“But they don’t know how to use you in their business,” Christy took her up.
“And the ones that need you most will always be too scared,” put in Helen Adams earnestly. “When I was a junior”—she blushed a little at her tardy admission—“my mother lost some money, and we didn’t have as much interest to live on. I thought I might have to leave college, and I wondered if the Student’s Aid would help me to stay. But I was too scared to ask. I started twice to go and see one of the faculty directors, but I just couldn’t screw up my courage. And then mother sold a farm that she’d wanted to get rid of for years, so it was all right. But—well, I wasn’t ashamed to ask for help; I was just scared,” ended Helen incoherently.
“Results of investigation up to date,” began Emily, who was dividing her time between the cashier’s desk and the B. C. A.’s table. “First, let people know what you are here for; secondly, take away the scared feeling from girls, who, as well as you can guess, may need help; third—this is original with me—get the girls who have money properly excited about having things done for them. I can tell you, I used to bless the B’s for the sentiment they created in favor of hiring somebody to sew on skirt braids and mend stockings.”
“Well, the B’s aren’t the only ones who can create sentiments,” said Madeline. “Georgia’s very good at it, and the Dutton twins are regular geniuses. Fluffy Dutton could make people so wildly enthusiastic over the binomial theorem that they’d be ready to die for it if she asked them to.”
“Then get them started on Betty,” ordered Rachel. “Madeline Ayres is hereby elected to enthuse all the champion enthusers on the subject of the enjoyability of being mended up by somebody else.”
Madeline bowed gravely. “I hereby accept the chairmanship of the committee on Proper Excitement of the Idle Rich, and I would suggest Rachel Morrison as chairman of the committee on Proper Encouragement of the Timid Poor, and Christy Mason to head one on Proper Exploitation of Miss Betty Wales, the eager, earnest, and insufficiently employed Student’s Aid Secretary.”
“If I might humbly suggest something at this point,” laughed Christy, “it would be that Betty might like to invent her own committees and choose the chairmen of them.”
“Oh, no indeed,” cried Betty heartily. “You all have such splendid ideas and Madeline has such lovely names for things. Please go on and think of something else. I haven’t dared to say a word all this time, because I was so afraid that you would stop.”
“That’s the proper spirit for an Object.” Madeline patted Betty’s shoulder encouragingly. “Accept the goods the B. C. A.’s provide. Instead of not earning your salary, my child, you’re going to give the Student’s Aid the biggest kind of a bargain. Besides one small secretary (with curls and a dimple) they’re getting the invaluable assistance of at least six prominent graduates, and any number of influential college girls. If that’s not a run for their money, I should like to know what they want.”
“Oh, they haven’t acted dissatisfied,” explained Betty hastily. “It was only I that was worried.”