CHAPTER II
"GOLDEN BETTY"
It was a full day for Betty Lee. Most of her days were full, but Bettywas well and happy and never worried over her various activities, whichhad increased since her freshman year, so mixed and full of decisions.One might as well be doing things, she said. If you didn't do one thingyou were doing another. So she had concluded. And as long as she kept onthe honor list no one at home made any objection to the list of herinterests.
Attractive, friendly, yet independent, showing her clear mind andstability in everything she undertook, Betty was in demand and foundherself very well-known, indeed, at the beginning of her junior year.She was considered one of the school's best swimmers, but had not takenthe life-saving tests as yet. That was to come this year. She wasworking toward it. The hockey season had just closed with Bettyrejoicing as captain of the champion team. There was every indicationthat Betty again would be captain of the junior basketball team, butthere were some murmurs at home against this and another junior girlwanted the place. Betty loved the excitement and confessed to herselfalone that she would like to be captain. In the spring she was going totake up riding if she could.
Life was a happy proposition for Betty Lee this year. At home she hadless responsibility. Her father's business relations were apparentlysolid. Amy Lou had started to school. Doris and Dick were freshmen inLyon High this year. Betty often met them in the halls, when they wouldexchange salutes; but Doris particularly wanted no interference from herolder sister and Betty respected her desire for independence. She hadbeen of some help to them at the start, however, and Doris was secretlyquite proud of her pretty junior sister that "everybody" knew for herathletic record and "everything."
Recitation periods were necessarily shortened on account of the PepAssembly, which made the schedule a more hurried one. Betty randownstairs and hopped upstairs, as she went from one to another class,planning how to get in her study for the next day as well as marshallingher forces for the coming class. She read a hard sentence in Cicero toKathryn as they walked through the hall to Miss Heath's room. "That'sthe way I got it!" cried Kathryn, "but it is so crazy that I wasn'tsure."
"I may not have it right," said Betty, "but I think that is what it is."
"I'll trust your reading every time," Kathryn declared.
"Better not; but I found an old text of Mother's that has _grand_ notesin it and I use it along with my own. I could bring it to school andlend it to you in study hall some time."
"Oh, don't bother. I'll ask you about anything too muddly."
"I'm getting used to Cicero now."
"So am I, but it's harder than Caesar because he has a sort of argument,you know, that you have to get."
Betty was glad that she had study hall the last period before lunch. Itwas all too short, but she concentrated and lost to all surroundings,"crammed" on two lessons. Latin and Math could be acquired thatevening--no--Chet was coming over! There was a young people's supper andparty at the church! Oh, well. She'd get it in somehow. And Betty would.
The afternoon went as busily, though the periods were of the usuallength. How was she going to get to that Lyon "Y" meeting when there wasorchestra practice? She had not thought of that! But when school was outand she had put away her books in her locker, with the exception of whatshe must take home, she ran to the auditorium with her violin only tofind a notice:
"Orchestra practice postponed until tomorrow. Same hour!"
The violin went back into the locker, for there would be no homepractice tonight! Arm in arm with Carolyn Gwynne, who had also seen thenotice and waited for Betty, she ran in fine spirits to the room inwhich the Lyon "Y," or the older high school group of Girl Reserves, wasto meet. "Got the letter, Betty?" asked Carolyn.
"Yes--but I'd better look to see!" Betty opened her little bag, whichcontained her street car fare and several other things, felt around andfound the letter from the "Don," folded to come within the compass ofthe bag. "You can read it after the meeting, Carolyn. But don't you knowI'd forgotten all about the church supper tonight and I'll have to skiphome to get a lesson or two before dinner."
"Stay here and get out Cicero with me. It won't take us any time becauseshe had us do so much sight reading ahead today. There are two or threeclubs meeting and the building will be open, you know."
"All right. Here's hoping that this meeting will not take too long.There's a program, you know, and election of officers. Bess Higginsresigned and so they're going to have the whole new group elected andlet the new president begin right away."
"That's funny. How do you like the idea of different officers for thetwo semesters?"
