1CHAPTER I

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Dolly looked around forlornly enough.

Of course, she wanted to go to college, but for the first time she realized how dreadful it was, to be away from all the home-folks. In all those great buildings, with their hundreds of students, there was not a soul that Dolly knew.

Outside the door she could hear the old girls talking and chattering together. But she was not an old girl. She was just an insignificant little Freshman. No one took the least notice of her.

Her father had put her on the train and had even come part way with her. But the real loneliness commenced after she reached Westover.

The college bus was there, and there was a 2 good-natured man whom the girls all hailed as Patrick, and who seemed to belong to the college. He was evidently an expert at picking out the students, for when he caught sight of Dolly, he had walked up to her respectfully, and had inquired if she were not going to Westover College.

Then he put her safely into the bus, took her checks and looked after her bundles. A few moments later the bus was filled to overflowing with girls, the most of them apparently old students, for they seemed well acquainted with each other and were chattering like magpies. Some of them had been on the same train as Dolly, and our poor little Freshman had looked at them then with wistful, speculative eyes. But she had been too shy to attempt any conversation with them.

When they reached the college, all too soon for Dolly, she had hung back irresolutely, while the rest rushed up and embraced the teachers who stood in the reception room, ready to receive the newcomers.

She was feeling quite left out in the cold, and wishing heartily that she was back in 3 the home-nest. Only for a moment, though. Her hand was cordially taken, and she turned to find herself addressed by a sweet-faced little woman, much shorter than Dolly herself, with gray hair and kindly eyes.

“I think this must be Miss Alden. Am I right?”

“Quite right, but I do not see how you knew.”

“Your father telegraphed that you would come by this train, and you see, my dear, that you are the only Freshman in the crowd, so that it did not require much shrewdness on my part to pick you out. Now let me introduce you to some of the girls. You will soon feel acquainted here, I know. Margery,” and as a tall, rather handsome girl turned around, she added; “I want you to meet Miss Alden, one of our new girls. Miss Ainsworth–and here are Miss Rummel, Miss Paterson and Miss Graves. Margery, will you show Miss Alden to 77? Your room-mate will not be here for several days yet. She is detained by her sister’s marriage, which will occur this week. I hope you will like her; we tried to do our best in the arrangement 4 of room-mates; next year, you can select your own. Excuse me now.” And she turned to another newcomer, and Dolly followed Miss Ainsworth down the long corridor.

“You will like Westover, I’m sure,” Miss Ainsworth remarked sedately; she evidently thought it her duty to make small talk, and act as Dolly’s temporary guardian. “Of course, you’ll feel lonesome at first until you get fitted in; all the girls do, but that soon wears off.”

“Are you a Senior?” queried Dolly innocently. Miss Ainsworth seemed so very old and so very superior, that Dolly could only think of her as a Senior.

Her companion’s cheeks flushed perceptibly as she answered stiffly; “No, I am not a Senior yet. Here is your room, Miss Alden. The bedroom on the right will be yours, I suppose, as I see that they have put your trunk there. The one on the left will be your room-mate’s, and you will use this sitting-room in common.”

After a few more words Dolly’s companion passed on, and the unfortunate Freshman 5 wandered dolefully into her bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed where we first saw her.

As a rule, Dolly and tears were strangers, but just now poor Dolly felt unutterably miserable. Not only was she homesick, but she felt outside all the college fun and good camaraderie of the place.

“I ought to unpack that trunk and take off my things,” she told herself, but she felt more inclined to run out of the door, back to the depot and on board the first train bound for her home.

“Well, of all the forlorn damsels I ever saw, you certainly are the worst, and I thought you looked so full of fun when I noticed you downstairs.”

Dolly glanced up in surprise, to see a merry face regarding her from the doorway. The newcomer was much below medium height, with a very freckled face, very red, curly hair, and a very good-natured expression.

“Didn’t you feel forlorn yourself last year?” retorted Dolly. “Or, if you are a dignified Junior or Senior, I suppose you have forgotten how poor little Freshmen feel, when they are 6 dumped in with a lot of strangers. I am just like a cat in a strange garret.”

