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[Illustration: Leila claimed the privilege of conveying the freshman to
Silverton Hall, her destination. Page 115]
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MARJORIE DEAN
COLLEGE SOPHOMORE
By Pauline Lester
Author of
"Marjorie Dean, College Freshman,"
"Marjorie Dean, College Junior,"
"Marjorie Dean, College Senior,"
and
The Marjorie Dean High School Series
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers--New York
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The Marjorie Dean College Series
A Series of Stories for Girls 12 to 18 Years of Age
By Pauline Lester
Marjorie Dean, College Freshman
Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore
Marjorie Dean, College Junior
Marjorie Dean, College Senior
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Copyright, 1922
By A. L. BURT COMPANY
MARJORIE DEAN, COLLEGE SOPHOMORE
Made in "U. S. A."
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MARJORIE DEAN, COLLEGE SOPHOMORE
CHAPTER I
THE RETURN.
"Hamilton, at last!" Marjorie Dean's utterance expressed her satisfaction
of the journey's near end.
"Yes; Hamilton, at last," repeated Muriel Harding. "This September it
doesn't matter a particle whether or not we are met at the station. We
are sophomores. We know what to do and where to go without the help of
the celebrated Sans Soucians." Muriel's inflection was one of sarcasm.
"All the help they ever gave us as freshmen can be told in two words:
_no help_. Forget the Sans. I hate to think of them. I hope not one of
them is back. The station platform will look beautiful without them."
Jerry Macy delivered herself of this uncomplimentary opinion as she
began methodically to gather up her luggage.
"How very sad to see two Hamiltonites so utterly lacking in college
spirit." Veronica Lynne simulated pained surprise.
"Yes; isn't it?" retorted Jerry. "Whose fault is it that Muriel and I
haven't last year's trusting faith in reception committees? Recall how
we stood on the station platform like a flock of dummies with no one to
bid us the time of day or say a kind word to us. No wonder my love for
the Sans is a minus quantity."
"You aren't following your own advice," calmly criticized Lucy Warner.
"You said 'Forget the Sans' and went right on talking about them."
"'And thou, too, Brutus!'" Jerry dramatically struck her hand to her
forehead. "It is getting to the point where one can't say a single word
around here without being called to account for it. This distressing
state of affairs must stop." She frowned portentously at Lucy, who
merely giggled. "You may blame Ronny for egging me on to further cutting
remarks about the Sans. I was prepared to forget them until she
undertook to call Muriel and I down. Then I simply had to defend our
position."
"What position?" innocently queried Ronny. "I was not aware that you and
Muriel----"
"The train has stopped. Didn't you know it?" was Marjorie's amused
interruption. "Stop squabbling and come along." She was already in the
aisle and impatient to be on the move. "Helen Trent is out on the
platform, Jeremiah. I just caught a glimpse of her. I hope Leila and
Vera are out there, too. Let me assist you into the aisle." Marjorie
playfully gripped Jerry's arm in a vain effort to draw her to her feet.
"Thank you. I can assist myself. I am not yet aged enough to require
your services. You may carry my suitcase, if you like. It's as heavy as
lead."
"Charmed, but unfortunately I have one to carry equally heavy," Marjorie
hastily declined. "I only offered to haul you up from the seat. My offer
didn't include luggage carrying."
"You are a fake." Jerry rose and prepared to follow Marjorie down the
aisle. As she went she peered anxiously out of the car windows for a
first glimpse of her particular friend, Helen Trent.
The eyes of the other four Lookouts were also turned eagerly toward the
station platform in search of their Hamilton friends.
A year had elapsed since first the Five Travelers, as the quintette of
Sanford girls had named themselves, had set foot in the Country of
College. Each was recalling now how very strangely she had felt on first
glimpsing Hamilton station with its bevy of laughing, chatting girls,
not one of whom they knew. Then they had been entering freshmen, with
everything to learn about college. Now they were sophomores, with a year
of college experience to their credit. What befell Marjorie Dean and her
four Lookout chums as freshmen at Hamilton College has already been
recounted in "Marjorie Dean, College Freshman."
"Hooray!" rejoiced Jerry, from the top step of the train, waving her
handbag, a magazine and a tennis racket, all of which she clutched in
her right hand. This vociferous greeting was for Helen, who was making
equally vociferous signals of jubilation at the descending travelers.
Marjorie had also caught sight of Leila Harper and Vera Mason, and was
waving them a welcome. Lucy's eyes were fixed on Katherine Langly, whom
she knew had come down to the station especially to meet her. Veronica
and Muriel were exchanging gay hand salutations with a group of
Silverton Hall girls prior to greeting them on the platform. An instant
and the Five Travelers were free of the train and surrounded.
