E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading
Team (http://www.fadedpage.net)
BETTY LEE, SOPHOMORE
by
HARRIET PYNE GROVE
The World Syndicate Publishing Co.
Cleveland, Ohio ---- New York City
Copyright, 1931
by
The World Syndicate Publishing Co.
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
- CHAPTER I: "GYPSY"
- CHAPTER II: CAROLYN ARRIVES
- CHAPTER III: THE GREAT SURPRISE
- CHAPTER IV: BETTY MEETS THE COUNTESS
- CHAPTER V: A REAL SOPHOMORE AT LAST
- CHAPTER VI: DOING HER BEST FOR LUCIA
- CHAPTER VII: LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS
- CHAPTER VIII: THE G. A. A. BREAKFAST HIKE
- CHAPTER IX: WITH LUCIA AND MATHILDE
- CHAPTER X: A STARTLING SITUATION
- CHAPTER XI: HALLOWE'EN SURPRISES
- CHAPTER XII: BEATING THE JUNIORS WITH LUCIA
- CHAPTER XIII: LIGHT ON THE SORORITY QUESTION
- CHAPTER XIV: THE DECISION
- CHAPTER XV: CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
- CHAPTER XVI: A PARTY AND A REAL "DATE"
- CHAPTER XVII: "JUST LIKE A FISH"
- CHAPTER XVIII: THE COUNTESS ENTERTAINS
CHAPTER I: "GYPSY"
"Why, Kathryn, I think you're _awfully_ pretty!" Betty Lee exclaimed in
some surprise. "And I'm not saying that just to console you, either.
Why, the _idea_!"
"Well, Betty, you needn't go that far. I don't have to be pretty to be
happy, you know; but it did hurt to have her tell me that Peggy said
it."
"In the first place, Kathryn, I don't believe Peggy ever said it. You
know what people say goes with their _characters_. And Peggy isn't like
that."
"N-no," replied Kathryn, doubtfully. "Peggy has always seemed to like
me."
"I think that it was just a hateful twisting of something Peggy did say,
or maybe it was just made up. What sort of a girl is this Mathilde Finn
anyway? And how is it that I haven't met her if she goes to Lyon High?"
"Oh, she was out last year, at a private school, but she is coming back.
They have plenty of money and Mathilde thinks that she is everybody, you
know. She was abroad this summer and was somewhere with Peggy last week.
They came back earlier than they intended. Somebody was sick. The girls
used to call her 'Finny' and I imagine that she will hear the same
nickname this year, though she hates it."
Betty laughed. "If she only knew it, she's given you a pretty nice
nickname at that. Why shouldn't you _like_ to be called Gypsy? Why,
Kathryn, I know a perfectly _darling_ girl, only a grown-up one, that
everybody calls Gypsy; and she likes it and signs her letters Gypsy!"
Kathryn shook her head. "To be told that I looked like a horrid old
gypsy!"
"You couldn't look horrid if you tried, Kitten. I've seen you this
summer in your worst old clothes, haven't I now?"
"You certainly have," laughed Kathryn, her black eyes sparkling and her
vivid face all alive amusement at the thought of some of the
performances in which she and Betty had taken part.
"And do you remember that week when Cousin Lil was here and you did
dress up as a gypsy in your attic?"
Kathryn nodded.
"I always meant to tell you that you made the prettiest gypsy in the
world, the nice, romantic _Romany_ kind, you know, with a handsome lover
and everything as spuzzy as gypsies could have."
"You're the kind of a friend to have, Betty Lee," laughingly Kathryn
remarked; "but I always wanted to have golden hair, like yours, and be a
goddess-like creature, all pink and white."
"Isn't it funny--and ever since I read a story about a beautiful
creature with black, black hair and flashy dark eyes--I longed to look
like that, so entrancingly fascinating!"
"Probably that is the way girls are, want to look like something else.
Well, I don't know that I'd mind being called Gypsy. It _is_ a cute
nickname. Oh, did you know that Carolyn is coming back today or
tomorrow?"
"Gypsy"--and Betty looked wickedly at Kathryn as she used the term.
