"Our telegram? Why, did you send a--? Oh, I see." Muriel Harding shrewdly surveyed the scene before her, a glint of belligerence in her eyes.
"Of course I didn"t send a telegram. Can"t you tell when I am sarcastic?
I supposed I was extremely sarcastic just then. I"ll have to try again."
The fact of being ignored by the upper cla.s.s students of Hamilton had not disturbed Jerry"s ever ready sense of humor.
"Come on, girls." Ronny spoke almost authoritatively. "We know our destination is Wayland Hall and it is on the campus. We can find a taxicab easily enough. We don"t have to wait for a reception committee, apparently not on duty today."
"Shades of the Students" Aid where art thou?" declaimed Marjorie, the tiniest touch of satire in the remark.
"Humph! I must say that I am not so particular about that minus welcome.
Fortunately we are neither children nor idiots. I think we can find our way without any help."
With this st.u.r.dy a.s.sertion Jerry lifted her suitcase from the platform and gazed defiantly about her. The others followed her example, and the five girls headed for a short set of stone steps at the back of the platform which formed an exit from the station premises. In order to reach the steps they had to wind their way in and out of the groups of young women which filled the platform. Several pairs of bright eyes were turned on them for the conventional, well-bred second, yet none came forward to speak to them.
As Veronica had predicted, it was no trouble to find a taxicab. Two or three dark blue cabs, belonging to the railroad company, were drawn up in the open s.p.a.ce behind the station. Selecting the first one they came to, Veronica gave the driver the address, and the Five Travelers stepped into the automobile.
As they drove out of the station yard they pa.s.sed a large gray car driving in. It was filled to overflowing with girls, all of them in high spirits. Marjorie noted as the car glided by her that the girl at the wheel was particularly attractive. Even a pa.s.sing glance revealed that fact. A little ache tugged at her heart. It seemed rather hard that they should have been so utterly ignored.
"Now that I"ve seen some of these dear little children of our Alma Mater, I"m better pleased with myself than ever. Let me tell you one thing and that isn"t two," Jerry paused impressively, "they need reforming badly. But don"t you ask me to tackle the job. I feel in my aristocratic bones that I owe it to myself to be very exclusive this year; and _I am going to be it_."
"I don"t care to know anyone except you girls." Lucy Warner looked almost pleased at the prospect of forming no new acquaintances at college.
"I don"t like the idea of being slighted," Muriel complained. "I can"t say that I expected to have a fuss made over me. Still, we Lookouts have been at the head of things so much in Sanford High that it hurts to be pa.s.sed by entirely. Besides, I wish to like college. I would not be content to go on all year without meeting _some_ pleasant girls with whom I could be friendly. You know what I mean."
Muriel looked almost appealingly about her. The five girls had tucked themselves into the tonneau of the machine, three on the main seat and two occupying the small chair-like stools opposite. Her eyes rested last on Marjorie whose meditative expression promised support.
Thus far, none of the travelers had paid the slightest attention to the clean, well laid out town of Hamilton through which they were pa.s.sing.
They were too wholly concerned at the utter lack of courtesy which had been accorded them. It brushed Veronica least of all. Her experience of the previous year had made her case-hardened. While Lucy was not anxious to make new acquaintances, she did not like to see the others ignored.
Jerry, Muriel and Marjorie had, however, been cut to the quick.
"I feel queer over it," was Marjorie"s candid admission. "It is just as though some one had given poor old Hamilton College a hard slap. It is not according to the tradition of any really fine college to forego hospitality. Why, you will recall, Ronny, Miss Archer was telling us that one of the oldest traditions of Hamilton was "Remember the stranger within thy gates." I thought that so beautiful. Different girls I know, who have gone to college, have told me that there was always a committee of students to meet the princ.i.p.al trains and make things comfortable for entering freshmen.
"We didn"t go about matters scientifically," Jerry a.s.serted. "We should have seen to it that the railroad company posted a large bulletin in front of the station announcing us something like this: "Sanford High School takes pleasure in announcing the arrival at Hamilton, on the five-fifty train, of the following galaxy of shining stars: Veronica Browning Lynne, Millionairess; Lucy Eleanor Warner, Valedictorian, i.
e., extra brilliant; Muriel Harding, Howling Beauty and Basketball Artist; Marjorie Dean, Marvelous Manager of Everyone; Jeremiah Macy, Politician and Fat Girl. A full turn out of all college societies and cla.s.ses is requested in order to fitly welcome this noted quintette.
