THE COVETED HONOR
Being President of the Girls’ Athletic Association, or “G. A. A.” would
be no light undertaking; but there was not a girl of those particularly
interested in some athletic line who would not consider it a great honor
to be chosen for the post. At times some girl would be openly “out for
it.” Others waited to be suggested by their friends.
This year the election of a president was likely to be accompanied by
some “lobbying.” Betty Lee was not the only outstanding girl in the
association, and then there were a few who would have been quite willing
to accept the honor while not likely to offer their best service. Of
these the most noticeable was Mathilde Finn, always desiring first
place, of a certain ability, but selfish and unstable.
In her heart Betty Lee knew that she would be happy to have her friends
elect her. She had plans for the G. A. A., yet she was modest enough to
concede that at least two other girls might do as well for the
association. Then it would be a relief not to carry such responsibility,
to have only her regular work with what she wanted to “get in” this last
senior year.
To Betty the swimming, as usual, was of first importance, and all the
more so since her summer with its opportunities at the shore and at
camp, where her prowess made quite an impression. She was pleased to
think that both Dick and Doris were now excelling in that line, too.
Riding was a comparatively new ambition. At least she could “stick on” a
horse as she had on her grandmother’s farm and more recently at camp.
But she was meaning to ride properly by the end of this year, and her
intention was strengthened, it must be said, by Larry Waite’s having
suggested that they must ride together “next summer.” Lucia, also was a
fine horsewoman. If she ever did have the opportunity, as Lucia
insisted, of a visit to her in Italy, she would want to know how to
manage a horse and how to ride with grace.
She could play all the games, but she preferred to do it as she liked
and to keep off a regular class team this year. But perhaps she could
not refuse altogether. They were after her to lead the team in field
hockey. Basketball was taboo as last year, by parental request.
None of the girls’ games ever became as professional as the boys’
football and basketball with their inter-school games. Yet there was
great effort and much rivalry between classes as well as a great deal of
fun. If Betty _should_ accept the probable opportunity of leading the
team in hockey, the senior team should _beat_, she thought to herself!
To have her own room was going to be a great help in her lessons. With
the school study halls and regular hours at home, she could handle her
schedule of senior studies, for Betty was quick at her lessons. The new
home would be nearer Lyon High, too, as it happened. Not so much time to
be wasted on street cars. _Could_ she keep up being in the orchestra,
too? Oh, she _must_ do that!
Most of these problems she talked over with Carolyn and Kathryn, for
they, too, had their own problems. But they did not take them too
seriously. It would all come along some way!
“I expect to be at school till four or five o’clock practicing something
or other most days, Mother,” she informed Mrs. Lee. “So don’t worry. If
I do get home it’s so much gained. I imagine it’s a good thing Chet’s in
the university now. There won’t be anybody to dawdle around with between
times.”
Mrs. Lee did not look much impressed with this statement, for it was
quite likely that there would be some one yet to take an interest in
Betty Lee. “Most of your hikes and picnics will be on Saturday, I
suppose,” she suggested and Betty assented.
“We girls, the ‘Happy Hoodlums,’ or something like that,” she said, “are
having a hike right away, and the G. A. A. is to have a big picnic again
very soon.”
While the G. A. A. election was still to take place and discussions and
suggestions and urgent appeals for candidates were rife, the almost
greater excitement of the exodus and “_in_-o-dus,” a word of Dick’s
coining, occurred. They all thought it “terrible” that it had to happen
in school time, but Mrs. Lee, good manager that she was, told them not
to get upset about it. She gave them cartons, in which they could pack
the odds and ends and various treasures, and told them to be sure that
they had the books they wanted in their lockers at school. “Now goodbye,
kiddies mine,” she said on Friday morning. “When you come home this
afternoon—come to the new address!”
“Gee, Mom—I bet I forget,” said Dick.
“It was wonderful,” Betty told the girls on the hiking club expedition
Saturday afternoon. “We did walk on almost bare floors for several days,
because Mother sent the big rugs to the cleaners; but there, we left
everything almost as usual, and after a while regular spiffy movers
came, and when we went after school to the new place, there were the big
rugs all down and all our furniture and things in place and Mother, with
a woman to help, arranging the ‘pots and pans!’ It was all newly
decorated anyhow, and Mother had had a man and a woman get the new place
ready first before the move. Then Father left the car for her and a lot
of the best china and ornaments and things went over that way, though
they could have gone by truck, of course.
“I’ve worked all morning, getting my books in my own little book-case in
my new room, and unpacking my trunk, and hanging my clothes in my own
big closet. Oh, I’m crazy about it, and Mother says I may have the first
party. You are all invited. I’ll have it after the G. A. A. picnic.”
