E-text prepared by Roger Frank and Sue Clark
BETTY LEE, SENIOR
by
HARRIET PYNE GROVE
The World Syndicate Publishing Co.Cleveland, Ohio--New York City
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Copyright, 1931The World Syndicate Publishing Co.
Printed in the United States of America
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CONTENTS
I VACATION DAYS II A GOLDFISH IN THE OCEAN III A MERRY WHIRL OF GOOD TIMES IV THE STORM V A SURPRISING RESCUE VI VACATION'S LAST FLING VII SENIORS! VIII ONE OF THOSE A-D PARTIES IX THE SENIORS ENTERTAIN X THE COVETED HONOR XI AN INTIMATE VIEW FOR JANET XII VALENTINES XIII HEARTS AND MASKS XIV AN EXCHANGE OF HEARTS XV ONCE MORE BASKETBALL XVI A PAUSE IN ROMANCE XVII SHARING JOY XVIII CONCERNING LOST LETTERS XIX OF A NUMBER OF THINGS XX TROPHIES
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BETTY LEE, SENIOR
FOREWORD
While settings and activities for this Betty Lee High School Series have been freely taken from a real city high school, the characters are entirely fictitious. It is hoped, however, that they may to some degree present the life and ambitions of the very attractive girls whom it has been the author's pleasure to meet there.
CHAPTER I
VACATION DAYS
Betty Lee's vacation before her senior year cannot be passed over withonly casual mention, for it was the "best yet" as declared by Betty andher two closest chums, Kathryn Allen and Carolyn Gwynne. After the lastexciting activities of June days as juniors and the pleasing freedomfrom examinations won by good scholarship, the three girls foundthemselves, with others of their class, equipped with cards thatcertified completion of the junior work. Before them stretched longweeks when, Betty said, they "didn't have to know anything," and thatstate of mind obviously gave them all great pleasure.
Up in the girls' gym, almost vacant now, they took a last swing andjump, as they happened to have reason to pass through; and Betty andCarolyn performed a few funny steps to express their happy state of mindbefore they finally left halls to which they would be just as glad toreturn in the fall.
However, Betty was expecting to swim in "something beside pools andrivers." She gave a little skip as they ran down the walk toward theGwynne car, which this time was waiting for them. "I can't believe it,Carolyn! 'Are I' really going with you to the seashore? I never saw theocean but once, when I went East with Father, you know. I saidappropriately, 'Roll on thou deep and dark blue ocean roll,' but itwasn't dark blue a bit. It happened to be a perfectly horrid graymorning. It was wonderful, all the same."
"Oh, but you ought to see it sometimes, Betty! I hope we'll have goodweather, no cold 'nor'easters' or anything. But I'm as excited as can bemyself. Think of it, Betty--a perfectly new cottage in a different placethis time. Daddy had such a good chance to sell the old one and we maybuy this if we like it. But we're renting it for the summer."
"It doesn't seem right that we should just _visit you_," said Kathryn.
"Listen! We've had that out before, Gypsy Allen. I'm to have my own roomand I can have whomever I want--_all summer_. I expect to keep it full!That's my reward for being a good girl and getting my lessons, in spiteof, well, you know how hard it is to get 'em."
"We do!" said Kathryn and Betty, "_una cum voce_."
"So," continued Carolyn, "why shouldn't _I_ have the girls I like bestas long as I can induce--them--to--stay?" Carolyn uttered formally thelast part of her sentence, with her head in the air and a high andmighty look.
The girls giggled as they settled themselves in the car. "Drive aroundto Kathryn's and Betty's first, please," said Carolyn to the Gwynnechauffeur, "then home."
Betty had not had a chance to call up home since Carolyn had invited herand Kathryn "to come out and celebrate." Both she and Kathryn wanted toget rid of certificates and books, not to mention certain other articlesthat seemed to persist in staying in lockers. Carelessness or forgettinghad nothing to do with that, of course.
