"Yes, but at what time?" reminded Muriel. "Precisely twelve. Four hours"
ride after that on a b.u.mpety-b.u.mpety train is sufficient cause for a quick return of appet.i.te."
"Quite true, my dear Miss Harding," allowed Jerry, favoring Muriel with a patronizing smile.
"So glad you agree with me. It might worry me if you didn"t." Muriel returned the smile with one equally patronizing.
"Such smirking and beaming, and so deceitful, at that," teased Leila.
"I"m merely trying to take Ronny"s place with Muriel," defended Jerry.
"She keeps complaining that she has no one to squabble with."
"When do you think Veronica will be here?" Miss Remson had been listening in amus.e.m.e.nt to Jerry and Muriel. She was genuinely happy to have the Lookouts back at Wayland Hall again. "I received one long, delightful letter from her in July."
"We don"t know," answered Marjorie. She went on to tell the manager what she had already told Leila regarding Ronny.
Such information as she had concerning her missing chum given, the quartette, accompanied by Leila, went on up the staircase and once more made port in their familiar quarters.
"Oh, wow!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jerry, as she dropped her luggage to the floor and sank thankfully upon her own particular chair. "I"m glad I"m here. I hate leaving home, but, now that I"ve once more struck this fond, familiar spot, I find it pretty fair, Bean; pretty fair."
"I echo your sentiments, Macy. I do, indeed; all except the Bean,"
Marjorie retorted, giggling, nevertheless, at the appellation.
It was the derisive name which Leslie Cairns, the leader of the mischief-making Sans, had been pleased to apply to her. It never failed to make Marjorie laugh. There was something so utterly ridiculous about it. Jerry occasionally found amus.e.m.e.nt also in addressing her as "Bean."
"You are always so good to us, Miss Remson," Marjorie gratefully voiced, when presently the hungry travelers had gathered at a table in the long, cool dining room. The day being warm, the manager had thoughtfully provided a tall pitcher of iced tea and a large plate of chicken, olive and lettuce sandwiches.
"Don"t think me stingy for not offering you more of a spread. I wish you to have some appet.i.te for dinner. This little bite will be just a help along the way until dinner time."
"No wonder everybody is crazy to live at Wayland Hall," commented Muriel, in appreciation of the manager"s kindly efforts.
"I am so sorry Anna Towne and the girls off the campus wouldn"t allow us to carry out our plan for them." Marjorie looked her regret. "We wanted them here, you know."
The "plan" to which she now referred had been one mapped out by herself and Robina Page during her junior year at Hamilton. They had agreed to save a part of their spending money through the college year and also the summer vacation. Object of their self-denial, to make it possible for Anna Towne, and one other off-the-campus girl whom Robin should select, to enjoy the comfort of Wayland Hall as a residence. Their particular friends had been quick to imitate the example they had set.
Altogether fourteen girls had joined in the generous movement.
Marjorie and Robin had been detailed to put the offer before the girls each youthful benefactor had elected to help. Two weeks before the close of college Robin had invited them to a spread in her room and there explained matters. No amount of urging, however, on hers and Marjorie"s part, could persuade them to take advantage of the offer. It was with reluctance that they even consented to go on accepting a.s.sistance from the students" beneficiary recently formed.
None of the young philanthropists had been sanguine of an acceptance of their generosity. At least it had been made in good faith. According to Jerry it was too bad they "couldn"t see it," but it hadn"t done any special harm to cut out a few extravagances. The money each had saved to such a worthy end was collected by Robin and added to the sum on deposit as the Hamilton College Beneficiary Fund in a Hamilton Bank.
"Oh, well, no one could blame the girls for feeling as they did about letting us help them. In their position, I suppose it would have been the same with us," was Muriel Harding"s opinion. "It would have been fine to have them at the Hall. They are a dandy lot of girls."
"I am sorry, too, that they will not be here," Miss Remson said. She had been signally interested in the idea at the time it had been agitated.
"I expect sixteen freshmen here and eight upper cla.s.s students. Two of these last are from Craig Hall, two from Acasia House, and four from Alston Terrace. I had a number of applications from students at other campus houses but took the first eight who applied."
"Alston Terrace?" Leila interrogated, lively interest animating her expressive features. "Would you mind telling us, Miss Remson, who is coming from Alston Terrace?"
Every pair of eyes now fastened upon the manager, looked inquiry. The same thought had flashed through each brain.
