PLANNING FOR THE RECEPTION
The committee on the constitution and by-laws for the new club met the
very next evening and drew up a terse little document setting forth
their object in banding themselves together. Grace had already made note
of the few rules she wished the girls to observe, but, so far as
possible, she wished the committee to draw up their own regulations,
subject to her approval. To create a spirit of independence and
self-confidence in the girls of Harlowe House had been Grace's basic
motive. She realized that many of them were hampered with an undue sense
of gratitude which made them too humble for their own interest. She
purposed to make them self-reliant and free. Therefore the rules which
she herself made were few and sensible, relating chiefly to the care of
rooms, the entertaining of guests and the problems which, if not
properly handled, were the most likely to cause friction among so many
young women of so many different dispositions.
"But what are we to do about money, Miss Harlowe?" asked Mary Reynolds
in a plaintive tone, when the question arose of whether the club should
be assessed for dues, and Grace spoke against it. "Of what use is it to
have a treasureless treasurer?"
The committee set up a unanimous giggle.
"That is really a serious question," smiled Grace, "and one which the
girls will have to decide for themselves. I should not wish any girl to
feel that she were obliged to contribute money to the club, even for
dues. We are not obliged to conform to any particular set of rules. Our
club can be a purely informal organization with no obligations attached
to it."
"But it would be splendid to have a little money in the treasury,"
interposed Louise Sampson. "I know what we can do," she went on eagerly.
"Let us make the dues a dollar a year, and pledge ourselves to earn that
sum. Any one who feels that she can neither earn nor give a dollar can
be a member of the club just the same. Then we could give entertainments
or concerts or something and start a little fund of our own."
Grace's gray eyes sparkled. Louise Sampson was a girl after her own
heart. "Then you must ask your president to call a meeting. She can
instruct the secretary to post a notice on the bulletin board," she
advised.
The committee seized upon Louise's plan with avidity.
"Why can't we post a notice and have done with it?" asked Cecil Ferris
innocently.
"Because we have just made a law that the president shall be notified of
proposed meetings and shall post a bulletin to that effect," reminded
Grace.
The girls remained for another hour, discussing their plans and
reconstructing their by-laws previous to voting on them. It was decided
to have a weekly meeting to take place on each Tuesday between five and
six o'clock in the afternoon, but a special meeting might be called at
any time at the request of a member, but at the president's discretion.
"The last clause in that by-law is unfortunate," criticized Emma, when,
in the privacy of their room that night, Grace went over with her friend
the club rules as she had set them down.
"I know what you mean." Grace gave an impatient sigh. "Still, as
president of the club Miss Ward must be consulted about things. You
think she is likely to refuse to call a meeting at the request of a
member, if she happens to be so inclined, don't you?"
"I do, and she will," prophesied Emma. "I wouldn't lose any sleep over
it, Gracie, but still it's a good plan to be prepared in advance for the
beauteous Evelyn's vagaries. To change the subject, I have heard very
little mention made of the sophomore reception in the house. I wonder if
it is because some of the girls have no evening gowns?"
Grace sat up in her chair, with a start of surprise. "Really, Emma, I
had forgotten all about the reception. I suppose it slipped my mind
because it is to be held so much later this year on account of repairing
the gymnasium. It will hardly be over until Thanksgiving will be upon
us, and then, oh, joy! we'll see the dear old Sempers. I must see if
there is anything I can do to help the girls get ready for it. I hope
they understand that their summer dresses will do nicely."
For the next three days Grace made it a point to inquire tactfully into
the reception plans of the Harlowe House girls. She discovered that
Emma's conjecture had been only too correct. The bare mention of evening
gowns had intimidated them, and, worse still, only three or four of them
had been especially invited by sophomores. This was partly accounted for
by the fact that, while the sophomore class was large, it was completely
outnumbered by the entering class. Remembering that the same state of
affairs had prevailed when she had entered Overton as a freshman, Grace
proceeded to make a round of calls which began with the members of the
reception committee, and included Violet Darby, Myra Stone, Laura
Atkins, Mildred Taylor, Patience, Kathleen and others of the upper
classes whom she knew well, though not intimately. The reception
committee had expressed their absolute willingness to allow the upper
class girls to help them out on escort duty and the girls themselves
entered heartily into the plan.
"I'll walk over to Harlowe House with you now and invite Mary Reynolds,"
declared Kathleen West, who was the last girl on Grace's list. "I'm glad
to have the opportunity. What a bright little thing Mary is! She is
quick as a flash when it comes to grasping an idea. I tell her she has
the making of a good newspaper woman in her."
"She is Emma's star pupil in English. Emma says she writes the most
original themes."
"She has all sorts of queer fancies about people and things," went on
Kathleen. "I can't begin to tell you, Grace, how glad I am to be of some
help to her. I must do something to make up for lost time." A faint
color tinged Kathleen's pale face.
"You are doing a great deal for Mary Reynolds, Kathleen. She loves you
dearly!"
"It certainly is nice to be liked," returned Kathleen softly. "If it
hadn't been for you and Elfreda and Patience I would have gone on in the
same hard, selfish spirit in which I began college."
"As it is, you are one of the literary lights of Overton, and a joy to
your friends," said Grace gayly. "I wish you were at Harlowe House this
year with Emma and me."
"I wish I were," sighed Kathleen, "but I didn't feel that it would be
fair to apply for admission there. You see, Grace, my salary on the
newspaper, during the summer, is a generous one, and, by managing
carefully, I can pay my expenses in college for the year with it. I
don't have to do that, however, for every week I write a story for the
Sunday edition of our paper which more than pays my board at Wayne Hall.
Then I send in extra space articles and go out on special stories during
the Christmas and Easter vacations. I am never really very short of
money, so I'm not eligible as a member of your household."
"You are a clever, capable girl, Kathleen," averred Grace, with honest
admiration, "and I am proud to be your friend."
A long look of perfect understanding passed between the two. It had come
only after many days of misunderstanding and doubt.
"Dear Loyalheart, I can never forgive myself for making you so unhappy,"
Kathleen's crisp tones trembled.
"And I shall never forgive you if you mention it again," retorted Grace.
"You mustn't recall such things. I am enough of a believer in destiny to
feel that we had to go through a kind of probation period before we were
ready to be friends."
"It's dear in you to say so, Grace, but I know myself, and how
contemptibly I behaved. I've been determined to say this to you ever
since I came back to college, but you have never given me the least
chance until now."
"'Loyalheart' was the highest proof of your regard you could have given
me," reminded Grace gently. "I don't need any other reminders. I must
go, Kathleen. Did I hear you say you were going with me?"
"Yes."
Kathleen slipped into her hat and coat, and, as they went down Mrs.
Elwood's familiar stairs and strolled out into the crisp autumn air, arm
in arm, Kathleen felt that she could never be thankful enough to the
girl who had taught her the true meaning of college spirit.