Orchestra take notice. Bra.s.s Band must be present in dress uniform.""
Jerry drew a long breath as she concluded, then giggled softly as the absurdity of her own conception struck her.
"Honestly, Jerry Macy, you are the limit. Do you or do you not care that n.o.body has cared enough for us to show us the ordinary college courtesies?" Muriel"s question was half laughing, half vexed.
"Oh, I am not made of wood," Jerry retorted. "Still I am not so grieved that I won"t be able to eat my dinner, provided the doors of Wayland Hall aren"t slammed in our faces. By the way, what does this town look like? I have been so busy with our united sorrows that I forgot to inspect it."
Jerry turned her attention to the broad, smooth street through which the taxicab was pa.s.sing. They were traveling through the prettiest part of Hamilton, the handsome stone residences on each side of the street with the close-cropped stretches of lawn, denoting the presence of luxury.
Against the vivid green of the gra.s.s, scarlet sage flaunted its gorgeous color in carefully laid out bed or border. Cannas, dahlias and caladiums lent tropical effect to middle-state topography. Here and there the early varieties of garden chrysanthemums were in bloom, their pink, white and bronze beauty adding to the glorious color schemes which autumn knows best how to paint. Nor did the little piles of fallen leaves that dotted the lawns, brown heaps against the green, detract from the picture.
Continuing for some distance along the street which was now claiming their attention, the car turned into another street, equally ornamental.
Soon they noticed that the houses were growing farther apart and more after the fashion of country estates. There were immense sweeps of velvety lawn, shaded by trees large and small of numerous variety. The residences, too, were veritable castles. Situated far back from the thoroughfare, they were often just visible through their protecting leafy screen.
"We can"t be far from Hamilton." It was Veronica who broke the brief silence that had fallen on them as their appreciative eyes took in the beauty spread lavishly along their route. "The Hamilton bulletin says the college is a little over two miles from the station. These beautiful country houses, that we have been pa.s.sing, belong to what is called the Hamilton Estates, I imagine. The bulletin speaks of the Hamilton Estates in describing the college, you know."
"Yes; it said that Brooke Hamilton, the founder of Hamilton College, once owned all the country around here. One of these estates is called Hamilton Arms," supplemented Marjorie. "It said so little about this Brooke Hamilton. I would have liked to know more of his history. He must have been a true gentleman of the old school. It mentions that many of the finest traditions of Hamilton College were oft repeated sayings of his. So he must have been a n.o.ble man."
"Well, I am only sorry that he wasn"t on hand to welcome us," regretted Jerry, the irrepressible. "Now you needn"t be shocked at my levity. I meant seriously that he was really needed today."
"Look!" The single word of exclamation from Lucy centered all eyes to where she was pointing.
Upon their view had burst the wide, gently undulating green slopes of Hamilton Campus. While the grounds surrounding the majority of inst.i.tutions of learning are laid out with an eye to the decorative, Hamilton campus has a peculiar, living charm of its own that perhaps none other has ever possessed. It is not that its thick short gra.s.s grows any greener than that of other campuses. Still it is more pleasing to the eye. The n.o.ble growth of elm, beech and maple, shading the lawns at graceful distances apart carries a personality that one feels but can hardly express by description.
Ornamental shrubs there are in tasteful plenty, but not in profusion. It is as though nothing grows on that immense, rolling tract of land that is not necessary to the picture formed by natural beauty and intensified by intelligent landscape-gardening. Even the stately gray stone buildings, which stand out at intervals on the broad field of green, bear the same stamp of individuality.
"It is wonderful!" Lucy spoke in an awed voice. The majesty of the scene had gripped her hard.
"How beautiful!" The spell was on Ronny, too. She was gazing across the emerald stretches with half-closed, worshipping eyes. "My own dear West is wonderful, but there is something about this that touches one"s heart. I never feel quite that way when I look out at the mountains or the California valleys, dear as they are to me."
"I love it all!" Marjorie"s wide brown eyes had grown larger with emotion. She was meeting for the first time one that would later be her steadfast friend, changing only from one beauty to another-Hamilton Campus.
CHAPTER X.-AN AMIABLE SOPh.o.m.oRE.
"I cannot really help but feel that there must have been a mistake about our being ignored at the station." Marjorie made this hopeful remark just as the taxicab pa.s.sed through a wide driveway and swung into a drive that wound a circuitous course about the campus. "It is hard to believe that any student of this beloved old college wouldn"t be ready and willing to look after freshman strays like us."
