“Ugh! So do I! But let’s reconnoiter and try to spot our bugbear. I wonder if it wouldn’t be appropriate to call her by another name? We’ve got to share our rooms with her even if we haven’t got to share our bed. Why didn’t the Empress tell us her name? the stubborn old thing! Just ‘a girl from Sprucy Branch will share your suite this year. She arrived last evening and has already arranged her things in A of Suite 10.’ A of course! The very nicest of the three bedrooms opening out of that study and the only one which has sunshine all day long. You or I should have had it. I don’t call it fair. She’s probably trying to make a good impression upon Miss Sprucy Branch. The name sounds sort of Japanesy, doesn’t it? Wonder if she looks like a Jap too?”
“Well if you are speaking of me I can tell you right now that Miss Woodhull hasn’t succeeded in making any too pleasing an impression upon Miss Sprucy Branch and so far as keeping Room A in suite 10, is concerned, either of you is welcome to it, because it would take just mighty little to make me beat it for the stables, mount Apache, habit or no habit, and do those thirty-five miles between this luck-forsaken place and Woodbine in just about four hours, and that is allowing something for the mountains too. Apache’s equal to a good deal better time, but I should hate to push him, when we were heading toward home. That would pay up for any amount of delay. Thus far I haven’t found Leslie Manor as hospitable as our servant’s quarters at Woodbine.”
Beverly’s cheeks were as red as Aileen’s, and her eyes snapping as menacingly as Sally’s by the time she had come to the end of her very deliberately uttered speech, though she had not moved a hair’s breadth upon her bench, nor had she changed her position. Her head was propped upon her hand as her arm rested upon the back of the seat, but she was looking straight at the astonished girls as she spoke.
Never had there been a more complete ambush sprung upon a reconnoitering party, and for a moment both girls were speechless. It was Sally who saved the day by springing away from Aileen and landing upon the seat beside Beverly as she cried:
“Are you to be our room-mate?”
“I don’t know, I’m sure. I’ve got to be somebody’s I suppose and I’ve been assigned A 10. And from your conversation, which I couldn’t very well help overhearing, you two seem to have been assigned B and C for study 10. But I’ve just given vent to my point of view.”
There was still a good bit of electricity in the atmosphere, but it must be admitted that for the past eighteen hours Beverly had been pretty steadily brushed the wrong way, and it was an entirely new experience for her. Add to this a good dose of homesickness and a sense of utter loss at her separation from Athol, and her present frame of mind is not difficult to understand.
“Are you Beverly Ashby of Woodbine?” persisted Sally, while Aileen dropped down upon the seat beside Sally to listen.
“Yes,” was the laconic if uncompromising reply.
“Well that’s the best news I’ve heard since I left Richmond, and I’m just tickled nearly to death!” exclaimed Sally, spinning about to hug Aileen rapturously. This sudden change of base was so astonishing that Beverly’s sense of humor came to her rescue and she laughed.