On the heels of their memorable visit to Hamilton Arms came the added
joy of going home for Thanksgiving. All the pleasure that the occasion
afforded was crowded into those four brief days. The Nine Travelers, as
they agreed to call themselves, returned to college more firmly
amalgamated than ever.
The Lookouts had long since included their four close friends in the
formal association which they had dubbed the Five Travelers. At first
they had decided that the name should remain the same, though four
members were added. Later, Ronny suggested that Nine Travelers would be
more appropriate. At the end of their college course, they would choose
nine girls to replace them with a new chapter, as they had done in the
case of the Lookout Club. All nine were anxious to leave a sorority
behind them of which they could claim to have founded.
Marjorie and Robin Page, who, according to Jerry, "had gone into the
show business," had their hands full the moment they returned to
Hamilton. They tackled the enterprise with a will, however, and within a
couple of days after resuming the difficult duties of managership they
had made considerable headway.
"Have you those posters yet?" greeted Robin, as she joyfully pounced
upon Marjorie on the steps of the library. "I have been trying to see
you ever since yesterday morning. I was coming over last night, but I
simply had to stay at home and study. I struck a horrible snag in
calculus and struggled with it half the evening."
"Ethel said she would have them done tomorrow," was the comforting news.
"She made four. I imagine they must be beauties, too."
"Uh-h-h!" Robin pretended to crumple with relief. "That's one torture
off my mind. Naturally they will be great stuff. Ethel Laird draws
better than any other girl at Hamilton. It was mighty fine in her to
take such a job on herself. I asked her for only one you know."
"Probably she saw a wistful gleam in your eye and was kind," laughed
Marjorie.
"There will be an entirely different gleam in my eye if those printers
don't hurry up with the programmes. Last I heard from them they hadn't
even started the work. We really took a good deal upon ourselves when we
started this show. I'm glad I am not a manager for my living. It is too
strenuous a life for Robin."
"We ought to call a rehearsal Saturday evening. There won't be anyone
caring to use the gym, and there won't be much time for it next week in
the evenings, with all the studying we have to do. Just recall, the show
is to be next Friday evening," was Marjorie's reminder.
"Oh, I know it," groaned Robin. "I shall be enraged, infuriated and
foaming at the mouth if those aggravating printers don't have our
programmes done in time."
"They will. Don't worry. When did they promise you the tickets?"
"Tomorrow. They've done fairly well with the tickets," Robin grudgingly
conceded. "That is, provided they deliver them tomorrow, as promised. I
am just a little tired, I guess. I like the programme part of getting up
a show, but I don't like the tiresome details."
"Come on over to Baretti's," invited Marjorie. "What you need is
sustenance. We can talk things over and have dinner at the same time. I
can stay out until eight. It's only five-fifteen now. We shall have
oceans of time."
"All right. Don't you believe, though, that we'll have much chance to
talk. Some of our gang will be there, sure as fate," Robin
prognosticated.
Surely enough, they were greeted by a hospitable quartette occupying a
table near the door. It was composed of Ronny, Jerry, Elaine Hunter and
Barbara Severn.
"Aren't you going home to dinner?" quizzed Jerry accusingly. "And you
never said a word to me this noon of your secret intentions."
"I hadn't any. May I ask why you are here without having obtained my
permission?" Marjorie drew down her face in an imitation of Miss Merton,
a Sanford teacher both girls had greatly disliked.
"I have nothing to say," chuckled Jerry. "You and your friend may sit at
our table, if you like."
"Thank you. My friend and I have weighty matters to discuss. We're in
the show business now, Jeremiah. We are bound for that last table in the
row." Marjorie pointed. "We'll join you later, and please don't disturb
us. Ahem!"
"I don't even know either of you by sight. Beat it." Jerry waved both
girls away with a magnificent gesture of disdain which sent them,
giggling, toward their table.
"This is my first off-the-campus treat since we talked about getting up
the show that day we went to Hamilton," Marjorie confided to Robin. "I
have thirty-eight dollars saved. Captain gave me twenty-five when I came
away from home. I told her I did not need it, but you see I had told her
about saving my money, too. That's the reason she gave it to me. I seem
not to be able to make any real sacrifices," Marjorie smiled ruefully.
"I have saved close to thirty. I could have saved more, but I have had
three Silvertonites to remember on their birthdays. Not my pals, but
girls who appreciate remembrances and who don't receive many. I haven't
been here but twice since we had that talk. We mustn't desert Signor
Baretti, either. He would feel dreadfully if we stopped patronizing his
tea room."
"We will have to try to please all our friends somehow, and ourselves,
too," Marjorie said gayly.
Their dinner ordered, the two settled down to talk over the progress of
their "show" with the business energy of two real theatrical managers.
Later, however, Jerry and her trio sidled up to the forbidden table and
were graciously allowed to remain. In consequence, it was half-past
eight before the party left the tea room.
"Lucy will wonder what has become of me," Ronny declared, as the three
Lookouts entered Wayland Hall. "I told her this noon I was not going
anywhere after recitations. Oh, dear! I am a nice person! I promised to
help Muriel with her French, before dinner. I forgot all about it until
this minute. She will be raving."
