name  of  Helen's  junior, 
and  was  surprised  and  pleased  when  Dorothy 


56  BETTT    WALES 

King  appeared  at  their  door.  Dorothy's 
amazement  was  undisguised. 

*'  You'll  have  to  be  costumer  for  our  house 
plays  next  year,  Miss  Wales/'  she  said,  while 
Betty  blushed  and  contradicted  all  Helen's 
explanations.  ''  You're  coming  on  the  cam- 
pus, of  course." 

''  So  virtue  isn't  its  only  reward  after  all," 
said  Eleanor  Watson,  who  had  come  in  just  in 
time  to  hear  Miss  King's  remark.  '*  Helen 
Chase  Adams  isn't  exactly  a  vision  of  love- 
liness yet.  She  won't  be  mistaken  for  the 
college  beauty,  but  she's  vastly  improved.  I 
only  wish  anybody  cared  to  take  as  much 
trouble  for  me." 

''Oh,  Eleanor !  "  said  Betty  reproachfully. 
**  As  if  any  one  could  improve  you  !  " 

Eleanor's  evening  dress  was  a  pale  yellow 
satin  that  brought  out  the  brown  lights  in  her 
hair  and  eyes  and  the  gleaming  whiteness  of 
her  shoulders.  There  were  violets  in  her  hair, 
which  was  piled  high  on  her  head,  and  more 
violets  at  her  waist ;  and  as  she  stood  full  in 
the  light,  smiling  at  Betty's  earnestness,  Betty 
was  sure  she  had  never  seen  any  one  half  so 
lovely. 


BETTT    WALES  57 

**  But  I  wish  you  wouldn't  be  so  sarcastic 
over  Helen,"  she  went  on  stoutly.  "  She  can't 
help  being  such  a  freak." 

Eleanor  yawned.  ''  I  was  born  sarcastic," 
she  said.  ''  I  wish  Lil  Day  would  hurry. 
Did  you  happen  to  notice  that  I  cut  three 
classes  straight  this  morning?  " 

''  No,"  said  Betty  aghast.  ''  Oh,  Eleanor, 
how  dare  you  when "  She  stopped  sud- 
denly, remembering  that  Eleanor  had  asked 
her  not  to  speak  of  the  entrance  conditions. 

''  When  I  have  so  much  to  make  up  already, 
you  mean,"  Eleanor  went  on  complacently. 
*'  Oh,  I  shall  manage  somehow.  Here  they 
come." 

A  few  moments  later  the  freshman  and 
sophomore  classes,  with  a  sprinkling  of  juniors 
to  make  the  numbers  even,  were  gathered 
en  masse  in  the  big  gymnasium.  All  the 
afternoon  loyal  sophomores  had  toiled  thither 
from  the  various  campus  houses,  lugging 
palms,  screens,  portieres  and  pillows.  Inside 
another  contingent  had  arranged  these  con- 
tributions, festooned  the  running-track  with 
red  and  green  bunting,  risked  their  lives  to 
fasten   Japanese  lanterns  to  the  cross-beamS; 


58  BETTT    WALES 

and  disguised  the  apparatus  against  the  walls 
with  great  branches  of  spruce  and  cedar,  which 
still  other  merry,  wind-blown  damsels,  driving 
a  long-suffering  horse,  had  deposited  at  in- 
tervals near  the  back  door.  By  five  o'clock  it 
was  finished  and  everybody,  having  assured 
everybody  else  that  the  gym  never  looked  so 
well  before,  had  gone  home  to  dress  for  the 
evening.  Now  the  lights  softened  what  Mary 
Brooks  called  the  ''  hidjous "  greens  of  the 
freshman  bunting,  a  band  played  sweet  music 
behind  the  palms,  and  pretty  girls  in  pretty 
gowns  sat  in  couples  on  the  divans  that  lined 
the  walls,  or  waited  in  line  to  speak  to  the  re- 
ceiving party.  This  consisted  of  Jean  East- 
man and  the  sophomore  president,  who  stood 
in  front  of  the  fireplace,  where  a  line  of  ropes 
intended  to  be  used  in  gym  practice  had  been 
looped  back  and  made  the  best  sort  of  founda- 
tion for  a  green  canopy  over  their  heads.  Ten 
of  the  prettiest  sophomores  acted  as  ushers, 
and  four  popular  and  much  envied  seniors 
presided  at  the  frappe  bowls  in  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  room. 

''  There's  not  much  excitement  about  a  man- 
less   dance,    but   it's   a   fascinating   thing    to 


THE   FLOOR  WAS  CROWDED 


«  L 


BETTT    WALES  59 

watch,"  said  Eleanor  to  her  partner,  as  they 
stood  in  the  running-track  looking  down  at 
the  dancers. 

'^  I'm  afraid  you're  blase,  Miss  Watson,"  re- 
turned the  sophomore.  "  Only  seniors  are  al- 
lowed to  dislike  girl  dances." 

Eleanor  laughed.  *^  Well,  I  seem  to  be  the 
only  heretic  present,"  she  said.  "■  They're  cer- 
tainly having  a  good  time  down  there." 

They  certainly  were.  The  novelty  of  the 
occasion  appealed  to  the  freshmen,  and  the 
more  sophisticated  sophomores  were  bound  to 
make  a  reputation  as  gallant  beaux.  So  al- 
though only  half  the  freshman  could  dance 
at  once  and  even  then  the  floor  was  dreadfully 
crowded,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  only 
refreshment  was  the  rather  watery  frappe  which 
gave  out  early  in  the  evening,  190 — 's  recep- 
tion to  190 —  was  voted  a  great  success. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  sophomore  ushers  began 
arranging  the  couples  in  a  long  line  leading 
to  the  grind  table,  and  Betty  knew  that  her 
hour  had  come.  The  orchestra  played  a 
march,  and  as  the  girls  walked  past  the  table 
the  sophomore  officers  presented  each  fresh- 
man with  a  small  booklet  bound  in  the  fresh- 


6o  BETTI^    fVALES 

man  green,  on  the  front  cover  of  which,  in  let- 
ters of  sophomore  scarlet,  was  the  cryptic 
legend  :  ''  Puzzle — name  the  girl."  This  was 
explained,  however,  by  the  inside,  where  ap- 
peared a  small  and  rather  cloudy  blue-print, 
showing  the  back  view  of  a  girl  in  shirt-waist 
and  short  skirt,  with  a  pile  of  books  under  her 
arm,  and  the  inevitable  ''  tarn  "  on  her  head. 
On  the  opposite  page  was  a  facsimile  telegraph 
blank,  filled  out  to  the  registrar, 

''  Please  meet  my  dear  young  daughter,  who 
will  arrive  on  Thursday  by  the  6:15,  and 
oblige,  Thomas ." 

Everybody  laughed,  pushed  her  neighbors 
around  for  a  back  view,  and  asked  the  sopho- 
mores if  the  telegram  had  truly  been  sent,  and 
if  this  was  the  real  girl's  picture.  So  no  one 
noticed  Betty's  blushes  except  Mary  Brooks, 
upon  whom  she  vowed  eternal  vengeance. 
For  she  remembered  how  one  afternoon  the 
week  before,  she  and  Mary  had  started  from 
the  house  together,  and  Mary,  who  said  she 
was  taking  her  camera  down-town  for  a  new 
film,  had  dropped  behind  on  some  pretext. 
Betty  had  been  sure  she  heard  the  camera 


BETTT    WALES  6i 

click,  but  Mary  had  grinned  and  told  her  not 
to  be  so  vain  of  her  back. 

However,  nobody  recognized  the  picture. 
The  few  sophomores  who  knew  anything  about 
it  were  pledged  to  secrecy,  as  the  grinds  were 
never  allowed  to  become  too  personal,  and  the 
freshmen  treated  the  telegram  as  an  amusing 
myth.  In  a  few  minutes  every  one  was  dancing 
again,  and  only  too  soon  it  was  ten  o'clock. 

"•  Wasn't  it  fun  ?  "  said  Betty  enthusiastic- 
ally, as  she  and  Helen  undressed. 

''  Oh  yes,"  agreed  Helen.  ''  I  never  had 
such  a  good  time  in  my  life.  But,  do  you 
know.  Miss  Watson  says  she  was  bored,  and 
Roberta  thought  it  was  tiresome  and  the  grind- 
book  silly  and  impossible." 

^*  Truth  is  stranger  than  fiction  sometimes," 
said  Betty  sagely,  smothering  a  laugh  in  the 
pillows. 

She  was  asleep  in  five  minutes,  but  Helen 
lay  for  a  long  while  thinking  over  the  excit- 
ing events  of  the  evening.  How  she  had 
dreaded  it !  At  home  she  hated  dances  and 
never  went  if  she  could  help  it,  because  she 
was  such  a  wall-flower.  She  had  been  afraid 
it   would    be    the   same    here,   but  it  wasn't. 


62  BETTT    WALES 

What  a  lovely  time  she  had  had  !  She  could 
dance  so  well  now,  and  Miss  King's  friends 
were  so  nice,  and  college  was  such  a  beautiful 
place,  though  it  was  so  different  from  what  she 
had  expected. 

Across  the  hall  Roberta  had  lighted  her 
student  lamp  and  was  sitting  up  to  write  an 
appreciative  and  very  clever  account  of  the 
evening  to  her  cousin,  who  was  reporter  on  j\ 
Boston  paper  and  had  made  her  promise  to 
send  him  an  occasional  college  item. 

And  Eleanor,  still  in  the  yellow  satin,  sat  at 
her  desk  scribbling  aimlessly  on  a  pad  of 
paper  or  staring  at  a  clean  sheet,  which  began, 
''My  dear  father."  She  had  meant  to  write 
him  that  she  was  tired  of  college  and  wanted 
to  come  home  at  once ;  but  somehow  she 
couldn't  begin.  For  she  thought,  ''  I  can  see 
him  raise  his  eyebrows  and  smile  and  say,  '  so 
you  want  to  throw  up  the  sponge,  do  you  ?  I 
was  under  the  impression  that  you  had  prom- 
ised to  stay  out  the  year,'  as  he  did  to  the  pri- 
vate secretary  who  wouldn't  sit  up  with  him 
till  three  in  the  morning  to  write  letters." 

Finally  she  tore  up  ''  My  dear  father,"  and 
went  to  bed  in  the  dark. 


CHAPTER  V 

UP  HILL AND  DOWN 

The  next  day  was  just  the  sort  that  every- 
body had  been  hoping  for  on  Mountain  Day, 
— crisp  and  clear  and  cool,  with  the  inspirit- 
ing tang  in  the  air,  the  delicious  warmth  in 
the  sunshine,  and  the  soft  haze  over  the  hills, 
that  belong  to  nothing  but  a  New  England 
October  at  its  best.  The  Chapin  house  break- 
fast-table was  unusually  lively,  for  each  girl 
wanted  to  tell  what  she  thought  about  the  re- 
ception and  how  she  was  going  to  spend 
Mountain  Day ;  and  nobody  seemed  anxious 
to  listen  to  anybody's  else  story. 

''  Sh — sh,"  demanded  Mary  Brooks  at  last. 
*'  Now  children,  you've  talked  long  enough. 
Run  and  get  your  lunch  boxes  and  begin  mak- 
ing your  sandwiches.  Mrs.  Chapin  wants  us 
to  finish  by  ten  o'clock." 

^'  Ten  o'clock  ! "  repeated  Katherine.  ''  Well, 
I  should  hope  so.     Our  horse  is  ordered  for 


nine." 


63 


64  BETTT    WALES 

"  Going  to  be  gone  all  day  ?  "  inquired  Mary 
sweetly. 

"■  Of  course,"  answered  Katherine  with  dig- 
nity. 

'^  Well,  don't  kill  the  poor  beast,"  called 
Mary  as  she  ran  up-stairs  for  her  box. 

Mary  was  going  off  in  a  barge  with  the 
sophomore  decorating  committee,  who  wanted 
a  good  chance  to  congratulate  and  condole 
with  one  another  over  their  Herculean  labors 
and  ultimate  triumph  of  the  day  before.  The 
Rich  sisters  had  decided  to  spend  the  holiday 
with  an  aunt  who  lived  twenty  miles  down 
the  river ;  Eleanor  had  promised  early  in  the 
fall  to  go  out  with  a  party  of  horseback  rid- 
ers ;  and  Helen,  whose  pocketbook  had  been 
prematurely  flattened  to  buy  her  teakettle, 
had  decided  to  accept  the  invitation  of  a  girl 
in  her  geometry  division  to  join  an  econom- 
ical walking  party.  This  left  Rachel,  Kath- 
erine, Roberta  and  Betty,  who  had  hired  a 
horse  and  two-seated  trap  for  the  day,  invited 
Alice  Waite,  Betty's  little  friend  from  the 
Hilton  House,  to  join  them,  and  were  going  to 
drive  "■  over  the  notch." 

'*  I  haven't  the  least  idea  what  a  notch  is  like," 


BETTT    WALES  65 

said  Katherine.  ''  We  don't  have  such  things 
where  I  come  from.    But  it  sounds  interesting. ' ' 

''Doesn't  it?"  assented  Rachel  absently, 
counting  the  ham  sandwiches.  *'  Do  you  sup- 
pose the  hills  are  very  steep,  Betty?  " 

''  Oh,  I  guess  not.  Anyhow  Katherine  and 
I  told  the  man  we  were  going  there  and 
wanted  a  sure-footed  horse." 

''  Who's  going  to  drive?  "  asked  Roberta. 

'^  Why,  you,  of  course,"  said  Katherine 
quickly.  ''  You  said  you  were  used  to  driv- 
ing." 

''  Oh,  yes,  I  am,"  conceded  Roberta  hastily 
and  wondered  if  she  would  better  tell  them 
any  more.  It  was  true  that  she  was  used  to 
horses,  but  she  had  never  conquered  her  fear 
of  them,  and  they  always  found  her  out.  It 
was  a  standing  joke  in  the  Lewis  family  that 
the  steadiest  horse  put  on  airs  and  pranced 
for  Roberta.  Even  old  Tom,  that  her  little 
cousins  drove  out  alone — Roberta  blushed  as 
she  remembered  her  experience  with  old  Tom. 
But  if  the  girls  were  depending  on  her — 
"  Betty  drives  too,"  she  said  aloud.  ''  She 
and  I  can  take  turns.  Are  you  sure  we  have 
enough  gingersnaps  ?  " 


66  BETTT    WALES 

Everybody  laughed,  for  Roberta's  fondness 
for  gingersnaps  had  become  proverbial, 
^'  Half  a  box  apiece,"  said  Rachel,  ''  and  it  is 
understood  that  you  are  to  have  all  you  want 
even  if  the  rest  of  us  don't  get  any." 

When  the  horse  arrived  Roberta's  last  fear 
vanished.  He  was  meekness  personified. 
His  head  drooped  sadly  and  his  eyes  were  half 
shut.  His  fuzzy  nose  and  large  feet  bespoke 
docile  endurance,  while  the  heavy  trap  to 
which  he  was  harnessed  would  certainly  dis- 
courage all  latent  tendencies  to  undue  speed. 
Alice  Waite,  Rachel  and  Katherine  climbed 
in  behind,  Betty  and  Roberta  took  the  front 
seat,  and  they  started  at  a  jog  trot  down 
Meriden  Place. 

''  Shall  Ave  go  through  Main  Street?  "  asked 
Roberta.  "'  He  might  be  afraid  of  the  electric 
cars." 

''  Afraid  of  nothing,"  said  Betty  decidedly. 
^'  Besides,  Alice  wants  to  stop  at  the  grocery." 

The  ''beastie,"  as  Katherine  called  him, 
stood  like  a  statue  before  Mr.  Phelps's  grocery, 
and  never  so  much  as  moved  an  eyelash  when 
three  trolley  cars  dashed  by  him  in  quick 
succession. 


BETTr    IVALES  67 

"What  did  you  get?"  asked  Katharine, 
when  Alice  came  out  laden  with  bundles. 

•'  Olives " 

"  Good  !     We  forgot  those." 

"  And  bananas " 

"  The  very  thing  !     We  have  grapes." 

'^  And  wafers  and  gingersnaps " 

Everybody  laughed  riotously.  "  What's 
the  matter  now  ?  "  inquired  Alice,  looking  a 
little  offended.     Rachel  explained. 

"  Well,  if  you  have  enough  for  the  lunch," 
said  Alice,  "  let's  keep  these  out  to  eat  when 
we  feel  hungry."  And  the  box  was  accord- 
ingly stuffed  between  Betty  and  Roberta  for 
safe  keeping. 

Down  on  the  meadow  road  it  was  very 
warm.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  ferry, 
the  "  beastie's  "  thick  coat  was  dripping  wet 
and  he  breathed  hard. 

''Ben  drivin'  pretty  fast,  hain't  you?" 
asked  the  ferryman,  patting  the  horse's  hairy 
nose. 

''  I  should  think  not,"  said  Katherine  in- 
dignantly. ''  Why,  he  walked  most  of  the 
way." 

''  Wall,    remember   that   there   trap's   very 


68  BETTT    WALES 

heavy,"  said  the  ferryman  solemnly,  as  he 
shoved  oif. 

Beyond  the  river  the  hills  began.  The 
''  beastie  "  trailed  slowly  up  them.  Several 
times  Roberta  pulled  him  out  to  the  side  of 
the  road  to  let  more  ambitious  animals  pass 
him. 

''Do  you  suppose  he's  really  tired?"  she 
whispered  to  Betty,  as  they  approached  a  par- 
ticularly steep  pitch.  ''  He  might  back 
down." 

''Girls,"  said  Betty  hastily,  "I'm  sick  of 
sitting  still,  so  I'm  going  to  walk  up  this  next 
hill.     Any  of  you  want  to  come  ?  " 

Relieved  of  his  four  passengers  the  horse 
still  hung  his  head  and  lifted  each  clumsy  foot 
with  an  effort. 

"  Oh,  Roberta,  there's  a  watering  trough  up 
here,"  called  Betty  from  the  top  of  the  hill. 
"  I'm  sure  that'll  revive  him." 

By  their  united  efforts  they  got  the 
"  beastie  "  up  to  the  trough,  which  was  most 
inconveniently  located  on  a  steep  bank  beside 
the  road  ;  and  while  Betty  and  Alice  kept  the 
back  wheels  of  the  trap  level,  Katherine  un- 
fastened the  check-rein.     To  her  horror,  as 


BETTT    WALES  69 

the  check  dropped  the  bits  came  out  of  the 
horse's  mouth. 

''  How  funny,"  said  Alice,  "just  like  every- 
thing up  here.  Did  you  ever  see  a  harness 
like  that,  Betty?  "  Betty  left  her  post  at  the 
hind  wheel  and  came  around  to  investigate. 

''Why  he  has  two  bits,"  she  said.  ''Of 
course  he  couldn't  go,  poor  creature.  And  see 
how  thirsty  he  is  !  " 

"  Well,  he's  drunk  enough  now,"  said  Ro- 
berta, "  and  you'll  have  to  put  the  extra 
bits  in  again — that  is,  if  you  can.  He'd 
trail  his  nose  on  the  ground  if  he  wasn't 
checked." 

The  "  beastie  "  stood  submissively  while  the 
bits  were  replaced  and  the  check  fastened. 
Then  he  chewed  a  handful  of  clover  with 
avidity  and  went  on  again  as  dejectedly  as 
ever.  Presently  they  reached  a  long,  level 
stretch  of  road  and  stopped  in  the  shade  of  a 
big  pine-tree  for  a  consultation. 

"Do  you  suppose  this  is  the  top?"  asked 
Rachel. 

Just  then  a  merry  tally-ho  party  of  fresh- 
men, tooting  horns  and  singing,  drew  up  be- 
side them.     "Is  this  the  top  of  the  notch?  " 


70  BETTT    }VALES 

asked  Betty,  waving  her  hand  to  some  girls 
she  knew. 

^'  No,  it's  three  miles  further  on,"  they 
called  back.     '^  Hurrah  for  190—  !  " 

''  Well?"  said  Betty,  who  felt  in  no  mood 
for  cheering. 

''  Let's  go  back  to  that  pretty  grove  two 
hills  down  and  tie  this  apology  for  a  horse  to 
the  fence  and  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  there," 
suggested  Katherine. 

Everybody  agreed  to  this,  and  Roberta 
backed  her  steed  round  with  a  flourish. 

^'  Now  let's  each  have  a  gingersnap  before 
we  start  down,"  she  said.  So  the  box  was 
opened  and  passed.  Roberta  gathered  the 
reins  in  one  hand,  clucked  to  the  horse,  and 
put  her  gingersnap  into  her  mouth  for  the 
first  bite.  But  she  never  got  it,  for  without 
the  slightest  provocation  the  ''  beastie  "  gave  a 
sudden  spring  forward,  flopped  his  long  tail 
over  the  reins,  and  started  at  a  gallop  down 
the  road.  Betty  clung  to  the  dashboard  with 
one  hand  and  tried  to  pluck  off*  the  obstruct- 
ing  tail  with  the  other.  Roberta,  with  the 
gingersnap  still  in  her  mouth,  tugged  desper- 
ately at  the  lines,  and  the  back  seat  yelled 


BETTT    WALES  71 

''  Whoa  I "  lustily,  until  Betty,  having  rear- 
ranged the  tail  and  regained  her  seat,  advised 
them  to  help  pull  instead.  They  had  long 
since  left  the  little  grove  behind,  had  dashed 
past  half  a  dozen  carriages,  and  were  down  on 
the  level  read  near  the  ferry,  when  the 
''  beastie ''  stopped  as  suddenly  as  he  had 
started.  Roberta  deliberately  removed  the 
gingersnap  from  her  mouth,  handed  the  reins 
to  Betty  to  avoid  further  interruption,  and  be- 
gan to  eat,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  in- 
dulged in  unseemly  laughter  at  her  expense. 

"■  We've  found  out  what  that  extra  bit  was 
for,"  said  Rachel  when  the  mirth  had  subsided, 
*'  and  we  can  advise  the  liveryman  that  it 
doesn't  work.  But  what  are  we  going  to  do 
now?" 

'^  Murder  the  liveryman,"  suggested  Kath- 
erine. 

"  But  the  horse  is  sure-footed  ;  he  didn't 
lie,"  objected  Alice  so  seriously  that  every- 
body burst  out  laughing  again. 

''  He  told  the  truth,  but  not  the  whole 
truth,"  said  Rachel.  "  Next  time  we'll  ask 
how  many  bits  the  horse  has  to  wear  and  how 
it  takes  to  hills.     Now  what  can  we  do  ?  " 


72  BETTT    WALES 

*'  We  can't  go  back  to  the  woods,  that's 
sure,"  said  Katherine.  ''  And  it's  too  hot  to 
stay  down  here.  Let's  go  home  and  get  rid  of 
this  sure-footed  incubus,  and  then  we  can  de- 
cide what  to  do  next." 

The  ferryman  greeted  them  cheerfully. 
''  Back  so  soon  ?  "  he  said.  ''  Had  your  din- 
ner?" 

''  Of  course  not, "  replied  Katherine 
severely.  ''  It's  only  twelve  o'clock.  We're 
just  out  for  a  morning  drive.  Do  you  remem- 
ber saying  that  this  horse  was  tired  ?  Well^ 
he  brought  us  down  the  hills  at  about  a  mile  a 
minute." 

''  Is  that  so  !  "  declared  the  ferryman  with  a 
chuckle.  ''  Scairt,  were  you  ?  Why  didn't  you 
git  them  young  Winsted  fellers,  that  jest  started 
up,  to  rescue  yer  ?     Might  a  ben  quite  a  story." 

''  We  didn't  need  rescuing,  thank  you,"  said 
Katherine.  ''  Did  you  see  any  men  ? "  she 
whispered  to  Betty. 

Betty  nodded.  ^'  Four,  driving  a  span. 
They  were  awfully  amused.  Miss  King  was 
in  another  of  the  carriages,"  she  added  sadly. 
Then  she  caught  sight  of  Roberta  and  began 
to  laugh  again.     "  You  were  so  funny  with 


BETTr    PVALES  73 

that  cookie  in  your  mouth,"  she  said.  "  Were 
you  dreadfully  frightened  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Roberta,  with  a  guilty  blush. 
"  I  always  expect  something  to  happen. 
Eorses  are  such  uncertain  creatures." 

They  drove  back  through  the  meadows  at  a 
moderate  pace,  deposited  the  horse  and  a  cer- 
tified opinion  of  him  with  an  apologetic  livery- 
man, and  carried  their  lunch  down  to  Para- 
dise. ''  For  it's  as  pretty  as  any  place  and 
near,  and  we're  all  hungry,"  Alice  said. 

Paradise  was  deserted,  for  the  girls  had  pre- 
ferred to  range  further  afield  on  Mountain 
Day.  So  the  five  freshmen  chose  two  boats, 
rowed  up  stream  without  misadventure,  spread 
out  their  luncheon  on  a  grassy  knoll,  and  ate, 
talked,  and  read  till  dinner  time.  As  they 
crossed  the  campus,  they  met  parties  of  dusty, 
disheveled  pedestrians,  laden  with  purple  as- 
ters and  autumn  branches.  A  barge  stopped 
at  the  gateway  to  deposit  the  campus  contin- 
gent of  the  sophomore  decorating  committee, 
and  in  front  of  the  various  dwelling-houses 
empty  buckboards,  surreys  and  express 
wagons,  waiting  to  be  called  for,  showed  that 
the  holiday  was  over. 


74  BETTT    WALES 

''  I  don't  think  our  first  Mountain  Day  has 
been  so  bad  after  all,  in  spite  of  that  dreadful 
horse,"  said  Rachel. 

''  So  much  pleasant  variety  about  it,"  added 
Katherine. 

''  Let's  not  tell  about  the  runaway,"  said 
Alice  who  hated  to  be  teased. 

"  But  Miss  King  saw  us,"  expostulated 
Betty,  ''and  you  can  trust  Mary  Brooks  to 
know  all  about  it." 

When  Mary,  who  was  late  in  dressing,  en- 
tered the  dining-room,  she  gave  a  theatrical 
cry  of  joy.  ''  I'm  so  glad  you're  all  safe,"  she 
said.    ''  And  how  about  that  cookie,  Roberta  ?  " 

''I'm  sorr}^,  but  it's  gone.  They're  all 
gone,"  said  Roberta  coolly.  "  Now  you 
might  as  well  tell  us  how  you  knew." 

"  Knew  !  "  repeated  Mary  scornfully.  "  The 
whole  college  knows  by  this  time.  We  were 
lunching  on  the  notch  road,  near  the  top, 
when  four  Winsted  men  came  up,  and  asked 
if  they  might  join  us.  They  knew  most  of 
us.  So  we  said  yes,  if  they'd  brought  any 
candy,  and  they  told  us  a  strange  story  about 
five  girls — very  young  girls,  they  said,"  in- 
terpolated  Mary  emphatically,  "  that  the3^'d 


BETTT    WALES  75 

seen  dashing  down  the  notch.  One  was  try- 
ing to  eat  a  cookie,  and  another  was  pulling 
the  horse's  tail,  and  the  rest  were  screaming 
at  the  top  of  their  lungs,  so  naturally  the 
horse  was  frightened  to  death.  Pretty  soon 
three  carriage  loads  of  juniors  came  along  and 
they  confirmed  the  awful  news  and  gave  us 
the  names  of  the  victims,  and  you  can  im- 
agine how  I  felt.  The  men  want  to  meet  you, 
but  I  told  them  they  couldn't  because  of 
course  you'd  be  drowned  in  the  river." 

'^  I  hope  you'll  relieve  their  minds  the  next 
time  they  come  to  see  you,"  said  Katherine. 
^'  Are  they  the  youths  who  monopolize  our 
piazza  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday  after- 
noon?" 

^'  Two  of  them  help  occasionally." 

Katherine  winked  meaningly  at  the  rest  of 
the  Mountain  Day  party.  ''  We'll  be  there," 
she  said,  ''  though  it  goes  against  my  con- 
science to  receive  calls  from  such  untruthful 
young  gentlemen." 

The  next  Saturday  afternoon  Betty  and 
Katherine  established  themselves  ostenta- 
tiously on  the  front  piazza  to  await  the  ar- 
rival of  Mary's  callers.     Rachel  had  gone  to 


76  BErrr  wales 

play  basket-ball,  and  Roberta  had  refused  to 
conspire  against  Mary's  peace  of  mind,  par- 
ticularly since  the  plot  might  involve  having 
to  talk  to  a  man.  Promptly  at  three  o'clock 
two  gentlemen  arrived. 

''  Miss  Brooks  is  that  sorry,  but  she  had  to 
go  out,"  announced  the  maid  in  tones  plainly 
audible  to  the  two  eavesdroppers.  '^  Would 
you  please  to  come  back  at  four?  " 

Katherine  and  Betty  exchanged  disap- 
pointed glances.  '^  Checked  again.  She's 
too  much  for  us,"  murmured  Katherine. 
'^  Shall  we  wait?" 

''  And  is  Miss  Wales  in— Miss  Betty  Wales  ?  " 
pursued  the  spokesman,  after  a  slight  pause. 

The  maid  looked  severely  at  the  occupants 
of  the  piazza.  '^  Yes,  sor,  you  can  see  that 
yoursilf,"  she  said  and  abruptly  withdrew. 

The  man  laughed  and  came  quickly  toward 
Betty,  who  had  risen  to  meet  him.  ''  I'm 
John  Parsons,"  he  said.  ''  I  roomed  with 
your  brother  at  Andover.  He  told  me  you 
were  here  and  asked  me  to  call.  Didn't  he 
write  to  you  too  ?  Miss  Brooks  promised  to 
present  me,  but  as  she  isn't  in " 

^^  Oh,  yes,  Will  wrote,  and  I'm  very  glad  to 


BETTT    WALES  77 

meet  you,  Mr.  Parsons,"  Betty  broke  in. 
'^  Only  I  didn't  know  you  were — I  mean  I 
didn't  know  that  Miss  Brooks's  caller  was 
you.  Miss  Kittredge,  Mr.  Parsons.  Wasn't 
your  friend  going  to  wait?  " 

"  Bob,"  called  Mr.  Parsons  after  the  retreat- 
ing figure  of  his  companion,  ''  come  back  and 
hear  about  the  runaway.     You're  wanted." 

It  was  fully  half-past  four  when  Messrs. 
Parsons  and  Hughes,  remembering  that  they 
had  another  engagement,  left  their  escorts  by 
request  at  the  gymnasium  and  returned  from 
a  pleasant  walk  through  Paradise  and  the 
campus  to  Meriden  Place,  where  a  rather  frigid 
reception  awaited  them.  Betty  and  Katherine, 
having  watched  the  finish  of  the  basket-ball 
game,  followed  them,  and  spent  the  time  be- 
fore dinner  in  painting  a  poster  which  they  hung 
conspicuously  on  Mary's  door.  On  it  a  green 
dragon,  recently  adopted  as  freshman  class 
animal,  charged  the  sophomores'  purple  cow 
and  waved  a  long  and  very  curly  tail  in 
triumph.  Underneath  was  written  in  large 
letters,  ''  Quits.  Who  is  going  to  the  A  (P  dance 
at  Winsted?" 

''  I'm  dreadfully  afraid  mother  won't  let  me 


78  BETTT    WALES 

go  though,"  said  Betty  as  they  hammered  in 
the  pins  with  Helen's  paper-weight.  ''  And 
anyhow  it's  not  for  three  whole  weeks." 

When  the  drawing  was  securely  fastened, 
Betty  surveyed  it  doubtfully.  "  I  wonder  if 
we'd  better  take  it  down,"  she  said  at  last. 
''  I  don't  believe  it's  very  dignified.  I'm 
afraid  I  oughtn't  to  have  asked  Mr.  Parsons  to 
call  his  friend  back,  but  I  did  so  want  to  meet 
both  of  them  and  crow  over  Mary.  And  it 
was  they  who  suggested  the  walk.  Katherine, 
do  you  mind  if  we  take  this  down  ?  " 

''  Why,  no,  if  you  don't  want  to  leave  it,'^ 
said  Katherine  looking  puzzled.  ''  I'm  afraid 
Mr.  Hughes  didn't  have  a  very  good  time. 
Men  aren't  my  long  suit.  But  otherwise  I 
think  we  did  this  up  brown." 

Just  then  Eleanor  came  up,  and  Katherine 
gave  her  an  enthusiastic  account  of  the  after- 
noon's adventure.  Betty  was  silent.  Pres- 
ently she  asked,  ''  Girls,  what  is  a  back  row 
reputation?  " 

''  I  don't  know.     Why  ?  "  asked  Eleanor. 

'*  Well,  you  know  I  stopped  at  the  college, 
Katherine,  to  get  my  history  paper  back. 
Miss  Ellis  looked  hard  at  me  when  I  went  in 


BETTr    WALES  79 

and  stammered  out  what  I  wanted.  She 
hunted  up  the  paper  and  gave  it  to  me  and 
then  she  said,  ^  With  which  division  do  you 
recite,  Miss  Wales?'  I  told  her  at  ten,  and 
she  looked  at  me  hard  again  and  said,  *  You 
have  been  present  in  class  twelve  times  and 
I've  never  noticed  you.  Don't  acquire  a  back 
row  reputation.  Miss  Wales.  Good-day,'  and 
I  can  tell  you  I  backed  out  in  a  hurry." 

*'  I  suppose  she  means  that  we  sit  on  the 
back  rows  when  we  don't  know  the  lesson," 
said  Helen  who  had  joined  the  group. 

^^  I  see,"  said  Betty.  '^  And  do  you  suppose 
the  faculty  notice  such  things  as  that  and 
comment  on  them  to  one  another  ?  " 

''  Of  course,"  said  Eleanor  wisely.  ''  They 
size  us  up  right  off.  So  does  our  class,  and 
the  upper  class  girls." 

''  Gracious  !  "  said  Betty.  *'  I  wish  I  hadn't 
promised  to  go  to  a  spread  on  the  campus  to- 
night.    I  wish What  a  nuisance  so  many 

reputations  are  I  "  And  she  crumpled  the 
purple  cow  and  the  green  dragon  into  a  shape- 
less wad  and  threw  it  at  Rachel,  who  was 
coming  up-stairs  swinging  her  gym  shoes  by 
their  strings. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LETTERS    HOME 

Betty  was  cross  and  ''just  a  tiny  speck 
homesick,"  so  she  confided  to  the  green  lizard. 
Nothing  interesting  had  happened  since  she 
could  remember,  and  it  had  rained  steadily 
for  four  days.  Mr.  Parsons,  who  played  right 
tackle  on  the  Winsted  team,  had  written  that 
he  was  laid  up  with  a  lame  shoulder,  which, 
greatly  to  his  regret,  would  prevent  his  taking 
Betty  to  his  fraternity  dance.  Helen  was 
toiling  on  a  *'  lit."  paper  with  a  zealous  in- 
dustry which  got  her  up  at  distressingly  early 
hours  in  the  morning,  and  was  "  enough  to 
mad  a  saint,"  according  to  her  exasperated 
roommate,  whose  own  brief  effusion  on  the 
same  subject  had  been  hastily  composed  in 
one  evening  and  lay  neatly  copied  in  her 
desk,  ready  to  be  handed  in  at  the  proper 
time.  Moreover,  ''  gym "  had  begun  and 
Betty  had  had  the  misfortune  to  be  assigned 
to  a  class  that  came  right  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon. 

So 


BETTT    WALES  81 

'^  It's  a  shame,"  she  grumbled,  fishing  out 
her  fountain  pen  which  had  fallen  off  her  desk 
and  rolled  off  the  chiffonier.  ''  I  shall  change 
my  lit.  to  afternoon — that's  only  two  after- 
noons spoiled  instead  of  four — and  then  tell 
Miss  Andrews  that  I  have  a  conflict.  Haven't 
you  finished  that  everlasting  paper?  " 

''  No,"  said  Helen  meekly.  ''  I'm  sorry 
that  I'm  so  slow.  I'll  go  out  if  you  want  to 
have  the  girls  in  here." 

"•  Oh  no,"  called  Betty  savagely,  dashing  out 
into  the  hall.  Eleanor's  door  was  ornamented 
with  a  large  sign  which  read,  ''  Busy.  Don't 
disturb."  But  the  door  was  half-way  open, 
and  in  the  dusky  room,  lighted,  as  Eleanor 
liked  to  have  it,  by  candles  in  old-fashioned 
brass  sticks,  Eleanor  sat  on  a  pile  of  cushions 
in  the  corner,  strumming  softly  on  her  guitar. 

"'  Come  in,"  she  called.  '^  I  put  that  up  in 
case  I  wanted  to  study  later.  Finished  your 
lit.  paper?" 

Betty  nodded.     ''  It's  awfully  short." 

'^  I'm  going  to  do  mine  to-night — that  and 
a  little  matter  of  Livy  and  French  and — let 
me  see — Bible — no,  elocution." 

"  Can  you  ?  "  asked  Betty  admiringly. 


82  BETTT    WALES 

"  I'm  not  sure  till  I've  tried.  I've  been 
meditating  asking  your  roommate  to  do  the 
paper.     Would  you  ?  " 

''  No,"  said  Betty  so  emphatically  that 
Eleanor  stopped  playing  and  looked  at  her 
curiously. 

''Why  not?  Do  you  think  it's  wrong  to 
exchange  her  industry  for  my  dollars?" 

Betty  considered.  She  still  admired  Elea- 
nor, but  she  had  learned  her  limitations. 
Her  beauty  wove  a  spell  about  all  that  she 
did,  and  she  was  very  clever  and  phenome- 
nally quick  when  she  cared  to  apply  herself. 
But  she  cared  so  seldom,  roused  herself  only 
when  she  could  gain  prestige,  when  there  was 
something  to  manipulate,  to  manage.  And 
apparently  she  was  not  even  to  be  trusted. 
Still,  what  was  the  use  of  quarreling  with 
her  about  honor  and  fair  play  ?  To  Betty  in 
her  present  mood  it  seemed  a  mere  waste  of 
time  and  energy. 

"Well,  for  one  reason,"  she  said  at  last, 
"  Helen  hasn't  her  own  paper  done  yet,  and 
for  another  I  don't  think  she  writes  as  well  as 
you  probably  do  ;  "  and  she  rose  to  go. 

"  That  was  a  joke,  Bettina,"  Eleanor  called 


BETTT    IVALES  83 

after  her  ''  I  am  truly  going  to  work  now — 
this  vnrj7  instant.  Come  back  at  ten  and  have 
black  coffee  with  me." 

Betty  went  on  without  answering  to  Rachel's 
room.  ''  Come  in,"  chorused  three  cheerful 
voices. 

"  No,  go  get  your  lit.  paper  first.  We're 
reading  choice  selections,"  added  Katherine. 

^'  She  means  she  is,"  corrected  Rachel, 
handing  Betty  a  pillow.  ''  You  look  cross, 
Betty." 

^'  I  am,"  said  Betty  savagely,  recounting  a 
few  of  her  w^oes.  ''  What  can  we  do  ?  I  came 
to  be  amused." 

''  In  a  Miracle  play  of  this  type "  began 

Katherine,  and  stopped  to  dodge  a  pillow. 
"■  But  it  is  amusing,  Betty." 

^'  I'm  afraid  it  will  amuse  Miss  Mills,  if  the 
rest  is  anything  like  what  you  read,"  said 
Rachel  with  a  reminiscent  smile.  *'  What  are 
you  doing,  Roberta?" 

"•  Writing  home,"  drawled  Roberta,  without 
looking  up  from  her  paper. 

^'  Well,  you  needn't  shake  your  fountain  pen 
over  me,  if  you  are,"  said  Katherine.  ''  I  also 
owe   my    honored   parents  a  letter,  but  I've 


84  BETTT    WALES 

about  made  up  my  mind  never  to  write  to 
them  again.  Listen  to  this,  will  you."  She 
rummaged  in  her  desk  for  a  minute.  '*  Here 
it  is. 

'' '  My  dear  daughter  '« — he  only  begins  that 
way  when  he's  fussed.  I  always  know  how 
he's  feeling  when  I  see  whether  it's  '  daugh- 
ter '  or  '  K.'  '  My  dear  daughter  : — Your  in- 
teresting letter  of  the  12th  inst.  was  received 
and  I  enclose  a  check,  which  I  hope  will  last 
for  some  weeks.'  (I'm  sorry  to  say  it's  nearly 
gone  already,"  interpolated  Katherine.) 
'' '  Your  mother  and  I  enjoyed  the  account  of 
the  dance  you  attended  in  the  gymnasium,  of 
the  candy  pull  which  Mrs.  Chapin  so  kindly 
arranged  for  her  roomers,  and  the  game  of 
hockey  that  ended  so  disastrously  for  one  of 
your  friends.  We  are  glad  that  you  attended 
the  Morality  play  of  ''  Everyman,"  though 
we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  what  you  mean  by 
the  ''peanut  gallery."  However  it  occurs  to 
us  that  with  your  afternoon  gymnasium  class, 
your  recitations,  which,  as  I  understand  it, 
fully  engage  your  mornings,  and  all  these  di- 
versions in  one  week,  you  could  have  spent 
but  little  time  in  the  study  of  your  lessons. 


BETTT    WALES  85 

Do  not  forget  that  these  years  should  be  de- 
voted to  a  serious  preparation  for  the  multi- 
farious duties  of  life,  and  do  not  neglect  the 
rich  opportunities  which  I  am  proud  to  be 

able  to  give  you.     The  Wetherbees  have ' 

Oh  wellj  the  rest  of  it  is  just  Kankakee  news," 
said  Katherine,  folding  the  letter  and  putting 
it  back  in  her  desk.  ''  But  isn't  that  first  bit 
lovely?  Why,  I  racked  my  brain  till  it 
ached,  positively  ached,  thinking  of  interest- 
ing things  to  say  in  that  letter,  and  now  be- 
cause I  didn't  mention  that  I'd  worked  three 
solid  hours  on  my  German  every  day  that 
week  and  stood  in  line  at  the  library  for  an 
hour  to  get  hold  of  Bryce's  American  Com- 
monwealth, I  receive  this  pathetic  appeal  to 
my  better  self." 

''  How  poetic  you're  getting,"  laughed 
Betty.  ''  Do  you  know  it's  awfully  funny, 
but  I  got  a  letter  something  like  that  too. 
Only  mine  was  from  Nan,  and  it  just  said  she 
hoped  I  was  remembering  to  avoid  low  grades 
and  conditions,  as  they  were  a  great  bother. 
She  said  she  wanted  me  to  have  a  good 
time,  but  as  there  would  be  even  more  to  do 
when  I  got  on  the  campus,  I  ought  not  to  fall 


86  BETTr    WALES 

into  the  habit  of  neglecting  my  work  this 
year." 

''  Mine  was  from  Aunt  Susan,"  chimed  in 
Rachel.  ''  She  said  she  didn't  see  when  I 
could  do  any  studying  except  late  at  night, 
and  she  hoped  I  wasn't  being  so  foolish  as  to 
undermine  my  health  and  ruin  my  complex- 
ion for  the  sake  of  a  few  girlish  pleasures. 
Isn't  that  nice — girlish  pleasures?  She  put 
in  a  five  dollar  bill,  though  I  couldn't  see  why 
she  should,  considering  her  sentiments." 

Roberta  put  the  cap  on  to  her  fountain  pen 
and  propped  it  carefully  against  an  adjacent  pil- 
low. "I've  just  answered  mine,"  she  said, 
sorting  the  sheets  in  her  lap  with  a  satisfied 
smile. 

"Did  you  get  one,  too?  What  did  you 
say  ?  "  demanded  Betty. 

"  The  whole  truth,"  replied  Roberta  lan- 
guidly. "  It  took  eight  pages  and  I  hope  he'll 
enjoy  it." 

"  I  say,"  cried  Katherine  excitedly.  "  That's 
a  great  idea.     Let's  try  it." 

"  And  read  them  to  one  another  afterward," 
added  Rachel.  "  They  might  be  more  enter- 
taining than  your  lit.  paper." 


BETTT    WALES  87 

''  May  I  borrow  some  paper?  "  asked  Betty. 
''  I'm  hoping  Helen  will  finish  to-night  if  I 
let  her  alone." 

Roberta  helped  herself  to  a  book  from  the 
shelves  and  an  apple  from  the  table,  and  the 
rest  settled  themselves  to  their  epistolary 
labors.  Except  for  the  scratching  of  Betty's 
pen,  and  an  occasional  exclamation  of  pleas- 
ure or  perplexity  from  one  of  the  scribes,  the 
room  was  perfectly  still.  Betty  had  just  asked 
for  an  envelope  and  Katherine  was  numbering 
her  pages  when  Mary  Brooks  knocked  at  the 
door. 

''What  on  earth  are  you  girls  doing?"  she 
inquired  blandly,  selecting  the  biggest  apple 
in  the  dish  and  appropriating  the  Morris  chair, 
which  Katherine  had  temporarily  vacated. 
''  I  haven't  heard  a  sound  in  here  since  nine 
o'clock.  I  began  to  think  that  Helen  had 
come  in  and  blown  out  the  gas  again  by  mis- 
take and  you  were  all  asphyxiated." 

Everybody  laughed  at  the  remembrance  of 
a  recent  occasion  when  Helen  had  absent- 
mindedly  blown  out  the  gas  while  Betty  was 
saying  her  prayers. 

''  It  wasn't  so  funny  at  the  time,"  said  Betty 


88  BETTT    WALES 

ruefully.  ''  Suppose  she'd  gone  to  sleep  with- 
out remembering.  We've  been  writing  home, 
Mary/'  she  said,  turning  to  the  newcomer, 
''  and  now  we're  going  to  read  the  letters,  and 
we've  got  to  hurry,  for  it's  almost  ten.  Ro- 
berta, you  begin." 

''  Oh  no,"  said  Roberta,  looking  distressed. 

"■  I  wish  somebody  would  tell  me  what  this 
is  all  about  first,"  put  in  Mary.  Rachel  ex- 
plained, while  Katherine  and  Betty  persuaded 
Roberta  to  read  her  letter. 

''  It  isn't  fair,"  she  protested,  "  when  I  wrote 
a  real  letter  and  you  others  were  just  doing  it 
for  fun." 

"■  Go  on,  Roberta  !  "  commanded  Mary,  and 
Roberta  in  sheer  desperation  seized  her  letter 
and  began  to  read. 

*'  Dear  Papa  : — I  have  been  studying  hard 
all  the  evening  and  it  is  now  nearly  bedtime, 
but  I  can  at  least  begin  a  letter  to  you.  To- 
day has  been  the  fourth  rainy  day  in  succes- 
sion and  we  have  thoroughly  appreciated  the 
splendid  opportunity  for  uninterrupted  work. 
Yesterday  morning — I  think  enough  has  hap- 
pened in  these  two  days  to  fill  my  letter — I 
was  up  at  seven  as  usual.     I  stuck  a  selection 


BETTT    WALES  89 

from  Browning  into  my  mirror,  as  it  was  the 
basis  of  our  elocution  lesson,  and  nearly  learned 
it  while  I  dressed.  Before  chapel  I  completed 
my  geometry  preparation.  This  was  fortunate, 
as  I  was  called  on  to  recite,  the  sixth  proposi- 
tion in  book  third  being  my  assignment.  The 
next  hour  I  had  no  recitation,  so  I  went  to 
the  library  to  do  some  reference  work  for  my 
English  class.  Ten  girls  were  already  waiting 
for  the  same  volume  of  the  Century  Diction- 
ary that  I  wanted,  so  I  couldn't  get  hold  of  it 
till  nearly  the  end  of  the  hour.  I  spent  the 
intervening  time  on  the  Browning.  I  had 
Livy  the  next  hour  and  was  called  on  to  trans- 
late. As  I  had  spent  several  hours  on  the  les- 
son the  day  before,  I  could  do  so.  After  the 
elocution  recitation  I  went  home  to  lunch. 
At  quarter  before  two  I  began  studying  my  his- 
tory. At  quarter  before  four  I  started  for  the 
gymnasium.  At  five  I  went  to  a  tea  which  one 
of  the  girls  was  giving  for  her  mother,  so  I 
felt  obliged  to  go.  I  stayed  only  half  an  hour 
and  cannot  remember  how  I  spent  the  half 
hour  till  dinner,  so  I  presume  it  was  wasted. 
I  am  afraid  I  am  too  much  given  to  describing 
such  unimportant  pauses  ^  in  the  day's  occupa- 


90  BETTl^    WALES 

tion,'  and  magnifying  their  length  and  the 
frivolous  pleasure  which  we  thoughtlessly 
derive  from  them. 

''  In  the  evening Oh  it  all  goes  on 

like  that/'  cried  Roberta.  ''  Just  dull  and 
stuffy  and  true  to  the  facts.  Some  one  else 
read." 

'^  It's  convincing,"  chuckled  Mary.  ''  Now 
Katherine." 

Katherine's  letter  was  an  absurd  mixture  of 
sense  and  nonsense,  in  which  she  proved  that 
she  studied  at  least  twelve  hours  out  of  the 
twenty-four.  Rachel's  was  a  sensible  expla- 
nation of  just  how  much  time,  or  rather  how 
little,  a  spread,  a  dance  or  a  basket-ball  game 
takes. 

"■  That's  what  they  don't  understand,"  she 
said,  '^  and  they  don't  know  either  how  fast  we 
can  go  from  one  thing  to  another  up  here. 
Why,  energy  is  in  the  air !  " 

Betty's  letter,  like  her  literature  paper,  was 
extremely  short.  '^  I  couldn't  think  of  much 
to  say,  if  I  told  the  truth,"  she  explained, 
blushing.  ''  I  don't  suppose  I  do  study  as 
much  as  I  ought." 

Mary  had  listened  with  an  air  of  respectful 


BETTT    WALES  91 

attention  to  all  the  letters.  When  the  last  one 
was  finished  she  rose  hastily.  ''  I  must  go 
back,"  she  said.  "'  I  have  a  theme  to  write. 
I  only  dropped  in  to  ask  if  that  famous  spread 
wasn't  coming  off  soon.'' 

''  Oh,  yes,"  said  Betty.  ''  Let's  have  it  next 
week  Wednesday.  Is  anything  else  going  on 
then?  I'll  ask  Eleanor  and  you  see  the 
Riches  and  Helen." 

A  few  days  later  Mary  appeared  at  the 
lunch  table  fairly  bursting  with  importance. 
^'  Well,"  she  said,  beaming  around  the  table. 
^'  What  do  you  suppose  has  happened  now  ? 
Really,  Mrs.  Chapin,  you  ought  to  be  proud  of 
us.  We  began  to  be  famous  before  college 
opened " 

''What?"  interrupted  Eleanor. 

"  Is  it  possible  you  didn't  know  that?  "  in- 
quired Mary.  "■  Well,  it's  true  nevertheless. 
And  we  were  the  heroines  of  Mountain  Day, 
and  now  we're  famous  again." 

''  How?"  demanded  the  table  in  a  chorus. 

Mary  smiled  enigmatically.  ''  This  time  it 
is  a  literary  sensation,"  she  said. 

"  Is  it  Helen's  paper?  "  hazarded  Betty. 

''  Mine,  of  course,"  said  Katherine.   ''  Strange 


92  BETTT    WALES 

Miss  Mills  didn't  mention  it  this  morning 
when  I  met  her  at  Cuyler's/' 

Mary  waited  until  it  was  quiet  again.  ''  If 
you've  quite  finished  guessing,"  she  said,  "  I'll 
tell  you.  You  remember  the  evening  when  I 
found  four  of  you  in  Rachel  and  Katherine's 
room  writing  deceitful  letters  to  your  fond 
parents.  Well,  I  had  been  racking  my 
brains  for  weeks  for  a  pleasing  and  original 
theme  subject.  You  know  you  are  supposed 
to  spend  two  hours  a  week  on  this  theme  course, 
and  I  had  spent  two  hours  for  four  weeks  in 
just  thinking  what  to  write.  I'm  not  sure 
whether  that  counts  at  all  and  I  didn't  like  to 
ask — it  would  have  been  so  conspicuous.  So 
I  was  in  despair  when  I  chanced  upon  your 
happy  gathering  and  was  saved.  Miss  Ray- 
mond read  it  in  class  to-day,"  concluded  Mary 
triumphantly. 

''  You  didn't  put  us  into  it — our  letters  I  " 
gasped  Roberta. 

''  Indeed  I  did,"  said  Mary.  ''  I  put  them 
all  in,  as  nearly  as  I  could  remember  them, 
and  Miss  Raymond  read  it  in  class,  and  made 
all  sorts  of  clever  comments  about  college  cus- 
toms and  ideals  and  so  on.     I  felt  guilty,  be- 


BErrr  wales  93 

cause  I  never  had  anything  read  before,  and 
of  course  I  didn't  exactly  write  this  because 
the  letters  were  the  main  part  of  it.  So  after 
class  I  waited  for  Miss  Raymond  and  ex- 
plained how  it  was.  She  laughed  and  said 
that  she  was  glad  I  had  an  eye  for  good  ma- 
terial and  that  she  supposed  all  authors  made 
more  or  less  use  of  their  acquaintance,  and 
when  I  went  off  she  actually  asked  me  to  come 
and  see  her.  My  junior  friends  are  hoping  it 
will  pull  me  into  a  society  and  I'm  hoping  it 
will  avert  a  condition." 

''Where  is  the  theme?"  asked  Eleanor. 
''  Won't  you  read  it  to  us  ?  " 

''  It's — why,  I  forgot  the  very  best  part  of 
the  whole  story.  Sallie  Hill  has  it  for  the 
'  Argus.'  She's  the  literary  editor,  you  know, 
and  she  wants  it  for  the  next  number.  So 
you  see  you  are  famous. 

''  Why  don't  some  of  you  elect  this  work  ?  " 
asked  Mary,  when  the  excitement  had  some- 
what subsided.  ''  It's  open  to  freshmen,  and 
it's  really  great  fun." 

''  I  thought  you  said  that  you  spent  eight 
hours  and  were  in  despair "  began  Eleanor. 

''  So  I  was,"  said  Mary.     "  I  declare  I'd  for- 


94  BETTT    WALES 

gotten  that.  Well,  anyhow  I'm  sure  I  shan't 
have  any  trouble  now.  I  think  I've  learned 
how  to  go  at  it.  Why,  do  you  know,  girls,  I 
have  an  idea  already.  Not  for  a  theme — 
something  else.  It  concerns  all  of  you — or 
most  of  you  anyway." 

