Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton College Read online

  GRACE HARLOWE'S FIRST YEAR AT OVERTON COLLEGE

  by

  JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M.

  Author of The Grace Harlowe High School Girls Series, GraceHarlowe's Second Year at Overton College, Grace Harlowe'sThird Year at Overton College, Grace Harlowe'sFourth Year at Overton College.

  J. Elfreda Had Evidently Found Friends._Frontispiece_.]

  PhiladelphiaHenry Altemus CompanyCopyright, 1914, by Howard E. Altemus

  CONTENTS

  Chapter Page

  I. Off To College 7

  II. J. Elfreda Introduces Herself 15

  III. First Impressions 29

  IV. Miriam's Unwelcome Surprise 44

  V. An Interrupted Study Hour 55

  VI. A Disturbing Note 62

  VII. Grace Takes Matters Into Her Own Hands 72

  VIII. The Sophomore Reception 84

  IX. Disagreeable News 95

  X. The Making of The Team 102

  XI. Anne Wins a Victory 109

  XII. Ups and Downs 118

  XIII. Grace Turns Electioneer 125

  XIV. An Invitation and a Misunderstanding 132

  XV. Greeting Old Friends 142

  XVI. Thanksgiving with the Southards 150

  XVII. Christmas Plans 161

  XVIII. Basketball Rumors 171

  XIX. A Game Worth Seeing 181

  XX. Grace Overhears Something Interesting 190

  XXI. An Unheeded Warning 206

  XXII. Turning the Tables 214

  XXIII. Virginia Changes Her Mind 227

  XXIV. Good-bye to their Freshman Year 239

  Grace Harlowe's First Yearat Overton College

  CHAPTER I

  OFF TO COLLEGE

  "Do you remember what you said one October day last year, Grace, when westood on this platform and said good-bye to the boys?" asked AnnePierson.

  "No, what did I say?" asked Grace Harlowe, turning to her friend Anne.

  "You said," returned Anne, "that when it came your turn to go to collegeyou were going to slip away quietly without saying good-bye to any onebut your mother, and here you are with almost half Oakdale at the trainto see you off to college."

  "Now, Anne, you know perfectly well that people are down here to see youand Miriam, too," laughed Grace. "I'm not half as much of a celebrity asyou are."

  Grace Harlowe, Miriam Nesbit and Anne Pierson stood on the stationplatform completely surrounded by their many friends, who, regardlessof the fact that it was half-past seven o'clock in the morning, had madeit a point to be at the station to wish them godspeed.

  "This is the second public gathering this week," remarked Miriam Nesbit,who, despite the chatter that was going on around her, had heard Grace'slaughing remark.

  "I know it," agreed Grace. "There was just as large a crowd here whenNora and Jessica went away last Monday. Doesn't it seem dreadful that weare obliged to be separated? How I hated to see the girls go. And wewon't be together again until Christmas."

  "Oh, here come the boys!" announced Eva Allen, who, with Marian Barber,had been standing a little to one side of the three girls.

  At this juncture four smiling young men hurried through the crowd ofyoung people and straight to the circle surrounding the three girls,where they were received with cries of: "We were afraid you'd be toolate!" and, "Why didn't you get here earlier?"

  "We're awfully sorry!" exclaimed David Nesbit. "We had to wait forHippy. He overslept as usual. We threw as much as a shovelful ofgravel against his window, but he never stirred. Finally we had to wakenhis family and it took all of them to waken him."

  "Don't you believe what David Nesbit says," retorted Hippy. "Do yousuppose I slept a wink last night knowing that the friends of my youthwere about to leave me?" Hippy sniffed dolefully and buried his face inhis handkerchief.

  "Now, now, Hippy," protested Miriam. "If you insist on sheddingcrocodile tears, although I don't believe you could be sad long enoughto shed even that kind, we shall feel that you are glad to get rid ofus."

  "Never!" ejaculated Hippy fervently. "Oh, if I only had Irish Nora hereto stand up for me! She wouldn't allow any one, except herself, to speakharsh and cruel words to me."

  "We shan't be able to speak many more words of any kind to you," saidMiriam, consulting her watch. "The train is due in ten minutes."

  When Grace Harlowe and her three dear friends, Nora O'Malley, JessicaBright and Anne Pierson, began to make history for themselves in theirfreshman year at Oakdale High School, none of them could possiblyimagine just how dear they were to become to the hearts of the hundredsof girls who made their acquaintance in "Grace Harlowe's Plebe Yearat High School." The story of their freshman year was one ofmanifold trials and triumphs. It was at the beginning of that year thatGrace Harlowe had championed the cause of Anne Pierson, a newcomer inOakdale. Then and there a friendship sprang up between the two girlsthat was destined to be life long. The repeated efforts of severalmalicious girls to discredit Anne in the eyes of her teachers, and herfinal triumph in winning the freshman prize offered to the class by Mrs.Gray, a wealthy resident of Oakdale, made the narrative one of interestand aroused a desire on the part of the reader to know more of GraceHarlowe and her friends.

