CHAPTER VII: LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS
The next morning Selma joined Betty on the walk from the street-car tothe school building. "Betty," said she, "I'm really in earnest aboutyour being on the hockey team. I'm afraid not enough of the girls aregoing to take an interest. I mean the kind of girls that count. You areso quick and graceful about your swimming and good at everything you do,and I saw you play hockey once last year."
"I haven't a quarter about me, I'm afraid," said Betty, very soberly,looking in her small purse.
"A quarter--what for?" asked Selma before she sensed what Betty meant."Oh, that's all right. You needn't pay me for the compliments, and I'mnot saying it just to get you to be on the team. Miss Fox has charge ofthe hockey this year and she asked me to keep an eye out for goodmaterial. The team is pretty well made up, I guess, and she says that Ishould be captain, but that is as it may be, Betty. Please don't mentionmy speaking of it to you."
"But I want a second team to play against, and a good one at that. I'dgive a lot for the sophomores to beat the other classes at hockey."
"Hurrah for the sophomores," remarked Betty. "I can't get used to ourbeing sophomores, Selma, but isn't it nice not to be freshmen anylonger?"
"Yes, though we _were_ such unusually fine ones!" Selma chuckled. "We'rea good deal of a mob yet, but not like the freshman bunch. Were wereally like that last year?"
"I suppose so. Well, Selma, I don't know what to say about the hockeyproposition. I'm pretty sure that Mother thinks hockey too rough.Perhaps not exactly that, either; and I did like to play last yearoccasionally, just on the side. Possibly, if it is just as a sort ofsubstitute, I might do it. I'm a full-fledged G. A. A. and ought to helpout where I can, oughtn't I?"
"It's your duty to be a good sophomore, too."
"I remember how seriously I took everything last year," said Betty, "andit was sensible. But I'm going to join anything I like this year; and ifit doesn't work, all you have to do is to stop."
"Not to break up a team, though, Betty."
"Oh, no. I didn't mean that, and I like to do anything prettythoroughly, too. All right, I'll see about it."
"'Lo, Betty," said some one else.
Selma and Betty were mounting the steps of the school now, near theentrance, where pupils were going in and groups of others stood about.This was Mathilde Finn, who detached herself from one of the groups andcame toward the two girls. "Bye," immediately said Selma, whisking intothe building as some one pushed open the heavy doors before her.
"Going to wait for Lucia Coletti?" asked Mathilde.
"No; she knows how to get to the home room now," answered Betty."Anything I can do for you?" Betty smiled pleasantly, though sheintended to be a little reserved with Mathilde. From all she had heard,she did not have the greatest confidence in Mathilde's sincerity. ButBetty was always glad to be on a friendly footing with other girls. Shedid "hate" disagreeable undercurrents, though one could not always avoidthem.
"You are a bit new yourself, aren't you?" Betty continued.
"Oh, yes, but not like Lucia, and my work was all fixed up in plenty oftime. I do feel strange in a public school and I can't say that I likeit now; but if Lucia can stand it, I think I can. You don't have to knoweverybody, of course. Some of the boys and girls are too common--forwords!"
That speech grated on Betty. "Perhaps so," she answered, "but a lot ofthem are as fine as can be. Besides, we have to live in the world witheverybody, don't we? And I haven't seen anybody here that wasn'tnice--well, hardly. But the boys and girls that won't work or keep therules get sent out."
"Oh, I suppose they all behave well enough," carelessly repliedMathilde. "They have to. But look at their clothes, and the way theytalk!"
"I never dress up much for school myself," said Betty, who had a soundsuspicion that the reason Mathilde was attaching herself to her thismorning was her relation to Lucia Coletti. "And when it comes tolanguage, do you know, some of the worst I've heard came from girls outof wealthy homes. So far as I'm concerned, give me the good old publicschools, though I'd love to go to boarding school some time, just forthe fun of it. Why, there's Lucia now!"