''  I  should  think  you'd  made  enough  use  of 
us  for  the  present,"  said  Betty.  ''  Why  don't 
you  try  to  make  a  few  sophomores  famous?  " 

"■  Oh  it  doesn't  concern  you  that  way.     You 

are  to Oh  wait  till  I  get  it  started,"  said 

Mary  vaguely  ;  and  absolutely  refused  to  be 
more  explicit. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A    DRAMATIC   CHAPTER 

The  Chapin  house  girls  decided  not  to 
spend  the  proceeds  of  the  dancing  class  for  an 
elaborate  supper,  as  they  had  first  intended, 
but  to  turn  their  "  spread  "  into  the  common 
college  type,  where  *'  plowed  field  "  and  choco- 
late made  with  condensed  milk  and  boiling 
water  are  the  chief  refreshments,  and  light- 
hearted  sociability  ensures  a  good  time  for 
everybody. 

''  But  do  let's  have  tea  too,"  Betty  had  pro- 
posed. '^  I  hate  the  chocolate  that  the  girls 
make,  and  I  don't  believe  tea  keeps  many  of 
us  awake.  Did  I  tell  you  that  mother  sent  a 
big  box  of  cheese  crackers?  " 

The  spread  was  to  be  in  Betty's  room,  partly 
because  she  owned  the  only  chafing-dish  in 
the  house,  and  partly  because  eighteen  girls — 
the  nine  hostesses  and  the  one  guest  asked  by 
each — could  get  into  it  without  uncomfortable 
crowding.     Eleanor  had  lent  her  pile  of  floor 

95 


96  BETTT    WALES 

cushions  and  her  beloved  candlesticks  for  the 
occasion,  everybody  had  contributed  cups  and 
saucers.  Betty  and  Helen  had  spent  the 
afternoon  *'  fixing  up,"  and  the  room  wore  a 
very  festive  air  when  the  girls  dropped  in 
after  dinner  to  see  if  the  preparations  were 
complete. 

''  I  think  we  ought  to  start  the  fudge  before 
they  come,"  said  Betty,  remembering  the  pro- 
cedure at  Miss  King's  party. 

^*  Oh,  no,"  protested  Eleanor.  '^  Half-past 
eight  is  early  enough.  Why,  most  of  the  fun 
of  a  spread  is  mixing  the  things  together  and 
taking  turns  tasting  and  stirring." 

''  It  would  be  awkward  to  finish  eating  too 
early,  when  that's  the  only  entertainment," 
suggested  Rachel. 

"  Or  the  candy  might  give  out  before  ten," 
added  Mary  Rich. 

The  majority  ruled,  and  as  some  of  the  girls 
were  late,  and  one  had  some  very  amusing 
blue-prints  to  exhibit,  it  was  considerably 
after  half-past  eight  before  the  fudge  was 
started.  At  first  it  furnished  plenty  of  excite- 
ment. Betty,  who  had  been  appointed  chief 
fudge-maker,  left  it  for  a  moment,  and  it  took 


SlNu  A   l.TL'?'    SHE  ASKED 


THE  NSW  lOHK 


ASTftK  t^NAx  Arm 


BETTT    WALES  97 

the  opportunity  to  boil  over.  When  it  had 
settled  down  after  this  exploit,  it  refused  to  do 
anything  but  simmer.  No  amount  of  alcohol 
or  of  vigorous  and  persistent  stirring  had  any 
effect  upon  it,  and  Betty  was  in  despair.  But 
Eleanor,  who  happened  to  be  in  a  gracious 
mood,  came  gallantly  to  the  rescue.  She 
quietly  disappeared  and  returned  in  a  mo- 
ment, transformed  into  a  gypsy  street  singer. 
She  had  pulled  down  her  black  hair  and 
twisted  a  gay  scarf  around  it.  Over  her  shirt- 
waist she  wore  a  little  velvet  jacket ;  and  a 
short  black  skirt,  a  big  red  sash,  an  armful  of 
bangles  and  bracelets,  and  the  guitar  hung 
over  her  shoulder,  completed  her  disguise. 

''  Sing  a  lir  ?  "  she  asked,  smiling  persua- 
sively and  kissing  her  hand  to  the  party. 

Then  she  sat  down  on  the  pile  of  cushions 
and  played  and  sang,  first  a  quaint  little  folk- 
song suited  to  her  part,  and  then  one  or  two 
dashing  popular  airs,  until  the  unaccommo- 
dating fudge  was  quite  forgotten,  except  by 
Betty,  who  stirred  and  frowned,  and  examined 
the  flame  and  tested  the  thickness  of  the  rich 
brown  liquid,  quite  unnoticed.  Eleanor  had 
just  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  announced, 


98  BETTT    IVALES 

"  I  no  more  sing,  now,"  when  somebody  else 
knocked  on  the  door,  or  rather  pushed  it 
open,  and  a  grotesque  figure  slouched  in. 

At  least  half  of  it  was  head,  black  and 
awful,  with  gruesome  green  features.  Short, 
un jointed  arms  came  out  of  its  waist,  with 
green  claws  dangling  where  the  hands  should 
have  been  ;  and  below  its  short  skirt  flapped 
the  tails  of  a  swallow-tail  coat.  The  girls 
were  too  much  astonished  to  speak,  as  the 
creature  advanced  silentl}^  into  the  room,  and 
without  a  word  began  dancing  something  that, 
as  Katherine  expressed  it  afterward,  was  a 
cross  between  a  double-shuffle  and  a  skirt- 
dance.  When  it  had  succeeded  in  reducing 
its  audience  to  a  state  of  abject  and  tearful 
mirth,  the  creature  stopped  suddenly,  an- 
nounced, ''  You've  seen  the  Jabberwock,"  in 
sepulchral  tones,  and  flopped  on  to  the  end  of 
a  couch,  saying  breathlessly,  "  Mary  Brooks, 
please  help  me  out  of  this.     I'm  suffocating." 

''  How  did  you  do  it.  Miss  Lewis  ?  "  inquired 
the  stately  senior,  who  was  Mary's  guest, 
wiping  her  eyes  and  gasping  for  breath  as  she 
spoke. 

*^  It's  perfectly  simple,"  drawled  Roberta  in- 


BETTT    WALES  99 

differently.  ''  The  head  is  my  black  silk  pet- 
ticoat. I  painted  on  the  features,  because  the 
children  like  to  have  me  do  it  at  home,  and 
it's  convenient  to  be  ready.  The  arms  are  a 
broom-handle,  stuck  through  the  sleeves  of 
this  old  coat,  which  is  buttoned  around  my 
waist." 

""  And  now  you're  going  to  do  the  Bander- 
snatch,  aren't  you?"  inquired  the  senior 
craftily,  perceiving  that  the  other  side  of  the 
petticoat  was  decorated  with  curious  red  spots. 

''  I — how  did  you — oh,  no,"  said  Roberta, 
blushing  furiously,  and  stuffing  the  telltale 
petticoat  under  a  convenient  pillow.  ''  I  don't 
know  why  I  brought  the  things  for  this.  I 
never  meant  to  do  it  up  here.  I — I  hope  you 
weren't  bored.  I  just  happened  to  think  of 
it,  and  Eleanor  couldn't  sing  forever,  and  that 
fudge " 

''  That  fudge  won't  cook,"  broke  in  Betty  in 
tragic  tones.  ''  It  doesn't  thicken  at  all,  and 
it's  half-past  nine  this  minute.  What  shall  I 
do?" 

Everybody  crowded  around  the  chafing- 
dish,  giving  advice  and  suggesting  unfailing 
remedies.     But  none  of  them  worked. 


i4:9816B 


lOO  BETTT    WALES 

''  And  there's  nothing  else  but  tea  and 
chocolate,''  wailed  Adelaide. 

"  But  you  can  all  have  both,"  said  Betty 
bravely,  ^'  and  you've  forgotten  the  crackers, 
Adelaide.  I'll  pass  them  while  you  and 
Katherine  go  for  more  cups." 

'^  And  you  can  send  the  fudge  round  to- 
morrow," suggested  Mary  Brooks  consolingly. 
''  It's  quite  the  thing,  you  know.  Don't  im- 
agine that  your  chafing-dish  is  the  only  one 
that's  too  slow  for  the  ten-o'clock  rule." 

Betty  insisted  upon  sitting  up  to  finish  the 
fudge,  but  she  ended  by  getting  up  before 
breakfast  the  next  morning  to  cook  it  on  Mrs. 
Chapin's  stove. 

''  Nobody  seemed  to  care  much  about  its 
being  so  slow,  except  me,"  she  said  to  Helen, 
as  they  did  it  up  in  neat  little  bundles  to  be 
handed  to  the  guests  of  the  evening  at  chapel. 
''  Weren't  Eleanor  and  Roberta  fine?  " 

''  Yes,"  agreed  Helen  enthusiastically. 
'*  But  isn't  it  queer  that  Roberta  won't  let  us 
praise  her  ?  She  seems  to  be  ashamed  of  being 
able  to  be  so  funny." 

Betty  laughed.  ''  That's  Roberta,"  she  said. 
**  It  will  be  months  before  she'll  do  it  again, 


BETTT    WALES  loi 

I'm  afraid.  I  suppose  she  felt  last  night  as 
if  she  had  to  do  what  she  could  for  the  honor 
of  the  house,  so  she  came  out  of  her  shell." 

"  She  told  Rachel  that  she  did  it  on  your 
account.  She  said  you  looked  as  if  you  wanted 
to  cry." 

Betty  flushed  prettily.  "  How  nice  of  her  ! 
I  did  want  to  cry.  I  felt  as  if  I  was  to  blame 
about  the  fudge.  I  wish  I  had  a  nice  stunt 
like  that  of  Eleanor's  to  come  to  people's  res- 
cue  with." 

''  Were  those  what  you  call  stunts  ? "  in- 
quired Helen  earnestly.  ''  I  didn't  know  what 
they  were,  but  they  were  fine." 

'^  Why,  Helen  Chase  Adams,  do  you  mean 
that  you've  been  in  college  two  months  and 

don't  know  what  a  stunt  is "  began  Betty, 

and  stopped,  blushing  furiously  and  fearing 
that  she  had  hurt  Helen's  feelings.  For  the 
reason  why  she  did  not  know  about  stunts 
was  obvious. 

Helen  took  it  very  simply.  ''  You  know 
I'm  not  asked  to  things  outside,"  she  said, 
''  and  I  don't  seem  to  be  around  when  the 
girls  do  things  here.  So  why  should  I 
know  ?  " 


I02  BETTT    WALES 

''No  reason  at  all,"  said  Betty  decidedly. 
"  They  are  just  silly  little  parlor  tricks  any- 
way— most  of  them — not  worth  wasting  time 
over.  Do  you  know  Miss  Willis  told  us  in 
English  class  that  a  great  deal  of  slang  orig- 
inated in  college,  and  she  gave  '  stunt '  as  an 
example.  She  said  it  had  been  used  here  ever 
so  long  and  only  a  few  years  outside,  in  quite 
a  different  meaning.     Isn't  that  queer?  " 

''  Yes,"  said  Helen  indifferently.  ''  She  told 
my  division  too,  but  she  didn't  say  what  it 
meant  here.  I  suppose  she  thought  we'd  all 
know." 

Betty,  stealing  a  glance  at  her,  saw  her 
wink  back  the  tears.  "  She  does  care  about 
the  fun,"  thought  Betty.  ''  She  cares  as  much 
as  Rachel  or  I,  or  Eleanor  even.  And  she  is 
left  out.  It  isn't  a  bit  fair,  but  what's  to  be 
done  about  it?  " 

Being  young  and  very  happy  herself,  she 
speedily  forgot  all  about  the  knotty  problem 
of  the  unequal  distribution  of  this  world's 
goods,  whether  they  be  potatoes  or  fudge 
parties.  Occasionally  she  remembered  again, 
and  gave  Helen  a  helping  hand,  as  she  had 
done   several   times  already.     But  college  is 


BETTT    WALES  103 

much  like  the  bigger  world  outside.  The 
fittest  survive  on  their  own  merits,  and  these 
must  be  obvious  and  well  advertised,  or  they 
are  in  great  danger  of  being  overlooked.  And 
it  is  safer  in  the  long  run  to  do  one's  own  ad- 
vertising and  to  begin  early.  Eleanor  under- 
stood this,  but  she  forgot  or  ignored  the  other 
rules  of  the  game.  Betty  practiced  it  uncon- 
sciously, which  is  the  proper  method.  Helen 
never  mastered  its  application  and  succeeded 
in  spite  of  it. 

Several  evenings  after  that  one  on  which 
the  fudge  had  refused  to  cook,  Alice  Waite 
was  trying  to  learn  her  history  lesson,  and  her 
"  queer "  roommate,  who  loved  to  get  into 
her  bed  as  well  as  she  hated  to  make  it,  was 
trying  to  go  to  sleep — an  operation  rendered 
difficult  by  the  fact  that  the  girl  next  door 
was  cracking  butternuts  with  a  marble  paper- 
weight— when  there  was  a  soft  tap  on  the 
door. 

'^  Don't  answer,"  begged  the  sleepy  room- 
mate. 

"'  May  be  important,"  objected  Alice,  ''  but 
I  won't  let  her  stay.     Come  in  !  " 


I04  BETTT    WALES 

The  door  opened  and  a  young  gentleman 
in  correct  evening  dress,  with  an  ulster  folded 
neatly  over  his  arm,  entered  the  room  and 
gazed,  smiling  and  silent,  about  him.  He 
was  under  average  height,  slightly  built,  and 
had  a  boyish,  pleasant  face  that  fitted  ill  with 
his  apparent  occupation  as  house-breaker  and 
disturber  of  damsels. 

The  roommate,  who  had  sat  up  in  bed  with 
the  intention  of  repelling  whatever  intruder 
threatened  her  rest,  gave  a  shriek  of  mingled 
terror  and  indignation  and  disappeared  under 
the  bedclothes.  Alice  rose,  with  as  much 
dignity  as  the  three  heavy  volumes  which 
she  held  in  her  lap,  and  which  had  to  be  un- 
tangled from  her  kimono,  would  permit.  She 
moved  the  screen  around  her  now  hysterical 
roommate  and  turned  fiercely  upon  the  young 
gentleman. 

*'  How  dare  you !  "  she  demanded  sternly. 
*'  Go  !  "  And  she  stamped  her  foot  somewhat 
ineffectively,  since  she  had  on  her  worsted 
bedroom  slippers. 

At  this  the  young  gentleman's  smile  broke 
into  an  unmistakably  feminine  giggle. 

"•  Oh,    you    are    so    lovel}^ ! "    he    gurgled. 


BETTT    WALES  105 

"  Don't  cry,  Miss  Madison.  It's  not  a  real 
man.     It's  only  I — Betty  Wales." 

''  Betty  !  "  gasped  Alice.  ''  Betty  Wales, 
what  are  you  doing?     Is  it  really  you  ?  " 

''  Of  course,"  said  Betty  calmly,  pulling  off 
her  wig  by  way  of  further  evidence,  and  sit- 
ting down  with  careful  regard  for  her  coat- 
tails  in  the  nearest  chair.  ''  I  hope,"  she 
added,  ''that  I  haven't  really  worried  Miss 
Madison.  Take  the  screen  away,  Alice,  and 
see  what  she's  doing." 

""  Oh,  I'm  all  right  now,  thank  you,"  said 
Miss  Madison,  pushing  back  the  screen  her- 
self. "  But  you  gave  me  an  awful  fright. 
What  are  you  doing?  " 

''  Why,  we're  going  to  give  a  play  at  our 
house  Saturday,"  explained  Betty,  ''  and  to- 
night was  a  dress  rehearsal.  I  wanted  to 
bring  Alice  a  ticket,  and  I  thought  it  would 
be  fun  to  come  in  these  clothes  and  frighten 
her ;  so  I  put  on  a  skirt  and  a  rain-coat  and 
came  along.  I  left  my  skirt  in  your  entrance- 
way.  Get  it  for  me  please,  Alice,  and  I'll 
put  it  on  before  I  send  any  one  else  into  hys- 
terics." 

''  Oh,  not  yet,"  begged  Miss  Madison.     ''  I 


jo6  BETTT    WALES 

want  to  look  at  you.  Please  stand  up  and 
turn  around,  so  I  can  have  a  back  view." 

Betty  readjusted  her  wig  and  stood  up  for 
inspection. 

''  What's  the  play  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

Betty  considered.  ^'  It's  a  secret,  but  I'll 
tell  you  to  pay  for  giving  you  both  such  a 
scare.  It's  '  Sherlock  Holmes.'  Mary  Brooks 
saw  the  real  play  in  New  York,  and  she  wrote 
this,  something  like  the  real  one,  but  different 
so  we  could  do  it.  She  could  think  up  the 
plot  beautifully  but  she  wasn't  good  at  con- 
versation, so  Katherine  helped  her,  and  it's 
fine." 

^'  Is  there  a  robbery  ?  "  inquired  Alice. 

''  Oh,  yes,  diamonds." 

'^  And  a  murder?  " 

''  Well,  a  supposed  murder.  The  audience 
thinks  it  is,  but  it  isn't  really.  And  there's  a 
pretend  fire  too,  just  as  there  is  in  the  real 
play." 

"  And  who  are  you  ?  " 

''  I'm  the  villain,"  said  Betty.  ''  I'm  to 
have  curling  black  mustaches  and  a  fierce 
frown,  and  then  you'd  know  without  ask- 
ing." 


BETTT    WALES  107 

^' I  should  think  they'd  have  wanted  you 
for  the  heroine/'  said  Alice,  who  admired 
Betty  immensely. 

^'  Oh,  no,"  demurred  the  villain.  *'  Eleanor 
is  leading  lady,  of  course.  She  has  three  dif- 
ferent costumes,  and  she  looks  like  a  queen  in 
every  one  of  them.  Katherine  is  going  to  be 
Sherlock  Holmes,  and  Adelaide  Rich  is  Dr. 
Watson  and — oh,  I  mustn't  tell  you  any  more, 
or  Alice  won't  enjoy  it  Saturday." 

''  We  had  a  little  play  here,"  said  Miss 
Madison, ''  but  it  was  tame  beside  this.  Where 
did  you  get  all  the  men's  costumes?  " 

"'  Rented  them,  and  the  wigs  and  mustaches 
and  pistols,"  and  Betty  explained  about  the 
dancing-school  money  which  the  house  had 
voted  to  Roberta's  project  instead  of  to  the 
spread. 

"'  I  wish  I  could  act,"  said  Alice.  ''  I  should 
love  to  be  a  man.  But  my  mother  wouldn't 
let  me,  so  it's  just  as  well  that  I'm  a  perfect 
stick  at  it." 

"■  Roberta's  father  wouldn't  let  her  either," 
said  Betty,  ''  but  mother  didn't  mind,  as  long 
as  it's  only  before  a  few  girls.  I  presume  she 
wouldn't    like    my    coming   over   here   and 


io8  BETTT    WALES 

frightening  you.  But  I  honestly  didn't  think 
you'd  be  deceived." 

""  I'm  so  glad  you  came,"  said  Miss  Madison 
lying  back  luxuriously  among  her  pillows. 
''  Does  the  story  of  the  play  take  place  in  the 
evening?  " 

''  Yes,  all  of  it.  I'm  dressed  for  the  theatre, 
but  I'm  detained  by  the  robbery." 

"■  Then  I  have  something  I  want  to  lend 
you.  Alice,  open  the  washstand  drawer,  please 
— no,  the  middle  one — in  that  flat  green  box. 
Thank  you.  Your  hat,  sir  villain,"  she  went 
on,  snapping  open  an  opera  hat  and  handing 
it  to  Betty  with  a  flourish. 

''  How  perfectly  lovely  I  "  exclaimed  Betty. 
"  But  how  in  the  world  did  you  happen  to 
have  it?" 

''  Why,  I  stayed  with  my  cousins  for  two 
weeks  just  before  I  came  up  here,  and  I  found 
it  in  their  guest-chamber  bureau.  It  wasn't 
Cousin  Tom's  nor  Uncle  Dick's,  and  they 
didn't  know  whose  it  was  ;  so  they  gave  it  to 
me,  because  I  liked  to  play  with  it.  Should 
you  really  like  to  use  it  ?  " 

''  Like  it  I  "  repeated  Betty,  shutting  the 
hat  and  opening  it  again   with  a  low  bow 


BETTT    WALES  109 

"  Why  it  will  be  the  cream  of  the  whole  per- 
formance. It  would  make  the  play  go  just  of 
itself,"  and  she  put  it  on  and  studied  the  effect 
attentively  in  the  mirror. 

''  It's  rather  large,"  said  Alice.  ''  If  I  were 
you,  I'd  just  carry  it." 

''  It  is  big,"  admitted  Betty  regretfully,  ''  or 
at  least  it  makes  me  look  very  small.  But  I 
can  snap  it  a  lot,  and  then  put  it  on  as  I  exit. 
Miss  Madison,  you'll  come  to  the  play  of 
course.  I  hadn't  but  one  ticket  left,  but  after 
lending  us  this  you're  a  privileged  person." 

""  I  hoped  you'd  ask  me,"  said  Miss  Madison 
gratefully.  ''  The  play  does  sound  so  exciting. 
But  that  wasn't  why  I  offered  you  the  hat." 

"  Of  course  not,  and  it's  only  one  reason 
why  you  are  coming,"  said  Betty  tactfully. 
''  Now  Alice,  you  must  bring  in  my  skirt.  I 
have  to  walk  so  slowly  in  all  these  things,  and 
it  must  be  almost  ten." 

When  Sir  Archibald  Ames,  villain,  had  been 
transformed  into  a  demure  little  maiden  with 
rumpled  hair  and  a  high,  stiff  collar  showing 
above  her  rain-coat,  Betty  took  her  departure. 
A  wave  of  literary  and  dramatic  enthusiasm 
had  inundated  the  Chapin  house.     The  girls 


no  BETTT    WALES 

were  constantly  suggesting  theme  topics  to  one 
another — which  unfortunately  no  one  but 
Mary  Brooks  could  use,  at  least  until  the  next 
semester ;  for  in  the  regular  freshman  Eng- 
lish classes,  subjects  were  always  assigned. 
And  they  were  planning  theatre  parties  galore, 
to  see  Jefferson,  Maude  Adams,  and  half  a 
dozen  others  if  they  came  to  Harding.  Betty, 
who  had  a  happy  faculty  of  keeping  her  head 
just  above  such  passing  waves,  smiled  to  her- 
self as  she  hurried  across  the  dark  campus. 

'^  Next  week,  when  our  play  is  over  it  will 
be  something  else,"  she  thought.  Rachel  was 
already  interested  in  basket-ball  and  had  pros- 
pects of  being  chosen  for  the  freshman  class 
team.  Eleanor  had  been  practicing  hard  on 
her  guitar,  hoping  to  "■  make  "  the  mandolin 
club  ;  and  was  dreadfully  disappointed  at  find- 
ing that  according  to  a  new  rule  freshmen 
were  ineligible  and  that  her  entrance  con- 
ditions would  have  excluded  her  in  any 
case. 

''  So  many  things  to  do,"  sighed  Betty,  who 
had  given  up  a  hockey  game  that  afternoon 
to  study  history.  ''  I  suppose  we've  got  to 
choose,"  she  added  philosophically.     '^  But  I 


BETTT    WALES  in 

choose  to  be  an  all-around  girl,  like  Dorothy 
King.  I  can't  sing  though.  I  wonder  what 
my  one  talent  is. 

"  Helen,"  she  said,  as  she  opened  her  door, 
"■  have  you  noticed  that  all  college  girls  have 
one  particular  talent  ?  I  wonder  what  ours 
will  turn  out  to  be.  See  w^hat  I  have  for  the 
play." 

Helen,  who  looked  tired  and  heavy-eyed, 
inspected  the  opera  hat  listlessly.  ''  I  think 
your  talent  is  getting  the  things  you  want,'' 
she  said,  ''  and  I  guess  I  haven't  any.  It's 
quarter  often." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AFTER    THE    PLAY 

"  Sherlock  Holmes  "  was  quite  as  exciting 
as  Miss  Madison  had  anticipated.  Most 
college  plays,  except  the  elaborate  ones  given 
in  the  gymnasium,  which  are  carefully 
learned,  costumed  and  rehearsed,  and  super- 
vised by  a  committee  from  the  faculty — are 
amusing  little  farces  in  one  or  two  short 
scenes.  ''  Sherlock  Holmes,"  on  the  other 
hand,  was  a  four  act,  blood-curdling  melo- 
drama, with  three  different  stage  settings,  an 
abundance  of  pistol  shots,  a  flash-light  fire, 
shrieks  and  a  fainting  fit  on  the  part  of  the 
heroine,  the  raiding  of  a  robbers'  den  in  the 
denouement,  and  ''  a  lot  more  excitement  all 
through  than  there  is  in  Mr.  Gillette's  play,"  as 
Mary  modestly  informed  her  caste.  It  was 
necessarily  cruder,  as  it  was  far  more  am- 
bitious, than  the  commoner  sort  of  amateur 
play ;  but  the  audience,  whether  little  fresh- 
men who  had  seen  few  similar  performances, 
or  upper  class  girls  who  had  seen  a  great  many 


BETTl^    IVALES  113 

and  so  fully  appreciated  the  novelty  of  this  one, 
were  wildly  enthusiastic.  Every  actress, 
down  to  Helen,  who  made  a  very  stiff  and 
stilted  ''  Buttons,"  and  Rachel  and  Mary 
Rich  who  appeared  in  the  robbers'  den  scene 
as  Betty's  female  accomplices,  and  in  the 
heroine's  drawing-room  as  her  wicked  mother 
and  her  stupid  maid  respectively,  was  rap- 
turously received  ;  and  Dr.  Holmes  and  Sir 
Archibald,  whose  hat  was  decidedly  the  hit  of 
the  evening,  were  forced  to  come  before  the 
curtain.  Finally,  in  response  to  repeated 
shouts  for  '^  author,"  Mary  Brooks  appeared, 
flushed  and  panting  from  her  vigorous  exer- 
tions as  prompter,  stage  manager,  and  assist- 
ant dresser,  and  informed  the  audience  that 
owing  to  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Chapin  there 
was  lemon-ice  in  the  dining-room,  and  would 
every  one  please  go  out  there,  so  that  this 
awful  mess, — with  a  comprehensive  wave  of 
her  hand  toward  the  ruins  of  the  robbers'  den 
piled  on  top  of  the  heroine's  drawing-room 
furniture,  which  in  turn  had  been  a  rearrang- 
ment  of  Dr.  Holmes's  study, — could  be  cleared 
up,  and  they  could  dance  there  later  ? 

At    this    the    audience    again    applauded, 


114  BETTT    WALES 

sighed  to  think  that  the  play  was  over,  and 
then  joyfully  adjourned  to  the  dining-room 
to  eat  Mrs.  Chapin's  ice  and  examine  the 
actors  at  close  range.  All  these  speedily  ap- 
peared, except  Helen,  who  had  crept  up-stairs 
quite  unnoticed  the  moment  her  part  was  fin- 
ished, and  Eleanor,  w^ho,  hunting  up  Betty, 
explained  that  she  had  a  dreadful  headache 
and  begged  Betty  to  look  after  her  guests  and 
not  for  anything  to  let  them  come  up-stairs  to 
find  her.  Betty,  who  was  busily  washing  off 
her  "  fierce  frown  "  at  the  time,  sputtered  a 
promise  through  the  mixture  of  soap,  water 
and  vaseline  she  was  using,  delivered  the  mes- 
sage, assured  herself  that  the  guests  were  en- 
joying themselves,  and  forgot  all  about  Elea- 
nor until  half-past  nine  when  every  one  had 
gone  and  she  came  up  to  her  room  to  find 
Helen  in  bed  and  apparently  fast  asleep,  with 
her  face  hidden  in  the  pillows. 

''  How  queer,"  she  thought.  "■  She's  had 
the  blues  for  a  week,  but  I  thought  she  was 
all  right  this  evening."  Then,  as  her  conjec- 
tures about  Helen  suggested  Eleanor's  head- 
ache, she  tiptoed  out  to  see  if  she  could  do 
anything  for  the  prostrate  heroine. 


BETTF    WALES  115 

Eleanor's  transom  was  dark  and  her  door 
evidently  locked,  for  it  would  not  yield  when 
Betty,  anxious  at  getting  no  answer  to  her 
knocks,  tried  to  open  it.  But  when  she  called 
softly,  '^Eleanor,  are  you  there?  Can  I  do 
anything?"  Eleanor  answered  crossly, 
^'  Please  go  away.  I'm  better,  but  I  want  to 
be  let  alone." 

So,  murmuring  an  apology,  Betty  went  back 
to  her  own  room,  and  as  Helen  seemed  to  be 
sound  asleep,  she  saw  no  reason  for  making 
a  nuisance  of  herself  a  second  time,  but  con- 
siderately undressed  in  the  dark  and  crept 
into  bed  as  softly  as  possible. 

If  she  had  turned  on  her  light,  she  would 
have  discovered  two  telltale  bits  of  evidence, 
for  Helen  had  left  a  very  moist  handkerchief 
on  her  desk  and  another  rolled  into  a  damp, 
vindictive  little  wad  on  the  chiffonier.  It  was 
not  because  she  knew  she  had  done  her  part 
badly  that  she  had  gone  sobbing  to  bed,  while 
the  others  ate  lemon-ice  and  danced  merrily 
down-stairs.  Billy  was  a  hard  part ;  Mary 
Brooks  had  said  so  herself,  and  she  had  only 
taken  it  because  when  Roberta  positively  re- 
fused to  act,  there  w^as  no  one  else.     Helen 


ii6  BETTT    WALES 

couldn't  act,  knew  she  couldn't,  and  didn't 
much  care.  But  not  to  have  any  friends  in 
all  this  big,  beautiful  college — that  was  a 
thing  to  make  any  one  cry.  It  was  bad 
enough  not  to  be  asked  anywhere,  but  not  to 
have  any  friends  to  invite  oneself,  that  was 
worse — it  was  dreadful !  If  she  went  right 
off  up-stairs  perhaps  no  one  would  notice ; 
they  would  think  at  first  that  somebody  else 
was  looking  after  her  guests  while  she  dressed, 
and  then  they  would  forget  all  about  her  and 
never  know  the  dreadful  truth  that  nobody 
she  had  asked  to  the  play  would  come. 

When  it  had  first  been  decided  to  present 
''  Sherlock  Holmes  "  and  the  girls  had  begun 
giving  out  their  invitations,  Helen,  who  felt 
more  and  more  keenly  her  isolation  in  the 
college,  resolved  to  see  just  how  the  others 
managed  and  then  do  as  they  did.  She  heard 
Rachel  say,  '*  I  think  Christy  Mason  is  a  dear. 
I  don't  know  her  much  if  any,  but  I'm  going 
to  ask  her  all  the  same,  and  perhaps  w^e  shall 
get  better  acquainted  after  awhile." 

That  made  Helen,  who  took  the  speech 
more  literally  than  it  was  meant,  think  of 
Caroline    Barnes.     One    afternoon    she    and 


BETTT    WALES  117 

Betty  had  been  down-town  together,  and  on 
the  way  back  Miss  Barnes  overtook  them,  and 
came  up  with  them  to  see  Eleanor,  who  was  an 
old  friend  of  hers.  Betty  introduced  her  to 
Helen  and  she  walked  between  them  up  the 
hill  and  necessarily  included  both  of  them  in 
her  conversation.  She  was  a  homely  girl, 
with  dull,  inexpressive  features  ;  but  she  was 
tall  and  well-proportioned  and  strikingly  well 
dressed.  Betty  had  taken  an  instant  dislike 
to  her  at  the  time  of  their  first  meeting  and 
greatly  to  Eleanor's  disgust  had  resisted  all 
her  advances.  Eleanor  had  accused  her 
frankly  of  not  liking  Caroline. 

''  No,"  returned  Betty  with  equal  frankness, 
^'  I  don't.  I  think  all  your  other  friends  are 
lovely,  but  Miss  Barnes  rubs  me  the  wrong 
way." 

Helen  knew  nothing  of  all  this,  and  Miss 
Barnes's  lively,  slangy  conversation  and  sty- 
lish, showy  clothes  appealed  to  her  unsophisti- 
cated taste. 

When  the  three  parted  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs.  Miss  Barnes  turned  back  to  say, 
'*  Aren't  you  coming  to  see  me  ?  You  owe  me 
a  call,  you  know." 


ii8  BETTT    WALES 

Helen  and  Betty  were  standing  close  to- 
gether, and  though  part  of  the  remark  applied 
only  to  Betty,  she  looked  at  them  both. 

Betty  said  formally,  ''  Thank  you,  I  should 
like  to,"  and  Helen,  pleased  and  eager, 
chorused,  ''  So  should  I." 

Later,  in  their  own  room,  Betty  said  with 
apparent  carelessness  but  with  the  covert  in- 
tention of  dropping  Helen  a  useful  hint, 
''You  aren't  going  to  see  Miss  Barnes,  are 
you  ?     I'm  not." 

And  Helen  had  flushed  again,  gave  some 
stammering  reply  and  then  had  had  for  the 
first  time  an  unkind  thought  about  her  room- 
mate. Betty  wanted  to  keep  all  her  nice 
friends  to  herself  It  must  be  that.  Why 
shouldn't  she  go  to  see  Miss  Barnes?  She 
wasn't  asked  so  often  that  she  could  afford 
to  ignore  the  invitations  she  did  get.  And 
later  she  added,  Why  shouldn't  she  ask  Miss 
Barnes  to  the  play,  since  Eleanor  wasn't 
going   to? 

So  one  afternoon  Helen,  arrayed  in  her 
best  clothes,  went  down  to  call  and  deliver  her 
invitation.  Miss  Barnes  was  out,  but  her  door 
was  open  and  Helen  slipped  in,  and  writing  a 


BETTT    WALES  119 

little  note  on  her  card,  laid  it  conspicuously 
on  the  shining  mahogany  desk. 

That  was  one  invitation.  She  had  given 
the  other  to  a  quiet,  brown-eyed  girl  who  sat 
next  her  in  geometry,  not  from  preference, 
but  because  her  name  came  next  on  the  class 
roll.  This  girl  declined  politely,  on  the  plea 
of  another  engagement. 

Next  day  Miss  Barnes  brushed  unseeingly 
past  her  in  the  hall  of  the  Science  Building. 
The  day  after  that  they  met  at  gym.  Finally, 
when  almost  a  week  had  gone  by  without  a 
sign  from  her,  Helen  inquired  timidly  if  she 
had  found  the  note. 

''  Oh,  are  you  Miss  Adams  ?  "  inquired  Miss 
Barnes,  staring  past  her  with  a  weary  air. 
^'  Thank  you  very  much  I'm  sure,  but  I  can't 
come,"  and  she  walked  off. 

Any  one  but  Helen  Adams  would  have 
known  that  Caroline  Barnes  and  Eleanor 
Watson  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  worst 
^^  snobs  "  in  their  class,  and  that  Miss  Ashby, 
her  neighbor  in  geometry,  boarded  with  her 
mother  and  never  went  anywhere  without  her. 
But  Helen  knew  no  college  gossip.  She 
offered  her  invitation  to  two  girls  who  had 


I20  BETTT    WALES 

been  in  the  dancing-class,  read  hypocrisy  into 
their  hearty  regrets  that  they  were  going  out 
of  town  for  Sunday,  and  asked  no  one  else  to 
the  play.  If  she  had  been  less  shy  and  re- 
served she  would  have  told  Rachel  or  Betty 
all  about  her  ill-luck,  have  been  laughed  at 
and  sympathized  with,  and  then  have  forgot- 
ten all  about  it.  But  being  Helen  Chase 
Adams,  she  brooded  over  her  trouble  in  secret, 
asked  nobody's  advice,  and  grew  shyer  and 
more  sensitive  in  consequence,  but  not  a  whit 
less  determined  to  make  a  place  for  herself  in 
the  college  world. 

She  would  have  attached  less  significance  to 
Caroline  Barnes's  rudeness,  had  she  known  a 
little  about  the  causes  of  Eleanor's  headache. 
Eleanor  had  gone  down  to  Caroline's  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  play,  knocked  boldly,  in  spite 
of  a  ''  Don't  disturb  "  sign  posted  on  the  door, 
and  found  the  pretty  rooms  in  great  confusion 
and  Caroline  wearily  overseeing  the  packing 
of  her  books  and  pictures. 

Eleanor  waited  patiently  until  the  men  had 
gone  off  with  three  huge  boxes,  and  therj  in- 
sisted upon  knowing  what  Caroline  was  do- 
ing. 


BETTT    WALES  121 

'*  Going  home,"  said  Caroline  sullenly. 

"  Why  ?  "  demanded  Eleanor. 

"'  Public  reason — trouble  with  my  eyes  ; 
real  reason — haven't  touched  my  conditions 
yet  and  now  I  have  been  warned  and  told  to 
tutor  in  three  classes.  I  can't  possibly  do  it 
all." 

"■  Why  Caroline  Barnes,  do  you  mean  you 
are  sent  home?  " 

Caroline  nodded.  "  It  amounts  to  that.  I 
was  advised  to  go  home  now,  and  work  off 
the  entrance  conditions  and  come  again 
next  fall.  I  thought  maybe  you'd  be  taking 
the  same  train,"  she  added  with  a  nervous 
laugh. 

Eleanor  turned  white.  ''  Nonsense  !  "  she 
said  sharply.     ''  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

''  Well,  you  said  you  hadn't  done  anything 
about  your  conditions,  and  you've  cut  and 
flunked  and  scraped  along  much  as  I  have,  I 
fancy." 

'^  I'm  sorry,  Caroline,"  said  Eleanor,  ignor- 
ing the  digression.  ''  I  don't  know  that  you 
care,  though.  You've  said  you  were  bored  to 
death  up  here." 

*'  I — I  say  a  great  deal  that  I  don't  mean," 


122         BErrr  wales 

gulped  Caroline.  ''  Good-bye,  Eleanor.  Shall 
I  see  you  in  New  York  at  Christmas  ?  And 
don't  forget — trouble  with  my  eyes.  Oh,  the 
family  won't  mind.  They  didn't  like  my 
coming  up  in  the  first  place.  I  shall  go 
abroad  in  the  spring.     Good-bye." 

Eleanor  walked  swiftly  back  through  the 
campus.  In  the  main  building  she  consulted 
the  official  bulletin-board  with  anxious  eyes, 
and  fairly  tore  off  a  note  addressed  to  ^'  Miss 
Eleanor  Watson,  First  Class."  It  had  come — 
a  ''  warning "  in  Latin.  Once  back  in  her 
own  room,  Eleanor  sat  down  to  consider  the 
situation  calmly.  But  the  more  she  thought 
about  it,  the  more  frightened  and  ashamed 
she  grew.  Thanksgiving  was  next  week,  and 
she  had  been  given  only  until  Christmas  to 
work  off  her  entrance  conditions.  She  had 
meant  to  leave  them  till  the  last  moment, 
rush  through  the  work  with  a  tutor,  and  if 
she  needed  it  get  an  extension  of  time  by 
some  specious  excuse.  Had  the  last  minute 
passed?  The  Latin  warning  meant  more 
extra  work.  There  were  other  things  too. 
She  had  '^  cut "  classes  recklessly — three  on 
the  day  of  the  sophomore  reception,  and  four 


BETTT    WALES  123 

on  a  Monday  morning  when  she  had  promised 
to  be  back  from  Boston  in  time  for  chapel. 
Also,  she  had  borrowed  Lil  Day's  last  year's 
literature  paper  and  copied  most  of  it  ver- 
batim. She  could  make  a  sophistical  defence 
of  her  morals  to  Betty  Wales,  but  she  under- 
stood perfectly  what  the  faculty  would  think 
about  them.  The  only  question  was,  how 
much  did  they  know  ? 

When  the  dinner-bell  rang,  Eleanor  pulled 
herself  together  and  started  down-stairs. 

''Did  you  get  your  note.  Miss  Watson?" 
asked  Adelaide  Rich  from  the  dining-room 
door. 

"  What  note?  "  demanded  Eleanor  sharply. 

''  I'm  sure  I  can't  describe  it.  It  was  on 
the  hall  table,"  said  Adelaide,  turning  away 
wrathfully.  Some  people  were  so  grateful  if 
you  tried  to  do  them  a  favor  ! 

It  was  this  incident  which  led  Eleanor  to 
hurry  off  after  dinner,  and  again  at  the  end 
of  the  play,  bound  to  escape  nerve-racking 
questions  and  congratulations.  Later,  when 
Betty  knocked  on  her  door,  her  first  impulse 
was  to  let  her  in  and  ask  her  advice.  But  a 
second  thought  suggested  that  it  was  safer  to 


124         BErrr  wales 

confide  in  nobody.  The  next  morning  she 
was  glad  of  the  second  thought,  for  things 
looked  brighter,  and  it  would  have  been  hu- 
miliating indeed  to  be  discovered  making  a 
mountain  out  of  a  mole-hill. 

''  The  trouble  with  Caroline  was  that  she 
wasn't  willing  to  work  hard,"  she  told  herself. 
^'  Now  I  care  enough  to  do  anything,  and  I 
must  make  them  see  it." 

She  devoted  her  spare  hours  on  Monday 
morning  to  '^  making  them  see  it,"  with  that 
rare  combination  of  tact  and  energy  that  was 
Eleanor  Watson  at  her  best.  By  noon  her 
fears  of  being  sent  home  were  almost  gone, 
and  she  was  alert  and  exhilarated  as  she  al- 
ways was  when  there  were  difficulties  to  be 
surmounted. 

*'  Now  that  the  play  is  over,  I'm  going  to 
work  hard,"  Betty  announced  at  lunch,  and 
Eleanor,  who  was  still  determined  not  to  con- 
fide in  anybody,  added  nonchalantly,  ''  So  am 
I."  It  was  going  to  be  the  best  of  the  fun  to 
take  in  the  Chapin  house. 

But  the  Chapin  house  was  not  taken  in  for 
long. 

"  What's  come  over  Eleanor  Watson  ?  "  in- 


BETTT    WALES  125 

quired  Katherine,  a  few  days  later,  as  the 
girls  filed  out  from  dinner. 

^'  She's  working,"  said  Mary  Brooks  with  a 
grin.  '^  And  apparently  she  thinks  work  and 
dessert  don't  jibe." 

''  I'm  afraid  it  was  time,"  said  Rachel. 
"  She's  always  cutting  classes,  and  that  puts 
a  girl  behind  faster  than  anything  else.  I 
wonder  if  she  could  have  had  a  warning  in 
anything." 

*'  I  think  she  could "  began  Katherine, 

and  then  stopped,  laughing  "■  I  might  as 
well  own  up  to  one  in  math.,"  she  said. 

'^  Well,  Miss  Watson  is  going  to  stay  here 
over  Thanksgiving,"  said  Mary  Rich. 

Then  plans  for  the  two  days'  vacation  were 
discussed,  and  Eleanor's  affairs  forgotten,  much 
to  the  relief  of  Betty  Wales,  who  feared  every 
moment  lest  she  should  in  some  way  betray 
Eleanor's  confidence. 

On  the  Wednesday  after  Thanksgiving 
Eleanor  burst  in  on  her  merrily,  as  she  was 
dressing  for  dinner. 

''  I  just  wanted  to  tell  you  that  some  of 
those  conditions  that  worry  you  so  are  made 
up,"  she  said.     ''  I  almost  wore  out  my  tutor. 


126  BETTT    JVALES 

and  I  surprised  the  history  department  into  a 
compliment,  but  I'm  through.  That  is,  I  have 
only  math.,  and  one  other  little  thing." 

''  I  don't  see  how  you  did  it,"  sighed  Betty. 
''  I  should  never  dare  to  get  behind.  I  have 
all  I  want  to  do  with  the  regular  work." 

Eleanor  leaned  luxuriously  back  among  the 
couch  cushions.  "  Yes,"  she  said  loftily.  '^  I 
suppose  you  haven't  the  faintest  idea  what 
real,  downright  hard  w^ork  is,  and  neither  can 
you  appreciate  the  joys  of  downright  idleness. 
I  shall  try  that  as  soon  as  I've  finished  the 
math." 

^^Why?"  asked  Betty.  ''Do  you  like 
making  it  up  later?  " 

''  I  shouldn't  have  to.  You  know  I'm  get- 
ting a  reputation  as  an  earnest,  thorough 
student.  That's  what  the  history  department 
called  me.  A  reputation  is  a  wonderful  thing 
to  lean  back  upon.  I  ought  to  have  gone  in 
for  one  in  September.  I  was  at  the  Hill 
School  for  three  years,  and  I  never  studied 
after  the  first  three  months.  There's  every- 
thing in  making  people  believe  in  you  from 
the  first" 

''  What's  the  use  in  making  people  believe 


BETTr    WALES  127 

you're  something  that  you're  not  ?  "  demanded 
Betty. 

''  What  a  question !  It  saves  you  the 
trouble  of  being  that  something.  If  the  his- 
tory department  once  gets  into  the  habit  of 
thinking  me  a  thorough,  earnest  student,  it 
won't  condition  me  because  I  fail  in  a  written 
recitation  or  two.  It  will  suppose  I  had  an 
off  day." 

""  But  you'd  have  to  do  well  sometimes." 
"■  Oh,  yes,  occasionally.  That's  easy." 
''  Not  for  me,"  said  Betty,  ''  so  I  shall  have 
to  do  respectable  work  all  the  time.  But  I 
shall  tell  Helen  about  your  idea.  She  works 
all  the  time,  and  it  makes  her  dull  and  cross. 
She  must  have  secured  a  reputation  by  this 
time  ;  and  I  shall  insist  upon  her  leaning  back 
on  it  for  a  while  and  taking  more  walks." 


CHAPTER  IX 

PAYING    THE    PIPER 

"  I  FEEL  as  if  there  were  about  three  days 
between  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas/''  said 
Rachel,  coming  up  the  stairs,  to  Betty,  who 
stood  in  the  door  of  her  room  half  in  and  half 
out  of  her  white  evening  dress. 

''  That  leaves  one  day  and  a  half,  then,  be- 
fore vacation,"  laughed  Bett^^  ''I'm  sorry  to 
bother  you  when  you're  so  pressed  for  time, 
but  could  you  hook  me  up  ?  Helen  is  at  the 
library,  and  every  one  else  seems  to  be  off 
somewhere." 

''  Certainly,"  said  Rachel,  dropping  her 
armful  of  bundles  on  the  floor.  *'  I'm  only 
making  Christmas  presents.  Is  the /f  i^  dance 
coming  off  at  last?  " 

"  Yes — another  one,  that  is  ;  and  Mr.  Par- 
sons asked  me,  to  make  up  for  the  one  I  had 
to  miss.     Now,  would  you  hold  my  coat?" 

"  Betty  !  Betty  Wales  !  Wait  a  minute," 
called    somebody  just    as    Betty  reached  the 

128 


BETTY  STOOD   IN  THE   DOOR  OF  HER  ROOM 


BETTT    WALES  129 

Main  Street  corner,  and  Eleanor  Watson  ap- 
peared, also  dressed  for  the  dance. 

''  Why  didn't  you  say  you  were  going  to 
Winsted  ? "  she  demanded  breathlessly. 
*'  Good,  here's  a  car." 

''Why  didn't  you  say  you  were  going?" 
demanded  Betty  in  her  turn  as  they  scrambled 
on. 

*'  Because  I  didn't  intend  to  until  the  last 
minute.  Then  I  decided  that  I'd  earned  a  lit- 
tle recreation,  so  I  telegraphed  Paul  West  that 
I'd  come  after  all.     Who  is  your  chaperon  ?  " 

''Miss  Hale." 

"  Well  please  introduce  me  when  we  get 
down-town,  so  that  I  can  ask  if  I  may  join  her 
party." 

Ethel  Hale  received  Betty  with  enthusiasm, 
and  Eleanor  with  a  peculiar  smile  and  a  very 
formal  permission  to  go  to  Winsted  under  her 
escort.  As  the  two  were  starting  off  to  buy 
their  tickets,  she  called  Betty  back. 

"  Aren't  you  going  to  sit  with  me  on  the 
way  over,  little  sister  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Betty,  and  they  settled 
themselves  together  a  moment  later  for  the 
short  ride. 


I30  BETTT    WALES 

'^  You  never  come  to  see  me,  Betty,"  Miss 
Hale  began,  when  they  were  seated. 

'^  I'm  afraid  to,"  confessed  Betty  sheepishly. 
''  When  you're  a  faculty  and  I'm  only  a  fresh- 
man." 

''  Nonsense,"  laughed  Miss  Hale.  Then  she 
glanced  at  Eleanor,  who  sat  several  seats  in  front 
of  them,  and  changed  the  subject  abruptly. 
^'  What  sort  of  girl  is  Miss  Watson  ?  "  she  asked. 

Betty  laughed.  ''  All  sorts,  I  think,"  she 
said.  ''  I  never  knew  any  one  who  could  be 
so  nice  one  minute  and  so  trying  the  next." 

"  How  do  you  happen  to  know  her  well  ?  " 
pursued  Miss  Hale  seriously. 

Betty  explained. 

"  And  you  think  that  on  the  whole  she's 
worth  while?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  understand "    Betty 

was  beginning  to  feel  as  if  she  was  taking  an 
examination  on  Eleanor's  characteristics. 

**  You  think  that  on  the  whole  she's  more 
good  than  bad  ;  and  that  there's  something  to 
her,  besides  beauty.  That's  all  I  want  to 
know.     She  is  lovely,  isn't  she  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  agreed  Betty  enthusiastically. 
**  But  she's  very  bright  too.     She's  done  a  lot 


BETTT    WALES  131 

of  extra  work  lately  and  so  quickly  and  well. 
She's  very  nice  to  me  always,  but  she  dislikes 
my  roommate  and  she  and  I  are  always  dis- 
agreeing about  that  or  something  else.  I 
don't  think — you  know  she  wouldn't  do  a  dis- 
honorable thing  for  the  world,  but  I  don't 
approve  of  some  of  her  ideas ;  they  don't 
seem  quite  fair  and  square,  Ethel." 

''  Um,"  assented  Ethel  absently.  "■  I'm  glad 
you  could  tell  me  all  this,  Betty.  I  shouldn't 
have  asked  you,  perhaps ;  it's  rather  taking 
advantage  of  our  private  friendship.  But  I 
really  needed  to  know.     Ah,  here  we  are  !  " 

As  she  spoke,  the  train  slowed  down  and  a 
gay  party  of  Winsted  men  sprang  on  to  the 
platform,  and  jostled  one  another  down  the 
aisles,  noisily  greeting  the  girls  they  knew 
and  each  one  hunting  for  his  particular  guest 
of  the  afternoon.  They  had  brought  a  barge 
down  to  take  the  girls  to  the  college,  and  in 
the  confusion  of  crowding  into  it  Betty  found 
herself  separated  from  Ethel.  ''  I  wish  I'd 
asked  her  why  she  wanted  to  know  all  that," 
she  thought,  and  then  she  forgot  everything 
but  the  delicious  excitement  of  actually  being 
on  the  way  to  a  dance  at  Winsted. 


132  BETTT    WALES 

Most  of  the  fraternity  house  was  thrown 
open  to  the  visitors,  and  between  the  dances 
in  the  library,  which  was  big  enough  to  make 
an  excellent  ball-room  also,  they  wandered 
through  it,  finding  all  sorts  of  interesting 
things  to  admire,  and  pleasantly  retired  nooks 
and  corners  to  rest  in.  Mr.  Parsons  was  a 
very  attentive  host,  providing  partners  in 
plenty  ;  and  Betty,  w^ho  was  passionately  fond 
of  dancing  and  had  been  to  only  one  "  truly 
grown-up  "  dance  before,  was  in  her  element. 
But  every  once  in  awhile  she  forgot  her  own 
pleasure  to  notice  Eleanor  and  to  wonder  at 
her  beauty  and  vivacity.  She  was  easily  belle 
of  the  ball.  She  seemed  to  know  all  the  men, 
and  they  crowded  eagerly  around  her,  begging 
for  dances  and  hanging  on  her  every  word. 
Eleanor's  usually  listless  face  was  radiant. 
She  had  a  smile  and  a  gay  sally  for  every  one  ; 
there  was  never  a  hint  of  the  studied  coldness 
with  which  she  received  any  advances  from 
Helen  or  the  Riches,  nor  of  the  scornful  en- 
nui with  which  she  faced  the  social  life  of 
her  own  college. 

''  Aren't  you  glad  you  came  ?  "  said  Betty, 
when  they  met  at  the  frappe  table. 


BETTT    PFALES  133 

"  Rather,"  said  Eleanor  laconically.  '^  This 
is  life,  and  I've  only  existed  for  months  and 
months.  What  would  the  world  be  like  with- 
out men  and  music?  " 

''  Goodness  !  what  a  wise-sounding  remark," 
laughed  Betty. 

Just  then  Miss  Hale  came  up  in  charge  of  a 
very  young  and  callow  freshman. 

''  Please  lend  me  your  fan,  Betty,"  she  said. 
'^  I  was  afraid  it  would  look  forward  for  a 
chaperon  to  bring  one,  and  I'm  desperately 
warm." 

Eleanor,  who  had  turned  aside  to  speak  to 
her  partner,  looked  up  quickly  as  Ethel  spoke, 
and  meeting  Miss  Hale's  gray  eyes  she  flushed 
suddenly  and  moved  away. 

Betty  handed  Ethel  the  fan.     "  I  wish " 

she  began,  looking  after  Eleanor's  retreating 
figure.  But  as  she  spoke  the  music  started 
again  and  a  vivacious  youth  hurried  up  and 
whisked  her  away  before  she  had  time  to  fin- 
ish her  sentence  ;  and  she  could  not  get  near 
Ethel  again. 

''  Men  do  make  better  partners  than  girls," 
she  said  to  Mr.  Parsons  as  they  danced  the 
last   waltz    together.     "  And    I    think    their 


134  BETTT    WALES 

rooms  are  prettier  than  ours,  if  these  are  fair 
samples.  But  they  can't  have  any  better  time 
at  college  than  we  do." 

''  We  certainly  couldn't  get  on  at  all  with- 
out you  girls  across  the  river,"  Mr.  Parsons 
was  saying  gallantly,  when  the  music  stopped 
and  Eleanor,  followed  by  Mr.  West,  hurried  up 
to  Betty. 

