AT “POLLY’S” ONCE MORE
How hard it was to study these first days, when so much of importance
to the Beta Alpha Taus and the other sororities was “hanging in the
balance”! Marta and Ann scored success in their work only by early
rising. It was fortunate for Ann that her heaviest work had been done
in her first year. She still had a few extra hours to make up, but they
were divided between the first and second semesters and were in studies
which were not particularly hard for Ann. She concentrated her powers
during regular study hours, rose an hour early, and spent the rest of
the time, those happy hours between lessons and meals, in the service
of the Beta Alpha Taus and the “Owls”, her literary society. It was
great fun to “cast dull care away”, as she told Marta, and have a good
time with the girls. Walks, rowing, canoeing, swimming, climbing the
hills, usually with some new girls in tow,--everything took on a new
pleasure and excitement. The “rushing season” was decidedly thrilling.
But alas for “best-laid plans” again! The desired hurrying of Aline
into the ranks of Beta Alpha Tau was not so easily accomplished. That
evening, after dinner, Aline responded pleasantly to the overture of
the Bats. It was natural enough that Ann should be with her, and some
of the other members of the Jolly Six; but she naturally noticed the
fact that attention was being paid her by the senior and junior girls
of the sorority. Not for nothing had Aline spent a year in a girls’
school.
When, noticing that all the girls, with the exception of two new girls,
were Betas, she was about to refuse an invitation to Alice’s suite and
slip away, Alice informed her that she was particularly desired. “You
do not know my especial brand of fudge,” she said, and Ann joined in,
with the remark that no one who ever tasted it was known to refuse a
second invitation. “Come on, Aline. We won’t stay but a minute if you
have anything important to do. I’ve got to get to work, too.”
Aline yielded, and had as fine a time as anybody. Alice’s fudge was
all that had been claimed for it, and the study bell rang before the
gay conversation ceased. The girls hastily brought their visiting to
a close and started out, Ann slipping her arm through Aline’s and not
hurrying. Alice followed and strolled a little beyond the door of the
senior cottage, where she and her suite-mates occupied a first floor
suite. Over the campus, girls were making their way to cottages or to
the music rooms.
“I must go back, girls,” said Alice, turning to Aline, and taking both
her hands. “We Betas, Aline, have only _just discovered_ that you did
not join the Sigs! ‘Animus meminisse horret’! I can hardly forgive the
Sigs for letting the impression get out that you were theirs,--Ann, you
tell her about it, and humbly recommend your Beta sisters!”
With this, Alice smilingly left the girls, turning back at the door for
a last glimpse.
“Well!” exclaimed Aline. “Alice is your president, or ‘chief,’ or head
executioner, or whatever you call it, isn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Her quotation from the pious Aeneas was cute. I am wondering what all
this means, of course; but I don’t know whether I want you to talk to
me about it or not, as she suggested.”
Ann was a little surprised. “I’ll not, if you do not want me to, Aline,
but I have some things that I would like to say to you. It is perfectly
true that we have just found out that you are not a Sig-Ep; and we know
that it is by no fault of _theirs_ that you are not. Are you pledged to
some other sorority, Aline?”
“No. I didn’t mean that, Ann, but I hate the ‘rushing’. It always seems
so insincere to me, and when I noticed the older girls in the crowd, I
felt embarrassed. I don’t mean, Ann,” Aline added, noticing that Ann
seemed a little subdued, “that I thought anything insincere tonight.
I enjoyed the fun. Isn’t Dots a case?--and that Jane Price!” Aline
laughed in recollection.
“Well, Aline, I don’t want to urge you to anything you do not want to
do. We’ll start out on that basis. You know most of the Beta Alpha Taus
and what sort of girls they are, so it is not necessary to recommend
them, even ‘humbly’, as Alice said. You are perfectly able to make
up your mind on that without assistance! What I want to tell you is
in regard to how bad we want you to join us and what happened this
afternoon. I’ll ask you to remember that you had a little rushing from
the Bats last year, till they thought it of no use. My! It makes me
sick to think of it,--but maybe you wouldn’t have joined us anyway.”
Aline made no reply to this.
