Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College Read online

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  Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College

  By JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M.

  PHILADELPHIAHENRY ALTEMUS COMPANYCopyright, 1914

  The Door Was Cautiously Opened to Mrs. Elwood.]

  CONTENTS

  I. Overton Claims Her Own

  II. The Unforseen

  III. Mrs. Elwood to the Rescue

  IV. The Belated Freshman

  V. The Anarchist Chooses Her Roommate

  VI. Elfreda Makes a Rash Promise

  VII. Girls and Their Ideals

  VIII. The Invitation

  IX. Anticipation

  X. An Offended Freshman

  XI. The Finger of Suspicion

  XII. The Summons

  XIII. Grace Holds Court

  XIV. Grace Makes a Resolution

  XV. The Quality of Mercy

  XVI. A Disgruntled Reformer

  XVII. Making Other Girls Happy

  XVIII. Mrs. Gray's Christmas Children

  XIX. Arline's Plan

  XX. A Welcome Guest

  XXI. A Gift to Semper Fidelis

  XXII. Campus Confidences

  XXIII. A Fault Confessed

  XXIV. Conclusion

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  The Door Was Cautiously Opened to Mrs. Elwood.

  "It Is My Theme."

  Each Girl Carried an Unwieldy Bundle.

  The Two Boxes Contained Elfreda's New Suit and Hat.

  Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College

  CHAPTER I

  OVERTON CLAIMS HER OWN

  "Oh, there goes Grace Harlowe! Grace! Grace! Wait a minute!" Acurly-haired little girl hastily deposited her suit case, golf bag, twomagazines and a box of candy on the nearest bench and ran toward aquartette of girls who had just left the train that stood puffingnoisily in front of the station at Overton.

  The tall, gray-eyed young woman in blue turned at the call, and, runningback, met the other half way. "Why, Arline!" she exclaimed. "I didn'tsee you when I got off the train." The two girls exchanged affectionategreetings; then Arline was passed on to Miriam Nesbit, Anne Pierson andJ. Elfreda Briggs, who, with Grace Harlowe, had come back to OvertonCollege to begin their second year's course of study.

  Those who have followed the fortunes of Grace Harlowe and her friendsthrough their four years of high school life are familiar with whathappened during "Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School,"the story of her freshman year. "Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year atHigh School" gave a faithful account of the doings of Grace and herthree friends, Nora O'Malley, Anne Pierson and Jessica Bright, duringtheir sophomore days. "Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at HighSchool" and "Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School"told of her third and fourth years in Oakdale High School and of howcompletely Grace lived up to the high standard of honor she had set forherself.

  After their graduation from high school the four devoted chums spent asummer in Europe; then came the inevitable separation. Nora and Jessicahad elected to go to an eastern conservatory of music, while Anne andGrace had chosen Overton College. Miriam Nesbit, a member of the PhiSigma Tau, had also decided for Overton, and what befell the threefriends as Overton College freshmen has been narrated in "GraceHarlowe's First Year at Overton College."

  Now September had rolled around again and the station platform of thetown of Overton was dotted with groups of students laden with suitcases, golf bags and the paraphernalia belonging peculiarly to thecollege girl. Overton College was about to claim its own. The joyousgreetings called out by happy voices testified to the fact that the nextbest thing to leaving college to go home was leaving home to come backto college.

  "Where is Ruth?" was Grace's first question as she surveyed Arline withsmiling, affectionate eyes.

  "She'll be here directly," answered Arline. "She is looking after thetrunks. She is the most indefatigable little laborer I ever saw. Fromthe time we began to get ready to come back to Overton she refusedpositively to allow me to lift my finger. She is always huntingsomething to do. She says she has acquired the work habit so stronglythat she can't break herself of it, and I believe her," finished Arlinewith a sigh of resignation. "Here she comes now."

  An instant later the demure young woman seen approaching was surroundedby laughing girls.

  "Stop working and speak to your little friends," laughed Miriam Nesbit."We've just heard bad reports of you."

