by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER III
SOME OF THE GIRLS
"Lovely to be back," said Alison, warmly kissing the pretty childishface," but you are too late for us to be roommates, Jo. I have anotherroommate, a new girl, Marcia West. Marcia, this is Joan Wentworth, whoroomed with me last year."
Joan shook back her light fluffy hair, looking rather taken aback for aninstant, as Marcia emerged from the closet, where she had beeninvisible, arranging a rack of shoes. "How do you do?" Marcia saidbriefly. "I didn't know I was taking your room. Miss Harland put me inhere. She said there wasn't any other room, or I'd go somewhere else.I'm sorry."
"Oh, it's all right," Joan answered, recovering her equanimity quickly."I'll go and see if Kathy can take me in, for the night, anyway. She'sjust across the hall, and she's by herself. I'll look her up."
She was gone, leaving Alison and Marcia to shake down together as bestthey could. Conversation languished. Alison tried to talk about herschool work. It developed that they would be in the same classes; butMarcia seemed to have no enthusiasms. She had come to school because shewas made to, and she looked forward to nothing but getting through.
Finally she said she was tired and lay down on her bed; and seeingpresently that she had fallen asleep, Alison slipped out of the roomacross the hall to the room opposite, which was Katherine Bertram's.Katherine was better off financially than most of the girls. Her motherwas dead and she had traveled and lived in hotel rooms for several yearspreviously, and so her room at school was more like a home than anythingshe had known since her mother's death. It was prettily furnished, andher pictures and rugs were better and more luxurious than mostschoolgirls' rooms could boast. Nevertheless, she was known as "a goodfellow," and was popular with the girls.
Alison's tap at the door was answered by a cordial "Come in," and sheentered, to find Katherine and Joan curled up on the bed, talkingvigorously, but both sprang up to greet her joyously. She found a seaton a velvet-covered stool beside the couch, and Joan resumed herinterrupted grumble.
"I'm just too disappointed and cross for anything," she lamented. "HereI came flying back to our old quarters like--like a homing pigeon, onlyto find my place taken by that cross-looking thing. I don't believe youare going to like her a bit, Alison. She doesn't look as if she wouldfit in."
"It is too bad; but then it gives me Joan for a roommate, which is asilver lining," said Katherine equably. "I didn't know there was achance of your losing your place, or I would have spoken to Miss Harlandand tried to get one of the old girls to change with her."
"Oh, well, it's only the first day; maybe something will happen; or wemay like her better when we know her," said Alison hopefully.
"And in the mean time, Joan is welcome with me as long as she likes.I'll ask for a cot for her. There's plenty of room," said Katherinehospitably. "We shall be close by and can get together whenever we like.So cheer up, Jo, it won't be so bad."
They fell into an animated discussion of school matters, which waspresently interrupted by a tumultuous rush outside, the door was openedwithout ceremony, and in flocked the rest of the "KindredSpirit,"--Evelyn and Polly, boon companions, unlike as they were;studious Rachel; Rosalind, the school beauty, whose golden head andapple-blossom face scarcely suggested books or scholarship. These withAlison, Katherine and Joan, made up the seven "Kindred Spirits," aninformal little club of loyal friends. Their favorite gathering placelast year had been the room occupied by Alison and Joan, andconsternation reigned when the news spread that the newcomer hadusurped Joan's place.
"It won't be the same thing at all," complained Polly, flinging herselfback on the bed in a paroxysm of disappointment.
Katherine poured oil on the troubled waters. "You can meet here just aswell. And maybe, as Alison says, we shall like her when we know her.Don't let us judge her too hardly beforehand."
"So charitable, Kathy always is," murmured Evelyn.
Rachel changed the subject.
"Well--did you know we have a new English teacher?"
"No. What's her name?"
"Miss Burnett--Cecil Burnett. She's lovely. And she's to be at ourtable."
"Are Helen Yorke and Brenda Thornton back?"
"Yes. I saw them this morning. As musical as ever. Oh, is that thesupper bell? It can't be six o'clock already."
"It seems it can--for it is," said Alison, consulting her wrist watchand finding it correspond with the bell. "I must go and see if myroommate is awake, and take her down to supper. Please be nice to her,girls. I don't know yet whether she is cross or just shy." She gave thegroup an appealing look as she left the room, and Katherine answered itwith a reassuring smile.
But Joan shrugged her shoulders and made a face. She had not beenprepossessed in favor of the new girl.