“This was our first meeting this afternoon, Aline, to plan the
campaign. Various girls were brought up,--their names, I mean,--as
desirable to consider, but there was no thought of bidding any one
to-day, until your name was suggested and the fact was made known that
you were not a Sig. I wish you could have heard the girls! They surely
will feel bad if you turn us down, for I am authorized to invite you to
join the Betas and as soon as possible. It was unusual, Aline, just as
it is unusual for me to tell about one of our meetings.”
There was a pause. Then Aline replied, “Ann, I--but thank you and the
rest of the Betas very, very much, I don’t know. Last year, I suspect
I might have joined you. Mother was a member of your sorority. But now,
so many of my friends are Sigs,--”
“But you aren’t joining the sorority, are you? I happen to know that
they want you as much as ever.”
“No, on account of Mother; and, well, I don’t care for all of them, you
know, girls like Genevieve and Madeline.”
“Are there any of the Betas that you object to?”
“Oh, no!”
Ann did not know what else to say. They had stopped in the lower hall
of the Castle to finish their private conversation and were in constant
danger of being interrupted. “Well, Aline,” she finally said, “think
it over. I hope that you can tell me tomorrow. You will receive a more
formal notice and note from Alice, through the secretary, tomorrow
anyhow. But the girls wanted me to tell you tonight and they hope very
earnestly that you will see your way clear to join us.”
“You are a dear, Ann,” said Aline, “I will----”
But here came Eleanor from one of the downstairs suites. “Here you are,
Aline, I wondered what was keeping you. I’ve stayed over time. We’d
better get to work, if Bunny does not get us and give us a black mark.”
“I want to see you about something tomorrow, Eleanor,” said Ann. “Keep
a date for me, will you?”
Laughingly Eleanor said that she would and went up the stairs with
Aline, Ann behind them.
* * * * *
No one had thought of the fact that the girls were not supposed to
leave their own halls after the bell for the close of study hours
had rung. The Betas would scarcely want to antagonize or deceive the
authorities for their meeting, Marta said, when she and Ann thought
about it, and this conclusion was confirmed when a rap on the door
came just before the bell rang. It was Alice, who stood just inside
the door, closing it, to tell them that the meeting was “off”, and to
ask what Aline had told Ann. Alice shook her head doubtfully when Ann
told her of the conversation. “I hope we get her, but I don’t know,”
said she. “We’ll have a short meeting tomorrow noon, before lunch,--at
the rustic bridge. If it rains, we’ll meet on the big porch of the
senior cottage, or in my suite, if there are too many around. Please
tell the other girls, Ann, and I’ll not take the time to go there.
Bunny challenged me, to give the countersign, in the hall; but I had
permission!”
“What is the countersign, Alice?” laughed Marta, but Alice only flung
up her hand in a salute and disappeared down the corridor.
“She’s an awfully nice girl,” said Marta. “I’ll be sorry to have the
senior group go out of Forest Hill this year.”
“Yes, won’t you?”
The next day was Ann’s busiest day. She had no opportunity to talk
with any of her friends if she had her lessons, except bits of chat on
the way to and from class; and then, indeed, Ann’s mind was full of the
coming lessons.
The noon meeting was what Marta called short and sweet. It was decided
to have a “spread” at Polly’s, whether Aline joined then or not. They
would make it a guest affair, inviting Aline and the few other girls,
whom they wanted to meet the Beta Alpha Taus _en masse_, in the hope of
interesting them.
“We’ll make it an afternoon tea, girls,” said Jane, “if you approve;
and we’ll have darling little invitations, hand painted, with parrots
in one corner. Who paints? You do, Lucile, and Alice,----” Jane looked
around for more artists, and several hands went up.
“Good. There won’t be many to do, of course, so it will take very
little time.”
“How about place cards?” Alice inquired. The group must have presented
an odd appearance, for they all stood close, arms about each other, or
peering over shoulders at Alice and Jane, who were in the center.
“Sure enough. Well, we’ll make them much like the invitations and do it
all at the same time. Put the motion, Alice, please.”
The gong rang for lunch as the “Bats” passed their resolution to have
the Saturday afternoon spread at Polly’s, if permitted. Alice was to
see about that.