  "I know what you've heard!" exclaimed Ruth, her plain little face alightwith happiness. "Arline has been grumbling. You haven't any idea what afault-finding person she is. She lectures me all the time."

  "For working," added Arline. "Ruth will have work enough and to sparethis year. Can you blame me for trying to make her take life easy for afew days?"

  "Blame you?" repeated Elfreda. "I would have lectured her night and day,and tied her up to keep her from work, if necessary."

  "Now you see just how much sympathy these worthy sophomores have foryou," declared Arline.

  "Do you know whether 19-- is all here yet?" asked Anne.

  "I don't know a single thing more about it than do you girls," returnedArline. "Suppose we go directly to our houses, and then meet at Vinton'sfor dinner to-night. I don't yearn for a Morton House dinner. The mealsthere won't be strictly up to the mark for another week yet. When thehouse is full again, the standard of Morton House cooking will rise in aday, but until then--let us thank our stars for Vinton's. Are you goingto take the automobile bus? We shall save time."

  "We might as well ride," replied Grace, looking inquiringly at herfriends. "My luggage is heavy and the sooner I arrive at Wayne Hall thebetter pleased I shall be."

  "Are you to have the same rooms as last year?" asked Ruth Denton.

  "I suppose so, unless something unforeseen has happened."

  "Will there be any vacancies at your house this year?" inquired Arline.

  "Four, I believe," replied Anne Pierson. "Were you thinking of changing?We'd be glad to have you with us."

  "I'd love to come, but Morton House is like home to me. Mrs. Kane callsme the Morton House Mascot, and declares her house would go to rack andruin without me. She only says that in fun, of course."

  "I think you'd make an ideal mascot for the sophomore basketball teamthis year," laughed Grace. "Will you accept the honor?"

  "With both hands," declared Arline. "Now, we had better start, or we'llnever get back to Vinton's. Ruth, you have my permission to walk withAnne as far as your corner. It's five o'clock now. Shall we agree tomeet at Vinton's at half-past six? That will give us an hour and a halfto get the soot off our faces, and if the expressman should experience achange of heart and deliver our trunks we might possibly appear in freshgowns. The possibility is very remote, however. I know, because I had towait four days for mine last year. It was sent to the wrong house, andtraveled gaily about the campus, stopping for a brief season at threedifferent houses before it landed on Morton House steps. I hung out ofthe window for a whole morning watching for it. Then, when it did come,I fairly had to fly downstairs and out on the front porch to claim it,or they would have hustled it off again."

  "That's why I appointed myself chief trunk tender," said Ruth slyly."That trunk story is not new to me. This time your trunk will be waitingon the front porch for you, Arline."

  "If it is, then I'll forgive you your other sins," retorted Arline."That is, if you promise to come and room with me. Isn't she provo
king,girls? I have a whole room to myself and she won't come. Father wishesher to be with me, too."

  "I'd love to be with Arline," returned Ruth bravely, "but I can't affordit, and I can't accept help from any one. I must work out my own problemin my own way. You understand, don't you?" She looked appealingly fromone to the other of her friends, who nodded sympathetically.

  "She's a courageous Ruth, isn't she?" smiled Arline, patting Ruth on theshoulder.

  At Ruth's corner they said good-bye to her. Then hailing a bus the fivegirls climbed into it.

  "So far we haven't seen any of our old friends," remarked Grace as theydrove along Maple Avenue. "I suppose they haven't arrived yet. We arehere early this year."

  "I'd rather be early than late," rejoined Miriam. "Last year we werelate. Don't you remember? There were dozens of girls at the station whenwe arrived. Arline and Ruth are the first real friends we have seen sofar. Where are Mabel Ashe and Frances Marlton, Emma Dean and GertrudeWells, not to mention Virginia Gaines?"

  "If I'm not mistaken," said Elfreda slowly, her brows drawing togetherin an ominous frown, "there are two people just ahead of us whom we havereason to remember."

  Almost at the moment of her declaration the girls had espied two youngwomen loitering along the walk ahead of them whose very backs were toofamiliar to be mistaken.

