Betty Wales, Freshman — 20 - Loose Threads

LOOSE THREADS

Betty Wales had to leave her trunk half packed and her room in indescribable confusion in order to obey a sudden summons from the registrar.

She had secured a room on the campus at last, so the brief note said; but the registrar wished her to report at the office and decide which of two possible assignments she preferred.

"It's funny," said Betty to Helen, as she extracted her hat from behind the bookcase, where she had stored it for safe keeping, "because I put in my application for the Hilton house way back last fall."

"Perhaps she means two different rooms."

"No, Mary says they never give you a choice about rooms, unless you're an invalid and can't be on the fourth floor or something of that kind."

"Well, it's nice that you're on," said Helen wistfully.

"I don't suppose I have the least chance for next year."

"Oh, there's all summer," said Betty hopefully.

"Lots of people drop out at the last minute.

Which house did you choose?"

"I didn't choose any because Miss Stuart told me I would probably have to wait till junior year, and I thought I might change my mind before then."

"It's too bad," said Betty, picking her way between trunk trays and piles of miscellaneous debris to the door.

"I think I shall stop on my way home and get a man to move my furniture right over to the Hilton."

"Oh, wouldn't it be lovely if I'd got into the Hilton house too!"

said Helen with a sigh of resignation.

"Then perhaps we could room together."

"Yes," said Betty politely, closing the door after her.

Under the circumstances it was not necessary to explain that Alice Waite and she had other plans for the next year.

It was a relief to stop trying to circumvent the laws of nature by forcing two objects into the space that one will fill--which is the cardinal principle of the college girl's June packing--and Betty strolled slowly along under the elm-trees, in no haste to finish her errand.

On Main Street, Emily Davis, carrying an ungainly bundle, overtook her.

"I was afraid I wasn't going to see you to say good-bye," she said.

"Everybody wants skirt braids put on just now, and between that and examinations I've been very busy."

"Are those skirts?"

asked Betty.

"Yes, two of Babbie's and one of Babe's. I was going up to the campus, so I thought I'd bring them along and save the girls trouble, since they're my best patrons, as well as being my good friends."

"It's nice to have them both."

"Only you hate to take money for doing things for your friends."

"Where are you going to be this summer?"

inquired Betty.

"You never told me where you live."

"I live up in northern New York, but I'm not going home this summer.

I'm going to Rockport----" "Why, so am I!"

exclaimed Betty.

"We're going to stay at The Breakers."

"Oh, dear!"

said Emily sadly, "I was hoping that none of my particular friends would be there.

I'm going to have charge of the linen-room at The Breakers, Betty."

"What difference does that make?"

demanded Betty eagerly.

"You have hours off, don't you?

We'll have the gayest sort of a time.

Can you swim?"

"No, I've never seen the ocean."

"Well, Will and Nan will teach you.

They're going to teach me."

Emily shook her head.

"Now, Betty, you must not expect your family to see me in the same light that you do.

Here those things don't make any difference, but outside they do; and it's perfectly right that they should, too."

"Nonsense!

My family has some sense, I hope," said Betty gaily, stopping at the entrance to the Main Building.

"Then I'll see you next week."

"Yes, but remember you are not to bother your family with me.

Good-bye."

"Good-bye.

You just wait and see!"

called Betty, climbing the steps.

Half-way up she frowned.

Nan and mother would understand, but Will was an awful snob.

"He'll have to get used to it," she decided, "and he will, too, after he's heard her do 'the temperance lecture by a female from Boston.'

But it will certainly seem funny to him at first.

Why, I guess it would have seemed funny to me last year."

The registrar looked up wearily from the litter on her desk, as Betty entered.

"Good-afternoon, Miss Wales.

I sent for you because I was sure that, however busy you might be you had more time than I, and I can talk to you much quicker than I could write.

As I wrote you, I have reached your name on the list of the campus applicants, and you can go into the Hilton if you choose.

But owing to an unlooked-for falling out of names just below yours, Miss Helen C. Adams comes next to you on the list.

You hadn't mentioned the matter of roommates, and noticing that you two girls live in the same house, I thought I would ask you if you preferred a room in the Belden house with Miss Adams.

There are two vacancies there, and she will get one of them in any case."

"Oh!"

said Betty.

"I shall be very glad to know your decision to-night if possible, so that I can make the other assignment in the morning, before the next applicant leaves town."

"Yes," said Betty.

"You will probably wish to consult Miss Adams," went on the registrar.

"I ought to have sent for her too--I don't know why I was so stupid."

"Oh, that's all right," said Betty hastily.

"I will come back in about an hour, Miss Stuart.

I suppose there isn't any hope that we could both go into the Hilton."

"No, I'm afraid not.

Any time before six o'clock will do.

I shan't be here much longer, but you can leave the message with my assistant.

And you understand of course that it was purely on your account that I spoke to you.