'*  Excuse  me  one  moment,  Mr.  Parsons," 
she  said,  as  she  drew  Bettv  aside.  ''  I've  been 
trying  to  get  at  you  for  ever  so  long,"  she 
went  on.  "  I'm  in  a  dreadful  fix.  You  know 
I  told  you  I  hadn't  intended  to  come  here  to- 
day, but  I  didn't  tell  you  the  reason  why. 
The  reason  was  that  to-day  was  the  time  set 
for  my  math.  exam,  with  Miss  Mansfield.  I 
tried  to  get  her  to  change  it,  but  I  couldn't,  so 
finally  I  telephoned  her  that  I  was  ill.  Some 
one  else  answered  the  'phone  for  her,  saying 
that  she  was  engaged  and,  Betty — I'm  sure  it 
was  Miss  Hale." 

Betty  looked  at  her  in  blank  amazement. 
''  You  said  you  were  ill  and  then  came  here  I  " 
she  began.  "  Oh,  Eleanor,  how  could  you  ! 
But  what  makes  you  think  that  Miss  Hale 
knows?" 


BETTT    WALES  135 

^'  I'm  sure  I  recognized  her  voice  when  she 
asked  you  for  the  fan,  and  then  haven't  you 
noticed  her  distant  manner?"  said  Eleanor 
gloomily.     ''  Are  they  friends,  do  you  know  ?  " 

^'  They  live  in  the  same  house." 

'^  Then  that  settles  it.  You  seem  to  be  very 
chummy  with  Miss  Hale,  Betty.  You  couldn't 
reconcile  it  with  your  tender  conscience  to  say 
a  good  word  for  me,  I  suppose?  " 

''  I — why,  what  could  I  say  after  that  dread- 
ful message?"  Then  she  brightened  sud- 
denly. '^Why,  Eleanor,  I  did.  We  talked 
about  you  all  the  way  over  here.  Ethel  asked 
questions  and  I  answered  them.  I  told  her  a 
lot  of  nice  things,"  added  Betty  reassuringly, 
''  though  of  course  I  couldn't  imagine  why  she 
wanted  to  know.  What  luck  that  you  hadn't 
told  me  sooner  !  " 

Eleanor  stared  at  her  blankly.  ''  I  sup- 
pose," she  said  at  last,  ''  that  it  will  serve  me 
right  if  Miss  Hale  tells  Miss  Mansfield  that  I 
was  here,  and  Miss  Mansfield  refuses  me  an- 
other examination ;  but  do  you  think  she 
will?" 

Betty  glanced  at  Ethel.  She  was  standing 
at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  talking  to  two 


136  BETTT    IVALES 

Winsted  men,  and  she  looked  so  young  and 
pretty  and  so  like  one  of  the  girls  herself 
that  Betty  said  impulsively,  ''  She  couldn't !  " 
Then  she  remembered  how  different  Ethel  had 
seemed  on  the  train,  and  that  the  girls  in  her 
classes  stood  very  much  in  awe  of  her.  ''  I 
don't  know,"  she  said  slowly.  ''  She  just  hates 
any  sort  of  cheating.  She  might  think  it  was 
her  duty  to  tell.  Oh,  Eleanor,  why  did  you 
doit?" 

Eleanor  shrugged  her  shoulders  express- 
ively. Then  she  turned  away  with  a  radiant 
smile  for  Mr.  West.  ''  I  am  sorry  to  have  kept 
you  men  waiting,"  she  said.  ''  How  much 
more  time  do  we  have  before  the  barge  comes  ?  " 

Whatever  Miss  Hale  meant  to  do,  she  kept 
her  own  counsel,  deliberately  avoiding  inter- 
course with  either  Ethel  or  Betty.  She  bade 
the  girls  a  gay  good-bye  at  the  station,  and 
went  off  in  state  in  the  carriage  they  had  pro- 
vided for  her. 

''  I  suppose  it's  no  use  asking  if  you  had  a 
good  time,"  said  Betty  sympathetically,  as  she 
and  Eleanor,  having  decided  to  go  home  in 
comfort,  rolled  away  in  another. 

"  I  had  a  lovely  time  until  it  flashed  over 


BETTT    WALES  137 

me  about  that  telephone  message.  After  that 
of  course  I  was  worried  almost  to  death,  and  I 
would  give  anything  under  the  sun  if  I  had 
stayed  at  home  and  passed  oflP  my  math,  like 
a  person  of  sense." 

''  Then  why  don't  you  tell  Miss  Mansfield 
so?"  suggested  Betty. 

''  Oh,  Betty,  I  couldn't.  But  I  shan't  prob- 
ably have  the  chance,"  she  added  dryly. 
''  Miss  Hale  will  see  her  after  dinner.  I  hope 
she'll  tell  her  that  I  appeared  to  be  enjoying 
life." 

The  next  morning  when  Eleanor  presented 
herself  at  Miss  Mansfield's  class-room  for  the 
geometry  lesson,  another  assistant  occupied 
the  desk.  ^'  Miss  Mansfield  is  out  of  town  for 
a  few  days,"  she  announced.  Eleanor  gave 
Betty  a  despairing  glance  and  tried  to  fix  her 
attention  on  the  ''  originals  "  which  the  new 
teacher  was  explaining.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
class  would  never  end.  When  it  did  she  flew 
to  the  desk  and  inquired  if  Miss  Mansfield 
would  be  back  to-morrow. 

''  To-morrow  ?  Oh  no,"  said  the  young  as- 
sistant pleasantly.  ''  She's  in  Boston  for 
some  days.     No,  not  this  week  ;  next,  I  be- 


138  BETTT    WALES 

lieve.     You    are    Miss    Watson  ?     No,    there 
was  no  message  for  you,  I  think." 

The  next  week  was  a  longer  and  more 
harassing  one  than  any  that  Eleanor  could  re- 
member. She  had  not  been  blind  to  Betty's 
scorn  of  her  action.  Ever  since  she  came  to 
Harding  she  had  noted  with  astonishment  the 
high  code  of  honor  that  held  sway  among  the 
girls.  They  shirked  when  they  could,  assumed 
knowledge  when  they  had  it  not,  managed 
somehow  to  wear  the  air  of  leisurely  go-as- 
you-please  that  Eleanor  loved  ;  but  they  did 
not  cheat,  and  like  Betty  they  despised  those 
who  did.  So  Eleanor,  who  a  few  months  be- 
fore would  have  boasted  of  having  deceived 
Miss  Mansfield,  was  now  in  equal  fear  lest 
Miss  Hale  should  betray  her  and  lest  some  of 
her  mates  should  find  her  out.  She  wanted  to 
ask  Lil  Day  or  Annette  Gaynor  what  hap- 
pened if  you  cut  a  special  examination  ;  but 
suppose  they  should  ask  why  she  cared  to 
know?  That  would  put  another  knot  into 
the  "  tangled  web  "  of  her  deception.  It  would 
have  been  some  comfort  to  discuss  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  situation  with  Betty,  but  Eleanor 
denied  herself  even  that  outlet.     No  use  re- 


BETTr    WALES  139 

minding  a  girl  that  she  despises  you  !  If  only 
Betty  would  not  look  so  sad  and  sympathetic 
and  inquiring  when  they  met  in  the  halls,  in 
classes  or  at  table.  At  other  times  Eleanor 
barricaded  herself  behind  a  ''  Don't  disturb  " 
sign  and  studied  desperately  and  to  much 
purpose.  And  every  morning  she  hoped 
against  hope  that  Miss  Mansfield  would  hear 
the  geometry  class. 

The  suspense  lasted  through  the  whole 
week.  Then,  just  two  days  before  the  vaca- 
tion, Miss  Mansfield  reappeared  and  Eleanor 
asked  timidly  for  an  appointment. 

^'  Come  to-day  at  two,"  began  Miss  Mans- 
field. 

^'  Oh  thank  you  !  Thank  3^ou  so  much  !  " 
broke  in  Eleanor  and  stopped  in  confusion. 

But  Miss  Mansfield  onl}^  smiled  absently. 
''  Most  of  my  belated  freshman  don't  express 
such  fervent  gratitude  for  my  firmness  in 
pushing  them  through  before  the  vacation. 
They  try  to  put  me  off*."  She  had  evidently 
quite  forgotten  the  other  appointment. 

"  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  have  it  over,"  Eleanor 
murmured. 

Miss  Mansfield  looked  after  her  thoughtfully 


I40  BETTT    IVALES 

as  she  went  down  the  hall.  ''  Perhaps  I've 
misjudged  her,"  she  told  herself.  ''  When  a 
girl  is  so  pretty,  it's  hard  to  take  her  seri- 
ously." 

She  said  as  much  to  Ethel  Hale  when  they 
walked  home  to  lunch  together,  but  Ethel 
was  not  at  all  enthusiastic  over  Miss  Watson's 
earnestness. 

''  She's  very  late  in  working  off  a  condition, 
I  should  say,"  she  observed  coldly. 

'^  Yes,  but  I've  been  away,  you  know,"  ex- 
plained Miss  Mansfield.  ''  Oh,  Ethel,  I  wish 
you  could  meet  him.  You  don't  half  ap- 
preciate how  happy  I  am." 

Ethel,  who  had  decided  after  much  con- 
sideration to  let  Eleanor's  affairs  take  their 
course,  made  a  mental  observation  to  the 
effect  that  an  engagement  induces  shortness 
of  memory  and  tenderness  of  heart.  Then 
she  said  aloud  that  she  also  wished  she  might 
meet  ''  him." 

Time  flies  between  Thanksgiving  and 
Christmas,  particularly  for  freshmen  who  are 
looking  forward  to  their  first  vacation  at 
home.     It  flies  faster  after  they  get  there,  and 


BETTT    WALES  141 

when  they  are  back  at  college  it  rushes  on 
quite  as  swiftly  but  rather  less  merrily  toward 
the  fateful  ^'  mid-years."  None  of  the  Chapin 
house  girls  had  been  home  at  Thanksgiving 
time,  but  they  were  all  going  for  Christmas, 
except  Eleanor  Watson,  who  intended  to  spend 
the  vacation  with  an  aunt  in  New  York. 

They  prepared  for  the  flitting  in  character- 
istic ways.  Rachel,  who  was  very  systematic, 
did  all  her  Christmas  shopping,  so  that  she 
needn't  hurry  through  it  at  home.  Roberta 
made  but  one  purchase,  an  illustrated  ''  Alice 
in  Wonderland,"  for  her  small  cousins,  and 
spent  all  her  spare  time  in  re-reading  it  her- 
self. Helen,  in  spite  of  Betty's  suggestions 
about  leaning  back  on  her  reputation,  studied 
harder  than  ever,  so  that  she  could  go  home 
with  a  clear  conscience,  while  Katherine  was 
too  excited  to  study  at  all,  and  Mary  Brooks 
jeered  impartially  at  both  of  them.  Betty 
conscientiously  returned  all  her  calls  and  be- 
gan packing  several  days  ahead,  so  as  to  make 
the  time  seem  shorter.  Then  just  as  the  ex- 
pressman was  driving  off  with  her  trunk,  she 
remembered  that  she  had  packed  her  short 
skirt  at  the  very  bottom. 


142  BETTT    IVALES 

''Thank  you  ever  so  much.  If  he'd  got 
much  further  1  should  have  had  to  go  home 
either  in  this  gray  bath  robe  that  I  have  on, 
or  in  a  white  duck  suit,"  she  said  to  Kath- 
erine  who  had  gone  to  rescue  the  skirt  and 
came  back  with  it  over  her  arm. 

She  and  Katherine  started  west  together 
and  Eleanor  and  Roberta  went  with  them  to 
the  nearest  junction.  The  jostling,  excited 
crowd  at  the  station,  the  ''  good-byes  "  and 
''  Merry  Christmases,"  were  great  fun.  Betty, 
remembering  a  certain  forlorn  afternoon  in 
early  autumn,  laughed  happily  to  herself. 

''  What's  the  joke?  "  asked  Katherine. 

"■  I  was  thinking  how  much  nicer  things 
like  this  seem  when  you're  in  them,"  she  said, 
waving  her  hand  to  Alice  Waite. 

At  the  Cleveland  station,  mother  and  Will 
and  Nan  and  the  smallest  sister  were  watch- 
ing eagerly  for  the  returning  wanderer. 

''  Why,  Betty  Whales,  you  haven't  changed 
one  bit,"  announced  the  smallest  sister  in  tones 
of  deepest  wonder.  ''  Why,  I'd  have  known 
you  anywhere,  Betty,  if  I'd  met  you  on  the 
street." 

''  Three  months  isn't  quite  as  long  as  all 


BETTT    WALES  143 

that,"  said  Betty,  hugging  the  smallest  sister, 
"  but  I  was  hoping  I  looked  a  little  older. 
Nobody  ever  mistakes  me  for  a  senior,  as  they 
do  Rachel  Morrison.  And  I  ought  to  look 
years  and  years  wiser." 

*^  Nonsense,"  said  Will  with  a  lordly  air. 
''  Now  a  college  girl " 

Everybody  laughed.  ''  You  see  we  all  know 
your  theories  about  intellectual  women,"  said 
mother.  "'  So  suppose  you  take  up  the  suit 
case  and  escort  us  home." 

The  next  morning  a  note  arrived  from 
Eleanor. 

"  Dearest  Betty,"  it  ran  : 

"•  As  you  always  seem  to  be  just  around 
the  corner  when  I  get  into  a  box,  I  want  to  tell 
you  that  I  rode  down  to  New  York  with  Miss 
Hale.  She  asked  me  to  sit  with  her  and  I 
couldn't  well  refuse,  though  I  wanted  to  badly 
enough.  She  knew,  Betty,  but  she  w411  never 
tell.  She  said  she  was  glad  to  know  me  on 
your  account.  She  asked  me  how  the  term 
had  gone  with  me,  and  I  blushed  and  stam- 
mered and  said  that  I  was  coming  back  in 
a  different  spirit.  She  said  that  college  was 
the  finest  place  in  the  world  for  a  girl  to  get 
acquainted  with  herself — that  cowardice  and 


144  BETTT    JVALES 

weakness  of  purpose  and  meanness  and  petti- 
ness stood  out  so  clearly  against  the  back- 
ground of  fineness  and  squareness  ;  and  that 
four  years  was  long  enough  to  see  all  sorts  of 
faults  in  oneself,  and  change  them  according 
to  one's  new  theories.  As  she  said  it,  it  didn't 
sound  a  bit  like  preaching. 

"  I  didn't  tell  her  that  I  was  only  in  college 
for  one  year.  I  sent  her  a  big  bunch  of  violets 
to-day — she  surely  couldn't  regard  it  as  a  bribe 
now — and  after  Christmas  I'll  try  to  show  her 
that  I'm  worth  while. 

''  Merry  Christmas,  Betty. 

''  Eleanor." 

Nan  frowned  when  Betty  told  her  about 
Eleanor.  ^'  But  she  isn't  a  nice  girl,  Betty. 
Did  I  meet  her?" 

''  Yes,  she's  the  one  you  thought  so  pretty — 
the  one  with  the  lovely  eyes  and  hair." 

*'  Betty,"  said  Nan  soberly,  '^  you  don't  do 
things  like  this?" 

''I!"  Betty  flushed  indignantly.  ''Weren't 
there  all  kinds  of  girls  when  you  were  in  col- 
lege, Nan?  Didn't  you  ever  know  people 
who  did  '  things  like  this  '  ?  " 

Nan  laughed.  ''  There  certainly  were,"  she 
said.     ''  I'll  trust  you,  Betty.     Only  don't  see 


BETTr    WALES  145 

too  much  of  Miss  Watson,  or  she'll  drag  you 
doAvn,  in  spite  of  yourself." 

'*  But  Ethel's  dragging  her  up,"  objected 
Betty.  ''  And  I  gave  her  the  first  boost,  by 
knowing  Ethel.  Not  that  I  meant  to.  I 
never  seem  to  accomplish  things  when  I  mean 
to.     You  remember  Helen  Chase  Adams?  " 

'^  With  great  pleasure.  She  noticed  my 
youthful  appearance." 

''  Well,  I've  been  all  this  term  trying  to  re- 
form her  clothes,  but  I  can't  improve  her  one 
bit,  except  when  I  set  to  work  and  do  it  all 
myself.  I  should  think  you'd  be  afraid  she'd 
drag  me  into  dowdiness,  I  have  to  see  so  much 
of  her." 

Nan  smiled  at  the  dainty  little  figure  in  the 
big  chair.  '^  I  don't  notice  any  indications 
yet,"  she  said.  ''  It  took  you  an  hour  to 
dress  this  morning,  exactly  as  it  always  does. 
But  you'd  better  take  care.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  to-day  ?  " 

"  Make  your  friend  Helen  Chase  Adams  a 
stock  for  Christmas,"  announced  Betty,  jump- 
ing up  and  pulling  Nan  after  her.  *'  And 
you've  got  to  help,  seeing  you  admire  her  so 
much." 


CHAPTER  X 

A     RUMOR 

After  Christmas  there  were  goodies  from 
home  to  eat  and  Christmas-gifts  to  arrange  in 
their  new  quarters.  Betty's  piece  de  resist- 
ance was  a  gorgeous  leather  sofa  pillow 
stamped  with  the  head  of  a  ferocious  Indian 
chief  Eleanor  had  a  great  brass  bowl,  which 
in  some  mysterious  fashion  was  kept  con- 
stantly full  of  fresh  roses,  a  shelf  full  of  new 
books,  and  more  dresses  than  her  closet  would 
hold.  Katherine  had  a  chafing-dish,  Eachel 
a  Persian  rug,  and  Roberta  an  illustrated 
''  Alice  in  Wonderland "  of  her  own.  To 
Betty's  great  relief  Helen  had  brought  back 
two  small  pillows  for  her  couch,  all  her  skirts 
w^ere  lengthened,  and  the  Christmas  stock  of 
black  silk  with  its  white  linen  turnovers 
replaced  the  clumsy  woolen  collars  that 
she  had  worn  with  her  winter  shirt-waists. 
And — she  was  certainly  learning  to  do  her 
hair  more  becomingly.     There  w^asn't  a  very 

146 


BETTr    WALES  147 

marked  improvement  to  be  sure,  but  if  Betty 
could  have  watched  Helen's  patient  efforts  to 
turn  her  vacation  to  account  in  the  matter  of 
hair-dressing,  she  would  have  realized  how 
much  the  little  changes  meant,  and  would 
have  been  more  hopeful  about  her  pupil's 
progress.  Not  until  the  end  of  her  junior 
year  did  Helen  Adams  reach  the  point  where 
she  could  be  sure  that  one's  personal  appear- 
ance is  quite  as  important  a  matter  as  one's 
knowledge  of  calculus  or  Kantian  philoso- 
phies ;  but,  thanks  largely  to  Betty,  she  was 
beginning  to  want  to  look  her  best,  and  that 
was  the  first  step  toward  the  things  that  she 
coveted.  The  next,  and  one  for  which  Betty, 
with  her  open-hearted,  free-and-easy  fashion 
of  facing  life,  was  not  likely  to  see  the  need, 
must  be  to  break  down  the  barriers  that 
Helen's  sensitive  shyness  had  erected  between 
herself  and  the  world  around  her.  The  self- 
confidence  that  Caroline  Barnes  had  cruelly, 
if  unintentionally  wounded,  must  be  restored 
before  Helen  could  find  the  place  she  longed 
for  in  the  little  college  world. 

No  one  had  had  any  very  exciting  vacation 
adventures  except  Rachel,  who  was  delayed 


148  BETTT    WALES 

on  her  way  home  by  a  freight  wreck  and 
obliged  to  spend  Christmas  eve  on  a  wind- 
swept siding  with  only  a  ham  sandwich  be- 
tween her  and  starvation,  and  Eleanor,  whose 
vacation  had  been  one  mad  whirl  of  metro- 
politan gaiety.  Her  young  aunt,  who  sympa- 
thized w4th  her  niece's  distaste  for  college  life, 
and  couldn't  imagine  why  on  earth  Judge 
Watson  had  insisted  upon  his  only  daughter's 
trying  it  for  a  year  at  least,  did  her  utmost  to 
make  Eleanor  enjoy  her  visit.  So  she  had 
dined  at  the  Waldorf,  sat  in  a  box  at  the 
theatre  and  the  opera,  danced  and  shopped  to 
her  heart's  content,  and  had  seen  all  the  sights 
of  New  York.  And  at  all  the  festivities  Paul 
West,  a  friend  of  the  family  and  also  of 
Eleanor's,  was  present  as  Eleanor's  special 
escort  and  avowed  admirer.  Naturally  she 
had  come  back  in  an  ill  humor.  Between 
late  hours  and  excitement  she  was  completely 
worn  out.  She  wanted  to  be  in  New  York, 
and  failing  that  she  wanted  Paul  West  to 
come  and  talk  New  York  to  her,  and  bring 
her  roses  for  the  big  brass  bowl  that  she  had 
found  in  a  dingy  little  shop  in  the  Russian 
quarter.     She  threw  her  good  resolutions  to 


BETTT    JVALES  149 

the  winds,  received  Miss  Hale's  thanks  for  the 
violets  very  coldly,  and  begged  Betty  to  for- 
get the  sentimental  letter  that  she  had  written 
before  Christmas. 

"'  But  I  thought  it  was  a  nice  letter,"  said 
Betty.  "'  Eleanor,  why  won't  you  give  your- 
self a  chance?  Go  and  see  Ethel  this  after- 
noon, and — and  then  set  to  work  to  show  her 
what  you  said  you  would,"  she  ended  lamely. 

Eleanor  only  laughed.  "■  Sorry,  Betty,  but 
I'm  going  to  Winsted  this  afternoon.  Paul 
has  taken  pity  on  me ;  there's  a  sleighing 
party.  I  thought  perhaps  you  were  invited 
too." 

^'  No,  but  I'm  going  skating  with  Mary  and 
Katherine,"  said  Betty  cheerfully,  "•  and  then 
at  four  Rachel  and  I  are  going  to  do  Latin." 

'^  Oh,  Latin,"  said  Eleanor  significantly. 
"'  Let  me  think.  Is  it  two  or  three  weeks  to 
mid-years  ?  '^ 

^' Two,  just." 

''  Well,  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  do  a  little 
something  then  myself,"  said  Eleanor,  "■  but  I 
shan't  bother  yet  awhile.  Here  comes  the 
sleigh,"  she  added,  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow.    ''  Paul's  driving,  and  your  Mr.  Parsons 


I50  BETTT    JVALES 

has  asked  Georgie  Arnold.  What  do  you 
think  of  that?" 

"  I  should  certainly  hope  he  wouldn't  ask 
the  same  girl  to  everything,  if  that's  what 
you  mean,"  said  Betty  calmly,  helping  Elea- 
nor into  her  new  coat. 

Eleanor  shrugged  her  shoulders.  '^  Good- 
bye," she  said.  ''  For  my  part,  I  prefer  to  be 
the  one  and  onl}^ — while  I  last,"  and  snatch- 
ing up  her  furs  she  was  off. 

Betty  found  Mary  and  Katherine  in  posses- 
sion of  her  room  and  engaged  in  an  animated 
discussion  about  the  rules  of  hockey. 

''  I  tell  you  that  when  the  thing-um-bob 
is  in  play,"  began  Katherine. 

''  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  cut  in  Mary. 

^'  Come  along,  girls,"  interrupted  Betty, 
fishing  her  skates  from  under  her  couch,  and 
pulling  on  her  ''  pussy  "  mittens.  ''  Never 
mind  those  rules.  You  can't  play  hockey  to- 
day.    You  promised  to  skate  with  me." 

It  was  an  ideal  winter's  afternoon,  clear, 
cold  and  still.  The  ice  on  Paradise  was 
smooth  and  hard,  and  the  little  pond  was 
fairly  alive  with  skaters,  most  of  them  Hard- 
ing girls.     Betty  was  a  novice,  with  one  weak 


BETTT    WALES  151 

ankle  that  had  an  annoying  habit  of  turning 
over  suddenly  and  tripping  her  up  ;  so  she 
was  timid  about  skating  alone.  But  between 
Mary  and  Katherine  she  got  on  famously,  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  the  afternoon.  At  four 
Mary  had  a  committee  meeting,  Katherine  an 
engagement  to  play  basketball,  and  Betty  had 
agreed  to  meet  Rachel.  So  with  great  reluct- 
ance they  took  off  their  skates  and  started  up 
the  steep  path  that  led  past  the  boat-house  to 
the  back  gate  of  the  campus. 

'^  Goodness,  but  I'm  stiff,"  groaned  Mary, 
stopping  to  rest  a  minute  half  way  up.  ''  I'd 
have  skated  until  dinner  time  though,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  this  bothering  committee. 
Never  be  on  committees,  children." 

''Why  don't  you  apply  your  own  rules ?'^ 
inquired  Katherine  saucily. 

"  Oh,  because  I'm  a  vain  peacock  like  the 
rest  of  the  world.  The  class  president  comes 
to  me  and  says,  '  Now  Mary,  nobody  but  you 
knows  every  girl  in  the  class.  You  can  find 
out  the  sentiments  of  all  sorts  and  conditions 
on  this  matter.  And  then  you  have  such  fine 
executive  ability.  I  know  you  hate  commit- 
tees,  but '     Of  course   I   feel  pleased  by 


152  BETTT    WALES 

her  base  flattery,  and  I  don't  come  to  my 
senses  until  it's  too  late  to  escape.  Is  to-day 
the  sixteenth  ?  " 

''  No,  it's  Saturday,  the  twentieth,"  said 
Katherine.  "  Two  weeks  next  Monday  to 
mid-years." 

''  The  twentieth  !  "  repeated  Mary  in  tones 
of  alarm.  ''  Then  my  psychology  paper  is 
due  a  week  from  Tuesday.  I  haven't  done  a 
thing  to  it,  and  I  shall  be  so  busy  next  week 
that  I  can't  touch  it  till  Friday  or  Saturday. 
How  time  does  fly  !  " 

''  Don't  you  even  know  what  you're  going 
to  write  on  or  anything  that  you're  going  to 
say?"  asked  Betty,  who  always  wrote  her 
papers  as  soon  as  they  were  assigned,  to  get 
them  ofl*  her  mind,  and  who  longed  to  know^ 
the  secret  of  waiting  serenely  until  the 
eleventh  hour. 

"■  Why,  I  had  a  plan,"  answered  Mary  ab- 
sently, ^'  but  I've  waited  so  long  that  I  hardly 
know  if  I  can  use  it." 

Just  then  Alice  Waite  and  her  roommate 
came  panting  up  the  hill,  and  Mary,  who  sel- 
dom took  much  exercise  and  was  very  tired, 
fell  back  to  the  rear  of  the  procession.     But 


BETTT    WALES  153 

when  the  freshmen  stopped  in  front  of  the 
Hilton  House  she  trilled  and  waved  her  hand 
to  attract  their  attention. 

'^  Oh,  Betty,  please  take  my  skates  home," 
she  said  as  she  limped  up  to  the  group.  Then 
she  smiled  what  Roberta  had  named  her 
''  beamish  "  smile.  ''  I  know  what  you  girls 
are  talking  about,"  she  said.  ''  Will  you  give 
me  a  supper  at  Holmes's  if  I'm  right  ?  " 

*'  Yes,"  said  Katherine  recklessly,  ""  for  you 
couldn't  possibly  guess.     What  was  it?  " 

''  You're  wondering  about  those  fifty  fresh- 
men," answered  Mary  promptly. 

''  What  freshmen  ?  "  demanded  the  four  girls 
in  a  chorus,  utterly  ignoring  the  lost  wager. 

''  Why,  those  fifty  who,  according  to  a  per- 
fectly baseless  rumor,  are  going  to  be  sent 
home  after  mid-years." 

^'  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  gasped  Betty. 

''  Hadn't  you  heard  ?  "  asked  Mary  sooth- 
ingly. ''  Well,  I'm  sure  it  will  be  all  over  the 
college  by  this  afternoon.  Now  understand,  I 
don't  believe  it's  true.  If  it  were  ten  or  even 
twenty  it  might  be,  but  fifty — why,  girls,  it's 
preposterous ! " 

''  But  I  don't  understand  you,"  said  Miss 


154  BETTT    WALES 

Madison  excitedly.  She  had  grown  very  pale 
and  was  hanging  on  to  Katherine's  arm. 
'*  Do  you  mean  that  there  is  such  a  story — 
that  fifty  freshmen  are  to  be  sent  home  after 
mid-years?  " 

'^  Yes,"  said  Mary  sadly,  *'  there  is,  and 
that's  what  I  meant.  I'm  sorry  that  I  should 
have  been  the  one  to  tell  you,  but  you'd  have 
heard  it  from  some  one  else,  I'm  sure.  A 
thing  like  that  is  always  repeated  so.  Re- 
member, I  assure  you  I  don't  believe  a  word 
of  it.  Somebody  probably  started  it  on  pur- 
pose to  frighten  you  little  freshmen.  If  you 
would  take  my  skates,  Betty.  I  hate  to  lug 
them  around  till  dinner  time.  Now  good-bye, 
and  do  cheer  up." 

Left  to  themselves  the  four  freshmen  stared 
blankly  at  one  another.  Finally  Katherine 
broke  the  mournful  silence. 

''  Girls,"  she  said  solemnly,  ''  it's  utter  fool- 
ishness to  worry  about  this  report.  Mary 
didn't  believe  it  herself,  and  why  should 
we?" 

'^  She's  not  a  freshman,"  suggested  Alice 
gloomily. 

*'  There  are  almost  four  hundred  freshmen. 


BETTT    WALES  155 

Perhaps  the  fifty  wouldn't  be  any  of  us,"  put 
in  Betty. 

Miss  Madison  maintained  a  despairing 
silence. 

''  Well,"  said  Katherine  at  last,  "  if  it  is  true 
there's  nothing  to  be  done  about  it  now,  I  sup- 
pose ;  and  if  it  isn't  true,  why  it  isn't ;  so  I 
think  I'll  go  to  basket-ball,"  and  she  detached 
Miss  Madison  and  started  off. 

Betty  gave  a  prolonged  sigh.  ''  I  must  go 
too,"  she  said.  ''  I've  promised  to  study  Latin. 
I  presume  it  isn't  any  use,  but  I  can't  disap- 
point Rachel.  I  wish  I  was  a  fine  student  like 
Rachel.     She  won't  be  one  of  the  fifty." 

Alice,  who  had  been  in  a  brown  study, 
emerged,  just  as  Betty  turned  away. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  she  commanded.  ^'  Of 
course  it's  awfully  queer  up  here,  but  still,  if 
they  have  exams.  I  don't  see  the  use  of  cook- 
ing it  all  up  beforehand.  I  mean  I  don't  see 
the  use  of  exams,  if  it  is  all  decided." 

Her  two  friends  brightened  perceptibly. 

''That's  a  good  idea,"  declared  Betty. 
''  Every  one  says  the  mid-years  are  so  impor- 
tant. Let's  do  our  best  from  now  on,  and 
perhaps  the  faculty  will  change  their  minds.'* 


156  BETTT    WALES 

As  she  walked  home,  Betty  thought  of 
Eleanor.  ''  She'll  be  dreadfully  worried.  I 
shan't  tell  her  a  word  about  it,"  she  resolved. 
Then  she  remembered  Mary  Brooks's  remark. 
Yes,  no  doubt  some  one  else  would  enlighten 
Eleanor.  It  was  just  too  bad.  But  perhaps 
Mary  was  right  and  the  story  was  only  a 
story. 

It  is  hard  for  freshmen  on  the  eve  of  their 
mid-year  examinations  to  be  perfectly  calm 
and  philosophical.  The  story  of  the  fifty  un- 
fortunates ran  like  wild-fire  through  the  col- 
lege, and  while  upper-class  girls  sniffed  at  it 
as  absurd  and  even  freshmen,  particularly  the 
clever  ones,  pooh-poohed  it  in  public,  it  was 
the  cause  of  many  anxious,  and  some  tearful 
moments.  Betty,  after  her  first  fright,  had 
accepted  the  situation  with  her  usual  cheerful- 
ness, and  so  had  Alice  and  Rachel,  who  could 
not  help  knowing  that  her  work  was  of  ex- 
ceptionally high  grade,  while  Helen  irritated 
her  house-mates  by  affecting  an  anxiety  which, 
as  Katherine  put  it,  "  No  dig,  who  gets  '  good  ' 
on  all  her  written  work,  can  possibly  feel." 
Katherine  was  worried  about  her  mathematics, 
in  which  she  had  been  warned  before  Thanks- 


BETTT    WALES  157 

giving,  but  she  confided  to  Betty  that  she  had 
counted  them  up,  and  without  being  a  bit  con- 
ceited she  really  thought  there  were  fifty 
stupider  girls  in  the  class  of  19 — .  Roberta 
and  the  Riches,  however,  were  utterly  miser- 
able, and  Eleanor  wrote  to  Paul  West  that  she 
was  busy — she  had  written  ''  ill  "  first,  and 
then  torn  up  the  note — and  indulged  in  an- 
other frantic  fit  of  industry,  even  more  violent 
than  its  predecessors  had  been. 

''  But  I  thought  you  wanted  to  go  home," 
said  Betty  curiously  one  afternoon  when  Elea- 
nor had  come  in  to  borrow  a  lexicon.  ^'  You 
say  you  hate  it  here,  and  you  hate  to  study. 
So  why  do  you  take  so  much  trouble  about 
staying?  " 

Eleanor  straightened  proudly.  *^  Haven't 
you  observed  yet  that  I  have  a  bad  case  of  the 
Watson  pride?"  she  asked.  ''  Do  you  think 
I'd  ever  show  my  face  again  if  I  failed  ?  " 

''  Then  why "  began  Betty. 

'^  Oh,  that's  the  unutterable  laziness  that  I  get 
from  my — from  the  other  side  of  the  house," 
interrupted  Eleanor.  ''  It's  an  uncomfortable 
combination,  I  assure  you,"  and  taking  the 
book  she  had  come  for,  she  abruptly  departed. 


158  BETTT    WALES 

Betty  realized  suddenly  that  in  all  the  year 
Eleanor  had  never  once  spoken  of  her 
mother. 

After  that  she  couldn't  help  being  sorry  for 
Eleanor,  but  she  pitied  Miss  Madison  more. 
Miss  Madison  was  dull  at  books  and  she  knew 
it,  and  had  actually  made  herself  ill  with 
work  and  worry.  Going  to  see  her  Hilton 
House  friends  on  the  Friday  afternoon  after 
the  skating  party,  Betty  found  Miss  Madison 
alone  and  undisguisedly  crying. 

""  I  know  I'm  foolish,"  she  apologized. 
''  Most  people  just  laugh  at  that  story,  but  I 
notice  they  study  harder  since  they  heard  it. 
And  I'm  such  a  stupid." 

Betty,  who  hated  tears,  had  a  sudden  in- 
spiration. ''  Why  don't  you  ask  about  it  at 
the  registrar's  office  ?  "  she  suggested. 

''  Oh,  I  couldn't,"  wailed  Miss  Madison. 

"  Then  I  shall,"  returned  Betty.  ''  That  is, 
I  shall  ask  one  of  the  faculty." 

^' Would  you  dare?" 

''  Yes,  indeed.  They're  human,  like  other 
people,"  said  Betty,  quoting  Nan.  ''  I  don't 
see  why  some  one  didn't  think  of  it  sooner." 

That  night  at  dinner  Betty  announced  her 


BETTT    WALES  159 

plan.  The  freshmen  looked  relieved  and 
Mary  Brooks  showed  uncalled-for  enthusiasm. 

^'  Do  go,"  she  urged.  ''  It's  high  time  such 
an  absurd  story  was  shown  up  at  its  real 
value.  It's  absurd.  The  way  we  talk  and  talk 
about  a  report  like  that,  and  never  dare  to  ask 
the  faculty  if  it's  true." 

''  Do  you  take  any  freshman  courses  ? " 
inquired  Eleanor  sarcastically. 

Mary  smiled  her  ^'  beamish  "  smile.  ''  No," 
she  said,  '^  but  I'm  an  interested  party  never- 
theless— quite  as  much  so  as  any  of  the  famous 
fifty." 

''Whom  shall  you  ask,  Betty?"  pursued 
Katherine,  ignoring  the  digression. 

''  Miss  Mansfield.  I  have  her  the  first  hour, 
and  besides,  since  she's  been  engaged  she's  so 
nice  and  sympathetic." 

Next  day  the  geometry  class  dragged  un- 
mercifully for  three  persons.  Eleanor  beat  a 
nervous  tattoo  on  the  seat-arm,  Miss  Madison 
stared  fixedly  at  the  clock,  and  Betty  blushed 
and  twisted  and  wished  she  could  have  seen 
Miss  Mansfield  before  class.  The  delayed  in- 
terview was  beginning  to  seem  very  formi- 
dable.    But  it  wasn't,  after  the  first  plunge. 


i6o  BETTT    WALES 

"■  What  an  absurd  story ! "  laughed  Miss 
Mansfield.  "  Not  a  word  of  truth  in  it,  of 
course.  Why  I  don't  believe  the  girl  who 
started  it  thought  it  was  true.  How  long  has 
it  been  in  circulation  ?  " 

Betty  counted  the  days.  ''  I  didn't  really 
believe  it,"  she  added  shyly. 

''  But  you  worried,"  said  Miss  Mansfield, 
smiling  down  at  her.  ''  Next  time  don't  be 
taken  in  one  little  bit, — or  else  come  to  head- 
quarters sooner." 

Eleanor  and  Miss  Madison  were  waiting  out- 
side the  door  when  Betty  dashed  at  them  with 
a  little  squeal  of  ecstasy.  There  was  a  moment 
of  rapturous  congratulation  ;  then  Miss  Madi- 
son picked  up  the  note-book  she  had  dropped 
and  held  out  her  hand  solemnly  to  Betty. 

'^  You've — why  I  think  you've  saved  my 
life,"  she  said,  ''  and  now  I  must  go  to  my 
next  class." 

''You're  a  little  hero,"  added  Eleanor, 
catching  Betty's  arm  and  rushing  her  off  to  a 
recitation  in  Science  Hall. 

Roberta  received  the  joyful  news  more 
calmly.  ''  We  may  any  of  us  flunk  our  mid- 
years yet,"  she  said. 


BETTT    WALES  i6i 

"  But  we  can  study  for  them  in  peace  and 
comfort,"  said  Adelaide  Rich. 

Mary  Brooks  asked  endless  questions  at 
luncheon.  Did  the  girls  all  accept  Miss  Mans- 
field's denial  as  authoritative  ?  Did  it  travel 
as  fast  as  the  original  story  had  done  ?  How 
did  people  think  the  rumor  had  started  ? 

"'  Why,  nobody  mentioned  that,"  said  Rachel 
in  surprise.  ''  How  odd  that  we  shouldn't 
have  wondered !  " 

''  Shows  your  sheep-like  natures,"  said 
Mary,  rising  abruptly.  *'  Well,  now  I  can 
finish  my  psychology  paper." 

"'  Haven't  you  worked  on  itany  ?  "  inquired 
Betty. 

''  Oh,  yes,  I  made  an  outline  and  developed 
some  topics  last  night.  But  I  couldn't  finish 
until  to-day.  I  was  so  worried  about  you 
children." 

Toward  the  end  of  the  next  week  Rachel 
came  in  to  dinner  late  and  in  high  spirits. 
'^  I've  had  such  a  fine  walk  !  "  she  exclaimed. 
*'  Hester  Gulick  and  I  went  to  the  bridge,  and 
on  the  way  back  we  overtook  a  senior  named 
Janet  Andrews.  She  is  such  fun.  She'd 
walked  down-town  with  Professor  Hinsdale. 


i62  BETTT    JVALES 

He  teaches  psychology,  doesn't  he?  They 
seem  to  be  very  good  friends,  and  he  told  her 
such  a  funny  thing  about  the  fifty-freshmen 
story.     How  do  you  suppose  it  started  ?  " 

^'  Oh,  please  tell  us,"  cried  everybody  at 
once. 

"■  Why,  an  awfully  clever  girl  in  his  sopho- 
more class  started  it  as  an  experiment,  to  see 
how  it  would  take.  She  told  it  to  some  fresh- 
men, saying  explicitly  that  it  wasn't  true, 
and  they  told  their  friends,  and  so  it  went  all 
over  the  college  until  last  Saturday  Betty  got 
Miss  Mansfield  to  deny  it.  But  no  one  knew 
how  it  started  until  yesterday  when  Professor 
Hinsdale  looked  over  a  paper  in  which  the 
girl  had  written  it  all  up,  as  a  study  in  the 
way  rumors  spread  and  grow.  This  one  was 
so  big  to  begin  with  that  it  couldn't  grow 
much,  though  it  seems,  according  to  the  paper, 
that  some  people  had  added  to  it  that  half  the 
freshmen  would  be  conditioned  in  math." 

'*  How  awfully  funny ! "  gurgled  Betty. 
Then  she  jumped  almost  out  of  her  chair. 
''  Why,  Mary  Brooks  !  "  she  said. 

Everybody  looked  at  Mary,  who  blushed 
guiltily  and  remarked  with  great  dignity  that 


BETTr    WALES  163 

Professor  Hinsdale  was  an  old  telltale.  But 
when  she  had  assured  herself  that  the  fresh- 
men, with  the  possible  exception  of  Eleanor, 
w^ere  disposed  to  regard  the  psychological  ex- 
periment which  had  victimized  them  with 
perfect  good-nature,  and  herself  with  consid- 
erable admiration,  she  condescended  to  accept 
congratulations  and  answer  questions. 

"  Seriously,  girls,"  she  said  at  last,  "•  I  hope 
no  one  got  really  scared.  I  wanted  to  explain 
when  I  heard  Betty  tell  how  unhappy  Miss 
Madison  was,  but  I  really  thought  Miss  Mans- 
field's denial  would  cheer  her  up  more  and 
reach  her  almost  as  quickly,  and  at  the  same 
time  it  would  help  me  out  so  beautifully.  It 
made  such  a  grand  conclusion  ! 

"  You  see,"  she  went  on,  '*  Professor  Hins- 
dale put  the  idea  into  my  head  when  he  as- 
signed the  subjects  away  back  last  month. 
He  said  he  was  giving  them  out  early  so 
we  would  have  time  to  make  original  obser- 
vations. When  he  mentioned  '■  Rumor,'  he 
spoke  of  village  gossip,  and  the  faked  stories 
that  are  circulated  on  Wall  Street  to  make 
stocks  go  up  or  down,  and  then  of  the  wild 
way  we  girls  take  up  absurd  reports.     The  last 


i64  BETTT    tVALES 

suggestion  appealed  to  me,  but  I  couldn't  re- 
member anything  definite  enough,  so  I  de- 
cided to  invent  a  rumor.  Then  I  forgot  all 
about  it  till  that  Saturday  that  I  went  skating, 
and  '  you  know  the  rest,'  as  our  friend  Mr. 
Longfellow  aptly  remarks.  When  I  get  my 
chef-d'oeuvre  back  you  may  have  a  private 
view,  in  return  for  which  I  hope  you'll  en- 
courage your  friends  not  to  hate  me." 

**  Isn't  she  fun  ?  "  said  Betty  a  little  later, 
when  she  and  Helen  were  alone  together. 
"  Do  you  know,  I  think  this  rumor  business 
has  been  a  good  thing.  It's  made  a  lot  of  us 
work  hard,  and  only  seriously  frightened 
three  or  four." 

''  Yes,"  said  Helen  primly.  ''  I  think  so 
too.  The  girls  here  are  inclined  to  be  very 
frivolous." 

''  Who  ?  "  demanded  Betty. 

Helen  hesitated.  ''Oh,  the  girls  as  a 
whole." 

''  That  doesn't  count,"  objected  Betty. 
''  Give  me  a  name." 

''  Well,  Barbara  Gordon." 

''  Takes  sixteen  hours,  has  her  themes  read 
in  Mary's  class,  and  in  her  spare  moments 


BETTr    WALES  165 

paints  water  colors  that  are  exhibited  in  Bos- 
ton," said  Betty  promptly. 

''  Really  ?  "  gasped  Helen. 

"■  Really,"  repeated  Betty.  ''  Of  course  she 
was  very  well  prepared,  and  so  her  work  here 
seems  easy  to  her.  Next  year  I  hope  that  you 
and  I  won't  have  to  plod  along  so." 

Helen  said  nothing,  but  she  was  deeply 
grateful  to  Betty  for  that  last  sentence.  ''  You 
and  I  " — as  if  there  was  something  in  common 
between  them.  The  other  girls  set  her  apart 
in  a  class  by  herself  and  labeled  her  *'  dig." 
If  one  was  born  slow  and  conscientious  and 
plodding,  was  there  any  hope  for  one, — any 
place  among  these  pretty  girls  who  worked  so 
easily  and  idled  so  gracefully  ?  Helen  shut 
her  lips  firmly  and  resolved  to  keep  on  hunt- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  XI 

MID- YEARS  AND  A  DUST-PAN 

Viewed  in  retrospect  the  tragic  experiences 
of  one's  freshman  year  seem  often  the  most 
insignificant  of  trifles  ;  but  that  does  not  pre- 
vent their  being  at  the  time  momentous  as  the 
fate  of  empires.  There  are  mid-year  examina- 
tions, for  instance ;  after  one  has  survived 
them  a  few  times  she  knows  that  being 
''  flunked  out "  is  not  so  common  an  expe- 
rience as  report  represents  it  to  be,  and  as  for 
*'  low  grades  "  and  ^'  conditions,"  if  one  has 
"  cut "  or  been  too  often  unprepared  she  de- 
serves and  expects  them,  and  if  she  has  done 
her  best  and  still  finds  an  unwelcome  note  or 
two  on  the  official  bulletin  board,  why,  she 
must  remember  that  accidents  will  happen, 
and  are  generally  quite  endurable  when  viewed 
philosophically.  But  in  freshman  year  one  is 
inexperienced  and  easily  the  dupe  of  mischiev- 
ous sophomores.  Then  how  is  one  to  prepare 
for  the  dreadful  ordeal  ?     The  distinction   is 

i66 


BETTT    WALES  167 

not  at  all  clear  between  the  intelligent  review 
that  the  faculty  recommend  and  the  cramming 
that  they  abhor.  There  is  a  disconcerting  lit- 
tle rhyme  on  this  subject  that  has  been 
handed  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion for  so  long  that  it  has  lost  most 
of  its  form  and  comeliness  ;  but  the  point  is 
still  sharp.  It  is  about  a  girl  who  followed 
the  faculty's  advice  on  the  subject  of  cram- 
ming, took  her  exercise  as  usual,  and  went  to 
bed  each  night  at  ten  o'clock,  as  all  good 
children  should.  The  last  stanza  still  rhymes, 
thus  : 

"  And  so  she  did  not  hurry, 
Nor  sit  up  late  to  cram, 
Nor  have  the  blues  and  worry. 
But — she  failed  in  her  exam." 

Mary  Brooks  took  pains  that  all  her  '^  young 
friends,"  as  she  called  them,  should  hear  of 
this  instructive  little  poem. 

^^  I  really  thought,"  said  Betty  on  the  first 
evening  of  the  examination  week,  "'  when  that 
hateful  rumor  was  contradicted,  that  I  should 
never  be  scared  again,  but  I  am." 

*'  There's  unfortunately  nothing  rumorous 
about    these    exams.,"    muttered    Katherine 


i68  BETTT    WALES 

wrathfully.  ''  The  one  1  had  to-day  was  the 
real  article,  all  right." 

"•  And  I  have  my  three  worst  to-morrow  and 
next  day,"  mourned  Betty,  "■  so  I've  got  per- 
mission to  sit  up  after  ten  to-night.  Don't  all 
the  rest  of  you  want  to  come  in  here  and 
work?  Then  some  one  else  can  ask  Mrs. 
Chapin  for  the  other  nights." 

''  But  we  must  all  attend  strictly  to  busi- 
ness," said  Mary  Rich,  whereat  Helen  Adams 
looked  relieved. 

And  business  was  the  order  of  the  week. 
An  unwonted  stillness  reigned  over  the 
Chapin  house,  broken  occasionally  by  wild 
outbursts  of  hilarit}^,  which  meant  that  some 
examination  or  other  was  over  and  had 
not  been  so  bad  after  all.  Every  evening  at 
ten  the  girls  who  felt  it  necessary  to  sit  up 
later  assembled  in  one  room,  comfortably  at- 
tired in  kimonos — all  except  Roberta,  who 
had  never  been  seen  without  her  collar — and 
armed  with  formidable  piles  of  books ;  and 
presently  work  began  in  earnest.  There  was 
really  no  reason,  as  Rachel  observed,  why 
they  should  not  stay  in  their  own  rooms,  if 
they  were  going  to  sit  up  at  all.     This  Avasn't 


BETTT    WALES  169 

the  campus,  where  there  was  a  night-watch- 
man to  report  lights,  and  Mrs.  Chapin  was 
very  accommodating  about  giving  permission. 

''This  method  benefits  her  gas  bill  though," 
said  Katherine,  "  and  therefore  keeps  her  ac- 
commodating. Besides,  it's  much  easier  to 
stick  to  it  in  a  crowd." 

Eleanor  never  went  through  the  formality 
of  asking  Mrs.  Chapin's  permission  to  do  any- 
thing, and  she  did  not  care  for  the  moral  sup- 
port of  numbers.  She  was  never  sleepy,  she 
said,  pointing  significantly  to  her  brass 
samovar,  and  she  could  work  best  alone  in  her 
own  room.  She  held  aloof,  too,  from  the  dis- 
cussions about  the  examinations  which  were 
the  burden  of  the  week's  table-talk,  only  once 
in  a  while  volunteering  a  suggestion  about  the 
possible  answer  to  an  obscure  or  ambiguous 
question.  Her  ideas  invariably  astonished 
the  other  freshmen  by  their  depth  and  origi- 
nality, but  when  any  one  exclaimed,  Eleanor 
would  say,  sharply,  "  Why,  it's  all  in  the  text- 
book !  "  and  then  relapse  into  gloomy  silence. 

"  I  suppose  she  talks  more  to  her  friends 
outside,"  suggested  Rachel,  after  an  encounter 
of  this  sort. 


lyo  BETTT    WALES 

"  Not  on  your  life,"  retorted  Katherine. 
''  She's  one  of  the  kind  that  keeps  herself  to 
herself.  She  hates  us  because  we  have  to 
know  as  much  about  her  as  we  do,  living  here 
in  the  house  with  her.  I  hope  she  gets 
through  all  right." 

''  She's  awfully  clever,"  said  Mary  Rich  ad- 
miringly. ''  She'd  never  have  said  that  a 
leviathan  was  some  kind  of  a  church  creed,  as 
I  did  in  English." 

''  Yes,  she's  a  clever — blunderer,  but  she's 
also  a  sadly  mistaken  young  person,"  amended 
Katherine. 

It  was  convenient  to  have  one's  examina- 
tions scattered  evenly  through  the  week  with 
time  for  study  between  them,  but  pleasanter 
on  the  whole  to  be  through  by  Thursday  or 
Friday,  with  several  days  of  delicious  idleness 
before  the  new  semester  began.  And  as  a  cer- 
tain faction  of  the  college  always  manages  to 
suit  its  own  convenience  in  such  matters,  the 
campus,  which  is  the  unfailing  index  of  col- 
lege sentiment,  began  to  wear  a  leisurely,  holi- 
day air  some  time  before  the  dreaded  week  was 
over. 

The  ground  was  covered  deeply  with  snoWr 


BETTT    WALES  171 

which  a  sudden  thaw  and  as  sudden  a  freeze 
had  coated  with  a  thick,  hard  crust.  This 
put  a  stop  to  snow-shoeing  and  delayed  the 
work  of  clearing  the  ice  off  Paradise  pond, 
where  there  was  to  be  a  moonlight  carnival 
on  the  evening  of  the  holiday  that  follows 
mid-year  week.  But  it  made  splendid  coast- 
ing. Toboggans,  ''  bobs"  and  hand  sleds  ap- 
peared mysteriously  in  various  quarters,  and 
the  pasture  hills  north  of  the  town  swarmed 
with  Harding  girls  out  for  fresh  air,  exercise 
and  fun. 

On  Friday  afternoon  an  ingenious  damsel 
who  had  no  sled  conceived  the  idea  of  substi- 
tuting a  dust-pan.  So  she  borrowed  one  of  an 
obliging  chambermaid  and  went  out  to  the 
little  slope  which  divides  the  front  from  the 
back  campus  to  try  her  experiment.  In 
twenty  minutes  the  hill  was  alive  with  girls, 
all  the  available  dust-pans  had  been  pressed 
into  service,  and  large  tin  pans  were  found  to 
do  nearly  as  well.  Envious  groups  of  girls 
who  could  get  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
watched  the  absurd  spectacle  from  the  win- 
dows of  the  nearest  campus  houses  or  hurried 
down-town  to  buy  tinware.     Sleds  were  neg- 


172  BETTr    WALES 

lected,  toboggans  despised  ;  the  dust-pan  fad 
had  taken  possession  of  the  college. 

Betty,  who  had  the  happy  faculty  of  being 
on  hand  at  interesting  moments,  was  crossing 
the  campus  on  her  way  home  from  the  Hilton 
House.  She  had  taken  her  last  examination, 
had  helped  Alice  Waite  finish  up  a  box  of 
candy,  and  now  had  nothing  to  do  until  din- 
ner time,  so  she  stopped  to  watch  the  novel 
coasting,  and  even  had  one  delicious  ride  her- 
self on  Dorothy  King's  dust-pan. 

Near  the  gate  she  met  Mary  Brooks  and 
Roberta  and  asked  them  if  they  had  been 
through  the  campus. 

''  No,"  said  Mar}^,  ''  we've  been  having 
chocolate  at  Cuyler's."  And  she  dragged  her 
companions  back  to  within  sight  of  the  hill. 
Then  she  abruptly  turned  them  about  and 
hurried  them  off  in  the  other  direction. 

''  Let's  go  straight  down  and  buy  some  dust- 
pans," she  began  enthusiastically.  "'  We  have 
just  time  before  dinner,  and  we  can  slide  all 
to-morrow  afternoon." 

''  Oh,  no,"  demurred  Roberta.    ''  I  couldn't." 

Betty  laughed  at  her  expression  of  alarm, 
and  Mary  demanded,  ''  Why  not?  " 


BETTT    WALES  173 

''Oh,  I  couldn't/'  repeated  Roberta.  ''It 
looks  dangerous,  and,  besides,  I  have  to  dress 
for  dinner." 

"  Dangerous  nothing ! "  jeered  Mary. 
"  Don't  be  so  everlastingly  neat  and  lady- 
like, child.  What's  the  use?  Well,"  as 
Roberta  still  hung  back,  "  carry  my  fountain 
pen  home,  then,  and  don't  spill  it.  Come  on, 
Betty,"  and  the  two  raced  off  down  the  hill. 