In the evening after dinner, Eleanor joined Ann in the parlors, where
a group of girls were singing to Ann’s playing. Eleanor sang with
them, and, with Lora, made such attractive music that even Bunny, who,
the girls said, hated music and was fit for “treason, stratagem and
spoils”, put her head in at the hall door, and stepped in at last to
listen.
But the little group presently began to break up, for the outdoors
called them. Eleanor leaned over Ann and asked, “What did you want to
see me about, Ann? Was it Aline?”
“Yes. How did you guess?”
“Because you were with Aline, did not tell _her_ what you wanted to see
me about, and she had been off with a lot of you Bats.”
“Smart girl. Yes, that is it. You were good enough to let me know that
she would not join the Sigs, so I thought that I would ask your advice
on how to get her with us. She hesitates on your account, I think.
Wouldn’t the Sigs all understand that Aline would join us because it is
her mother’s sorority?”
“_I_ would,” replied Eleanor, “but I don’t know. You know how funny
some girls are.”
“Yes, but suppose it runs on and Aline does not join _any_ sorority.
I think that she will be sorry not to have had the fun of it and the
pleasant friendships. It isn’t as if we were all at swords’ points
with each other. Miss Tudor has certainly kept her word about having a
lot of them! We compete in the rushing season, of course, and sometimes
mean things are said; but after all, nobody takes it so very seriously.
Don’t you agree with me?”
“To a certain extent. Your sorority in a way does determine your more
intimate friendships. You are with that group of girls more, and some
of the girls are pretty snobbish about it.”
Now Ann had thought that Eleanor belonged to that type. It was
interesting to hear Eleanor herself mention snobbery and, in a sense,
disclaim it.
“I will talk with Aline,” continued Eleanor, “if I have a good
opportunity, at least to let her know that I will not stand in her way.
We can be just as good friends, though I _very much regret_ not having
her in the same sorority, and, Ann, I’ll ask her once more, finally, if
she will not come with us!”
“You have a perfect right to do that, Eleanor. If Aline joins us, I
want it to be because she wants to, as well as for the reason that her
mother was a member. That is, I don’t want her to feel forced to come
in,--well, you know what I mean.”
“Yes. I’ll talk to Aline tonight. After that, go ahead. Aline may come
to you herself. Perhaps she’d rather. I suppose that she was to answer
your proposition, if you made one?”
“I did; and she said that she would think it over. Say, Eleanor, you
will not talk this over with any of the other Sigs, will you? I did
not give the source of my information on Aline’s not having joined the
Sigs.”
“This is between Aline and me,” said Eleanor.
* * * * *
It was on Friday night, the one before the Saturday tea at Polly’s,
when Aline came around to Ann’s suite and found her alone. Aline
carried in her hand the pretty card of invitation with its gay little
parrot. It bore the letters “R.S.V.P.” upon it and Aline had already
accepted, to Marta’s and Ann’s delight. But for a moment Ann felt
startled. Could it be, after all, that Aline would not come, that there
was not a bit of hope for the “Bats”? But she welcomed Aline and made
her sit in the best rocker, where the view was prettiest.
“‘The shades of night are falling fast,’ Aline, but you can see my
favorite hilltop and a few pink and lavender streaks from the sunset.
Going to society meeting?”
“Yes; aren’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I have too many lessons for next week to do it, but I have
tried staying home from the meeting and could not accomplish anything.”
“So have I. I work better, anyhow, when the pressure is on and I
haven’t time to get what I’m getting!”
“Me, too!”
“Well, Ann,--I suspect that you think I’ve taken my time about deciding
whether to join the Bats or not.”
Ann’s heart was in her mouth,--so she afterward declared. “Better be
slow than come to a wrong decision,” she said. “And you have to get
acquainted with our girls, too,--the ones in the upper classes, at
least. You accepted our invitation to the tea at Polly’s tomorrow,
didn’t you?”
“Yes,” replied Aline, “but,----”
Ann’s heart sank again.
“I felt some way, Ann, that,--well, I’d rather decide before I went to
your social gathering, and so I came around to tell you that I have
decided to be a Bat!”