"I don't know how it will work, but it makes more girls do things andthat is a good thing. Oh, Carolyn, I wouldn't have missed that FallRetreat at camp for anything! Just one week-end was glorious and Fathersays perhaps I can go there for a week or two next summer after school.I wish I could go!"
"Perhaps I can. The family could go on without me and I could go withyou and on to our own camp later."
"Oh, Carolyn! And stay with me at our house before the Girl Reserve campopens!"
Betty gave a happy skip, but here they were at the door through whichother girls were entering. A little group was standing at one side neara window. Kathryn was among them and beckoned to Carolyn and Betty."This is a caucus," announced Kathryn. "You are not wanted Betty, onlyto say that you will be president if you get elected. We have to know."
"Oh, _do_ you?" laughed Betty. "This is so sudden! Why, I don't care,Kathryn. If there's anybody else that wants it, I don't." Then she drewKathryn aside to speak more quietly. "Is this the nominating committee?"
"Yes, and some more of us that heard they were going to nominate a girlthat wouldn't do _one thing_. She is sweet enough about some things andshe wants the honor of it. I'd like to have her have it for that, butnothing would get put through. Miss Street is new to us and all sheknows about Clara Lovel is that she is a senior and is a good student."
Miss Street was the new leader of this high school group. Betty toldKathryn that there was little use in putting up a junior against asenior, and told her to select another senior to run against Clara.
"There isn't anything in your objection that it is customary to have asenior for president," Kathryn countered in this little debate. "One ofthe best presidents Lyon 'Y' ever had was a junior. I found out before Iwent into this, Miss Betty Lee!"
"All right, Kathryn. I'll not resign if I'm elected, for Lyon 'Y' is oneof the best clubs we have and does some good, too. I'm on the committeefor the Thanksgiving basket. Will you help me if I have to be president,too?"
"I'll do anything!" grinned Kathryn, running back to the group of girls."There are more juniors than seniors working in this club," shewhispered to a junior on the committee. "I bet we get Betty in if youput her up."
Surreptitiously Betty did look at one of her lessons, whose book she letlie open on her lap during a little of the program. But when the leaderof the high school groups spoke, she listened attentively, both for thelovely ideals of service which were presented and for the practicalmatters which she would have to handle if she were president of thisgroup. It would be a "lot of work" and Betty sighed as she thought aboutit; but she had "the girls" to help her through. Carolyn, Kathryn,Peggy--perhaps she could get Lucia to join now! Oh, that would be great,because if Lucia joined it meant that some of the "society" girls, orgirls that did not care much for anything of this sort would come in.They'd have a membership campaign and she'd appoint Lucia chairman!
Then Betty smiled at herself for planning before her name was evensuggested!
"What are you grinning about, Betty?" whispered Peggy Pollard, who hadplumped herself wearily down by Betty at the beginning of the program.
"Oh--things," smiled Betty. There was more or less disorder just now,for the girls were distributing ballots. Then the announcement of namesreturned by the nominating committee was made and Bet
ty had theexperience, not entirely new, of hearing herself named a nominee forpresident. "I'm going to vote and then skip out," she told Peggy. "I'vegot lessons to get, Carolyn and I will be getting Cicero just inside theauditorium; so come and tell us how it turned out--like a nice girl!"
"Oh, but we're going to have tea afterwards," objected Peggy.
"Well, call us in time for that, like a dear! I'm hard up for time."
"All right. It will take a while to call off the ballots and tally upeverything on the board. I'll come when we've everybody else served. Youdon't want to miss those cakes. Our cook made some of them."
"My--have I almost missed those?"
But Betty and Carolyn slipped out as soon as their ballots had beenhanded to the girl that collected them. In two seats near a window inthe auditorium they sat and read Cicero as fast as possible, deciding tolet the undecided points go and cover ground at first, getting thevocabulary looked up at least. "You aren't the least bit excited overrunning for office, are you, Betty?" asked Carolyn, stopping in themiddle of a sentence. They had to read sitting close together and in atone, not loud, but such as would not be drowned out by the practicinggoing on upon the platform. This was the mixed chorus, for whosepractice that of the orchestra had been postponed.
"What's the use?" asked Betty in return. "If I get it, it's lots ofwork. If I don't get it, I think I can stand the disgrace!"
