A WELCOME GUEST
The meeting in the library the next day, followed by a social session at
Vinton's, resulted in the enthusiastic organization of the society
proposed by Grace. As had been suggested, every girl had brought with
her a slip of paper on which was written the name she had selected for
the society. Arline collected the names and read each one in turn to the
assembled girls.
"Which one do you like best?" she asked, looking from one to another of
her friends.
"The first one," said Miriam Nesbit.
"So do I," echoed half a dozen voices.
"'Semper Fidelis,'" repeated Grace musingly. "I like the sound of that,
too. Who proposed that name?"
"I did," admitted Emma Dean. "I thought it might stand for our motto as
well. It means 'always faithful,' you know. That applies to us, doesn't
it?"
"Of course we shall be always faithful to our cause," declared Grace.
"All those in favor of the name Semper Fidelis, please manifest it by
holding up their right hands."
Twelve right hands were raised simultaneously.
"That settles it," stated Grace. "From now on we are the Semper Fidelis
girls. Let us lose no time in leaving the sacred precincts of the
library for Vinton's. We can make more noise there."
After the second sundae all around had been disposed of the society
settled down to business. It was decided that the club should be a
purely social affair. Arline was chosen for president, Grace for
vice-president and Gertrude Wells as secretary and treasurer. There was
to be no special day set aside for meetings. A meeting might be called
at any time at the united request of three members. The sole object of
the club was to extend a helping hand to the young women who were making
praiseworthy efforts to put themselves through college. The foremost
duty of the society would be to ascertain the names of these girls and
offer them pecuniary assistance. Arline had written her father for the
promised check for five hundred dollars, which would be deposited in the
bank in Gertrude Wells's name as soon as it arrived.
"I might as well tell you now that I wrote and asked Pa for a check in
spite of what Grace said," confessed Elfreda rather sheepishly.
"I might as well confess that I mentioned the club idea to Mother," said
Miriam. "I didn't ask her for a check, but I wouldn't be astonished if
she sent one in her next letter."
"You two girls are traitors to the cause," laughed Grace. "Perhaps you
will be disappointed."
"I won't," asserted Elfreda boldly. "Pa might as well help us as any one
else. I told him so, too."
"The important question is what can we do to earn money for our cause?"
asked Grace.
"We might give a play," said Miriam Nesbit. "Anne can star in it. I
should like to have the Overton girls see her at her best."
"I don't wish to be seen 'at my best,'" protested Anne. "I want the
other girls to have a chance, too. Why not give a vaudeville show? Grace
and Miriam can dance. Elfreda can give imitations. There are plenty of
things we can do. We will advertise the show in all the campus houses,
and each one of us must pledge ourselves to sell a certain number of
tickets. I think we would be allowed to use Music Hall for the show, and
if we could sell tickets enough to fill it, even comfortably, it would
mean quite a sum of money for our treasury. We might charge fifty cents
for admittance, or, if you think that is too much, we might put the
price down to twenty-five cents."
"I think we had better charge fifty cents," said Elfreda shrewdly. "It
will be as easy for those who come to pay fifty cents as to pay
twenty-five. We might as well have the other quarter as Vinton's or
Martell's."
"Elfreda, you are a brilliant and valuable addition to this society,"
commended Arline. "I agree with you. We are likely to reap almost as
many half dollars as quarters."
"We might give an act from one of Shakespeare's plays," remarked
Gertrude Wells doubtfully. "Still, I think it would be more fun to have
just stunts. Those of us who know any ought to be willing to come
forward and do them. We can ask some of the upper class girls to help.
Beatrice Alden sings; so does Frances Marlton. Mabel Ashe can do almost
any kind of fancy dancing. There is plenty of talent in college. The
junior glee club will sing for us, I am sure.
"We can make it a regular vaudeville entertainment, and have posters
announcing each number. We can have two girls, costumed as pages, to
bring out and remove the posters announcing the numbers."
"That's a good idea," approved Arline. "I can sing baby and little-girl
songs and dance a little. I might sing one to fill in."
"You are engaged to sing one the first time you come to see me," laughed
Grace. "Here is talent of which we never dreamed. I knew you could sing,
but you never before confessed to being a real song and dance artist."
"We shall have all 'headliners in our show,' as the billboard
advertisements beautifully put it," commented Miriam. "I wish Eleanor
were here, don't you, Grace? Then Anne could recite 'Enoch Arden.'"
"Who is Eleanor, and why can't Anne recite 'Enoch Arden' without her?"
were Elsie Wilton's curious inquiries.
"The 'Eleanor' we speak of is in Italy, studying music, or was the last
time we heard from her. She used to live in Oakdale and is one of our
dearest friends. She arranged music to be played during Anne's recital
of 'Enoch Arden.' They gave it at a concert at home and it was a
tremendous success."
"I wish she were to be here to our show, then," said Arline plaintively.
"We would feature her. What's her other name?"
"Savelli," replied Grace quickly.
"Eleanor Savelli, the famous Italian pianiste," announced Arline, bowing
to an imaginary audience. "Her name is the same as that of Savelli, the
great virtuoso, isn't it?"
"He is her father," said Grace simply.
A little murmur of astonishment went up.
"Oh, if she had only come to Overton instead of going to Italy!" sighed
Elizabeth Wade. "I heard Savelli play at a concert three years ago. I
shall never forget him."
"We were awfully disappointed," interposed Miriam. "Eleanor's father was
to tour America this winter, but changed his mind. There was talk of a
spring tour, but we haven't heard from Eleanor for over a month, so we
don't know whether there is any possibility of his sailing for America.
If he did come to this country, Eleanor would be sure to accompany him.
She has promised us that."