"You seem to be in a bad case all around," sympathized Marjorie in most
unsympathetic tones. "I'm sorry for you."
"I'm a great deal more sorry for myself," retorted Jerry.
"I haven't broken any promise by staying out, but I won't do much
studying tonight. Let me see, what recitations do I have tomorrow that I
can slight the least tiny bit?" Marjorie puckered her brows over her
problem.
Entering their room, the first sight that met hers and Jerry's eyes was
Lucy Warner, fast asleep in an arm chair. Jerry laid a warning finger
against her lips, then she stole softly up to Lucy.
"Wake up and pay for your lodgings," she growled in a deep, hoarse
voice.
"Oh-h! Ah-h!" Lucy sat up with a suddenness which narrowly missed
landing her on the floor. "I thought you would never come home," she
mumbled, not yet fully awake. Blinking sleepily at the two laughing
girls, she continued: "I had some news for you. I sat down to wait until
you came. Ronny was out; so was Muriel. I've been here since eight
o'clock. Were you out to dinner?"
"That means _you_ were not here." Jerry pointed an arraigning finger at
Lucy. "Where have you been? Lately you have become a regular gad-about.
It must be stopped, Luciferous."
"Gad-about nothing," disclaimed Lucy. "You, not I, belong to that
deplorable class, Jeremiah Macy. _I_ have been working. True, I dined
outside the Hall, and in distinguished company. I am President Matthews'
secretary pro tem. I had dinner at his house tonight. I told you I had
news for you."
"Can you beat that?" Jerry sank into the nearest chair as though about
to collapse. "You are mounting the college scale by leaps and bounds,
aren't you? Chummy with the registrar, a friend of Professor
Wenderblatt's, and now established in Doctor Matthews' good graces. The
unprecedented rise of Luciferous Warniferous; or, Secretaries who have
become famous."
"How did it happen? Where is Miss Sayres?" Marjorie exhibited lively
curiosity at the news.
"Miss Sayres is at home with a cold. Nothing very serious, I imagine.
Miss Humphrey recommended me to the doctor. He was away behind in his
correspondence. Miss Sayres has been ill for two days. It was nearly six
when I finished his letters. He still had an address to dictate. He
asked me if I would stay until after dinner and take the dictation. I
had a beautiful time. He and his wife are such friendly persons. He is a
great biologist, too. His son was there. He is a New York lawyer and is
home for a few days' visit." Lucy added this last without enthusiasm.
"Well, well, Luciferous!" patronized Jerry. "And were you afraid to talk
to the young man?"
"Oh, stop teasing me! No, I was not. He talked to his mother most of the
time, anyway. I must go and find Ronny. Was she with you girls?" Lucy
rose, gathered her books from the table, and prepared to depart.
"She was with us, Lucy. You'd better stay and talk to us," coaxed
Marjorie. "It's growing later and later and still I am not studying. I
might as well wind up a pleasant but unprofitable evening with gossiping
about Doctor Matthews. Come on back and resume your chair, Miss Warner."
Lucy had now reached the door. "Wait until I go and see Ronny, and I
will come back." She exited, returning five minutes afterward with
Ronny.
"You don't seem to have the study habit tonight, either," commented
Jerry genially to the new arrival. "Well, sit down and have a good time.
That's what college is for."
"How do you like the doctor, Lucy?" There was a note of sharp interest
in the question. Marjorie was anxious to hear Lucy's opinion of the
president. "I know you said he was friendly; but, I mean, what do you
think of him in other ways?"
"I understand you. You are thinking of Miss Remson. So was I, whenever I
had a chance to study the man. He is one of the kindest, finest men I
have ever come in contact with," Lucy declared impressively. "He is so
courteous; he goes to great pains in answering his letters. I know he
never wrote that letter to Miss Remson."
"I felt that way about him, too, the day I played messenger for Miss
Humphrey." Marjorie nodded agreement of Lucy's emphatic praise.
"I wish I could solve that letter mystery while I am there." Lucy's
green eyes gleamed. "My one chance would be to have a talk about it with
Doctor Matthews. That's not likely to happen. I could find out a good
deal about Miss Sayres by going through the letter files, but I would
die rather than touch one of them. I shall only be there for a day or
two, I suppose. If I could be his secretary for two or three weeks I
might be able to say a good word for Miss Remson. I am sure there has
been a great misrepresentation and I believe Miss Sayres is at the
bottom of it."
"What would you do, Luciferous, if, while you were there, you found out
something that was plain proof against the Sans?" was Marjorie's
thoughtful query.
"I would take it up with Doctor Matthews at once, wouldn't you, in the
same circumstances?"
"Yes," came the unhesitating reply. "That is the one thing I have always
thought I would not mind telling against the Sans." Marjorie's features
grew sternly determined. "It was such a cruel thing to do; to estrange
two friends of such long standing. For all we know, Doctor Matthews may
wonder why Miss Remson has not visited him and his wife for over a
year."
"It is not likely that I shall find any such proof. If I should, I would
use it very quickly. Miss Remson was dreadfully hurt over that miserable
letter. I would put the proof before Doctor Matthews if I had to fight
all the Sans single-handed afterward."