Lucia, swinging the same alpenstock which had so interested Mathilde in
times past, was an interested listener. “Betty,” she said, “you can make
the most uninteresting things sound funny! Now I should think moving
would be the last thing on earth!”
“Oh, but it is such fun to fix things,” cried Betty. “Mother and Father
had the responsibility, of course, but Mother had plenty of help, so it
could get done quickly, and I think she is just as excited as I am over
it all. You see, Lucia, we may buy this place and have it for our very
own.”
“Well, that is different, I suppose,” said Lucia, thinking of the old
_palaszo_ in Milan, that had belonged to the Coletti’s for ages. But
here in America they moved as casually as anything, first to this
apartment, then to that, or some of their friends did!
It was due to Betty’s morning at home that the hike had been put off
till afternoon. In consequence they did not go far. On the banks of a
little stream not far from a bus line which could take them home, they
found a lovely spot for their little picnic supper. There they sat and
told each other all about summer days, not forgetting great plans for
their senior year. Kathryn was already the president of Lyon “Y” and
made all the girls promise to do anything on a program they were asked
to do.
“Just not too often, Gypsy,” suggested Betty, “but I’ll be at the
meetings. We almost never have orchestra practice on that day and other
things can be put off.”
“I’ll excuse you any time, Betty, for you’re going to be president of
something else,” promptly returned Kathryn. “See if you aren’t!”
Betty knew what Kathryn meant and would not pretend that she did not,
but she smiled and shook her head. “It is a great uncertainty, Kathryn,
and anyhow I’m not sure that I can do it.”
“What do you mean, Betty?” hastily asked Mary Emma Howland. “You’ll run,
won’t you if you are put up for G. A. A. president?”
“Yes, Mary Emma, and I think it is a compliment to have you girls want
me to be it. But I hate it a little and I think that the result is very
uncertain.”
“Oh, as far as that is concerned, you never can tell,” said Mary Emma.
“We know that being Betty, you won’t work for yourself, but as for
spreading ‘propaganda’——”
Mary Emma left her sentence unfinished to make a comical gesture, toward
herself first, then including the entire group.
Lucia’s dark eyes sparkled. “Betty is the reliable head of anything,”
said she, “besides being the prettiest swimmer in the school and having
all sorts of honors to her credit. Where can I do the most good, Mary
Emma?”
Mary Emma, delighted, clapped her hands. “Everywhere, Lucia, and
particularly, I should say, with any new members among the freshmen.
After that jolly speech of yours at the A-D party, Lucia, those nice
little girls will lend an ear to anything you say.”
“Oh, girls, this sounds like—politics!” exclaimed Betty.
“Betty Lee, every one of us thinks that you will make the best G. A. A.
president the school could possibly have. Why not show a little sense,
then, and try to get you in?”
Betty was silenced more effectively by a large chocolate held to her
lips by Mary Jane Andrews, and Gwen Penrose remarked, “I haven’t joined
the G. A. A. yet. How do you do it? I forgot?”
“Mercy on me, Gwen,” cried Kathryn. “I forgot that you hadn’t seen to
that. You can’t vote if you’re not a member! That will certainly have to
be fixed at once. See me Monday, Gwen.”
Names like Happy Hoodlums, or Horrible H-Examples (suggested by Dotty
Bradshaw) did not seem quite suitable for dignified seniors and were
dismissed from their consideration. “We’ll be just a little G. A. A.
hiking club, why not?” suggested Carolyn, to the satisfaction of
everybody concerned.
Over this week-end Betty and Doris gloated over their respective rooms
and arranged them to a least temporary satisfaction. It did seem so
funny to take a different street car home, at times when some one did
not give them a lift in a “real car.”
“I need pictures,” said Betty, looking at her walls; and as if in answer
to her wish, there was a ring at the bell Sunday afternoon, late, and
Mrs. Lee came to the foot of the stairs to call Betty.
“Lucia is here, Betty. Shall I tell her to come up?”
“Oh, please, Mother,” but Betty came halfway down the stairs to meet her
friend.
Lucia was carrying a rectangular package and straightway handed it to
Betty. “This is a contribution to your new room, Betty,” said she with a
smile. “I thought about it this morning in church. It is only a print,
Betty, in color, such as they sell at the galleries in Milan, but I had
it framed for myself, to make me think of home, last year, and never put
it up. It is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper, you know, from the fresco
on the refectory wall in Milan. If you would like it, I have a pretty
Madonna that I can have framed for you, too.”
“Oh, Lucia! Why it isn’t an hour ago that I was wishing I had just the
right pictures! Thank you! I shall love it! But I can’t let you have
anything more framed for me.”
“Why not? You will let me do something once in a while for my _very
dearest_ friend, won’t you?”
“Am I that, Lucia?” Betty asked, surprised and not a little touched. As
they talked they were unwrapping the picture, but paused a moment.
