CHAPTER IX
DISAGREEABLE NEWS
"Hurrah!" cried Miriam Nesbit gleefully, coming into the living room ofWayne Hall where Grace sat at the old-fashioned library table absorbedin writing a theme for next day's composition class.
"What's happened?" asked Grace curiously, looking up from her writing.
"We're to go over to Exeter Field to-morrow for a try out in basketball.I do hope we'll both make the team."
"So do I," agreed Grace promptly. "But there are so many girls that wemay not be even chosen as subs. Besides, our playing may not comparewith that of some of the others."
"Nonsense," returned Miriam stoutly. "Your playing would stand outanywhere, Grace, even on a boys' team. I consider myself a fair player,too," she added, flushing a little.
"I should say you are!" exclaimed Grace. "Who told you about the tryout?"
"It's on the bulletin board. I don't see how you missed it."
"I didn't look at the bulletin board this morning. I meant to, thensomething else took my attention, and I forgot all about it." The"something else" had been the extremely frigid manner in which twofreshmen she particularly liked had greeted her as she caught up withthem on the way to her Livy class that morning. Grace wondered not alittle at this cavalier treatment, but could arrive at no satisfactoryconclusion regarding it. She finally tried to dismiss the matter byascribing it to over-sensitiveness on her part, but every now and thenit haunted her like an offending spectre.
"I always look at the bulletin board, no matter what happens," declaredMiriam emphatically. "I must hurry upstairs and impart the glorious newsto Elfreda. We had elected to spend Saturday afternoon in moving ourfurniture about, hoping to gain a few square inches of room space, butwe'll have to postpone doing it. We can do it the first rainy Saturday.Hurry along with your paper and come upstairs. I'm going to make tea,and I've acquired a new kind of cakes. They're chocolate covered andtaste like home and mother."
After Miriam had gone upstairs Grace sat staring at her theme withunseeing eyes. Disagreeable thoughts would come, and try as she mightshe could not drive them away. She had been snubbed and she could notforget it. Giving herself a little impatient shake she turned herattention to her theme and went on writing rapidly. Half an hour latershe folded it neatly, placed it inside one of her books, and went slowlyupstairs. She found Miriam, Anne and Elfreda seated on the floor deep intea drinking. Before them was a plate piled high with the new kind ofcakes, and a five-pound box of candy that Elfreda had received from NewYork that morning.
"Sit down here, Grace," invited Anne, making room for her friend. "Giveher some tea this minute, Miriam. She is a working woman and needsnourishment. Did you finish your theme, dear?"
Grace nodded. Then taking the cup Miriam offered she dropped two lumpsof sugar in it, and began drinking her tea in silence.
"What's the matter, Grace?" asked Anne anxiously.
"Nothing," replied Grace. "I feel reflective. I suppose that's why Ihaven't anything to say. Did Miriam tell you about the basketball tryout on Exeter Field?"
"Yes; but not for mine--I mean--I'm not interested in basketball,"amended Elfreda, hastily. "I tell you this trying to cut out slang is noidle dream."
There was a shout of laughter from the three girls.
"Now, see here," bristled the stout girl. "You needn't laugh at me. WhatI meant was that--that it is very difficult to refrain from the use ofslang," finished Elfreda with such affected primness that the laughterbroke forth afresh.
"Humph!" she ejaculated disgustedly. "I don't see anything to laugh at.Goodness knows I'm trying hard to break myself of the habit."
"Of course you are," sympathized Anne. "We aren't laughing at you. Itwas the funny way you ended your last sentence."
Elfreda's face relaxed into a good-natured grin. "I am funny sometimes,"she admitted calmly. "Even Pa, who doesn't smile once a year, says so."
"I must go," said Anne, rising. "I haven't looked at my history lesson,and it is frightfully long, too."
"I'll go with you," announced Grace. "I must mend my blue serge dress. Istepped on it while going upstairs this morning and tore it just abovethe hem. I had to change it for this, and was almost late for chapel."
"I waited for you in the hall as long as I could," said Anne. "I meantto ask you what happened, but forgot it. Grace, what do you supposeElfreda said before you came upstairs?"
"I can't possibly guess," rejoined Grace. "J. Elfreda's remarks arevaried and startling."
The two girls were now in their own room.
"These are nice ones," averred Anne. "She said that you and Miriam and Iwere the first girls she'd ever cared much about. She said that she hadnever tried to do anything to please any one but herself until she camehere. Then when you stood up for her, and fixed things so she could goto the reception, she said she held up her right hand and swore toherself that she'd try to be worthy of our friendship. That's why she'strying not to use slang, and to be more generous. She keeps her thingsin order, too. You noticed how nice everything looked to-day."
"Miriam, not I, is responsible for the change," said Grace. "She is aborn diplomat. She knows exactly how to proceed with J. Elfreda. I hopethere won't be anything more said about the registrar affair, though. Iwant Elfreda to like college better every day."
"Grace," said Anne hesitatingly, "if I tell you something, will youpromise not to worry over it?"
"What do you mean?" asked Grace quickly, a puzzled look in her eyes. "Ican't promise not to worry until I know that there's nothing to worryover. If you have heard something disagreeable about me, I'm not afraidto listen."
"I know it," said Anne. Then she went on almost abruptly. "I heard twofreshmen talking about you the other night at the reception. One of themsaid that she had been prepared to like you, but had heard somethingthat had caused her to change her mind." Anne looked distressed.
For a moment Grace sat very still.
"Oh, dear!" lamented Anne. "I'm sorry I told you. Now I've hurt yourfeelings."
"Nonsense!" retorted Grace stoutly. "It will take more than that to hurtmy feelings. I am beginning to see a light, however. At the receptionthe other night Frances told me that Mabel had heard about my call atStuart Hall from a senior who is a friend of a certain sophomore. Now,that sophomore is either Miss Wicks or Miss Hampton. It looks as thoughthese two girls were not willing to let bygones be bygones. I haven'tthe slightest idea what they may have said about me, but I am sure theymust have circulated some untruthful report among the freshmen. I don'tlike to accuse any one of being untruthful, but I am quite sure that Ihave done nothing reprehensible. Now that you have told me I'm going towatch closely. If a number of the girls snub me, I shall know that it isserious."
"Then you will fight for your rights, won't you?" pleaded Anne. "Itisn't fair that you should be misjudged for trying to help Elfreda."
"I don't know," replied Grace doubtfully. "It might not be worth while.I have a theory that if one is right with one's conscience nothing elsematters."
Anne shook her head dubiously. "That won't protect you fromunpleasantness unless the girls think so, too. Our freshman year is ourfoundation year, and if we allow any one even to think that we are notputting our best material into it, the shadow is likely to follow us tothe very threshold of graduation. It is easy enough to start a rumor butonce let it gain headway, it is almost impossible to check it. Nearlyall of your sophomore year in high school was spoiled through standingup for me. That's why I'm so determined to make you look out for yourown interests."
While Anne was earnestly urging Grace to action, Grace was franticallyrummaging in her closet for her blue dress. It was several minutesbefore she found it. If the blue dress could have spoken it would haveborne witness to the fact that its owner dashed her hand suspiciouslyacross her eyes before emerging from the closet with it over her arm.