  In "Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year at High School" the girlchums appeared as basketball enthusiasts. In this volume was related theefforts of Julia Crosby, a disagreeable junior, and Miriam Nesbit, adisgruntled sophomore, to disgrace Anne and wrest the basketballcaptaincy from Grace. Through the magnanimity of Grace Harlowe, Miriamand Julia were brought to a realization of their own faults, and in timebecame the faithful friends of both Anne and Grace.

  During "Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School" the famoussorority, the Phi Sigma Tau, was organized by the four chums for thepurpose of looking after high school girls who stood in need ofassistance. In that volume Eleanor Savelli, the self-willed daughter ofan Italian violin virtuoso, made her appearance. The difficulties Graceand her chums encountered in trying to befriend Eleanor and her finalcontemptuous repudiation of their friendship made absorbing reading forthose interested in following the fortunes of the Oakdale High Schoolgirls.

  Their senior year was perhaps the most eventful of all. At the verybeginning of the fall term the high school gymnasium was destroyed byfire. Failing to secure an appropriation from either the town or state,the four classes of the girls' high school pledged themselves to raisethe amount of money required to rebuild the gymnasium. In "GraceHarlowe's Senior Year at High School" the story of the senior classbazaar, the daring theft of their hard-earned money before the bazaarhad closed, and Grace Harlowe's final recovery of the stolen money underthe strangest of circumstances, furnished material for a narrative ofparticular interest. After graduation the four chums, accompanied bytheir nearest and dearest friends, had spent a long and delightfulsummer in Europe. On returning to Oakdale the real parting of the wayshad come, for Nora and Jessica had already departed for an eastern cityto enter a well known conservatory of music. Marian Barber and Eva Allenwere to enter Smith College the following week, Eleanor Savelli hadlong since sailed for Italy, and now the morning train was to bearMiriam Nesbit, Grace Harlowe and Anne Piers
on to Overton, an easterncollege finally decided upon by the three girls.

  "Last year we left you on the station platform gazing mournfully afterthe train that bore _me_ away from Oakdale," remarked Hippyreminiscently. "How embarrassed I felt at so much attention, and yet howsweet it was to know that you had gathered here, not to see DavidNesbit, Reddy Brooks, Tom Gray or any such insignificant persons off toschool, but that I, Theophilus Hippopotamus Wingate, was the object ofyour tender solicitations."

  "I expected it," groaned David. "I don't see why we ever woke him up anddragged him along."

  "As I was about to say when rudely interrupted," continued Hippy calmly,"I shall miss you, of course, but not half so much as you will miss me.I hope you will think of me, and you may write to me occasionally if itwill be a satisfaction to you. I know you will not forget me. Who,having once met me, could forget?"

  Hippy folded his arms across his chest and looked languishingly at thethree girls.

  A chorus of giggles from those grouped around the girls and derisivegroans from the boys greeted Hippy's sentimental speech.

  Suddenly a long, shrill whistle was heard.

  "That's your train, girls," said Mr. Harlowe, who with Mrs. Harlowe,Mrs. Nesbit and Mary Pierson had drawn a little to one side while theirdear ones said their last farewells to their four boy friends. Thecircle about the three girls closed in. The air resounded withgood-byes. The last kisses and handshakes were exchanged. Recklesspromises to send letters and postcards were made. Then, stillsurrounded, Grace, Miriam and Anne made their way to the car steps andinto the train. Grace clung first to her mother then to her father. "Howcan I do without you?" she said over and over again. Tears stood in hergray eyes. She winked them back bravely. "I'm going to show both of youjust how much I appreciate going to college by doing my very best," shewhispered. Her father patted her reassuringly on the shoulder while hermother gave her a last loving kiss.

  "I know you will, dear child," she said affectionately. "Remember,Grace," added her father, a suspicious mist in his own eyes, "you arenot to rush headlong into things. You are to do a great deal of lookingbefore you even make up your mind to leap."

  "I'll remember, Father. Truly I will," responded Grace, her facesobering.

  "All aboard! All aboard!" shouted the conductor. Those who had enteredthe train to say farewell left it hurriedly.

  "Good-bye! Good-bye!" cried Grace, leaning out the car window.

  From the platform as the train moved off, clear on the air, rose theOakdale High School yell.

  "It's in honor of us," said Grace softly. "Dear old Oakdale. I wonder ifwe can ever like college as well as we have high school."