“You are no stranger than I,” and the newcomer ensconced herself in the only rocking-chair that the room afforded. “I’m a Freshman like yourself, only I got here last evening. I’m Elizabeth Newby, at your service,” and she made a sweeping bow. “I saw you come in and I thought I’d make an early call, but I did suppose you would have your things off by this time.”

“It was awfully good of you to come,” said Dolly gratefully. “I’ll get my things off and brush up a bit.” She turned and looked suddenly at her new acquaintance. “How does it come that you are not homesick? Everything must be as strange to you as it is to me, but you look jolly and happy.”

“I am,” returned the other emphatically. “You may not know it, but homesickness is a luxury in which only the fortunate can indulge. I’m not troubled with it. Now tell me, can I help you with your trunk? My things are all in order. When you have fixed up your room and had Patrick put your trunk away, you will feel that you are here 7 to stay, and you will begin to be more comfortable in your mind.”

“If you don’t mind helping me then,” and Dolly commenced to tug at her straps energetically.

“I want to do it. I like to be poking into other people’s affairs, it keeps one from thinking.”

“Then you are homesick, after all?” and Dolly glanced up with twinkling eyes.

“No, I am not. I am only homesick because I am not homesick, and that is Greek or worse to you.”

Dolly gave her companion a keen look, but said no more. There was evidently something in the background, and Dolly surmised that Elizabeth’s home-life, for some reason or other, was not as happy as it should be.

“What lovely, dainty things you have for your sitting-room!” and Elizabeth held up an armful of pretty articles with honest admiration. “My room looks as prim as an old maid’s. I never thought of these little accessories.”

“Those are what I had in my room at home, and Mother thought that I had better bring 8 them. They will make these rooms look quite natural.”

“They just will. I wish we were room-mates, for I haven’t an earthly thing to trim up with, and neither has my room-mate.”

“Who is your room-mate? Do you know her? Is she nice?”

“I don’t know her. Her name is Margaret Ainsworth. She’s a Sophomore, and between ourselves I don’t believe that we shall have much to do with each other.”

“Then it was your room-mate who brought me here. I thought that she was a Junior at least.”

“Only a Sophomore, my dear, and a conditioned one at that, though to hear her talk you would suppose that she was taking a post-graduate course.”

“Isn’t it funny that she hasn’t any little decorations for your sitting-room, as she is an old student?”

“My brother says that I can heat water splendidly.”

9Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “I found out that she expected to room with Charlotte Graves. They roomed together last year, you know, just by chance. The Faculty put them together just as they are giving us room-mates now, for I didn’t know anyone with whom I wished to room this year, and I suppose you didn’t. Well, Miss Graves is the richest girl here, and she had loads of beautiful things, so that their suite was just a dream of beauty, according to my room-mate’s account. It seems that she was not as anxious to room with Miss Ainsworth again as Miss Ainsworth was to room with her, and she quietly made arrangements to have a room all to herself, and that is how it all happened. She was put in with me at the last moment, to our mutual disgust, I expect.”

Dolly stopped in her unpacking. “I didn’t know that anyone could room alone.”

“You have to pay a steep price for the privilege, but Miss Graves can afford it. What a dear chafing-dish. Can you cook with it?”

“My brother says that I can heat water splendidly,” and Dolly laughed. “I don’t think any girl with a brother is apt to grow conceited, though Fred is a dear and would do anything in the world for me. I really can make lovely fudge, though, and very good tea. Mother was a little afraid of fire because 10 of the alcohol lamp, but I have promised to be dreadfully careful. I have some chocolate in that box.”

“Let’s make fudge tonight,” said Elizabeth, enthusiastically. “That will keep you from getting homesick. You can make it and I will eat it.”

“Can we do it? I don’t know anything about the rules here yet.”

“There will not be many rules enforced this week. Professor Graydon told me that much. She is the teacher to whom you were talking when you first came in. I know I shall like her. I haven’t made up my mind about the others yet.”

“There, that is the last thing!” and Dolly drew a breath of relief, “the trunks are empty anyway. What shall I do with them now, Miss Newby?”

“In the name of goodness, don’t call me Miss Newby. I’m Elizabeth. I’ll let Patrick know that they are ready, and he will carry them off to the trunk-room at once. I’ve only been here twenty-four hours, but I’ve found out that this college would never run without Patrick. And Patrick knows it.”

