“Think you will get into the orchestra?”
“That is another thing. I did want to, you know. But I found out that I couldn’t be a real member until I was a junior, unless I was a genius or something so wonderful that they had to have me. I was told that this summer, so my energy lagged in the hot weather. Father said he was sorry because I ‘lacked an incentive,’ but I don’t know. I like violin anyhow, and maybe it’s just as well not to feel hurried and lose all your dreams.”
“Now isn’t that like you, Betty! That’s one reason I like you,” Carolyn declared, “because you do have ‘dreams.’”
Carolyn looked at Kathryn as if for confirmation of her speech and Kathryn nodded with a wide smile.
“I’m very practical, though, girls. I’m not sure that having dreams is altogether good, either.”
“First you say one thing and then you say another,” Kathryn accused her. “It’s as bad as saying it the way Mr. Simcox answers our questions: ‘Well, yes; and no!’”
Kathryn had so nearly presented their teacher’s voice and intonation that Carolyn and Betty answered with giggles. But Kathryn went on to say, with real seriousness underlying her fun, “What we should say about Betty is that she is hitching her wagon to a star and it makes everybody else want to hitch up, too.”
“‘Inspiration,’ then,” said Carolyn. “What’ll I hitch up with? I couldn’t play a violin.”
“Aspiration,” chuckled Betty. “Pick out your brightest dream, ‘Caro,’ and put on the harness!”
“She calls me ‘Caro.’ What kind of syrup do you like best, Betty?”