Roberta  looked  after  them  admiringly, 
wishing  she  were  not  such  a  "muff"  at  out- 
door sports. 

The  next  afternoon  Betty  and  Mary  hurried 
over  to  the  campus  directly  after  luncheon  to 
try  their  new  toys.  The  crust  was  still  firm 
and  the  new  sport  popular  as  ever. 

"  You  see  it's  much  more  exciting  than  a 
'  bob,' "  a  tall  senior  was  explaining  to  a 
group  of  on-lookers.  "  You  can't  steer,  so 
you're  just  as  likely  to  go  down  backward  as 
frontward ;  and  being  so  near  the  ground 
gives  you  a  lovely  creepy  sensation." 

"The  point  is,  it's  such  a  splendid  antidote 
for  overstudying.  It  just  satisfies  that  abso- 
lutely idiotic  feeling  that  every  one  has  after 
mid-years,"  added  an  athletic  young  woman  in 


174  BETTT    }VALES 

a  gray  sweater,  as  she  joined  the  group  with 
her  dust-pan  tucked  scientifically  under  her 
arm. 

She  was  Marion  Lawrence,  sophomore  vice- 
president,  and  Mary  Brooks's  best  friend. 
Betty,  fearing  to  be  in  the  way,  joined  another 
lone  freshman  from  the  Belden  House. 

''  Do  you  suppose  you  could  sit  up  to  study 
to-night  if  you  had  to  ?  "  inquired  the  fresh- 
man as  they  stood  waiting  their  turns  to  go 
down. 

"■  No,  only  it  seems  as  if  you  always  could 
do  what  you  have  to,"  answered  Betty,  start- 
ing off. 

She  decided  presently  that  dust-pan  coast- 
ing was  not  so  much  fun  as  it  looked.  Mary 
Brooks,  coming  to  find  her  and  ask  her  to  join 
a  racing  tournament  captained  by  herself  and 
Marion  Lawrence,  declared  noisily  that  she 
Avas  having  ''  the  time  of  her  gay  young  life," 
but  Betty  after  the  first  coast  or  two  began  to 
think  of  going  home.  Perhaps  it  was  because 
she  was  so  tired.  It  seemed  so  much  trouble 
to  walk  up  on  the  slippery  crust  and  such  a 
long  way  round  by  the  path.  So  she  refused 
to  enter  the  tournament.     ''  I'm  not  going  to 


BETTT    WALES  175 

stay  long  enough/'  she  explained.  *'  I  shall 
just  have  two  more  slides.  Then  I'm  going 
home  to  take  a  nap.  That's  my  best  antidote 
for  overstudy." 

The  next  coast  was  nicer.  Perhaps  the  dust- 
pan had  been  too  new.  The  Belden  House 
freshman  said  that  hers  went  better  since  her 
roommate  had  used  it  and  scraped  off  all  the 
paint  in  a  collision. 

*'  I  wonder  there  aren't  more  collisions," 
said  Betty,  preparing  for  her  last  slide. 

Half-way  down  she  discovered  that  the 
other  freshman  and  the  rest  hadn't  started — 
that  the  hill  was  almost  clear.  Then  some- 
body called  shrilly,  ''  Look  out,  Miss  Wales." 
She  turned  her  head  back  toward  the  voice, 
the  dust-pan  swirled,  and  she  turned  back 
again  to  find  herself  slipping  rapidly  sidewise 
straight  toward  a  little  lady  who  was  walking 
serenely  along  the  path  that  cut  the  coast  at 
right  angles.  She  was  a  faculty — Betty 
hadn't  the  least  idea  what  her  name  was,  but 
she  had  noticed  her  on  the  ''  faculty  row  "  at 
chapel.  In  an  instant  more  she  was  certainly 
going  to  run  into  her.  Betty  dug  her  heels 
frantically  into  the  crust.     It  would  not  break. 


176  BETTT    WALES 

''  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  can't  stop  !  " 
she  called. 

At  that  the  little  lady,  who  was  walking 
rapidly  with  her  head  bent  against  the  wind, 
looked  up  and  apparently  for  the  first  time 
noticed  the  dust-pan  coasters.  Mirth  and  con- 
fusion overcame  her.  She  stopped  an  instant 
to  laugh,  then  started  back,  then  changed  her 
mind  and  dashed  wildly  forward,  with  the  in- 
evitable result  that  she  fell  in  an  undignified 
heap  on  top  of  Betty  and  the  dust-pan.  The 
accident  took  place  on  the  edge  of  the  path 
where  the  crust  was  jagged  and  icy.  Betty, 
who  had  gone  head-first  through  it,  emerged 
with  a  bleeding  scratch  on  one  cheek  and  a 
stinging,  throbbing  wrist.  Fortunately  her 
companion  was  not  hurt. 

''  Oh,  Fm  so  sorry  !  "  sighed  Betty,  trying 
to  brush  the  snow  off  her  victim  with  one 
hand.  ''  I  do  hope  you'll  forgive  me  for  being 
so  careless."  Then  she  sat  down  suddenly  on 
the  broken  crust.  "  It's  only  that  my  wrist 
hurts  a  little,"  she  finished  abruptly. 

The  girls  had  gathered  around  them  by  this 
time,  sympathizing  and  lamenting  that  they 
had    not  warned    Betty   in    time.     "  But   we 


BETTT    WALES  177 

thought  of  course  you  saw  Miss  Ferris,"  said 
the  tall  senior,  "  and  we  supposed  she  was 
looking  out  for  you." 

So  this  was  Miss  Ferris — the  great  Miss 
Ferris.  Rachel  had  sophomore  zoology  with 
her  and  Mary  Brooks  had  said  that  she  was 
considered  the  most  brilliant  woman  on  the 
faculty.  She  was  ''  house-teacher "  at  the 
Hilton,  and  Alice  Waite  and  Miss  Madison 
were  always  singing  her  praises. 

She  cut  Betty's  apologies  and  the  girls'  in- 
quiries short.  ''  My  dear  child,  it  was  all  my 
fault,  and  you're  the  one  who's  hurt.  Why 
didn't  you  girls  stop  me  sooner — call  to  me  to 
go  round  the  other  way  ?  I  was  in  a  hurry 
and  didn't  see  or  hear  you  up  there."  Then 
she  sat  down  on  the  crust  beside  Betty.  ''  For- 
give me  for  laughing,"  she  said,  ''  but  you  did 
look  so  exactly  like  a  giant  crab  sidling  along 
on  that  ridiculous  dust-pan.  Have  you 
sprained  your  wrist?  Then  you  must  come 
straight  over  to  my  room  and  wait  for  a 
carriage." 

Betty's  feeble  protests  were  promptly  over- 
ruled, and  supported  b}^  Mary  Brooks  on  one 
side  and  Miss  Ferris  on  the  other  she  was  hur- 


178  BETTT    WALES 

ried  over  to  the  Hilton  House  and  tucked  up 
in  Miss  Ferris's  Morris  chair  by  her  open  fire, 
to  await  the  arrival  of  the  college  doctor  and 
a  carriage.  In  spite  of  her  embarrassment  at 
having  upset  so  important  a  personage,  and 
the  sharp  pains  that  went  shooting  up  and 
down  her  arm,  she  was  almost  sorry  when 
doctor  and  carriage  arrived  together.  Miss 
Ferris  was  even  nicer  than  the  girls  had  said. 
Somehow  she  made  one  feel  at  home  immedi- 
ately as  she  bustled  about  bringing  a  towel 
and  a  lotion  for  Betty's  face,  hot  water  for 
her  wrist,  and  ''  butter-thins "  spread  with 
delicious  strawberry  jam  to  keep  her  courage 
up.  Before  she  knew  it,  Betty  was  telling 
her  all  about  her  direful  experiences  during 
examination  week,  how  frightened  she  had 
been,  and  how  sleepy  she  was  now, — ''  not 
just  now  of  course  " — and  how  she  had  been 
all  ready  to  go  home  when  the  spill  came. 
And  Miss  Ferris  nodded  knowingly  at  Mary 
and  laughed  her  little  rippling  laugh. 

'*  Just  like  these  foolish  little  freshmen  ;  isn't 
it?  "  she  said,  exactly  as  if  she  had  been  one 
last  year  too.  And  yet  there  was  a  suspicion 
of  gray  in  her  hair,  and  she  was  a  doctor  of 


BETTT    WALES  179 

philosophy  and  had  written  the  leading  article 
in  the  learned  German  magazine  that  lay  on 
her  table. 

"■  You  must  come  again,  both  of  you,  when 
I  can  make  tea  for  you  properly,"  she  said  as 
she  closed  the  carriage  door. 

Betty,  leaning  whitely  back  on  Mary's 
shoulder,  with  her  arm  on  Miss  Ferris's  soft- 
est down  pillow,  smiled  happily  between  the 
throbs.  If  she  was  fated  to  have  sprained  her 
wrist,  she  was  glad  that  she  had  met  Miss  Ferris. 

Saturday  night  and  Sunday  were  long  and 
dismal  beyond  belief  The  wrist  ached,  the 
cheek  smarted,  and  a  bad  cold  added  its  quota 
to  Betty's  miseries.  But  she  slept  late  Mon- 
day morning,  and  when  she  woke  felt  able  to 
sit  up  in  bed  and  enjoy  her  flowers  and  her 
notoriety.  Just  after  luncheon  the  entire 
Chapin  house  came  in  to  congratulate  and 
condole  with  her. 

''  It's  too  windy  to  have  any  fun  outdoors," 
began  Rachel  consolingly. 

"  Who  sent  you  those  violets?"  demanded 
Katherine. 

"  Miss  Ferris.  Wasn't  it  dear  of  her  ?  There 
was  a  note  with  them,  too,  that  said  she  con- 


i8o  BETTT    WALES 

sidered  herself  still  '  deeply  in  my  debt/  be- 
cause of  her  carelessness — think  of  her  saying 
that  to  me  ! — and  that  she  hopes  I  won't  hesi- 
tate to  call  on  her  if  she  '  can  ever  be  of  the 
slightest  assistance.'  And  Mary,  she  said  for 
us  not  to  forget  that  Friday  is  her  day  at 
home." 

*'  You  are  the  luckiest  thing,  Betty  Wales," 
sighed  Rachel,  who  worshiped  Miss  Ferris 
from  afar. 

''  Now  if  rd  knocked  the  august  Miss  Fer- 
ris down,"  declared  Katherine,  ''  I  should 
probably     have     been      expelled     forthwith. 

Whereas  you "     She  finished  the  sentence 

with  an  expressive  little  gesture. 

''  Who  gave  you  the  rest  of  this  conserva- 
tory, Betty?  "  asked  Mary  Brooks. 

''  Clara  Madison  brought  the  carnations,  and 
Nita  Reese,  a  girl  in  my  geometry  division, 
sent  the  white  roses,  and  Eleanor  the  pink 
ones,  and  the  freshman  I  was  sliding  with 
these  lilies-of-the-valley.  It's  almost  worth  a 
sprained  wrist  to  find  out  how  kind  people  are 
to  you,"  said  Betty  gratefully. 

''  Too  bad  you'll  miss  to-night,"  said  Mary, 
^'  but  maybe  it  will  snow." 


BETTT    WALES  i8i 

"  I  don't  mind  that.  The  worst  thing  is  my 
not  being  able  to  get  my  conditions  off  the 
bulletin,"  said  Betty,  making  a  wry  face. 

''  Goodness  !  That  is  a  calamity  !  "  said 
Katherine  with  mock  seriousness. 

*'  Nonsense  !    You've  studied,"  from  Rachel. 

''  If  you  should  have  any  conditions,  I'll 
bring  them  to  you,"  volunteered  Eleanor 
quietly.  Then  she  looked  straight  at  Rachel 
and  Katherine  and  smiled  pleasantly.  ''  I'm 
sorry  to  say  that  I  haven't  studied,"  she 
said. 

Betty  thanked  her,  feeling  more  pleased  at 
the  apparent  harmony  of  the  household  than 
she  had  been  with  all  her  flowers.  It  was  so 
difficult  to  like  Eleanor  and  Rachel  and  Kath- 
erine and  Helen,  all  four,  so  well,  when 
Rachel  and  Katherine  had  good  reason  for 
disliking  Eleanor,  and  Helen  wouldn't  hitch 
with  any  of  the  rest. 

''  Do  you  know  that  Prexy  had  forbidden 
sliding  on  dust-pans  ?"  asked  Mary  Rich  in 
the  awkward  pause  that  followed. 

''  Oh,  yes,"  added  Mary  Brooks,  ''  I  forgot  to 
tell  you.  So  it's  just  as  well  that  I  lost  mine 
in  the  shuffle." 


i82  BETTT    WALES 

^'  But  I'm  sorry  to  have  been  the  one  to  stop 
the  fun,"  said  Betty  sadly. 

''  Oh,  it  wasn't  wholly  that.  Two  other 
girls  banged  into  each  other  after  we  left." 

''  But  you're  the  famous  one,"  added  Rachel, 
"  because  you  knocked  over  Miss  Ferris.  She 
looked  so  funny  and  knowing  when  Prexy 
announced  it  in  chapel." 

"■  I  wish  I  could  do  something  for  you  too," 
said  Helen  timidly,  after  the  rest  had  drifted 
out  of  the  room. 

"  Why  you  have,"  Betty  assured  her.  "  You 
helped  a  lot  both  times  the  doctor  came,  and 
you've  stayed  out  of  the  room  whenever  I 
wanted  lo  sleep,  and  brought  up  all  my  meals, 
and  written  home  for  me." 

Helen  flushed.  ''  That's  nothing.  I  meant 
something  pretty  like  those,"  and  she  pointed 
to  the  tableful  of  flowers,  and  then  going  over 
to  it  buried  her  face  in  the  bowl  of  English 
violets. 

Betty  watched  her  for  a  moment  with  a 
vague  feeling  of  pit}^  ''  I  don't  suppose  she 
has  ten  cents  a  month  to  spend  on  such 
things,"  she  thought, ''  and  as  for  having  them 
sent  to  her "     Then  she  said  aloud,  ''  We 


BETTT    WALES  183 

certainly  don't  need  any  more  of  those  at  pres- 
ent. Were  you  going  to  the  basket-ball 
game?  " 

"•  I  thought  I  would,  if  you  didn't  want 
me." 

^^  Not  a  bit,  and  you're  to  wear  some  violets 
— a  nice  big  bunch.  Hand  me  the  bowl, 
please,  and  I'll  tie  them  up." 

Helen  gave  a  little  gasp  of  pleasure.  Then 
her  face  clouded.  ''  But  I  couldn't  take  your 
violets,"  she  added  quickly. 

Betty  laughed  and  went  on  tying  up  the 
bunch,  only  making  it  bigger  than  she  had  at 
first  intended.  After  Helen  had  gone  she 
cried  just  a  little.  ''  I  don't  believe  she  ever 
had  any  violets  before,"  she  said  to  the  green 
lizard.  ''  Why,  her  eyes  were  like  stars — 
she  was  positively  pretty." 

More  than  one  person  noticed  the  happy 
little  girl  who  sat  quite  alone  in  the  running 
track,  dividing  her  eager  attention  between 
the  game  and  the  violets  which  she  wore 
pinned  to  her  shabby,  old-fashioned  brown 
jacket. 

Meanwhile  Betty,  propped  up  among  her 
pillows,  was  trying  to  answer  Nan's  last  letter. 


i84  BETTT    WALES 

''You  seem  to  be  interested  in  so  many 
other  people's  affairs/'  Nan  had  written, ''  that 
you  haven't  any  time  for  your  own.  Don't 
make  the  mistake  of  being  a  hanger-on." 

''  You  see,  Nan,"  wrote  Betty,  ''  I  am  at  last 
a  heroine,  an  interesting  invalid,  with  scars, 
and  five  bouquets  of  flowers  on  my  table.  I 
am  sorry  that  I  don't  amount  to  more  usually. 
The  trouble  is  that  the  other  people  here  are 
so  clever  or  so  something-or-other  that  I  can't 
help  being  more  interested  in  them.  I'm 
afraid  I  am  only  an  average  girl,  but  I  do 
seem  to  have  a  lot  of  friends  and  Miss  Ferris, 
whom  you  are  always  admiring,  has  asked  me 
to  five  o'clock  tea.     Perhaps,  some  day " 

Writing  with  one's  left  hand  was  too  labor- 
ious, so  Betty  put  the  letter  in  a  pigeon-hole 
of  her  desk  to  be  finished  later.  As  she 
slipped  the  sheets  in.  Miss  Ferris's  note 
dropped  out.  ''  I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  want 
to  ask  her  anything,"  thought  Betty,  as  she 
put  it  carefully  away  in  the  small  drawer  of 
her  desk  that  held  her  dearest  treasures. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  TRIUMPH  FOR  DEMOCRACY 

By  Wednesday  Bett}^  was  well  enough  to  go 
to  classes,  though  she  felt  very  conspicuous 
with  her  scratched  face  and  her  wrist  in  a 
sling.  And  so  when  early  Wednesday  after- 
noon Eleanor  pounced  on  her  and  Katherine 
and  demanded  why  they  were  not  starting  to 
class-meeting,  she  replied  that  she  at  least  was 
not  going. 

''  Nor  I,"  said  Katherine  decidedly.  ''  It's 
sure  to  be  stupid." 

''  I'm  sorry/'  said  Eleanor.  "  We  may  need 
you  badly ;  every  one  is  so  busy  this  week. 
Perhaps  you'll  change  your  minds  before  two- 
thirty,  and  if  you  do,  please  bring  all  the  other 
girls  that  you  can  along.  You  know  the 
notice  was  marked  important." 

"  Evidently  all  arranged  beforehand," 
sniffed  Katherine,  as  Eleanor  departed,  ex- 
plaining that  she  had  promised  to  be  on  hand 
early,  ready  to  drum  up  a  quorum  if  necessary. 

i8s 


i86  BETTT    IVALES 

Betty  looked  out  at  the  clear  winter  sun- 
shine. *'  I  wanted  a  little  walk/'  she  said. 
'^  Let's  go.  If  it's  long  and  stupid  we  can 
leave  ;  and  we  ought  to  be  loyal  to  our  class." 

''  All  right,"  agreed  Katherine.  ''  I'll  go  if 
you  will.  I  should  rather  like  to  see  what 
they  have  on  hand  this  time." 

''  They  "  meant  the  Hill-School  contingent, 
who  from  the  initial  meeting  had  continued  to 
run  the  affairs  of  the  class  of  1 9 — .  Some  of  the 
girls  were  indignant,  and  a  few  openly  rebel- 
lious, but  the  majority  were  either  indifferent 
or  satisfied  that  the  Hill  clique  was  as  good  as 
any  other  that  might  get  control  in  its  stead. 
So  the  active  opposition  had  been  able  to  ac- 
complish nothing,  and  Hill's  machine,  as  a 
cynical  sophomore  had  dubbed  it,  had  elected 
its  candidates  for  three  class  officers  and  the 
freshman  representative  on  the  Students'  Com- 
mission, while  the  various  class  committees 
were  largely  made  up  of  Jean  Eastman's  inti- 
mate friends. 

''  I  hope  that  some  of  the  crowd  have  nicer 
manners  than  our  dear  Eleanor  and  are  better 
students,"  Mary  Brooks  had  said  to  Betty. 
*'  Otherwise  I'm  afraid  your  ship  of  state  will 


BETTT    WALES  187 

run  into  a  snag  of  faculty  prejudices  some  fine 
day." 

Betty  belonged  to  the  indifferent  faction  of 
the  class.  She  was  greatly  interested  in  all  its 
activities,  and  prepared  to  be  proud  of  its 
achievements,  but  she  possessed  none  of  the 
instincts  of  a  wire-puller.  So  long  as  the  class 
offices  were  creditably  filled  she  cared  not  who 
held  them,  and  comparing  her  ignorance  of 
parliamentary  procedure  with  the  glib  self- 
confidence  of  Jean,  Eleanor  and  their  friends, 
she  even  felt  grateful  to  them  for  rescuing  the 
class  from  the  pitfalls  that  beset  inexperience. 

Katherine,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  bitter 
opponent  of  what  she  called  "  ring  rule,"  and 
Adelaide  Rich,  who  was  the  only  recruit  that 
they  could  succeed  in  adding  to  their  party, 
had  never  forgotten  the  depths  of  iniquity 
which  her  pessimistic  acquaintance  had  re- 
vealed in  the  seemingly  innocent  and  well 
conducted  first  meeting,  and  was  prepared  to 
distrust  everything,  down  to  the  reading  of 
the  minutes. 

The  three  were  vigorously  applauded  when 
they  appeared  in  the  door  of  No.  19,  the  biggest 
recitation  room  in  the  main  building  and  so 


i88  BETTT    WALES 

the  one  invariably  appropriated  to  freshman 
assemblies.  Katherine  whispered  to  Mary 
that  she  had  not  known  Betty  was  quite  so 
popular  as  all  that ;  but  a  girl  on  the  row  be- 
hind the  one  in  which  they  found  seats  ex- 
plained matters  by  whispering  that  three  had 
been  the  exact  number  needed  to  make  up  a 
quorum. 

The  secretary's  report  was  hastily  read  and 
accepted,  and  then  Miss  Eastman  stated  that 
the  business  of  the  meeting  was  to  elect  a  class 
representative  for  the  Washington's  Birthday 
debate. 

''  Some  of  you  know,"  she  continued,  ''  that 
the  Students'  Commission  has  decided  to 
make  a  humorous  debate  the  main  feature 
of  the  morning  rally.  We  and  the  juniors 
are  to  take  one  side,  and  the  senior  and  sopho- 
more representatives  the  other.  Now  I  sup- 
pose the  first  thing  to  decide  is  how  our  repre- 
sentative shall  be  chosen." 

A  buzz  of  talk  spread  over  the  room. 
"  Why  didn't  they  let  us  know  beforehand — 
give  us  time  to  think  who  we'd  have?"  in- 
quired the  talkative  girl  on  the  row  behind. 

The   president   rapped    for   order   as    Kate 


BETTr    WALES  189 

Deiiise,  her  roommate,  rose  to  make  a  mo- 
tion. 

"■  Madame  president,  I  move  that  the  fresh- 
man representative  aforesaid  be  chosen  by  the 
chair.  Of  course,"  she  went  on  less  formally, 
turning  to  the  girls,  "  that  is  by  far  the  quick- 
est way,  and  Jean  knows  the  girls  as  a  whole 
so  well — much  better  than  any  of  us,  I'm 
sure.  I  think  that  a  lot  depends  on  choosing 
just  the  right  person  for  our  debater,  and  we 
ought  not  to  trust  to  a  haphazard  election." 

'*  Haphazard  is  good,"  muttered  the  loqua- 
cious freshman,  in  tones  plainly  audible  at 
the  front  of  the  room. 

''  Of  course  that  means  a  great  responsi- 
bility for  me,"  murmured  the  president 
modestly. 

''  Put  it  to  vote,"  commanded  a  voice 
from  the  front  row,  which  was  always  occu- 
pied by  the  ruljng  faction.  ''  And  remember, 
all  of  you,  that  if  we  ballot  for  representative 
we  don't  get  out  of  here  till  four  oclock." 

The  motion  was  summarily  put  to  vote,  and 
the  ayes  had  it  at  once,  as  the  ayes  are  likely 
to  do  unless  a  matter  has  been  thoroughly 
discussed. 


I90  BETTT    WALES 

''1  name  Eleanor  Watson,  then,"  said  Miss 
Eastman  with  suspicious  promptness.  "  Will 
somebody  move  to  adjourn?  " 

''  Well,  of  all  ridiculous  appointments  !  " 
exclaimed  the  loquacious  girl  under  cover  of 
the  applause  and  the  noise  of  moving  chairs. 

'^  Right  you  are  !  "  responded  Katherine, 
laughing  at  Adelaide  Rich's  disgusted  ex- 
pression. 

But  Betty  was  smiling  happily  with  her 
eyes  on  the  merry  group  around  Eleanor. 
"  Aren't  you  glad,  girls?  "  she  said.  "  Won't 
she  do  well,  and  won't  the  house  be  proud 
of  her?" 

^'  I  for  one  never  noticed  that  she  was  a 
single  bit  humorous,"  began  Mary  indig- 
nantly. 

Katherine  pinched  her  arm  vigorously. 
''  Don't!     What's  the  use?  "  she  whispered. 

''  Nor  I,  but  I  suppose  Miss  Eastman  knows 
that  she  can  be  funny,"  answered  Betty  confi- 
dently, as  she  hurried  off  to  congratulate 
Eleanor. 

She  was  invited  to  the  supper  to  be  given 
at  Cuyler's  that  night  in  Eleanor's  honor,  and 
went  home  blissfully  unconscious  that  half 


BETTr    WALES  191 

the  class  was  talking  itself  hoarse  over  Jean 
Eastman's  bad  taste  in  appointing  a  notorious 
"'  cutter  "  and  "'  flunker  "  to  represent  them  on 
so  important  an  occasion,  just  because  she 
happened  to  be  the  best  dressed  and  prettiest 
girl  in  the  Hill  crowd. 

The  next  afternoon  most  of  the  girls  were 
at  gym  or  the  library,  and  Betty,  who  was 
still  necessarily  excused  from  her  daily  exer- 
cise, was  working  away  on  her  Latin,  when 
some  one  knocked  imperatively  on  her  door. 
It  was  Jean  Eastman. 

''  Good-afternoon,  Miss  Wales,"  she  said 
hurriedly.  '^  Will  you  lend  me  a  pencil  and 
paper  ?  Eleanor  has  such  a  habit  of  keeping 
her  desk  locked,  and  I  want  to  leave  her  a 
note." 

She  scribbled  rapidly  for  a  moment,  frowned 
as  she  read  through  what  she  had  written,  and 
looked  doubtfully  from  it  to  Betty.  Then  she 
rose  to  go.  ''  Will  you  call  her  attention  to 
this,  please  ?  "  she  said.  ''  It's  very  important. 
And,  Miss  Wales, — if  she  should  consult  you, 
do  advise  her  to  resign  quietly  and  leave  it  to 
me  to  smooth  things  over." 

"■  Resign  ?  "  repeated  Betty  vaguely. 


192  BETir    IVALES 

''  Yes,"  said  Jean.  "  You  see — well,  I 
might  as  well  tell  you  now,  that  I've  said  so 
much.  The  faculty  object  to  her  taking  the 
debate.  Perhaps  you  know,  that  she's  very 
much  in  their  black  books,  but  I  didn't.  And 
I  never  dreamed  that  they  would  think  it  any 
of  their  business  who  was  our  debater,  but  I 
assure  you  they  do.  At  least  half  a  dozen  of 
them  have  spoken  to  me  about  her  poor  work 
and  her  cutting.  They  say  that  she  is  just  as 
much  ineligible  for  this  as  she  would  be  for 
the  musical  clubs  or  the  basket-ball  team. 
Now  what  I  want  is  for  Eleanor  to  write  a 
sweet  little  note  of  resignation  to-night,  so 
that  I  can  appoint  some  one  else  bright  and 
early  in  the  morning." 

Betty's  eyes  grew  big  with  anxiety.  ''  But 
won't  the  girls  guess  the  reason?"  she  cried. 
''  Think  how  proud  Eleanor  is.  Miss  Eastman. 
It  would  hurt  her  terribly  if  any  one  found  out 
that  she  had  been  conditioned.  You  shouldn't 
have  told  me — indeed  you  shouldn't !  " 

Jean  laughed  carelessly.  "  Well,  you 
know  now,  and  there's  no  use  crying  over 
spilt  milk.  I  used  that  argument  about  the 
publicity  of  the  affair  to  the  faculty,  but  it 


BETTT    WALES  193 

was  no  go.  So  the  only  thing  for  you  to  do  is 
to  help  Eleanor  write  a  nice,  convincing  note 
of  resignation  that  I  can  read  at  the  next 
meeting,  when  I  announce  my  second  ap- 
pointment." 

^'  But  Eleanor  won't  ask  my  help,"  said 
Betty  decidedly,  ''  and,  besides,  what  can  she 
say,  after  accepting  all  the  congratulations, 
and  having  the  supper?  " 

Jean  laughed  again.  ''  I'm  afraid  you're 
not  a  bit  ingenious,  Miss  Wales,"  she  said  ris- 
ing to  go,  ''  but  fortunately  Eleanor  is. 
Good-bye." 

When  Betty  handed  Eleanor  the  note  she 
read  it  through  unconcernedly,  unconcernedly 
tore  it  into  bits  as  she  talked,  and  spent  the 
entire  evening,  apparently,  in  perfect  con- 
tentment and  utter  idleness,  strumming 
softly  on  her  guitar. 

The  next  morning  Betty  met  Jean  on  the 
campus.     ''  Did  she  tell  you?  "  asked  Jean. 

Betty  shook  her  head. 

"■  I  thought  likely  she  hadn't.  Well,  what 
do  you  suppose?  She  won't  resign.  She 
says  that  there's  no  real  reason  she  can  give, 
and  that  she's  now  making  it  a  rule  to  tell  the 


194  BETTT    WALES 

truth  ;  that  I'm  in  a  hox,  not  she,  and  I  may 
climb  out  of  it  as  best  as  I  can." 

"Did  she  really  say  that?"  demanded 
Betty,  a  note  of  pleasure  in  her  voice. 

''  Yes,"  snapped  Jean,  "■  and  since  you're  so 
extremely  cheerful  over  it,  perhaps  you  can 
tell  me  what  to  do  next." 

Betty  stared  at  her  blankly.  "  I  forgot,"  she 
said.  ''The  girls  mustn't  know.  We  must 
cover  it  up  somehow." 

''  Exactly,"  agreed  Jean  crossly,  ''  but  what 
I  want  to  know  is — how." 

"■  Why  not  ask  the  class  to  choose  its 
speaker  ?     All  the  other  classes  did." 

Jean  looked  doubtful.  ''  I  know  they  did. 
That  would  make  it  very  awkward  for  me, 
but  I  suppose  I  might  say  there  had  been  dis- 
satisfaction— that's     true     enough, — and    we 

could  have  it  all  arranged Well,  when 

I  call  a  meeting,  be  sure  to  come  and  help  us 
out." 

The  meeting  was  posted  for  Saturday,  and 
all  the  Chapin  house  girls,  except  Helen,  who 
never  had  time  for  such  things,  and  Eleanor, 
attended  it.  Eleanor  was  expecting  a  caller, 
she  said.     Besides,  as  she  hadn't  been  to  classes 


BETTT    WALES  i% 

in  the  morning  there  was  no  sense  in  em- 
phasizing the  fact  by  parading  through  the 
campus  in  the  afternoon. 

At  the  last  minute  she  called  Betty  back. 
*'  Paul  may  not  get  over  to-day/'  she  said. 
^'  Won't  you  come  home  right  oiF  to  tell  me 
about  it?  I — well,  you'll  see  later  why  I 
want  to  know — if  you  haven't  guessed  al- 
ready." 

The  class  of  19 —  had  an  inkling  that  some- 
thing unusual  was  in  the  wind  and  had  turned 
out  in  full  force.  There  was  no  need  of  wait- 
ing for  a  quorum  this  time.  After  the  usual 
preliminaries  Jean  Eastman  rose  and  began  a 
halting,  nervous  little  speech. 

*'  I  have  heard,"  she  began,  "■  that  is — a 
great  many  people  in  and  out  of  the  class 
have  spoken  to  me  about  the  matter  of  the 
Washington's  Birthday  debate.  I  mean,  about 
the  way  in  which  our  debater  was  appointed. 
I  understand  there  is  a  great  deal  of  dissatis- 
faction— that  some  of  the  class  say  they  did 
not  understand  which  way  they  were  voting, 
and  so  on.  So  I  thought  you  might  like  to 
reconsider  your  vote.  I  certainly,  considering 
my  position  in  the  matter,  want  you  to  have 


196  BETTr    IVALES 

the  chance  to  do  so.  Now,  can  we  have  this 
point  thoroughly  discussed  ? "  Then,  as  no 
one  rose,  ''  Miss  Wales,  won't  you  tell  us  what 
you  think  ?  " 

Betty  stared  helplessly  at  Jean  for  a  mo- 
ment and  then,  assisted  by  vigorous  pushes 
from  Katherine  and  Rachel,  who  sat  on  either 
side  of  her,  rose  hesitatingly  to  her  feet. 
''  Miss  Eastman, — I  mean,  madame  president," 
she  began.  She  stopped  for  an  instant  to  look 
at  her  audience.  Apparently  the  class  of  19 — 
was  merely  astonished  and  puzzled  by  Jean's 
suggestion  ;  there  was  no  indication  that  any 
one — except  possibly  a  few  of  the  Hill  girls — 
had  any  idea  of  her  motive.  ^'  Madame  presi- 
dent," repeated  Betty,  forcing  back  the  lump 
that  had  risen  in  her  throat  when  she  realized 
that  the  keeping  of  Eleanor's  secret  lay  largely 
with  her,  ''  Miss  Watson  is  my  friend,  and  I 
was  very  much  pleased  to  have  her  for  our  rep- 
resentative. But  I  do  feel,  and  I  believe  the 
other  girls  do,  as  they  come  to  think  it  over, 
that  it  would  have  been  better  to  elect  our 
representative.  Then  we  should  every  one  of 
us  have  had  a  direct  interest  in  the  result  of 
the    debate.     Besides,    all    the   other   classes 


BETTT    IVALES  197 

elected  theirs,  and  so  I  think,  if  Miss  Watson 
is  willing " 

'^  Miss  Watson  is  perfectly  willing,"  broke 
in  Jean.  '^  A  positive  engagement  unfortu- 
nately prevents  her  being  here  to  say  so,  but 
she  authorized  me  to  state  that  she  preferred 
the  elective  choice  herself,  and  to  tell  you  to 
do  just  as  you  think  best  in  the  matter. 
She Go  on.  Miss  Wales." 

''  Oh,  that  was  all,"  said  Betty  hastily  slip- 
ping back  into  her  seat. 

A  group  of  girls  in  the  farthest  corner  of 
the  room  clapped  vigorously. 

''  Nothing  cut-and-dried  about  that,"  whis- 
pered Katherine  to  Adelaide  Rich. 

"  Are  there  any  more  remarks  ?  "  inquired 
the  president.  No  one  seemed  anxious  to 
speak,  and  she  went  on  rather  aimlessly. 
''  Miss  Wales  has  really  covered  the  ground,  I 
think.  The  other  classes  all  elected  their  de- 
baters, and  I  fancy  they  want  us  to  do  the 
same.  As  for  the  faculty — well,  I  may  as 
well  say  that  they  almost  insist  upon  a 
change." 

'^  Good  crawl,"  whispered  Katherine,  who 
was  quick  to  put  two  and  two  together,  to 


198  BETTT    WALES 

Adelaide  Rich,  who  never  got  tlie  point  of 
any  but  the  most  obvious  remarks,  and  who 
now  looked  much  perplexed. 

Meanwhile  Betty  had  been  holding  whis- 
pered consultations  with  some  of  the  girls 
around  her,  and  now  she  rose  again.  Her 
''  madame  president "  was  so  obviously  prior 
to  Kate  Denise's  that  when  Kate  was  recog- 
nized there  was  an  ominous  murmur  of  dis- 
content and  Jean  apologized  and  promptly 
reversed  her  decision. 

''  Perhaps  I  oughtn't  to  speak  twice,"  said 
Betty  blushing  at  the  commotion  she  had 
caused,  ''  but  if  we  are  to  change  our  vote, 
some  of  us  think  it  would  be  fun  to  hold  a 
preliminary  debate  now,  and  choose  our 
speaker  on  her  merits.  We  did  that  once  at 
school " 

"  Good  stunt,"  called  some  one. 

''  I  move  that  Miss  Wales  as  chairman  select 
a  committee  of  arrangements,  and  that  we 
have  a  five  minute  recess  while  the  committee 
meets." 

''  I  move  that  there  be  two  committees,  one 
for  nominating  speakers  and  the  other  for 
choosing  a  subject." 


BETTT    WALES  199 

"  I  move  that  we  reconsider  our  other  vote 
first." 

The  motions  were  coming  in  helter-skelter 
from  all  quarters,  instead  of  decorously  from 
the  front  row  as  usual.  The  president  was 
trying  vainly  to  restore  order  and  to  remem- 
ber whose  motion  should  have  precedence, 
and  to  make  way  somehow  for  the  pre- 
arranged nomination,  which  so  far  had  been 
entirely  crowded  out,  when  three  girls  in  one 
corner  of  the  room  began  thumping  on  their 
seat-arms  and  chanting  in  rhythmic,  insistent 
chorus,  ^'  We — want — Emily — Davis.  We — 
want — Emily — Davis.  We — want — Emily — 
Davis." 

Hardly  any  one  in  the  room  had  ever  heard 
of  Emily  Davis,  but  the  three  girls  constituted 
an  original  and  very  popular  little  coterie 
known  individually  as  Babe,  Babbie,  and  Bob, 
or  collectively  as  ''the  three  B's."  They 
roomed  on  the  top  floor  of  the  Westcott  House 
and  were  famous  in  the  house  for  being  at  the 
same  time  prime  favorites  of  the  matron  and 
the  ringleaders  in  every  plot  against  her  peace 
of  mind,  and  outside  for  their  unique  and 
diverting  methods  of  recreation.     It  was  they 


200  BETTT    WALES 

who  had  successful!}^  gulled  Mary  Brooks  with 
a  rumor  as  absurd  as  her  own  ;  and  accounts 
of  the  ''  spread  "  they  had  handed  out  to  the 
night-watchman  in  a  tin  pail,  and  dangled 
just  out  of  his  reach,  in  the  hope  of  extracting 
a  promise  from  that  incorruptible  worthy  not 
to  report  their  lights,  until  the  string  inconti- 
nently broke  and  the  ice  cream  and  lobster 
salad  descended  as  a  flood,  were  reported  to 
have  made  even  the  august  president  of  the 
college  laugh.  Ergo,  if  they  ''  wanted  "  Emily 
Davis,  she  must  be  worth  ''wanting."  So 
their  friends  took  up  the  cry,  and  it  quickly 
spread  and  gathered  volume,  until  nearly 
everybody  in  the  room  was  shouting  the 
same  thing.  Finally  the  president  stepped 
forward  and  made  one  determined  demand 
for  order. 

''  Is  Miss  Emily  Davis  present?  "  she  called, 
when  the  tumult  had  slightly  subsided. 

''  Yes,"  shouted  the  Three  and  the  few  oth- 
ers who  knew  Miss  Davis  by  sight. 

''  Then  will  she  please — why,  exactly  what 
is  it  that  you  want  of  her?"  questioned  the 
president,  a  trifle  haughtily. 

''  Speech  !  "  chorused  the  Three. 


BETTT    WALES  201 

"Will  Miss  Davis  please  speak  to  us?" 
asked  the  president. 

At  that  a  very  tall  girl  who  was  ineffectually 
attempting  to  hide  behind  little  Alice  Waite 
was  pulled  and  pushed  to  her  feet,  and  amid 
a  sudden  silence  began  the  funniest  speech 
that  most  of  the  class  of  19 —  had  ever  listened 
to  ;  but  it  was  not  so  much  what  she  said  as 
her  inimitable  drawling  delivery  and  her 
lunging,  awkward  gestures  that  brought  down 
the  house.  When  she  took  her  seat  again, 
resolutely  ignoring  persistent  cries  of  ''  More  !  " 
the  class  applauded  her  to  the  echo  and  elected 
her  freshman  debater  by  acclamation. 

It  was  wonderful  what  a  change  those  twenty 
riotous  minutes  had  made  in  the  spirit  of  the 
class  of  19 — .  For  the  first  time  in  its  history 
it  was  an  enthusiastic,  single-hearted  unit,  and 
to  the  credit  of  the  Hill  girls  be  it  said  that 
no  one  was  more  enthusiastic  or  joined  in  the 
applause  with  greater  vigor  than  they.  They 
had  not  meant  to  be  autocratic — except  three 
of  them  ;  they  had  simply  acted  according  to 
their  lights,  or  rather,  their  leaders'  lights. 
Now  they  understood  how  affairs  could  be  con- 
ducted at  Harding,  and  during  the  rest  of  the 


202  BETTT    WALES 

course  they  never  entirely  forgot  or  ignored 
the  new  method. 

To  Betty's  utter  astonishment  and  conster- 
nation the  lion's  share  of  credit  for  the  sudden 
triumph  of  democracy  was  laid  at  her  door. 
The  group  around  her  after  the  meeting  was 
almost  as  large  and  quite  as  noisy  as  the  one 
that  was  struggling  to  shake  hands  with  Miss 
Davis. 

''  Don't !  You  mustn't.  Why,  it  was  the 
B's  who  got  her,  not  I,"  protested  Betty  vig- 
orously. 

'^  No,  you  began  it,"  said  Babe. 

''  You  bet  you  did,"  declared  Bob. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  We  were  too  scared  to  speak 
of  her  until  you  proposed  something  like  it," 
added  Babbie  in  her  sw^eet,  lilting  treble. 

"■  You  can't  get  out  of  it.  You  are  the  real 
founder  of  this  democracy,"  ended  Christy 
Mason  decidedly.  Betty  was  proud  of  Christy's 
approval.  It  was  fun,  too,  to  have  the  Hill 
girls  crowding  around  and  saying  pleasant 
things  to  her. 

"  I  almost  think  I'm  somebody  at  last. 
Won't  Nan  be  pleased !  "  she  reflected  as  she 
hurried  home  to  keep  her  promise  to  Eleanor. 


BETTr    TFALES  203 

Then  she  laughed  merrily  all  to  herself. 
*'  Those  silly  girls !  I  really  didn't  do  a 
thing,"  she  thought.  And  then  she  sighed. 
''  I  never  get  a  chance  to  be  a  bit  vain.  I  wish 
I  could — one  little  wee  bit.  I  wonder  if  Mr. 
West  came." 

It  did  not  occur  to  Betty  as  at  all  significant 
that  Jean  Eastman  and  Kate  Denise  had  not 
spoken  to  her  after  the  meeting,  until,  when 
she  knocked  on  Eleanor's  door,  Eleanor  came 
formally  to  open  it.  "  Jean  and  Kate  are 
here,"  she  said  coldly,  ''  so  unless  you  care  to 
«top " 

Jean  and  Kate  nodded  silently  from  the 
couch  where  they  were  eating  candy. 

''  Oh,  no,"  said  Betty  in  quick  astonishment. 
"  I'll  come  some  other  time." 

''  You  needn't  bother,"  answered  Eleanor 
rudely.  "  They've  told  me  all  about  it,"  and 
she  shut  the  door,  leaving  Betty  standing 
alone  in  the  hall. 

Betty  winked  hard  to  keep  back  the  tears 
as  she  hurried  to  her  own  room.  What  could 
it  all  mean?  She  had  done  her  best  for 
Eleanor,  and  nobody  had  guessed — they  had 
been  too   busy   laughing   at   that   ridiculous 


204  BETTT    WALES 

Emily  Davis — and  now  Eleanor  treated  her 
like  this.  And  Jean  Eastman,  too,  when  she 
had  done  exactly  what  Jean  wanted  of  her. 
Jean's  curtness  was  even  less  explainable  than 
Eleanor's,  though  it  mattered  less.  It  was  all 
— queer.  Betty  smiled  faintly  as  she  applied 
Alice  Waite's  favorite  adjective.  Well,  there 
was  nothing  more  to  be  done  until  she  could 
see  Eleanor  after  dinner.  So  she  wiped  her 
eyes,  smoothed  her  hair,  and  went  resolutely 
off  to  find  Roberta,  whose  heavy  shoes — an- 
other of  Roberta's  countless  fads — had  just 
clumped  past  her  door. 

''  I'm  writing  my  definitions  for  to-morrow's 
English,"  announced  Roberta.  ''  For  the  one 
we  could  choose  ourselves  I'm  going  to  in- 
vent a  word  and  then  make  up  a  meaning  for 
it.     Isn't  that  a  nice  idea  ?  " 

'*  Very,"  said  Betty  listlessly. 

Roberta  looked  at  her  keenly.  '^  I  believe 
you're  homesick,"  she  said.  ^'  How  funny 
after  such  a  jubilant  afternoon." 

Betty  smiled  wearily.  ''  Perhaps  I  am. 
Anyway,  I  wish  I  were  at  home." 

Meanwhile  in  Eleanor's  room  an  acrimo- 
nious discussion  was  in  progress. 


BETTT    WALES  205 

"The  more  I  think  of  it,"  Kate  Denise  was 
saying  emphatically,  ''  the  surer  I  am  that  she 
didn't  do  a  thing  against  us  this  afternoon. 
She  isn't  to  blame  for  having  started  a  land- 
slide by  accident,  Jean.  Did  you  see  her  face 
when  Eleanor  turned  her  down  just  now? 
She  looked  absolutely  nonplussed." 

''  Most  people  do  when  the  lady  Eleanor 
turns  and  rends  them,"  returned  Jean,  with  a 
reminiscent  smile. 

''  Just  the  same,"  continued  Kate  Denise, 
''  I  say  you  have  a  lot  to  thank  her  for  this 
afternoon,  Jean  Eastman.  She  got  you  out  of 
a  tight  hole  in  splendid  shape.  None  of  us 
could  have  done  it  without  stamping  the 
whole  thing  a  put-up  job,  and  most  of  the  out- 
siders who  could  have  helped  you  out, 
wouldn't  have  cared  to  oblige  you.  It  was 
irritating  to  see  her  rallying  the  multitudes, 
I'll  admit ;  but  I  insist  that  it  wasn't  her 
fault.     We  ought  to  have  managed  better." 

"  Say  I  ought  to  have  managed  better  and 
be  done  with  it,"  muttered  Jean  crossly. 

''  You  certainly  ought,"  retorted  Eleanor. 
*'  You've  made  me  the  laughing-stock  of  the 
whole  college." 


2o6  BETTT    WALES 

"■  No,  Eleanor/'  broke  in  Kate  Denise  pacif- 
ically. "  Truly,  your  dignity  is  intact,  thanks 
to  Miss  Wales  and  those  absurd  B's  who  fol- 
lowed her  lead." 

"■  Never  mind  them.  I'm  talking  about 
Betty  Wales.  She  was  a  friend  of  mine — she 
was  at  the  supper  the  other  night.  Why 
couldn't  she  leave  it  to  some  one  else  to  object 
to  your  appointing  me  ?  " 

''  Oh,  if  that's  all  you  care  about,"  said 
Jean  irritably,  ^'  don't  blame  Miss  Wales.  The 
thing  had  to  be  done  you  know.  I  didn't  see 
that  it  mattered  who  did  it,  and  so  I — well, 
I  practically  asked  her.  What  I'm  talk- 
ing about  is  her  way  of  going  at  it — her 
having  pushed  herself  forward  so,  and  really 

thrown  us  out  of  power  by  using  what  I " 

Jean  caught  herself  suddenly,  remembering 
that  Eleanor  did  not  know  about  Betty's  hav- 
ing been  let  into  the  secret. 

'*  By  using  what  you  told  her,"  finished 
Kate  innocently.  ''  Well,  why  did  you  tell 
her  all  about  it,  if  you  didn't  expect " 

Eleanor  stood  up  suddenl}^  her  face  white 
with  anger.  "  How  dared  you,"  she  chal- 
lenged.    ''  As  if  it  wasn't  insulting  enough  to 


BETTT    WALES  207 

get  me  into  a  scrape  like  this,  and  give  any 
one  with  two  eyes  a  chance  to  see  through 
your  flimsy  little  excuses,  but  you  have  to  go 
round  telling  people " 

''  Eleanor,  stop,"  begged  Jean.  ''  She  was 
the  only  one  I  told.  I  let  it  out  quite  by  ac- 
cident the  day  I  came  up  here  to  see  you. 
Not  another  soul  knows  it  but  Kate,  and  you 
told  her  yourself.  You'd  have  told  Betty 
Wales,  too, — you  know  you  would — if  we 
hadn't  seen  you  first  this  afternoon." 

"  Suppose  I  should,"  Eleanor  retorted  hotly. 
''  What  I  do  is  my  own  affair.  Please  go 
home." 

Jean  stalked  out  in  silence,  but  Kate,  hesi- 
tating between  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  lingered 
to  say  consolingly,  ''  Cheer  up,  Eleanor. 
When  you  come  to  think  it  over,  it  won't 
seem  so " 

''  Please  go  home,"  repeated  Eleanor,  and 
Kate  hurried  after  her  roommate. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SAINT    valentine's   ASSISTANTS 

If  Eleanor  had  taken  Kate's  advice  and  in- 
dulged in  a  little  calm  reflection,  she  would 
have  realized  how  absolutely  reasonless  was 
her  anger  against  Betty  Wales.  Betty  had 
been  told  of  the  official  objections  which 
made  it  necessary  for  Eleanor  to  be  withdrawn 
from  the  debate.  Her  action,  then,  had  been 
wholly  proper  and  perfectly  friendly.  But 
Eleanor  was  in  no  mood  for  reflection.  A 
wild  burst  of  passion  held  her  flrmly  in  its 
grasp.  She  hated  everybody  and  everything 
in  Harding — the  faculty  who  had  made  such 
a  commotion  about  two  little  low  grades — for 
Eleanor  had  come  surprisingly  near  to  clear- 
ing her  record  at  mid-years, — Jean,  who  had 
stupidly  brought  all  this  extra  annoyance 
upon  her  ;  the  class,  who  were  glad  to  get  rid 
of  her,  Betty,  who — yes,  Jean  had  been  right 
about  one  thing — Betty,  who  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  a  friend's  misfortune  to  curry  favor 
for  herself     They   were  all   leagued  against 

208 


BETTT    WALES  209 

her.  But — here  the  Watson  pride  suddenly 
asserted  itself — they  should  never  know  that 
she  cared,  never  guess  that  they  had  hurt 
her. 

She  deliberately  selected  the  most  becoming 
of  her  new  evening  gowns,  and  in  an  incred- 
ibly short  time  swept  down  to  dinner, 
radiantly  beautiful  in  the  creamy  lace  dress, 
and — outwardly  at  least — in  her  sunniest, 
most  charming  mood.  She  insisted  that  the 
table  should  admire  her  dress,  and  the  pearl 
pendant  which  her  aunt  had  just  sent  her. 

''I'm  wearing  it,  you  see,  to  celebrate  my  re- 
turn to  the  freedom  of  private  life,"  she 
rattled  on  glibly.  "  I  understand  you've 
found  a  genius  to  take  my  place.  I'm  de- 
lighted that  we  have  one  in  the  class.  It's  so 
convenient.  Who  of  you  are  going  to  the 
Burton  House  dance  to-night?  " 

So  she  led  the  talk  from  point  to  point  and 
from  hand  to  hand.  She  bantered  Mary,  de- 
ferred to  Helen  and  the  Riches,  appealed  in 
comradely  fashion  to  Katherine  and  Rachel. 
Betty  alone  she  utterly,  though  quite  unosten- 
tatiously, ignored  ;  and  Betty,  too  much  hurt 
to  make  any  effort,  stood  aside  and  tried  to  solve 


2IO  BETTT    (VALES 

the  riddle  of  Eleanor's  latest  caprice.  On  the 
way  up-stairs  Eleanor  spoke  to  her  for  the  first 
time.  She  went  up  just  ahead  of  her  and  at 
the  top  of  the  flight  she  turned  and  waited. 

"  I  understand  that  you  quite  ran  the  class 
to-day/'  she  said  with  a  flashing  smile.  ''  The 
girls  tell  me  that  you're  a  born  orator,  as  good 
in  your  way  as  the  genius  in  hers." 

Betty  rallied  herself  for  one  last  effort. 
''  Don't  make  fun  of  me,  Eleanor.  Please  let 
me  come  in  and  tell  you  about  it.  You  don't 
understand " 

"  Possibly  not,"  said  Eleanor  coldly.  "  But 
I*m  going  out  now." 

^'  Just  for  a  moment !  " 

*'  But  I  have  to  start  at  once.  I'm  late  al- 
ready." 

''  Oh,  very  well,"  said  Betty,  and  turned 
away  to  join  Mary  and  Roberta. 

Eleanor's  mind  always  worked  with 
lightning  rapidity,  and  while  she  dressed  she 
had  gone  over  the  whole  situation  and  de- 
cided exactly  how  she  would  meet  it ;  and  in 
the  weeks  that  followed  she  kept  rigidly  to 
the  course  she  had  marked  out  for  herself, 
changing  only  one  detail.     At  first  she  had 


BETTT    WALES  211 

intended  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with 
Jean,  but  she  saw  that  a  sudden  breaking  off 
of  their  friendship  would  be  remarked  upon 
and  wondered  at.  So  she  compromised  by 
treating  Jean  exactly  as  usual,  but  seeing  her 
as  little  as  possible.  This  made  it  necessary 
to  refuse  many  of  her  invitations  to  college 
affairs,  for  wherever  she  went  Jean  was  likely 
to  go.  So  she  spent  much  of  her  leisure  time 
away  from  Harding  ;  she  went  to  Winsted  a 
great  deal,  and  often  ran  down  to  Boston  or 
New  York  for  Sunday,  declaring  that  the 
trips  meant  nothing  to  a  Westerner  used  to 
the  ^'  magnificent  distances "  of  the  plains. 
Naturally  she  grew  more  and  more  out  of 
touch  with  the  college  life,  more  and  more 
scornful  of  the  girls  who  could  be  content 
with  the  narrow,  humdrum  routine  at  Hard- 
ing. But  she  concealed  her  scorn  perfectly. 
And  she  no  longer  neglected  her  work ; 
she  attended  her  classes  regularly  and  man- 
aged with  a  modicum  of  preparation  to  re- 
cite far  better  than  the  average  student. 
Furthermore  her  work  was  now  scrupulously 
honest,  and  she  was  sensitively  alert  to  the 
slightest  imputation  of  untruthfulness.     She 


212  BETTT    WALES 

offered  no  specious  explanations  for  her  with- 
drawal from  the  debate,  and  when  Mary 
Brooks  innocently  inquired  '^  what  little 
yarn  "  she  told  the  registrar,  that  she  could 
get  away  so  often,  Eleanor  fixed  her  with  an 
unpleasantly  penetrative  stare  and  answered 
with  all  her  old-time  hauteur  that  she  did  not 
tell  ''  yarns." 

''  I  have  a  note  from  my  father.  So  long 
as  I  do  my  work  and  go  to  all  my  classes, 
they  really  can't  object  to  my  spending  my 
Sundays  as  he  wishes." 