"I have not familiarized myself with the new names as yet. I will go for my register. It will be a good plan to go over these names with you girls. The students from other campus houses are no doubt acquaintances, perhaps friends, of yours. As seniors, you will wish to know the names of the freshmen who are to be here. I depend on you to help them to feel at home."
Miss Remson rose from her chair and left the room. A brief silence followed her exit, during which five girls regarded one another speculatively.
CHAPTER III-THE INTRUDER
"I wonder--" Jerry stopped, a displeased pucker between her brows.
"You are not the only one." Leila shrugged her shoulders. "I do not like the sound of "four from Alston Terrace." There might be one of the four not quite to our taste."
"You mean Miss Walbert, don"t you?" Jerry questioned frankly.
"I do. She has been aching to get into Wayland Hall. Vera and I were told that last year. And what is to prevent her? I doubt if Miss Remson knows of her friendship with the departed but not regretted Sans," Leila argued.
"She must have noticed her last year when she same to see Miss Cairns. I met her in the halls more than once," Muriel said quickly.
"Miss Remson would pay no special attention to visitors from other campus houses. The maid would admit them to the Hall," returned Leila.
"Don"t you know, Miss Remson is famous here at Hamilton for minding her own affairs? She never interferes with the girls in such matters so long as they keep within bounds."
"What"s the use in borrowing trouble," interposed Marjorie cheerfully.
"Miss Walbert may not be one of the four students from Alston Terrace to register here. Even if she should be, why need we care one way or the other? When Miss Remson first mentioned it, I thought of her too. We all did, I guess."
"And why?" Leila turned quickly to Marjorie. "Because we all know her for what she is, a sn.o.b and a deceitful little peac.o.c.k. In my old age and dignity I longed for peace-but not with that trouble-maker in the house. You remember-Jerry and I both took a rooted dislike to her the first time we set eyes on her at the station. I never found reason to change my opinion other." Leila spoke with decided warmth.
"Nor I," echoed Jerry. "I"m going to tell Miss Remson, if she reads off Miss Walbert"s name, precisely what she may expect from her. Phyllis Moore said she made so much trouble for the freshies as president of their cla.s.s that if it hadn"t been so near the end of the year they would have appointed a committee to tell her where she got off at."
Before more could be said on the subject of the disagreeable Miss Walbert the manager was among them again, register in hand. The five girls watched her in canny silence as she opened the familiar black book and let her index finger travel down the page of registrations.
"You asked about the students from Alston Terrace, Leila. They are Miss Schultz, Miss Kane, Miss Mead and Miss Walbert. Are any of these friends of yours?" Miss Remson glanced up from the page.
"No. Three of them I do not know. One I do not wish to know." Leila"s bright blue eyes met the manager"s squarely.
"Which is the one you do not wish to know, Leila? I ask you the question because I know your fairness of mind. If you do not care to know this student you must have good reason for your att.i.tude toward her. Will you be frank with me?"
"None of us like Miss Walbert," Leila said slowly, after a brief pause during which she mentally framed what she wished to say. "We don"t wish to keep her out of the Hall. We only wish you to know that she is a trouble-maker. She was a friend of Leslie Cairns. It is seldom you hear me speak against anyone, Miss Remson," Leila continued. "Knowing what you had to endure from the Sans, I feel free to warn you against this girl. She may never justify my warning. Still you have the truth about her."
Leila had not spoken from characteristic Irish impulse alone. A sense of practical friendly duty toward Miss Remson had also prompted her bold stand. The manager quite understood this.
"Thank you, Leila," she said gravely. "You understand my position here.
I am not a boarding-house keeper who must have references. I am supposed to take these students changing from another campus house to Wayland Hall on faith. Now I recall why Miss Walbert"s face seemed so familiar.
I must have noticed her last year during her calls here on Miss Cairns, then paid no further attention to her. It is most unfortunate. Had I known of her friendship with Miss Cairns, I should have refused her application. She would have considered me prejudiced, but I should not have cared. She applied for a single. I had none to give her. She is to room with Miss Schultz."
"I"m sorry for Miss Schultz," commented irrepressible Jerry.
"You needn"t be," laughed Marjorie. "She is independent enough to look out for herself. She is often in the Chemical Laboratory when I am. She is a dig of the first water and a very brilliant student. She won"t bother her head about Miss Walbert."