"And is it yourself?" Leila Harper was hugging Marjorie in an excess of
true Irish affection. "Vera had a hunch this morning that you would be
here today. I said it was too early; that you wouldn't be here until the
first of next week. She would have it her way, so we drove down to meet
this train. Now I know she has the gifted eye and the seeing mind, as we
Irish say."
"It is a good thing for us that she had that hunch," declared Marjorie,
turning to Vera and holding out both hands. "I was hoping you would both
be here to meet us. I would have wired you, Leila, but was not sure that
you would be back at Hamilton so early. We are here a week earlier than
last year. We wanted to be at home as long as we could, but we felt
that, as sophomores, we ought to come back earlier to help the freshies.
We had such a lonesome time on our freshman appearance at Hamilton, you
know."
"Yes, I know," returned Leila significantly. "That was one of the Sans'
performances which was never explained. Away with them. This is no time
to think of them. The rest of your Lookouts are running off and leaving
you, Beauty." This last had been Leila's pet name for Marjorie since the
latter had won the title at a beauty contest given the previous year at
the freshman frolic.
"They'd better not run far. I am going to take you all back to college
in my car," Vera hospitably informed Marjorie. "Leila brought Helen
Trent, Katherine, Ethel Laird and Martha Merrick to the station in her
car. Ethel expects a freshman cousin from Troy, New York. Martha came
along because she had nothing else to do. She said she would like to
see if my hunch came true. She had never yet heard of one that amounted
to a row of pins. She was sure you would not be on the 5.50 train. Oh,
wait until I catch sight of her! She's circulating around the platform
somewhere."
"So are my pals." Marjorie glanced about her, endeavoring to locate her
chums. None of them were far away. Lucy and Katherine Langly were
already approaching. Muriel and Ronny were still engaged with the group
of Silverton Hall girls. Neither Robina Page nor Portia Graham were
among them. It was quite likely they had not yet returned to Hamilton.
"Just as soon as we can collect your crowd, Marjorie, we'll spin you
along to the Hall. Then, I beg to inform you, you are needed at a grand
rally at Baretti's. Let us have faith in the stars that those four pals
of yours have not recklessly accepted invitations to other celebrations.
And if they have, I shall be in a high temper. I warn you." Leila showed
her white teeth in a smile that was certainly no indication of
ill-temper.
"They haven't, Leila," Marjorie happily assured. She was thinking what a
joy it was to see Leila again. "On the train we all agreed not to accept
any invitations to dinner on this first evening. Our plan was to take
you and Vera, Helen and Katherine and Hortense Barlow to Baretti's for a
feast, provided you were all here. If some of you were missing, then we
thought we would take those of you who had come back to the Colonial,
and wait until you all arrived for the other celebration. You see, it is
to be what you might call a 'first friends'' party. Helen was the first
girl we met. Now she and Jerry are college pals. Katherine is Lucy's
first friend. Muriel is so fond of Hortense, and Ronny and I look upon
you and Vera as nearer than any of the others. I am fond of Robin Page,
and Portia Graham, too. They really ought to be included. Are they here,
and how long have you and Vera been back?"
Marjorie made her explanations and asked her questions almost in the
same breath.
"We have been here three days. We have been really busy though. We had
our unpacking to do, and we changed the furniture around in our room. We
spent one whole afternoon playing golf. We both adore the Hamilton
links. The time has gone fast, although we have missed our own
particular cronies, especially in the evenings. Now we can have a few
jollifications before college starts." Vera answered for Leila, who had
turned to greet Lucy Warner.
Presently Muriel and Ronny joined them, to be warmly welcomed by the two
juniors. Jerry and Helen Trent were the last to arrive. With their
appearance among the group of staunch comrades, the entire party began a
slow walk down the platform and toward the stairs which led away from
the station.
"If you are in search of information as to who's where and when you may
expect them, ask Helen. As I used to say of myself, 'I know everything
about everybody,' I now pass on that same saying to my esteemed friend,
Miss Trent." Jerry beamed on Helen with exaggerated admiration.
"Now, Jeremiah, don't you think that a rather sweeping statement? There
may be just a _few_ students at Hamilton I don't happen to be informed
about. You will give our friends here the impression that I am a
busybody. Remember I am now a junior. Try to treat me with more
respect." Helen smiled indolent good nature as she thus admonished
Jerry.
"I'll try, but that's all the good it will do. The whole trouble is, you
don't command my awe and respect," complained Jerry.
"Neither do you inspire such feelings in me," placidly returned Helen.
"We'll simply have to go on being disrespectful to each other," she
ended, with a chuckle which Jerry echoed.
"Let us see." The little company had reached the place where Leila and
Vera had parked their cars. Leila now cast speculative eyes over the
group. "Martha is missing. Ethel must have found her cousin, surely. If
she did not find her she was to go back to the campus with us. I lost
track of her after the train whistled in. Martha is probably with Ethel;
helping to impress the freshman cousin with junior estate," Leila made
whimsical guess. "I think we are ready to start. Nine of us; that's four
to your car and five to mine, Midget."
