Once again she was on the point of speaking to Professor Green about the mine, and once again she checked her confidence. The cautious Nance had often said to her: "If there"s any doubt about mentioning a thing, I never mention it."
"By the way, Miss Brown, I wonder if there are any vacant rooms here at Queen"s?"
"Yes," said Molly, "there happens to be a singleton. It was to have been taken by a junior who broke her arm or something and couldn"t come back to college this year. Why? Have you any more little j.a.ps for me to tutor?"
"No, but I was thinking there might have to be some changes a little later, and Miss Blount, my cousin, would perhaps be looking for--er--less commodious quarters. But don"t mention it, please. It may not be necessary."
"I may have to make some changes myself for the same reason," thought poor Molly, but she said nothing except a trembly, shaky "good-night,"
which made the Professor look into her face closely and then stand watching her as she hastened up the steps and was absorbed by the shadowy interior of Queen"s still unlighted hallway.
CHAPTER VI.
TWO LONG DISTANCE CALLS.
The President readily granted her gracious permission for the soph.o.m.ores to use the Wellington alumnae banner. She was pleased at the cla.s.s spirit which had engendered the request and which had also prompted the soph.o.m.ores to make a banner of their own.
With reverent hands the young girls hoisted the two splendid pennants on the evening of the reception. And another unusual distinction was granted this extraordinary cla.s.s of 19--. The President and several of the faculty appeared that evening in the gallery to view the effect.
Never before in the memory of students had Prexy attended a soph.o.m.ore-freshman ball.
"They have certainly made the place attractive," said the President, looking down between the interstices of garlands of j.a.panese lanterns on the scene of whirling dancers below. "The banners are really beautiful. I feel quite proud of my soph.o.m.ores this evening."
The soph.o.m.ores were proud of themselves and worked hard to make the freshmen have a good time and feel at home. Molly, remembering her own timidity of the year before, took care that there were no wall flowers this gala evening.
She had invited Madeleine Pet.i.t, a lonely little Southern girl, who had a room over the post office in the village and was working her way through college somehow. In spite of her own depleted purse, Molly had sent Madeleine a bunch of violets and had hired a carriage for the evening. As for the little freshman, she was ecstatic with pleasure. She never dreamed that her soph.o.m.ore escort was nearly as poor as she was.
People of Molly"s type never look poor. The richness of her coloring, her red gold hair and deep blue eyes and a certain graciousness of manner overcame all deficiencies in the style and material of her lavender organdy frock.
But, in spite of her glowing cheeks and outward gaiety, Molly was far from being happy that night. No word had come to her from her family all the week, although they were the most prolific letter writers, all of them. No doubt they hesitated for a while to let her know the truth about the Square Deal Mine. Molly was prepared for anything; prepared to give up college at mid-years and get a position to teach school in the country somewhere; prepared to look the worst in the face bravely. But Wellington was like a second home to her now. She loved its twin gray towers, its cla.s.sic quadrangle and beautiful cloisters; its s.p.a.cious campus shaded with elm trees.
How dear these things had grown to her now that the thought of leaving them forced its way into her mind!
She was debating these questions inwardly, as she gallantly led her partner over to the lemonade table, where Mary Stewart, in a beautiful liberty dress of pigeon blue that matched her eyes, was presiding with Judith Blount and two other juniors.
"Why, Molly Brown," exclaimed Mary, "in spite of all your glowingness, you don"t seem quite like yourself this evening. Has anything happened to roughen your gentle disposition? No bad news from home, I hope?"
"Oh, no," returned Molly. "No news at all. I haven"t heard all week."
Judith, who still had a grudge against Queen"s girls, although she was endeavoring to overcome it, here remarked:
"Why, I think you are looking particularly well to-night, Molly. Such a becoming dress!"
Molly flushed as she glanced hastily down at her two-year-old organdy.
Mary Stewart put a hand over her cold, slim fingers.
"You always wear becoming dresses, Molly, dear. In fact, they are so becoming that no one ever looks at the dress for looking at you."
Molly smiled and pressed her friend"s hand in return. She was wondering if Judith Blount would learn to curb her tongue when she had to curb her expenses.
"I want you to meet Miss Pet.i.t," she said, introducing the little freshman to the two older girls.
Mary Stewart shook hands kindly and Judith bowed distantly. Certainly Judith was in a bad humor that night.
"How do you like Wellington?" asked Mary of Miss Pet.i.t by way of making conversation.
"I think it"s jus" lovely," drawled the little Southerner with her inimitable Louisiana accent. "I never danced on a better flo" befo" in all my life."
Mary Stewart smiled. The soft, melodious voice was music to her ears.
"You live in the Quadrangle, don"t you? I think I saw you there the other day," continued Mary.
"Oh, no, I reckon you saw some other girl. I live over the post office in the village."
"She has a charming room," broke in Molly, when she was interrupted by a stifled laugh. Looking up quickly, they were confronted with Judith and one of her boon companions, their faces crimson with suppressed laughter.
Miss Pet.i.t regarded the two juniors with a kind of gentle amazement.
Then, without the slightest embarra.s.sment, she said to Mary and Molly:
"What lovely manners some of the Wellington girls have!"
At this uncomfortable juncture Edith Williams sailed up.
"This is my dance isn"t it, Mademoiselle _Pet.i.te_? And while we dance, I want you to talk all the time so that my ears can drink in your liquid tones. Have you heard her speak, Miss Stewart? Isn"t it beautiful? It"s like the call of the wood-pigeon, so soft and persuasive and delicious."
"Now, you"re flattering me," said little Miss Pet.i.t, "but I"m glad it doesn"t make you laugh, anyhow," and she floated off in the arms of the tall Edith as gracefully as a fluffy little cloud carried along by the breezes.
"Isn"t she sweet?" said Molly presently. "And you can"t imagine what she is doing to make both ends meet here. She won a scholarship which pays her tuition, but she has to earn the money for board and clothes and all the rest. She washes dishes at a boarding house for her dinners and cooks her own breakfasts in her room and eats, well, any old thing, for her lunch. On her door is a sign that says, "Darning, copying, pressing and fine laundry work, shampooing and manicuring." It makes me feel awfully ashamed of my small efforts."
"Is it possible?" exclaimed Mary. "How can I help her, Molly, without her knowing it? She seems to be a proud little thing."
"Oh, I don"t know. Give her some jabots to do up or have your hair shampooed. She does hand-painting on china, too, but I don"t think you could quite go her pink rose designs. She"ll out-grow hand-painted china in another year, just as I outgrew framed lithographs and antimaca.s.sars in one evening, after seeing your rooms in the Quadrangle."
"By the way, Molly, have you invited anyone for the Glee Club concert yet?"
"No, because I didn"t know anyone well enough to ask except Lawrence Upton from Exmoor, and Judith has already asked him."
"Good," said Mary. "Then, will you do me a favor? Brother Willie is coming down to the concert and expects to bring two friends. Will you take one of them under your wing?"
Molly was only too delighted to be of service to the friend who had done so much for her.
"It will be a pleasure and a joy," she said, as she hastened away to find her small partner for the next waltz.
The "Jokes and Croaks" stage of the soph.o.m.ore-freshman reception had been reached, and Katherine Williams, speaking through the megaphone, was saying:
"An art contribution from the juniors, with accompanying verse:
""I never saw a purple cow, And never hope to see one; But this I know, I vow, I trow: I"d rather see than be one.""