"Do you see anything about me to laugh at?" demanded Marjorie one snowy
afternoon in early March, as she walked into her room, eyes sparkling,
cheeks aglow, not only from the winter air, but from annoyance as well.
Jerry looked up from an illustrated magazine she was interestedly
perusing. "No; I don't. I'll laugh if you say so. Ha, ha! Ha, ha!" This
obligingly and without a smile.
"You needn't mind. That laugh of yours has a hollow sound. It's not what
I would call true mirth."
"No wonder it has a hollow sound. I'm hungry," Jerry complained. "It is
almost an hour until dinner, too. Tell me what's bothering you. It will
take my mind off my hungry self."
"Oh, nothing startling, only every time I meet any of the Sans or those
few freshmen who go around with them, they look me all over and then
they do everything from smiling just the least bit, a hateful sarcastic
smile, to laughing outright. Just now, as I came across the campus, I
met Miss Cairns. Miss Elster, Miss Myers and Miss Weyman were with her.
As soon as they saw me, they began to talk among themselves, quite
loudly. I didn't hear what they said. I know it was about me. Then they
all laughed. The other day I met the same girls and they simply smiled.
I know they are doing it purposely; but why?"
"Humph!" ejaculated Jerry, her blue eyes widening in sudden
belligerence. "I know why! They have started out to rag you. That's a
nice proposition! I suppose they are sore at you because you were on
that committee."
"But that was quite a while ago. This making fun of me has only been of
late. I noticed it first the Sunday after the game. I met a crowd of
those girls as I came from chapel. I felt just a little hurt. I had had
such a peaceful time in chapel. It was the Sunday you had a cold and did
not attend chapel. If they keep it up, I shall probably grow so used to
it that it won't trouble me."
"Well, if they confine themselves to snickering, smirking, ha-ha-ing and
te-he-ing, let 'em enjoy themselves. If they start to say anything to
you, for that's the next stage in ragging, give them one lovely
call-down that will settle them for good. You can do it. I've heard you
speak straight from the shoulder. Will you ever forget the day you and I
had the fuss with Rowena Fightena Quarrelena Scrapena?"
"No; I will not." Marjorie never could resist giggling at the long name
which Jerry had applied to Rowena Farnham on account of the latter's
quarrelsome disposition. "I hope none of those Sans will try her
tactics. I don't wish to come to bitter words with any of those girls.
They are set against me on account of having served on that committee,
perhaps. Maybe because Muriel and I went over to the gym occasionally
and helped the team along. They have not liked us, you know, from the
night Miss Cairns, Miss Weyman and Miss Vale called and privately rated
us as nobodies. It is queer they never tried to take Ronny up, for she
has made no secret of her name this year. They must surely have heard of
Alfred Lynne, her father. Leila says that Miss Cairns is always writing
her father and asking him to have this or that student's parents looked
up financially."
"Contemptible!" Jerry's scorn of such tactics was sweeping. "If ever
they try to look me up and I hear of it, even long afterward, I will get
them together and give them such a call-down their hair will stand on
end and stay that way for a week. If you should happen to see the Sans
switching around the campus with their coiffures resembling that of
Feejee Islanders, you will know what has occurred to the dear creatures.
I shall probably do that, anyhow, if they don't let you alone."
"No." Marjorie's negative was decided. "You must never fuss with them on
my account. I daresay they will grow tired before long of making fun of
me. All I can do is this. Appear not to see them at all."
"I would just as soon fuss with them as look at them," Jerry declared
valorously. "Now who are they, pray tell me? One thing is certain to
come to pass. Sooner or later we will have to tell that crowd where they
get off at. I have seen it coming ever since the freshman dance. Miss
Weyman is so mad at you she can't see straight. She expected to win that
contest. Helen Trent called my attention to her that night. She was
posing to beat the band for the judges' benefit. Helen was worried a
little. She thought Leila ought not to have pitted you against Miss
Weyman. That is what she did, you know. Afterward Helen said she guessed
you would have been unofficially declared the college beauty anyway, for
so many of the girls were already raving over you. Now don't rave at me
for telling you that. You are such an old sorehead about that contest. I
hardly dare think of it in the same room with you."
Marjorie sat very still, an expression of blank amazement on her lovely
face. She now recalled her own vexation on the night of the dance when
Leila had brought her into too prominent notice by hurrying her across
one end of the gymnasium to join the line. So Leila had purposely
dragged her into that contest! For a moment or two she wavered on the
verge of indignation at Leila. Then the Irish girl's face, brooding and
wistful, as she had seen it so many times when Leila was referring to
her own affairs, rose before her. No; it was too late to be angry with
Leila. Marjorie was tempted to laugh instead at the clever way in which
Leila had managed the whole affair.