I thought that under the circumstances----" The registrar was deep in her letters again.

But as Betty was opening the door, she looked up to say with a merry twinkle in her keen gray eyes, "Give my regards to your father, Miss Wales, and tell him he underrates his daughter's ability to take care of herself."

"Oh, Miss Stuart, I hoped you didn't know I was that girl," cried Betty blushing prettily.

Miss Stuart shook her head.

"I couldn't come to meet you, but I didn't forget.

I've kept an eye on you."

"I hope you haven't seen anything very dreadful," laughed Betty.

"I'll let you know when I do," said Miss Stuart.

"Good-bye."

Betty went out on to the campus, where the shadows were beginning to grow long on the freshly mown turf, and took her favorite path back to the edge of the hill, where she sat down on her favorite seat to consider this new problem.

On the slope below her a bed of rhododendrons that had been quite hidden under the snow in winter, and inconspicuous through the spring, had burst into a sudden glory of rainbow blossoms--pink and white and purple and flaming orange.

"Every day is different here," thought Betty, "and the horrid things and the lovely ones always come together."

Helen would be pleased, of course; as she had hinted to the registrar, there was really no need of consulting Helen; the only person to be considered was Betty Wales.

If only Miss Stuart had assigned her to the Hilton house and said nothing!

From her seat Betty could look over to Dorothy King's windows.

It would have been such fun to be in the house with Dorothy.

Clara Madison was going to leave the campus and go to a place where they would make her bed and bring her hot water in the morning.

Alice's room was a lovely big one on the same floor as Dorothy's, and she had delayed making arrangements to share it with a freshman who was already in the house, until she was sure that Betty did not get her assignment.

Eleanor had applied for an extra-priced single there, too, to be near Betty.

Helen was a dear little thing and a very considerate roommate, but she was "different."

She didn't fit in somehow, and it was a bother always to be planning to have her have a good time.

She would be lonely in the Belden; she loved college and was very happy now, but she needed to have somebody who understood her and could appreciate her efforts, to encourage her and keep her in touch with the lighter side of college life.

She didn't know a soul in the Belden--but then neither did lots of other freshmen when they moved on to the campus.

She need never hear anything about the registrar's plan, and she could come over to the Hilton as much as she liked.

Nita Reese would be at the Belden, and Marion Lawrence; and Mary Brooks was going there if she could get an assignment.

It was a splendid house, the next best to the Hilton.

But those girls were not Dorothy King, and Miss Andrews was not Miss Ferris.

It would have been lovely to be in the house with Miss Ferris.

Would have been!

Betty caught herself suddenly.

It wasn't settled yet.

Then she got up from her seat with quick determination.

"I'll stop in and see Miss Ferris for just a minute, and then I shall go back and tell Miss Stuart right off, for I must finish packing to-night, whatever happens."

Miss Ferris was in, and she and her darkened, flower-scented room wore an air of coolness and settled repose that was a poignant relief after the glaring sunshine outside and the confusion of "last days."

"So you go to-morrow," said Miss Ferris pleasantly.

"I don't get off till next week, of course.

Are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied?"

repeated Betty.

She had heard of Miss Ferris's habit of flashing irrelevant questions at her puzzled auditors, but this was her first experience of it.

"With your first year at Harding," explained Miss Ferris.

"Oh!"

said Betty, relieved that it was no worse.

"Why, y-es--no, I'm not.

I've had a splendid time, but I haven't accomplished half that I ought.

Next year I'm going to work harder from the very beginning, and----" Betty stopped abruptly, realizing that all this could not possibly interest Miss Ferris.

"And what?"

"I didn't want to bore you," apologized Betty.

"Why, I'm going to try to--I don't know how to say it--try not scatter my thoughts so.

Nan says that I am so awfully interested in every one's else business that I haven't any business of my own."

"I see," said Miss Ferris musingly.

"That's quite a possible point of view.

Still, I'm inclined to think that on the whole we have just as much orange left and it tastes far better, if we give a good deal of it away.

If we try to hang on to it all, it's likely to spoil in the pantry before we get around to squeeze it dry."

Betty looked puzzled again.

"You don't like figures of speech, do you?"

said Miss Ferris.

"You must learn to like them next year.

What I mean is that it seems to me far better in the long run to be interested in too many people than not to be interested in people enough.

Of course, though, we mustn't neglect to be sufficiently interested in ourselves; and how to divide ourselves fairly between ourselves and the rest of the world is the hardest question we ever have to answer.

You'll be getting new ideas about it all through your course--and all through your life."

There was a moment of silence, and then Betty rose to go.

"I have to pack and I know you are busy.

Miss Ferris, I'm going to be at the Belden next year."

"I'm sorry you're not coming here," said Miss Ferris kindly.

"Couldn't you manage it?"

"Yes, but the--the orange seems to cut better the other way," said Betty.

