Natalie flushed her gratification of Leslie’s approbation. The others received their leader’s counsel with marked respect. The news of Dulcie’s perfidy had given them food for uneasy reflection.
“We’ll just have to depend on you, Les, to deal with Dulcie,” Joan Myers said emphatically. “You can do it scientifically. Of course, we expect to stand by you. When the time comes you ought to do the talking.”
“The firing, you mean,” corrected Leslie, smiling in her most unpleasant fashion. “Leave it to me. It’s our campus reputation against her feelings; if she has any. We all have a certain pride in ourselves as seniors. I’m not anxious to be looked down upon by the other classes. It is only a few months until Commencement. We must hang on until then, and at the same time keep up an appearance of senior dignity.”
An assenting murmur arose. Allowed to do as they pleased by doting or careless parents, not one of the Sans would escape parental wrath were she to fail in her college course. Even more serious consequences would be attached to expellment.
“How are we to behave toward Dulcie?” was Eleanor Ray’s question as the meeting broke up.
“As though nothing had happened,” Leslie directed. “I shall take her by surprise. I wish her to be so completely broken up she won’t have the nerve to fight back, either on the night of the fuss or afterward.”
CHAPTER XV—PLANNING FOR OTHERS
While the Sans were experiencing the discomfort of internal friction, the Lookouts and their friends were traveling the pleasant ways of harmony and peace. The sophomores had so thoroughly taken their freshman sisters under their genial wing that the juniors had little welfare work to do in that direction.
In the matter of basket ball they lost all active interest after the first game between the freshman and sophomore teams which took place on the first Saturday afternoon in November. The Sans still had friends enough among the seniors to make their influence felt in this respect. With two Sans elected to the sports committee, Professor Leonard had thrown up his hands in disgust after a vain attempt to get along pleasantly with the arrogant committee. He refused to be present at the try-out. Afterward he made it a point to be away from the gymnasium during team practice.
Leslie Cairns kept her word to Elizabeth Walbert to the letter. She was chosen by the committee to play on the official sophomore team. Phyllis Moore was also picked solely on account of her prowess. When she found herself on the same team with Elizabeth, she promptly resigned.