Carolyn joined Betty's laugh, but added that she was chiefly consumedwith curiosity over that letter she was to read. "I don't believe you'lllet me read it after all!"
"I have my doubts as to its being the thing to do," returned Betty, "butI've got to get this Latin!"
It was wonderful what determined minds could do in a short time, thoughit seemed no time at all until Peggy appeared as the mixed chorus wasdeparting. Tea and sandwiches, and more tea and delicious little cakes,tasted very good and "reviving," as Betty declared. Peggy would not tellBetty who was elected until they reached the room and Betty declaredthat she had lost it of course, or Peggy would not have been afraid thatBetty might refuse to come in at all, even for the little cakes.
But no sooner had Betty and Carolyn appeared than congratulations beganand the general leader appointed a time to meet with Miss Street andBetty to talk over plans for the present and future. A few days remainedbefore the plans for Thanksgiving baskets must be carried out, beforethe Thanksgiving recess or vacation. Betty's head was fairly bewildered,she told Carolyn; but she supposed she would "get used to it."
Then the girls found a sequestered spot in an empty recitation room notyet locked by the janitor. "There," said Betty, handing Carolyn theletter.
Carolyn turned it to see the return address on the envelope. "He expectsyou to answer it, I see, though he gives only street and number."
"I suppose so. He just wants to know if we are alive, of course."
"H'm. Some town in Michigan. I can't make out the postmark."
"He gives the _full_ address inside. It's Detroit."
Carolyn, unhurried, in spite of her calm of being so curious, drew theletter from its envelope, remarking that the Don had gotten nicestationery for his letter to Betty. It "looked serious," she thought.
"Nonsense," returned Betty. "Hurry up and read it, Carolyn."
No criticism could have been made of the form of this letter, written ina firm and flowing hand. After the matter of address and date and themore formal beginning, in which Betty was addressed as Miss Lee, theletter ran as follows:
"After so long a time, perhaps you have forgotten me. I was very sorry to leave the city so suddenly, but it was necessary, in regard to my private affairs, which I am not able to confide to my friends. A letter called me away. I packed, arranged with my landlady and the man for whom I worked and left on the next train. I took my books and I am trying to educate myself a little now that I am working here. I read the best that the libraries have to offer. Perhaps I shall be able to go to school some time again, but it is uncertain, like my residence here.
"So many times I have thought of the kind gentleman, Mr. Lee, whose car I sometimes fixed, of the sweet mother and the golden Betty that made a lonely boy welcome on a holiday. And so I write at last to tell them that I have not forgotten and to ask if I will be welcome to call some day when I can return.
"I shall be so glad if you can write to tell me how you have passed these long months and if your family is well. I have hesitated to write to your father, who is so busy with important things, but I thought that in your kindness you would be willing to answer this letter.
"Please give my greetings to any of the high school friends who remember me. It is a very vivid memory of one of the happiest times I ever had that makes me write this at the near approach of the same holiday.
"With regards to all and gratitude for past kindness, I am,
"Very respectfully yours, "RAMON BALINSKY (Sevilla)."
"Why what does he mean by that name in parenthesis!" cried Carolyn."That's funny!"
"I don't know. There's a town in Spain named Seville, isn't there!But whether that's a part of his own name or not I can't tell. Ramongets mysteriouser and mysteriouser!"
"Betty Sevilla would sound better than Betty Balinsky, except forthe alliteration." Carolyn was very sober as she said this.
"Now don't start anything like that, please."
"'The golden Betty,'" quoted Carolyn, still without a smile, but hereyes twinkled and she laughed as she repeated it. "'GoldenBetty,'--my word! Going to answer the letter?"
"Mother says I should, just a little one."
"He writes very 'grown-up,' and the spelling is all right. I don'tknow why I didn't expect it to be, when I saw the clear handwritingon the envelope."
"The Don had had training before he ever came here," said Betty. "Isuppose he gets training from the good English he is reading rightalong. I wish I knew just what to write him."
"To be friendly enough and not too friendly, I suppose."
"Exactly. Still, Carolyn, from what I saw of Ramon, I don't thinkhe'd ever presume on any pleasant treatment. I'll have to think itout."