“Oh, no,” said Dora quickly. “I couldn’t take it. It would be just like breaking a will. The money was given to me for a special purpose, and I can’t use it for anything else.”
“You absurd child!” laughed Betty. “But perhaps you won’t have to move out of Eleanor’s room. The off-campus houses are all wanting waitresses. Wouldn’t Mrs. Tait let you earn something in that way?”
“Yes,” said Dora, “I think she would. She needs a waitress right now, and there is a little room up on the attic floor that would be a lot cheaper than mine. But I couldn’t pay even for that—and I should have to tell Eleanor.”
“Of course you’ll tell her,” said Betty gaily. “It would hurt her feelings dreadfully if she knew that you had told me and not her, when she’s so particularly fond of you. Tell her why you can’t take the money any longer, and I’m sure she’ll understand how you feel.” They had reached the campus gate, and Betty caught Dora’s arm and pulled her in. “Come and tell her now. There’s plenty of time before dinner, and you’ll feel better to have it over. While you are there, I’ll go and see Rachel about your getting tutoring to do. May I?”
Dora consented gratefully and they parted at the Hilton House steps.
The minute she had finished dinner, Betty hurried over to Eleanor’s room. Dora had told her story and Eleanor took exactly the view of it that Betty had foreseen, and had almost prevailed upon Dora to keep her weekly contribution toward the price of the attic room.
“I told her that I couldn’t possibly move back into my extra-priced room now,” Eleanor said, “and that if she didn’t take the money, I should certainly burn it up, and be very much hurt besides. I think she’ll take it, and it seems that Mrs. Tait, guessing how things were, has hinted at her acting as waitress. It is so hard to get regular maids that the boarding-houses are all clamoring for college girls to help them out. So we may consider that as settled too.”
“But there won’t be nearly enough even then,” said Betty, consulting the account that Rachel had made out for her. “Rachel knows just how much is paid for that sort of work, and about how much tutoring Dora can safely depend upon, and—oh, there’s your money that she didn’t count.”
Eleanor named the sum.
“But even with that added, there’s not enough. Rachel said she ought to have at least a hundred more, that was absolutely safe and sure. It’s dreadful how much it costs just to live!” said Betty sadly.