FRESHIE FISHING.
The result of Leslie Cairns' rallying of her companions to her standard
was made manifest when a fairly lengthy procession of automobiles,
driven by Sans sped along the smooth roads to the station on the
following Friday morning.
While Leslie was not at all on good terms with Miss Humphrey, the
registrar, she had other sources of information open to her regarding
college matters which were by rights none of her affairs. It was,
therefore, easy for her to learn how many of the freshman class had
registered and govern herself accordingly. With the tactics of a general
she went the rounds of the Sans, ordering them to be on hand all day
Friday with their cars, provided these highly useful machines in the
campaign had arrived on the scene. At least half of the Sans were
already in possession of their own pet cars, these having been driven to
Hamilton by the chauffeurs of their respective families. Nine
automobiles accordingly went to swell the procession that sunny Friday
morning and the Sans were in high feather as, two to a car, they set out
on their self-imposed welcoming task.
Leslie had decreed that they were to meet every incoming train of
importance that day and spare no pains to make themselves agreeable to
the newcomers. In case the freshman yield was small, they were to use
their judgment about being friendly with returning students of the upper
classes.
"If we can't fill our cars with freshies, you girls all know just about
who's who at Hamilton. Don't pick up a soph, junior or senior unless you
are sure that it will be to our advantage to do so. Keep an eye out for
faculty. Nothing like being on the soft side of them."
Such was Leslie's counsel to her followers who were entering the
campaign with a malicious zest infinitely gratifying to her. While the
other eight cars contained two occupants apiece, Leslie's pet roadster
held a third passenger. Leslie had elected to invite Elizabeth Walbert
to share the roadster with herself and Harriet Stephens. This was not in
the least to Natalie Weyman's liking. Her own car having arrived, she
was obliged to drive it. She had not emerged from her cloud of
resentment against the officious Miss Walbert, nor was she likely to.
Meanwhile the faithful little committee, truly devoted to freshman
welfare, was blissfully unaware that their duties were about to be
snatched from them by the predatory Sans. The absent members of the
committee having arrived, the seven girls held a meeting on Thursday
evening in Marjorie's room, dividing the trains to be met among them.
Marjorie and Jerry were to be reinforced by Leila and Vera. The others
had also certain friends among the sophs, juniors and seniors who could
be relied upon to help them.
Marjorie and Jerry having been detailed to meet the ten-twenty train
from the west each morning, Vera and Leila never failed to be on hand
with their cars by nine o'clock. This permitted of a delightful spin in
the fresh air over the many picturesque drives in the vicinity of
Hamilton College. Always punctual, Leila never failed to get them to the
station in plenty of time for the train.
Driving into the station yard on this particular Friday morning, the
sight of a line of shining automobiles caused them to blink in momentary
astonishment.
"The Sans!" muttered Leila, giving vent to her usual whistle of
surprise. "Now what are the heathen up to? Look at that line of cars!
Almost every color except violet. What do you make of that?"
"They must expect a delegation of their own friends," guessed Marjorie.
"A lot of upper class girls are expected at Hamilton today."
"Freshies, too," added Leila, as she brought her car to a stop and
prepared to alight. "Miss Humphrey told me she thought a large part of
the freshman class would be in on Friday and Saturday. I was complaining
to her of how few we had landed in the past week."
By this time Jerry and Vera were both out of Vera's car and had come
quickly up to Marjorie and Leila.
"Can you beat it?" saluted Jerry. "We think the Sans have come freshie
fishing. What do you think?"
"Little Miss Charitable thinks they may be down here to meet their own
friends," remarked Leila with a mischievous glance toward Marjorie. "You
guileless infant! Don't you know what has happened? The Sans are going to
do just what some of us said the other night they wouldn't take the
trouble to do. They have gone into the welcoming business."
"One, two, three----" Vera had begun to count the colorful array of
automobiles. "Nine machines." She turned to Leila with a little laugh.
"It shows which way the wind is blowing, doesn't it?"
"We are going to have some fun with them this year," predicted Leila
with a touch of grimness. "They are beginning to be afraid of losing
their glory or you would never see them down here welcoming freshmen."
"Let's get along and take a look at our rivals," suggested Jerry
humorously. "I suppose they will all be dressed to kill. Too bad they
can't appear in full evening dress. That would be so much more
impressive."
"I am not going to let them bother me," announced Marjorie placidly.
"The kind of girls we are specially on the lookout to help will not be
their kind. They will pick out the smartly-dressed ones and leave the
humble ones, if there are any, to us. After all, there are not very many
poor students at Hamilton. I suppose it is because of the high tuition
fees and the expensive board here."
"We had better hustle along. Hear that?" Jerry; raised a hand for
attention. "That is the train whistling."
