Marjorie looked quickly toward Jerry. Occupied with the nature of Miss Forbes" grievance she had not grasped the other charge against herself to the full.
"I wasn"t asked to keep the person"s name a secret," Charlotte a.s.sured.
"It was Miss Walbert who said it. She has been in our room several times. I don"t like her at all. I wish she would not come here."
"Will you please tell me again what Miss Walbert said of me?" Marjorie quietly requested.
Charlotte repeated that portion of her former statement concerning the charge against Marjorie.
"I never cut anyone unless that person cuts me first. I would not speak to one who did not wish to speak to me," Marjorie defended, the soft curves of her lips straightening.
"She has harked back to her first day at the station when she came here a freshie," a.s.serted Jerry, "only she has purposely twisted the truth."
Briefly she cited the true circ.u.mstances.
"I think it is outrageous in a girl to so abuse the truth," declared Charlotte in shocked tones. "That settles Miss Walbert for me."
"And for me," seconded Calista. "I am glad we had it out with you." She smiled winningly at Marjorie. "We will try and win Gus over. Now let us shake hands all around and swear fealty."
This done amid good-natured laughter, the last chill upon friendliness disappeared, never to return, and the quartette went on to pleasanter things.
"I knew that Miss Walbert would try to start something," were Jerry"s first words to Marjorie on returning to their room. "I certainly put my foot in it by making foolish remarks. I have thought over what I said about those girls taking us for museum exhibits, etc. It doesn"t sound well when repeated. I was afraid you"d feel that you ought to repeat it, but you did n.o.bly, Marj, n.o.bly. Those two girls are sensible. They didn"t split hairs over it. All I hope is that Haughty Gus won"t remember what I say. If she insists on knowing what I said before she forgives me, I"ll stay unforgiven."
CHAPTER X-A WRATHFUL AWAKENING
Despite the good offices of her chums as peace makers, Haughty Gus, as Jerry had privately named Augusta Forbes, refused to be placated.
"They were making fun of me, I _know_," she persisted. "You can"t say anything that will make me change my opinion." This to Calista Wilmot, who had endeavored to reason with her.
"Talk with Miss Dean yourself, Gus," calmly advised Charlotte. "You will find out in about two minutes that she is a perfect darling. Miss Macy is nice, too. Both of those girls are true blue."
"You and Flossie act like a couple of geese about those seniors,"
criticized Anna Perry, who chanced to be present at the discussion.
"The two sensitive plants." Charlotte indicated Gussie and Florence with a wave of the hand.
It being a rainy Sat.u.r.day afternoon, the five girls were sitting about Calista"s and Charlotte"s room drinking the fruit lemonade which Calista had just finished making.
Augusta and Florence both giggled at Charlotte"s fling, by no means offended.
"Don"t care," defied Gussie. "When I am sore at anyone it is because I have good reason to be. No one can ridicule me and get away with it."
"You talk like an offended potentate, Gus," Calista told her.
"Why shouldn"t I, if I want to?" Gussie demanded.
"Why? Because you are a lowly freshman. You ought to be meek along with the lowly; only you aren"t."
"I guess not. Don"t intend to be ever. I am just as important in my own way as any of those old seniors."
"No, you are not," Calista contradicted with great decision. "None of us are-yet. Those girls have three more years of accomplishment to their credit than we. That"s the way I look at it. Besides, I hear they are the best-liked crowd on the campus. Miss Dean is considered the sweetest, kindest girl at Hamilton. Miss Lynne is a wonderful dancer.
All of them have something especial they are noted and prized for in college. They have done noteworthy things. We are lucky to be noticed by them."
"Not when they merely notice us to poke fun at us," persisted Gussie stubbornly.
"You are hopeless." Calista threw up her hands in despair. "You will have to learn the truth of what I"ve said for yourself. I see that plainly."
"I"ll never learn it, for I don"t see things as you do, at all," Gussie retorted, determined to have the last word.
A few days afterward Augusta announced proudly at the dinner table that she had been invited to the freshman frolic. She was greatly elated to find that she had been the first of the group of five Bertram girls, who usually kept together, to be invited to the merry-making. More, she crowed over the fact that her escort-to-be was a junior. Announcing, however, that it was Elizabeth Walbert who had invited her, she met with the disapproval of Calista and Charlotte.