“You are indeed, Betty,” earnestly said Lucia. “I can’t tell you how
much you mean to me, though it didn’t look like it, did it? the way I
didn’t write to you this summer!”
Lucia laughed and the sentimental moment passed, rather to the relief of
both, though Lucia had intended to say that to Betty.
“I wish I knew all that you do, Lucia, about the wonderful old paintings
and sculpture and everything,” sighed Betty, looking with pleasure on
the appropriately framed reproduction of the famous work of art.
“Come home with me for our Sunday supper, Betty, and we’ll look through
such things as I have with me and have a good talk. You can pick out
your own Madonna!”
After selecting the proper spot upon which Betty would hang her gift,
where the light would properly fall upon it, the two girls went down
stairs to visit with the rest of the family a few moments and arrange
for Betty’s carrying off.
“I had to see your new place, Mrs. Lee,” said Lucia, “and find my way to
it. Doris, the next time Betty comes to dinner with me you must come,
too. I haven’t realized that Betty’s sister was so grown up! My new
auntie is very pleasant about telling me that I may have my friends, so
I must begin.”
Betty had not had a glimpse of the Murchison home since she came back to
the city after the summer’s trips. She would not have thought of it, of
course, till after Lucia’s arrival. Now she met the very charming lady
who was Mr. Murchison’s second wife and had a quiet visit with Lucia in
her own room. They looked at pictures and Betty took the opportunity to
tell Lucia all about Ramon’s recent experience.
“I thought you’d better know all about it, Lucia,” said she. “Imagine
being an _assistant_ ‘unbeknownst’ to that sort of men! But he found out
what they were really doing, of course, and planned to run away. Then
that man got him! Maybe he would have been killed if the boys hadn’t
found him! I hope it isn’t going to be hard for you not to tell Mrs.
Sevilla and Rose. Anyhow, I thought I’d better tell you.”
“I’m used to keeping secrets, Betty,” returned Lucia. “It is just as
well not to stir up poor old Mrs. Sevilla, though it’s odd—she does not
seem so old now that she is comfortable. She is learning English, too.
Could I tell Rose, do you think, if it seemed best?”
“Really, Lucia, _I_ should think so. But that was Ramon’s request, that
they should not hear about all this and get all worried about where he
was and what they were doing to him.”
“I see,” thoughtfully said Lucia.
-----
The day of the G. A. A. “presidential election” arrived. Mathilde knew
that she was out of the running, but she concentrated her efforts on one
of Betty Lee’s two opponents, fine girls, both of them. Much pressure
had been brought to bear by different groups and the meeting was a full
one with old and new members present. The new members were particularly
open to influence, but Betty’s friends had not been idle.
“I don’t believe I’ll come at all,” declared Betty, “and I simply won’t
vote for myself!”
“All right, stay away, then,” laughed Mary Emma. “I’ve just got three
new members of the freshmen and they’re all going to vote for you!”
“Maybe I’ll not be even nominated.”
“Maybe you will. I’m on the nominating committee myself and I know who’s
going to be presented. There may be even more candidates than we have
simply had to put up because of the requests; but there certainly won’t
be less. We make our report and then I understand that opportunity will
be given for more names to be presented if anybody wants them.”
“H’m,” said Betty. “Well, it isn’t the only thing on earth. I’ll come
and not vote at all. To tell the truth, girls, I hate to beat anybody
that wants it, and I hate to think that anybody has had to be asked to
vote for me!”
“Elizabeth Virginia Lee, all that your friends have done is to call
attention to your superior qualities as a leader and also performer in
athletics. If you go in as our president it will be a mere tribute to
your worth.” Mary Emma was laughing but she meant what she said.
Possibly the fact that Betty had recently been selected to be captain of
the hockey team had something to do with it, but when the vote was taken
Betty was elected. Her majority was not so much over the vote given to
the other girls by their friends that it made her any enemies; and both
of the other candidates came straight to her to tell her that they
thought she was the one to have the office. Betty begged them to help
her and said that she felt “aghast” at the prospect, which was true. But
perhaps the incident that made her happiest among the congratulations
was when one of the athletic directors came up to her in the hall.
“I am glad that the G. A. A. has chosen you, Betty Lee, for you are not
only good in every sort of athletics you undertake but you have a sense
of responsibility and carry out what you undertake. If you want any
help, or suggestions, let me know. We shall have to call you into
consultation about some features, you know. The election should have
been last spring, you know.”
It was pleasant to have the faculty with her, Betty thought. She
wondered if it were really true that she carried responsibility well. To
tell the truth she had been planning to—or thinking that she
must—neglect some things in order to carry out what she liked best. She
would try to live up to what they thought of her, anyhow, and do the
best she could.