Betty and Mathilde stopped in the middle of the big hall as LuciaColetti came out of the principal's office. Her face lit up as she sawBetty and she hurried toward the girls.
"This is--what you call luck--Betty. Good morning--and I think I metyou, yesterday, Miss ----?"
"It is Mathilde Finn, Lucia," said Betty, as Lucia looked doubtfully atMathilde. "She has been at a private school, too, and is coming back tous now--a sophomore like the rest of us."
Betty spoke cordially, as Betty would, and together the three made theirway to their home room. But Mathilde's manner to Lucia amused her andwhen lunch time came and Dotty Bradshaw fell in with her, just behindLucia, whom Mathilde had in tow, she could not help smiling at Dotty'scomments.
"Ha!" said Dotty in a dramatic whisper. "Finny is rushing the countess,I see. Look out, Betty. She'll cut you out with royalty."
"Why should I mind, Dotty?" laughed Betty. "I like Lucia and I thinkthat she's going to take hold of things as you'd scarcely expect a girlthat's been used to everything to do. She's got a lot of those oldRomans in her, I imagine, to say nothing of what she gets of goodAmerican pep, if not so old! Oh, Dotty, I've got such _loads_ to do Ihaven't time to think about whether I get cut out with _anybody_!"
"Lessons getting on your nerves?"
"Somewhatly!"
"That's always the way at first. Cheer up. You're not interested, then,in hearing about the new sorority?"
"Well, I might have a little _natural curiosity_."
"I'll say! I'll tell you everything I know at the first chance."
This was while the crowd was mounting the stairs to the lunch room. Atthe top of the stairs Betty saw Mathilde usher Lucia inside of the lunchroom, though Lucia turned and looked inquiringly at Betty.
Betty smiled and waved her hand, nodding approvingly as if to say "It'sall right with me," and just then Kathryn appeared in the line behindBetty, having hurried to catch up. Dotty was by several girls beyond herin the line that was forming for the cafeteria procession; and Kathryn,having Betty's ear in spite of the rattle of dishes and the buzz, ormore appropriately "roar" of conversation, pitched above other sounds,informed her that she had "a lot to tell her."
"Tell it now," urged Betty.
"Fat chance, as Chauncey says. I'll see you somewhere. Skip along,honey. I hope they've got plenty of good things left. I always preferbeing called to first lunch."
"How strange!" laughed Betty. "I certainly hate it when we are last tobe called and all the best desserts and salads are gone. But can't yougive me an _idea_?"
Kathryn shook her head in the negative, concerned now with looking aheadto choose what she would have for lunch.
Betty with a full tray looked around for Lucia and saw that she andMathilde were together at a table which was rapidly filling up. Carolynat another table waved at Betty and Kathryn, who hurried there to joinher. But the hungry girls were most interested in the business at handand Carolyn, after the first pangs of hunger was relieved, was startedon athletics, lamenting the loss of the senior football men and relatingwhat material she had heard was available for the year's team.
Betty saw for the first time Ted Dorrance, who was not acting at all asa senior whose heart was broken should act. With a group of senior boyshe was laughing and talking at a table not far away. Betty wondered howit happened that they had had lunch at the same time, and while her eyeswere turned in that direction, Ted saw her and gave her a gay salute.Poor boy, perhaps he was just putting on all that fun and was reallyfeeling terrible about Louise. No--perhaps they had made up!
Lessons, lessons, lessons! How hard these first assignments seemed! Someof their teachers "had a heart," as Dotty said, and others hadn't thesign of one. Again they had to carry all their books around untillockers were assigned. Mathilde complained constantly, Betty thought;but Lucia, with a neat brief-case of le
ather, kept all her paraphernaliatogether and carried them around without a word. "Lucia Coletti is agood sport," said Dotty Bradshaw.
Finally, toward the end of the week, Kathryn had a good opportunity totalk to Betty. It was on the street-car, but they had a back seattogether and could talk in ordinary tones without being overheard. Bothhad errands down town, as it happened, and were to go down right afterschool to meet their mothers.