11She started from the room on her self-appointed errand, but put her head back to call out; “If you have any specially stunning gown, just get it out. Tonight will be a good time to wear it. Hustle the rest of your things away and dress.”

“Now, why–,” commenced Dolly. But Elizabeth had vanished and Dolly was questioning the empty air.

“I suppose I had better do as she says,” Dolly soliloquized. “I like her immensely. I should be sitting on the bed dissolved in tears if she had not come in. I wonder where she lives. Here I have told her all about home, and Mother and Father and Fred, and she has not said a word about herself. How long she is getting back.”

In fact, before Elizabeth returned, Dolly had put away all of her belongings, and had donned a pretty white dress which the warm day rendered appropriate.

She was giving a last pat to her hair, when a knock came at the door, and a moment later Elizabeth’s face peered into the bedroom.

“Oh, I see why you were so long returning. I concluded that you had forgotten me and 12 had gone off to help some other Freshman unpack.”

“No, thanks,” and Elizabeth gave a little shrug that Dolly soon learned to be characteristic. “I’m not in the missionary business. I just took a fancy to you, and I saw that you had no friends here any more than I did. We were two of a kind. Do you like my dress?”

“Immensely. That shade of blue is just your color. But why are we dressing up, please? Is this a daily performance?”

“Hardly. The Sophomores are going to pay their respects to the new girls tonight, and while there is nothing like hazing allowed here, there are all sorts of tricks played that the Faculty never takes any notice of. I thought that we might feel more ready for them if we had the moral support of our best clothes.”

“How do you know so much? and what shall we do?”

“I spent last evening in Professor Graydon’s room, and she told me everything that she thought a Freshman ought to know. If you want me to, I will come over here and we can 13 receive together. Your room is stunning and we can certainly hold our own.”

“I thought we were going to make fudge.”

“So we shall, but we’ll hide it when they come. Don’t waste candy on Sophomores, my dear.”

Dolly looked up with a sparkle in her eye. “What will they do?”

“There’s no telling. Nothing dreadful. Make us sing for them or recite, or go through some absurdity.”

“If we refuse?”

“They will simply let us alone, not only tonight, but during the rest of the year. The best thing is to meet them good-naturedly, do what they require, and turn the tables on them, if we can.”

“You must come here, of course. ’Tis a pity if a few Sophomores can frighten us with their jokes. I know one thing that we can do, Elizabeth. You see there is some advantage in having a brother.”

14CHAPTER II

“What? Tell me quickly. I would give almost anything to get ahead of Margaret Ainsworth. I know that she will be one of those to come. You must have done something, Dolly, to offend her, for she seems to meditate vengeance on you.”

Dolly drew her brows together in a perplexed frown. “I asked if she were a Senior, and she did–”

Elizabeth shouted: “Of course she did. She doubtless supposed you were trying to be sarcastic. Well, never mind. Hear that awful gong? Dinner will be ready in five minutes now. Come down to the veranda, and I will tell you who some of the people are.”

Dolly was quite ready to go, and as they ran lightly down the steps, she confided in a whisper to Elizabeth her plan for the Sophomores’ discomfiture.

“You are a genius; I am sure that will work! Hurrah! Oh, Miss Randall, I want you to meet Miss Alden. Can’t we sit at your table tonight?”

15“Of course you can, I shall be very glad to have you. Miss Alden, I know that you are going to do fine work here, your entrance examinations were most excellent.”

Then she passed on, leaving Dolly happy and Elizabeth surprised. “I hadn’t supposed that you were a bookworm and a student, and all that. You don’t look it.”

“Mother has always helped me and been so interested in my lessons. It will be hard to study without her. She has always explained and encouraged me. I shall miss her fearfully.”

“I suppose you will,” said Elizabeth slowly, with a hard look on her face that prevented further conversation on that point.

The girls took whatever seats they wished at the table for the first few days. The next week they would be given permanent places.

With her new friend beside her, Dolly found the meal pleasant enough.

Afterward, they hurried to Dolly’s sitting-room and began their preparations for making fudge. There was lots of fun and laughter over it.

“How many do you think will come? I want just about enough pieces on this plate 16 to go around. If any should be left over, they might want us to finish it, and I think that we may have had enough by that time.”