"Do you like clams and chowders and things, Betty Lee?" asked Carolyn,after the last stop and delivery of goods, with pleasant permissions tostay at Carolyn's.
"I liked everything we tried at New York," replied Betty, "and I knowthat I'll just adore all the sea food."
"You're going to get it," Carolyn leaned back against the cushions andstretched forward her stylishly shod toes. "We have beach parties andeverything."
That sounded delightful. Betty had never heard of a beach party. Yet,she supposed she must have read of them in stories. But this wasdifferent. She was going to be in one. "And I haven't told you onedelicious secret!"
"Oh, tell us, Carolyn!" Kathryn spoke beseechingly.
Carolyn laughed and looked mysterious. "I haven't decided whether tokeep it a secret and surprise you, or to tell you now."
"Tell us now," urged beaming Kathryn.
"Maybe it would be more of a thrill if she surprised us," Bettysuggested, smilingly regarding Carolyn and wondering what the surpriseor secret might be.
"Well," Carolyn drawled, "I'll have to make up my mind about it. Thetrouble is, you might find out about it some other way, and then I'dmiss the fun of seeing you surprised."
"That gives us our cue for going right up in the air over whatever itis, Betty--to please Carolyn!" But Kathryn was regarding Carolynaffectionately as she said this.
"Suppose you give us a hint of what it is and let us guess," said Betty.
Carolyn shook her head negatively. "Spoil it all. Maybe I'll announce itlater. We are going to have our lunch inside, find the coolest spot inthe house to talk over our plans and decide what to take and so on, asyou wanted to do, Betty, and then have our dinner _a la_ picnic underthe trees by the fountain, nothing but cool lemonade and ice cream!"
It was a hot day, but Betty knew there would be more on the menu thanlemonade and ice cream, which would probably be included in their lunch.Oh, it was always so _nice_ at Carolyn's!
In Carolyn's own room after lunch the girls took off frocks and shoesand lay on the bed to plan for their month together at the seashore. Notthat it was the only topic of conversation, for school affairs were toorecently over for dismissal. Lucia Coletti's departure for Italy withher father and mother was one interesting subject.
"Yes," said Betty, "they were awfully rushed at the last, you know, butLucia called me up, just before they were driving to the station, to sayanother goodbye. I would have gone to the station with her, only underthe circumstances it didn't seem appropriate. You know how it is, andLucia and I had had our final visit before."
"Don't you go and think more of Lucia than you do of us," remindedKathryn with, a grin.
"Couldn't," laughed Betty, "but Lucia is a fine girl just the same; andshe had to have some friends, didn't she?"
"Yes, more than she wanted of some sorts," wisely said Carolyn.
"They naturally would have a good deal of attention," said Betty. "I wasthe first girl Lucia knew. But Lucia will not forget any of us. Thecountess is prettier than ever and they are all so perfectly happy to betogether again. T
he count rather wanted to go back before, but Luciapersuaded them to wait till she could finish her work. It was a goodthing she didn't have to stay for the examinations."
"Do you have any idea, Betty, that she will come back for her senioryear?"
"Not in the least," said Betty, to whom the recent romantic situation atthe Murchison home had appealed greatly. "Lucia would like to finish thecourse here, and I think Countess Coletti would like to have her do it.But Lucia was too excited about going back home to think much aboutreturning. She promised to write and I gave her all the addresses, anddates, I would have this summer."
Neither Kathryn nor Carolyn would ever ask Betty questions that wouldpry into Lucia's secrets, though Betty knew that there had been a greatdeal of comment over the count's long absence in travel and the factthat the countess had remained in America with Lucia for so long. Bettyherself would never betray Lucia's worried confidences, and now it wasso easy to speak of the happy reunion that she had herself seen and topass over anything else she might know. Betty had learned by this timenot to tell everything she knew to everybody.
But she frankly went on to say that she, too, had a piece of news whichshe could tell now. "It's a real happy one, girls. Mr. Murchison hasgone East with them and they will go to some place in Connecticut forhis wedding! He is marrying somebody that he has known for a long timeand they are all going abroad together. That is why Father has to bevery busy this summer and has a lot on his hands."
