CONCERNING CLUBS,--AND A TEA PARTY.
At the first meeting of the freshman class of 19--, Margaret Wakefield
of Washington, D. C., had been elected President.
Just how this came about no one could exactly say. She could not have
been accused of electioneering for herself, and yet she made an
impression somehow and had won the election by a large majority.
"Anybody who can talk like that ought to be President of something,"
Molly had observed good naturedly. "She could make a real inauguration
speech, I believe, and she knows all about Parliamentary Law, whatever
that is."
"She dashed off the class constitution just as easily as if she were
writing a letter home," said Judy.
"That's not so easy, either," added Nance mournfully.
The girls were silent. It had gradually leaked out as their friendship
progressed that Nance's home was not an abode of happiness by any means.
And yet Nance had written a theme on "Home," which was so well done that
she had been highly complimented by Miss Pomeroy, who had read it aloud
to the class. Molly often wondered just what manner of woman Nance's
mother was, and she soon had an opportunity of finding out for herself.
But the conversation about the new class president continued.
"President Wakefield wants us to have bi-monthly meetings," continued
Judy. "She wishes to divide the class into committees and have a
chairman for each committee--"
"Committees for what?" demanded Molly.
"Dear knows," laughed Judy, "but her father's a Congressman, and she
has inherited his passion for law and order, I suppose. She wants to
conduct a debate on Woman's Suffrage to meet Saturdays. It's to be
called 'The Woman's Franchise Club,' and she wishes to establish
by-laws and resolutions and a number of other things that are Greek to
me, for 'the political body corporate.' She says it's a crying shame
that women know so little about the constitution of their own country,
and in establishing a debating society, she hopes to do some missionary
work in that line."
Judy had risen and was waving her arms dramatically while her voice rose
and fell like an old-time orator's.
"I suppose we ought," said Molly; "but I'd rather put it off a year
or so. There are so many other things to enjoy first. Besides, it will
be four years before I reach the voting age, and by that time I hope
my 'intellects' will have developed sufficiently to take in the
constitution of the country."
"Anyhow," exclaimed Judy, "I'm proud to have a class president who's
such a first-class public speaker, because it takes it all off our
shoulders. Whenever there's a speech to be made or anything public and
embarrassing to be done, we'll just vote for her to do it, because she
will enjoy it so much."
"But are you going to join the debating club?" asked Nance.
"I suppose it's our duty to," replied Molly; "but I do hate to pin
myself down. Suppose we say we'll go to one and listen?"
"Well, you'd better settle it now, because here comes the President
sailing up the walk. She's going the rounds now, I suppose, and in
another two minutes she'll be springing the question on us."
Judy, who was sitting at the front window of her own room, nodded down
into the yard and smiled politely, and the girls had just time to settle
among themselves what they were going to say when there was a smart rap
on the door and President Wakefield entered.
She wore rather masculine-looking clothes, and carried a business-like
small-sized suit case in one hand and a notebook in the other.
"Hello, girls!" she began; "I'm so glad I caught you together. It saves
telling over the same thing three times. I want to know first exactly
how you stand on the woman's suffrage question. Now, don't be afraid to
be frank about it, and speak your minds. Of course, I'm sure that, being
women who are seeking the higher education, you are all of you on the
right side--the side of the thinking woman of to-day----"
Here Judy sneezed so violently that she almost upset the little
three-legged clover-leaf tea table at her elbow.
"How do you feel on the subject, Molly?"
Molly smiled broadly, while Nance cleared her throat and Judy blew her
nose and exclaimed:
"I think I must be taking cold. Excuse me while I get a sweater," and
disappeared in the closet.
"I--I'm afraid I don't know very much about the subject, Margaret. You
see, I was brought up in the country, and I haven't had a chance to go
into woman's suffrage very deeply."
"There is no time like the present for beginning, then," said Margaret
promptly, opening the business-like little suit case. "Read these two
pamphlets and you'll get the gist of the entire subject clearly and
concisely expressed. I will call on you for an opinion next week after
you've had time to study the question a bit."
Molly took the pamphlets and began hastily turning the leaves. She
wanted to laugh, but she felt certain it would offend Margaret deeply
not to be taken seriously, and she controlled her facial muscles with
an effort while she waited for attack No. Two.
"Nance, have you taken any interest in this question?" continued
Margaret, who seemed to have the patience of a fanatic spreading his
belief.
"I know something about it," replied Nance quietly. "You see, my mother
is President of a Woman's Suffrage Association, and she spends most of
her time going about the country making speeches for the National
Association."
"What, is your mother Mrs. Anna Oldham, the famous clubwoman?" cried
Margaret.
Nance nodded her head silently.
"Why, she is one of the greatest authorities on women's suffrage in the
country!" exclaimed Margaret with great enthusiasm. "It says so here.
Look, it gives a little sketch of her life and titles. She is president
of two big societies and an officer in five others. It's all in this
little book called 'Famous Club Women in America and England.' Dear me,"
continued Margaret modestly, "I think I'd better resign and give the
chair to you, Nance. I'm nobody to be preaching to you when you must
know the subject from beginning to end."
Nance smiled in her curious, whimsical way.
"Have you ever eaten too much of something, Margaret," she said, "and
then hated it ever afterward?"
"Why, yes," replied the President, "that has happened to every one, I
suppose. Mince pie and I have been strangers to each other for many
years on that account."
"Well," continued Nance, "I've been fed on clubs until I feel like a
Strausberg goose. I've had them crammed down my throat since I was five
years old. When I was twelve, I was my mother's secretary, and I've sent
off thousands of just such pamphlets as you are distributing now. I
learned to write on the typewriter so I could copy my mother's speeches.
I've been usher at club conventions and page at committee meetings. I've
distributed hundreds of badges with 'Votes for Women' printed on them. I
had to make a hundred copies of mother's speech on 'The Constitution and
By-Laws of the United States,' and send them to a hundred different
women's clubs. So, you see," she added, simply, frowning to keep back
her tears, "I think I'll take a rest from clubs while I'm at college and
begin to enjoy life a little with Molly and Judy."
Margaret Wakefield, who was really a very nice girl and exceedingly
well-bred, leaned over and placed a firm, rather large hand on Nance's.
"I should think you had had enough," she exclaimed, giving the hand
a warm squeeze. Seeing teardrops glistening in Nance's eyes, she rose
and started to the door. "If ever you do want to come to any of the
meetings, you will be very welcome, girls," she said; "but you don't
want to overdo anything in life, you know, and if there are things
that interest you more than Woman's Suffrage you oughtn't to sacrifice
yourselves. People should follow their own bent, I think. Good-bye," she
went on, smiling brightly, "and don't bother to read the pamphlets,
Molly, dear, if you don't want to. It's a poor way to carry a point to
make a bugbear of the subject."
She went out quietly and closed the door.
"I call her a perfect lady," exclaimed Molly, trying not to look at
Nance, but wishing at the same time that her friend would give way just
once and have a good cry.
"Let's cut study this afternoon and take a walk," exclaimed Judy. "Trot
along and get on your sweaters. It's much too glorious to stay indoors.
Nance, can't you do your theme after supper? Molly, you look a little
peaked. It will do you good to breathe the fresh, untainted air of the
pine woods."
Judy, it must be confessed, was always glad of a good excuse to get away
from her books.
"Splendid!" cried Molly with enthusiasm.
"And I'll bring my English tea basket," went on Judy. "Who's got any
cookies?"
"I have," said Nance, now fully recovered.
In five minutes the three girls had started across the campus to the
road and presently were making for the pine woods that bordered the
pretty lake. Everybody seemed to be out roaming the country that
beautiful autumn afternoon. Parties of girls came swinging past, who
had been on long tramps through the woods and over to the distant hills
which formed a blue and misty background to the lovely rolling country.
The lake was dotted with canoes and rowboats, and from far down the road
that wound its way through the valley there came the sound of singing.
Presently a wagon-load of girls emerged into view, followed by another
wagon filled with autumn leaves and evergreens.
"It's the sophomore committee on decoration," Judy explained. Apparently
she knew everything that happened at college. "They are getting the
decorations for the gym. for the ball to-morrow night."
Molly quickly changed the subject. She had had two invitations to go
to the Sophomore-Freshman Ball since she had accepted Frances Andrews'
offer, and several of the sophomores had been to see her to ask her to
change her mind, but, having given her word, Molly intended to keep it,
no matter what was to pay.
"Let's go to the upper end of the lake," she suggested. "It's wilder and
much prettier," and she led the way briskly along the path through the
pine woods.
In a little while they came out at the other end of the small body of
water where the woods abruptly ended at the foot of a hill called "Round
Head," which the girls proceeded to climb. From this eminence could be
seen a widespreading panorama of hills and valleys, little streams and
bits of forests, and beyond the pine woods the college itself, its
campus spread at its feet like a mat of emerald green.
The girls paused breathlessly and Judy put down her tea basket.
"Here's where a little refreshment might be very welcome," she said,
opening her basket of which she was justly proud, for not many girls at
Wellington could boast of such a possession. She filled the little
kettle from the bottle of water she had taken the precaution to bring
along, and they sat down in a circle on the turf. The autumn had been
a dry one, and the ground was not damp. Nibbling cookies and sweet
chocolate, they waited for the water to boil.
"Look, here comes some one," whispered Judy, indicating the figure of
a man appearing around the side of the hill.
"I do hope it's not a tramp," exclaimed Nance uneasily.