"Here you've kept me in suspense all week, Kathryn," Betty accused herfriend.
"I suppose you've laid awake nights over it, Betty."
"Oh, yes, of course. My dear, I _have_ laid awake a while over a lessonor two!"
"I've had reason enough to, but not I. When my head strikes the pillownot even anything Mathilde or anybody could say, to say nothing of merelessons, could keep me awake!"
"By the way, is it clothes you're going to see about this afternoon,Kathryn?"
"Yes. I'm going to get a hat and a dress, and _look_ at coats."
"Here, too, Kathryn, but I'll wait to buy a coat till I see what youget, I think."
Upon this there followed a discussion of styles and materials quiteinteresting to Betty, who did want to look like the rest but had hadlittle experience so far in city shopping. Kathryn advised her a littleabout the best places to shop, where "things were expensive" and whereone could get good values for a reasonable sum. They concluded to getthe mothers together at some store and arranged the meeting place beforeany school matter was touched upon again.
Then Kathryn began. "I could have told you that everything is all rightabout Peggy, but some way I wanted to have a good chance all byourselves before I did. You know how we went out to Carolyn's that time.We had a good deal of fun over that lunch, and Peggy was just as muchfun as she always is and I never acted any different from the way Ialways do. I just thought, if Peggy didn't like me and talked about me,I couldn't help it anyhow and there was no use in acting 'sore' aboutit. That is what my brother always says, Betty."
"You needn't apologize, Gypsy. I have a brother, too."
Kathryn laughed. "It's very convenient when you want to use slang toquote from your brother, isn't it?"
"Very."
"Well, it seems that Peggy had overheard you call me Gypsy, though how Idon't know."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Kathryn. I meant that for our little secret!"
"I know it, but really I don't care. I rather like it now. You rememberthat we told Carolyn about it, at your house."
"Yes."
"Carolyn told me afterwards that she had it in mind when she asked usfor lunch; and didn't Peggy call me 'Gypsy' as she passed me thesandwiches?"
"No! Why, what did you think when she did that?"
"I was startled, of course. She said, 'Gypsy, _have_ another sandwich!'and I looked up at her in amazement, though not a bit offended, youknow, and she laughed. 'Who started that name for you?' she asked.'You're looking so surprised that maybe you don't like it,' she went on.'I just heard Betty Lee call you that one time and I thought it cute. Itold Mathilde Finn just the other day that you looked like a gypsy queenor something awfully romantic.'
"There it was, Betty, just the sweet way you thought about it and notthe way Mathilde told me. You were right. I don't believe Peggy Pollard_would_ say mean things about a girl she knows as well as she does me,and maybe not about anybody, though you are _too_ trustful of yourfriends, Betty!"
"Am I?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so; but I think it's a good fault and I'm going tocultivate it."
Kathryn slipped her hand through Betty's arm as she spoke. "Well, justthen Carolyn spoke up. 'Mathilde Finn didn't say it that way when sherepeated it to Kathryn,' she said."
"'What do you mean, Carolyn?' Peggy asked. She looked just as surprisedas could be. Then she whirled around to me. 'Kathryn, _what_ didMathilde tell you?'
"I sort of hesitated, you know. A body would. And Peggy asked me again.'From what Carolyn says, I imagine that Mathilde has said somethinghorrid,' she said.
"Well, I just got the impression, Peggy, that you were criticising mylooks and while I'm not posing as a beauty, it wasn't awfully pleasantto think that you would say what Mathilde said you did."
"'Kathryn!' Peggy said. She looked sort of helpless, you know, as if shedidn't know what to say and probably thought I wouldn't believe her.Then, I don't remember how it all came around, but Carolyn helped outand quoted what Peggy had just said and asked me to believe Peggy and Isaid I would and Peggy said a lot of things and I hated to have themthink I wanted to be thought pretty and so I said so and I told justexactly what Mathilde had said and Peggy told as nearly as she couldremember just exactly what she had said, and the girls all said thatthey didn't think me sensitive about my looks and knew that I just caredabout having Peggy like me. So it turned out all right and it wasCarolyn that did it after all. You can like Carolyn better than me anytime, Betty!"
