Tea over, Jonas removed the tea-table and Miss Susanna waved her guest
toward a leather-covered arm chair. Changing her own chair for one
corresponding to Marjorie's, Miss Hamilton proceeded to ply Marjorie
with interested questions concerning her college course. She exhibited a
kind of repressed eagerness to hear of the college and her guest's
doings there.
The tall rosewood floor clock had chimed six, then again the musical
stroke of half hour, before Marjorie found graceful opportunity to take
her leave. She was willing to stay longer, but was not certain that her
erratic hostess would wish her to do so. The shadows had begun to fall
across the sombre elegance of the library and the October twilight would
soon be upon them.
Miss Susanna made no effort to detain her beyond saying: "So you think
you must go. Well, you will be coming again soon to see me. You have
given me much to think of." She accompanied Marjorie to the front door,
giving her a warm handshake in parting. Marjorie noticed, however, that
her small face wore a pensive expression quite at variance with her
accustomed alert demeanor. It gave her the appearance of great age,
though her brown hair was only partially streaked with gray. Marjorie
thought she could not be much more than sixty years old.
A happy little smile touched the pleased lieutenant's lips as she
hurried toward the campus through the gathering twilight. Far from being
dissatisfied at not hearing more of Brooke Hamilton, she was blissfully
content with her visit. Miss Susanna had promised to tell her of him.
She had given her consent to allowing Marjorie to inform her chums of
her visit to Hamilton Arms. She had actually set foot in the house of
her dreams. The two rooms she had seen had more than justified her
expectations of what it would be like inside.
Dinner was on when she reached Wayland Hall. Marjorie had fared too well
on hot muffins, jam, cakes, and the most delicious tea she had ever
drunk, to care for anything more to eat.
"Where, may I ask, have you been keeping yourself?" saluted Jerry about
twenty minutes after Marjorie's return. Coming into their room she
beheld her missing room-mate calmly preparing her French lesson for the
next day. "Why don't you go and have your dinner? Or have you had it?"
"I have had tea instead of dinner. I couldn't eat another mouthful to
save me. 'An' ye hae been where I hae been,'" hummed Marjorie
mischievously.
"Something like that," satirized Jerry. "Where did you say you were?
Never mind. I am sure you will tell me some day." She simpered at
Marjorie. "You should have been with Helen and I today. Something
awfully funny happened. Not to us. The girls are coming up to hear about
it soon. Helen and I didn't care to tell it at the table on account of
the Sans."
"Then farewell to my peaceful study hour." Marjorie laid away the
translation she had been making.
"You can chase the girls away at eight-thirty, that will give you time
enough. If you don't, I will. I have studying of my own to do."
"As long as the gang will be here I may as well save _my_ remarks until
then."
A buzz of voices outside the door announced the "gang." Beside the three
Lookouts and Katherine were the beloved trio, Helen, Leila and Vera. The
entire crowd pounced upon Marjorie, demanding to know where she had
been. It was unusual for her to be away without having left word with
some one of them.
"Will I tell you where I was? Certainly! It's no secret; at least not
now," she added tantalizingly. "Don't you want to hear Jerry's tale
first? I do."
"Nothing doing. You go ahead and relieve our anxious minds. We didn't
know but maybe you had been spirited away by a bogus note again."
A peculiar expression appeared in Marjorie's eyes as she went to her
chiffonier and drew from it Miss Hamilton's letter.
"It's queer, but when I received this letter the other day, I was almost
afraid it was another fake. Notice the address, then read it," she
commanded, handing it to Vera who was nearest her.
It brought forth exclamatory comment from all, once each had acquainted
herself with its contents.
"No wonder you didn't leave word where you were going. Did you have a
nice time?" Jerry's chubby features registered her pleasure of the honor
accorded her room-mate.
"Yes; I had a beautiful time. I was worried because I couldn't speak of
going to any of you. Miss Susanna gave me permission to tell you eight,
but no others." Marjorie recounted her visit in detail. "I wish she
would invite the rest of you to Hamilton Arms. It is a beautiful house
inside. I only saw the hall and library, but they were magnificent."
"Don't weep, Marvelous Manager." Ronny had noted Marjorie's wistful
expression. "Through your miraculous machinations we shall all be
parading about Hamilton Arms in the near future."
"I certainly hope so," was the fervent response.
For a little the bevy of girls discussed Marjorie's news. All were
elated over the pleasure which had come to her. Her generous thought of
the peculiar old lady on May Day of the previous year had touched them.