"That isn't a good figure, but perhaps you can see what it means."

* * * * * It was worth most of what it had cost to see Helen's face when she heard the news.

"Oh Betty, it's too good to be true," she cried, "but are you sure you want me?"

"Haven't I given up the Hilton to be with you?"

said Betty, with her face turned the other way.

Alice was disappointed, but she would be just as happy with Constance Fayles.

She found more "queer" things to like at Harding every day, and she considered Betty Wales one of the queerest and one of the nicest.

Eleanor pleased Betty by offering no objection to the change of plan.

"Only you needn't think that you can get rid of me as easily as all this," she said.

"I shall camp down in the registrar's office until she says that 'under the circumstances,' which is her pet phrase, she will let me change my application to the Belden.

By the way, Betty, Jean Eastman wants to see you after chapel to-morrow.

She said she'd be in number five."

After "last chapel," with its farewell greetings, that for all but the seniors invariably ended with a cheerful "See you next September," and the interview with Jean, in which the class president offered rather unintelligible apologies for "the stupid misunderstanding that we all got into," Betty went back to the house to get her bags and meet Katherine, who was going on the same train.

Some of the girls had already gone, and none of them were in but Rachel, who was perched in a front window watching anxiously for a dilatory expressman, and Katherine, who was frantically stowing the things that would not go in her trunk into an already well-filled suit-case.

"Well, it's all over," said Betty, sitting down on the window seat beside Rachel.

"Wish it were," muttered Katherine, shutting the case and sitting down on it with a thud.

"No, it's only well begun," corrected Rachel.

"A lot of things are over anyway," persisted Betty.

"Just think how much has happened since last September!"

"Jolly nice things too," said Katherine cheerfully.

She had quite unexpectedly succeeded in fastening the lock.

"Weren't they!"

agreed Betty heartily.

"But I guess the nicest thing about it is what you said, Rachel--that it's 'to be continued in our next.'

Won't it be fun to see how everything turns out?"

"I wish that expressman would turn up," said Rachel ruefully.

"We'll tell him so if we meet him," said Betty, shouldering her bag and her golf clubs, while Katherine staggered along with the bursting suit-case.

As they boarded a car at the corner, Mary Brooks and the faithful Roberta waved to them energetically from the other side of Main Street.

"Good-bye!

Good-bye!"

shrieked Katherine.

"See you next September," called Betty, who had said good-bye to them once already.

"Katherine Kittredge has grown older this year," said Mary critically, "but Betty hasn't changed a bit.

I remember the night she came up the walk, carrying those bags."

"She has changed inside," said Roberta.

As the car whizzed by the Main Building, Betty wanted to wave her hand to that too, but she didn't until Dorothy King, appearing on the front steps, gave her an excuse.

"Well," she said with a little sigh, as the campus disappeared below the crest of the hill, "you and Rachel may talk all you like, but I feel as if something was over, and it makes me sad.

Just think!

We can never be freshmen at Harding again as long as we live."

"Quite true," said Katherine calmly, "but we can be sophomores--that is, unless the office sees fit to interfere."

"Yes, we can be sophomores; and perhaps that's just as nice," said Betty optimistically.

"Perhaps it's even nicer."

* * * * * The Books in this Series are: BETTY WALES, FRESHMAN

BETTY WALES, SOPHOMORE

BETTY WALES, JUNIOR

BETTY WALES, SENIOR

BETTY WALES, B.

A.

BETTY WALES & CO.

BETTY WALES ON THE CAMPUS

BETTY WALES DECIDES

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BETTY WALES, FRESHMAN *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U. S.

copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!

) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties.

Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark.

Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark.

If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy.

You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research.

Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U. S.

copyright law.

Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.

gutenberg.

org/license.

Section 1.

General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works 1. A.

By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement.

If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession.

If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E.

8. 1. B.

“Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark.

It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.

There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.

See paragraph 1. C below.

There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works.

See paragraph 1. E below.

1. C.

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works.

Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States.

If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed.

Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work.

You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1. D.

The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work.

Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change.

If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work.

The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1. E.

Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1. E.

1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.

You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.

gutenberg.

org.

If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1. E.

2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U. S.

copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges.

If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E.

1 through 1. E.

7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E.

8 or 1. E.

9. 1. E.

3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1. E.

1 through 1. E.

7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder.

Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1. E.

4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1. E.

5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E.

1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1. E.

6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form.

However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.

gutenberg.

org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form.

Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1. E.

1. 1. E.

7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1. E.

8 or 1. E.

9. 1. E.

8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that: • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.

The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.

Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns.

Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.

” • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License.

You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1. F.

3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1. E.

9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark.

Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1. F.

1. F.

1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U. S.

copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection.

Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1. F.

2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1. F.

3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees.

YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT

LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.

F.

3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE

TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1. F.