Without further delay the quartette hurriedly sought the stairs and
reached the platform a moment or two before the train appeared in
sight.
"I shall not be sorry when our committee duties end," Marjorie said with
a faint sigh. "It seems as though about all I have done since I came
back to Hamilton is to meet trains. I have a lot of things to do for
myself that I haven't had time to think about. I haven't arranged my
study programme either."
"Cheer up. Tomorrow will end it," consoled Vera. "There will be some
stragglers next week, of course, but today and Saturday will see the
most of the students here."
"Look at the Sans." Leila arched her brows and drew down the corners of
her mouth. "Hmm! Posted all along the platform with General Cairns in
the most prominent place. And do my eyes tell me lies! Isn't that girl
hanging on her arm the freshie you lost the other day, Marjorie?"
"Yes, it is Miss Walbert." Marjorie instantly identified the fickle
freshman.
"You never said a word to any of us about what happened the other day
except that she knew Miss Myers and left you," Jerry said. "I meant to
ask you about her afterward and I forgot it. Was she snippy with you?"
"No-o; not exactly snippy." A faint smile rose to Marjorie's lips. "She
wasn't satisfied to stay with us. The minute she caught sight of the
Sans she wanted to be with them. Then she found she knew Miss Myers and
Miss Stephens, and she simply walked off and left us."
"She's a first-class snob, isn't she?" persisted Jerry.
"Yes, she is," Marjorie responded truthfully. "Frankly I am not sorry
she left us. I seldom dislike a girl on sight, but I did not like her. I
found it hard work to be polite to her. There was something about her
that jarred on me dreadfully."
The arrival of the train cut off further conversation for the moment.
The four girls turned their attention to watching the little stream of
girls that issued from the several cars. Greatly to their amusement the
Sans behaved somewhat after the manner of taxicab drivers eagerly
soliciting fares.
"We stand small chance with the freshies today, unless we can line up
beside the Sans and call out our merits," laughed Leila.
Marjorie smiled absently, only half hearing Leila's remark. Her eyes
were roving up and down the platform in an effort to pick up any girl
whom the Sans might deliberately choose to overlook. She saw no one. The
considerable number of girls who had descended the car steps were being
taken in tow by the new self-constituted reception committee. The
clanging of bells and the sharp blast of the whistle proclaimed the
train to be ready to move on. The Sans and their finds were already
turning their back upon it.
Several yards below where she was standing, Marjorie suddenly spied a
lithe, girlish figure coming down the car steps almost at a run,
burdened though she was by a traveling bag and a suitcase. At the bottom
step she lost her grip on the leather bag and it rolled onto the
platform. Instantly Marjorie hurried to her, followed by Jerry. Leila
and Vera were genially shaking hands with two seniors who were also
behind the main body of the crowd in leaving the train.
"Oh!" exclaimed a dismayed voice, as the traveler's feet found the solid
platform.
Marjorie had already recovered the leather bag. Nor was she a second too
soon. Joan Myers had lagged behind her companions to talk to a senior
who had just come off the train. She had also seen the solitary arrival.
She had not failed to note the girl's ultra smart appearance and
consequently decided to take charge of her. Utterly ignoring the fact
that Marjorie had retrieved the rolling grip, Joan grandly held out her
hand to the newcomer.
"Freshman?" she inquired, in sweet tones. "So glad to welcome you to
Hamilton. Do let me help you. A number of my friends and myself are
making a point of welcoming freshman arrivals. Just come with me and I
will see that you are taken care of."
Forgetful for the fraction of an instant of the gracious rôle she was
essaying, Joan flashed Marjorie a contemptuous glance. It said more
plainly than words: "You are not wanted here."
Well aware of it, Marjorie stood her ground. She was still in possession
of the bag. Joan's interruption had given her no time either to greet
the traveler or return her property.
"Thank you. I am expecting a cousin of mine to meet me." The girl
responded courteously, but with a trace of reserve. "Perhaps you know
her. She is Miss Page of Silverton Hall."
"I know who she is. I believe I have met her." A dull tide of red
mounted to Joan's cheeks. "So long as you are to be met by _her_ I won't
intrude. So pleased to have met you, I'm sure." With this hasty and
insincere assurance, Joan beat a rapid retreat, leaving Marjorie, Jerry
and the freshman to their own devices.
"I don't believe she can be a very intimate friend of Robin's," calmly
commented the girl, a slightly mocking light in her pretty blue eyes.
"She isn't," was Jerry's blunt answer, "but we are. If you are willing
to take our word for it, we shall be glad to see you to Hamilton
College. I heard yesterday that Robin was back, but we haven't seen her
yet. I am Geraldine Macy and this is my friend Marjorie Dean."
