“No. You can see for yourself what the girls in this house are; a mind-your-own-business crowd.” Natalie’s reply contained a certain amount of admiration. “If the story of it spreads over the campus, it will not be their fault. Sometimes I am sorry, Les, we didn’t go in for democracy from the first. We are cut out of a lot of good times by being so exclusive. Take this show that Miss Page and Miss Dean are going to give in the gym tomorrow night. Not one of the Sans was asked to be in it.”
“Hardly!” Leslie laughed and raised her eyebrows. “I can’t imagine Bean doing anything like that.”
“You needn’t make fun of me. We couldn’t expect to be asked to take part. I simply mentioned it as an example of the way things are. There is a great deal of sociability going on this year at Hamilton among the whole four classes, yet the Sans are as utterly out of it as can be,” Natalie complained with evident bitterness.
“Glad of it,” was the unperturbed retort. “Why yearn to be in a show, