“But hair!” exclaimed Judith. “Think
of turning me into a golden blonde with eyes like
blue-bells under dewiness——”
“It cannot be! It cannot be!” moaned
Dozia. “Instead we must raid the place
and banish the traitor. How about that for stunt
night with the sophs?”
“Wonderful!” sang out Juliette De Puy.
She had listened and waited with a certain reserve
for which this capable Juliette was famous, but now
that the story was told she deigned to add that one
word “wonderful.” Everyone looked
at her suddenly.
“And have you tell the sophs,” blurted
out Nettie Brocton. “Dozia Dalton you have
spoiled it all. Didn’t you see we had company?”
“Never noticed the lovely Juliette. Never
mind Julie, you may tell the crowd all you’ve
heard,” condescended the redoubtable Dozia.
“We enjoyed having you and it is perfectly all
right.”
“Thanks. Come over to our camp some night
and I’ll do as much for you. I just came
in this afternoon, you know, to sub on the ball team.”
“Instead of which you subbed on the gossip club,”
finished Jane, jumping up. “I’ve
got to go back to my room. Don’t let me
hurry anyone,” she said indifferently.
Then, just as a strange figure turned from the big
boxwood bumper into the lane, Jane escaped.
She hurried to meet Shirley Duncan.
THREATS AND DEFIANCE
The girl approaching was not so easy to appraise as
her unusual costume proclaimed her to be. Jane
realized this; country girls are apt to make such
mistakes, and even dinner gown tags on school day
togs would hardly be proof positive of inferiority,
Jane reflected.
Shirley Duncan swung along with a careless stride,
but even the pose might cover embarrassment.
Jane sent a welcome smile out to meet her and the
stranger jerked her head rather saucily in recognition.
“Have I kept you waiting?” asked Jane
in the best of humor.
“Well, rather,” replied the freshman,
“but I knew better than to break in on that
crowd,” with an arm sweep toward the ball field.
“Can we go up to your room for a few minutes?”
Jane thought quickly. To go to her room might
mean an interruption from Judith; also it might mean
the danger from an undisciplined voice.
“I have been indoors so much today,” she
replied, “and our lovely days are flying so,
suppose we go over to the rose summer house? We
won’t be interrupted there and we will both have
the benefit of a longer time out of doors. I
suppose you feel it, freshmen usually do.”
They were moving toward the rustic house that looked
rather desolate in its coat of faded rose leaves.
“Oh, freshmen feel everything, I suppose,”
replied the other, “but I can’t see why
we should be openly abused for all that. I heard
there was no more hazing allowed in colleges?”
“We have never hazed at Wellington,” Jane
said rather indignantly, “and Miss—Miss
Duncan, I am sure no one will ever attempt the least
abuse even in a spirit of fun at this college.”