"I have heard of both of you from Robin. I spent two weeks with her at
Cape May this summer. Now I know I am in the hands of friends. Tell you
the truth, I didn't like that other girl a little bit. I hadn't the
least intention of toddling along with her. I was glad I had Robin for
an excuse. I really thought she would meet me. As you haven't seen her
since you heard she was back, that means she certainly isn't around here
now. I think that tall, red-faced girl was awfully rude to thrust
herself upon me when she could plainly see that you were holding my
bag." She now addressed herself to Marjorie.
"I made up my mind to hang on to the bag until I had a chance to speak
to you." Marjorie evaded passing opinion on Joan. "Jerry and I are on
committee to welcome freshmen. This morning a crowd of juniors came down
to the station for that purpose. We did not have any luck
freshie-fishing. The juniors caught them all, with the exception of
yourself."
"I came near being carried on to the next station," laughed the girl. "I
dropped my coin purse and couldn't find it. I was frantic, for I had
stuffed some bank notes into it and naturally didn't want to leave the
train without it. It had rolled under the seat just in front of me. By
the time I found it the train was ready to start and I had to hustle. I
nearly took a fall on that last step, but saved myself by letting my bag
go instead of me. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Phyllis Marie
Moore, at your service, and when we all get past the Miss stage you may
like to call me Phil. I used to be a terrible tomboy until I grew up. I
am a rapid fire talker. I love to talk and I have very strong likes and
dislikes. Let me see. Oh, yes. I say outright whatever I think, whether
it sets well or not. Those are the main points about me, I guess. You
may now discard me or take me to your heart; just as you please," she
ended with a merry little laugh.
"We shall be delighted to begin cherishing you immediately," Marjorie
gaily assured.
Jerry was quick to add to the assurance. Given also to very positive
likes and dislikes, she had already taken a great fancy to Robin's
lively cousin. She had a shrewd opinion that it would not take Phillis
Marie Moore long to make a prominent place for herself in the freshman
class.
Leila and Vera now joined them, in company with the two seniors, who
were going to the campus in Vera's car. Leila claimed the privilege of
conveying the freshman arrival at Silverton Hall, her destination. Once
there, Miss Moore's three upper class guardians were given a vociferous
greeting by a bevy of jubilant girls.
"You bad old goose!" was Robin Page's affectionate censure as she hugged
her tall, boyish cousin. "Why didn't you wire me?"
"I did," returned Phyllis. "You'll probably receive it tomorrow. That
will be so nice, won't it, to get a wire that I am on the way when I'm
already here?"
"You fell into good hands, anyway," Robin beamed on the trio of Wayland
Hall girls. "Do you notice anything different about me?" she asked
anxiously of them all. Very carefully she turned her head so that the
small knot of hair at the nape of her white neck could be seen. "I am a
real grown-up young person now!" she proudly exclaimed. "I can do up my
hair."
"You are that," Leila agreed in her most gallant Irish manner. "It is
now that we shall have to begin to treat you with proper respect."
"See that you do," retorted Robin. "Right away quick I am going to treat
you folks to luncheon. You must stay. It will be ready in a few minutes.
Come up to my room and we can hold an impromptu reception until the bell
rings. The Silvertonites are all anxious to see you. As sophs we have a
duty to perform. We must try hard to impress my freshman cousin. Do
telephone Ronny, Lucy, Muriel and Vera to come over. You can run 'em
over in your car, Leila, in a jiffy."
"Many thanks for Vera's and my invitation. We can't accept, for we have
a luncheon engagement at Baretti's with two seniors. I must be hurrying
along or I'll be late. I'll send the girls back in my car. Any of them
can drive it."
Leila took hurried farewell of her friends and drove off at top speed.
True to her word, it was not long before her car swung into sight again
driven by Ronny. The three new arrivals were received with the same
heartiness which had been extended to Marjorie and Jerry. By the time
they appeared, Robin's large square room was overflowing with girls.
Once more in the genial atmosphere which always pervaded Silverton Hall,
the petty worries and annoyances of the past week fell away from
Marjorie. She entertained a momentary regret that she had not chosen
Silverton Hall as a residence in the beginning. She and her chums would
have found life so much pleasanter there.
Then the face of kind little Miss Remson rose before her. She realized
how very fond she had grown of the upright, sorely-tried manager. She
reflected, too, that, if the Lookouts had not gone to Wayland Hall to
live, it would have been much harder for Katherine Langly. Neither would
she have known Leila, Vera, or Helen Trent intimately. Besides, she
loved Wayland Hall and its beautiful premises best of all the campus
houses. It had been Brooke Hamilton's favorite house. Miss Remson had
once told her this. In spite of the difficulties the Lookouts had
encountered at the Hall, Marjorie wondered if, perhaps, they had not
gravitated to it for some beneficient, hidden purpose which only time
might reveal.