“Be a dear, Madeline, and go, so you can tell us how they took it,” begged Fluffy.
“There are perfectly lovely souvenirs,” chanted the trio in chorus, as their train pulled out.
The organizers of the C. I.’s witnessed part of the matinée. Georgia and Straight bought a blue chiffon waist in partnership, and Fluffy, from force of habit, bought a Chinese doll. They had an early dinner to conform as far as possible to the rules about being chaperoned in town after dark, and they arrived in Harding again, tired and damp but expectant, soon after seven.
At the Tally-ho they stopped to find out, if possible, what sort of reception they were likely to get further on. Madeline welcomed them joyously.
“I went,” she said, “and I knew you’d want me to take charge in your absence, so I did. Everybody who got a souvenir”—she pointed to hers, decorating the wall back of the famous desk—“is happy. Others are amused or wrathful according to the stage of development of their sense of humor. Christabel Porter sent word that she understands you less than ever. The poetess almost wept at such desecration of her idyllic amusement. About two hundred girls came, and the rest of the college either tried to and couldn’t get inside the Belden House door, or wept at home because of their ineligibility. Mary Brooks wept too, because her famous rumor stunt isn’t in it any longer with this gallery play of yours. She wants you three to come to dinner to-morrow—Professor Hinsdale is away—and tell her all about it.”
“Thanks,” said the trio nonchalantly.
“Don’t you think we’re pretty nearly smart enough to belong to the B. C. A.’s?” demanded Georgia tartly at last.
“The B. C. A.’s?” repeated Madeline. “Oh, was that what you were venting your beautiful sarcasm on? We thought you were hitting all those new department societies that everybody is making such a silly fuss about getting into.”
The trio exchanged glances.
“It was partly that,” admitted Georgia. “We’ve absolutely sworn off from being in such things ourselves, or sending violets, except to girls who make Dramatic Club or Clio—the real big honors, you know.”