"You have told me some news," she said at last. "I had no idea Miss
Weyman was anxious to win the contest. I didn't know, either, that Leila
had a hand in it. She didn't say much about it after it was over, except
to congratulate me. I don't think she has ever mentioned it since."
Marjorie had begun to smile.
"She is a clever one." Jerry grinned appreciation of the absent Leila.
"Why, Marjorie, she arranged that contest! She took it from an old book
on the Celts. She brought the book with her from Ireland. She got up the
contest to score one against the Sans and take a rise out of Miss
Weyman. I would have told you this before, but Helen told me in
confidence. She said the other day she didn't care if I told you, for
she felt that you understood Leila well enough now not to be cross with
her. She was afraid of making trouble in the beginning if she said
anything."
"It's past now. I don't care. Miss Weyman is nothing to me. I am glad I
know about it, though." Marjorie considered for a brief space. "Perhaps
that is why those girls are acting so queerly toward me. They may think
me very much elated over winning the contest. If that's the case, all
the more reason why I should pay no attention to them."
Jerry agreed that this was so and the subject was dropped for the time
being. Having resolved to appear oblivious to any ill-bred acts on the
part of the Sans, Marjorie proceeded to carry out her resolution. For a
week or more she presented a strictly impersonal face whenever she
chanced to encounter any of the Sans or their friends in going about the
college premises. She was greatly annoyed to find that this method
seemed to have no effect. Instead, their derision of herself was growing
more pronounced. Several times she thought she detected a difference in
the salutations of certain upper class students who had formerly shown
cordiality of greeting. Late one afternoon she met Miss Kingston, one of
the seniors on the sports committee, on the steps of the library, and
received from her merely a blank stare. Marjorie went on to the Hall,
feeling very much crushed. To be sure she was not particularly
interested in Miss Kingston. She had sided with Miss Reid at the
try-out. Since the freshmen had regulated matters, however, Miss
Kingston had been quite affable to her when they had chanced to meet in
the gymnasium.
In the growing dusk of the hall, for the maid had not yet turned on the
lights, she ran plump into another girl who had just come from upstairs.
"I beg your pardon," she apologized.
"Ex-cuse me!" exclaimed a familiar voice. "Blame the maid for no light,
but never yours truly. And where may you be hurrying to, Miss Marjorie
of the Deans?"
"Oh, is that you, Leila? I didn't know you in the dark until you spoke."
"Nor I you," returned Leila. "I have been to your room twice looking for
you. I was just going back to see if Miss Remson knew where you were.
Ronny is in my room. I am needing you there, too. Will you come up with
me now?" Leila turned toward the stairs.
"Certainly, I will. What has happened, Leila?"
"Nothing, dear heart. Only Vera and I have something to talk over with
you and Ronny." Leila spoke in the friendliest kind of tones. Marjorie
followed her up the stairs to the third floor where Leila and Nella
Sherman roomed. Nella was absent, but Vera and Ronny greeted their
entrance with expressions of satisfaction.
"I had the good fortune to bump into Marjorie in the hall," Leila said,
as she ranged herself beside Marjorie, who had taken a seat on Leila's
couch bed. "Now for the talk I must give you. Some of it will make you
laugh and some of it will not. May I ask you, Ronny, do you spell your
name L-y-n-n or L-i-n-d?"
"Neither way. It is spelled L-y-n-n-e," responded Ronny. "It is an old
English name."
Leila and Vera both broke into laughter. Marjorie and Ronny regarded
them with mild wonderment.
"Oh, my gracious! Did you know, Ronny, that the thick-headed Sans call
you Lind? They are walking about on the campus proclaiming that you are
a poor Swedish servant girl who lived with the principal, Miss Someone,
I have not the name, of Sanford High School. She pays your expenses
here. You are not much, Ronny, so never think you are." Again Leila
broke into laughter. "Do poor Swedish servant girls have imported gowns
of gray chiffon? I am remembering one of yours."
"They do not, as a rule." Ronny's whole face was alive with mirth. "Now
who could have started that absurd tale?" She turned to Marjorie.
"I don't know." Marjorie looked troubled. Incidental with Leila's
recital, Jerry's remarks concerning being "looked up" by the Sans had
returned to her. "Part of that amazing information must have come from
some one in Sanford who wanted to be malicious. Not the Lind part. That
is funny." Her sober features relaxed into an amused smile. "You had
better explain to the girls about the servant girl part, Ronny."