"There is no use in wishing for the impossible, children," said Emma
Dean briskly, rising from the table and beginning to put on her coat.
"There is also no use in being late for dinner. In spite of this
bounteous repast," she indicated the empty sundae glasses, "I yearn for
Mrs. Elwood's simple but infinitely more satisfying fare. It's almost
six o'clock. Those that are going with me, hurry up."
"We must have another meeting within the next two or three days,"
declared Grace. "Can all of you girls come to our room next Friday
evening? In the meantime we will arrange a programme which will be
brought before the club for approval at our next meeting. Don't any of
you fail to be there."
As the Wayne Hall girls flocked in the front door that night, Mrs.
Elwood met them with: "Miss Harlowe, there is a young lady in the living
room, waiting for you. She's been there almost an hour."
"For me?" inquired Grace in surprise. "I'll go in at once."
An instant later the girls heard a delighted little cry of "Eleanor, you
dear thing!" Then Grace sprang to the door, exclaiming: "Girls, girls!
come in here at once. You can never guess who is here!"
At the cry of "Eleanor," Miriam and Anne, who were half way upstairs,
ran down again and into the living room. They were followed by Elfreda,
who paused on the stairs, then turned and went slowly up to her room.
"Last year I wouldn't have known enough to go on about my business," she
muttered as she walked stolidly into her room and sat down on the end of
the couch.
Ten minutes later Miriam burst into the room with: "Come downstairs,
Elfreda. Don't you want to meet Eleanor? You know you have said so ever
so many times. She's very anxious to meet you."
"Of course I want to meet her," returned Elfreda with a short,
embarrassed laugh. "This room is the place for me, though, until you are
ready to introduce me. Are you sure you want me to go downstairs?"
"You funny girl," laughed Miriam. "Of course we want you. We have just
been telling Eleanor about you. She hasn't time to come upstairs now,
for her father is waiting for her at the 'Tourraine.' He is going back
to New York City to-night. He has a concert to-morrow. Grace, Anne and I
are going to dine with them. I'm sorry I can't take you along, but
perhaps he will come again to Overton. Eleanor is going to stay a week
longer if we can coax her to remain. She is traveling with her father.
We must hurry downstairs, for Eleanor is to meet her father at half-past
six o'clock, and it is a quarter-past now."
Elfreda shook hands with Eleanor almost timidly. She was deeply
impressed with the latter's exquisite beauty.
"So this is Elfreda," smiled Eleanor, patting the stout girl's hand. "I
have learned to know you through the letters my friends have written me.
I feel as though you were an old friend."
"It's awfully nice in you to say so," murmured Elfreda, her eyes shining
with pleasure.
"Won't you go with us to the 'Tourraine'?" asked Eleanor sweetly. "I
would like to have you meet my father."
"Thank you," almost gasped Elfreda. "I'd love to meet him, but I
think--"
"Never mind thinking," interrupted Eleanor, gayly. "Just hurry into your
wraps and come along. We'll wait for you."
"That's sweet in you, Eleanor," said Grace in a low tone as Elfreda ran
upstairs. "She was wild to go with us. She has worshipped you ever since
we showed her your picture. She has heard your father play, too, and
considers him the greatest violinist living."
"I suspected she wished to be included in the invitation," smiled
Eleanor. "I imagine I am going to like her very much."
Guido Savelli had engaged a private dining room at the "Tourraine" for
his young guests. He welcomed them with true Latin enthusiasm, and to
see him seated at the head of the table one would never have suspected
him to be the moody, temperamental genius whose playing had made him
famous in two continents. When the time came to leave the hotel for the
train he was escorted to the station by an admiring bodyguard of five
young women.
"Remember, you have promised to visit Overton again before you leave New
York," reminded Grace as he walked down the station platform between
Grace and Eleanor.
"He will," declared Eleanor. "I shall make him come back to Overton for
me. Good-bye, Father. Take care of yourself. Remember to go for your
walk every day, won't you? He's the nicest father," she said softly as
the little group turned to leave the station after the train had gone.
"Now take me to your house and let us have an old-fashioned gossip. I
have so much to tell you, and I want to hear about Overton."
A happy party gathered in Grace's room that night for an old-time talk
about Oakdale. Elfreda was the only outsider present. For her benefit
the story of the stolen class money and its timely recovery by Grace and
Eleanor, as related in "Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High
School," was retold, as well as many other eventful happenings of
their high school life. At a quarter to ten o'clock the four girls
escorted Eleanor to the "Tourraine," returning just inside the half-past
ten o'clock limit.
"Well, what do you think of Eleanor, Elfreda?" asked Grace, stopping for
a moment outside the room shared by Miriam and Elfreda before going to
her own.
"Don't ask me," rejoined Elfreda fervently. "I can't thank you girls
enough for the good time I've had to-night. But I want to say that if
there is anything I can do for any of you, just count on J. Elfreda
Briggs to do it."
"It isn't necessary for you to tell us that, Elfreda," said Anne. "We
know that you are true blue, and so does Eleanor."
"Does she really like me?" asked Elfreda eagerly.
"She likes you very much," interposed Grace. "She said so."
"Then I'm going to give a luncheon for her to-morrow afternoon at
Vinton's," declared Elfreda with shining eyes. "I wanted to suggest it,
to-night, but I was afraid she might not care to come."
"Couldn't you 'see' that she liked you?" teased Miriam.
"No, I couldn't. There are lots of things I can't 'see.' One of them is
why you girls ever went to so much trouble to make me 'see.' Good
night." Casting one glance of love and loyalty toward her friends,
Elfreda vanished into her room, and wise Miriam took care not to enter
the room until the stout girl's moment of self-communion had passed.