Betty  observed  all  these  changes  without 
being  in  the  least  able  to  reconcile  them  with 
Eleanor's  new  attitude  toward  herself  Un- 
like the  friendship  with  Jean,  Eleanor's  inter- 
course with  her  had  been  inconspicuous,  con- 
fined mostly  to  the  Chapin  house  itself  Even 
the  girls  there,  because  Eleanor  had  stood  so 
aloof  from  them,  had  seen  little  of  it,  so 
Eleanor  was  free  to  break  it  ofi*  without  think- 
ing of  public  opinion,  and  she  did  so  ruth- 
lessly. From  the  day  of  the  class  meeting 
she  spoke  to  Betty  only  when  she  must,  or,  if 
no  one  was  by,  when  some  taunting  remark 
occurred  to  her. 


BETTT    WALES  213 

At  first  Betty  tried  her  best  to  think  how 
she  could  have  offended,  but  she  could  not 
discuss  the  subject  with  any  one  else  and  end- 
less consideration  and  rejection  of  hypotheses 
was  fruitless,  so  after  Eleanor  had  twice  re- 
fused her  an  interview  that  would  have  set- 
tled the  matter,  she  sensibly  gave  it  up. 
Eleanor  would  perhaps  ''  come  round "  in 
time.     Meanwhile  it  was  best  to  let  her  alone. 

But  Betty  felt  that  she  was  having  more 
than  her  share  of  trouble  ;  Helen  was  quite 
as  trying  in  her  way  as  Eleanor  in  hers.  She 
had  entirely  lost  her  cheerful  air  and  seemed 
to  have  grown  utterly  discouraged  with  life. 

"•  And  no  wonder,  for  she  studies  every 
minute,"  Betty  told  Rachel  and  Katherine. 
"•  I  think  she  feels  hurt  because  the  girls  don't 
get  to  like  her  better,  but  how  can  they  when 
she  doesn't  give  them  any  chance  ?  " 

"  She's  awfully  touchy  lately,"  added 
Katherine. 

''  Poor  little  thing  !  "  said  Rachel. 

Then  the  three  plunged  into  an  animated 
discussion  of  basket-ball,  and  Rachel  and 
Katherine,  who  were  on  a  sort  of  provisional 
team  that  included  most  of  the  best  freshman 


214  BETTT    Pl^ALES 

players  and  arrogated  to  itself  the  name  of 
''  The  Stars,"  showed  Betty  in  strictest  confi- 
dence the  new  cross-play  that  ''  T.  Reed  "  had 
invented.  ''  T.  Reed "  seemed  to  be  the 
basket-ball  genius  of  the  freshman  class.  She 
^vas  the  only  girl  who  was  perfectly  sure  to 
be  on  the  regular  team. 

It  is  one  of  the  fine  things  about  college 
that  no  matter  who  of  your  friends  are  tem- 
porarily lost  to  you,  there  is  always  somebody 
else  to  fall  back  upon,  and  some  new  interest 
to  take  the  place  of  one  that  flags.  Betty  had 
noticed  this  and  been  amused  by  it  early  in 
her  course.  Sometimes,  as  she  said  to  Miss 
Ferris  in  one  of  her  many  long  talks  with 
that  lady,  things  change  so  fast  that  you  really 
begin  to  wonder  if  you  can  be  the  same  per- 
son you  were  last  week. 

Besides  the  inter-class  basket-ball  game, 
there  was  the  Hilton  House  play  to  talk  about 
and  look  forward  to,  and  the  rally ;  and, 
nearer  still,  St.  Valentine's  day.  It  was  a 
long  time,  to  be  sure,  since  Betty  had  been 
much  excited  over  the  last  named  festival ; 
in  her  experience  only  children  exchanged 
valentines.     But  at  Harding  it  seemed  to  be 


BETTT    WALES  215 

different.  While  the  day  was  still  several 
weeks  off  she  had  received  three  invitations  to 
valentine  parties.  She  consulted  Mary  Brooks 
and  found  that  this  was  not  at  all  unusual. 

''  All  the  campus  houses  give  them,"  Mary 
explained,  '^  and  the  big  ones  outside,  just  as 
they  do  for  Hallowe'en.  They  have  valentine 
boxes,  you  know,  and  sometimes  fancy  dress 
balls." 

And  there  the  matter  would  have  dropped 
if  Mary  had  not  spent  all  her  monthly  allow- 
ance three  full  weeks  before  she  was  supposed 
to  have  any  more.  Poverty  was  Mary's 
chronic  state.  Not  that  Dr.  Brooks's  checks 
were  small,  but  his  daughter's  spending  ca- 
pacity was  infinite. 

''  You  wait  till  you're  a  prominent  sopho- 
more," she  said  when  Katherine  laughed  at 
her,  ''  and  all  your  friends  are  making  so- 
cieties, and  you  just  have  to  provide  violets 
and  suppers,  in  hopes  that  they'll  do  as  much 
for  you  later  on.  The  whole  trouble  is  that 
father  wants  me  to  be  on  an  allowance,  in- 
stead of  writing  home  for  money  when  I'm 
out.  And  no  matter  how  much  I  say  1  need, 
it  never  lasts  out  the  month." 


2i6  BETTT    WALES 

''  Why  don't  you  tutor?  "  suggested  Rachel, 
who  got  along  easily  on  a  third  of  what  Mary 
spent.     ''  I  hope  to  next  year." 

''  Tutor  !  "  repeated  Mary  with  a  reminiscent 
chuckle.  "  I  tried  to  tutor  my  cousin  this 
fall  in  algebra,  and  the  poor  thing  flunked 
much  worse  than  before.  But  anyway  the 
faculty  wouldn't  give  me  regular  tutoring.  I 
look  too  well-to-do.  Ah  !  how  deceitful  are 
appearances ! "  sighed  Mary,  opening  her 
pocketbook,  where  five  copper  pennies  rattled 
about  forlornly. 

But  the  very  next  day  she  dashed  into 
Betty's  room  proclaiming  loudly,  "  I  have  an 
idea,  and  I  want  you  to  help  me,  Betty 
Wales.  You  can  draw  and  I'll  cut  them  out 
and  drum  up  customers,  and  I  guess  I  can 
write  the  verses.  We  ought  to  make  our  ad. 
to-night." 

''Our  what?"  inquired  Betty  in  an 
absolutely  mystified  tone. 

Then  Mary  explained  that  she  proposed  to 
sell  valentines.  ''  Lots  of  the  girls  who  can't 
draw  buy  theirs,  not  down-town,  you  know — 
we  don't  give  that  kind  here, — but  cunning 
little  hand-made  ones  with  pen-and-ink  draw- 


BETTT    WALES  217 

ings  and  original  verses.  Haven't  you  no- 
ticed the  signs  on  the  '  For  Sale  '  bulletin  ?  " 

Betty  had  not  even  seen  that  bulletin 
board  since  she  and  Helen  had  hunted 
second-hand  screens  early  in  the  fall,  but  the 
plan  sounded  very  attractive ;  it  would  fill 
up  her  spare  hours,  and  keep  her  from  worry- 
ing over  Eleanor,  and  getting  cross  at  Helen, 
so  she  was  very  willing  to  help  if  Mary 
honestly  thought  she  could  draw  well 
enough. 

^'  Goodness,  yes ! "  said  Mary,  rushing  off 
to  borrow  Roberta's  water-color  paper  and 
Katherine's  rhyming  dictionary. 

So  the  partnership  was  formed,  a  huge 
red  heart  covered  with  hastily  decorated 
samples  was  stuck  up  on  the  ''  For  Sale " 
bulletin  in  the  gymnasium  basement,  and,  as 
Betty's  cupids  were  really  very  charming  and 
her  Christy  heads  quite  as  good  as  the  average 
copy,  names  began  to  appear  in  profusion  on 
the  order-sheet. 

Mary  had  written  two  sample  verses  with 
comparative  ease,  and  in  the  first  flush  of 
confidence  she  had  boldly  printed  on  the 
sign  :    ''  Rhymed   grinds    for  special   persons 


2i8  BETTT    IVALES 

furnished  at  reasonable  rates."  But  later, 
when  everybody  seemed  to  want  that  kind, 
even  the  valuable  aid  of  the  rhyming 
dictionary  did  not  disprove  the  adage  that 
poets  are  born,  not  made. 

"  I  can't — I  just  can't  do  them,"  wailed 
Mary  finally.  *'  Jokes  simply  will  not  go 
into  rhyme.     What  shall  we  do?  " 

''  Get  Roberta — she  writes  beautifully — and 
Katherine — she  told  me  that  she'd  like  to 
help,"  suggested  Betty,  without  looking  up 
from  the  chubby  cupid  she  was  fashioning. 

So  Katherine  and  Roberta  were  duly  ap- 
proached and  Katherine  was  added  to  the 
firm.  Roberta  at  first  said  she  couldn't,  but 
finally,  after  exacting  strict  pledges  of  secrecy, 
she  produced  half  a  dozen  dainty  little  lyrics, 
bidding  Mary  use  them  if  she  wished — they 
were  nothing.  But  no  amount  of  persuasion 
would  induce  her  to  do  any  more. 

However,  Katherine's  genius  was  nothing 
if  not  profuse,  and  she  preferred  to  do 
"  grinds,"  so  Mary  could  devote  herself  to 
sentimental  effusions, — which,  so  she  declared, 
did  not  have  to  have  any  special  point  and  so 
were  within  her  powers, — and  to  the  business 


BETTT    WALES  219 

end  of  the  project.  This,  in  her  view,  con- 
sisted in  perching  on  a  centrally  located 
window-seat  in  the  main  building,  in  the 
intervals  between  classes,  and  soliciting  orders 
from  all  passers-by,  to  the  consequent  crowd- 
ing of  the  narrow  halls  and  the  great  annoy- 
ance of  the  serious-minded,  who  wished  to 
reach  their  recitations  promptly.  But  from 
her  point  of  view  she  was  strikingly  suc- 
cessful. 

'^  I  tell  you,  I  never  appreciated  how  easy 
it  is  to  make  money  if  you  only  set  about  it 
in  the  right  way,"  she  announced  proudly 
one  day  at  luncheon.  "'  By  the  way,  Betty, 
would  you  run  down  after  gym  to  get  our  old 
order  sheet  and  put  up  a  new  one  ?  I  have  a 
special  topic  in  psychology  to-morrow,  and  if 
Professor  Hinsdale  really  thinks  Fm  clever  I 
don't  want  to  undeceive  him  too  suddenly." 

Betty  promised,  but  after  gym  Rachel 
asked  her  to  stay  and  play  basket-ball  with 
*'  The  Stars  "  in  the  place  of  an  absent  mem- 
ber. Naturally  she  forgot  everything  else  and 
it  was  nearly  six  o'clock  when,  sauntering 
home  from  an  impromptu  tea-drinking  at  the 
Belden    House,    she    remembered    the   order 


220  BETTT    WALES 

sheet.  It  was  very  dusky  in  the  basement. 
Betty,  plunging  down  the  steps  that  led 
directly  into  the  small  room  where  the  bulletin 
board  was,  almost  knocked  down  a  girl  who 
was  curled  up  on  the  bottom  step  of  the 
flight. 

''Goodness!  did  I  hurt  you?"  she  said,  a 
trifle  exasperated  that  any  one  should  want  to 
sit  alone  in  the  damp  darkness  of  the  base- 
ment. 

There  was  no  answer,  and  Betty,  whose  eyes 
were  growing  accustomed  to  the  dim  light,  ob- 
served with  consternation  that  her  companion 
was  doing  her  best  to  stop  crying. 

As  has  already  been  remarked,  Betty  hated 
tears  as  a  kitten  hates  rain.  Personally  she 
never  cried  without  first  locking  her  door, 
and  she  could  imagine  nothing  so  humiliat- 
ing as  to  be  caught,  unmistakably  weeping, 
by  a  stranger.  So  she  turned  aside  swiftly, 
peered  about  in  the  shadows  for  the  big  red 
heart,  changed  the  order  sheet,  and  was  won- 
dering whether  she  would  better  hurry  out 
past  the  girl  or  wait  for  her  to  recover  her 
composure  and  depart,  when  the  girl  took  the 
situation  out  of  her  hands  by  rising  and  say- 


BETTT    WALES  221 

ing  in  cheery  tones,  ''  Good-evening,  Miss 
Wales.     Are  you  going  my  way  ?  " 

''  I — why  it's  Emily — I  mean  Miss — Davis/' 
cried  Betty. 

''  Yes,  it's  Emily  Davis,  in  the  blues,  the 
more  shame  to  her,  when  she  ought  to  be  at 
home  getting  supper  this  minute.  Wait  just 
a  second,  please."  Miss  Davis  went  over  to 
the  signs,  jerked  down  one,  and  picking  up 
her  books  from  the  bottom  step  announced 
without  the  faintest  trace  of  embarrassment, 
''  Now  I'm  ready." 

'^  But  are  you  sure  you  want  me  ?  "  inquired 
Betty  timidly. 

''  Bless  you,  yes,"  said  Miss  Davis.  "  I've 
wanted  to  know  you  for  ever  so  long.  I'm 
sorry  you  caught  me  being  a  goose,  though." 

''  And  I'm  sorry  you  felt  like  crying,"  said 
Betty  shyly.  ''  Why,  Miss  Davis,  I  should 
want  to  laugh  all  the  time  if  I'd  done  what 
you  did  the  other  day.  I  should  be  so 
proud." 

Miss  Davis  smiled  happily  down  at  her 
small  companion.  "■  I  was  proud,"  she  said 
simply.  ''  I  only  hope  I  can  do  as  well  week 
after  next.     But  Miss  Wales,  that  was  the  jam 


222  BETTT    JVALES 

of  college  life.  There's  the  bread  and  butter 
too,  you  know,  and  sometimes  that's  a  lot 
harder  to  earn  than  the  jam." 

"'  Do    you    mean "    began    Betty   and 

stopped,  not  wanting  to  risk  hurting  Miss 
Davis's  feelings. 

"  Yes,  I  mean  that  I'm  working  my 
way  through.  I  have  a  scholarship,  but 
there's  still  my  board  and  clothes  and  books." 

'^  And  you  do  it  all?" 

Miss  Davis  nodded.  "  My  cousin  sends  me 
some  clothes." 

''  How  do  you  do  it,  please?  " 

'' Tutor,  sort  papers  and  make  typewritten 
copies  of  things  for  the  faculty,  put  on  dress 
braids  (that's  how  I  met  the  B's),  mend  stock- 
ings, and  wait  on  table  off  and  on  when  some 
one's  maid  leaves  suddenly.  We  thought  it 
would  be  cheaper  and  pleasanter  to  board  our- 
selves and  earn  our  money  in  different  ways 
than  to  take  our  board  in  exchange  for  regu- 
lar table-waiting ;  but  I  don't  know.  The 
other  way  is  surer." 

"  You  mean  you  don't  find  work  enough  ?  " 

Miss  Davis  nodded.  ''  It  takes  a  good 
deal,"  she  said  apologetically,  "  and  there  isn't 


RRTTT    WALES  223 

much  tutoring  that  freshmen  can  do.  After 
this  year  it  will  be  easier." 

"■  Dear  me,"  gasped  Betty.  ''  Don't  you  get 
any — any  help  from  home?  " 

"-  Well,  they  haven't  been  able  to  send  any 
yet,  but  they  hope  to  later,"  said  Miss  Davis 
brightly. 

''  And  does  it  pay  when  you  have  to  work 
so  hard  for  it?  " 

''Oh,  yes,"  answered  Miss  Davis  promptly. 
*'  All  three  of  us  are  sure  that  it  pays." 

*'  Three  of  you  live  together  ?  " 

''  Yes.  Of  course  there  are  ever  so  many 
others  in  the  college,  and  I'm  sure  all  of  them 
would  say  the  same  thing." 

''  And — I  hope  I'm  not  being  rude — but  do 
girls— do  you  advertise  things  down  on  that 
bulletin  board  ?  I  don't  know  much  about 
it.  I  never  was  there  but  once  till  I  went  to- 
day on — on  an  errand  for  a  friend,"  Betty 
concluded  awkwardly.  Perhaps  she  had  been 
an  interloper.  Perhaps  that  bulletin  board 
had  not  been  meant  for  girls  like  her. 

Miss  Davis  evidently  assumed  that  she  had 
been  to  leave  an  order.  ''  You  ought  to  buy 
more,"  she  said  laughingly.     ''  But  you  want 


224  BETTr    WALES 

to  know  what  I  was  there  for,  don't  you  ? 
Why  yes,  we  do  make  a  good  deal  off  that 
bulletin  board.  One  of  the  girls  paints  a  lit- 
tle and  she  advertises  picture  frames — Yale 
and  Harvard  and  Pennsylvania  ones,  you 
know.  I  sell  blue-prints.  A  senior  lends  me 
her  films.  She  has  a  lot  of  the  faculty  and  the 
campus,  and  they  go  pretty  well.  We  use  the 
money  we  make  from  those  things  for  little 
extras — ribbons  and  note-books  and  desserts 
for  Sunday.  We  hoped  to  make  quite  a  bit 
on  valentines '' 

''Valentines?"  repeated  Betty  sharply. 

''  Yes,  but  a  good  many  others  thought  of  it 
too,  and  we  didn't  get  any  orders — not  one. 
Ours  weren't  so  extra  prett}^  and  it  was  foolish 
of  me  to  be  so  disappointed,  but  we'd  worked 
hard  getting  ready  and  we  did  want  a  little 
more  money  so  much." 

They  had  reached  Betty's  door  by  this  time, 
and  Miss  Davis  hurried  on,  saying  it  was  her 
turn  to  get  supper  and  begging  Betty  to  come 
and  see  them.  ''  For  we're  very  cozy,  I  assure 
you.  You  mustn't  think  we  have  a  horrid 
time  just  because — you  know  why." 

Betty  went  straight  to  Mary's  room,  which, 


GIRLS.  THIS  HAS  TO  STOP,"  SHE  ANNOUNCED 


PUBLIC  LIOaAUT 


AeT»»a,   LffNOX  A.HD 
B  L 


BETTT    WALES  225 

since  she  had  no  roommate  to  object  to  disor- 
der, had  been  the  chief  seat  of  the  valentine 
industry. 

"  You're  a  nice  one,"  cried  Katherine,  ''  stay- 
ing off  like  this  when  to-day  is  the  eleventh." 

"  Many  orders?  "  inquired  Mary. 

Betty  sat  down  on  Mary's  couch,  ruthlessly 
sweeping  aside  a  mass  of  half  finished  valen- 
tines to  make  room.  ''  Girls,  this  has  got  to 
stop,"  she  announced  abruptly. 

Mary  dropped  her  scissors  and  Katherine 
shut  the  rhyming  dictionary  with  a  bang. 

''What  is  the  trouble?"  they  asked  in 
chorus. 

Then  Betty  told  her  story,  suppressing  only 
Emily's  name  and  mentioning  all  the  details 
that  had  made  up  the  point  and  pathos  of  it. 
''  And  just  think  !  "  she  said  at  last.  ''  She's 
a  girl  you'd  both  be  proud  to  know,  and  she 
works  like  that.  And  we  stepped  in  and  took 
away  a  chance  of — of  ribbons  and  note-books 
and  dessert  for  Sunday." 

*'  May  be  not ;  perhaps  hers  were  so  homely 
they  wouldn't  have  sold  anyway,"  suggested 
Katherine  with  an  attempt  at  jocoseness. 

''  Don^t,  please,"  said  Betty  wearily. 


226  BETTT    IVALES 

Mary  came  and  sat  down  beside  her  on  the 
couch.  "  Well,  what's  to  be  done  about  it 
now  ?  "  she  asked  soberly. 

''  I  don't  know.  We  can't  give  them  orders 
because  she  took  her  sign  down.  I  thought 
perhaps — how  much  have  we  made  ?  " 

'^  Fifteen  dollars  easily.  All  right ;  we'll 
send  it  to  them." 

''  Of  course,"  chimed  in  Katherine.  ''  I  was 
only  joking.     Shall  we  finish  these  up  ?  " 

''  Yes  indeed,"  said  Mary,  "  they're  all 
ordered,  and  the  more  money  the  better,  n'est 
ce  pas,  Betty?  But  aren't  we  to  know  the 
person's  name  ?  "  inquired  Katherine. 

Betty  hesitated.  ''  Why — no — that  is  if  you 
don't  mind  very  much.  You  see  she  sort  of 
told  me  about  herself  because  she  had  to,  so  I 
feel  as  if  I  oughtn't  to  repeat  it.  Do  you 
mind?" 

*'  Not  one  bit,"  said  Katherine  quickly. 
''  And  we  needn't  say  anything  at  all  about 
it,  except — don't  you  think  the  girls  here  in 
the  house  will  have  to  know  that  we're  going 
to  give  away  the  money  ?  " 

*'  Yes,"  put  in  Mary,  "■  and  we'll  make  them 
all  give  us  extra  orders." 


BETTT    JVALES  227 

*'  We  will  save  out  a  dollar  for  you  to  live 
on  till  March,"  said  Betty. 

"■  Oh  no,  I  shall  borrow  of  you,"  retorted 
Mary,  and  then  they  all  laughed  and  felt 
better. 

On  St.  Valentine's  morning  Betty  posted 
a  registered  valentine.     The  verse  read  : — 

*  *  There  are  three  of  us  and  three  of  you, 
Though  only  one  knows  one, 
So  pray  accept  this  little  gift 
And  go  and  have  some  fun." 

But  if  the  rhyme  went  haltingly  and  was 
not  quite  true  either,  as  Betty  pointed  out, 
since  Adelaide  and  Alice  had  contributed  to 
the  fund,  and  the  whole  house  had  bought 
absurd  quantities  of  valentines  because  it 
was  such  a  ''worthy  object"  C'just  as  if  I 
wasn't  a  worthy  object ! "  sighed  Mary), 
there  was  nothing  the  matter  with  the  ''  little 
gift,"  which  consisted  of  three  crisp  ten  dollar 
bills. 

''  Oh,  if  they  should  feel  hurt !  "  thought 
Betty,  anxiously,  and  dodged  Emily  Davis  so 
successfully  that  until  the  day  of  the  rally 
they  did  not  meet. 

That   week    was   a   tremendously    exciting 


228  BETTT    WALES 

one.  To  begin  with,  on  the  twentieth  the 
members  of  the  freshman  and  basket-ball  teams 
w^ere  announced.  Rachel  was  a  ''  home  "  on 
the  regular  team,  and  Katherine  a  guard  on 
the  "'  sub,"  so  the  Chapin  house  fairly  bubbled 
over  with  pride  and  pleasure  in  its  double 
honors.  Then  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
second  came  the  rally  with  its  tumultuous  dis- 
play of  class  and  college  loyalty,  its  songs 
written  especially  for  the  occasion,  its  shrieks 
of  triumph  or  derision  ( which  no  intrusive 
reporter  should  make  bold  to  interpret  or 
describe  as  ^'  class  yells,"  since  such  masculine 
modes  of  expression  are  unknown  at  Hard- 
ing), and  its  mock-heroic  debate  on  the  vital 
issue,  "'  Did  or  did  not  George  Washington  cut 
down  that  cherry-tree?  " 

Every  speaker  was  clever  and  amusing, 
but  Emily  Davis  easily  scored  the  hit  of  the 
morning.  For  w^hereas  most  freshmen  are 
frightened  and  appear  to  disadvantage  on 
such  an  occasion,  she  was  perfectly  calm  and 
self-possessed,  and  made  her  points  with  ex- 
actly the  same  irresistible  gaucherie  and  dar- 
ing infusion  of  local  color  that  had  distin- 
guished her  performance  at  the  class  meeting. 


BETTT    WALES  229 

Besides,  she  was  a  "■  dark  horse"  ;  she  did  not 
belong  to  the  leading  set  in  her  class,  nor  to 
any  other  set,  for  that  matter,  and  this  fact,  to- 
gether with  the  novel  method  of  her  election 
made  her  interesting  to  her  essentially  demo- 
cratic audience.  So  when  the  judges — five 
popular  members  of  the  faculty — announced 
their  decision  in  favor  of  the  negative,  other- 
wise the  junior-freshman  side  of  the  debate, 
19 — 's  enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds,  and  led  by 
the  delighted  B's  they  carrried  their  speaker 
twice  round  the  gym  on  their  shoulders — 
which  is  an  honor  likely  to  be  remembered 
by  its  recipient  for  more  reasons  than  one. 

As  the  clans  were  scattering,  it  suddenly 
occurred  to  Betty  that,  if  Emily  did  not  guess 
anything,  it  would  please  her  to  be  congratu- 
lated on  the  excellence  of  her  debate  ;  and  if, 
as  was  more  likely,  she  had  guessed,  there 
was  little  to  be  gained  by  postponing  the 
dreaded  interview.  She  chose  a  moment 
when  Emily  was  standing  by  herself  in  one 
corner  of  the  gymnasium.  Emily  did  not  wait 
for  her  to  begin  her  speech  of  congratulation. 

''  Oh,  Miss  Wales,"  she  cried,  ''  I've  been  to 
see  you  six   times,  and  you  are  never  there. 


230  BETTT    WALES 

It  was  lovely  of  you — lovely — but  ought  we 
to  take  it?" 

''  Yes,  indeed.  It  belongs  to  you  ;  honestly 
it  does.  Don't  ask  me  how,  for  it's  too  long 
a  story.     Just  take  my  word  for  it." 

''  Well,  but "  began  Emily  doubtfully. 

At  that  moment  some  one  called,  '^  Hurrah 
for  19 — !  "  Betty  caught  up  the  cry  and  seiz- 
ing Emily's  hand  rushed  her  down  the  hall, 
tow^ard  a  group  of  freshmen. 

^'  Make  a  line  and  march,"  cried  somebody 
else,  and  presently  a  long  line  of  19 —  girls  was 
Avinding  in  noisy  lock-step  down  the  hall, 
threading  in  and  out  between  groups  of  up- 
per-class girls  and  cheering  and  gaining  re- 
cruits as  it  went. 

"•  Hurrah  for  19 —  !  "  cried  Betty  hoarsely. 

"  Take  it  for  19 — ,"  she  whispered  to  Emily, 
as  the  line  stopped  with  a  jerk  that  knocked 
their  heads  together. 

''If    you    are    sure Thank    you    for 

19 — ,"  Emily  w^hispered  back. 

"  Here's  to  19 — ,  drink  her  down  ! 
Here's  to  19 — ,  drink  her  down  !  " 

As  the  chorus  rose  and  swelled  Betty  felt. 


BETTT    WALES  231 

as  she  never  had  before,  what  it  meant  to  be 
a  college  girl  at  Harding. 

As  Betty  was  leaving  the  gymnasium  she 
met  Eleanor  face  to  face  in  the  hallway. 

''Wasn't  it  fun?"  said  Betty,  shyly. 
Perhaps,  now  that  the  debate  was  over, 
Eleanor  would  be  ready  to  make  friends 
again. 

''Patronizing  the  genius,  do  you  mean?" 
asked  Eleanor  slowly.  "  I  hope  she  didn't 
buy  that  hideous  salmon-pink  waist  with  your 
money." 

"  Oh,  Eleanor,  how  did  you  ever  find  out?  " 
cried  Betty,  deeply  distressed.  Only  a  few  of 
the  Chapin  house  girls  knew  anything  about 
the  disposition  of  the  valentine  money,  and 
not  even  the  rest  of  the  firm  had  been  told 
who  had  received  it.  So  Betty  had  thought 
the  secret  perfectly  safe. 

^'  No  one  told  me  about  your  private  af- 
fairs," returned  Eleanor  significantly.  "I 
guessed  and  I  congratulate  you.  The  genius 
will  be  a  useful  ally.  She  will  get  all  the 
freaks'  votes  for  you,  when " 

"Eleanor  Watson,  come  on  if  you're  com- 
ing," called  a  voice  from  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 


232  BETTT    WALES 

and  Eleanor  marched  blithely  off,  without 
finishing  her  sentence. 

Betty  stared  after  her  with  unseeing  eyes. 
So  that  was  it !  She  was  to  blame  because 
Jean  had  told  her  of  Eleanor's  predicament — 
told  her  against  her  wish.  And  now  she  was 
supposed  to  be  trying  to  get  votes. 

''  Votes  for  what,  I  wonder?  How  perfectly 
absurd  !  "  said  Betty  to  the  brick  wall  she  was 
facing.  But  the  appropriate  smile  would  not 
come,  for  the  absurdity  had  cost  her  a  friend 
whom  she  had  loved  dearly  in  spite  of  her 
faults. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A    BEGINNING    AND    A    SEQUEL 

''  I  shan't  be  here  to  dinner  Sunday,"  an- 
nounced Helen  Chase  Adams  with  an  odd 
little  thrill  of  importance  in  her  voice. 

''  Shan't  you  ?  "  responded  her  roommate 
absently.  She  was  trying  to  decide  which 
dress  to  wear  to  the  Hilton  House  play.  Her 
pink  organdie  was  prettiest,  but  she  really 
ought  to  save  that  for  the  Glee  Club  concert. 
And  should  she  ask  her  cousin  Jack  Burgess 
up  from  Harvard  for  the  concert,  or  would  it 
be  better  to  invite  Mr.  Parsons?  These  ab- 
sorbing questions  left  her  small  attention  to 
bestow  on  so  comparatively  commonplace  a 
matter  as  an  invitation  out  to  Sunday  dinner. 

'^  I  thought  you  might  like  to  have  some 
one  in  my  place,"  continued  Helen,  moving 
the  pink  organdie  waist  on  to  the  same  chair 
with  the  batiste  skirt. 

Betty  came  to  herself  with  a  start.  ''  I  beg 
your  pardon.     I   didn't  see  that  I  had  taken 

233 


234  BETTT    WALES 

up  all  the  chairs.  I  was  trying  to  decide 
what  to  wear  to  the  dramatics." 

''  And  I  was  thinking  what  I'd  wear  Sun- 
day/' said  Helen. 

It  was  so  seldom  nowadays  that  she  ob- 
truded her  affairs  upon  any  one's  notice  that 
Betty  glanced  at  her  wonderingly.  Her  eyes 
had  their  starry  look,  and  a  smile  that  she 
was  futilely  endeavoring  to  keep  in  the  back- 
ground played  around  the  corners  of  her 
mouth. 

*'  I'm  glad  she's  got  over  the  blues,"  thought 
Betty.  ''Why,  where  are  you  going?"  she 
asked  aloud. 

''  Oh,  only  to  the  Westcott  House,"  answered 
Helen  with  an  assumption  of  unconcern. 
'*  Would  you  wear  the  blue  silk  waist  or  the 
brown  dress  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  Westcott  is  the  swellest  house 
on  the  campus,  you  know.  When  I  go  there 
I  always  put  on  my  very  best." 

"  Yes,  but  which  is  my  best?  " 

Betty  considered  a  moment.  ''  Why,  of 
course  they're  both  pretty,"  she  began  with 
kindly  diplomacy,  "■  but  dresses  are  more  the 
thing    than  waists.      Still,  the  blue  is  very 


BETTT    WALES  235 

becoming.  But  I  think — yes,  I'm  sure  I'd 
wear  the  brown." 

''  All  right.  If  you  change  your  mind  be- 
fore Sunday  you  can  let  me  know." 

''  Yes,"  said  Betty  briefly.  She  was  exam- 
ining the  batiste  skirt  to  see  if  it  would  need 
pressing  for  the  dramatics.  After  all,  Jack 
was  more  fun,  and  probably  Mr.  Parsons  was 
invited  by  this  time  anyhow — he  knew  lots 
of  Harding  girls.  What  was  the  name  of 
Jack's  dormitory  house  ?  She  would  ask  the 
Riches  ;  they  had  a  brother  in  the  same  one. 
So  she  strolled  off  to  find  the  Riches,  and  in- 
cidentally to  get  the  latest  basket-ball  news 
from  Rachel  and  Katherine.  At  nine  o'clock 
they  turned  her  out ;  they  were  in  training 
and  supposed  to  be  fast  asleep  by  nine-thirty. 
When  she  opened  her  own  door,  Helen  was 
still  sitting  idly  in  the  wicker  rocker,  looking 
as  if  she  would  be  perfectly  content  to  stay 
there  indefinitely  with  her  pleasant  thoughts 
for  company. 

Betty  had  quite  lost  interest  in  Helen 
lately  ;  she  had  small  patience  with  people 
who  moped,  and  besides,  between  Eleanor  and 
the   valentine   enterprise,  her   thoughts   had 


236  BETTT    WALES 

been  fully  engrossed.  But  this  new  mood 
made  her  curious.  ''She  acts  as  if  she'd  got 
a  crush,"  she  decided.  ''  She's  just  the  kind 
to  have  one,  and  probably  her  divinity  has 
asked  her  to  dinner,  and  she  can't  put  her 
mind  on  anything  else.  But  who  on  earth 
could  it  be — in  the  Westcott  House?  " 

She  was  on  the  point  of  inquiring,  when 
Helen  diverted  her  attention  to  something 
else.  ''  I  made  a  w^onderful  discovery  to-day," 
she  said.  ''  Theresa  Reed  and  T.  Reed  are 
the  same  person." 

Betty  laughed.  ''  They  might  easily  be," 
she  said.  ''  I  don't  see  that  it  was  so  won- 
derful." 

''  Why,  I've  known  Theresa  all  this  year — 
she  was  the  one  that  asked  me  to  go  off  with 
her  house  for  Mountain  Day.  She's  the  best 
friend  I  have  here,  but  she  never  told  me 
that  she  was  specially  interested  in  basket- 
ball and  I  never  thought — well,  I  guess  I 
never  imagined  that  a  dear  friend  of  mine 
could  be  the  celebrated  T.  Reed,"  laughed 
Helen  happily.  ''  But  all  sorts  of  nice  things 
are  happening  to  me  lately." 

''  That's  good,"  said  Betty.     ''  It  seems  to 


BETTT    WALES  237 

be  just  the  opposite  with  me,"  and  she  plunged 
into  her  note  to  Jack,  which  must  be  ready 
for  the  next  morning's  post. 

All  that  week  Helen  went  about  fairly 
wreathed  in  smiles.  Her  shyness  seemed  to 
have  vanished  suddenly.  She  joined  gaily  in 
the  basket-ball  gossip  at  the  table,  came  out 
into  the  hall  to  frolic  with  the  rest  of  the 
house  at  ten  o'clock,  and  in  general  acted  as 
a  happy,  well-conducted  freshman  should. 

The  Chapin  house  brought  its  amazement 
over  the  ''  dig's  "  frivolity  to  Betty,  but  she 
had  very  little  to  tell  them.  ''  All  I  know  is 
that  she's  awfully  pleased  about  being  a  friend 
of  T.  Reed's.  And  oh  yes — she's  invited  out 
to  dinner  next  Sunday.  But  of  course  there 
must  be  something  else." 

"  Perhaps  she's  going  to  have  a  man  up  for 
the  concert,"  suggested  Katherine  flippantly. 

''  Are  you?  "  inquired  Mary  Rich,  and  with 
that  the  regeneration  of  Helen  w^as  forgotten 
in  the  far  more  absorbing  topic  of  the  Glee 
Club  concert. 

Sunday  came  at  last.  ''  I'm  not  going  to 
church,  Betty,"  said  Helen  shyly.  ''  I  want  to 
have  plenty  of  time  to  get  dressed  for  dinner." 


238  BETTT    WALES 

'^  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Betty  carelessly.  She 
had  just  received  an  absurd  letter  from  Jack. 
He  was  coming  ^'  certain-sure  "  ;  he  wanted 
to  see  her  about  a  very  serious  matter,  he  said. 
''  Incidentally  "  he  should  be  delighted  to  go 
to  the  concert.  There  was  a  mysterious  post- 
script too  : — ''  How  long  since  you  got  so  fond 
of  Bob  Winchester  ?  " 

^'  I  never  heard  of  any  such  person.  What 
do  you  suppose  he  means  ?  "  Betty  asked  Mary 
Brooks  as  they  walked  home  from  church  to- 
gether. Mary  had  also  invited  a  Harvard 
man  to  the  concert  and  Dorothy  King  had 
found  them  both  seats,  so  they  were  feeling 
unusually  friendly  and  sympathetic. 

'^  I  can't  imagine.  Do  let  me  see  his  let- 
ter," begged  Mary.  ''  He  must  be  no  end  of 
fun." 

"He's  a  worse  tease  than  you,"  said  Betty, 
knocking  on  her  door. 

''  Come  in,"  called  Helen  Chase  Adams 
eagerly.  "  Betty,  would  you  please  hook  my 
collar,  and  would  one  of  you  see  what  time  it 
really  is  ?  I  don't  like  to  depend  too  much 
on  my  watch." 

''  She'll  be  at  least  ten  minutes  too  early," 


BETTT    WALES  239 

sighed  Betty,  when  Helen  had  finally  departed 
in  a  flutter  of  haste.  ^'  And  see  this  room  ! 
But  I  oughtn't  to  complain,"  she  added, 
beginning  to  clear  up  the  dresser.  ''  I'm 
always  leaving  it  like  this  myself;  but  some- 
way I  don't  expect  it  of  Helen." 

''Who  asked  her  to  dinner  to-day?"  in- 
quired Mary  Brooks.  She  had  been  sitting  in 
a  retired  corner,  vastly  enjoying  the  unusual 
spectacle  of  Helen  Adams  in  a  frenzy  of  ex- 
citement. 

''  Why,  I  don't  know.  I  never  thought  to 
ask,"  said  Betty,  straightening  the  couch  pil- 
lows. ''  I  only  hope  she'll  have  as  good  a 
time  as  she  expects  " 

''  Poor  youngster  !  "  said  Mary.  ''  Wish  I'd 
asked  Laurie  to  jolly  her  up  a  bit." 

It  is  to  be  presumed  that  these  fears  were 
groundless,  since  the  bell  was  ringing  for  five 
o'clock  vespers  when  Helen  came  back.  Betty 
was  sitting  at  her  desk  pretending  to  write 
letters,  but  really  trying  to  decide  whether 
she  should  say  anything  to  Eleanor  apropos  of 
her  remarks  about  Emily  Davis,  and  if  so, 
whether  she  should  do  it  now.  Mary  Brooks 
Was  curled  up  on  Betty's  couch,  dividing  her 


240  BETTT    WALES 

attention  between  Jack  Burgess's  picture  and 
a  new  magazine. 

''Had  a  good  time,  didn't  you?  "she  re- 
marked sociably  when  Helen  appeared. 

*'  Oh,  yes,"  said  Helen  happily.  ""  You  see  I 
don't  go  out  very  often.  Were  you  ever  at 
the  Westcott  House  for  dinner?  " 

''Once,"  chuckled  Mary.  "But  I  found 
they  didn't  have  ice-cream,  because  the  ma- 
tron doesn't  approve  of  buying  things  on 
Sunday ;  so  I've  turned  them  down  ever 
since." 

Helen  laughed  merrily.  "  How  funny  !  I 
never  missed  it !  "  There  was  a  becoming  flush 
on  her  cheeks,  a  pretty  new  confidence  in  her 
manner. 

"  Helen,  who  did  you  say  asked  you  to  the 
Westcott?"  inquired  Betty. 

"  I  didn't  say,  because  you  didn't  ask  me," 
returned  Helen  truthfully,  "  but  it  was  Miss 
Mills." 

"  Miss  Mills  1  "  repeated  Mary.  "  Well,  my 
child,  I  don't  wonder  that  you  were  rattled 
this  noon,  being  invited  around  by  the  faculty. 
Gracious,  what  a  compliment  to  a  young 
freshman  !  " 


BETTr    WALES  2/Li 

''  I  should  think  so !  "  chimed  in  Betty 
eagerly. 

In  spite  of  her  embarrassment  Helen  evi- 
dently enjoyed  the  sensation  she  was  produc- 
ing.    ''  I  thought  it  was  awfully  nice,"  she  said. 

''  Why  didn't  you  tell  us  sooner?  "  demanded 
Mary.  ^'  Why,  child,  you  must  be  a  bright 
and  shining  shark  in  lit." 

Helen's  happy  face  clouded  suddenly. 
''I'm  not,  am  I,  Betty?"  she  asked  appeal- 
ingly. 

Betty  laughed.  ''  Why  no,  since  you  ask 
me.  No,  she  isn't,  Mary.  She  sits  on  the 
back  row  with  me  and  we  don't  either  of  us 
say  an  extra  word.  It's  math,  and  Latin  and 
Greek  that  Helen  shines  in." 

''  Well,  are  you  awfully  devoted  to  Miss 
Mills?  "  pursued  Mary.  ''Is  that  why  she 
asked  you  ?  " 

Helen  shook  her  head.  "  I  like  her.  She 
reads  beautifull}^  and  sometimes  she  says  very 
interesting  things,  doesn't  she,  Betty?" 

"  I  hadn't  noticed,"  answered  her  room- 
mate hastily. 

"  Well,  I  think  she  does,  but  I  never  told 
her  I  thought  so.     It  couldn't  be  that." 


242  BETTT    WALES 

"  Then  why  did  she  ask  you  ?  "  demanded 
Mary. 

''  I  suppose  because  she  wanted  me,"  said 
Helen  happily.  ''  I  can't  think  of  any  other 
reason.     Isn't  it  lovely  ?  " 

"  Yes  indeed,"  agreed  Mary.  ''  It's  so  grand 
that  I'm  going  off  this  minute  to  tell  every- 
body in  the  house  about  it.  They'll  be  dread- 
fully envious,"  and  she  left  the  roommates 
alone. 

Helen  pulled  off  her  best  gloves  carefully, 
and  laid  them  neatly  away,  then  she  put  up 
her  hat  and  coat  and  sat  down  in  her  favorite 
wicker  chair.  ''  I  guess  I  left  the  room  in  a 
dreadful  muss  this  noon,"  she  said  apologetic- 
ally. ''  I  guess  I  acted  silly  and  excited,  but 
you  see — I  said  I  hadn't  been  out  often — this 
is  the  very  first  time  I've  been  invited  out  to 
a  meal  since  I  came  to  Harding." 

"  Really  ?  "  said  Betty,  thinking  guiltily  of 
her  own  multitude  of  invitations. 

''  Yes,  I  hoped  you  hadn't  any  of  you 
noticed  it.  I  hate  to  be  pitied.  Now  you  can 
just  like  me." 

^'  Just  like  you  ?  "  repeated  Betty  vaguely. 

"Yes.     Don't  you  see?     I'm  not  left  out 


BETTT    WALES  24 


v3 


any  more."  She  hesitated,  then  went  on 
rapidly.  '^  You  see  I  had  a  lovely  time  at 
first,  at  the  sophomore  reception  and  the  frolic 
and  all,  but  it  stopped  and — this  was  a  good 
while  coming,  and  I  got  discouraged.  Wasn't 
it  silly  ?  I — oh,  it's  all  right  now.  I 
wouldn't  change  places  with  anybody."  She 
began  to  rock  violently.  Betty  had  noticed 
that  Helen  rocked  when  other  girls  sang  or 
danced  jigs. 

"■  But  I  thought — we  all  thought,"  began 
Betty,  ^'  that  you  had  decided  you  preferred 
to  study — that  you  didn't  care  for  our  sort  of 
fun.     You  haven't  seemed  to  lately." 

"  Not  since  it  came  over  me  why  you  girls 
here  in  the  house  were  nice  to  me  when  no- 
body else  was  except  Theresa,"  explained 
Helen  with  appalling  frankness.  "  You  were 
sorry  for  me.  I  thought  it  out  the  day  after 
you  gave  me  the  violets.  Before  I  came  to 
Harding,"  she  went  on,  "I  did  think  that  col- 
lege was  just  to  study.  It's  funny  how  you 
change  your  mind  after  you  get  here — how 
you  begin  to  see  that  it's  a  lot  bigger  than  you 
thought.  And  it's  queer  how  little  you  care 
about  doing  well  in  class  when  you  haven't 


244  BETTT    WALES 

anything  else  to  care  about."  She  gave  a  lit- 
tle sigh,  then  got  up  suddenly.  "  I  almost 
forgot ;  I  have  a  message  for  Adelaide.  And 
by  the  way,  Betty,  I  saw  your  Miss  Hale  ;  she 
and  somebody  else  were  just  going  in  to  see 
Miss  Mills  when  I  left." 

She  had  scarcely  gone  when  Mary  sauntered 
back  as  if  by  accident.  ''  Well,  have  you 
found  out?"  she  asked.  ''As  a  student  of 
psychology  I'm  vastly  interested  in  this  situa- 
tion." 

''Found  out  what?"  asked  Betty  un- 
smilingly. 

"  Why  Miss  Mills  asked  her,  and  why  she 
is  so  pleased." 

"  I  suppose  Miss  Mills  asked  her  because 
she  was  sorry  for  her,"  answered  Betty 
slowly,  '^  and  Helen  is  pleased  because  she 
doesn't  know  it.  Mary,  she's  been  awfully 
lonely." 

"  Too  bad,"  commented  Mary.  Unhappi- 
ness  always  made  her  feel  awkward. 

"  But  she  says  this  makes  up  to  her  for 
everything,"  added  Betty. 

"  Oh,  I've  noticed  that  life  is  a  pretty  even 
thing  in   the  end,"  returned  Mary,  relieved 


BETTT    WALES  245 

that  there  was  no  present  call  on  her  sym- 
pathies, ''  but  I  must  confess  I  don't  see  how 
one  dinner  invitation,  even  if  it  is  from " 

Just  then  Helen  tapped  on  the  door. 

Down  in  Miss  Mills's  room  they  were  dis- 
cussing much  the  same  point. 

"  It's  a  shame  for  you  to  waste  your  Sun- 
days over  these  children,"  said  Miss  Hale. 

Miss  Mills  stopped  her  tea-making  to  dis- 
sent. ""  It  isn't  wasted  if  she  cared.  She  was 
so  still  that  I  couldn't  be  sure,  but  judging 
from  the  length  of  time  she  stayed " 

''  She  was  smiling  all  over  her  face  when  we 
met  her,"  interrupted  Miss  Meredith.  "  Who 
is  she,  anyway  ?  " 

''  Oh,  just  nobody  in  particular,"  laughed 
Miss  Mills,  ''just  a  forlorn  little  freshman 
named  Adams." 

''But   I   don't  quite  see  how "  began 

Miss  Hale. 

"  Oh,  you  wouldn't,"  said  Miss  Mills  easily. 
"  You  were  president  of  your  class  when  you 
were  a  freshman.  I  was  nobody  in  particular, 
and  I  know  what  it's  like." 

"  But  why  not  leave  it  to  her  friends  to 
hearten  her  up  ?  " 


246  BETTr    JVALES 

''  Apparently  she  hasn't  any,  or  if  she  has, 
they're  as  out  of  things  as  she  is." 

''  Well,  to  the  other  girls  then." 

''  When  girls  are  happy  they  are  cruel," 
said  Miss  Mills  briefly,  ''  or  perhaps  they're 
only  careless." 

Betty,  after  a  week's  consideration,  put  the 
matter  even  more  specifically.  ''  I  tried  to 
make  her  over  because  I  wanted  a  different 
kind  of  roommate,"  she  said,  *'  and  we  all  let 
her  see  that  we  were  sorry  for  her.  Miss  Mills 
made  her  feel  as  if " 

"•  She  had  her  dance  card  full  and  was  split- 
ting her  waltzes,"  supplied  Mary,  who  was 
just  back  from  an  afternoon  at  Winsted. 

'^  Exactly  like  that,"  agreed  Betty,  laughing. 
'^  I  wish  I'd  done  it,"  she  added  wistfully. 

''  You  kept  her  going  till  her  chance  came," 
said  Mary.  '^  She  owes  a  lot  to  you,  and  she 
knows  it." 

''  Don't,"  protested  Betty,  flushing.  ''  I  tell 
you,  I  was  only  thinking  of  myself  when  I 
tried  to  fix  her  up,  and  then  after  a  while  I 
got  tired  of  her  and  let  her  alone.  I  was  hor- 
rid, but  she's  forgiven  me  and  we're  real 
friends  now." 


BETTT    WALES  247 

'^  Well,  we  can't  do  but  so  much  apiece," 
said  Mary  practically.  "■  And  I've  noticed 
tha4;  '  jam,'  as  your  valentine  girl  called  it,  is 
a  mighty  hard  thing  to  give  to  people  who 
really  need  it." 

Nevertheless  the  gift  had  been  managed  in 
Helen's  case  ;  she  had  gotten  her  start  at  last. 
Miss  Mills's  tactful  little  attention  had  fur- 
nished her  with  the  hope  and  courage  that  she 
lacked,  had  given  her  back  the  self-confidence 
that  Caroline  Barnes  had  wounded.  What- 
ever the  girls  might  think,  she  knew  she  w^as 
''  somebody  "  now,  and  she  would  go  ahead 
and  prove  it.  She  could,  too — she  no  longer 
doubted  her  possession  of  the  college  girl's  one 
talent  that  Betty  had  laughed  about.  For 
there  was  Theresa  Reed,  her  friend  down  the 
street.  She  was  homely  and  awkward,  she 
wore  dowdy  clothes  and  wore  them  badly,  she 
was  slow  and  plodding ;  but  there  was  one 
thing  that  she  could  do,  and  the  girls  ad- 
mired her  for  it  and  had  instantly  made  a 
place  for  her.  Helen  was  glad  of  a  second 
proof  that  those  things  did  not  matter  vitally. 
She  set  herself  happily  to  work  to  study  T. 
Reed's  methods,  and  she  began  to  look  for- 


248  BETTT    WALES 

ward    to   the    freshman-sophomore   game    as 
eagerly  as  did  Betty  or  Katherine. 

But  before  the  game  there  was  the  concert. 
Jack  Burgess,  having  missed  his  connections, 
arrived  in  Harding  exactly  twenty-seven  min- 
utes before  it  began.  As  they  drove  to  the 
theatre  he  inquired  if  Betty  had  received  all 
three  of  his  telegrams. 

''  Yes,"  laughed  Betty,  ''  but  I  got  the  last 
one  first.  The  other  two  were  evidently  de- 
layed. You've  kept  me  guessing,  I  can  tell 
you." 

''  Glad  of  that,"  said  Jack  cheerfully,  as 
he  helped  her  out  of  the  carriage.  ''  That's 
what  you've  kept  me  doing  for  just  about  a 
month.  But  I've  manfully  suppressed  my 
curiosity  and  concealed  the  wounds  in  my 
bleeding  heart  until  I  could  make  inquiries  in 
person." 

''  What  in  the  world  do  you  mean,  Jack?  " 
asked  Betty  carelessly.  Jack  was  such  a 
tease. 

Just  then  they  were  caught  in  the  crowd 
that  filled  the  lobby  of  the  theatre,  and  con- 
versation became  impossible  as  they  hurried 
through  it  and  into  the  theatre  itself. 


BETTr    WALES  249 

"■  Checks,  please,"  said  a  businesslike  little 
usher  in  pink  chiffon,  and  Jack  and  Betty 
followed  her  down  the  aisle.  The  theatre 
was  already  nearly  full,  and  it  looked  like  a 
great  flower  garden,  for  the  girls  all  wore 
light  evening  gowns,  for  which  the  black 
coats  of  the  men  made  a  most  effective  back- 
ground ;  while  the  odor  of  violets  and  roses 
from  the  great  bunches  that  many  of  the  girls 
carried  strengthened  the  illusion. 

''  Jove,  but  this  is  a  pretty  thing !  "  mur- 
mured Jack,  who  had  never  been  in  Harding 
before.     "■  Is  this  all  college  ?  " 

'^  Yes,"  said  Betty  proudly,  ''  except  the 
men,  of  course.  And  don't  they  all  look 
lovely  ?  " 

''  Who— the  men  ?  "  asked  Jack.  Then  he 
gave  a  sudden  start.  "■  Bob  Winchester,  by 
all  that's  wonderful !  " 

''  Who  is  he?  "  said  Betty  idly.  ''  Another 
Harvard  man  ?  Jack  " — with  sudden  inter- 
est, as  she  recognized  the  name — ''  what  did 
you  mean  by  that  postscript  ?  " 

^^  Good  bluff!"  said  Jack  in  his  most 
tantalizing  drawl. 

'^  Jack  Burgess,  I  expect  you  to  talk  sense 


250  BETTT    WALES 

the  rest  of  the  time  you're  here/'  remonstrated 
Betty  impatiently. 

^*  Well,  I  will  on  one  condition.  Tell  me 
why  you  sent  it  to  him." 

^'  Sent  what  to  whom  ?  "  demanded  Betty. 

''  Oh  come,"  coaxed  Jack.  ''  You  know 
what  I  mean.  Why  did  you  send  Bob  that 
valentine  ?  It  almost  crushed  me,  I  can  tell 
you,  when  I  hadn't  even  heard  from  you  for 
months." 

Betty  was  staring  at  him  blankly,  ''  Why 
did  I  send  *  Bob '  that  valentine  ?  Who 
please  tell  me  is  '  Bob  '  ?  " 

'^Robert  M.  Winchester,  Harvard,  19—. 
Eats  at  my  club.  Is  sitting  at  the  present 
moment  on  the  other  side  of  the  aisle,  two 
rows  up  and  over  by  the  boxes.  You'll  know 
him  by  his  pretty  blush.  He's  rattled — he 
didn't  think  I'd  see  him." 

"  Well  ?  "  said  Betty. 

''Well?"  repeated  Jack. 

''  I  never  saw  Mr.  Robert  M.  Winchester 
before,"  declared  Betty  with  dignity,  ''  and  of 
course  I  didn't  send  him  any  valentine. 
What  are  you  driving  at.  Jack  Burgess  ?  " 

Jack  smiled  benignly  down  at  her.     ''  But 


BETTT    WALES  251 

I  saw  it,"  he  insisted.  "  Do  you  think  I 
don't  know  your  handwriting?  The  verses 
weren't  yours,  unless  they  turn  out  spring- 
poets  amazingly  fast  up  here,  but  the  writing 
was,  except  that  on  the  envelope,  and  the 
Cupids  were.  The  design  was  the  same  as 
the  one  on  the  picture  frame  you  gave  me 
last  winter.  Beginning  to  remember  ? "  he 
inquired  with  an  exasperating  chuckle. 