"My, what a disappointment to several people here!" exclaimed Kathryn."Oh, I oughtn't to say that, I suppose."
"I gathered, from what Lucia said, that her mother is real pleased withher brother's choice and knows the lady. And it is fixed all right forRose Sevilla and her mother to stay just as they are at Murchison's.Rose is awfully busy with new draperies and things that the countessordered for her brother; and her mother actually looks younger and talksabout when Ramon comes back."
"Is there any news of him at all?"
"Not a bit, but they have a little hope now. It just makes me sick thatI didn't find out about them in time to send him word before he leftDetroit! But he'll turn up some time, I hope--unless the 'villain' findshim and does something terrible. They didn't tell the mother about thevillain's having tried to find out from Father."
Under the trees, not far from the fountain, in the midst of all theattractions of the lovely Gwynne estate, the three girls at a littletable had their dinner alone, "_a la_ picnic," as Carolyn had said, andcool salad, an ice, lemonade and fruit did compose a good and refreshingpart of it.
The girls dawdled over their meal and wondered why they felt so "lazy.""It's the weather, girls," said Carolyn. "I'm glad we're throughschool--though I believe I've said that several times. But don't expectme to be original!"
"It's not only the weather, Carolyn. We're just sort of let down abouteverything. I imagine that the sea air will revive us, won't it?"
"Yes, Gypsy, if we need reviving by that time."
Conversation ran on by fits and starts. Daylight began to fade andlittle fireflies flashed their lanterns here and there in the shrubberyor the lower branches of the trees. It was decided that nothing was "sorare as a day in June" if this one _had_ been rather too warm, andfinally Kathryn inquired if Carolyn had made up her mind in regard tothe great surprise.
"Sure enough, girls!" cried Carolyn. "I believe I _have_ made up mymind! I'll tell you!"
Betty assumed a thrilled expression, clasped her hands togethertragically and leaned forward in pretended suspense, not so deeplypretended, either, for she knew that any surprise so regarded by CarolynGwynne would be "nice."
"Don't be silly," laughed Carolyn, while Kathryn clutched her black hairwith one hand and held the other to her heart.
"It's about some very splendid people who are going to be in acottage--oh, not so very far away. The cottages are scattered up there,you know."
Kathryn put both hands to her head now. "Let me think, Carolyn! Who saidshe was going to the coast?"
"Never mind thinking, Gypsy. It might be dangerous. You know howunaccustomed exercise----"
Carolyn was obliged to break off as laughing Kathryn leaned over tothreaten violence.
But at last the news was told. "The Waites have taken a cottage thereand Marcella is going up about the time we do, I think."
"How fine!" cried Kathryn. "Betty--'the Pirate of Penzance!'"
But Betty was already thinking of that romantic youth, Marcia Waite'sbrother. "Will the Pirate be on hand?" she asked, after her firstpleased exclamation at the news.
"Very likely," impressively said Carolyn.
"He will not mean much in our young lives, Kathryn," continued Betty,"if he _was_ awfully nice to us at Marcella's party and other places. Heis all grown up and at _just the age_ when they have terrible cases incollege."
"Who knows?" sang Carolyn, "but he seemed to like you, Betty. However,I'd advise you to stick to our friend Chet. There aren't any boys nicerthan the Dorrance boys."
Betty assented to that but added that when Chet went into the universitythe next year there would probably be an end of good times with him. "Itwill be a case of saying farewell, and Chet will be the one to do it,you see. But it will be simply grand to have Marcella there, somebody weknow; and she will be having company, too, I suppose. Honestly, Carolyn,I can scarcely wait to go!"
"That wasn't intended as a pun, I suppose, since there's no point in it.But the Waites will be waiting, all right. They go some time next week,perhaps a day or two before, according to what Marcella said. She saidshe would telephone."
"Then there is one thing more; but I'm not going to tell this."
"_Another_ secret! Carolyn?"
"Another secret!"