Marjorie Dean College Junior Part 8

"He might. He would be more likely to do his talking to her," was Marjorie's opinion. "I tried to encourage him in that idea. A report of that kind to Dr. Matthews might result in the banning of cars at Hamilton."

"Did you hear last year, at the time Katherine was hurt, that Miss Cairns received a summons from Doctor Matthews? I was told that he gave her a severe lecture on reckless driving. She told some of the Sans and it came to Portia and I in a round-about way."

"I believe it to be true." Marjorie hesitated, then continued frankly.

"Katherine did not report her."

Unbound by any promise of secrecy to any person, Marjorie acquainted Robin with the way the report of the accident had been put before the president. She and her chums had heard the story from Lillian Wenderblatt, who had so ardently urged her father to take up the cudgels for Katherine directly after the accident.

"Lillian explained to her father that Katherine utterly refused to take the matter up. He reported it to the doctor of his own accord, saying that Katherine wished the affair closed. So Doctor Matthews didn't send for her at all. While he never referred to the subject afterward to Professor Wenderblatt, he said at the time of their talk that he would send Miss Cairns a summons to his office. Lillian's father said the doctor's word was equivalent to the summons. So I believe she received one. None of us who are Kathie's close friends ever mentioned it to others. Lillian told no one but us. She did not ask us to keep it a secret. We simply _did not talk_ about it. That's why I felt free to tell you, since you asked me a direct question."

"Strange, isn't it, that the Sans can't even be loyal to one another,"

Robin commented. "Very likely Leslie Cairns told them in confidence, not expecting it would be betrayed. She may not know to this day that a girl of her own crowd told tales."

"She is not honorable herself. Her intimates know that." Marjorie's rejoinder held sternness. "There is nothing truer than the Bible verse: 'As ye sow, so must ye also reap.' She tries to gain whatever she happens to want by dishonorable methods. In turn, her chums behave dishonorably toward her.

"An unhappy state of affairs." Robin shrugged her disfavor. "Phil says Miss Walbert is a talker; that she is becoming unpopular with the sophs who voted for her last year because she gossips."

Marjorie smiled whimsically. "Wouldn't it be poetic justice if she were to turn the half of her cla.s.s who were for her last year against her by her own unworthiness? After Miss Cairns worked so hard to establish her too! There's surely a greater inclination toward democracy than last year, or Phil wouldn't have won the soph.o.m.ore presidency."

"Yes; and she won it by eighteen votes this year over Miss Keene, and she is one of Miss Walbert's pals. Last year she lost it by nine. Some difference!" Robin looked her pride of her lovable cousin. "I think there is a great change for the better in Hamilton since we were fres.h.i.+es, don't you?"

Marjorie made quick a.s.sent. "You Silverites have done the most for Hamilton," she commended. "We Lookouts have tried our hardest, but we couldn't have done much if you hadn't been behind us like a solid wall."

"You Lookouts deserve as much credit as we. You girls are social successes in the nicest way, because you have all been so friendly and sweet to everyone. Then you have fought shoulder to shoulder with us.

Now that we have begun to make our influence felt, we should follow it up by giving entertainments in which the whole college can have a part."

"Let's do this," Marjorie proposed. "Bring the orchestra and Hope Morris, she's so nice, over to Wayland Hall on Sat.u.r.day evening. I'll have a spread. Then we can plan something to give in the near future.

Here's my getting-off place. Goodbye."

The taxicab having reached a point on the main campus drive where two other drives branched off right and left, the machine slowed down. She rarely troubled the driver to take her to the door of the Hall, it being but a few rods distant from this point.

Swinging up the drive and into the Hall in her usual energetic fas.h.i.+on, Marjorie's first move was toward the bulletin board. Three letters was the delightful harvest she reaped from it. One in Constance's small fine hand, one from General. The third she eyed rather suspiciously. It was in an unfamiliar hand and bore the address, "Marjorie Dean, Hamilton College."

"An advertis.e.m.e.nt, I guess," was her frowning reflection as she went on upstairs. "Anyone I know, well enough to receive a letter from, would know my house address."

Anxious to relieve her arms of several bundles containing purchases made at Hamilton before opening her letters, Marjorie did not stop to examine her mail on the landing. Entering her room, she found it deserted of Jerry's always congenial company. Immediately she dropped her packages on the center table and plumped down to enjoy her letters.

Second glance at the letter informed her that the envelope was of fine expensive paper. This fact dismissed the advertis.e.m.e.nt idea. Marjorie toyed with it rather nervously. In the past she had received enough annoying letters to make her dread the sight of her address in unfamiliar handwriting. On the verge of reveling in the other two whose contents she was sure to love, she hated the idea of a disagreeable shock. She knew of no reason why she should be the recipient of any such letter. That, however, would not prevent an unworthy person from writing one.

Determined to read it first and have it over with, Marjorie tore open an end of the envelope and extracted the missive from it. A hasty glance at the end and she vented a relieved "A-h-h!" Turning back to the beginning, she read with rising color:

"Marjorie Dean, Hamilton College.

"Dear Child:

"Will you come to Hamilton Arms to tea next Thursday afternoon at five o'clock? I find I have the wish to see and talk with you again.

I prefer you to keep the matter of your visit from your girl friends. I am not on good terms with Hamilton College and its students, and the information that I had invited you to tea would form a choice bit of campus gossip.

"Yours sincerely, "Susanna Craig Hamilton."

CHAPTER X-HAMILTON ARMS AND ITS OWNER

"Well, of all things!" Marjorie could not get over her undiluted amazement. For a second it struck her that she might again be the victim of a hoax. Perhaps an unkindly-minded person wished her to essay a call on Miss Susanna, thinking she might receive a sound snubbing. She shook her head at this canny suspicion. The phrasing was unmistakably Miss Susanna's. She doubted also whether anyone had seen her that day with the old lady. Only a few cars had pa.s.sed them before they had turned into the private road. These had contained persons not from the college.