"She hasn't asked you yet if you hung that basket, has she?" queried
Lucy.
"How could she possibly suspect me of hanging it?" laughed Marjorie.
"Because it was like you. It carried your atmosphere. Some day she will
suddenly notice that and ask you about the basket," Lucy sagely
prophesied. "She seems to be a shrewd old person."
"She is." Marjorie smiled at the candid criticism. She wondered if Miss
Susanna had not been in her youth a trifle like Lucy.
"Now for what Helen and I saw and heard this afternoon," declared Jerry
gleefully. The first interest in Marjorie's visit to Hamilton Arms had
abated.
"Oh, a horrible tale I have to tell,
Of the terrible fate that once befell
A couple of students who resided
In the very same neighborhood that I did,"
chanted Helen. "You tell it, Jeremiah. You can make it funnier than I
can."
"Helen and I started out with the new car as proudly as you please this
afternoon," began Jerry with a reminiscent chuckle. "We hadn't gone much
further than Hamilton Arms when whiz, bing, buzz! Along came that Miss
Walbert in her blue and buff car and nearly bumped into us. She came up
from behind and her car just missed scraping against Helen's. Leslie
Cairns was with her. We never said a word, but I heard Miss Cairns raise
her voice. I think she gave Miss Walbert a call down."
"There was no excuse for her, except that she never seems to pay any
particular attention to anyone's car but her own," put in Helen. "I have
heard complaint of her from I don't remember how many girls who own
cars. Occasionally you will find a girl who can't learn to drive a car.
She belongs in that class. Excuse me for butting in. Proceed, Jeremiah."
"That's all of the prologue," Jerry continued. "Now comes the first act.
We went on to town, drove around a little, did our errands, had ice
cream at the Lotus and started back highly pleased with ourselves. You
know that place just before you leave the town where the turn into
Hamilton Highway is made? There is a grocery store and a garage on one
side of the road and a hotel on the other. Just before we came to that
point Miss Walbert and her car whizzed by us again. She took that corner
with a lurch. When we struck the place a minute later we saw something
had happened. She had actually scraped the side of one of those taxis
that run between town and the college. It was coming from the college, I
suppose. Anyway, Miss Cairns and she were both out of their car and so
was the taxi driver. Maybe he wasn't giving those two a call down!"
Jerry and Helen exchanged joyful smiles at the recollection of the
reckless couple's discomfiture.
"Helen drove very slowly past them. We wanted to hear what the man was
saying," Jerry continued. "He was laying down the law to them to beat
the band. We heard Leslie Cairns say, 'Do you know to whom you are
talking?' He shouted out, 'Yes; to a simpleton of a girl who don't know
no more about drivin' than a goose. I seen you drive your own car, lady,
an' I never had no trouble with you. Your friend, there, is the limit.
You're runnin' chances of landin' in the hospital or worse when you go
ridin' with her.' Leslie Cairns was furious. I could tell that by her
expression. Miss Walbert fairly shrieked something at him. She was mad
as hops, too. We had passed them by that time so we couldn't catch what
she was saying. There was quite a crowd around them, mostly men and
youngsters."
"That must be the man Robin and I rode with the other day," Marjorie
said. "Is he short, with a red face and quite gray hair?"
"Yes; that's the man. How did you know which one it was?" Jerry showed
surprise.
"He had a near collision with Miss Walbert that day." Marjorie related
the incident.
"It is a shame!" Leila's face had darkened as she listened to both
girls. "I hope Leslie Cairns takes her in hand. She's the very one to
cause a bad accident and then home go our cars. She is such a poor
driver. She bowls along the road without regard for man or beast. She
has a good car which will presently be in the ditch."
"Do you think President Matthews would ban cars if a Hamilton girl were
to ditch her car or met with serious accident to herself?" Vera asked
reflectively.
"Hard to say, Midget. It would depend upon the seriousness of the
accident. Suppose a girl were to ditch her car and be killed. It would
be horrifying. I doubt whether we would be allowed our cars after any
such accident."
"Grant nothing like that ever happens." Lucy Warner gave a slight
shudder. "I shall never forget the day Kathie was hurt."
"None of us who were with her that day are likely ever to forget it.
Miss Cairns escaped easily considering the way she was driving. She
ought to be the very one to tell that Miss Walbert a few things not in
the automobile guide," declared Jerry. "She certainly did not appear at
advantage this afternoon."