"How could you accept, Gus?" reproached Calista. "You know how that girl misrepresented Miss Dean to us. Of course, I _know_ you have a grudge against Miss Dean. _I_ am sure Miss Dean is truthful. I am positive Miss Walbert _isn"t_."
"You don"t really know much about Miss Dean," sputtered Gussie, growing angry. "You only think you do. I wish you wouldn"t mention that girl"s name to me. She makes me tired, and so do you. If Miss Walbert isn"t truthful, it won"t take me long to discover it. At least, she is thoughtful enough to invite me to the reception. Your wonderful Miss Dean hasn"t invited you."
Calista merely laughed. "You large-sized infant, give her time. You happen to be the first person I"ve heard of thus far, with an invitation."
The next evening Calista announced, a triumphant twinkle in her shrewd black eyes, that Miss Dean had invited her to the frolic.
"Miss Macy has invited Charlotte. We have all been asked to go to Miss Dean"s room this evening for a spread. She and her crowd want to meet the rest of you girls and invite you to the dance. Miss Dean says Miss Harper was going to invite you, Gus. Now you see what you"ve missed by accepting that horrid Miss Walbert"s invitation. Miss Harper is a power here at Hamilton. She"s considered the most original girl who ever attended this college."
"Mercy!" was Gussie"s sarcastic reception of this piece of information.
"Don"t worry about me. I"m satisfied. I sha"n"t go near Miss Dean"s room."
"All right, suit yourself," Calista replied in a tired voice. "I am all through bothering my head about you, Gus. Have things your own way and see trouble in the long run. I"ll make your apologies to Miss Dean and Miss Harper, then I"m done."
"Apologies, nothing," scoffed Gussie. "Tell "em _I said they made me tired_, and to keep a hundred miles away from me."
Secretly she was regretful of the fact that she had too quickly accepted an invitation from a student for whom she cherished no special preference. In her heart she did not like Elizabeth Walbert, but she had not yet become clearly conscious of this.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, had invited Augusta merely to serve her own ends. A cutting remark on Gussie"s part during their first acquaintance concerning the Lookouts had resolved Elizabeth to cultivate the disgruntled freshman"s society. Possessed of a reckless spirit, Gussie would be just the one to help in any scheme she might plan against the girls she detested.
As neither had the remotest conception of the other"s true character, they were both due to take part in a summary awakening. On the evening of the hop, Elizabeth lingered at the Lotus with two juniors until after seven o"clock. In consequence Gussie"s chums had gone on to the gymnasium with their escorts an hour before Elizabeth knocked on Gussie"s door. Always impatient of delay, Augusta was growing momentarily more incensed as time slid by and she remained waiting and neglected. Her reception of the junior was sulky rather than affable.
Arrived at the frolic too late for the grand march and minus the usual corsage bouquet of flowers which Elizabeth had forgotten to order sent to Augusta, the tall freshman felt distinctly aggrieved. Not one of her chums were without violets or orchids, generously provided by their escorts.
Courtesy, which had not been shown her, she reflected sullenly, pleaded with her not to flash forth her frank opinion to her escort of these lapses. Gussie, however, was at the boiling point and ready to bubble over at a word.
The climax to Augusta"s displeasure was reached when after two dances with her, Elizabeth deserted her for the society of Alida Burton and Lola Elster. While neither of the latter students liked Elizabeth, both were anxious to find out whether she had seen and talked with Leslie Cairns.
"There"s Walbert across the room," Lola had remarked in an undertone to Alida. "Let"s find out what she knows about Les. We can jolly her along for awhile and then shake her. She"s always crazy to have us notice her.
You pump her; and then I will. Be careful what you say to her. Get all she knows, but don"t give up any information about anyone or anything."
Shortly after ten o"clock Gussie disappeared from the scene of revelry.
She was so angry she felt as though her brown eyes must emit sparks. On account of her spleen against their escorts she had foolishly declined to go near her chums. She was sore at heart and jealous of the new friendships they had formed. Chiefly, her ire was directed against Elizabeth.
"Just wait until I have a good chance to tell _her_ a few things," she wrathfully ruminated as she scudded across the campus in the moonless darkness. "I wouldn"t have neglected a rag doll the way she slighted me!"