"I am afraid times have changed since Mr. Brooke Hamilton laid down the laws of courtesy," Veronica made sceptical reply. "Beg your pardon, Sweet Marjoram, I should not have said that. I am just as much in love with Hamilton Campus as you are. I regret to say, I haven"t the same generous faith in Hamilton"s upper cla.s.smen. There has been a shirking of duty somewhere among them. I know a receiving committee when I see one, and there was none on that station platform, for I took a good look over it. I saw a number of students greeting others that they had come to the station purposely to meet, but that is all. Sounds disagreeably positive, doesn"t it? I do not mean to be so, though."
"I can"t blame you for the way you feel about the whole business, Ronny," Marjorie returned. "We had all looked forward to the pleasure of being taken under the wing of a friendly upper cla.s.s girl until we knew our way about a little. Well, it didn"t happen, so there is no use in my mourning or spurting or worrying about it. I am going to forget it."
"""Twere wiser to forget,"" quoted Ronny. Her brief irritation vanishing, her face broke into smiling beauty. ""Don"t give up the ship." That"s another quotation, appropriate to you, Marjorie. You aren"t going to let such grouches as Jeremiah and I spoil your belief in the absent sophs and juniors. The seniors usually leave the welcoming job to them. Of course, there are a few seniors who have the freshmen"s welfare upon their consciences."
The taxicab was now slowing down for a stop before a handsome four-story house of gray stone. It stood on what might be termed the crest of the campus, almost on a level with a very large building, a hundred rods away, which the newcomers guessed to be Hamilton Hall. An especially roomy and ornamental veranda extended around three sides of the first story of the house. Its tasteful wicker and willow chairs and tables, and large, comfortable-looking porch swings made it appear decidedly attractive to the somewhat disillusioned arriving party. Their new home, at least, was not a disappointment.
The lawns about the house were no less beautiful with autumn glory than those they had already seen. Marjorie in particular was charmed by the profusion of chrysanthemums, the small, old-fashioned variety of garden blooms. There were thick, blossoming clumps of them at the rounding corners of the veranda. They stood in the st.u.r.dy, colorful array as borders to two wide walks that led away from entrances to the Hall on both sides. At the left of the Hall, toward the rear of it, was an oblong bed of them, looking old-fashioned enough in its compact formation to have been planted by Brooke Hamilton himself.
The drive led straight up to the house, stopping in an open s.p.a.ce in front of the veranda, wide enough to permit an automobile to turn comfortably. It was here that the Five Travelers alighted, bag and baggage.
"I wonder if we are early at college. The place seems to be deserted.
Maybe our fellow residents are at dinner. No, they are not. It is only twenty minutes past six." Jerry consulted her wrist watch. "The Hamilton bulletin states the dinner hour at Wayland Hall to be at six-thirty until the first of November. After that six o"clock until the first of April; then back to six-thirty again."
"It would not surprise me to hear that a good share of the students who live at Wayland Hall had not yet returned. According to our valued bulletin,-we have to fall back on it for information,-Wayland Hall is the oldest campus house. That would make it desirable in the eyes of upper cla.s.s girls. We were fortunate to obtain reservations here."
They had crossed the open s.p.a.ce in front of the house and mounted the steps. As they reached the doorway a girl stepped out of it. So sudden was her appearance that she narrowly missed colliding with the arrivals.
She had evidently hurried out of a reception room at the left of the hall. Pa.s.sing through the hall or coming down the open staircase she would have seen the group before reaching the door.
"Oh, I beg your pardon," she apologized, viewing the newcomers out of a pair of very blue, non-curious eyes. "I never pay proper attention to where I am going. I was so busy thinking about an examination I must take tomorrow that I forgot where I was. I"ll have to stop now for a second to remember what I started out to do," she added ruefully, her face breaking into a roguish smile which displayed two p.r.o.nounced dimples.
Instantly the hearts of the Five Travelers warmed toward her. Her dimples brought back fond memories of Susan Atwell. She was quite a tall girl, five feet, seven inches, at least, and very slender. Her hair was a pale flaxen and fluffed out naturally, worn severely back from her low forehead though it was. Her one-piece frock of white wash satin gave her a likeness to a tall white June lily, nodding contentedly on a st.u.r.dy stem.