"Gypsy," Betty repeated, "I have had just one letter from Carolyn all
this summer. I answered it and wrote _pages_; but not one word more have
I had. If you have had a late letter I'm terribly jealous."
"Good!" returned Kathryn. Then her face grew a little sober. "No, Betty,
I've not heard from Carolyn either, except a card at the first of the
summer. But I may as well confess one more secret. I've been telling you
everything I know all summer, you know."
At this point a slender brown hand and slim brown arm reached over after
Betty's almost equally tanned head. "It's this and I'm ashamed of it,
too. I've been worrying for fear when Carolyn comes we can't be such
friends as we have been this summer."
"Why not, Kathryn Allen!" Betty squeezed the hand which had slipped
inside of her grasp and sat a little closer on the step of the porch.
"Is that why you said 'good,' when I said I'd be jealous?"
"Yes. Because I'm jealous myself."
"Jealousy is a very bad--um--quality."
"Yes; I know it. But I do hate to have you like Carolyn best!"
As Betty looked now seriously into Kathryn's face so near her, she saw
that Kathryn was in earnest and that tears were springing into her eyes.
"Why, Kitty!" she exclaimed softly. "I didn't know you liked me as much
as that. I'm rather glad to know it, though it's very silly, 'cause I'm
not worth it."
"Yes you are, Betty Lee. I'm not an old silly softy, Betty. You know
that. I don't go around having crushes and all that. But I like to be
with you. And when Carolyn comes--" Kathryn could not finish her
sentence.
Betty's arm was around Kathryn now. "Listen, Kathryn--I'm glad you told
me this, because if you hadn't and had gone on and felt bad, when there
wasn't any need of it, it would have been horrid. But you know I do like
Carolyn a lot, and will you feel bad if I show it? That would make it
pretty hard for me, too. There isn't any 'best' about it. I never
thought about it at all. You know how wonderful Carolyn and Peggy have
been to me, ever since I came to the high school as a scared little
freshman, almost a year ago."
"Yes; they're my friends, too."
"I'm not sure but I know you a little better than either of them now,
after this queer summer and all our being together and having so much
fun. Why, I shall look at you even in class when I think of something
funny. And if you cast those gypsy eyes in my direction with that look
of yours, when I'm reciting Latin or Math or something----"
Betty stopped to laugh, and Kathryn gave an answering chuckle. Tension
was lessening. The idea of Kathryn's feeling that way! Well, surprises
were always happening.
"I like to have friends, Kathryn; and you have ever so many."
"Yes, Betty, and I have sense enough to know that a girl like you will
always have a great many, just like Carolyn."
"I can't see that either of us have more than you have. But that isn't
important, after all. Let me tell you what Mother said one time when the
twins were fussing and Dick said that Mother liked Doris best. Mother
pretty nearly said that there wasn't any best about it. She said that
she loved all her children to pieces, whatever they did; that each child
had his own place in her heart, and that she didn't even love them all
together in a lump, just separately and a great deal. No child could
take the place of another and she couldn't even be happy in heaven
unless we all were along!"
"Your mother must be a dear. Well, I know she is, from what I saw of her
last year. Mother says that she wants to know her better, judging from
what she has seen of you this summer."
"Why, how nice! Gypsy, you'll spoil me."
"No I won't. You're unspoilable! But I'd like to be friends with you
forever. Honestly, Betty, I'm not going to be crabby about your being
with Carolyn, or Peggy, or anybody."
"It wouldn't be like you, Kathryn; and let's make a sure-bond of
friendship, to tell each other things the way we have this summer. And
you can count on me, Kathryn, not to say mean things about you; so if
Mathilde or anybody says things, please come straight to me about it,
will you?"
"Yes, I will, but I couldn't believe that you could say mean things; you
don't say them about anybody."
"Oh, dear, I'm afraid I do criticize sometimes!"
"I never heard you say a mean thing--so live up to what I think of you,
Betty Lee!" Kathryn was grinning at Betty now.
