CHAPTER VIII
THE SOPHOMORE RECEPTION
It was the night of the sophomore reception and the gymnasium was ablazewith light and color. All day the valiant sophomore class had labored asdecorators. Sofa cushions, portieres, screens and anything else thatmight add to the beauty of the decorations had been begged and borrowedfrom good-natured residents of the campus and nearby boarding houses.There were great branches of red and gold leaves festooning and hidingthe gymnasium apparatus, and the respective sophomore and freshmancolors of blue and gold were in evidence in every nook and corner of thebig room. There was a real orchestra of eight pieces from the town ofOverton, seated on a palm-screened platform which had been erected forthe occasion; while a long line of freshmen in their best bib and tuckercrowded up to pay their respects to the receiving line of sophomores,headed by the class president.
The freshmen of Wayne Hall had elected to go together, and Ruth Dentonhad also been invited to take dinner and dress with Anne, then go withher and her friends to the reception. At first Ruth demurred on accountof her gown, which was a very plain little affair of white dotted swiss.Then Grace had come to the rescue and insisted that Ruth should wear avery beautiful white satin ribbon belt with long, graceful ends,belonging to her, which quite transformed the simple frock. There wasalso a white satin hair ornament to match, and Miriam's clever fingershad done her soft brown hair in a new, becoming fashion. Even Elfredahad insisted on lending her a white opera cape and praising herappearance until the little girl was in a maze of delight at so muchunexpected attention. Grace, Anne, and Miriam had put on theirgraduating gowns and Elfreda was arrayed in all the glory of the gownshe had ordered for the occasion and afterward entertained so littlehope of wearing.
Just as they were ready to start the door bell rang. There was a soundof laughing voices and the patter of slippered feet on the stairs, andMabel Ashe, accompanied by Frances Marlton, Constance Fuller, and twoother juniors, appeared on the landing.
"Better late than never," announced Mabel cheerily, as Grace appeared inthe doorway. "We've come to take you to the reception. We weren'tinvited until the eleventh hour, but we're making up for lost time."
"Why, I didn't know juniors were invited to the reception," exclaimedGrace, taking Mabel's extended hand in both her own. "Judging from alloutward signs I suppose you are going to the reception, else why wearyour costliest raiment?"
"Your deduction is not only marvelous but correct," returned Mabel. "Wewere invited because the sophomores found themselves lacking not inquality, but quantity. There weren't nearly enough sophomore 'gentlemen'to go round, so we juniors were pressed into service.
"I'm so glad," returned Grace warmly. "We know nearly all the freshmen,but we know only a few sophomores. We were lamenting to-night becausewe expected to be wall flowers."
"Not if Frances and I can help it," promised Mabel. "Girls, I want youto meet Miss Graham and Miss Allen, both worthy juniors. You alreadyknow Constance."
The "worthy juniors" nodded smilingly as Mabel presented Grace and herfriends.
"Get your capes and scarfs," directed Mabel briskly. "We must be on ourway. I'm sure it's going to be a red-letter affair. The sophomores havenearly worked their dear heads off to impress the baby class. Do yougirls all dance, and how many of you can lead?"
"Miriam and I," answered Grace. "Anne is not tall enough. Elfreda andRuth will have to answer for themselves."
Ruth Denton confessed to being barely able to dance. Elfreda, who lookedreally handsome in her blue evening gown, answered in the affirmative.Grace noted with secret satisfaction that the stout girl was keepingstrictly in the background and making no effort to push herself forward."If she only behaves like that all evening the girls will be sure tolike her, and if anything comes up later about this registrar businessthere won't be such fuss made over it," Grace reflected.
"Come on, Grace!" Frances Marlton's merry tones broke in on Grace'sreflections. "I'm going to be your faithful cavalier. I'll offer you myarm as soon as we get downstairs. We never could walk two abreast instate down these stairs."
Grace followed Frances's lead, smiling happily. Julia Graham, a ratherstout, pleasant-faced young woman in pink messaline, bowed to Miriam.Anne found herself accepting the arm of Edith Allen, while ConstanceFuller took charge of Ruth Denton. The crowning honor fell to J.Elfreda, for Mabel Ashe walked up to her, slipped her arm in that of theastonished girl, saying impressively, "May I have the pleasure, MissBriggs?"
The little party fairly bubbled over with high spirits as they set outfor the gymnasium in couples, but to Elfreda the world was gayest rosecolor. To be escorted to the reception by the most popular girl incollege was an honor of which she had never dreamed. Only a few daysbefore she had resigned all hope of even going, but through the magic ofGrace Harlowe she was among the elect. For almost the first time in herself-centered young life, she was swept by a wholly generous impulse todo the best that lay within her in college if only for Grace's sake.While she listened to Mabel's gay sallies, answering them almost shyly,her mind was on the debt of gratitude she owed Grace, who, withoutmentioning her visit to Alberta Wicks, had assured her that she had madeinquiry and found that the letter was not the work of the sophomoreclass as a body. Grace had refused to voice even a suspicion regardingthe writer's identity, but had so strongly advised Elfreda to pay noattention to the cowardly warning, but attend the reception as thoughnothing had happened, that the stout girl had taken her advice.
Grace was now quietly jubilant over the way things had turned out. Shewas so glad Mabel had chosen Elfreda. "I wonder how she knew," she saidhalf aloud.
"How who knew, and what did she know?" inquired Frances quickly.
"Nothing," replied Grace, in sudden confusion. "I was just wondering."