^'  No,"  said  Betty  severely.  Then  a  light 
broke  over  her  face.  '^  Oh  yes,  of  course,  I 
made  that.  Oh  Jack  Burgess,  how  perfectly 
rich  !  " 

''  Don't  think  so  myself,  but  Bobbie  will. 
You  see  I  told  him  that  I  could  put  up  a 
good  guess  who  sent  him  that  valentine,  and 
that  I'd  find  out  for  sure  when  I  came  up. 
But  evidently  he  couldn't  wait,  so  he's  made 
his  sister  ask  him  up  too,  in  the  hope  of 
happening  on  the  valentine  lady,  I  suppose. 
Know  his  sister?  " 

''  No,"  said  Betty,  who  was  almost  speech- 
less with  laughter.  "■  Oh,  Jack,  listen  !  "  and 
she  told  the  story  of  the  valentine  firm. 
''  Probably  his  sister  bought  it  and  sent  it  to 
him,"  she  finished.     "■  Or  anyway  some  girl 


252  BETTT    WALES 

(lid.  Jack,  he's  looking  this  way  again.  Did 
you  tell  him  I  sent  it?  " 

''  No,"  said  Jack  hastily,  ''  that  is — I — well, 
I  only  said  that  the  girl  I  knew  up  here  sent 
it.  He  evidently  suspects  you.  See  him 
stare." 

''  Jack,  how  could  you?  " 

^'  How  couldn't  I  you'd  better  say," 
chuckled  Jack.  ''  I  never  heard  of  this 
valentine  graft.  What  should  I  think, 
please?  Never  mind;  I'll  undeceive  the 
poor  boy  at  the  intermission.  He'll  be 
badly  disappointed.  You  see,  he  said  it 
was  his  sister  all  along,  and " 

The  curtain  rolled  slowly  up,  disclosing  the 
Glee  Club  grouped  in  a  rainbow-tinted  semi- 
circle about  the  leacier,  and  the  concert 
began. 

At  the  intermission  Jack  brought  Mr. 
AVinchester  and  his  sister  to  meet  Betty,  and 
there  were  more  explanations  and  much 
laughter.  Then  Jack  insisted  upon  meeting 
the  rest  of  the  firm,  so  Betty  hunted  up 
Mary.  Her  Harvard  man  knew  the  other  two 
slightly,  and  the  story  had  to  be  detailed 
again  for  his  benefit. 


BETTT    WALES  253 

''  I  say,"  he  said  when  he  had  heard  it, 
^'  that's  what  I  call  enterprise,  but  you  made 
just  one  mistake.  Next  year  you  must  sell 
3^our  stock  to  us.  Then  all  of  it  will  be  sure 
to  land  with  the  ladies,  and  your  cousin's 
feelings  won't  be  hurt." 

''  Good  idea,"  agreed  Jack,  ^'  but  let's  keep 
to  the  living  present,  as  the  poets  call  it.  Are 
you  all  good  for  a  sleigh  ride  to-morrow  after- 
noon?" 

^'  Ah,  do  say  yes,"  begged  Mr.  Winchester, 
looking  straight  at  Betty. 

^^  But  your  sister  said  you  were  going " 

''  On  the  sleeper  to-morrow  night,"  finished 
Mr.  Winchester  promptly.  ''  And  may  I  have 
the  heart-shaped  sign  ?  " 

Betty  stopped  in  Mary's  room  that  night  to 
talk  over  the  exciting  events  of  the  evening. 
''  Betty  Wales,  your  cousin  is  the  nicest  man 
I  ever  met,"  declared  Mary  with  enthusiasm. 

Betty  laughed.  ''  I  shan't  tell  you  what  he 
said  about  you.  It  would  make  you  entirely 
too  vain.  I'm  so  sorry  that  Katherine  wasn't 
there,  so  she  could  go  to-morrow." 

''  It  w^as  too  bad,"  said  Mary  complacently, 
''  But   then  you    know    virtue  is  said  to  be 


254  BETTT    WALES 

its  own  reward.  She'll  have  to  get  along 
with  that,  but  I'm  glad  we're  going  to  have 
another  one.  Those  valentines  were  a  lot  of 
work  to  do  for  a  girl  whose  very  name  I  don't 
know." 


CHAPTER  XV 

AT   THE   GREAT   GAME 

"  Well,  I  thought  I'd  seen  some  excitement 
before/'  declared  Betty  Wales,  struggling  to 
settle  herself  more  comfortably  on  the  scant 
ten  square  inches  of  space  allotted  her  by  the 
surging,  swaying  mass  of  girls  behind.  '^  But 
I  was  mistaken.  Even  the  rally  was  noth- 
ing to  this.  Helen,  do  you  feel  as  if  they'd 
push  you  under  the  railing?  " 

'*A  little,"  laughed  Helen,  "but  I  don't 
suppose  they  could,  do  you  ?  " 

''  I  guess  not,"  said  Betty  hopefully,  ''  but 
they  might  break  my  spine.  They're  ac- 
tually sitting  on  me,  and  I  haven't  room  to 
turn  around  and  see  who's  doing  it.  Oh,  but 
isn't  it  fun  !  " 

The  day  of  the  great  basket-ball  game  had 
come  at  last.  A  bare  two  hours  more  and  the 
freshman  team  would  either  be  celebrating  its 
victory  over  the  sophomores,  or  bravely 
shouldering  its  defeat ;    and  the  college  had 

255 


256  BETTT    WALES 

turned  out  en  masse  to  witness  the  struggle. 
The  floor  of  the  gymnasium  was  cleared,  only 
Miss  Andrews,  the  gym  teacher,  her  assistant 
line-keepers  and  the  ushers  in  white  duck, 
with  paper  hats  of  green  or  purple,  being 
allowed  on  the  field  of  battle.  On  the  little 
stage  at  one  end  of  the  hall  sat  the  faculty^ 
most  of  them  manifesting  their  partisanship 
b})  the  display  of  class-colors.  The  more  pop- 
ular supporters  of  the  purple  had  been  fur- 
nished with  violets  by  their  admirers,  while  the 
wearers  of  the  green  had  American  beauty 
roses — red  being  the  junior  color — tied  with 
great  bows  of  green  ribbon.  The  prize  ex- 
hibit was  undoubtedly  that  of  the  enterpris- 
ing young  head  of  the  chemistry  department, 
who  carried  an  enormous  bunch  of  vivid 
green  carnations  ;  but  the  centre  of  interest 
was  the  president  of  the  college,  who  of  course 
displayed  impartially  the  colors  of  both  sides. 
He  divided  interest  with  a  sprightly  little 
lady  in  a  brilliant  purple  gown,  whose  arms 
were  so  full  of  violets  and  daffodils  and  pur- 
ple and  yellow  ribbons  that  she  looked  like 
an  animated  flower  bed.  She  smiled  and 
nodded  at  the  sophomore  gallery  from  behind 


BETTT    WALES  257 

their  floral  tributes ;  and  the  freshmen 
watched  her  eagerly  and  wished  she  had  worn 
the  green.  But  of  course  she  wouldn't ;  she 
had  nothing  but  sophomore  lit.,  and  all  her 
classes  adored  her. 

In  the  gallery  were  the  students,  seniors 
and  sophomores  on  one  side,  juniors  and  fresh- 
men on  the  other,  packed  in  like  sardines. 
The  front  row  of  them  sat  on  the  floor,  dang- 
ling their  feet  over  the  edge  of  the  balcony — 
they  had  been  warned  at  the  gym  classes  of 
the  day  before  to  look  to  their  soles  and  their 
skirt  braids.  The  next  row  kneeled  and 
peered  over  the  shoulders  of  the  first.  The 
third  row  stood  up  and  saw  what  it  could. 
The  others  stood  up  and  saw  nothing,  unless 
they  were  very  tall  or  had  been  lucky  enough 
to  secure  a  place  on  a  stray  chair  or  a  radiator. 
The  balcony  railings  and  posts  were  draped 
with  bunting,  and  in  every  hand  waved 
banners  and  streamers,  purple  and  yellow  on 
one  side,  red  and  green  on  the  other. 

In  the  middle  of  each  side  were  grouped 
the  best  singers  of  the  classes,  ready  to  lead 
the  chorus  in  the  songs  which  had  been  writ- 
ten  for  the  occasion  to  the  music  of  popular 


258  BETTT    PFALES 

tunes.  These  were  supposed  to  take  the  place 
of  ''  yells,"  and  cheers,  both  proscribed  as 
verging  upon  the  unwomanly.  By  rule  the 
opposing  factions  sang  in  turn,  but  occasion- 
ally, quite  by  accident,  both  started  at  once, 
with  deafening  discords  that  rocked  the  gallery, 
and  caused  the  musical  head  of  the  German 
Department  to  stop  her  ears  in  agony. 

Most  of  the  girls  had  been  standing  in  line 
for  an  hour  waiting  for  the  gymnasium  doors 
to  open,  but  a  few,  like  Betty  and  Helen,  had 
had  reserved  seat  tickets  given  them  by  some 
one  on  the  teams.  These  admitted  their 
fortunate  holders  by  a  back  door  ahead  of  the 
crowd.  All  the  faculty  seats  were  reserved, 
of  course,  and  the  occupants  of  them  were 
still  coming  in.  As  each  appeared,  he  or  she 
was  met  by  a  group  of  ushers  and  escorted 
ceremoniously  across  the  floor,  amid  vigorous 
hand-clapping  from  the  side  whose  colors  were 
in  evidence,  and  the  singing  of  a  verse  of 
"•  Balm  of  Gilead  "  adapted  to  the  occasion. 
Most  of  these  had  been  written  beforehand 
and  were  now  hastily  ''  passed  along  "  from  a 
paper  in  the  hands  of  the  leader.  The 
rhymes  were  execrable,  but  that  did  not  mat- 


BETTT    WALES  259 

ter  since  almost  nobody  could  understand 
them  ;  and  the  main  point  was  to  come  out 
strong  on  the  chorus. 

"  Oh,  there's  Miss  Ferris ! "  cried  Betty,  "  and 
she's  wearing  my  ro — goodness,  she's  half 
covered  wdth  roses.  Helen,  see  that  lovely 
green  dragon  pennant !  " 

"  Here's  to  our  Miss  Ferris,  drink  her  down!  " 

sang  the  freshman  chorus. 

"  Here's  to  onr  Miss  Ferris,  drink  her  down  ! 
Here's  to  onr  Miss  Ferris,  may  she  never,  never  perish  ! 
Drink  her  down,  drink  her  down,  drink  her  down,  down,  down  !" 

Back  by  the  door  there  was  a  sudden  com- 
motion, and  the  sophomore  faction  broke  out 
into  tumultuous  applause  as  a  tall  and  stately 
gentleman  appeared  carrying  a  ''  shower  bou- 
quet "  of  daffodils  with  a  border  and  stream- 
ers of  violets. 

''  Here's  to  Dr.  Hinsdale,  he's  the  finest  man  within  hail  ! 

Drink  him  down,  drink  him  down,  drink  him  down,  down,  down  !  " 

sang  the  sophomores. 

"  There  is  a  team  of  great  renown," 

began  the  freshmen  lustily.     What  did  the 


26o  BETTT    WALES 

sophomores  mean  by  clapping  so  ?  Ah  !  Miss 
Andrews  was  opening  a  door. 

^'  They're  coming !  "  cried  Betty  eagerly. 

''  Only  the  sophomore  subs,"  amended  the 
junior  next  to  her.  ^'  So  please  don't  stick 
your  elbow  into  me." 

''  Excuse  me,"  said  Betty  hastily.  ''  Oh 
Helen,  there's  Katherine  !  " 

Through  the  door  at  one  side  of  the  stage 
the  freshman  subs  were  coming,  through  the 
other  the  sophomores.  Out  on  the  floor  of 
the  gym  they  ran,  all  in  their  dark  blue  gym 
suits  with  green  or  purple  stripes  on  the  right 
sleeves,  tossing  their  balls  from  hand  to  hand, 
throwing  them  into  the  baskets,  bouncing 
them  adroitly  out  of  one  another's  reach,  try- 
ing to  appear  as  unconcerned  as  if  a  thousand 
people  were  not  applauding  them  madly  and 
singing  songs  about  them  and  wondering 
which  of  them  would  get  a  chance  to  play 
in  the  great  game.  In  a  moment  a  little 
whistle  blew  and  the  subs  found  their  places 
on  the  edge  of  the  stage,  where  they  sat  in  a 
restive,  eager  row,  each  girl  in  readiness  to 
take  the  field  the  moment  she  should  be 
needed. 


BETTT    WALES  261 

The  door  of  the  sophomore  room  opened 
again  and  the  '^  real  team  "  ran  out.  Then 
the  gallery  shook  indeed !  Even  the  fresh- 
men cheered  when  the  mascot  appeared  hand 
in  hand  with  the  captain.  He  was  a  dashing 
little  Indian  brave  in  full  panoply  of  war- 
paint, beads,  and  feathers,  with  fringed  leg- 
gins  and  a  real  Navajo  blanket.  When  he 
had  finished  his  grand  entry,  which  consisted 
of  a  war-dance,  accompanied  by  ear-splitting 
war-whoops,  he  came  to  himself  suddenly  to 
find  a  thousand  people  staring  at  him,  and  he 
was  somewhat  appalled.  He  could  not  blush, 
for  Mary  Brooks  had  stained  his  face  and 
neck  a  beautiful  brick-red,  and  he  lacked  the 
courage  to  run  away.  So  he  waited,  forlorn 
and  uncomfortable,  while  the  freshman  team 
rushed  in,  circling  gaily  about  a  diminutive 
knight  in  shining  silver  armor,  with  a  green 
plume.  He  marched  proudly,  but  with  some 
difficulty,  for  his  helmet  was  down  and  his 
sword,  which  was  much  too  long  for  him,  had 
an  unbecoming  tendency  to  trip  him  up. 
When  his  hesitating  steps  had  brought  him. 
to  the  middle  of  the  gymnasium,  the  knight, 
apparently  perceiving  the  Indian  for  the  first 


262  BETTT    WALES 

time,  dropped  his  encumbering  sword  and 
rushed  at  his  rival  with  sudden  vehemence 
and  blood-curdling  cries.  The  little  Indian 
stared  for  a  moment  in  blank  amazement, 
then  slipping  off  his  blanket  turned  tail  and 
ran,  reaching  the  door  long  before  his  sopho- 
more supporters  could  stop  him.  The  knight 
meanwhile,  left  in  full  possession  of  the  field, 
waited  for  a  moment  until  the  laughter  and 
applause  had  died  away  into  curiosity.  Then, 
deliberately  reaching  up  one  gauntleted  hand, 
he  pulled  off  his  helmet,  and  disclosed  the 
saucy,  freckled  face  of  the  popular  son  of  a 
favorite  professor. 

He  grinned  cheerfully  at  the  stage  and  the 
gallery,  gallantly  faced  the  junior- freshman 
side,  and  waving  his  green  plume  aloft  yelled, 
"  Hip,  hip,  hurrah  for  the  freshmen  !  "  at  the 
top  of  a  pair  of  very  strong  lungs.  Then  he 
raced  off  to  find  the  seat  which  had  been  the 
price  of  his  performance  between  two  of  his 
devoted  admirers  on  the  sub  team,  while  the 
gallery,  regardless  of  meaningless  prohibitions 
and  forgetful  of  class  distinctions,  cheered  him 
to  the  echo. 

All  of  a  sudden  a  businesslike  air  began  to 


BETTT    WALES  263 

pervade  the  floor  of  the  gymnasium.  Some- 
body picked  up  the  knight's  sword  and  the 
Indian's  blanket,  and  Miss  Andrews  took  her 
position  under  the  gallery.  The  ushers 
crowded  onto  the  steps  of  the  stage,  and  the 
members  of  the  teams,  who  had  gathered 
around  their  captains  for  a  last  hurried  con- 
ference, began  to  find  their  places. 

"•  Oh,  I  almost  wished  they'd  sing  for  a 
while  more,"  sighed  Betty. 

*'  Do  you  ?  "  answered  Helen  absently.  She 
was  leaning  out  over  the  iron  bar  of  the  rail- 
ing with  her  eyes  glued  to  the  smallest  fresh- 
man centre.     ''  Why  ?  " 

^'  Oh,  it  makes  me  feel  so  thrilled  and  the 
songs  are  so  clever  and  amusing,  and  the  mas- 
cots so  funny." 

''Oh,  yes,"  agreed  Helen.  ''The  things 
here  are  all  like  that,  but  I  want  to  see  them 
play." 

"  You  mean  you  want  to  see  her  play,"  cor- 
rected Betty  merrily.  "  I  don't  believe  you 
care  for  a  single  other  thing  but  T.  Reed. 
Where  is  she?" 

Helen  pointed  her  out  proudly. 

"Oh,  what  an  awfully  funny,  thin  little 


264  BETTT    IVALES 

braid  !  Isn't  she  comical  in  her  gym  suit, 
anyway?  You  wouldn't  think  she  could 
play  at  all,  would  you,  she's  so  small." 

^'  But  she  can,"  said  Helen  stoutly. 

''  Don't  I  know  it?  I  guarded  her  once — 
that  is,  I  tried  to.  She's  a  perfect  wonder. 
See,  there's  Rachel  up  by  our  basket.  Kath- 
erine  says  she's  fine  too.  Helen,  they're  going 
to  begin." 

The  assistant  gym  teacher  had  the  whistle 
now.  She  blew  it  shrilly.  ''  Play  !  "  called 
Miss  Andrews,  and  tossed  the  ball  out  over  the 
heads  of  the  waiting  centres.  A  tall  sopho- 
more reached  up  confidently  to  grab  it,  but 
she  found  her  hands  empty.  T.  Reed  had 
jumped  at  it  and  batted  it  off  sidewise.  Then 
she  had  slipped  under  Cornelia  Thompson's 
famous  ''  perpetual  motion  "  elbow,  and  was 
on  hand  to  capture  the  ball  again  when  it 
bounced  out  from  under  a  confused  mass  of 
homes  and  centres  who  were  struggling  over 
it  on  the  freshman  line.  The  freshmen 
clapped  riotously.  The  sophomores  looked  at 
each  other.  Freshman  teams  were  always 
rattled,  and  ''  muffed  "  their  plays  just  at  first. 
What  did   this  mean?     Oh,  well,  the  homes 


THE  FRKSIIAIEX  WERE  SHOUTING  AND  THUMPING 


THE  K»W  YORK 
PUBLIC  lJBRAr..Y 


AfiTftR.  tlTNOX   AN*D 
TJtlTBN  F«tN{)ATiOK» 


BETTT    IVALES  265 

would  miss  it.  They  did,  and  the  sopho- 
mores breathed  again,  but  only  for  a  moment. 
Then  T.  Reed  jumped  and  the  ball  went 
pounding  back  toward  the  freshman  basket. 
This  time  a  home  got  it,  passed  it  successfully 
to  Rachel,  and  Rachel  poised  it  for  an  instant 
and  sent  it  cleanly  into  the  basket. 

The  freshmen  were  shouting  and  thumping 
as  if  they  had  never  heard  that  it  was  unlady- 
like (and  incidentally  too  great  a  strain  on  the 
crowded  gallery)  to  do  so.  Miss  Andrews 
blew  her  whistle.  ''  Either  the  game  will  stop 
or  you  must  be  less  noisy,"  she  commanded, 
and  amid  the  ominous  silence  that  followed 
she  threw  the  ball. 

This  time  T.  Reed  missed  her  jump,  and 
the  tall  sophomore  got  the  ball  and  tossed  it 
unerringly  at  Captain  Marion  Lawrence,  who 
w^as  playing  home  on  her  team.  She  bounded 
it  off  in  an  unexpected  direction  and  then 
passed  it  to  a  home  nearer  the  basket,  who  on 
the  second  trial  put  it  in.  The  sophomores 
clapped,  but  the  freshmen  smiled  serenely. 
Their  home  had  done  better,  and  they  had  T. 
Reed! 

The  next  ball  went  off  to  one  side.     In  the 


266  BETTT    WALES 

scramble  after  it  two  opposing  centres  grabbed 
it  at  once,  and  each  claimed  precedence.  The 
game  stopped  while  Miss  Andrews  and  the 
line-men  came  up  to  hear  the  evidence. 
There  was  a  breathless  moment  of  indecision. 
Then  Miss  Andrews  took  the  ball  and  tossed 
up  between  the  two  contestants.  But  neither 
of  them  got  it.  Instead,  T.  Reed,  slipping  in 
between  them,  jumped  for  it  again,  and  quick 
as  a  flash  sent  it  flying  toward  the  freshman 
goal.  There  was  another  breathless  moment. 
Could  Rachel  Morrison  put  it  in  from  that 
distance  ?  No,  it  had  fallen  just  short  and 
the  sophomore  guards  were  playing  it  along 
to  the  opposite  end  of  the  home  space,  pos- 
sibly intending  to Ah  !  a  stalwart  sopho- 
more guard,  bracing  herself  for  the  effort,  had 
tossed  it  over  the  heads  of  the  centres  straight 
across  the  gymnasium,  and  Marion  Lawrence 
had  it  and  was  working  toward  the  basket, 
meanwhile  playing  the  ball  back  to  a  red 
haired  competent-looking  girl  whose  gray 
eyes  twinked  merrily  as  her  thin,  nervous 
hands  closed  unerringly  and  vice-like  around 
the  big  sphere.  It  was  in  the  basket,  and  the 
freshmen's  faces  fell. 


BETTT    IVALES  267 

"  But  maybe  they've  lost  something  on 
fouls,"  suggested  Betty  hopefully. 

"•  And  T.  Reed  is  just  splendid,"  added 
Helen. 

Everybody  was  watching  the  gallant  little 
centre  now,  but  she  watched  only  the  ball. 
Back  and  forth,  up  and  down  the  central 
field  she  followed  it,  slipping  and  sliding  be- 
tween the  other  players,  now  bringing  the 
ball  down  with  a  phenomenal  quick  spring, 
now  picking  it  up  from  the  floor,  now  catch- 
ing it  on  the  fly.  The  sophomore  centres 
were  beginning  to  understand  her  methods, 
but  it  was  all  they  could  do  to  frustrate  her ; 
they  had  no  effort  left  for  offensive  tactics. 
Generally  because  of  their  superior  practice 
and  team  play,  the  sophomores  win  the  inter- 
class  game,  and  the}^  do  it  in  the  first  half, 
when  the  frightened  freshmen,  overwhelmed 
by  the  terrors  of  their  unaccustomed  situa- 
tion, let  the  goals  mount  up  so  fast  that  all 
they  can  hope  to  do  in  the  second  half  is  to 
lighten  their  defeat.  What  business  had  T. 
Reed  to  be  so  cool  and  collected  ?  If  she  kept 
on,  there  was  strong  likelihood  of  a  freshman 
victory.     But  she  was  so  small,  and  Cornelia 


268  BETTT    WALES 

Thompson  was  guarding  her — Cornelia  stuck 
like  a  burr,  and  the  ''  perpetual  motion  "  el- 
bow had  already  circumvented  T.  Reed  more 
than  once. 

After  a  long  and  stubborn  battle,  the  fresh- 
men scored  another  point.  But  in  the  next 
round  the  big  sophomore  guard  repeated  her 
splendid  'crossboard  play,  and  again  Marion 
Lawrence  caught  the  ball. 

Ah  !  Captain  Lawrence  is  down,  sliding 
heavily  along  the  smooth  floor ;  but  in  an  in- 
stant she  is  up  again,  brushing  the  hair  out 
of  her  eyes  with  one  hand  and  making  a 
goal  with  the  other. 

''  Time  !  "  calls  Miss  Andrews.  ''  The  goals 
are  three  to  two,  fouls  not  counted." 

The  line-men  gather  to  compare  notes  on 
those.  The  teams  hurry  off  to  their  rooms, 
Captain  Lawrence  limping  badly.  The  first 
half  is  finished. 

A  little  shivering  sigh  of  relief  swept  over 
the  audience.  The  front  row  in  the  gallery 
struggled  to  its  feet  to  rest,  the  back  rows  sat 
down  suddenly  for  the  same  purpose. 

''  Oh,  doesn't  it  feel  good  to  stretch  out," 
said   Betty,  pulling  herself  up  by  the  railing 


BETTT    WALES  269 

and  drawing  Helen  after  her.  ''Aren't  you 
tired  to  death  sitting  still  ?  " 

''  Why  no,  I  don't  think  so,"  answered 
Helen  vaguely.  "It  was  so  splendid  that  I 
forgot." 

"  So  did  I  mostly,  but  I'm  remembering 
good  and  hard  now.  I  ache  all  over."  She 
waved  her  hand  gaily  to  Dorothy  King,  then 
caught  Mary  Brooks's  eye  across  the  hall  and 
waved  again.  "  T.  Reed  is  a  dandy,"  she 
said.  "  And  Rachel  was  great.  They  were 
all  great." 

"How  do  you  suppose  they  feel  now?" 
asked  Helen,  a  note  of  awe  in  her  voice. 

"  Tired,"  returned  Betty  promptly,  "  and 
thirsty,  probably,  and  proud — awfully  proud." 
She  turned  upon  Helen  suddenl3^  "  Helen 
Chase  Adams,  do  you  know  I  might  have 
been  down  there  with  the  subs.  Katherine 
told  me  this  morning  that  it  was  nip  and  tuck 
between  Marie  Austin  and  me.  If  I'd  tried 
harder — played  an  inch  better — think  of  it, 
Helen,  I  might  have  been  down  there  too  !  " 

"  I  couldn't  do  anything  like  that,"  said 
Helen  simply,  "  but  next  year  I  mean  to 
write  a  song." 


270  BETTr    WALES 

Betty  looked  at  her  solemnly.  ''  You 
probably  will.  You're  a  good  hard  worker, 
Helen.  Isn't  it  queer,"  she  went  on,  ''  we're 
not  a  bit  alike,  but  this  game  is  making  us 
feel  the  same  way.  I  wonder  if  the  others 
feel  so  too.  Perhaps  it's  one  reason  why  they 
have  this  game— to  wake  us  all  up  and  make 
us  want  to  do  something  worth  while." 

''  Betty  Wales,"  called  Christy  Mason  from 
the  floor  below.  Betty  leaned  over  the  railing. 
''  Don't  forget  that  you're  coming  to  dinner 
to-night.  We're  going  to  serenade  the  team. 
They'll  be  dining  at  the  Belden  with  Miss 
Andrews." 

Kate  Denise  joined  her.  She  had  never 
mentioned  the  afternoon  in  Eleanor's  room, 
but  she  took  especial  pains  to  be  pleasant  to 
Betty. 

''  Hello,  Betty  Wales,"  she  called  up.  ''  Isn't 
it  fine  ?  Don't  you  think  we'll  win  ?  Any- 
way Miss  Andrews  says  it's  the  best  game  she 
ever  saw." 

"  Betty  Wales,"  called  Dorothy  King  from 
her  leader's  box,  "  come  to  vespers  with  me 
to-morrow." 

Betty    met   them    all    with    friendly    little 


BETTT    WALES  271 

nods  and  enthusiastic  answers.  Then  she 
turned  back  to  Helen.  ''  It's  funny,  but  I'm 
always  interrupted  when  I'm  trying  to  think," 
she  said.  "■  If  there  were  six  of  me  I  think  I 
might  be  six  successful  persons.  But  as  it  is, 
I  suppose  I  shall  always  be  just  '  that  little 
Betty  Wales'  and  have  a  splendid  time." 

''  That  would  be  enough  for  most  people," 
said  Helen. 

''  Oh,  I  hope  not,"  said  Betty  soberly.  ''  I 
don't  amount  to  anything."  She  slipped 
down  into  her  place  again.  The  teams  were 
coming  back. 

"'  See  Laurie  limp  !  " 

''  Their  other  home — the  one  w^ith  the  red 
hair — looks  as  fresh  as  a  May  morning." 

''Well,  so  doesT.  Reed." 

''  We  have  a  fighting  chance  yet." 

Thus  the  freshman  gallery. 

But  the  second  half  opened  with  the  rapid 
winning  of  three  goals  by  the  sophomores. 
Cornelia  Thompson  had  evidently  made  up 
her  mind  that  nobody  so  small  as  T.  Reed 
should  get  away  from  her  and  mar  the  repu- 
tation of  her  famous  ''  ever  moving  and  ever 
present  "  elbow.     The  other  freshman  centres 


272  BETTT    WALES 

were  over-matched,  and  once  Marion  Law- 
rence and  the  red-haired  home  got  the  ball 
between  them,  a  goal  was  practically  a  cer- 
tainty. 

''  Play  !  "  called  Miss  Andrews  for  the  fourth 
time. 

T.  Reed's  eyes  flashed  and  her  lips  shut 
into  a  narrow  determined  line.  Another 
freshman  centre  got  the  ball  and  passed  it 
successfully  to  T.  Reed,  who  gave  it  a  pound- 
ing blow  toward  the  freshman  basket.  A 
sophomore  guard  knocked  it  out  of  Rachel 
Morrison's  hands,  and  it  rolled  on  to  the 
stage.  There  w^as  a  wild  scuffle  and  the 
freshman  balcony  broke  into  tumultuous 
cheering,  for  a  home  who  had  missed  all  her 
previous  chances  had  clutched  it  from  under 
the  president's  chair  and  had  scored  at  last. 

A  moment  later  she  did  it  again.  There 
was  a  pause  while  a  freshman  guard  was  car- 
ried off  with  a  twisted  ankle  and  Katherine 
Kittredge  ran  to  her  place.  Then  the  sopho- 
mores scored  twice.  Then  the  freshmen  did 
likewise.  "'  Time  !  "  called  Miss  Andrews 
sharply.     The  game  was  over. 

*'  Score  !  "  shrieked  the  galleries. 


BETTT    WALES  273 

Then  the  freshmen  bravely  began  to  sing 
their  team  song, 

*' There  is  a  team  of  great  renown." 

They  were  beaten,  of  course,  but  they  were 
proud  of  that  team. 

''  The  freshmen  score  one  goal  on  fouls. 
Score,  six  to  eight  in  favor  of  the  purple," 
announced  Miss  Andrews  after  a  moment. 
''  And  I  want  to  say " 

It  was  unpardonably  rude,  but  they  could 
not  help  interrupting  to  cheer. 

''  That  I  am  proud  of  all  the  players.  It 
was  a  splendid  game,"  she  finished,  when  the 
thoughtful  ones  had  hushed  the  rest. 

Then  they  cheered  again.  The  sophomore 
team  were  carrying  their  captain  around  the 
gym  on  their  shoulders  ;  the  freshmen,  gath- 
ered in  a  brave  little  group,  were  winking 
hard  and  cheering  with  the  rest.  The  gal- 
lery was  emptying  itself  with  incredible  ra- 
pidity on  to  the  floor.  The  stage  was  watch- 
ing, and  wishing — some  of  it — that  it  could 
go  down  on  the  floor  and  shriek  and  sing  and 
be  young  and  foolish  generally. 

Betty  and   Helen  ran  down  with  the  rest. 


274  BETTT    WALES 

''  Helen,"  whispered  Betty  on  the  way,  ''  I 
don't  care  what  happens,  I  will,  I  will,  I  will 
make  them  sing  to  me  some  day.  Oh  Helen, 
don't  you  love  19 — ,  and  aren't  you  proud  of 
it  and  of  T.  Reed?" 

At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  they  met  the  three 
B's.  '^  Come  on,  come  on,"  cried  the  three. 
"  We're  going  to  sing  to  the  sophomores,"  and 
they  seized  upon  Betty  and  bore  her  oflP  to 
the  corner  where  the  freshmen  were  assem- 
bling. Left  to  herself  Helen  got  into  a  nook 
by  the  door  and  watched.  It  was  queer  how 
much  fun  it  was  to  watch,  lately. 

"  Some  are  born  great,  some  achieve  great- 
ness, and  some  have  greatness  thrust  upon 
them  :  " — she  had  read  it  in  the  library  that 
morning  and  it  kept  running  in  her  head. 
Was  it  selfish  and  conceited  to  want  to  be 
worth  something  to  her  college — to  long  to  do 
something  that  would  give  her  a  place  among 
the  girls  ?  A  month  ago  Theresa  had  stood 
with  her  high  up  on  the  bank  and  watched 
the  current  sweep  by.  Now  she  was  in  the 
stream  ;  even  Betty  Wales  envied  her  ;  she  had 
''achieved  greatness."  Betty  wanted  to  be 
sung  to.     Well,  no  doubt  she  would  be,  in 


BETTT    WALES  275 

spite  of  the  "  interruptions  "  ;  she  was  "■  born 
great."  Helen  aspired  only  to  write  a  song  to 
be  sung.  That  wasn't  very  much,  and  she 
would  try  hard — Theresa  said  it  was  all  trying 
and  caring — for  she  must  somehow  prove  her- 
self worthy  of  the  greatness  that  had  been 
''  thrust  upon  "  her. 

Betty  was  in  the  centre  of  an  excited  group 
of  freshmen.  Christy  Mason  was  there  too  ; 
probably  they  were  planning  for  the  serenade. 
"  She  won't  mind  if  I  go,"  thought  Helen. 
She  would  have  liked  to  speak  to  Theresa, 
but  she  had  delayed  too  long ;  the  teams  had 
disappeared.  So  she  slipped  out  alone.  There 
would  be  a  long,  quiet  evening  for  theme 
work — for  Helen  had  elected  Mary's  theme 
course  at  mid-years,  though  no  one  in  the 
Chapin  house  knew  it. 

Betty  did  not  get  home  till  quarter  of  ten, 
and  then  she  went  straight  off  to  find  Kath- 
erine  and  Eachel.  ''  I  came  to  see  if  there's 
anything  left  of  Rachel,"  she  said. 

''  There's  a  big  bump  on  my  forehead,"  said 
Rachel,  sitting  up  in  bed  with  a  faint  smile. 
"  I'm  sure  of  that  because  it  aches." 

*'  Poor  lady  !  "     Betty  turned  to  Katherine. 


276  BETTT    WALES 

"  You  got  your  chance,  didn't  you?  I  felt  it 
in  my  bones  that  you  would.  Wasn't  it  all 
splendid  ?  '' 

"  Yes  indeed,"  assented  the  contestants 
heartily. 

"  It  made  me  feel  so  energetic,"  Betty  went 
on  eagerly.  ^'  Of  course  I  felt  proud  of  you 
and  of  19 — ,  just  as  I  did  at  the  rally,  but  there 
was  something  else,  too.  You'll  see  me  going 
at  things  next  term  the  way  T.  Reed  went  at 
that  ball." 

''You're  one  of  the  most  energetic  persons 
I  know,  as  it  is,"  said  Rachel,  smiling  at  her 
earnestness. 

"  Yes,"  said  Betty  impatiently.  "  I  fly 
around  and  make  a  great  commotion,  but  I 
fritter  away  my  time,  because  I  forget  to  keep 
my  eyes  on  the  ball.  Why,  I  haven't  done 
anything  this  year." 

Katherine  pulled  Betty  down  beside  her  on 
the  couch.  ''  Child,  you've  done  a  lot,"  she 
said.  ''  We  were  just  considering  all  you've 
done,  and  wondering  why  you  weren't  asked 
to  usher  to-day.  You've  sub-subed  a  lot  and 
you  know  so  many  girls  on  the  team  and  are 
such  good  friends  with  Jean  Eastman." 


BETTT    WALES  277 

To  her  consternation  Betty  felt  a  hot  flush 
creeping  np  her  neck  and  over  her  cheeks. 
It  had  been  the  one  consolation  in  the  trouble 
with  Eleanor  that  none  of  the  Chapin  house 
girls  had  asked  any  questions  or  even  appeared 
to  notice  that  anything  was  wrong. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  Miss  Eastman  much," 
she  said  quickly.  ''  And  as  for  substituting 
on  the  subs,  that  was  a  great  privilege.  That 
wasn't  anything  to  make  me  an  usher  for." 

"•  Well,  all  the  other  girls  who  did  it  much 
ushered,"  persisted  Katherine.  ''  Christy  Ma- 
son and  Kate  Denise  and  that  little  Ruth 
Ford.  And  you'd  have  made  such  a  stunning* 
one." 

"•  Goosie  !  "  said  Betty,  rising  abruptly.  ''  I 
know  you  girls  want  to  go  to  bed.  We'll  talk 
it  all  over  to-morrow." 

As  she  closed  the  door,  Rachel  and  Kath- 
erine exchanged  glances.  ''  I  told  you  there 
was  trouble,"  said  Katherine,  ^^  and  mark  my 
words,  Eleanor  Watson  is  at  the  bottom  of  it 
somehow." 

*'  Don't  let's  notice  it  again,  though,"  an- 
swered the  considerate  Rachel.  ''  She  evi- 
dently doesn't  want  to  tell  us  about  it." 


?78  BETIT    WALES 

Betty  undressed  almost  in  silence.  Her 
exhilaration  had  left  her  all  at  once  and  her 
ambition  ;  life  looked  very  complicated  and 
unprofitable.  As  she  went  over  to  turn  out 
the  light,  she  noticed  a  sheet  of  paper,  much 
erased  and  interlined,  on  Helen's  desk.  ''  Have 
you  begun  your  song  already  ?  "  she  asked. 

""  Oh,  no,  I  wrote  a  theme,"  said  Helen  with 
what  seemed  needless  embarrassment.  But  the 
theme  was  a  little  verse  called  ''  Happiness." 
She  got  it  back  the  next  week  heavily  under- 
scored in  red  ink,  and  with  a  succinct  '^  Try 
prose,"  beneath  it ;  but  she  was  not  discour- 
aged. She  had  had  one  turn  ;  she  could  afford 
to  wait  patiently  for  another,  which,  if  you 
tried  long  enough  and  cared  hard  enough 
must  come  at  last. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A    CHANCE    TO    HELP 

Eleanor  Watson  had  gotten  neither  class 
spirit  nor  personal  ambition  from  19 — 's 
''  glorious  old  defeat,"  as  Katherine  called  it. 
The  Saturday  afternoon  of  the  game  she  had 
spent,  greatly  to  the  disgust  of  her  friends,  on 
the  way  to  New  York,  whither  she  went  for  a 
Sunday  with  Caroline  Barnes.  Caroline's 
mother  had  been  very  ill,  and  the  European 
trip  was  indefinitely  postponed,  but  the  family 
were  going  for  a  shorter  jaunt  to  Bermuda. 
Caroline  begged  Eleanor  to  join  them.  ''  You 
can  come  as  well  as  not,"  she  urged.  ''  You 
know  your  father  would  let  you — he  always 
does.  And  we  sail  the  very  first  day  of  your 
vacation  too." 

"  But  you  stay  three  weeks,"  objected 
Eleanor,  '*  and  the  vacation  is  only  two." 

''What's  the  difference?  Say  you  were  ill 
and  had  to  stay  over,"  suggested  Caroline 
promptly. 

279 


28o  BETTT    WALES 

Eleanor's  eyes  flashed.  ''  Once  for  all,  Cara, 
please  understand  that's  not  my  way  of  doing 
business  nowadays.  I  should  like  to  go, 
though,  and  I  imagine  my  father  wouldn't 
object.     I'll  write  you  if  I  can  arrange  it." 

She  had  quite  forgotten  her  idle  promise 
when,  on  the  following  Monday  morning,  she 
stood  in  the  registrar's  office,  waiting  to  get  a 
record  card  for  chapel  attendance  in  place  of 
one  she  had  lost.  The  registrar  was  busy. 
Eleanor  waited  while  she  discussed  the 
pedagogical  value  of  chemistry  with  a 
sophomore  who  had  elected  it,  and  now,  after 
a  semester  and  a  half  of  gradually  deteriorat- 
ing work,  wished  to  drop  it  because  the  smells 
made  her  ill. 

"■  Does  the  fact  that  we  sent  you  a  warning 
last  week  make  the  smells  more  unendur- 
able ?  "  asked  the  registrar  suggestively,  and 
the  sophomore  retreated  in  blushing  con- 
fusion. 

Next  in  line  was  a  nervous  little  girl  who 
inquired  breathessly  if  she  might  go  home 
right  away — four  days  early.  Some  friends 
who  were  traveling  south  in  their  private 
car   had   telegraphed    her   to    meet   them  in 


BETTT    Pf^ALES  281 

Albany  and  go  with  them  to  her  home  in 
Charleston. 

*'  My  dear,  I'm  sorry,"  began  the  registrar 
sympathetically,  *'  but  I  can't  let  you  go. 
We're  going  to  be  very  strict  about  this  vaca- 
tion. A  great  many  girls  went  home  early 
at  Christmas,  and  it's  no  exaggeration  to  say 
that  a  quarter  of  the  college  came  back  late 
on  various  trivial  excuses.  This  time  we're 
not  going  to  have  that  sort  of  thing.  The 
girls  who  come  back  at  all  must  come  on 
time  ;  the  only  valid  excuse  at  either  end  of 
the  vacation  will  be  serious  illness.  I'm 
sorry." 

''  So  am  I,"  said  the  little  girl,  with  a  pa- 
thetic quiver  in  her  voice.  ''  I  never  rode  in 
a  private  car.  But — it's  no  matter.  Thank 
you,  Miss  Stuart." 

Eleanor  had  listened  to  the  conversation 
with  a  curl  of  her  lip  for  the  stupid  child  who 
proffered  her  request  in  so  unconvincing  a 
manner,  and  an  angry  resentment  against  the 
authorities  who  should  presume  to  dictate 
times  and  seasons.  ''  They  ought  to  have  a 
system  of  cuts,"  she  thought.  '*  That's  the 
only  fair  way.    Then  you  can  take  them  wlieu 


282  BETTT    WALES 

you  please,  and  if  you  cut  over  you  know  it 
and  you  do  it  at  your  peril.  Here  everything 
is  in  the  air  ;  you  are  never  sure  where  you 
stand " 

"■  What  can  I  do  for  you,  Miss  Watson  ?  " 
asked  the  registrar  pleasantly. 

Eleanor  got  her  chapel  card  and  hurried 
home  to  telegraph  her  father  for  permission 
to  go  to  Bermuda,  and,  as  she  knew  exactly 
what  his  answer  would  be,  to  write  Caroline 
that  she  might  expect  her.  ''  You  know  I 
always  take  a  dare,"  she  wrote.  ''  My  cuts 
last  semester  amounted  to  twice  as  much  as 
this  trip  will  use  up,  and  if  they  make  a  fuss 
I  shall  just  call  their  attention  to  what  they 
let  pass  last  time.  Please  buy  me  a  steamer- 
rug,  a  blue  and  green  plaid  one,  and  meet  me 
at  the  Forty-second  Street  station  at  two  on 
Friday." 

Betty  knew  nothing  about  Eleanor's  plans, 
beyond  what  she  had  been  able  to  gather  from 
chance  remarks  of  the  other  girls  ;  and  that 
was  not  much,  for  every  time  the  subject 
came  up  she  hastened  to  change  it,  lest  some 
one  should  discover  that  Eleanor  had  told  her 
nothing,  and  had  scarcely  spoken  to  her  in- 


BETTT    WALES  283 

deed  for  weeks.  When  Eleanor  finally  went 
off,  without  a  sign  or  a  word  of  good-bye,  Betty 
discovered  that  she  was  dreadfully  disap- 
pointed. She  had  never  thought  of  the  es- 
trangement between  them  as  anything  but  a 
temporary  affair,  that  would  blow  over  when 
Eleanor's  mortification  over  the  debate  was 
forgotten.  She  had  felt  sure  that  long  before 
the  term  ended  there  would  come  a  chance 
for  a  reconciliation,  and  she  had  meant  to 
take  the  chance  at  any  sacrifice  of  her  pride. 
She  was  still  fond  of  Eleanor  in  spite  of  every- 
thing, and  she  was  sorry  for  her  too,  for  her 
quick  eyes  detected  signs  of  growing  unhap- 
piness  under  Eleanor's  ready  smiles.  Be- 
sides, she  hated  ''  schoolgirl  fusses."  She 
wanted  to  be  on  good  terms  with  every  girl  in 
19 — .  She  wanted  to  come  back  to  a  spring 
term  unclouded  by  the  necessity  for  any  of 
the  evasions  and  subterfuges  that  concealment 
of  the  quarrel  with  Eleanor  and  Jean  East- 
man's strange  behavior  had  brought  upon  her. 
And  now  Eleanor  was  gone  ;  the  last  chance 
until  after  vacation  had  slipped  through  her 
fingers. 

At  home  she  told  Nan  all  about  her  troub- 


284  BETTT    IVALES 

les,  first  exacting  a  solemn  pledge  of  secrecy. 
''  Hateful  thing !  ''  said  Nan  promptly. 
''  Drop  her.  Don't  think  about  her  another 
minute." 

^'  Then  you  don't  think  I  was  to  blame  ?  " 
asked  Betty  anxiously. 

''  To  blame  ?  No,  certainly  not.  To  be 
sure,"  Nan  added  truthfully,  ''  you  were  a 
little  tactless.  You  knew  she  didn't  know 
that  you  were  in  the  secret  of  her  having  to 
resign,  and  you  didn't  intend  to  tell  her,  so  it 
would  have  been  better  for  you  to  let  some 
one  else  help  Miss  Eastman  out." 

*^  But  I  thought  I  was  helping  Eleanor  out." 

''In  a  way  you  were.  But  you  see  it 
wouldn't  seem  so  to  her.  It  would  look  as 
though  you  disapproved  of  her  appointment." 

"■  But  Nan,  she  knows  now  that  I  knew." 

''  Then  I  suppose  she  concludes  that  you 
took  advantage  of  knowing.  You  say  that  it 
made  you  quite  prominent  for  a  while.  You 
see,  dear,  when  a  person  isn't  quite  on  the 
square  herself " 

But  Betty  had  burst  into  a  storm  of  tears. 
"  I  am  to  blame,"  she  sobbed.  ''  I  am  to 
blame  !     I   knew  it,  only  I  couldn't  quite  see 


BETTT    WALES  285 

how.  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  What  shall  I 
do?" 

"  Don't  cry,  dear,"  said  Nan  in  distress,  at 
the  unprecedented  sight  of  Betty  in  tears.  "  I 
tell  you,  you  were  not  to  blame.  You  were  a 
little  unwise  perhaps  at  first,  but  Miss  Watson 
has  refused  your  apologies  and  explanations 
and  only  laughs  at  you  when  you  try  to  talk 
to  her  about  it.  I  should  drop  her  at  once 
and  forever  ;  but,  if  you  are  bound  to  bring 
her  around,  the  only  w^ay  I  can  think  of  is  to 
look  out  for  some  chance  to  serve  her  and  so 
prove  your  real  friendship — though  what  sort 
of  friend  she  can  be  I  can't  imagine." 

"  Nan,  she's  just  like  the  girl  in  the 
rhyme,"  said  Betty  seriously. 

**  '  When  she  was  good  she  was  very,  very  good, 
And  when  she  was  bad  she  was  horrid. ' 

Eleanor  is  a  perfect  dear  most  of  the  time. 
And  Nan,  there's  something  queer  about  her 
mother.  She  never  speaks  of  her,  and  she's 
been  at  boarding  school  for  eight  years  now, 
though  she's  not  seventeen  till  May.  Think 
of  that!" 

''  It   certainly   makes    her  excusable  for  a 


286  BETTT    WALES 

good  deal,"  said  Nan.  "  How  is  my  friend 
Helen  Chase  Adams  coming  on  ?  " 

"  Why  Nan,  she's  quite  blossomed  out. 
She's  really  lots  of  fun  now.  But  I  had  an 
awful  time  with  her  for  a  while,"  and  she 
related  the  story  of  Helen's  winter  of  dis- 
content. "  I  suppose  that  was  my  fault  too," 
she  finished.  ''  I  seem  to  be  a  regular 
blunderer." 

"'  You're  a  dear  little  sister,  all  the  same," 
declared  Nan. 

''  I  say  girls,  come  and  play  ping-pong,'^ 
called  Will  from  the  hall  below,  and  the  in- 
terview ended  summarily. 

But  the  memory  of  Eleanor  Watson  seemed 
fated  to  pursue  Betty  through  her  vacation. 
A  few  days  later  an  old  friend  of  Mrs.  Wales, 
who  had  gone  to  Denver  to  live  some  3^ears 
before  and  was  east  on  a  round  of  visits, 
came  in  to  call.  The  moment  she  heard  that 
Betty  was  at  Harding,  she  inquired  for 
Eleanor.  ''  I'm  so  glad  you  know  her,"  she 
said.  "■  She's  quite  a  protege  of  mine  and 
she  needs  nice  friends  like  you  if  ever  a  girl 
did.  Don't  mention  it  about  college,  Betty, 
but  she's  had  a  very  sad  life.     Her  mother 


BETTT    JVALES  287 

was  a  strange  woman — but  there's  no  use 
going  into  that.  She  died  when  Eleanor  was 
a  tiny  girl,  and  Eleanor  and  her  brother  Jim 
have  been  at  boarding  schools  ever  since.  In 
the  summers,  though,  they  were  always  with 
their  father  in  Denver.  They  w^orshiped 
him,  particularly  Eleanor,  and  he  has  always 
promised  her  that  when  she  was  through 
school  he  would  open  the  old  Watson  man- 
sion and  she  should  keep  house  for  him  and 
Jim.  Then  last  year  a  pretty  little  society 
girl,  only  four  or  five  years  older  than 
Eleanor,  set  her  cap  for  the  judge  and 
married  him.  Jim  liked  her,  but  Eleanor 
was  heart-broken,  and  the  judge,  seeing 
storms  ahead,  I  suppose,  and  hoping  that 
Eleanor  would  get  interested  and  want  to 
finish  the  course,  made  her  promise  to  go  to 
Harding  for  a  year.  Now  don't  betray  my 
confidence,  Betty,  and  do  make  allowances 
for  Eleanor.  I  hope  she'll  be  willing  to  stay 
on  at  college.  It's  just  what  she  needs.  Be- 
sides, she'd  be  very  unhappy  at  home,  and 
her  aunt  in  New  York  isn't  at  all  the  sort  of 
person  for  her  to  live  with." 

So  it  came  about  that  Bettv  returned  to 


288  BETTT    WALES 

college  more  than  ever  determined  to  get 
back  upon  the  old  footing  with  Eleanor,  and 
behold,  Eleanor  was  not  there  !  The  Chapin 
house  was  much  excited  over  her  absence,  for 
tales  of  the  registrar's  unprecedented  hard- 
ness of  heart  had  gone  abroad,  and  almost 
nobody  else  had  dared  to  risk  the  mysterious 
but  awful  possibilities  that  a  late  return 
promised.  As  Betty  was  still  supposed  by 
most  of  the  house  to  be  in  Eleanor's  con- 
fidence, she  had  to  parry  question  after  ques- 
tion as  to  her  whereabouts.  To,  ^'  Did  she 
tell  you  that  she  was  coming  back  late?  "  she 
could  truthfully  answer  ''  No."  But  the  girls 
only  laughed  when  she  insisted  that  Eleanor 
must  be  ill. 

''  She  boasts  that  she's  never  been  ill  in  her 
life,"  said  Mary  Brooks. 

And  Adelaide  Rich  always  added  with 
great  positiveness,  ''  It's  exactly  like  her  to 
stay  away  on  purpose,  just  to  see  what  will 
happen." 

Unfortunately  Betty  could  not  deny  this, 
and  she  was  glad  enough  to  drop  the  argu- 
ment. She  had  too  many  pleasant  things  to 
do  to  care  to  waste  time  in  profitless  discus- 


BETTT    WALES  289 

sion.  For  it  was  spring  term.  Nobody  but 
a  Harding  girl  knows  exactly  what  that 
means.  The  freshman  is  very  likely  to  con- 
sider the  much  heralded  event  only  a  pretty 
myth,  until  having  started  from  home  on  a 
cold,  bleak  day  that  is  springtime  only  by  the 
calendar,  she  arrives  at  Harding  to  find  her- 
self confronted  by  the  genuine  article.  The 
sheltered  situation  of  the  town  undoubtedly 
has  something  to  do  with  its  early  springs, 
but  the  attitude  of  the  Harding  girl  has  far 
more.  She  knows  that  spring  term  is  the 
beautiful  crown  of  the  college  year,  and  she 
is  bound  that  it  shall  be  as  long  as  possible. 
So  she  throws  caution  and  her  furs  to  the 
winds  and  dons  a  muslin  gown,  plans  drives 
and  picnics  despite  April  showers,  and  takes 
twilight  strolls  regardless  of  lurking  germs  of 
pneumonia.  The  grass  grows  green  perforce 
and  the  buds  swell  to  meet  her  wishes,  while 
the  sun,  finding  a  creature  after  his  brave, 
warm  heart,  does  his  gallant  best  for  her. 

''  Do  what  little  studying  you  intend  to 
right  away,"  Mary  Brooks  advised  her  fresh- 
men. ''  Before  you  know  it,  it  will  be  too 
warm  to  work." 


290  BETTr    WALES 

"  But  at  present  it's  too  lovely,"  objected 
Roberta. 

''  Then  join  the  Athletic  Association  and 
trust  to  luck,  but  above  all  join  the  Athletic 
Association.  I'm  on  the  membership  com- 
mittee." 

"  Can  I  get  into  the  golf  club  section  this 
time?"  asked  Betty,  who  had  been  kept  on 
the  waiting  list  all  through  the  fall. 

•'  Yes,  you  just  squeeze  in,  and  Christy 
Mason  wants  you  to  play  round  the  course 
with  her  to-morrow." 

*'  I'm  for  tennis,"  said  Katherine.  **  Miss 
Lawrence  and  I  are  going  to  play  as 
soon  as  the  courts  are  marked  out.  By 
the  way,  when  do  the  forget-me-nots 
blossom  ?  " 

''Has  Laurie  roped  you  into  that?"  asked 
Mary  Brooks  scornfully. 

"•  Don't  jump  at  conclusions,"  retorted 
Katherine. 

''  I  didn't  have  to  jump.  The  wild  ones 
blossom  about  the  middle  of  May.  You'll 
have  to  think  of  something  else  if  you  want 
to  make  an  immediate  conquest  of  3^our 
angel.    And  speaking  of  angels,"  added  Mary, 


BETTT    WALES  291 

who  was  sitting  by  a  window,  ''  Eleanor  Wat- 
son is  coming  up  the  walk.'* 

The  girls  trooped  out  into  the  hall  to  greet 
Eleanor,  who  met  them  all  with  the  care- 
fully restrained  cordiality  that  she  had  used 
toward  them  ever  since  the  break  with  Betty. 
Yes,  Bermuda  had  been  charming,  such  skies 
and  seas.  Yes,  she  was  just  a  week  late — ex- 
actly. No,  she  had  not  seen  the  registrar  yet, 
but  she  had  heard  last  term  that  excuses 
weren't  being  given  away  by  the  dozen. 

