Immediately the line ceased to be one, as its components vanished. Betty again went into the auditorium and sank into a seat to rest. What was it that tired her so standing in line? She was probably just sort of tired from everything, all the change and excitement and the responsibility of getting Amy Lou down on the train, though, that hadn’t turned out to be so bad. Luckily some one near her was discussing lunch; for Betty was hungry and did not enjoy the thought of going without what had always been the family dinner. It had been easy enough in the village for her father to come home from his business and for the children to come from school, returning in plenty of time for the afternoon session. Now it would be different indeed. Mother had said that dinner would be at night, as Father would have his lunch down town; and on the street car it would take the children almost half an hour to reach home, to say nothing of extra street-car fare. There was to be lunch served at the school, they understood, but would there be any today?
“No,” the girl behind her was saying in a low tone, though the names had long since been read out and the freshmen dismissed to the “home rooms.” Only scattered groups of resting pupils were here and there in the seats. Betty was in the next to the last row and three girls had just entered the last row together.
“I’m a wreck from standing in that line,” said the first one, as she dropped into a seat. “Aren’t they going to serve lunch today?”
Then came the answer, for which Betty listened. “No; don’t you remember that we never have lunch at first?”
“Well, I’ve only one year to remember, May, and I never did get anything straight when I was a freshman, at first anyhow.”
Betty’s heart warmed with a fellow feeling.
“I certainly wish that we could have one of those good lunches, but I suppose it won’t kill us to starve for once. Let’s go down to you know where and get a Swiss chocolate sundae. We can get back in time.”
“I’d rather not, May; besides I’ve only got my street-car fare and ten cents, I think.”
“I’ll lend you some more,” suggested May.
“Can’t possible this time; too tired, besides. There used to be a place opposite the school. What’s become of that? I used to get chocolate bars and sandwiches there.”