"I know what you were wondering and I'll tell you. A certain junior whois a friend of a certain sophomore told Mabel certain things."
"Frances, you are a wizard!" exclaimed Grace in a low tone. "How did youknow of what I was thinking?"
"The question is," replied Frances, "do you understand me?"
"I think I know who the sophomore is," hesitated Grace, "but I don'tunderstand about the junior."
"And I can't tell you," replied Frances gravely. "I can only say thatMabel likes you very much, Grace, and that a certain junior who is fondof Mabel is jealous of your friendship. Both Mabel and I admire yourstand in the other matter. You are measuring up to college standards, mydear, and I am sure you will be an honor to 19----."
Frances finished her flattering prediction just as they stepped insidethe doorway of the gymnasium. Before Grace had time to reply they foundthemselves among a bevy of daintily gowned girls that were forming inline to pay their respects to the president of the sophomore class andfive of her classmates who formed the receiving party. After thisformality was over the girls walked about the gymnasium, admiring thedecorations. Mabel Ashe was fairly overwhelmed by her admirers. Itseemed to Grace as though she attracted more attention than thereceiving party itself. It was: "Mabel, dear, dance the first waltz withme;" "Come and drink lemonade with us, Queen Mab," and "Why, you dearMabel, I might have known the sophomores couldn't get along withoutyou."
"She knows every girl in college, I believe," remarked Anne to EdithAllen, as Mabel stood laughing and talking animatedly, the center of anadmiring group.
"Every one loves her from the faculty down," replied Edith. "She hadn'tbeen here six weeks as a freshman until the whole class was sending herviolets and asking her out to dinners. She was elected president of thefreshman class, too, and had the honor of refusing the sophomorenomination. They want her for junior president, but she will refuse thatnomination, too. She is as unselfish and unspoiled as the day she camehere and the most sympathetic girl I have ever known. We are all madlyjealous of Frances."
Anne smiled at this statement. "It is nice to be liked," she saidsimply. "That is the way it is with Grace at home."
"I'm not surprised," replied Edith
, regarding Grace critically. "She hasa fine face. That Miss Nesbit seems nice, too. She is a beauty, isn'tshe?"
Anne replied happily in the affirmative. To her praise of her twodearest friends was as the sweetest music.
"Shall we dance?" said Edith, rising and offering her arm in her mostmanly fashion. A moment later the two girls joined the dancers, who werecircling the floor with more or less grace to the strains of a waltz.
"What kind of a time are you having?" asked Grace an hour later as sheand Miriam met in front of one of the lemonade bowls.
"I'm enjoying it ever so much," was the enthusiastic answer. "I've met alot of sophomores that I've been wanting to know, and they have been sonice to me. Have you seen Elfreda lately?"
"No," said Grace with a guilty start. "I've been having such a good timeI forgot her. Let's go and find her now."
The two began a slow promenade of the room in search of the missinggirl. Suddenly Grace clutched her friend's arm. "Look over there,Miriam!" she exclaimed.
Seated on a divan beside Mabel Ashe and surrounded by half a dozensophomores was J. Elfreda. She was talking animatedly and the girls wereurging her on with laughter and cries of "Now show us how some one elsein Fairview looks."
"What do you suppose she is saying?" wondered Miriam. "Let's go over."They neared the group just in time to hear Elfreda say, "The presidentof the Fairview suffragist league." Then her round face set as thoughturned to stone. Her eyes took on a determined glare, and drawing downthe corners of her mouth she elevated her chin, rose from the divan andshrilled forth "Votes for Women" in a tone that fairly convulsed herhearers. Then suddenly catching sight of Grace and Miriam she sat downabruptly and said with an embarrassed gesture of dismissal, "The show'sover. I see my friends are looking for me. I'll have to go."
"You funny, funny girl!" exclaimed Mabel Ashe. "What a treasure you'llbe when we give college entertainments. You'll make the Dramatic Clubsome day."
"Nothing like it," returned Elfreda, resorting to slang in herembarrassment.
"Where did you ever learn to mimic people so cleverly?" asked onesophomore.
"Oh, I don't know," replied Elfreda almost rudely. "I've imitated folksever since I was a kid--little girl," she corrected. "You said you'dwaltz with me to-night, Miriam, so come on. That's a Strauss waltz, andI don't want to miss it. Please excuse me," she said, turning to theassembled girls. She was making a desperate effort to be polite when shepreferred to be rude.
"Mabel Ashe, you're the dearest girl," Grace burst forth as the littlecrowd dissolved and strolled off in different directions. "You have beenlovely to Elfreda, and instead of her evening being spoiled, you knowwhat I mean, she has actually made a sensation."
"I am not the only one who has been looking out for J. Elfreda'sinterests," reminded Mabel. "I am glad that she has this talent. It willhelp her to make friends with the girls, and if nothing more is saidabout the registrar affair she will soon have a following of her own."
"Do you think anything more will be said?" asked Grace anxiously.
"Not if I can help it," was the response.
It was almost midnight when, after seeing Ruth Denton home, the fourgirls climbed the steps of Wayne Hall.
"It was lovely, wasn't it, Anne?" declared Grace as she slipped into herkimono and began taking the pins from her hair.
"Yes," said Anne with a half sigh. She was deliberating as to whethershe had better tell Grace a disturbing bit of conversation she hadoverheard. After all it wasn't worth repeating. She had simply heard onefreshman say to another that she had been prepared to like Miss Harlowe,but something she had heard had caused her to change her mind. Annesuspected that in some way Elfreda's troubles had been shifted toGrace's shoulders.