“Nonsense! They’re not alike, at all,” cried the ill-natured Linda. “She couldn’t afford to own such a bag honestly. Mine cost nearly forty dollars.”
“Well, maybe the Sherwood girl has more money than we think,” whispered Cora. “I saw her give Mrs. Cupp some bank notes to take care of.”
“Stolen!” exclaimed Linda.
“Well, she has them, at least,” said Cora, who was poor herself but loved money, and was always making friends with richer girls that she might share in their spending money. “You know, we want to have some bang-up banquets this fall, and parties and the like. Somebody’s got to furnish the ‘sinews of war’—and you can’t do it all, Linda. Better make friends with Sherwood.”
“I’ll do nothing of the kind!” cried Linda.
But Cora was a crafty girl. She herself said nothing and did nothing to offend Nan or Bess. It became common report, however, that Nan Sherwood had something in her trunk of which she would rather go without the use than show to Mrs. Cupp. And, of course, that aroused general curiosity.
Bess, on her part, felt not a little hurt. She was sure there was nothing she would not tell or show Nan. She did not speak of the matter to her chum, for Nan pointedly avoided it. But it troubled Bess, when the other girls tried to pump her about the box in Nan’s trunk, that she was unable to look knowing and refuse to tell.
“I don’t know anything about it,” she snapped. “She doesn’t tell me her secrets.”
“Ho!” cried Laura. “What’s the use of being chums with a girl who locks up the innermost recesses of her heart against you—and her trunk, as well? Why! I and my chum even borrow each other’s chewing gum!” she added with her usual exaggeration.
Nan, however, would not be offended at anything Bess said, and was so helpful and kind that her chum could not long retain even a shadow of unfriendliness. During the first days of school the two friends from Tillbury gathered a number of girls about them; some novices like themselves; others, girls of about their own age who had spent from one to three terms at the Hall previous to this fall semester.