“I am sure that we shall,” and Elizabeth nibbled away voraciously. “How small you are making the pieces, Dolly.”

“No need of wasting anything. I want each one to have a piece small enough so that she will put it all in her mouth at once. See? You did not tell me how many guests we might expect.”

“About fifteen, I think. They go out in squads. All of them cannot visit every Freshman, so they divide up. I heard them talking in our sitting-room while I was dressing. They didn’t know that I was there, fortunately.”

“I’m going to shove that plate half under the paper, so–” suiting the action to the word, “they will think we are hiding it from them. Here are some pieces for us to nibble. Quick, sit down; take the candy in your hand, I hear them coming.”

A knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Arise and open the door.”

17Dolly smothered a giggle and glanced inquiringly at Elizabeth, who nodded her head. So she crossed to the door and swung it wide. Fifteen Sophomores in fantastic kimonos and stately head-dresses stood outside.

“Freshies, we have come to inspect your premises. Stand aside while we enter and examine you as regards your worthiness to remain within these sacred precincts. Stand in front of us, so!”

There was a moment’s pause while the fifteen uninvited guests took possession of the few chairs, window-seats and stools which the room afforded.

“Miss Alden, you may answer first. What is the chief duty of every Freshman?”

“To squelch the Sophomores,” returned Dolly promptly.

A deep groan sounded from all fifteen. “Wrong! Wrong! You have not the first idea of your fundamental duties. We shall be obliged to send you home, I fear. Miss Newby, answer!”

“Most potent, grave and reverend Sophomores, the great duty of every Freshman is to try and become a Sophomore herself, so 18 that she may try to impress unsophisticated Freshies with a sense of her own importance and make everyone forget that she herself was nothing but a Freshman one short year–”

“Stop! Wrong! Wrong!” and a chorus of groans again broke forth. “The obvious duty of every Freshie is to run errands for the Sophomores and make life as pleasant as possible for them. Miss Alden, I see a banjo on the table there. Sing something to us.”

Dolly picked up the instrument with a mock-humble bow and touched the strings, a little uncertainly for a moment, but her touch soon became firmer, and a malicious little twinkle appeared in her eye.

“Oh, these Sophomores, vain Sophomores,

In all their swelling pride,

I would to them the giftie gie,

To see–”

“Stop!” The fifteen rose majestically to their feet as Dolly, with assumed meekness, dropped her instrument at her side. “You may expect to hear from the faculty tomorrow. I regret that it is impossible for you to be retained at this hall of learning. Your influence would doubtless corrupt the 19 other Freshmen, and teach them insubordination. You have also been guilty of greediness. I see the remains of a repast which you tried to conceal as we entered. You are ordered to pass that plate to your superiors.”

Elizabeth demurely obeyed the command. The bits of fudge were small, and there were just enough to go around. They were taken with great stateliness and dignity, but a moment later the room was filled with groans, coughs, shrieks and wrathful exclamations.

“They would poison us!” “Let us be avenged!” “Choke them!” “Perish the Freshmen!” “Water, minions! water!”

But Dolly and Elizabeth had taken good care that there should be no water at hand, so the unlucky Sophomores rushed away to their own rooms, followed by the taunting laughter of the two Freshmen and many gratuitous pieces of advice.

“I wonder if they will try to pay us back,” Dolly said, with sudden gravity.

“No, tonight ends it all; Professor Graydon told me so. The Sophomores are allowed to air their new dignity this one evening, but nothing is tolerated after tonight. I do not 20 think they came out much ahead of us. I must go now, Dolly, I wish I were your room-mate, but I presume that you will have a much more congenial one than I would be.”

“I do not think so,” Dolly said, with evident sincerity. “I have a dreadful feeling whenever you mention her. Good-night, and thank you a thousand times.”

The next few days were busy ones. Dolly had new studies planned out for the term, and she found to her delight that she and Elizabeth had elected the same courses. The two were congenial, though Elizabeth was as reticent as Dolly was frank and open. Dolly had begun to hope that her unknown room-mate would not arrive at all, but on Tuesday, when she returned from her recitation in history, she found that Miss Sutherland had appeared.

In fact there was no doubt that she was there, and had been there for a couple of hours at least.