''  I  met  a  friend  of  yours  during  vacation," 
began  Betty  timidly  in  the  first  pause. 

Eleanor  turned  to  her  unsmilingly.  *'  Oh 
yes,  Mrs.  Payne,"  she  said.  ^'  I  believe  she 
mentioned  it.  I  saw  her  last  night  in  New 
York."  Then  she  picked  up  her  bag  and 
walked  toward  her  room  with  the  remark  that 
late  comers  mustn't  waste  time. 

The  next  day  at  luncheon  some  one  in- 
quired again  about  her  excuse.  Eleanor 
shrugged  her  shoulders.  ''  Oh,  that's  all 
right ;  you  needn't  be  at  all  anxious.  The  in- 
terview wasn't  even  amusing.  The  week  is  to 
be  counted  as  unexcused  absence — which  as 
far  as  I  can  see  means  nothing  whatever." 


292  BETTT    WALES 

''  You  may  find  out  differently  in  June/^ 
suggested  Mary,  nettled  by  Eleanor's  superior 
air. 

*'  Oh,  June  !  "  said  Eleanor  with  another 
shrug.  "  I'm  leaving  in  June,  thank  the 
fates  !  " 

^'  Perhaps  you'll  change  your  mind  after 
spring  term.  Everybody  says  it's  so  much 
nicer,"  chirped  Helen. 

''  Possibly,"  said  Eleanor  curtly,  "  but  I 
really  can't  give  you  much  encouragement. 
Miss  Adams."  Whereat  poor  Helen  subsided 
meekly,  scarcely  raising  her  eyes  from  her 
plate  through  the  rest  of  the  meal. 

"  Better  caution  your  friend  Eleanor  not  to 
air  those  sentiments  of  hers  about  unexcused 
absences  too  widely,  or  she'll  get  into  trouble," 
said  Mary  Brooks  to  Betty  on  the  way  up- 
stairs ;  but  Betty,  intent  on  persuading  Ro- 
berta to  come  down-town  for  an  ice,  paid  no 
particular  attention  to  the  remark,  and  it  was 
three  weeks  before  she  thought  of  it  again. 

She  found  Eleanor  more  unapproachable 
than  ever  this  term,  but  remembering  Nan's 
suggestion  she  resolved  to  bide  her  time. 
Meanwhile  there  was  no  reason  for  not  enjoy- 


BETTT    WALES  293 

ing  life  to  the  utmost.  Golf,  boating,  walk- 
ing, tennis — there  were  ten  ways  to  spend  every 
spare  minute.  But  golf  usually  triumphed. 
Betty  played  very  well,  and  having  made  an 
excellent  record  in  her  first  game  with 
Christy,  she  immediately  found  herself  reck- 
oned among  the  enthusiasts  and  expected  to 
get  into  trim  for  the  June  tournament.  Some 
three  weeks  after  the  beginning  of  the  term 
she  went  up  to  the  club  house  in  the  late  af- 
ternoon, intending  to  practice  putting,  which 
was  her  weak  point  and  come  home  with 
Christy  and  Nita  Reese,  another  golf  fiend, 
who  had  spent  the  whole  afternoon  on  the 
course. 

But  on  the  club  house  piazza  she  found 
Dorothy  King.  Dorothy  played  golf  exceed- 
ingly well,  as  she  did  everything  else ;  but  as 
she  explained  to  Betty,  ''  By  junior  year  all 
this  athletic  business  gets  pretty  much  crowded 
out."  She  still  kept  her  membership  in  the 
club,  however,  and  played  occasionally,  ^'just 
to  keep  her  hand  in  for  the  summer."  She 
had  done  six  holes  this  afternoon,  all  alone, 
and  now  she  was  resting  a  few  moments  be- 
fore going  home.     She  greeted  Betty  warmly. 


294  BETTT    IVALES 

''  I  looked  for  you  out  on  the  course,"  she 
said,  ''  but  your  little  pals  thought  you 
weren't  coming  up  to-day.  How's  your 
game?  '^ 

''Better,  thank  you,"  said  Betty, '' except 
my  putting,  and  I'm  going  to  practice  on  that 
now.  Did  you  know  that  Christy  had  asked 
me  to  play  with  her  in  the  inter-class  four- 
somes? " 

''  That's  good,"  said  Dorothy  cordially.  "•  Do 
you  see  much  of  Eleanor  Watson  these  days?  " 
she  added  irrelevantly. 

"■  Why — no-t  much,"  stammered  Betty, 
blushing  in  spite  of  herself.  ''  I  see  her  at 
meals  of  course." 

''  I  thought  you  told  me  once  that  you  were 
very  fond  of  her." 

"  Yes,  I  did — I  am,"  said  Betty  quickly, 
wondering  what  in  the  world  Dorothy  was 
driving  at. 

''  She  was  down  at  the  house  last  night," 
Dorothy  went  on,  ''  blustering  around  about 
having  come  back  late,  saying  that  she'd 
shown  what  a  bluff  the  whole  excuse  busi- 
ness is,  and  that  now,  after  she  has  proved 
that  it's  perfectly  easy  to  cut  over  at  the  end 


BETT2^    WALES  295 

of  a  vacation,  perhaps  some  of  us  timid  little 
creatures  will  dare  to  follow  her  lead.  But 
perhaps  you've  heard  her  talking  about  it." 

''  I  heard  her  say  a  little  about  it,"  admitted 
Betty,  suddenly  remembering  Mary  Brooks's 
remark.  Had  the  ''  trouble  "  that  Mary  had 
foreseen  anything  to  do  with  Dorothy's  ques- 
tions ? 

''  She's  said  a  great  deal  about  it  in  the  last 
two  weeks,"  went  on  Dorothy.  ''  Last  night 
after  she  left,  her  senior  friend,  Annette 
Cramer,  and  I  had  a  long  talk  about  it.  We 
both  agreed  that  somebody  ought  to  speak  to 
her,  but  I  hardly  know  her,  and  Annette  says 
that  she's  tried  to  talk  to  her  about  other 
things  and  finds  she  hasn't  a  particle  of  in- 
fluence with  her."  Dorothy  paused  as  if  ex- 
pecting some  sort  of  comment  or  reply,  but 
Betty  was  silent.  ''  We  both  thought,"  said 
Dorothy  at  last,  ''  that  perhaps  if  you'd  tell 
her  she  was  acting  very  silly  and  doing  her- 
self no  end  of  harm  she  might  believe  you 
and  stop." 

*'  Oh,  Miss  King,  I  couldn't,"  said  Betty  in 
consternation.  *'  She  wouldn't  let  me — in- 
deed she  wouldn't !  " 


296  BETTT    IFALES 

"  She  told  Annette  once  that  she  admired 
you  more  than  any  girl  in  college,"  urged  Dor- 
othy quietly,  '^  so  your  opinion  ought  to  have 
some  weight  with  her." 

^'  She  said  that !  "  gasped  Betty  in  pleased 
amazement.  Then  her  face  fell.  ^' I'm  sorry. 
Miss  King,  but  I'm  quite  sure  she's  changed 
her  mind.  I  couldn't  speak  to  her ;  but 
would  you  tell  me  please  just  why  any  one 
should — why  you  care?  " 

''  Why,  of  course,  it's  not  exactly  my  busi- 
ness," said  Dorothy,  ''  except  that  I'm  on  the 
Students'  Commission,  and  so  anything  that 
is  going  wrong  is  my  business.  Miss  Watson 
is  certainly  having  a  bad  influence  on  the 
girls  she  knows  in  college,  and  besides,  if  that 
sort  of  talk  gets  to  the  ears  of  the  authorities, 
as  it's  perfectly  certain  to  do  if  she  keeps  on, 
she  will  be  very  severely  reprimanded,  and 
possibly  asked  to  leave,  as  an  insubordinate 
and  revolutionary  character.  The  Students' 
Commission  aims  to  avoid  all  that  sort  of 
thing,  when  a  quiet  hint  will  do  it.  But 
Miss  Watson  seems  to  be  unusually  difficult  to 
approach  ;  I'm  afraid  if  you  can't  help  us  out, 
Betty,  we  shall  have  to  let  the  matter  rest." 


BETTT    WALES  297 

She  gathered  up  her  caddy-bag.  '^  I  must  get 
the  next  car.  Don't  do  it  unless  you  think 
best.  Or  if  you  like  ask  some  one  else.  An- 
nette and  I  couldn't  think  of  any  one,  but  you 
know  better  who  her  friends  are."  She  was 
off  across  the  green  meadow. 

Betty  half  rose  to  follow,  then  sank  back 
into  her  chair.  Dorothy  had  not  asked  for  an 
answer  ;  she  had  dropped  the  matter,  had  left 
it  in  her  hands  to  manage  as  she  thought  fit, 
appealing  to  her  as  a  friend  of  Eleanor's,  a  girl 
whom  Eleanor  admired.  '^  Whom  she  used 
to  admire,"  amended  Betty  with  a  sigh.  But 
what  could  she  do  ?  A  personal  appeal  was 
out  of  the  question  ;  it  would  effect  nothing 
but  a  widening  of  the  breach  between  them. 
Could  Kate  Denise  help  ?  She  never  came  to 
see  Eleanor  now.  Neither  did  Jean  Eastman 
— why.  almost  nobody  did  ;  all  her  really  in- 
timate friends  seemed  to  have  dropped  away 
from  her.  And  yet  she  must  think  of  some 
one,  for  was  not  this  the  opportunity  she  had 
so  coveted  ?  It  might  be  the  very  last  one  too, 
thought  Betty.  ''  If  anything  happened  to 
hurt  Eleanor's  feelings  again,  she  wouldn't 
wait  till  June.     She'd  go  now."     She  consid- 


298  BETTT    WALES 

ered  girl  after  girl,  but  rejected  them  all  for 
various  reasons.  ''  She  wouldn't  take  it  from 
any  girl,"  she  decided,  and  with  that  decision 
came  an  inspiration.  Why  not  ask  Ethel 
Hale?  Ethel  had  tried  to  help  Eleanor  be- 
fore, was  interested  in  her,  and  understood 
something  of  her  moody,  many-sided  tempera- 
ment. She  had  put  Eleanor  in  her  debt  too ; 
she  could  urge  her  suggestion  on  the  ground 
of  a  return  favor. 

In  an  instant  Betty's  mind  w^as  made  up. 
She  looked  ruefully  at  her  dusty  shoes  and 
mussed  shirt-waist.  ''  I  can't  go  to  see  Ethel 
in  these,"  she  decided, ''  but  if  I  hurry  home 
now  I  can  dress  and  go  right  up  there  after 
dinner,  before  she  gets  off  anywhere."  The 
putting  must  wait.  With  one  regretful  glance 
out  over  the  green,  breezy  course  Betty  started 
resolutely  off  toward  the  dusty  highway  and 
the  noisy  trolleys. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

AN   OUNCE    OF    PREVENTION 

''  I  WISH  I  could  do  it,  Betty,  but  I'm  sure 
it  wouldn't  be  the  least  use  for  me  to  try.  I 
thought  I  had  a  little  hold  on  her  for  a  while, 
but  I'm  afraid  I  was  too  sure  of  her.  She 
avoids  me  now — goes  around  corners  and  into 
recitation  rooms  when  she  sees  me  coming. 
You  see — I  wonder  if  she  told  you  about  our 
trip  to  New  York?" 

Betty  nodded,  wishing  she  dared  explain 
the  full  extent  of  her  information. 

^'  I  thought  so  from  your  coming  up  here 
to-night.  Well,  as  you've  just  said,  she's 
very  reserved,  strangely  so  for  a  young  girl ; 
when  she  lets  out  anything  about  herself  she 
wishes  that  she  hadn't  the  next  minute." 

''  Yes,  I've  noticed  that,"  admitted  Betty 
grudgingly. 

''  And  so,  having  once  let  me  get  a  glimpse 
of  her  better  self,  and  then  having  decided  as 
usual  that  she  wished  she  hadn't,  she  needed 

299 


300  BETTJ^    WALES 

a  proof  from  me  that  I  was  worthy  of  her 
confidence.  But  I  didn't  give  it ;  I  was  busy 
and  let  the  matter  drop,  and  now  I  am  the 
last  person  who  could  go  to  her.  I'm  very 
sorry." 

'*  Oh,  dear  !  "  said  Betty  forlornly. 

''But  isn't  it  so?  Don't  you  agree  with 
me?" 

''  I'm  afraid  I  do." 

*'  Then  go  back  and  speak  to  her  yourself, 
dear.  She's  very  fond  of  you,  and  I'm  sure  a  lit- 
tle friendly  hint  from  you  is  all  that  she 
needs." 

"  No,  I  can't  speak  to  her  either,  Ethel. 
You  wouldn't  suggest  it  if  you  knew  how 
things  are  between  us.  But  I  see  that  you 
can't.  Thank  you  just  as  much.  No,  I 
mustn't  stop  to-night." 

Betty  walked  down  the  elm-shaded  street 
lost  in  thought.  Eleanor  had  declaimed 
upon  the  foolishness  of  coming  back  on  time 
after  vacations  through  most  of  the  dinner 
hour,  and  Betty  understood  as  she  had  not 
that  afternoon  what  Dorothy  meant.  But 
now  her  one  hope  had  failed  her ;  Ethel  had 
shown  good  cause  why  she  should  not  act  as 


BETTr    WALES  301 

Eleanor's  adviser  and  Betty  had  no  idea  what 
to  do  next. 

''  Hello,  Betty  Wales  !  Christy  and  I  thought 
we  saw  you  up  at  the  golf  club  this  after- 
noon." Nita  Reese's  room  overlooked  the 
street  and  she  was  hanging  out  her  front 
window. 

''  I  was  up  there,"  said  Betty  soberly,  "■  but 
I  had  to  come  right  back.  I  didn't  play  at 
all." 

'^  Then  I  should  say  it  was  a  waste  of  good 
time  to  go  up,"  declared  Nita  amiably. 
^'  You'd  better  be  on  hand  to-morrow.  The 
juniors  are  going  to  be  awfully  hard  to  beat." 

"■  I'll  try,"  said  Betty  unsmilingly,  and  Nita 
withdrew  her  head  from  the  window,  wonder- 
ing what  could  be  the  matter  with  her  usually 
cheerful  friend. 

At  the  corner  of  Meriden  Place  Betty  hes- 
itated. Then,  noticing  that  Mrs.  Chapin's 
piazza  was  full  of  girls,  she  crossed  Main 
Street  and  turned  into  the  campus,  following 
the  winding  path  that  led  away  from  the 
dwelling-houses  through  the  apple  orchard. 
There  were  seats  along  this  path.  Betty 
chose  one  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  screened 


302  BETTT    WALES 

in  by  a  clump  of  bushes  and  looking  off  to- 
ward Paradise  and  the  hills  beyond.  There 
she  sat  down  in  the  warm  spring  dusk  to  con- 
sider possibilities.  And  3^et  what  was  the  use 
of  bothering  her  head  again  when  she  had 
thought  it  all  over  in  the  afternoon  ?  Argu- 
ments that  she  might  have  made  to  Ethel  oc- 
curred to  her  now  that  it  was  too  late  to  use 
them,  but  nothing  else.  She  would  go  back 
to  Dorothy,  explain  why  she  could  not  speak 
to  Eleanor  herself,  and  beg  her  to  take  back 
the  responsibility  which  she  had  unwittingly 
shifted  to  the  wrong  shoulders.  She  would 
go  straight  off  too.  She  had  found  an  invita- 
tion to  a  spread  at  the  Belden  house  scrawled 
on  her  blotting  pad  at  dinner  time,  and  she 
might  as  well  be  over  there  enjoying  herself 
as  here  worrying  about  things  she  could  not 
possibly  help. 

As  she  got  up  from  her  seat  she  glanced  at 
the  hill  that  sloped  off  below  her.  It  was  the 
dust-pan  coasting  ground.  How  different  it 
looked  now  in  its  spring  greenery !  Betty 
smiled  at  the  memory  of  her  mishap.  How 
nice  Eleanor  had  been  to  her  then.  And  Miss 
Ferris !     If  only  Miss  Ferris  would  speak  to 


BETTT    WALES  303 

Eleanor.  "'  Why,  perhaps  she  will,"  thought 
Betty,  suddenly  remembering  Miss  Ferris's 
note.  '^  I  could  ask  her  to,  anyway.  But — 
she's  a  faculty.  Well,  Ethel  is  too,  though  I 
never  thought  of  it."  And  Dorothy  had 
wanted  Betty's  help  in  keeping  the  matter 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  authorities.  **  But 
this  is  different,"  Betty  decided  at  last.  ''  I'm 
asking  them  not  as  officials,  but  just  as  aw- 
fully nice  people,  who  know  what  to  say  bet- 
ter than  we  girls  do.  Miss  King  would  think 
that  was  all  right." 

Without  giving  herself  time  to  reconsider, 
Betty  sped  toward  the  Hilton  house.  All 
sorts  of  direful  suppositions  occurred  to  her 
while  she  waited  for  a  maid  to  answer  her 
ring.  What  if  Miss  Ferris  had  forgotten 
about  writing  the  note,  or  had  meant  it  for 
what  Nan  called  '^  a  polite  nothing  "  ?  Perhaps 
it  would  be  childish  to  speak  of  it  anyway. 
Perhaps  Miss  Ferris  would  have  other  callers. 
If  not,  how  should  she  tell  her  story  ? 

''  I  ought  to  have  taken  time  to  think,"  re- 
flected Betty,  as  she  followed  the  maid  down 
the  hall  to  Miss  Ferris's  rooms. 

Miss  Ferris  was  alone ;  nevertheless  Betty 


304  BETTT    WALES 

fidgeted  dreadfully  during  the  preliminary 
small-talk.  Somebody  would  be  sure  to 
come  in  before  she  could  get  started,  and  she 
should  never,  never  dare  to  come  again.  At 
the  first  suggestion  of  a  pause  she  plunged 
into  her  business. 

''  Miss  Ferris,  I  want  to  ask  you  something, 
but  I  hated  to  do  it,  so  I  came  right  along  as 
soon  as  I  decided  that  I'd  better,  and  now  I 
don't  know  how  to  begin." 

"  Just  begin,"  advised  Miss  Ferris,  laughing. 

''  That  is  what  they  say  to  you  in  theme 
classes,"  said  Betty,  ''  but  it  never  helped  me 
so  very  much,  somehow.  Well,  I  might  begin 
by  telling  you  why  I  thought  I  could  come  to 
you." 

'^  Unless  you  really  want  to  tell  that  you 
might  skip  it,"  said  Miss  Ferris,  ''  because  I 
don't  need  to  be  reminded  that  I  shall  always 
be  glad  to  do  anything  I  can  for  my  good 
friend  Betty  Wales." 

''  Oh,  thank  you !  That  helps  a  lot,"  said 
Betty  gratefully,  and  went  on  with  her 
story. 

Miss  Ferris  listened  attentively.  ''  Miss 
Watson   is  the  girl   with   the  wonderful  gray 


BETTT    IVALES  305 

eyes  and  the  lovely  dark  hair.  I  remember. 
She  comes  down  here  a  great  deal  to  see  Miss 
Cramer,  I  think.  It's  a  pity,  isn't  it,  that  she 
hasn't  great  good  sense  to  match  her  beauty  ? 
So  you  want  me  to  speak  to  her  about  her 
very  foolish  attitude  toward  our  college  life. 
Suppose  I  shouldn't  succeed  in  changing  her 
mind?" 

''  Oh,  you  would  succeed,"  said  Betty 
eagerly.  ''  Mary  Brooks  says  you  can  argue  a 
person  into  anything." 

Miss  Ferris  laughed  again.  ''  I'm  glad 
Miss  Brooks  approves  of  my  argumentative 
ability,  but  are  you  sure  that  Miss  Watson  is 
the  sort  of  person  with  whom  argument  is 
likely  to  count  for  anything  ?  Did  you  ever 
know  her  to  change  her  mind  on  a  subject  of 
this  sort,  because  her  friends  disapproved  of 
her?" 

Betty  hesitated.  ''  Yes — yes,  I  have.  Ex- 
cuse me  for  not  going  into  particulars,  Miss 
Ferris,  but  there  was  a  thing  she  did  when 
she  came  here  that  she  never  does  now,  be- 
cause she  found  how  others  felt  about  it.  In- 
deed, I  think  there  are  several  things." 

Miss  Ferris  nodded  silently.     ''  Then  why 


3o6  BETTT    WALES 

not  appeal  to  the  same  people  who  influenced 
her  before? '' 

It  was  the  question  that  Betty  had  been 
dreading,  but  she  met  it  unflinchingly.  ''  One 
of  them  thinks  she  has  lost  her  influence,  Miss 
Ferris,  and  another  one  who  helped  a  little  bit 
before,  can't,  because — I'm  that  one,  Miss 
Ferris.  I  unintentionally  did  something  last 
term  that  made  Eleanor  angry  with  me.  It 
made  her  more  dissatisfied  and  unhappy  here 
too  ;  so  when  I  heard  about  this  I  felt  as  if  I 
was  a  little  to  blame  for  it,  and  then  I  wanted 
to  make  up  for  the  other  time  too.  But  of 
course  it  is  a  good  deal  to  ask  of  you."  Betty 
slid  forward  on  to  the  edge  of  her  chair  ready  to 
accept  a  hasty  dismissal. 

Miss  Ferris  waited  a  moment.  ''  I  shall  be 
very  glad  to  do  it,"  she  said  at  last.  ''  I 
wanted  to  be  sure  that  I  understood  the  situa- 
tion and  that  I  could  run  a  chance  of  helping 
Miss  Watson.  I  think  I  can,  but  you  must 
forgive  me  if  I  make  a  bad  matter  worse.  I'll 
ask  her  to  have  tea  w^ith  me  to-morrow.  May 
I  send  a  note  by  you  ?  " 

''  Of  course  you  won't  tell  her  that  I  spoke 
to  you?"  asked   Betty  anxiously,  when  Miss 


BETTT    WALES  307 

Ferris  handed  her  the  note.  Miss  Ferris  prom- 
ised and  Betty  danced  out  into  the  night. 
Half-way  home  she  laughed  merrily  all  to  her- 
self. 

''  What's  the  joke  ?  "  said  a  girl  suddenly  ap- 
pearing around  the  corner  of  the  Main  Build- 
ing. 

"  It  was  on  me,"  laughed  Betty,  ''  so  you 
can't  expect  me  to  tell  you  what  it  was." 

It  had  just  occurred  to  her  that,  as  there  was 
no  possibility  of  Eleanor's  finding  out  her  part 
in  Miss  Ferris's  intervention,  a  reconciliation 
was  as  far  away  as  ever.  ''  She  wouldn't  like 
it  if  she  should  find  out,"  thought  Betty, ''  and 
perhaps  it  was  just  another  tactless  interfer- 
ence. Well,  I'm  glad  I  didn't  think  of  all 
these  things  sooner,  for  I  believe  it  was  the 
right  thing  to  do,  and  it  was  a  lot  easier  doing 
it  while  I  hoped  it  might  bring  us  together,  as 
Nan  said.  I  wonder  what  kind  of  things  Nan 
meant." 

She  dropped  the  note  on  the  hall  table  and 
slipped  softly  up-stairs.  As  she  sat  down  at 
her  desk  she  looked  at  the  clock  and  hesitated. 
It  was  not  so  late  as  she  had  thought,  only 
quarter  of  nine.     There  was  still  time  to  go 


3o8  BETTT    WALES 

back  to  the  Belden.  But  after  a  moment's 
wavering  Betty  began  getting  out  of  her  dress 
and  into  a  kimono.  Since  the  day  of  the 
basket-ball  game  she  had  honestly  tried  not  to 
let  the  little  things  interfere  with  the  big,  nor 
the  mere  ''  interruptions  "  that  were  fun  and 
very  little  more  loom  too  large  in  her  scale  of 
living.  ''  Livy  to-night  and  golf  to-morrow," 
she  told  the  green  lizard,  as  she  sat  down  again 
and  went  resolutely  to  work. 

When  Eleanor  came  in  to  dinner  the  next 
evening  Betty  could  hardly  conceal  her  excite- 
ment. Would  she  say  anything  ?  If  she  said 
nothing  what  would  it  mean  ?  The  interview 
had  apparently  not  been  a  stormy  one.  Elea- 
nor looked  tired,  but  not  in  the  least  disturbed 
or  defiant.  She  ate  her  dinner  almost  in 
silence,  answ^ering  questions  politely  but  briefly 
and  making  none  of  her  usual  effort  to  con- 
trol and  direct  the  conversation.  But  just  as 
the  girls  were  ready  to  leave  the  table  she 
broke  her  silence.  ''  Wait  a  minute,"  she  said. 
''  I  want  to  ask  you  please  to  forget  all  the 
foolish  things  I  said  last  night  at  dinner.  I've 
said  them  a  good  many  times,  and  I  can't  con- 
tradict them  to  every  one,  but  I  can  here — 


BETTT    WALES  309 

and  I  want  to.  I've  thought  more  about  it 
since  yesterday,  and  I  see  that  I  hadn't  at  all 
the  right  idea  of  the  situation.  The  students 
at  a  college  are  supposed  to  be  old  enough  to 
do  the  right  thing  about  vacations  without  the 
attaching  of  any  childish  penalty  to  the  wrong 
thing.  But  we  all  of  us  get  careless  ;  then  a 
public  sentiment  must  be  created  against  the 
wrong  things,  like  cutting  over.  That  was 
what  the  registrar  was  trying  to  do.  Anybody 
who  stays  over  as  I  did  makes  it  less  possible 
to  do  without  rules  and  regulations  and  penal- 
ties— in  other  words  hurts  the  tone  of  the  col- 
lege, just  as  a  man  who  likes  to  live  in  a  town 
where  there  are  churches  but  never  goes  to 
them  himself,  unfairly  throws  the  responsibil- 
ity of  church-going  on  to  the  rest  of  the  com- 
munity. I  hadn't  thought  of  it  in  that  way  ; 
I  didn't  mean  to  be  a  shirk,  but  I  was  one." 

A  profound  silence  greeted  Eleanor's  argu- 
ment. Mary  Rich,  who  had  been  loud  in  her 
championship  of  Eleanor's  sentiments  the 
night  before,  looked  angry  at  this  sudden  de- 
sertion ;  and  Mary  Brooks  tried  rather  unsuc- 
cessfully not  to  smile.  The  rest  were  merely 
astonished   at  so  sudden  a   change  of  mind. 


3IO  BETTT    WALES 

Finally  Betty  gave  a  little  nervous  cough  and 
in  sheer  desperation  began  to  talk.  ''  That's  a 
good  enough  argument  to  change  any  one's 
mind,"  she  said.  ''  Isn't  it  queer  how  many 
different  views  of  a  subject  there  are  ?  " 

''  Of  some  subjects,"  said  Eleanor  pointedly. 

It  was  exactly  what  Betty  should  have  ex- 
pected, but  she  couldn't  help  being  a  little  dis- 
appointed. Eleanor  had  just  shown  herself  so 
fine  and  downright,  so  willing  to  make  all  the 
reparation  in  her  power  for  a  course  whose  in- 
consistency had  been  proved  to  her.  It  was 
very  disheartening  to  find  that  she  cherished 
the  old,  reasonless  grudge  as  warmly  as  ever. 
But  if  Betty  had  accomplished  nothing  for 
herself,  she  had  done  all  that  she  hoped  for 
Eleanor,  and  she  tried  to  feel  perfectly  satis- 
fied. 

''  I  think  too  much  about  myself,  anyway," 
she  told  the  green  lizard,  who  was  the  recip- 
ient of  many  confidences  about  this  time. 

The  rest  of  the  month  sped  by  like  the 
wind.  As  Betty  thought  it  over  afterward, 
it  seemed  to  have  been  mostly  golf  practice 
and  bird  club.  Roberta  organized  the  bird 
club.     Its  object,  according  to  her,  was  to  as- 


BETTT    WALES  311 

sist  Mary  Brooks  with  her  zoology  by  finding 
bird  haunts  and  conveying  Mary  to  them ;  its 
ultimate  development  almost  wrought  Mary's 
ruin.  Mary  had  elected  a  certain  one  year 
course  in  zoology  on  the  supposition  that  one 
year,  general  courses  are  usually  ''  snaps,"  and 
the  further  theory  that  every  well  conducted 
student  will  have  one  ''  snap  "  on  her  sched- 
ule. These  propositions  worked  well  together 
until  the  spring  term,  when  zoology  la  re- 
solved itself  into  a  bird-study  class.  Mary, 
who  was  near-sighted,  detested  bird-study, 
and  hardly  knew  a  crow  from  a  kinglet, 
found  life  a  burden,  until  Roberta,  who  loved 
birds  and  was  only  too  glad  to  get  a  compan- 
ion on  her  walks  in  search  of  them,  organized 
what  she  picturesquely  named  ''  the  Mary- 
bird  club."  Rachel  and  Adelaide  immedi- 
ately applied  for  admission,  and  about  the 
time  that  Mary  appropriated  the  forget-me- 
nots  that  Katherine  had  gathered  for  Marion 
Lawrence  and  wore  them  to  a  dance  on  the 
plea  that  they  exactly  matched  her  evening 
dress,  and  also  decoyed  Betty  into  betraying 
her  connection  with  the  freshman  grind-book, 
Katherine   and    Betty  joined.     They  seldom 


312  BETTT    WALES 

accompanied  the  club  on  its  official  walks, 
preferring  to  stroll  off  hy  themselves  and 
come  back  with  descriptions  of  the  birds 
the}^  had  seen  for  Mary  and  Roberta  to  iden- 
tify. Occasionally  they  met  a  friendly  bird 
student  who  helped  them  with  their  identifi- 
cations on  the  spot,  and  then,  when  Roberta 
was  busy,  they  would  take  Mary  out  in  search 
of  ''  their  birds,"  as  they  called  them.  Oddly 
enough  they  always  found  these  rare  species 
a  second  time,  though  Mary,  because  of  her 
near-sightedness,  had  to  be  content  with  a 
casual  glance  at  them. 

'^  But  what  you've  seen,  3^ou've  seen,"  she 
said.  ''I've  got  to  see  fifty  birds  before  June 
1st ;  that  doesn't  necessarily  mean  see  them 
so  you'll  know  them  again.  Now  I  shouldn't 
know  the  nestle  or  the  shelcuff,  but  I  can  put 
them  down,  can't  I  ?  " 

''  Of  course,"  assented  Katherine,  ''  a  few 
rare  birds  like  those  will  make  your  list  look 
like  something." 

The  pink-headed  euthuma,  which  came  to 
light  on  the  very  last  day  of  May,  interested 
Mary  so  much  that  she  told  Roberta  about  it 
immediately  and  Roberta  questioned  the  dis- 


BETTT    WALES  313 

coverers.  Their  accounts  were  perfectly  con- 
sistent. 

'*  Way  out  on  Paradise  path,  almost  to  the 
end,  we  met  a  man  dashing  around  as  if  he 
were  crazy,"  explained  Betty.  *'  We  should 
have  thought  he  was  an  escaped  lunatic  if  we 
hadn't  seen  others  like  him." 

"•  Yes,"  continued  Katherine.  "  But  he 
acted  too  much  like  you  to  take  us  in.  So 
we  said  we  were  interested  in  birds  too,  and 
he  danced  around  some  more  and  said  we 
had  come  upon  a  rare  specimen.  Then 
he  pointed  to  the  top  of  an  enormous  pine- 
tree " 

''  Those  rare  birds  are  always  in  the  very 
tops  of  trees,"  put  in  Mary  eagerly. 

''  Of  course  ;  that's  one  reason  they're  rare," 
went  on  Betty.  ""  But  that  minute  it  flew 
into  the  top  of  a  poplar,  and  we  three  pur- 
sued it.     It  was  a  beauty." 

^'  And  then  you  came  back  after  me,  and  it 
was  still  there.  Tell  her  how  it  was  marked," 
suggested  Mary.  ^'  Perhaps  she  knows  it  un- 
der some  other  name." 

''It  had  a  pink  head,  of  course,"  said  Kath- 
erine, "  and  blue  wings." 


314  BETTr    WALES 

"  Goodness  !  "  exclaimed  Roberta  suspi- 
ciously. 

''  Don't  you  mean  black  wings,  Kather- 
ine  ?  ''  asked  Betty  hastily. 

"  Did  I  say  blue  ?  I  meant  black  of  course. 
Mary  thought  they  looked  blue  and  that  con- 
fused me.  And  its  breast  was  white  with 
brown  marks  on  it." 

''  What  size  was  it?  "  asked  Roberta. 

Katherine  looked  doubtful.  ^'  What  should 
you  say,  Mary?" 

''  Well,  it  was  quite  small — about  the  size 
of  a  sparrow  or  a  robin,  I  thought." 

''  They're  quite  different  sizes,"  said  Roberta 
wearily.  ''  Your  old  man  must  have  been 
color-blind.  It  couldn't  have  had  a  pink 
head.  Who  ever  heard  of  a  pink-headed 
bird?" 

''  We  three  are  not  color-blind,"  Katherine 
reminded  her.  ''  And  then  there's  the  name." 
Roberta  sighed  deeply.  The  new  members 
of  the  Mary-bird  club  were  very  unmanage- 
able. 

Meanwhile  Mary  was  industriously  count- 
ing the  names  on  her  list,  which  must  be 
handed  in  the  next  day,     ''  I  think  I'd  better 


BETTT    WALES  315 

put  the  euthuma  down,  Roberta,"  she  said 
finally.  ''We  saw  it  all  right.  They  won't 
look  the  list  over  very  carefully,  but  they  will 
notice  how  many  birds  are  on  it,  and  even 
with  the  pink-headed  euthuma  I  haven't  but 
forty-five.  I  rather  wish  now  that  I'd  bought 
a  text-book,  but  I  thought  it  was  a  waste  of 
money  when  you  knew  all  about  the  birds,  and 
it  would  certainly  be  a  waste  of  money  now." 

''Oh,  yes,"  said  Roberta.  "If  only  the 
library  hadn't  wanted  its  copy  back  quite  so 
soon  ! " 

"  It  was  disagreeable  of  them,  wasn't  it?  " 
said  Mary  cheerfully,  copying  away  on  her 
list.  "  You  were  going  to  look  up  the  nestle 
too.     Girls,  did  we  hear  the  nestle  sing?  " 

"  It  whistled  like  a  blue  jay,"  said  Kath- 
erine  promptly. 

"It  couldn't,"  protested  Roberta.  "You 
said  it  was  only  six  inches  long." 

"  On  the  plan  of  a  blue  jay's  call,  but 
smaller,  Roberta,"  explained  Betty  pacifically. 

"  Well,  it's  funny  that  you  can  never  find 
any  of  these  birds  when  I'm  with  you,"  said 
Roberta. 

Katherine    looked    scornful.      "  We    were 


3i6  BETTT    WALES 

mighty  lucky  to  see  them  even  twice,  I  think," 
she  retorted. 

Next  day  Mary  came  home  from  zoology 
la,  which  to  add  to  its  other  unpleasant  fea- 
tures met  in  the  afternoon,  w^earing  the  air 
of  a  martyr  to  circumstance.  Roberta,  Kath- 
erine  and  Betty  happened  to  be  sitting  on  the 
piazza  translating  Livy  together.  "■  Girls,"  she 
demanded,  as  she  came  up  the  steps,  "  if  I 
get  you  the  box  of  Huyler's  that  Mr.  Bur- 
gess sent  me  will  you  tell  me  the  truth  about 
those  birds?  " 

''  She  had  the  lists  read  in  class  !  "  shouted 
Katherine. 

''  I  knew  it ! "  said  Roberta  in  tragic 
tones. 

''Did  you  tell  her  about  the  shelcufF's 
neck  ?  "  inquired  Betty. 

Mary  sat  down  on  the  piazza  railing  with 
her  feet  cushioned  on  a  lexicon.  ''  I  told  her 
all  about  the  shelcuff,"  she  said,  *'  likewise  the 
euthuma  and  the  nestle.  What  is  more,  the 
head  of  the  zoology  department  was  visiting 
the  class,  so  I  also  told  him,  and  w^hen  I 
stayed  to  explain  he  stayed  too,  and — oh,  you 
little  wretches  I  " 


BETTT    WALES  317 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Katherine.  ''  We  waited 
until  you'd  made  a  reputation  for  cleverness 
and  been  taken  into  a  society.  I  think  we 
were  considerateness  itself." 

Roberta  was  gazing  sadly  at  Mary.  ''  Why 
did  you  try  all  those  queer  ones?  "  she  asked. 
''  You  knew  I  wasn't  sure  of  them." 

"  I  had  to,  my  dear.  She  asked  us  for  the 
rare  names  on  our  lists.  I  was  the  third  one 
she  came  to,  and  the  others  had  floundered 
around  and  told  about  birds  I'd  never  heard 
of.  I  didn't  really  know  which  of  mine 
were  rare,  because  I'd  never  seen  any  of  them 
but  once,  you  know,  and  I  was  afraid  I  should 
strike  something  that  was  a  good  deal  com- 
moner than  a  robin,  and  then  it  would  be  all 
up  with  me.  So  I  boldly  read  off  these  three, 
because  I  was  sure  they  were  rare.  You 
should  have  seen  her  face  when  I  got  to  the 
pink-headed  one,"  said  Mary,  beginning  sud- 
denly to  appreciate  the  humor  of  the  situa- 
tion.    '^  Did  you  invent  them?  " 

''  Only  the  names,"  said  Betty,  ''  and  the 
stories  about  finding  them.  I  thought  of 
nestle,  and  Katherine  made  up  the  others. 
Aren't  they  lovely  names,  Roberta?  " 


3i8  BETTT    WALES 

''Yes,"  said  Roberta, ''  but  think  of  the  fix 
Mary  is  in." 

Mary  smiled  serenely.  ''  Don't  worry,  Ro- 
berta," she  said.  ''  The  names  were  so  lovely 
and  the  shelcufF's  neck  and  the  note  of  the 
nestle  and  all,  and  I  am  honestly  so  near- 
sighted, that  I  don't  think  Miss  Carter  will 
have  the  heart  to  condition  me.  But  girls, 
where  did  you  get  the  descriptions?  Professor 
Lawrence  particularly  wanted  to  know." 

Betty  looked  at  Katherine  and  the  two 
burst  into  peals  of  laughter.  ''  Mary  Brooks, 
you  invented  most  of  those  yourself,"  ex- 
plained Katherine,  when  she  could  speak. 
''  We  just  showed  you  the  first  bird  we  hap- 
pened to  see  and  told  you  its  new  name  and 
you'd  say,  ^  Why  it  has  a  green  crest  and  yel- 
low wings  ! '  or  '  How  funny  its  neck  is  !  It 
must  have  a  pouch.'  All  we  had  to  do  was 
to  encourage  you  a  little." 

"  And  suppress  you  a  little  when  you  put 
colors  like  pink  and  blue  into  the  same  bird," 
continued  Betty,  ''  so  Roberta  wouldn't  get 
too  suspicious." 

''  Then  those  birds  were  just  common,  or- 
dinary ones  that  I'd  seen  before  ?  " 


BETTT    WALES  319 

"  Exactly.  The  nestle  was  a  blue  jay,  and 
the  euthuma  was  a  sparrow.  We  couldn't  see 
what  the  shelcuff  was  ourselves,  the  tree  was 
so  tall. 


(( < 


The  primrose  by  a  river's  brim 
A  yellow  primrose  was  to  him, 
And  it  was  nothing  more,'  " 


quoted  Mary  blithely.  "■  You  can  never  put 
that  on  my  tombstone." 

**  Better  tell  your  friend  Dr.  Hinsdale  about 
your  vivid  ornithological  imagination,"  sug- 
gested Katherine.     '^  It  might  interest  him." 

''  Oh,  I  shall,"  said  Mary  easily.  ''  But  to- 
night, young  ladies,  you  will  be  pleased  to 
learn  that  I  am  invited  up  to  Professor  Law- 
rence's to  dinner,  so  that  I  can  see  his  bird 
skins.  Incidentally  I  shall  meet  his  fascinat- 
ing brother.  In  about  ten  minutes  I  shall 
want  to  be  hooked  up,  Roberta." 

''She's  one  too  many  for  us,  isn't  she?" 
said  Katherine,  as  Mary  went  gaily  off,  fol- 
lowed by  the  devoted  Roberta,  declaring  in 
loud  tones  that  the  Mary-bird  club  was  dis- 
solved. 

''  I  wish  things  that  go  wrong  didn't  bother 


320  BETTT    WALES 

me  any  more  than  they  do  her,"  said  Betty 
wistfully. 

''  Cheer  up,"  urged  Katherine,  giving  her  a 
bearish  hug.  ''  You'll  win  in  the  golf  again 
to-morrow,  and  everything  will  come  out  all 
right  in  the  end." 

''Everything?  What  do  you  mean?"  in- 
quired Betty  sharply. 

''  Why,  singles  and  doubles — twosomes  and 
foursomes  you  call  them,  don't  you  ?  They'll 
all  come  out  right." 

A  moment  later  Katherine  burst  in  upon 
her  long-suffering  roommate  with  a  vehe- 
mence that  made  every  cup  on  the  tea-table 
rattle.  ''  I  almost  let  her  know  what  w^e 
thought,"  she  said,  ''  but  I  guess  I  smoothed  it 
over.  Do  you  suppose  Eleanor  Watson  isn't 
going  to  make  up  with  her  at  all?  " 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

INTO    PARADISE AND   OUT 

It  was  a  glorious  summer  twilight.  The 
air  was  sweet  with  the  odor  of  lilacs  and 
honeysuckle.  One  by  one  the  stars  shone 
softly  out  in  the  velvet  sky,  across  which 
troops  of  swallows  swooped  and  darted,  twit- 
tering softly  on  the  wing.  Near  the  western 
horizon  the  golden  glow  of  sunset  still  lin- 
gered. It  was  a  night  for  poets  to  sing  of,  a 
night  to  revel  in  and  to  remember  ;  but  it  was 
assuredly  not  a  night  for  study.  Gaslight 
heated  one's  room  to  the  boiling  point.  Closed 
windows  meant  suffocation ;  open  ones — 
since  there  are  no  screens  in  the  Harding 
boarding  house — let  in  troops  of  fluttering 
moths  and  burly  June-bugs. 

''  And  the  moral  of  that  is,  work  while  it  is 
yet  light,"  proclaimed  Mary  Brooks,  ringing 
her  bicycle  bell  suggestively. 

There  was  a  sudden  commotion  on  the 
piazza  and  then  Betty's  clear  voice  rose  above 

321 


322  BETTr    WALES 

the  tumult.  ''  We  won  it,  one  up  !  Isn't  that 
fine  ?  Oh  no,  not  the  singles  ;  we  go  on  with 
them  to-morrow,  but  I  can't  possibly  win. 
Oh,  I'm  so  hot !  " 

Eleanor  Watson  smiled  grimly  as  these 
speeches  floated  up  to  her  from  below.  She 
had  been  lounging  all  the  breathless  after- 
noon, trying  vainly  to  get  rid  of  a  headache  ; 
and  the  next  day's  lessons  were  still  to  be 
learned. 

''  Ouch,  how  I  hate  June-bugs,"  she  mut- 
tered, stopping  for  the  fifth  time  in  as  many 
minutes  to  drive  out  a  buzzing  intruder.  She 
had  just  gotten  one  out  when  another  flew 
straight  at  her  unperceived  and  tangled  him- 
self in  her  hair.  That  was  the  limit  of  endur- 
ance. With  one  swift  movement  Eleanor 
turned  ofl*  the  gas,  with  another  she  pulled 
down  her  hair  and  released  the  prisoned 
beetle.  Then  she  twisted  up  the  soft  coil 
again  in  the  dark  and  went  out  into  the  sweet 
spring  dusk. 

At  the  next  corner  she  gave  an  angry  little 
exclamation  and  turned  back  toward  the 
house.  The  girls  had  deserted  the  piazza  be- 
fore she  came  down,  and  now  the  only  light 


BETTT    WALES  323 

seemed  to  be  in  Betty's  room.  Every  window 
there  was  shut,  so  it  was  no  use  to  call. 
Eleanor  climbed  the  stairs  and  knocked. 
Katherine  and  Betty  were  just  starting  for  a 
trolley  ride,  to  cool  oiF  the  champion,  Kath- 
erine explained  ;  but  Helen  was  going  to  be 
in  all  the  evening. 

''  I  pity  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart," 
said  Eleanor,  '^  but  if  you  are  really  going  to 
be  here  would  you  tell  Lil  Day  when  she 
comes  that  I  have  an  awful  headache  and 
have  gone  off — that  I'll  see  her  to-morrow.  I 
could  go  down  there,  but  if  she's  in,  her  room 
will  be  fuller  of  June-bugs  than  mine.  Hear 
them  slam  against  that  glass  !  "  She  turned  to 
Betty  stiffly.  ''  I  congratulate  you  on  your 
victory,"  she  said. 

''  Oh  thank  you  !  "  answered  Betty  eagerly. 
*'  Christy  did  most  of  it.  Would — won't  you 
come  out  with  us  ?  " 

^'  No,  thank  you.  I  feel  like  being  all  alone. 
I'm  going  down  for  a  twilight  row  on  Para- 
dise." 

''  You'll  get  malaria,"  said  Katherine. 

"'  You'll  catch  cold,  too,  in  that  thin  dress," 
added  Helen. 


324  BETTT    WALES 

"  I  don't  mind,  if  only  I  don't  see  any  June- 
bugs,"  answered  Eleanor,  *'  or  any  girls,"  she 
added  under  her  breath,  when  she  had  gained 
the  lower  hall. 

The  quickest  way  to  Paradise  was  through 
the  campus,  but  Eleanor  chose  an  un- 
frequented back  street,  too  ugly  to  attract  the 
parties  of  girls  who  swarmed  over  the  col- 
lege grounds,  looking  like  huge  white  moths 
as  they  flitted  about  under  the  trees.  She 
walked  rapidly,  trying  to  escape  thought  in 
activity ;  but  the  thoughts  ill-naturedly  kept 
pace  with  her.  As  everybody  who  came  in 
contact  with  Eleanor  Watson  was  sure  to  re- 
mark, she  was  a  girl  brimful  of  strong  possi- 
bilities both  for  good  and  evil ;  and  to-night 
these  were  all  awake  and  warring.  Her  year 
of  bondage  at  college  was  nearly  over.  Only 
the  day  before  she  had  received  a  letter  from 
Judge  Watson,  coldly  courteous,  like  all  his 
epistles  to  his  rebellious  daughter,  inquiring  if 
it  was  her  wish  to  return  to  Harding  another 
year,  and  in  the  same  mail  had  come  an  invi- 
tation from  her  aunt,  asking  her  to  spend  the 
following  winter  in  New  York.  Eleanor 
shrewdly  guessed  that  in  spite  of  her  father's 


BETTT    WALES  325 

disapproval  of  his  sister's  careless  frivolity,  he 
would  allow  her  to  accept  this  invitation,  for 
the  obvious  relief  it  would  bring  to  himself 
and  the  second  Mrs.  Watson.  He  was  fond  of 
her,  that  she  did  not  for  a  moment  question, 
and  he  honestly  wished  her  best  good ;  but  he 
did  not  want  her  in  his  house  in  her  present 
mood. 

''  For  which  I  don't  in  the  least  blame 
him,"  thought  Eleanor. 

She  had  started  to  answer  his  letter  im- 
mediately, as  he  had  wished,  and  then  had 
hesitated  and  delayed,  so  that  the  decision  in- 
volved in  her  reply  was  still  before  her.  And 
yet  why  should  she  hesitate?  She  did  not 
like  Harding  college ;  she  had  kept  the  letter 
of  her  agreement  to  stay  there  for  one  year ; 
surely  she  was  free  now  to  do  as  she  pleased — 
indeed,  her  father  had  said  as  much.  But 
what  did  she  please — that  was  a  point  that,  un- 
accountably, she  could  not  settle.  Lately 
something  had  changed  her  attitude  toward 
the  life  at  Harding.  Perhaps  it  was  the  after- 
noon with  Miss  Ferris,  with  the  perception  it 
had  brought  of  aims  and  ideals  as  foreign  to  the 
ambitious  schemes  with  which  she  had  begun 


326  BETTT    WALES 

the  year  as  to  the  angry  indifference  in  which 
she  was  finishing  it.  Perhaps,  as  poor  Helen 
had  suggested,  it  w^as  the  melting  loveliness 
of  spring  term.  At  any  rate,  as  she  heard  the 
girls  making  their  plans  for  the  next  year, 
squabbling  amiably  over  the  merits  of  the 
various  campus  houses,  choosing  roommates, 
bargaining  for  furniture,  even  securing  part- 
ners for  the  commencement  festivities  still 
three  years  off,  an  unexplainable  longing  to 
stay  on  and  finish  the  four  years'  drama  with 
the  rest  had  seized  upon  Eleanor.  But  each 
time  it  came  she  had  stifled  it,  reminding  her- 
self sternly  that  for  her  the  four  years  held 
no  pleasant  possibilities ;  she  had  thrown 
away  her  chance — had  neglected  her  work, 
alienated  her  friends,  disappointed  every  one, 
and  most  of  all  herself  There  was  nothing 
left  for  her  now  but  to  go  away  beaten — not 
outwardly,  for  she  still  flattered  herself  that 
she  had  proved  both  to  students  and  faculty 
her  ability  to  make  a  very  brilliant  record  at 
Harding  had  she  been  so  inclined,  and  even 
her  superiority  to  the  drudgery  of  the  routine 
work  and  the  childish  recreations.  But  in 
her    heart  of  hearts  Eleanor  knew  that  this 


BETTT    WALES  327 

very  disinclination  to  make  the  most  of  her 
opportunities,  this  fancied  superiority  to  re- 
quirements that  jarred  on  her  undisciplined, 
haphazard  training,  was  failure  far  more  ab- 
solute and  inexcusable  than  if  dulness  or  any 
other  sort  of  real  inability  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  college  life  had  been  at  the 
bottom  of  it.  Her  father  would  know  it  too, 
if  the  matter  ever  came  to  his  notice  ;  and  her 
brother  Jim,  who  was  making  such  a  splendid 
record  at  Cornell — he  would  know  that,  as 
Betty  Wales  had  said  once,  quoting  her  sister's 
friend,  ''  Every  nice  girl  likes  college,  though 
each  has  a  different  reason."  Well,  Jim  had 
thought  for  two  years  that  she  was  a  failure. 
Eleanor  gulped  hard  to  keep  back  the  tears  ; 
she  had  meant  to  be  everything  to  Jim,  and 
she  was  only  an  annoyance. 

It  was  almost  dark  by  the  time  she  reached 
the  landing.  A  noisy  crowd  of  girls,  who  had 
evidently  been  out  with  their  supper,  were 
just  coming  in.  They  exclaimed  in  astonish- 
ment when  her  canoe  shot  out  from  the  boat- 
house. 

''  It's  awfully  hard  to  see  your  way,"  called 
one  officious  damsel. 


328  BETTT    WALES 

^'  I  can  see  in  the  dark  like  an  owl/'  sang 
back  Eleanor,  her  good-humor  restored  the 
instant  her  paddle  touched  water, — for  boating 
was  her  one  passion. 

Ah,  but  it  was  lovely  on  the  river !  She 
glided  around  the  point  of  an  island  and  was 
alone  at  last,  with  the  stars,  the  soft,  grape- 
scented  breezes,  and  the  dark  water.  She 
pulled  up  the  stream  with  long,  swift  strokes, 
and  then,  where  the  trees  hung  low  over  the 
still  water,  she  dropped  the  paddle,  and  slip- 
ping into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  leaned 
back  against  a  cushioned  seat  and  drank  in 
the  beauty  of  the  darkness  and  solitude.  She 
had  never  been  out  on  Paradise  River  at  night. 
''  And  I  shall  never  come  again  except  at 
night,''  she  resolved,  breathing  deep  of  the 
damp,  soft  air.  Malaria — who  cared  for  that  ? 
And  when  she  was  cold  she  could  paddle  a 
little  and  be  warm  again  in  a  moment. 

Suddenly  she  heard  voices  and  saw  two 
shapes  moving  slowly  along  the  path  on  the 
bank. 

''  Oh,  do  hurry,  Margaret,"  said  one.  ''  I 
told  her  I'd  be  there  by  eight.  Besides,  it's 
awfully  dark  and  creepy  here." 


BETTT    tVALES  329 

"■  I  tell  you  I  can't  hurry,  Lil,"  returned 
the  other.  ''  I  turned  my  ankle  terribly  back 
there,  and  I  must  sit  down  and  rest,  creeps  or 
no  creeps." 

''  Oh,  very  well,"  agreed  the  other  voice 
grudgingly,  and  the  shapes  sank  down  on  a 
knoll  close  to  the  water's  edge. 

Eleanor  had  recognized  them  instantly ; 
they  were  her  sophomore  friend,  Lilian  Day, 
and  Margaret  Payson,  a  junior  whom  Eleanor 
greatly  admired.  Her  first  impulse  was  to 
call  out  and  offer  to  take  the  girls  back  in  her 
canoe.  Then  she  remembered  that  the  little 
craft  would  hold  only  two  with  safety,  that 
the  girls  would  perhaps  be  startled  if  she  spoke 
to  them,  and  also  that  she  had  come  down  to 
Paradise  largely  to  escape  Lil's  importunate 
demands  that  she  spend  a  month  of  her  va- 
cation at  the  Day  camp  in  the  Adirondacks. 
So,  certain  that  they  would  never  notice  her 
in  the  darkness  and  the  thick  shadows,  she 
lay  still  in  the  bottom  of  her  boat  and  waited 
for  them  to  go  on. 

''  It's  a  pity  about  her,  isn't  it?  "  said  Miss 
Payson,  after  she  had  rubbed  her  ankle  for  a 
while  in  silence. 


330  BETTT    WALES 

"  About  whom  ?  "  inquired  Lilian  crossly. 

''  Why,  Eleanor  Watson  ;  you  just  spoke  of 
having  an  engagement  with  her.  She  seems 
to  have  been  a  general  failure  here." 

Eleanor  started  at  the  sound  of  her  own 
name,  then  lay  tense  and  rigid,  w^aiting 
for  Lilian's  answer.  She  knew  it  was  not 
honorable  to  listen,  and  she  certainly  did  not 
care  to  do  so  ;  but  if  she  cried  out  now,  after 
having  kept  silent  so  long,  Lilian,  who  was 
absurdly  nervous  in  the  dark,  might  be  seri- 
ously frightened.  Perhaps  she  would  disa- 
gree and  change  the  subject.     But  no 

''  Yes,  a  complete  failure,"  repeated  Lilian 
distinctly.  ''  Isn't  it  queer  ?  She's  really 
very  clever,  you  know,  and  awfully  amusing, 
besides  being  so  amazingly  beautiful.  But 
there  is  a  little  footless  streak  of  contrariness 
in  her — we  noticed  it  at  boarding-school, — 
and  it  seems  to  have  completely  spoiled  her." 