"I'll try to," laughed Betty. "It's good of you to think I'm nice. Wait
till I bring you another piece of fudge." Betty dashed into the house,
to return with the fudge pan, which they placed between them. That fudge
_was_ good. It was in just the right stage, a little soft, but firm
enough to hold in pieces. It certainly did melt in one's mouth.
"Is the back door locked?" asked Kathryn.
"Yes, indeedy. We must go in pretty soon, for Father will be driving out
early. He said he was going to take us to a chicken dinner at Rockmont,
a real country dinner. I hope they'll have corn on the cob!"
"Yum-yum!"
"Oh, I'm _so_ happy over your spending this week with me, Kathryn, and I
think it so wonderful of your mother to let you do it!"
--------
This was toward the close of Betty Lee's odd, but interesting summer,
after her freshman year in Lyon High. The summer months had been very
hot at times, but the city was still new to Betty, with much left to be
seen and all its summer forms of entertainment to be investigated. As
she had written more than once to her mother, "I'd rather be here than
_anywhere_, Mother. You needn't feel sorry for me. It's absolutely
nothing to look after the house, and Father takes me out to dinner so
often that he will be bankrupt, I'm afraid."
It had been the Lee custom since "time immemorial," as Betty had told
Kathryn Allen, for Mrs. Lee to take the children to her mother's for
most of the summer. There, at "Grandma's," in the country, they had
become acquainted with all the pleasure and some of the lighter work,
indeed, that the big farm afforded.
But this year Grandma was not so well. The first plan had been for Dick
to accompany his mother and small Amy Lou, for Dick was to "work," at
least to have certain duties, in looking after the stock, particularly
the horses, of which he was especially fond, and the chickens, for this
branch of farm life had been developed into quite a plant.
Betty was to "keep house for Papa," and Doris was to be with her part of
the time, at least. But this arrangement did not work well. Doris was
disappointed and not very sweet about it. She resented Betty's
authority, yet was too young to have as much judgment as Betty.
Accordingly, Doris was bundled off to the farm by her father and Mrs.
Lee's worries over Betty's being alone through so much of the day
commenced. This was when Kathryn began to come over so often, spending
whole days with Betty. To be sure, there were other people in the house,
the two who lived in the upper part of the house. But sometimes Mr. Lee
was delayed, or there would be some evening conference, which made the
safe disposition of Betty necessary to be considered; and Betty began to
have visitors.
She always declared that her real knowledge of the art of cooking began
the summer she "kept house for Father," and had, "one after another,"
her "sisters and her cousins and her aunts" come to visit her. "I
couldn't let them do all the cooking, could I? And we had three meals a
day. My, it was good when Father took us out for dinner!"
But the "sisters and cousins and aunts" amounted to only one young
cousin, Lilian Lee, bright girl of about seventeen years, and an older
one, related to her mother. She enjoyed being escorted around the city
by Betty, who added to her own knowledge at the same time. The only
drawback during the three weeks of this visit was that Cousin Eunice was
so afraid of burglars. Betty privately informed her father that she
"most smothered" every night, because her cousin was afraid to have the
windows up enough.
Then there was one unexpected guest whom Betty enjoyed, a former school
chum of her mother's with her daughter, a girl about Betty's age. They
were motoring through and expected to find Mrs. Lee at home. But they
were persuaded to stay a few days when it was found that Mr. Lee was
obliged to make a trip away. Their coming was "providential," Betty
declared.
So the summer had flown by on wings, with a little practicing on the
precious violin, much less than anticipated, but with much coming and
going, rides about the city, visits to the little resorts near by and
several excursions on the river boats. It was characteristic of Betty,
who usually forgot the unpleasant features, that she should write to her
mother of "one continuous picnic," which she declared the summer to have
furnished. "Of course," she added, "there have been some funny times,
and I burnt up toast and scorched some soup, and things like that, but
it's all been very exciting!"
Mrs. Lee thought that very likely some of it had been too exciting to be
safe; but she did not spoil Betty's morale by too many cautions, other
than the general rules she had established before she left.
And now, while the girls talked of intimate matters in the late
afternoon on the Lee porch, here came a big car that stopped before the
house and someone leaned out, waving excitedly.