Part 17 (2/2)

”Gladys could be the monkey and pa.s.s around a tin cup.”

”Thanks, I wouldn't think of aspiring to such an honor,” I replied modestly.

”What we want,” said Migwan decidedly, ”is a fad--something that will take the college by storm and separate them from their cash. I remember last year some of the seniors started the fad of taking impressions of the palm of your hand on paper smoked with camphor gum and sending them away to have the lines read by some noted palmist, and they made oceans of money at twenty-five cents an impression.”

We talked possible fads until we were green in the face, but n.o.body got an inspiration and we finally adjourned with our heads in a whirl.

The next day I went into a deserted cla.s.sroom for a book I had left behind and found Sally Prindle with her head down on one of the desks, crying. By that time I had forgotten how disagreeable she had been to us and hastened over to see what was the matter.

”What's the trouble, Sally?” I asked, laying my hand on her shoulder.

Sally started up and tried to wipe the tears away hastily. ”Nothing,” she answered in a flat voice.

”There is too something,” I said determinedly, and sat down on the desk in front of her.

She looked at me sort of defiantly for a minute and then she broke down altogether. Between sobs she told me that she wasn't going to be able to come back to college next year because she hadn't won the big Andrews prize in mathematics she had counted confidently on winning, and she had worked so hard for it that she had neglected her other work, and the first thing she knew she had a condition in Latin. Besides, she was sick and couldn't do the hard work she had been doing outside to pay her board.

I never saw anyone so broken up over anything. I wouldn't have expected her to care whether she came back to college or not; I couldn't see what fun she had ever gotten out of it, but I suppose in her own queer way she must have enjoyed it. I tried to comfort her by telling her that the way would probably be found somehow if she took it up with the right people, but Sally wasn't the kind of girl that took comfort easily. Life was terribly serious to her. She felt disgraced because she hadn't won the prize and was sure n.o.body would want to lend her money to finish her course. I left her at last with my heart aching because of the uneven way things are distributed in this world.

Our room was a mess when I got back. Our floor was entertaining the floor below that night and Hinpoha was in the show. She was standing in the middle of the room draping my dresser scarf around her shoulders for a fichu, while Agony was piling her hair high on her head for her and Oh-Pshaw was pinning on a train made of bath towels.

”Have you a blue velvet band?” Hinpoha demanded thickly, as I entered, through the pins she was holding in her mouth.

”No, I haven't,” I replied, retiring to a corner to escape the sweeping strokes of the hair brush in Agony's hand.

”Why haven't you?” lamented Hinpoha. ”I just _have_ to have one.”

”What for?” I asked.

”To put around my neck, of course,” explained Hinpoha impatiently. ”It's absolutely necessary to finish off this costume. Go out and sc.r.a.pe one up somewhere, Gladys, there's a dear.”

I obediently made the rounds, but nowhere did I find the desired blue band. Not even a ribbon of the right shade was forthcoming.

”Paint one on,” suggested Agony, with an inspiration born of despair.

”Then you'll surely have it the right shade.”

”The paint box is in the bottom dresser drawer,” said Hinpoha, warming to the plan at once. ”Hurry up, Agony.”

”Oh, I'll not have time to do it,” said Agony, moving toward the door.

”I've got just fifteen minutes left to sew the ruffle back on the bottom of my white dress to wear in chapel to-morrow when we sing for the bishop, and it's really more important for the country's cause that I have a white dress to wear to-morrow than that you have a blue band around your neck to-night. My green and purple plaid silk would look chaste and retiring among the spotless white of the choir, now, wouldn't it?” And swinging her hairbrush she went out. Oh-Pshaw had already disappeared.

”Here, Gladys,” said Hinpoha, holding out the box to me, ”mix the turquoise with a little ultramarine.”

”I'm awfully sorry, 'Poha, but I can't stop,” said I. ”I've an interview with Miss Allison in five minutes. Get somebody else, dear.”

”Everybody's rushed to death,” grumbled Hinpoha.

I went off to keep my appointment and Hinpoha took up her watch for a pa.s.ser-by whom she could bully into painting a blue band on her neck.

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