Betty laughed and squeezed the arm in hers. "How we do change," saidshe. "But I told you all about how I feel about my dear friends. And yousaid '_all_ the girls.' Was any one there beside you and Peggy andCarolyn?"
"Sure enough--I didn't tell you. I think from what Carolyn said she didmean to have just Peggy and me--and you, of course, if you could havecome. But then, not being sure about Peggy after all, she thoughtperhaps she'd ask somebody else in your place. So on the car there wereDotty Bradshaw and Mary Emma Rowland and she asked them to come. Theyaccepted after a little hesitation on account of being expected at home.But Carolyn said that they could telephone home from her house and thatshe would herself to let them know that it was all right, if they wantedher to. You know how hospitable Carolyn is, and her mother lets her dothese things. I imagine that they knew it was the first of school andshe would be wanting to see some of us. Anyhow, there was a speciallunch for us, outdoors on the big porch. I'm sorry you missed it."
"So am I. But under the circumstances I couldn't. And now that is allover and you haven't a worry have you?"
"No. I'd a little rather Dotty hadn't heard what Mathilde said to me,for she almost despises Mathilde anyhow. But it can't be helped andeverybody said they wouldn't say a word and would treat Mathilde 'thesame as ever.' And you would have laughed to hear Dotty, when Carolynused that expression."
"'The same as ever?' she asked. 'Then that doesn't bind me except aboutthis little trick of hers. _Sure_ I'll treat Mathilde the same asever!'" Kathryn was laughing now.
Betty looked thoughtfully at Kathryn. "Dotty speaks too quickly andsharply, I'm afraid. I felt real uncomfortable when she had that passageat arms with Mathilde that day. But Dotty is a sincere person and shemay have some reason of her own about Mathilde."
"I haven't a doubt. But I thought about you, Betty, when I said to thegirls I'd rather not have it make any difference with the way theytreated Mathilde. You're always so fair to everybody, and this wasn't somuch after all."
"It was the spirit it showed or you _thought_ it showed on Peggy's partthat worried you, and that is important when it comes to a nice friendlike Peggy; but I think you were wonderfully nice about it, and--thankyou for your opinion of me. That's another thing for me to live up to!"
"I don't think you need worry about that, Betty Lee. But to change thesubject, you're going to go on the G. A. A. hike a week from Saturday,aren't you?"
"Why, I don't know, Kathryn. I hadn't thought about it much. There's somuch to do at home, and Saturday is the only day there, that I'm notsure I can. I ought to help Mother, for with three of us to get readyfor fall and winter in school, to say nothing of Amy Louise, and mealsnow for everybody, Mother is just as rushed with work as _we_ imagine_we_ are in school."
"We really are," insisted Kathryn. "I think your mother will want you tohave some outdoors on Saturdays, and I know that you help some everyday. So do you mind if I ask her about it, if we manage to have themothers see each other down town?"
"I don't mind a bit, and I think the G. A. A. hike will be great fun.Suppose Lucia Coletti will want to go?" Betty looked ro
guishly atKathryn as she spoke.
"And if Lucia, then our friend Mathilde, to be sure. Well, anyhow wemust be sure to ask Lucia. She'll probably want to be a G. A. A. If shelives in Italy, she probably will know how to swim, and don't they walkand hike a lot in Switzerland?"
Betty asked Kathryn why she was sure Lucia could swim if she lived inItaly and Kathryn replied that she might live on a hill-top for all sheknew, but that rich foreigners always took trips to the water, "andisn't the Mediterranean right there?"
Betty could not answer that it was not and so they dropped this subject,not forgetting the G. A. A. hike in prospect.