Part 9 (1/2)
”Well, that's neither here nor there,” retorted Leslie somewhat rudely.
It did not please her to learn that any of the Sans had received more attention from the seniors than herself. Thus far she had not been the recipient of an invitation to dine from a senior. She was still inwardly sore at the lack of attention they had met with on their arrival at Hamilton station.
”I don't think it is a very good policy for we eight founders of the Sans to keep to ourselves too much,” deprecated Dulcie Vale, regardless of Leslie's views on the subject. ”The whole eighteen of us will have to stick together and work hard if we expect to keep the upper hand of things here at Hamilton.”
”Oh, forget it,” ordered Leslie brusquely. ”Your trouble is easy to explain. You are sore because I didn't invite Eleanor, your pal, to this dinner.”
”I am not,” stoutly contradicted Dulcie. Nevertheless her sudden flush belied her words.
”Of course you are,” went on Leslie imperturbably. ”Understand, I didn't _want_ the rest of the gang here tonight, and that's that. What I started out to say when Nat and Joan and Margaret and you b.u.t.ted in, one by one, was this: We must bestir ourselves and make a fuss over the fres.h.i.+es. This year's freshman cla.s.s is, I'm told, the largest entering cla.s.s for ten years. I don't feel like bothering myself with the diggy, priggy element of fres.h.i.+es, but even they will have to be considered.
I'd do anything to spite that Sanford crowd and upset the progress they have made against us.”
”What progress have they made, I'd like to know?” demanded Harriet Stephens scornfully. ”If you mean the way they got back at us for ragging Miss Dean, I think that was _simply disgraceful_ in them to call a meeting as they did and blacken our standing at Wayland Hall. It is a wonder we managed to keep our rooms at the Hall after all the row they made about a little bit of ragging.”
”We kept them, just the same, and you may thank Joan and I for it,”
significantly reminded Leslie. ”I know old Remson is so sore at us she could snap our heads off. The funny part of it is, she will never know how cleverly we blocked her little game. That reminds me. I don't want the rest of the Sans to know the way we worked that scheme. Eight of us in the secret is enough. Remember, if it ever got out we would be all through at Hamilton College.”
”Do you believe we would be expelled, Les?” asked Dulcie Vale, looking worried.
”I don't believe it. I _know_ we would. Nothing could save us. Never mind being scared, though. No one will ever know the rights of our plot unless some one of you girls here is silly enough to tell it. That's why I am cautioning you to be careful.”
”Leslie is precisely right about that,” Natalie Weyman hastened to agree. ”We shall have to be very careful what we do this year. I think that a little missionary work among the fres.h.i.+es would be a good thing for all of us. Later on we can drop them if they grow to be too much of a bore.”
”They will take care of themselves as they get used to college,”
predicted Leslie. ”If some of 'em turn out to be really smart, like Lola Elster, for instance, then we needn't be slow about running with them.
_You_ think, Nat, that I have a crush on that Miss Walbert.” Leslie turned directly to Natalie. ”I have not. She is just the person I need, though, to carry out a plan of mine. Joan and Harriet both say that the Walberts have millions. They have a wonderful place at Newport. So Mrs.
Barry Symonds told Joan. What did you say the Walbert's place was called, Joan?”
”Evermonde,” furnished Joan promptly. ”I was sorry I didn't go and call on the kid, particularly after I found out who she was. I only met her twice at the tag end of the season.”
”What I want her for,” continued Leslie with slow emphasis, ”is the freshman presidency.”
”Some modest little ambition,” murmured Evangeline Heppler.
”Um-m! Well, rather!” agreed Adelaide Forman. ”How do you propose to make it happen, Les?”
”Leave that to me. I'm not prepared to tell you yet. I only know that it has to happen. It will give us a good hold on the fres.h.i.+es.” Leslie's loose-lipped mouth tightened perceptibly. ”We'll have to do some clever electioneering. I expect it will cost money. I don't care how much it costs, so long as I win my point.”
”You mean we must rush the fres.h.i.+es?” interrogated Margaret Wayne.
”Yes,” nodded Leslie. ”Cart them around in our cars. Blow them off to dinners and luncheons. Begin tomorrow to go down to the station and grab them as they come off the train.”
”Deliver me from the station act.” Joan Myers made a wry face.
”You'll have to go to it with the rest of us,” insisted Leslie with a suggestive lowering of brows. ”This is really serious business, Joan. I don't intend to sit still and see a bunch of m.u.f.fs like those Sanford girls run Hamilton College. We had things all our own way until they came upon the scene. Nothing has been as it should be for us since then.
They have turned a lot of upper cla.s.s girls against us. I don't mean Leila Harper and her crowd. They never had any time for us. There are a good many Silverton Hall girls of our social standing, but they went almost solid against us in that Miss Reid affair last year. Who was to blame for that? Those Sanford busybodies, you may be sure.”
”I believe it was that Miss Page who started the Silverton Hall gang,”
differed Dulcie Vale, with a touch of sulkiness. She was still peeved at Leslie and now delighted in expressing a contrary opinion.