  "It's Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton, isn't it?" asked Anne.

  Grace nodded. They were now too close to the young women for furtherspeech. A moment more and the bus containing the five girls had passedthe loitering pair. Neither side had made the slightest sign ofrecognition. A sudden silence fell upon the little company in the bus.

  "It is too bad to begin one's sophomore year by cutting two Overtongirls, isn't it?" said Grace, in a rueful tone.

  "Overton girls!" sniffed Elfreda. "I consider neither Miss Wicks norMiss Hampton real Overton girls."

  "They should be by this time," reminded Miriam Nesbit mischievously."They have been here a year longer than we have."

  "Years don't count," retorted Elfreda. "It's having the true Overtonspirit that counts. You girls understand what I mean, even if Miriamtries to pretend she doesn't."

  "Of course we understand, Elfreda," soothed Anne. "Miriam was merelytrying to tease you."

  "Don't you suppose I know that?" returned Elfreda. "I know, too, thatyou don't wish me to say anything against those two girls. All right, Iwon't, but I warn you, I'll keep on thinking uncomplimentary thingsabout them. Last June, after that ghost party, I promised Grace I wouldnever try to get even with Alberta Wicks and Mary Hampton, but I didn'tpromise to like them, and if they attempt to interfere with me thisyear, they'll be sorry."

  "Oh, there's the campus!" exclaimed Arline as, turning into CollegeStreet, the long green slope, broken at intervals by magnificent oldtrees, burst upon their view. "Hello, Overton Hall!" she cried, wavingher hand to that stately building. "Doesn't the campus look like greenplush, though! I love every inch of it, don't you?" She looked at hercompanions and, seeing the light from her face reflected on theirs,needed no verbal answer to her question. A moment later she signaled tothe driver to stop the bus. "I shall have to leave you here," she said."I'll see you at Vinton's at six-thirty."

  Grace handed out her luggage to her, saying: "You have so much to carry,Arline. Shall I help you?"

  "Mercy, no," laughed Arline. "'Every woman her own porter,' is mymotto." Opening her suit case she stuffed the candy and magazines intoit, snapping it shut with a triumphant click. Then with it in one hand,her golf bag in the other, she set off across the campus at a swingingpace.

  "She's little, but she has plenty of independence and energy," laughedMiriam. "Hurrah, girls, there's Wayne Hall just ahead of us."

  It was only a short ride from the spot where Arline had left them toWayne Hall. Grace sprang from the bus almost before it stopped, and ranup the stone walk, her three friends following. Before she had time toring the door bell, however, the door opened and Emma Dean rushed out togreet them. "Welcome to old Wayne," she cried, shaking hands all around."I heard Mrs. Elwood say this morning you would be here late thisafternoon. I've been over to Morton House, consoling a homesick cousinwho is sure she is going to hate college. I've been out since beforeluncheon. Had it at Martell's with my dolorous, misanthropic relative. Itried to get her in here, but everything was taken. We are to have fourfreshmen, you know."

  "I knew there were four places last June, but am rather surprised thatno sophomores applied for rooms. Have you seen the new girls?"

  Emma shook her head. "They hadn't arrived when I left this morning. Idon't know whether they are here now or not. I'm to have one of them.Virginia Gaines has gone to Livingstone Hall. She has a friend there.Two of the new girls will have her room. Florence Ransom will have totake the fourth."

  "Where's Mrs. Elwood?" asked Miriam.

  "She went over to see her sister this afternoon. She's likely to returnat any minute," answered Emma.

  "Do you think we ought to wait for her?" Grace asked anxiously.

  "Hardly," said Anne, picking up her bag, which she had deposited on thefloor.

  "Come on, I'll lead the way," volunteered Elfreda, starting up thestairs.

  "Won't Mrs. Elwood be surprised when she comes home? She'll find us notonly here, but settled," laughed Grace.

  But it was Grace rather than Mrs. Elwood who was destined to receive thesurprise.