"O-h-h!" sighed Ronny. "You tell them, please, Marjorie."
"All right; glad to." Marjorie's revelation of the part Ronny had played
during the previous year at high school was received with absorbed
attention. When she went on to say that Ronny's father was Alfred Lynne,
the noted western philanthropist, Leila gave a sharp little whistle of
surprise.
"Oh, the poor Sans!" she chuckled. "Might not your father be able to buy
out all their fathers and still have a dollar left?"
"He might," emphasized Ronny, with a companion chuckle. "I haven't made
a secret of my identity this year. Oh, those simpletons! Well, I shall
not disabuse them of their beliefs concerning me. Let them hug them to
their hearts if they choose."
"That is not all, girls." Leila's features grew suddenly grave. "The
rest has to do with you, Marjorie. We can't get at it. A sophomore
friend of ours told Vera and me this. She asked us to pass it on to you.
The Sans are talking you over among the upper class girls. Those who
will listen, I mean. Our friend heard it from a soph who is about half
snob, half democrat. One of the Sans received a letter from someone who
seems to know all about your town and you, Marjorie. The letter is
making mischief. There is something against your high school record in
it. We have found out that much. We believe in you. We would like to
know what you wish done concerning it."
As Leila continued speaking, Marjorie had turned very white. It was the
white of righteous wrath. "There is only one person I know in Sanford
who would write such a letter," she said, her voice thick with anger. "I
mean Rowena Farnham, Ronny. How she happens to be in touch with the Sans
I do not know. It isn't surprising. She is ill-bred, unfair and
untruthful; a girl, who, without knowing me, tried to make trouble for
me on her very first day at high school. I will find out who has that
letter and make the person read it to me. Then I shall post a notice on
the bulletin board saying that an untruthful, injurious letter is being
circulated at Hamilton about me. I will not allow such a letter to gain
headway!" Her tones rose in passionate protest.
"Easy, now. Don't worry." Leila's hand, warm and reassuring, closed over
Marjorie's clenched fingers. "You can't make the Sans give up the
letter, Marjorie. The ring king of 'em has it. Leslie Cairns is carrying
this outrage on. I believe you are right about this Farnham person.
Where is she now?"
"At boarding school, I suppose. She went away to school last year. The
Farnhams have a cottage at the sea shore. It is about ten miles from
Severn Beach. That's where the Macys always go. Maybe Miss Cairns met
Rowena there," Marjorie speculated. "I am going to tell you the whole
story of my trouble with Rowena Farnham. Then you will see for
yourselves the sort of a person she is."
It was a long story Marjorie had to tell. It was listened to with deep
interest. Ronny had already heard the details of it from her God-mother.
"Whatever she has said against me she has made up. That doesn't remedy
things; just to know yourself that it is all untrue," she concluded
almost piteously. "I didn't wish such troubles to creep into my college
life like hideous snakes."
"It remedies matters when you have some one to fight for you," asserted
Ronny, her gray eyes steely with purpose. "I am going to make an ally of
Miss Remson. Now this is my plan. I shall ask her to notify all the
students that she wishes them to come to the living room at a certain
time, on a certain evening. They will all respond for they will think it
is something concerning their own welfare. Then I shall rise and lay
down the law. You won't need to resort to the bulletin board, Marjorie.
We will quash the whole thing right in the living room of Wayland Hall."
"That will be best," nodded Vera. "Miss Remson will be there and she
won't stand any nonsense from the Sans. She doesn't need to accept their
applications for rooms at the Hall next year."
"Well they know it," put in Leila. "Remember we shall all be there to
support you, Ronny. We will rage like lions at your command."
"I shall not need it. I mean I can forge through alone. I shall love
your support." Ronny's face had taken on the old mysterious expression.
Too much engrossed in her own sense of injury, Marjorie did not notice
this.
"My advice to you, Marjorie, is--act as though you had never seen any of
the Sans when you meet them," counseled Vera. "The sooner we can call
the house together the better. It is easier to spread scandal than to
crush it. We must lose no time."
"This is Monday," mused Ronny. "Friday night will be best, I think."
"That is late, Ronny," objected Leila. Marjorie also regarded her chum
with somber anxiety.
"It must be then," Ronny made firm reply. "Trust me in this. I have my
own reasons for setting the date for Friday. There is one little item in
my plan that I am not going to speak of just yet. All I can say is that
it will be of great help when the time comes."