Outside the Lookouts, only Katherine, Leila and Vera knew of her encounter with Miss Susanna. She had not thought of keeping it a secret.

She now made mental note to tell the girls not to mention it to anyone.

This resolve brought with it the annoying cogitation that the girls would wonder why she suddenly wished the matter kept secret. Nor could she explain to them without violating Miss Hamilton's request. She could readily understand the latter's point of view. Miss Susanna could not be blamed for taking it. Marjorie could only wish the old lady knew how honorable and discreet her chums were. She decided she would endeavor to make her hostess acquainted with that truth during her call.

She came to the conclusion that she could not pledge her close friends to secrecy regarding her recent adventure until after she had been to Hamilton Arms and talked with its eccentric owner. Miss Susanna would no doubt be displeased to learn that she had already mentioned their meeting to others. She would have to be told of it, nevertheless.

Marjorie's next problem was to slip quietly away on Thursday afternoon without saying where she was going. That would not be difficult, provided none of the Lookouts happened to desire her company on some particular jaunt or merry-making. An indefinite refusal on her part would bring down on her a volley of mischievous questions.

"I'll have to keep clear of the girls on Thursday," she ruminated, with a half vexed smile. "I'll have to put on the gown I'm going to wear to tea in the morning and wear it all day so as not to arouse their curiosity. That's a nuisance. I'd like to wear one of my best frocks and I can't on account of chemistry. I'll wear that organdie frock Jerry likes so much; the one with the yellow rosebud in it. It is not fussy.

If it is cold or rainy I can wear a long coat over it. I hope it's a nice day. I can wear my picture hat. It goes so well with that gown. I can slip it out of the Hall without them noticing if I swing it on my arm. I hope to goodness I don't ruin my organdie during chemistry. I feel like a conspirator."

Marjorie chuckled faintly as she rose from her chair, letter in hand.

She tucked the letter away in the top drawer of her chiffonier with the optimistic opinion that it would not be very long before she could frankly tell her chums of its contents.

Fortune favored her on Thursday. She awoke with a stream of brilliant suns.h.i.+ne in her face. She rejoiced that the day was fair and hoped Miss Susanna would suggest a walk about the grounds. Then she remembered the request the latter had made, and smiled at her own stupidity. A walk about the grounds would probably be the last thing Miss Susanna would suggest.

As it happened, Jerry had made an engagement to go to Hamilton with Helen. Ronny had a theme in French to write, which she said would take her spare time both in the afternoon and evening. Lucy and Katherine would be in the Biological Laboratory until dinner time, and Leila and Vera were invited to a tea given by a senior to ten of her cla.s.s-mates.

These were the only ones to be directly interested in her movements. To Jerry's invitation, "Want to go to town with Helen and I this afternoon?" she had replied, "No, Jeremiah," in as casual a tone as she could command, and that had ended the matter.

Marjorie was doubly careful in the Chemical Laboratory that afternoon and walked from it this time with no disfiguring stains on her dainty organdie frock. The letter had named the hour for her visit as five o'clock. This gave her ample time to return to the Hall, re-coif her curly hair and add a pretty satin sash of wide pale yellow ribbon to her costume. The absence of Jerry was, for once, welcome. She had a free hand to put the finis.h.i.+ng touches to her toilet. It appealed to a certain sense of dignity, latent within her, to be able to quietly adjust her hat before the mirror and walk openly out of Wayland Hall.

Marjorie inwardly hated anything connected with secrecy, yet it seemed to her she was always becoming involved in something which demanded it.

When finally she emerged from the Hall, she did not follow the main drive but cut across the campus, making for the western entrance.

Reaching the highway, she kept a sharp lookout for pa.s.sing automobiles.

She laughed to herself as she thought of how disconcerting it would be after all her pains to run squarely into Jerry and Helen. The latter had just been the lucky recipient of a limousine, long promised her by her father, and she and Jerry were trying it out that afternoon.

It was ten minutes to five when, without having met anyone save two or three campus acquaintances, Marjorie walked sedately between the high, ornamental gate posts of Hamilton Arms, and on up the drive to the house. She compared her present approach to that of last May Day evening, when she had stolen like a shadow to the veranda to hang the May basket. It did not seem quite real to her that now she was actually coming to Hamilton Arms as an invited guest.

The knocker was no easier to pull than it had been on that night. She waited, feeling as though she were about to leave the college world behind and enter one rich in the romance of Colonial days. Then the door opened slowly and a dignified old man with thick, snow-white hair and a smooth-shaven face stood regarding her solemnly.

"You are Marjorie Dean?" he interrogated in deep, but very gentle tones.

This before she had time to ask for Miss Susanna.

"Yes," she affirmed, smiling in her unaffected, charming fas.h.i.+on.

"I-Miss Hamilton expects me to tea."

"I know." He bowed with grave politeness. "Come in. Miss Susanna is in the library. I will show you the way."

Marjorie drew a long breath of admiration as she was ushered into a wide almost square reception hall paneled in walnut. Her feet sank deep into the heavy brown velvet rug which completely covered the floor. Walking quickly behind her guide, she had no more than time for a pa.s.sing glance at the ma.s.sive elegance of the carved walnut furniture. She caught a fleeting glimpse of herself in the great square mirror of the hall rack and thought how very small and insignificant she appeared.

"How are you, Marjorie Dean?" Ushered into the library by the stately old man, the last of the Hamiltons now came forward to greet her.