"All right," returned Vera. "Choose your five, or, better, let your five
choose you. The sooner we start, the sooner we will reach the Hall. That
means a longer time to celebrate tonight."
"Delighted to ride with either of you," assured Muriel. "The main
feature of this occasion is the beautiful fact that we are cherished
enough to be actually met at the station and asked to ride in folks'
automobiles."
"Muriel can't get over the freezing-out we met with last September,"
commented Ronny.
"Neither can I. I feel chilly every time I think of it. Br-r-r!" Jerry
made pretense of shivering.
"Well, we all know whose fault that was," shrugged Leila.
"Precisely what I said just before we left the train," nodded Jerry. "We
couldn't understand for a long time why those three Sans should have
taken it upon themselves at all to meet our train. We have a clear idea
now of why it was. Tonight, at the celebration, I'll hold forth on the
subject. Let us not mar the sweet joy of meeting by gossiping," she
ended with an irresistibly funny simper.
"No; let us not," echoed Leila dryly. "Be quick with your choosing now.
Time will keep on flying."
Five minutes later, Marjorie, Ronny, Helen and Jerry were leaving the
station yard in Leila's car. Muriel, Lucy, Katherine and Vera occupied
the latter's smart limousine. In comparison with the subdued almost sad
little party they had been on the previous September, the Five Travelers
were now a very merry company of adventurers in the Country of College.
On the front seat of Leila's roadster, beside Leila, Marjorie was silent
for a little, as Leila skilfully guided the trim roadster in and out of
the considerable traffic of Herndon Avenue, Hamilton's main
thoroughfare.
"Have you seen any of the Sans yet, Leila?" she presently questioned.
The car was now turning into Highland Avenue, which led directly to
Hamilton Estates. Marjorie glimpsed, in passing, the same wealth of
colorful leaf and bloom she had so greatly admired when driving through
the pretty town the previous autumn.
"No signs of them yet," Leila made reply. "I am not grieving. I am
wondering if they will be at the Hall again this year. Miss Remson
doesn't want them; that I know. After they made the trouble for you, she
declared she would not let them come back if she could help it."
"I know." Marjorie was silent for a moment. "I had a talk with Miss
Remson in June, just before college closed," she said slowly. "I asked
her not to make a complaint to President Matthews on my account. I told
her it would not make any difference to me if they stayed at the Hall. I
did not believe it would make any to the rest of the girls. None of us
had spoken to them since the meeting in the living room. None of us were
in the least afraid of them. We had as much right to be at the Hall as
they. She finally promised to leave me out of it entirely, but she
intended to make complaint against them on her own account."
"Then they will soon be here, lug and luggage," predicted Leila with a
groan. "It is the way they treated you that would have counted against
them. Our president is a stickler for honor. He might readily expel them
for that very performance."
"That is what I was afraid of. I should not wish a student expelled from
Hamilton on my account. It was hard enough to have to call them to
account, as we did last March."
"They have had all summer to get over the shock. They'll be planning
new trouble this fall." Leila spoke with the confidence of belief.
"Leslie Cairns never gives up. Are you ready to fight them again,
Beauty?" Leila eyed Marjorie quizzically. She asked the question in the
odd, level tone she had used on first acquaintance with Marjorie.
"I think this: Our best way to fight the Sans is by influence. Their
influence, founded as it is on money values, is not beneficial to
Hamilton College. Ours should be founded strictly on observing the
traditions of Hamilton. We must make other students see that, too. We
can't lecture on the subject, of course. It will have to be a silent
struggle for nobler aims. I hardly know how to explain my meaning. I
only wish everyone else here had the same feeling of reverence for
Hamilton that I have."
Marjorie paused, quite at a loss to put into words all that was in her
heart. As they talked, the roadster had been spinning rapidly along
through Hamilton Estates. Suddenly the campus, of living velvety green,
appeared upon their view. The old, potent spell of its beauty gripped
the little lieutenant afresh. She had a desire to rise in the seat and
shout a welcome to her first Hamilton friend. A verse of a forest hymn
she had learned as a child in the grade schools sprang to her memory. It
was so well suited to the campus.
"I've always loved the campus, Leila," she began. "I call it my first
friend and the chimes my second. Those two things meant the most to me
when first we came to Hamilton and felt so out of the college picture.
Just now I happened to recall a verse of a song we used to sing in
school. It is a hymn to the forest, but it describes Hamilton campus and
all the college itself should stand for." Marjorie repeated the verse,
her eyes on the rolling emerald spread:
"Who rightly scans thy beauty, a world of truth must read;
Of life and hope and duty; our help in time of need.
And I have read them often, those words so true and clear,
What heart that would not soften, thy wisdom to revere."