Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College

by Josephine Chase

  CHAPTER VII

  WHEN FRIENDS FALL OUT

  "What has happened to the Semper Fidelis Club? Did such a worthyorganization ever exist, or did I merely dream?" inquired Arline Thayer,walking suddenly into the living room at Wayne Hall one evening, whereGrace sat idly turning the pages of a magazine, at the same time tryingto decide the best possible way of spending her evening.

  "Oh, Arline!" she exclaimed. "I am so glad you came. You are justin time. I was trying to decide what I had better do this evening.For a wonder, I haven't a line of studying to worry me. But there areso many other things I ought and wish to do. My correspondence is fastgoing to rack and ruin, and I owe at least a dozen calls, thedrop-in-in-the-evening kind. Anne wants me to go for a walk, and Elfredaand Miriam are determined I shall go to see 'Les Miserables' at themotion picture theatre on Main Street. They saw 'The Taming of theShrew' one evening last week, and came home ardent moving picture fans."

  "I saw it, too," replied Arline. "It was wonderfully well acted, and thephotography and arrangement of the scenes were excellent. Suppose wegather the club in, and go to see 'Les Miserables' in a body?"

  "I could please the populace and myself at the same time by taking youradvice, couldn't I?" Grace cast a laughing glance toward Arline.

  "Of course you could," urged Arline. "Don't stand upon the order of yourgoing, but go at once and tell Elfreda and Miriam what we propose doing.Anne can take her walk some other time, and your letters can languishunanswered a little longer. I'm going to hurry back to Morton House forRuth and Gertrude. We will pick up the Emerson twins on our way here,and also Elizabeth Wade and Marian. You can ask Emma and the others."

  "What about Patience?" asked Grace.

  "By all means ask her. We want her in the club, too. The only objectionis that she will be the thirteenth member. That is the reason I haven'tproposed her name before this. We shall be obliged to ask some one elseto make fourteen."

  "Arline," Grace's tone caused her friend to eye her sharply, "do yousuppose we ought to ask Kathleen West to join our club?"

  "No." Arline's blue eyes grew resentful. Her "no" was coldly incisive."If she is asked to join the club, I shall immediately resign."

  Grace looked her surprise at this uncompromising statement. She had notreckoned on Arline's opposition to an idea which had been steadilyforcing itself upon her since the beginning of her senior year. Eversince the last days of her junior year, when Alberta Wicks had madeplain what seemed obscure in the case of Kathleen West, Grace hadexperienced a generous desire to recompense the newspaper girl for thefancied slight she had received at their hands.

  Toward Grace and her three friends Kathleen still preserved the sameantagonistic attitude. So far Grace had been unable to discover any wayin which at least a semblance of friendly relations might beestablished. The idea of asking Kathleen to join the club had suddenlyoccurred to her, and in her usual impetuous fashion she had given voiceto it. Arline's sharp "no" was in the nature of a dash of cold water toimpulsive Grace, and she now regarded her friend with troubled eyes.

  "Why are you so bitter against Kathleen?" she asked. "You have nopersonal grievance against her, have you?"

  "You know perfectly well that she tried to prevent the club from givingthe bazaar, and you know of other contemptible things she has done. Agirl who would work directly against Semper Fidelis on the outside,wouldn't make a particularly desirable member. At least that is myopinion." Arline compressed her lips, looking very dignified.

  "I didn't dream you felt so opposed to her," said Grace quietly. "Still,it will do no particular hurt to ask her to go with us to-night. I hateto go to her room to invite Patience and leave her out. Besides, I thinkPatience would wish her to go. Confidentially, Arline, she and Patiencehad some sort of understanding the other day and now they appear to bealmost friends."

  "I'm sorry, Grace, but I won't go to-night if you invite Miss West. I amwilling to do almost anything else to please you, but I simply can'tendure her, and I don't intend to have my evening spoiled. I shouldprefer not to go. After all, I don't know that it matters much whether Igo or not." With a gesture of superb indifference Arline rose to depart.

  Grace was at her side in an instant. "Daffydowndilly Thayer, you knowyou care," she smiled, putting her finger under Arline's chin. "You arenot half as hard-hearted as you would have me think."

  Arline drew away from her with a pettish little shrug. "You can't makeme feel differently about her, Grace. Please don't try. If she goesto-night, I shan't. You may choose between us. If you are afraid ofoffending her by asking Patience to go and leaving her out, then I willinvite Patience to go."

  "I am not afraid to ask Patience to go with us in Miss West's presence,"was Grace's proud response, "although I believe it would be kinder notto ask either of them as long as they appear to be friends. Patiencewouldn't feel hurt or slighted, and that would make the party strictlySemper Fidelis." Grace spoke evenly, although there was a note ofconstraint in her voice. "But, please, don't misinterpret my feeling inthe matter as one of fear."

  Arline made no answer, and the two girls left the living room insilence.

  "I'll see you in half an hour," was Arline's sole comment.

  "Shall we meet here?" asked Grace. "It is nearer the theatre and quitecentral."

  "Very well." Arline walked to the hall door, her golden head held veryhigh. Grace took a half step toward her, hesitated, then turned andwalked quietly up the stairs to carry the invitation to the SemperFidelis girls.

  She stopped first at the door of Emma Dean's room. Emma answered herknock with a cheerful "Come in."

  "As a loyal member of Semper Fidelis it is your duty to turn out withyour sisters and attend a motion picture show," declaimed Grace from thethreshold.

  "No urging is necessary," responded Emma, rising from her chair andgoing to the closet for her wraps. "I am nothing if not loyal, and Iadore picture shows."

  "Meet me in the living room in five minutes, then. I must see Patience,"returned Grace, but she could not help hoping as she walked down thehall that she would find Patience alone.