Molly Brown hoped so, too, although she said nothing. But she felt
nervous, as who wouldn't in that lonely place? As the man came nearer,
it became plain that he was making straight for them, and he did most
assuredly look like a wanderer of some kind. He was dressed in an old
suit of rough gray, wore an old felt hat and carried a staff like a
pilgrim. The girls sat quite still and said nothing. There had been a
silent understanding among them that it was better not to run. As the
man drew nearer, Molly became suddenly conscious of the fact that across
the gray trousers just above the knees was a deep coffee-colored stain.
The next moment the man stood before them, leaning on his staff, his
hat under his arm. It was "Epimenides Antinous Green."
"Confess now," he said, smiling at all of them and looking at Molly,
whom he knew best of the three, "you took me for a tramp?"
"Not exactly for a tramp," answered Molly; "but for one who tramps."
"What's the difference, Miss Brown?" he asked laughing.
"Oh, everything. Clothes----" she paused, blushing deeply. Her eyes had
fallen on the coffee stain. "Why doesn't he have it cleaned off?" she
thought, frowning slightly. "And--and looks," she continued out loud.
"Even in the walk," Judy finished. "Perhaps we can give you a cup of
tea, Professor," she added politely.
The Professor was only too glad for a cup of tea. He had been roaming
the hills all day, he said, and he was tired and thirsty. While he
sipped the fragrant beverage, he glanced at his watch.
"The truth is, I had an appointment at this spot at four-thirty," he
announced. "I was to meet my young brother George, familiarly known as
'Dodo.' He's at Exmoor College, ten miles over, and was to walk across
the valley to the rendezvous, and I was to conduct him safely to my
rooms for supper. He was afraid to enter the college by the front gate
for fear of meeting several hundreds of young women. He runs like a
scared rabbit if he sees a girl a block off."
"Won't it give him an awful shock when he catches a glimpse of us
waiting here on the hilltop?" asked Molly.
"It's a shock that won't hurt him," replied the professor. "We'll see
what happens, at any rate."
He put his cup and saucer on the ground, while his quizzical eyes, which
seemed to laugh even when his face was serious, turned toward Molly. And
Molly was well worth looking at that afternoon, although she herself
was much dissatisfied with her appearance. Her auburn hair had almost
slipped down her back. Her blue linen shirtwaist was decidedly blousey
at the waist line. "It's because I haven't enough shape to keep it
down," she was wont to complain. Her cheeks were glowing and her eyes as
calmly blue as the summer skies.
"Perhaps we'd better start on," said Nance uneasily. She always felt an
inexplicable shyness in the presence of men, and her friends had been
known to nickname her "old maid."
But before Professor Green could protest that he was only too glad to
have his bashful brother make the acquaintance of three charming college
girls, Judy, ever on the alert, exclaimed, "Look, there he comes around
the side of the hill."
The Professor rose and signaled with his hat, chuckling to himself, as
he watched his youthful brother pause irresolutely on the hillside.
"Come on, Dodo," he shouted, making a trumpet of his hands.
"I believe not this afternoon, thank you," Dodo trumpeted back. "I have
an important engagement at six."
The girls could not keep from laughing.
"It's a shame to frighten the poor soul like that," exclaimed Molly.
"We'll start back, Professor, and leave him in peace."
But the Professor was a man of determination, and had made up his mind
to bring his shy brother into the presence of ladies that afternoon,
very attractive ladies at that, of George's own age, with simple,
unaffected manners, calculated to make a shy young man forget for the
moment that he had an affliction of agonizing diffidence.
"George," called the professor, running a little way down the hillside,
"come back and don't be a fool."
The wretched lad turned his scarlet face in their direction and began to
climb the hill. He was a tall, overgrown youth, with large hands and
feet, and when he stood in their midst, holding his cap nervously in
both hands, while the Professor performed the introductions, he looked
like a soldier facing the battle.
It remained for Molly and Judy to put him at his ease, however, with tea
and cookies and questions about Exmoor College, while the Professor
conversed with Nance about life at Wellington, and which study she liked
best. At last the spirit of George emerged from its shy retreat, and he
forgot to feel self-conscious or afraid. They rose, packed the tea
things and started back. And it was the Professor who carried Judy's tea
basket, while George, glancing from Molly's blue eyes to Judy's soft
gray ones, strolled between them and related a thrilling tale of college
hazing.
"That was a swift remedy, was it not, Miss Oldham?" observed the
Professor, laughing under his breath.
But undoubtedly the cure was complete, for that very evening Molly
received a note, written in a crabbed boyish hand, and signed "George
Green," inviting the three girls to ride over to Exmoor on the trolley
the following Saturday and spend the day. Miss Green, an older sister,
would act as chaperone.
And not a few thrills did these young ladies experience at the
prospect.