'*  It  is  queer,  if  she  is  all  that  you  say. 
Perhaps  next  year  she'll  be " 

"  Oh,  she  isn't  coming  back  next  year," 
broke  in  Lilian.  "  She  hates  it  here,  you 
know,  and  she  sees  that  she's  made  a  mess  of 
it,  too,  though  she  wouldn't  admit  it  in  a  tor- 


BETTT    WALES  331 

ture  chamber.  She  thinks  she  has  shown  that 
college  is  beneath  her  talents,  I  suppose." 

''  Little  goose  !     Is  she  so  talented  ?  " 

''  Yes,  indeed.  She  sings  beautifully  and 
plays  the  guitar  rather  well — she'd  surely  have 
made  one  of  the  musical  clubs  next  year — and 
she  can  act,  and  write  clever  little  stories. 
Oh,  she'd  have  walked  into  everything  going 
all  right,  if  she  hadn't  been  such  a  goose — 
muddled  her  work  and  been  generally  offish 
and  horrid." 

''  Too  bad,"  said  Miss  Payson,  rising  with  a 
groan.  ''  Who  do  you  think  are  the  bright 
and  shining  stars  among  the  freshmen,  Lil?  " 

^'  Why  Marion  Lustig  for  literary  ability,  of 
course,  and  Emily  Davis  for  stunts  and  Christy 
Mason  for  general  all-around  fineness,  and 
socially — oh,  let  me  think — the  B's,  I  should 
say,  and — I  forget  her  name — the  little  girl 
that  Dottie  King  is  so  fond  of.  Here,  take 
my  arm,  Margaret.  You've  got  to  get  home 
some  way,  you  know." 

Their  voices  trailed  off  into  murmurs  that 
grew  fainter  and  fainter  until  the  silence  of 
the  river  and  the  wood  was  again  unbroken. 
Eleanor  sat  up  stiffly  and  stretched  her  arms 


332  BETTT    JVALES 

above  her  head  in  sheer  physical  relief  after 
the  strain  of  utter  stillness.  Then,  with  a  lit- 
tle sobbing  cry,  she  leaned  forward,  bowing 
her  head  in  her  hands.  Paradise — had  they 
named  it  so  because  one  ate  there  of  the  fruit 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge  ? 

^'  A  little  footless  streak  !  " 

"■  An  utter  failure  !  " 

What  did  it  matter  ?  She  had  known  it  all 
before.  She  had  said  those  very  words  her- 
self But  she  had  thought — she  had  been 
sure  that  other  people  did  not  understand  it 
that  way.  Well,  perhaps  most  people  did 
not.  No,  that  was  nonsense.  Lilian  Day 
had  achieved  a  position  of  prominence  in  her 
class  purely  through  a  remarkable  alertness 
to  public  sentiment.  Margaret  Payson,  a  girl 
of  a  very  different  and  much  finer  type,  stood 
for  the  best  of  that  sentiment.  Eleanor  had 
often  admired  her  for  her  clear-sightedness 
and  good  judgment.  They  had  said  unhesi- 
tatingly that  she  was  a  failure  ;  then  the  col- 
lege thought  so.  Well,  it  was  Jean  Eastman's 
fault  then,  and  Caroline's,  and  Betty  Wales's. 
Nonsense  !  it  was  her  own.  Should  she  go  off 
in   June  and  leave  her  name  spelling  failure 


BETTT    WALES  333 

behind  her  ?  Or  should  she  come  back  and 
somehow  change  the  failure  to  success  ?  Could 
she? 

She  had  no  idea  how  long  she  sat  there, 
turning  the  matter  over  in  her  mind,  viewing 
it  this  way  and  that,  considering  what  she 
could  do  if  she  came  back,  veering  between  a 
desire  to  go  away  and  forget  it  all  in  the  gay 
bustle  of  a  New  York  winter,  and  the  fierce 
revolt  of  the  famous  Watson  pride,  that  found 
any  amount  of  effort  preferable  to  open  and 
acknowledged  defeat.  But  it  must  have  been 
a  long  time,  for  when  she  pulled  herself  on  to 
her  seat  and  caught  up  the  paddle,  she  was 
shivering  with  cold  and  her  thin  dress 
was  dripping  wet  with  the  mist  that  lay 
thick  over  the  river.  Slowly  she  felt  her  way 
down-stream,  pushing  through  the  bank  of 
fog,  often  running  in  shore  in  spite  of  her 
caution,  and  fearful  every  moment  of  striking 
a  hidden  rock  or  snag.  Soft  rustlings  in  the 
wood,  strange  plashings  in  the  stream  startled 
her.  Lower  down  was  the  bewildering  net- 
work of  islands.  Surely  there  were  never  so 
many  before.  Was  the  boat-house  straight 
across  from  the  last  island,  or  a  little  down- 


334        BErrr  wales 

stream  ?  Which  was  straight  across  ?  And 
where  was  the  last  island  ?  She  had  missed  it 
somehow  in  the  mist.  She  was  below  it,  out 
in  the  w^ide  mill-pond.  Somewhere  on  the 
other  side  was  the  boat-house,  and  further 
down  was  a  dam.  Down-stream  must  be 
straight  to  the  left.  All  at  once  the  roar  of 
the  descending  water  sounded  in  Eleanor's 
ears,  and  to  her  horror  it  did  not  come  from 
the  left.  But  when  she  tried  to  tell  from 
which  direction  it  did  come,  she  could  not  de- 
cide ;  it  seemed  to  reverberate  from  all  sides 
at  once  ;  it  was  perilously  near  and  it  grew 
louder  and  more  terrible  every  moment. 

Suddenly  a  fierce,  unreasoning  fear  took 
possession  of  Eleanor.  She  told  herself  sternly 
that  there  was  no  danger  ;  the  current  in  Par- 
adise River  was  not  so  strong  but  that  a  good 
paddler  could  stem  it  with  ease.  In  a  mo- 
ment the  mist  would  lift  and  she  could  see 
the  outline  of  one  shore  or  the  other.  But 
the  mist  did  not  lift ;  instead  it  grew  denser 
and  more  stifling,  and  although  she  turned 
her  canoe  this  way  and  that  and  paddled 
with  all  her  strength,  the  roar  from  the  dam 
grew  steadily  to  an  ominous  thunder.     Then 


BETTT    STALES  335 

she  remembered  a  gruesome  legend  that  hung 
about  the  dam  and  the  foaming  pool  in  the 
shadow  of  the  old  mill  far  below,  and  dropped 
her  paddle  in  an  agony  of  fear.  She  might 
hurry  herself  over  the  dam  in  striving  to  es- 
cape it  I 

And  still  the  deafening  torrent  pounded 
in  her  ears.  If  only  she  could  get  away  from 
it — somewhere — anywhere  just  to  be  quiet. 
Would  it  be  quiet  in  the  pool  by  the  mill  ? 
Eleanor  slipped  unsteadily  into  the  bottom  of 
her  boat  and  tried  to  peer  through  the  dark- 
ness at  the  black  water,  and  to  feel  about  with 
her  hands  for  the  current.  As  she  did  so,  a 
bell  rang  up  on  the  campus.  It  must  be 
twenty  minutes  to  ten.  Eleanor  gave  a  harsh, 
mirthless  laugh.  How  stupid  she  had  been  ! 
She  would  call,  of  course.  If  she  could  hear 
their  bell,  they  could  hear  her  voice  and  come 
for  her.  There  would  be  an  awkward  moment 
of  explanation,  but  what  of  that  ? 

''Hallo!  Hallo— 0-0!"  she  called.  Only 
the  boom  of  the  water  answered. 

''  Hallo  1     Hallo— 0-0  !  " 

Again  the  boom  of  the  water  swallowed 
her  cry  and  drowned  it. 


336  BETTT    WALES 

It  was  no  use  to  call, — only  a  waste  of 
strength. 

Eleanor  caught  up  her  paddle  and  began 
to  back  water  with  all  her  might.  That  was 
what  she  should  have  done  from  the  first,  of 
course.  She  was  cold  all  at  once  and  very 
tired,  but  she  would  not  give  up  yet. 

She  had  quite  forgotten  that  only  a  little 
while  before  it  had  not  seemed  to  matter 
much  what  became  of  her.      "■  But  if  I  can't 

keep  at  it  all  night "  she  said  to  the  mist 

and  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A    LAST   CHANCE 

Helen's  choice  of  closed  windows  in  pref- 
erence to  invading  companies  of  moths  and 
June-bugs  had  made  the  room  so  insufferably 
warm  that  between  heat  and  excitement  Betty 
could  not  get  to  sleep.  Instead  she  tossed 
restlessly  about  on  her  narrow  couch,  listen- 
ing to  the  banging  of  the  trolleys  at  the  next 
corner  and  wishing  she  were  still  sitting  on 
the  breezy  front  seat,  as  the  car  dashed  down 
the  long  hill  toward  the  station.  At  length 
she  slipped  softly  out  of  bed  and  opened  the 
door.  Perhaps  the  breeze  would  come  in  bet- 
ter then.  As  she  stood  for  a  moment  testing 
the  result  of  her  experiment,  she  noticed  with 
surprise  that  Eleanor's  door  was  likewise 
open.  This  simple  fact  astonished  her,  be- 
cause she  remembered  that  on  the  hottest 
nights  last  fall  Eleanor  had  persisted  in  shut- 
ting and  locking  her  door.  She  had  acquired 
the  habit  from  living  so  much  in  hotels,  she 

337 


338  BETTT    IVALES 

said  ;  she  could  never  go  to  sleep  at  all  so 
long  as  her  door  was  unfastened.  ''  Perhaps 
it's  all  right,"  thought  Betty,  ^'  but  it  looks 
queer.  I  believe  I'll  just  see  if  she's  in  bed." 
So  she  crept  softly  across  the  hall  and  looked 
into  Eleanor's  room.  It  was  empty,  and  the 
couch  was  in  its  daytime  dress,  covered  with 
an  oriental  spread  and  piled  high  with  pil- 
lows. ''  I  suppose  she  stopped  on  the  campus 
and  got  belated,"  was  Betty's  first  idea.  ''  But 
no,  she  couldn't  stay  down  there  all  night, 
and  it's  long  after  ten.  It  must  be  half  past 
eleven.     I'll — I'd  better  consult — Katherine." 

She  chose  Katherine  instead  of  Rachel,  be- 
cause she  had  heard  Eleanor  speak  about  go- 
ing to  Paradise,  and  so  could  best  help  to  de- 
cide whether  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  she  was  still  there.  Rachel  was  steadier 
and  more  dependable,  but  Katherine  was  re- 
sourceful and  quick-witted.  Besides,  she  was 
not  a  bit  afraid  of  the  dark. 

She  was  sound  asleep,  but  Betty  managed 
to  wake  her  and  get  her  into  the  hall  without 
disturbing  any  one  else. 

''  Goodness  !  "  exclaimed  Katherine,  when 
she  heard  the  news.     "  You  don't  think '* 


BETTT    WALES  339 

'^  I  think  she's  lost  in  Paradise.  It  must 
have  been  pitch  dark  down  there  under  the 
trees  even  before  she  got  started,  and  you 
know  she  hasn't  any  sense  of  direction. 
Don't  you  remember  her  laughing  about  get- 
ting turned  around  every  time  she  went  to 
New  York  ?  " 

''  Yes,  but  it  doesn't  seem  possible  to  get 
lost  on  that  little  pond." 

*'  It's  bigger  than  it  looks,"  said  Betty, 
^'  and  there  is  the  mist,  too,  to  confuse  her." 

''  I  hadn't  thought  of  that.  Does  she  know 
how  to  manage  a  boat?  " 

^'  Yes,  capitally,"  said  Betty  in  so  fright- 
ened a  voice  that  Katherine  dropped  the  sub- 
ject. 

*'  She's  lost  up  stream  somewhere  and  afraid 
to  move  for  fear  of  hitting  a  rock,"  she  said 
easily.  '^  Or  perhaps  she's  right  out  in  the 
pond  by  the  boat-house  and  doesn't  dare  to  cross 
because  she  might  go  too  far  down  toward  the 
dam.     We  can  find  her  all  right,  I  guess." 

"■  Then  you'll  come?  "  said  Betty  eagerly. 

'^  Why,  of  course.  You  weren't  thinking 
of  going  alone,  were  you  ?  " 

"  I  thought  maybe  you'd  think  it  was  silly 


340  BETTT    WALES 

for  any  one  to  go.  I  suppose  she  might  be  at 
one  of  the  campus  houses." 

''  She  might,  but  I  doubt  it,"  said  Kather- 
ine.  ''  She  was  painfully  intent  on  solitude 
when  she  left  here.  Now  don't  fuss  too  long 
about  dressing." 

Without  a  word  Betty  sped  off  to  her  room. 
She  was  just  pulling  a  rain-coat  over  a  very 
meagre  toilet  when  Katherine  put  her  head 
in  at  the  door.  ^'  Bring  matches,"  she  said  in 
a  sepulchral  whisper.  Betty  emptied  the 
contents  of  her  match-box  into  her  ulster 
pocket,  threw  a  cape  over  her  arm  for  Elea- 
nor, and  followed  Katherine  cat-footed  down 
the  stairs.  In  the  lower  hall  they  stopped 
for  a  brief  consultation. 

''Ought  we  to  tell  Mrs.  Chapin?"  asked 
Betty  doubtfully. 

''  Eleanor  will  hate  us  forever  if  we  do," 
said  Katherine,  ''  and  I  don't  see  any  special 
advantage  in  it.  If  we  don't  find  her,  Mrs. 
Chapin  can't.  We  might  tell  Rachel  though, 
in  case  we  were  missed." 

''  Or  we  might  leave  a  note  where  she  would 
find  it,"  suggested  Betty.  ''  Then  if  we 
weren't  missed  no  one  need  knoWo" 


BETTT    WALES  341 

**■  All  right.  You  can  go  more  quietly  ;  I'll 
wait  here."  Katherine  sank  down  on  the 
lowest  stair,  while  Betty  flew  back  to  scribble 
a  note  which  she  laid  on  Rachel's  pillow. 
Then  the  relief  expedition  started. 

It  was  very  strange  being  out  so  late.  Be- 
fore ten  o'clock  a  girl  may  go  anywhere  in 
Harding,  but  after  ten  the  streets  are  deserted 
and  dreadful.  Betty  shivered  and  clung  close 
to  Katherine,  who  marched  boldly  along,  de- 
claring that  it  was  much  nicer  outdoors  than 
in,  and  that  midnight  was  certainly  the  top 
of  the  evening  for  a  walk. 

''  And  if  we  find  her  way  up  the  river  we 
can  all  camp  out  for  the  night,"  she  suggested 
jovially. 

''  But  if  we  don't  find  her  ?  " 

Katherine,  who  had  noticed  Betty's  grow- 
ing nervousness,  refused  to  entertain  the  pos- 
sibility. 

''  We  shall,"  she  said. 

''  But  if  we  don't  ?  "  persisted  Betty. 

'^  Then  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  tell  some- 
body who — who  could — why,  hunt  for  her 
more  thoroughly,"  stammered  Katherine. 
"  Or  possibly  we'd   better  wait  till  morning 


342  BETTT    WALES 

and  make  sure  that  she  didn't  stay  all  night 
with  Miss  Day.  But  if  we  don't  find  her, 
there  will  be  plenty  of  time  to  discuss  that." 

At  the  campus  gateway  the  girls  hesitated. 

''  Suppose  we  should  meet  the  night-watch- 
man ?  "  said  Betty  anxiously.  ''  Would  he 
arrest  us?  " 

Katherine  laughed  at  her  fears.  ''  I  was 
only  wondering  if  we  hadn't  better  take  the 
path  through  the  orchard.  If  we  go  down  by 
the  dwelling-houses  we  might  meet  him,  of 
course,  and  it  would  be  awkward  getting  rid 
of  him  if  he  has  an  ordinary  amount  of  curi- 
osity." 

''  But  that  path  is  spooky  dark,"  objected 
Betty. 

''  Not  so  dark  as  the  street  behind  the  cam- 
pus," said  Katherine  decidedly,  ''  and  that's 
the  only  alternative'.     Come  on." 

When  they  had  almost  reached  the  back 
limit  of  the  campus  Katherine  halted  sud- 
denly. Betty  clutched  her  in  terror.  ''  Do 
you  see  any  one  ?  "  she  whispered.  Katherine 
put  an  arm  around  her  frightened  little  com- 
rade. "■  Not  a  person,"  she  said  reassuringly, 
^'  not  even  the  ghost  of  my  grandmother.     I 


BETTT    WALES  343 

was  just  wondering,  Betty,  if  you'd  care  to  go 
ahead  down  to  the  landing  and  call,  while  I 
waited  up  by  the  road.  Eleanor  is  such  a 
proud  thing ;  she'll  hate  dreadfully  to  be 
caught  in  this  fix,  and  I  know  she'd  rather 
have  you  come  to  find  her  than  me  or  both  of 
us.  But  perhaps  you'd  rather  not  go  ahead. 
It  is  pretty  dark  down  there." 

Betty  lifted  her  face  from  Katherine's  shoul- 
der and  looked  at  the  black  darkness  that  was 
the  road  and  the  river  bank,  and  below  it  to 
the  pond  that  glistened  here  and  there  where 
the  starlight  fell  on  its  cloak  of  mist. 

''  Of  course,"  said  Katherine  after  a  mo- 
ment's silence,  ''  we  can  keep  together  just  as 
well  as  not,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  I  only 
thought  that  perhaps,  since  this  was  your 
plan  and  you  are  so  fond  of  Eleanor — oh 
well,  I  just  thought  you  might  like  to  have 
the  fun  of  rescuing  her,"  finished  Katherine 
desperately. 

''  Do  you  mean  for  me  to  go  ahead  and  call, 
and  if  Eleanor  answers  not  to  say  anything  to 
her  about  your  having  come  ?  " 

''  Yes." 

^'  Then  how  would  you  get  home  ?  " 


344  BETTT    WALES 

''  Oh,  walk  along  behind  you,  just  out  of 
sight." 

''  Wouldn't  you  be  afraid  ?  " 

''  Hardly." 

''  But  I  should  be  taking  the  credit  for 
something  I  hadn't  done." 

''  And  Eleanor  would  be  the  happier  thereby 
and  none  of  the  rest  of  the  world  would  be 
affected  either  way." 

Betty  looked  at  the  pond  again  and  then 
gave  Katherine  a  soft  little  hug.  '^  Katherine 
Kittredge,  you're  an  old  dear,"  she  said,  "■  and 
if  you  really  don't  mind,  I'll  go  ahead  ;  but  if 
she  asks  me  how  I  dared  to  come  alone  or 
says  anything  about  how  1  got  here,  I  shall 
tell  her  that  you  were  with  me." 

"  All  right,  but  I  fancy  she  w^on't  be  think- 
ing about  that.  The  matches  are  so  she  can 
see  her  way  to  you.  It's  awfully  hard  to  fol- 
low a  sound  across  the  water,  but  if  you  light 
one  match  after  another  she  can  get  to  you  be- 
fore the  supply  gives  out,  if  she's  anywhere 
near.  Don't  light  any  till  she  answers.  If 
she  doesn't  answer,  I'll  come  down  to  you  and 
we'll  walk  on  up  the  river  a  little  way  and 
find  her  there." 


BETTT    WALES  345 

*'  Yes,"  said  Betty.  ''  Where  shall  you 
stay  ?  " 

''  Oh,  right  under  this  tree,  I  guess,"  an- 
swered Katherine  carelessly. 

''  Good-bye." 

''  Good-bye." 

When  Betty  had  fairly  gone,  doubts  began 
to  assail  Katherine,  as  they  have  a  habit  of 
assailing  impulsive  people,  after  it  is  too  late 
to  pay  heed  to  them.  It  occurred  to  her  that 
she  was  cooperating  in  what  might  easily  turn 
out  to  be  a  desperate  adventure,  and  that  it 
would  have  been  the  part  of  wisdom  to  enlist 
the  services  of  more  competent  and  better 
equipped  searchers  at  once,  without  risking  de- 
lay on  the  slender  chance  of  finding  Eleanor 
near  the  wharf.  ''  Eleanor  would  have  hated 
the  publicity,  but  if  she  wants  to  come  up  here 
in  the  dark  and  frighten  us  all  into  hysteria 
she  must  take  the  consequences.  And  I'd 
have  let  her  too,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Betty." 

An  owl  hooted,  and  Katherine  jumped  as 
nervously  as  Betty  would  have  done.  Poor 
Betty  !  She  must  be  almost  at  the  landing 
by  this  time.  At  that  very  moment  a  little 
quavering  voice  rang  out  over  the  water. 


346  BETTT    WALES 

''Eleanor!      Eleanor    Watson!      Eleanor, 
Oh,  Eleanor,  where  are  you  ?  " 

For  a  long  moment  there  was  silence.  Then 
the  owl  hooted  again.  That  was  too  much. 
Katherine  jumped  up  with  a  bound  and 
started  down  the  bank  toward  Betty.  She  did 
not  stop  to  find  the  path,  and  at  the  second 
step  caught  her  foot  and  fell  headlong.  Ap- 
parently Betty  did  not  hear  her.  She  had 
not  yet  given  up  hope,  for  she  was  calling 
again,  pausing  each  time  to  listen  for  the  an- 
swer that  did  not  come. 

''Oh,  Eleanor,  Eleanor,  aren't  you  there?" 
she  cried  and  stopped,  even  the  courage  of  de- 
spair gone  at  last.  Katherine,  nursing  a 
bruised  knee  on  the  hill  above,  had  opened 
her  mouth  to  call  encouragement,  when  a  low 
"  Who  is  it  ?  "  floated  across  the  water. 

"Eleanor,  is  that  you?  It's  I— Betty 
Wales  !  "  shrieked  Betty. 

Katherine  nodded  her  head  in  silent  token 
of  "  I  told  you  so,"  and  slid  back  among  the 
bushes  to  recuperate  and  await  developments. 

For  the  end  was  not  yet.  Eleanor  was  evi- 
dently far  down  toward  the  dam,  close  to  the 
opposite  bank.     It  was  hard  for  her  to  hear 


BETTT    WALES  347 

Betty,  and  still  harder  for  Betty  to  hear  her. 
Her  voice  sounded  faint  and  far  off,  and  she 
seemed  to  be  paralyzed  with  fear  and  quite  in- 
capable of  further  effort.  When  Betty  begged 
her  to  paddle  right  across  and  began  lighting 
matches  in  reckless  profusion  to  show  her  the 
way,  Eleanor  simply  repeated,  ''  I  can't,  I 
can't,"  in  dull,  dispirited  monotone. 

''  Shall —  I  —  come  —  for  —  you  ?  "  shouted 
Betty. 

''  You  can't,"  returned  Eleanor  again. 

"  Non — sense  !  "  shrieked  Betty  and  then 
stood  still  on  the  wharf,  apparently  weighing 
Eleanor's  last  opinion. 

''  Go  ahead,"  called  Katherine  in  muffled 
tones  from  above. 

Betty  did  not  answer. 

^'  Thinks  I'm  another  owl,  I  suppose,"  mut- 
tered Katherine,  and  limped  down  the  bank 
to  the  wharf,  frightening  the  nervous,  over- 
wrought Betty  almost  out  of  her  wits  at  first, 
and  then  vastly  relieving  her  by  taking  the 
entire  direction  of  affairs  into  her  own  com- 
petent hands. 

''  You  go  right  ahead.  It's  the  only  way, 
and  it's  perfectly  easy  in  a  heavy  boat.     That 


348  BETTT    WALES 

canoe  might  possibly  go  down  with  the  cur- 
rent, but  a  big  boat  wouldn't.  Rachel  and  I 
tried  it  last  week,  when  the  river  was  higher. 
Now  cross  straight  over  and  feel  along  the 
bank  until  you  get  to  her.  Then  beach  the 
canoe  and  come  back  the  same  way.  Give  me 
some  matches.  I'll  manage  that  part  of  it  and 
then  retire, — unless  you'd  rather  be  the  one  to 
wait  here." 

'*  No,  I'll  go,"  answered  Betty  eagerly,  van- 
ishing into  the  boat-house  after  a  pair  of  oars. 

''  She  must  be  hanging  on  to  something  on 
shore,"  went  on  Katherine,  when  Betty  reap- 
peared, '*  and  she's  lost  her  nerve  and  doesn't 
dare  to  let  go.  If  you  can't  get  her  into  your 
boat,  I'll  come ;  but  somebody  really  ought  to 
stay  here.  I  had  no  idea  the  fog  was  so  thick. 
Hurry  now  and  cross  straight  over.  You're 
sure  you're  not  afraid  ?  " 

''  Quite  sure."  Betty  was  off,  splashing  her 
oars  nervously  through  the  still  water,  wrapped 
in  the  mist,  whispering  over  and  over  Kath- 
erine's  last  words,  ''  Hurry  and  go  straight. 
Hurry,  hurry,  go  straight  across." 

When  she  reached  the  other  shore  she 
called  again  to  Eleanor,  and  the  sobbing  cry 


BETTY  WAS  NOW  UP  TO  HER  KNEES  IN  WATER 


THE  r:m  VOHK 
PUBLIC  UBfvAEY 


BETTT    IVALES  349 

of  relief  that  answered  her  made  all  the  strain 
and  effort  seem  as  nothing.  Cautiously  creep- 
ing along  the  bank  where  the  river  was  com- 
paratively quiet,  backing  water  now  and  then 
to  test  her  strength  with  the  current,  she 
finally  reached  Eleanor,  who  had  happened 
quite  by  chance  to  run  near  the  bank  and  now 
sat  in  the  frail  canoe  hanging  by  both  hands 
to  a  branch  that  swept  low  over  the  water, 
exactly  as  Katherine  had  guessed. 

''  Why  didn't  you  beach  the  canoe,  and  stay 
on  shore?"  asked  Betty,  who  had  tied  her 
own  boat  just  above  and  was  now  up  to  her 
knees  in  the  water,  pulling  Eleanor  in. 

''  I  tried  to,  but  I  lost  my  paddle,  and  so  I 
was  afraid  to  let  go  the  tree  again,  and  the 
water  looked  so  deep.     Oh,  Betty,  Betty  !  " 

Eleanor  sank  down  on  the  bank,  sobbing  as 
if  her  heart  would  break.  Betty  patted  her 
arm  in  silence,  and  in  a  few  moments  she  stood 
up,  quieted.  ''  You're  going  to  take  me  back  ?  " 
she  asked. 

*'  Of  course,"  said  Betty,  cheerfully,  leading 
the  way  to  her  boat. 

"  Please  wait  a  minute,"  commanded 
Eleanor. 


350  BETTT    WALES 

Betty  trembled.  ''  She's  going  to  say  she 
won't  go  back  with  me,"  she  thought.  ''  Please 
let  me  do  it,  Eleanor,"  she  begged. 

*'  Yes,"  said  Eleanor,  quickly,  ''  but  first  I 
want  to  say  something.  I've  been  a  hateful, 
horrid  thing,  Betty.  I've  believed  unkind 
stories  and  done  no  end  of  mean  things,  and  I 
deserve  all  that  I've  had  to-night,  except  your 
coming  after  me.  I've  been  ashamed  of  my- 
self for  months,  only  I  wouldn't  say  so.  I 
know  you  can  never  want  me  for  a  friend 
again,  after  all  my  meanness  ;  but  Betty,  say 
that  you  won't  let  it  hurt  you — that  you'll 
try  to  forget  all  about  it." 

Betty  put  a  wet  arm  around  Eleanor's  neck 
and  kissed  her  cheek  softly.  ''  You  weren't 
to  blame,"  she  said.  ''  It  was  all  a  mistake 
and  my  horrid  carelessness.  Of  course  I  want 
you  for  a  friend.  I  want  it  more  than  any- 
thing else.  And  now  don't  say  another  word 
about  it,  but  just  get  into  the  boat  and  come 
home." 

They  hardly  spoke  during  the  return  pas- 
sage ;  Eleanor  was  worn  out  with  all  she  had 
gone  through,  and  Betty  was  busy  rowing 
and  watching  for  Katherine's  matches,  which 


BETTT    IVALES  351 

made  tiny,  glimmering  dots  of  light  in  the 
gloom.  Eleanor  did  not  seem  to  notice  them, 
nor  the  shadowy  figure  that  vanished  around 
the  boat-house  just  before  they  reached  the 
wharf 

From  her  appointed  station  under  the  pine- 
tree  Katherine  heard  the  grinding  of  the  boat 
on  the  gravel,  the  rattle  of  oars  thrown 
down  on  the  wharf,  and  then  a  low  murmur 
of  conversation  that  did  not  start  up  the  hill 
toward  her,  as  she  had  expected. 

''  Innocents  !  "  sighed  Katherine.  ''  They're 
actually  stopping  to  talk  it  out  down  there  in 
the  wet.  I'm  glad  they've  made  it  up,  and 
I'd  do  anything  in  reason  for  Betty  Wales, 
but  I  certainly  am  sleepy,"  and  she  yawned 
so  loud  that  a  blue  jay  who  was  roosting  in 
the  tree  above  her  head  fluttered  up  to  a 
higher  branch,  screaming  angrily. 

''  The  note  of  the  nestle,"  laughed  Kather- 
ine, and  yawned  again. 

Down  on  the  wharf  Betty  and  Eleanor  were 
curled  up  close  together  in  an  indiscriminate, 
happy  tangle  of  rain-coat,  golf-cape,  and  very 
drabbled  muslin,  holding  a  conversation  that 
neither  would  ever  forget.     Yet  it  was  per- 


352 


BETTT    WALES 


fectly  commonplace ;  Harding  girls  are  not 
given  to  the  expression  of  their  deeper  emo- 
tions, though  it  must  not  therefore  be  inferred 
that  they  do  not  have  any  to  express. 

"  Oh,  Betty,  you  can't  imagine  how  dreadful 
it  was  out  there  !  "  Eleanor  was  saying.  ''  And 
I  thought  I  should  have  to  stay  all  night,  of 
course.  How  did  you  know  I  hadn't  come 
in?" 

Betty  explained. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  bothered,"  said  Elea- 
nor. ''  I'm  sure  I  shouldn't  have,  for  any 
one  as  horrid  as  I've  been.  Oh,  Betty,  will 
you  truly  forgive  me?  " 

"•  Don't  say  that.  I've  wanted  to  do  some- 
thing that  would  make  you  forgive  me." 

''  Oh,  I  know  you  have,"  broke  in  Eleanor 
quickly.     *'  Miss  Ferris  told  me." 

*'  She  did  I  "  interrupted  Betty  in  her  turn. 
''  Why,  she  promised  not  to." 

'^  Yes,  but  I  asked  her.  It  seemed  to  me 
queer  that  she  should  have  taken  such  an 
interest  in  me,  and  all  of  a  sudden  it  flashed 
over  me,  as  I  sat  talking  to  her,  that  you  were 
at  the  bottom  of  it.  So  I  said,  '  Miss  Ferris, 
Betty  Wales  asked  you  to  say  this  to  me,'  and 


BETTT    JVALES  353 

she  said,  '  Yes,  but  she  also  asked  me  not  to 
mention  her  having  done  so.'  I  was  ashamed 
enough  then,  for  she'd  made  me  see  pretty 
plainly  how  badly  I  needed  looking  after,  but 
I  was  bound  I  wouldn't  give  in.  Oh,  Betty, 
haven't  I  been  silly  !  " 

''  I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  your  feelings  by 
what  I  said  at  that  class  meeting,  Eleanor," 
said  Betty  shyly. 

''  You  didn't  hurt  them.  I  was  just  cross 
at  things  in  general — at  myself,  I  suppose 
that  means, — and  angry  at  you  because  I'd 
made  you  despise  me,  which  certainly  wasn't 
your  fault." 

''  Eleanor,  what  nonsense  !     I  despise  you  ?  " 

A  rustling  on  the  bank  reminded  Betty 
that  Katherine  was  waiting.  ''  We  must  go 
home,"  she  said.     ''  It's  after  midnight." 

''  So  it  is,"  agreed  Eleanor,  getting  up 
stiffly.  ''  Oh,  Betty,  I  am  glad  I'm  not  out 
there  hanging  on  to  that  branch  and  shiver- 
ing and  wondering  how  soon  I  should  have 
to  let  go  and  end  it  all.  Oh,  I  shall  never 
forget  the  feel  of  that  stifling  mist." 

They  walked  home  almost  in  silence. 
Katherine,  missing  the  murmur  of  conversa- 


354  BETTT    IP'ALES 

tion,  wondered  if  this  last  effort  at  recon- 
ciliation had  failed  after  all ;  but  near  Mrs. 
Chapin's  the  talk  began  again. 

*'  I'm  only  sorry  there  isn't  more  of  spring 
term  left  to  have  a  good  time  in.  Why, 
Eleanor,  there's  only  two  weeks." 

''  But  there's  all  next  year,"  answered 
Eleanor. 

''  I  thought  you  weren't  coming  back." 

''  I  wasn't,  but  I  am  now.  I've  got  to — I 
can't  go  off  letting  people  think  that  I'm  only 
a  miserable  failure.  The  Watson  pride  won't 
let  me,  Betty." 

"  Oh,  people  don't  think  anything  of  that 
kind,"  objected  Betty  consolingly. 

''  I  know  one  person  who  does,"  said  Elea- 
nor with  decision,  "  and  her  name  is  Eleanor 
Watson.  I  decided  while  I  was  out  there 
waiting  for  you  that  one's  honest  opinion  of 
herself  is  about  as  important  as  any  outsider's. 
Don't  you  think  so?" 

*'  Perhaps,"  said  Betty  gaily.  ''  But  the 
thing  that  interests  me  is  that  you're  coming 
back  next  year.  Why,  it's  just  grand  !  Shall 
you  go  on  the  campus  ?  " 


CHAPTER  XX 

LOOSE   THREADS 

Betty  Wales  had  to  leave  her  trunk  half 
packed  and  her  room  in  indescribable  confu- 
sion in  order  to  obey  a  sudden  summons  from 
the  registrar.  She  had  secured  a  room  on  the 
campus  at  last,  so  the  brief  note  said  ;  but  the 
registrar  wished  her  to  report  at  the  office 
and  decide  which  of  two  possible  assignments 
she  preferred. 

''  It's  funny,"  said  Betty  to  Helen,  as  she 
extracted  her  hat  from  behind  the  bookcase, 
where  she  had  stored  it  for  safe  keeping,  ''  be- 
cause I  put  in  my  application  for  the  Hilton 
house  way  back  last  fall." 

''  Perhaps  she  means  two  different  rooms." 

''  No,  Mary  says  they  never  give  you  a 
choice  about  rooms,  unless  you're  an  invalid 
and  can't  be  on  the  fourth  floor  or  something 
of  that  kind." 

^'  Well,  it's  nice  that  you're  on,"  said  Helen 
355 


356  BETTT    JVALES 

wistfully.  "  I  don't  suppose  I  have  the  least 
chance  for  next  year." 

^'  Oh,  there's  all  summer,"  said  Betty  hope- 
fully. ''  Lots  of  people  drop  out  at  the  last 
minute.     Which  house  did  you  choose?  " 

"■  I  didn't  choose  any  because  Miss  Stuart 
told  me  I  would  probably  have  to  wait  till 
junior  year,  and  I  thought  I  might  change 
my  mind  before  then." 

''  It's  too  bad,"  said  Betty,  picking  her  way 
between  trunk  trays  and  piles  of  miscellaneous 
debris  to  the  door.  ''  I  think  I  shall  stop  on 
my  way  home  and  get  a  man  to  move  my 
furniture  right  over  to  the  Hilton." 

''  Oh,  wouldn't  it  be  lovely  if  I'd  got  into 
the  Hilton  house  too  !  "  said  Helen  with  a 
sigh  of  resignation.  ''  Then  perhaps  we  could 
room  together." 

"'  Yes,"  said  Betty  politely,  closing  the  door 
after  her.  Under  the  circumstances  it  was 
not  necessary  to  explain  that  Alice  Waite  and 
she  had  other  plans  for  the  next  year. 

It  was  a  relief  to  stop  trying  to  circumvent 
the  laws  of  nature  by  forcing  two  objects  into 
the  space  that  one  will  fill — which  is  the  car- 
dinal principle  of  the  college  girl's  June  pack- 


BETTT    WALES  357 

ing — and  Betty  strolled  slowly  along  under 
the  elm-trees,  in  no  haste  to  finish  her  errand. 
On  Main  Street,  Emily  Davis,  carrying  an 
ungainly  bundle,  overtook  her. 

''  I  was  afraid  I  wasn't  going  to  see  you  to 
say  good-bye,"  she  said.  "'  Everybody  wants 
skirt  braids  put  on  just  now,  and  between 
that  and  examinations  I've  been  very  busy." 

"•  Are  those  skirts?  "  asked  Betty. 

"  Yes,  two  of  Babbie's  and  one  of  Babe's. 
I  was  going  up  to  the  campus,  so  I  thought 
I'd  bring  them  along  and  save  the  girls 
trouble,  since  they're  my  best  patrons,  as  well 
as  being  my  good  friends." 

"  It's  nice  to  have  them  both." 

'*  Only  you  hate  to  take  money  for  doing 
things  for  your  friends." 

''  Where  are  you  going  to  be  this  summer  ?  " 
inquired  Betty.  ''  You  never  told  me  where 
you  live." 

''  I  live  up  in  northern  New  York,  but  I'm 
not  going  home  this  summer.  I'm  going  to 
Rockport " 

^'  Why,  so  am  I !  "  exclaimed  Betty.  ''  We're 
going  to  stay  at  The  Breakers." 

''  Oh,    dear  !  "   said    Emily    sadly,    ''  I   was 


358         BErrr  wales 

hoping  that  none  of  my  particular  friends 
would  be  there.  I'm  going  to  have  charge  of 
the  linen-room  at  The  Breakers,  Betty." 

''What  difference  does  that  make?"  de- 
manded Betty  eagerly.  ''  You  have  hours  off, 
don't  you  ?  We'll  have  the  gayest  sort  of  a 
time.     Can  you  swim  ?  " 

''  No,  I've  never  seen  the  ocean." 

''Well,  Will  and  Nan  will  teach  you. 
They're  going  to  teach  me." 

Emily  shook  her  head.  "  Now,  Betty,  you 
must  not  expect  your  family  to  see  me  in  the 
same  light  that  you  do.  Here  those  things 
don't  make  any  difference,  but  outside  they 
do  ;  and  it's  perfectly  right  that  they  should, 
too." 

"  Nonsense  !  My  family  has  some  sense,  I 
hope,"  said  Betty  gaily,  stopping  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  Main  Building.  "  Then  I'll  see 
you  next  week." 

"  Yes,  but  remember  you  are  not  to  bother 
your  family  with  me.     Good-bye." 

"  Good-bye.  You  just  wait  and  see ! " 
called  Betty,  climbing  the  steps.  Half-way 
up  she  frowned.  Nan  and  mother  would 
understand,    but    Will    was   an    awful    snob. 


BETTT    WALES  359 

''  He'll  have  to  get  used  to  it,"  she  decided, 
''  and  he  will,  too,  after  he's  heard  her  do  '  the 
temperance  lecture  by  a  female  from  Boston.' 
But  it  will  certainly  seem  funny  to  him  at 
first.  Why,  I  guess  it  would  have  seemed 
funny  to  me  last  year." 

The  registrar  looked  up  wearily  from  the 
litter  on  her  desk,  as  Betty  entered.  ''  Good- 
afternoon,  Miss  Wales.  I  sent  for  you  because 
I  was  sure  that,  however  busy  you  might  be 
you  had  more  time  than  I,  and  I  can  talk  to 
you  much  quicker  than  I  could  write.  As  I 
wrote  you,  I  have  reached  your  name  on  the 
list  of  the  campus  applicants,  and  you  can  go 
into  the  Hilton  if  you  choose.  But  owing  to 
an  unlooked-for  falling  out  of  names  just 
below  yours,  Miss  Helen  C.  Adams  comes  next 
to  you  on  the  list.  You  hadn't  mentioned 
the  matter  of  roommates,  and  noticing  that 
you  two  girls  live  in  the  same  house,  I 
thought  I  would  ask  you  if  you  preferred  a 
room  in  the  Belden  house  with  Miss  Adams. 
There  are  two  vacancies  there,  and  she  will 
get  one  of  them  in  any  case." 

''  Oh  !  "  said  Betty. 

^*  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  know  your  deci- 


36o  BETTT    JVALES 

sion  to-night  if  possible,  so  that  I  can  make 
the  other  assignment  in  the  morning,  before 
the  next  applicant  leaves  town." 

^'  Yes,"  said  Betty. 

"■  You  will  probably  wish  to  consult  Miss 
Adams,"  went  on  the  registrar.  "  I  ought  to 
have  sent  for  her  too — I  don't  know  why  I 
was  so  stupid." 

''  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  said  Betty  hastily. 
"■  I  will  come  back  in  about  an  hour.  Miss 
Stuart.  I  suppose  there  isn't  any  hope  that 
we  could  both  go  into  the  Hilton." 

*'  No,  I'm  afraid  not.  Any  time  before  six 
o'clock  will  do.  I  shan't  be  here  much  longer, 
but  you  can  leave  the  message  with  my 
assistant.  And  you  understand  of  course  that 
it  was  purely  on  your  account  that  I  spoke  to 
you.  I  thought  that  under  the  circum- 
stances  "     The  registrar   was  deep  in  her 

letters  again. 

But  as  Betty  was  opening  the  door,  she 
looked  up  to  say  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  her 
keen  gray  eyes,  ''  Give  my  regards  to  your 
father,  Miss  Wales,  and  tell  him  he  underrates 
his  daughter's  ability  to  take  care  of 
herself." 


BETTT    WALES  361 

"  Oh,  Miss  Stuart,  I  hoped  you  didn't  know 
I  was  that  girl,"  cried  Betty  blushing  prettily. 

Miss  Stuart  shook  her  head.  '^  I  couldn't 
come  to  meet  you,  but  I  didn't  forget.  I've 
kept  an  eye  on  you." 

''  I  hope  you  haven't  seen  anything  very 
dreadful,"  laughed  Betty. 

''  I'll  let  you  know  when  I  do,"  said  Miss 
Stuart.     ''  Good-bye." 

Betty  went  out  on  to  the  campus,  where  the 
shadows  were  beginning  to  grow  long  on  the 
freshly  mown  turf,  and  took  her  favorite  path 
back  to  the  edge  of  the  hill,  where  she  sat 
down  on  her  favorite  seat  to  consider  this 
new  problem.  On  the  slope  below  her  a  bed 
of  rhododendrons  that  had  been  quite  hidden 
under  the  snow  in  winter,  and  inconspicuous 
through  the  spring,  had  burst  into  a  sudden 
glory  of  rainbow  blossoms — pink  and  white 
and  purple  and  flaming  orange. 

''  Every  day  is  different  here,"  thought 
Betty,  ''  and  the  horrid  things  and  the  lovely 
ones  always  come  together." 

Helen  would  be  pleased,  of  course ;  as  she 
had  hinted  to  the  registrar,  there  was  really 
no  need  of  consulting  Helen  ;  the  only  person 


362  BETTT    WALES 

to  be  considered  was  Betty  Wales.  If  only 
Miss  Stuart  had  assigned  her  to  the  Hilton 
house  and  said  nothing  ! 

From  her  seat  Betty  could  look  over  to 
Dorothy  King's  windows.  It  would  have 
been  such  fun  to  be  in  the  house  with  Doro- 
thy. Clara  Madison  was  going  to  leave  the 
campus  and  go  to  a  place  where  they  would 
make  her  bed  and  bring  her  hot  water  in  the 
morning.  Alice's  room  was  a  lovely  big  one 
on  the  same  floor  as  Dorothy's,  and  she  had 
delayed  making  arrangements  to  share  it  with 
a  freshman  who  w^as  already  in  the  house, 
until  she  was  sure  that  Betty  did  not  get  her 
assignment.  Eleanor  had  applied  for  an 
extra-priced  single  there,  too,  to  be  near  Betty. 

Helen  was  a  dear  little  thing  and  a  very 
considerate  roommate,  but  she  was  ''  differ- 
ent." She  didn't  fit  in  somehow,  and  it  was 
a  bother  always  to  be  planning  to  have  her 
have  a  good  time.  She  would  be  lonely  in 
the  Belden  ;  she  loved  college  and  was  very 
happy  now,  but  she  needed  to  have  somebody 
who  understood  her  and  could  appreciate  her 
efforts,  to  encourage  her  and  keep  her  in 
touch    with  the   lighter  side   of  college  life. 


BETTT    WALES  363 

She  didn't  know  a  soul  in  the  Belden — but 
then  neither  did  lots  of  other  freshmen  when 
they  moved  on  to  the  campus.  She  need  never 
hear  anything  about  the  registrar's  plan,  and 
she  could  come  over  to  the  Hilton  as  much  as 
she  liked. 

Nita  Reese  would  be  at  the  Belden,  and 
Marion  Lawrence  ;  and  Mary  Brooks  was  go- 
ing there  if  she  could  get  an  assignment.  It 
was  a  splendid  house,  the  next  best  to  the 
Hilton.  But  those  girls  were  not  Dorothy 
King,  and  Miss  Andrews  was  not  Miss  Ferris. 
It  would  have  been  lovely  to  be  in  the  house 
with  Miss  Ferris. 

Would  have  been  !  Betty  caught  herself 
suddenly.  It  wasn't  settled  yet.  Then  she 
got  up  from  her  seat  with  quick  determina- 
tion. ''  I'll  stop  in  and  see  Miss  Ferris  for 
just  a  minute,  and  then  I  shall  go  back  and 
tell  Miss  Stuart  right  off,  for  I  must  finish 
packing  to-night,  whatever  happens." 

Miss  Ferris  was  in,  and  she  and  her  darkened, 
flower-scented  room  wore  an  air  of  coolness 
and  settled  repose  that  was  a  poignant  relief 
after  the  glaring  sunshine  outside  and  the 
confusion  of  "  last  days." 


364  BETTT    WALES 

''  So  you  go  to-morrow,''  said  Miss  Ferris 
pleasantly.  ''  I  don't  get  off  till  next  week, 
of  course.     Are  you  satisfied  ?  " 

^'Satisfied?"  repeated  Betty.  She  had 
heard  of  Miss  Ferris's  habit  of  flashing  irrele- 
vant questions  at  her  puzzled  auditors,  but 
this  was  her  first  experience  of  it. 

*'  With  your  first  year  at  Harding,"  ex- 
plained Miss  Ferris. 

''  Oh  !  "  said  Betty,  relieved  that  it  was  no 
worse.  ''  Why,  y-es — no,  Fm  not.  I've  had 
a  splendid  time,  but  I  haven't  accomplished 
half  that  I  ought.  Next  year  I'm  going 
to   work    harder    from    the    very    beginning, 

and "     Betty  stopped  abruptly,  realizing 

that  all  this  could  not  possibly  interest  Miss 
Ferris. 

''And  what?" 

^'  I  didn't  want  to  bore  you,"  apologized 
Betty.  "  Why,  I'm  going  to  try  to — I  don't 
know  how  to  say  it — try  not  scatter  my 
thoughts  so.  Nan  says  that  I  am  so  awfully 
interested  in  every  one's  else  business  that  I 
haven't  any  business  of  my  own." 

''  I  see,"  said  Miss  Ferris  musingly.  ''  That's 
quite  a  possible  point  of  view.     Still,  I'm  in- 


BETTJ^    WALES  365 

clined  to  think  that  on  the  whole  we  have  just 
as  much  orange  left  and  it  tastes  far  better,  if 
we  give  a  good  deal  of  it  away.  If  we  try  to 
hang  on  to  it  all,  it's  likely  to  spoil  in  the 
pantry  before  we  get  around  to  squeeze  it  dry." 

Betty  looked  puzzled  again. 

''  You  don't  like  figures  of  speech,  do  you  ?  " 
said  Miss  Ferris.  ''  You  must  learn  to  like 
them  next  year.  What  I  mean  is  that  it 
seems  to  me  far  better  in  the  long  run  to  be 
interested  in  too  many  people  than  not  to  be 
interested  in  people  enough.  Of  course, 
though,  we  mustn't  neglect  to  be  sufficiently 
interested  in  ourselves ;  and  how  to  divide 
ourselves  fairly  between  ourselves  and  the  rest 
of  the  world  is  the  hardest  question  we  ever 
have  to  answer.  You'll  be  getting  new  ideas 
about  it  all  through  your  course — and  all 
through  your  life." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence,  and  then 
Betty  rose  to  go.  '*  I  have  to  pack  and  I 
know  you  are  busy.  Miss  Ferris,  Fm  going 
to  be  at  the  Belden  next  year." 

''I'm  sorry  you're  not  coming  here,"  said 
Miss  Ferris  kindly.  ''  Couldn't  you  manage 
it?" 


366  BETTT    WALES 

''  Yes,  but  the — the  orange  seems  to  cut  bet- 
ter the  other  way,"  said  Betty.  ''  That  isn't  a 
good  figure,  but  perhaps  you  can  see  what  it 
means." 

It  was  worth  most  of  what  it  had  cost  to  see 
Helen's  face  when  she  heard  the  news.  ''  Oh 
Betty,  it's  too  good  to  be  true,"  she  cried,  "'  but 
are  you  sure  you  want  me?  " 

"■  Haven't  I  given  up  the  Hilton  to  be  with 
you?"  said  Betty,  with  her  face  turned  the 
other  way. 

Alice  was  disappointed,  but  she  would  be 
just  as  happy  with  Constance  Fayles.  She 
found  more  "'  queer  "  things  to  like  at  Hard- 
ing every  day,  and  she  considered  Betty  Wales 
one  of  the  queerest  and  one  of  the  nicest. 

Eleanor  pleased  Betty  by  offering  no  objec- 
tion to  the  change  of  plan.  "  Only  you 
needn't  think  that  you  can  get  rid  of  me  as 
easily  as  all  this,"  she  said.  ''  I  shall  camp 
down  in  the  registrar's  office  until  she  says 
that  '  under  the  circumstances,'  which  is  her 
pet  phrase,  she  will  let  me  change  my  appli- 
cation to  the  Belden.  By  the  way,  Betty, 
Jean  Eastman  wants  to  see  you  after  chapel 


BETTT    WALES  367 

to-morrow.  She  said  vshe'd  be  in  number 
five." 

After  ''last  chapel,"  with  its  farewell  greet- 
ings, that  for  all  but  the  seniors  invariably 
ended  with  a  cheerful  ''  See  you  next  Septem- 
ber," and  the  interview  with  Jean,  in  which 
the  class  president  offered  rather  unintelli- 
gible apologies  for  ''  the  stupid  misunderstand- 
ing that  we  all  got  into,"  Betty  went  back  to 
the  house  to  get  her  bags  and  meet  Kath- 
erine,  who  was  going  on  the  same  train. 
Some  of  the  girls  had  already  gone,  and  none 
of  them  were  in  but  Rachel,  who  was  perched 
in  a  front  window  watching  anxiously  for  a 
dilatory  expressman,  and  Katherine,  who  was 
frantically  stowing  the  things  that  would  not 
go  in  her  trunk  into  an  already  well-filled 
suit-case. 

"■  Well,  it's  all  over,"  said  Betty,  sitting 
down  on  the  window  seat  beside  Rachel. 

"•  Wish  it  were,"  muttered  Katherine,  shut- 
ting the  case  and  sitting  down  on  it  with  a 
thud. 

"  No,  it's  only  well  begun,"  corrected 
Rachel. 

"A   lot  of  things  are  over  anyway,"  per- 


368  BETTT    PVALES 

sisted  Betty.  *'  Just  think  how  much  has 
happened  since  last  September  !  " 

''  Jolly  nice  things  too,"  said  Katherine 
cheerfully.  She  had  quite  unexpectedly  suc- 
ceeded in  fastening  the  lock. 

''  Weren't  they  !  "  agreed  Betty  heartily. 
^'  But  I  guess  the  nicest  thing  about  it  is  what 
you  said,  Rachel — that  it's  '  to  be  continued  in 
our  next.^  Won't  it  be  fun  to  see  how  every- 
thing turns  out?  " 

''  I  wish  that  expressman  would  turn  up," 

said  Rachel  ruefully. 

«/ 

"■  We'll  tell  him  so  if  Ave  meet  him,"  said 
Betty,  shouldering  her  bag  and  her  golf  clubs, 
while  Katherine  staggered  along  with  the 
bursting  suit-case. 

As  they  boarded  a  car  at  the  corner,  Mary 
Brooks  and  the  faithful  Roberta  waved  to 
them  energetically  from  the  other  side  of  Main 
Street. 

'*  Good-bye!  Good-bye!"  shrieked  Kath- 
erine. 

''  See  you  next  September,"  called  Betty, 
who  had  said  good-bye  to  them  once  already. 

''  Katherine  Kittredge  has  grown  older  this 
year,"  said  Mary  critically,  ''  but  Betty  hasn't 


BETTT    WALES  369 

changed  a  bit.  I  remember  just  as  well  the 
night  she  came  up  the  walk,  carrying  those 
bags." 

''  She  has  changed  inside,"  said  Roberta  the 
observant. 

As  the  car  whizzed  by  the  Main  Building, 
Betty  wanted  to  wave  her  hand  to  that  too, 
but  she  didn't  until  Dorothy  King,  appearing 
on  the  front  steps,  gave  her  an  excuse. 

''  Well,"  she  said  with  a  little  sigh,  as  the 
campus  disappeared  below  the  crest  of  the  hill, 
''  you  and  Rachel  may  talk  all  you  like,  but  I 
feel  as  if  something  was  over,  and  it  makes  me 
sad.  Just  think  !  We  can  never  be  freshmen 
at  Harding  again  as  long  as  we  live." 

''  Quite  true,"  said  Katherine  calmly,  ''  but 
we  can  be  sophomores — that  is,  unless  the 
office  sees  fit  to  interfere." 

''Yes,  we  can  be  sophomores;  and  perhaps 
tliat's  just  as  nice,"  said  Betty  optimistically. 
''  Perhaps  it's  even  nicer." 


THE   END 


^d 


"W^i-V^ 


:?\ 


X.