“Oh, oh, oh,--how wonderful that is,--you dear old Aline! Why, I was
simply scared to death when you began that way! Did you realize how my
heart was going down into my toes? Aline! You _mean_ it and will _join_
us!”
“I certainly do; but why, what did I say that made you think I was
going to refuse?”
“Why, your hesitation. ‘Yes,’ you had accepted the invitation,
‘but,’--wait till I call Marta and the girls, _please_,” for Aline,
rather embarrassed, was rising to go.
“All right, I’ll stay, then.” Aline sat down, while Ann flew up the
corridor, knocked and opened the door with sad lack of propriety,
calling, “Kit, Dots,--everybody, come around to our suite and meet a
new Bat!”
Dorothy came hurrying toward Ann with extended arms. “Is it Aline?”
“Aline it is,” said Ann, rapturously returning Dorothy’s hug, and
turning to meet the happy looks of the other girls, who rushed up to
ask her how and wherefore. “I’ll answer all questions another time,”
said she. “Come around now to welcome her! Isn’t it fine?”
In a trice the entire Jolly Six surrounded Aline with affectionate and
sincere greetings. Aline herself was happy, now that the deed was done
and there was no retreat. It had been regrets in regard to Eleanor that
had been the chief obstacle. Those Eleanor’s generosity had removed,
for Aline’s sake. Ann felt like giving her the entire credit, but
it was a thing that could not be mentioned without spoiling it all.
Together they all went to the literary society meeting, as “Owls,”
happily anticipating the banquet of the morrow. It would, in spite of
the former uncertainty, celebrate Aline’s decision!
* * * * *
“Polly’s” was decorated in attractive style, for the Beta Alpha Tau tea
was not the only one given upon that Saturday afternoon. “Polly” had
taken over other rooms, in the same building and on the same floor,
which were made to connect, but offered some privacy for separate
parties. Ann well remembered her first lunch in that popular place,
when she saw Suzanne, decked in all her glory, proudly accompanying the
Sigma Epsilons in a similar feast. For some reason the Sigs were not in
the number of guests at the Polly Inn that Saturday. There were rumors,
too, of a split in the ranks and trouble over the type of girls that
were to be “bid.” Genevieve and Madeline were said to lead one faction;
Eleanor, and girls who made her list of particular friends, another.
There was much going back and forth between suites, with many
consultations and queries as to what would be suitable to wear. A
junior girl, one who had been considered by the Bats as most desirable,
asked Ann what she should wear and begged her to come to the junior
cottage, to help her select. Ann was surprised to be regarded as
authority on clothes, but readily consented. “You are dressed in such
good taste, I notice,” said the junior, “and I want to wear what is
customary here. I’d know what to put on at home.”
In pretty afternoon dresses, with hats and gloves, the girls made the
’buses that took them to town look like moving rainbows, and they
fluttered into “Polly’s” with happy faces. Ann, as one of the old girls
now, had no more wonderings as to whether she should fit this or that
occasion. Her background was established. Ann’s distinctly interesting
personality, her independence of character, the high quality of her
work and the charm of her pleasant ways and sincerity had made her
known, not only in her own class but in the school. Her chief delight
at present was that Aline had accepted the Betas’ bid and that she was
present as not merely a guest but a prospective initiate.
“Now, if we can only get the other girls that we want,” she thought, as
she looked around the long table and noted with what care Alice and the
senior girls in charge had seated the guests, their place cards next
those girls who were good entertainers and especially attractive. “It’s
certainly no harm to put our best foot foremost,” she thought, and said
as much to Lucile, who happened to sit on the other side of her.
Lucile nodded and gave her a meaning look, or what was intended to be
one. “Do your best,” she whispered, with a glance at the junior who had
turned out to be in Ann’s charge, with a junior “Bat” on the other side
of her.
With so much information about the school to be given and received,
and with the natural excitement and pleasure incident to the beginning
of a new school year, subjects of conversation were not lacking. The
new girls could scarcely help enjoying the atmosphere of fun and good
humor which prevailed, the stories of funny events, school delights and
calamities, and the very presence of the prettily dressed, merry girls.
Last but not least, as more than one of the Bats said, Polly’s “eats”
were neither to be despised nor easily forgotten!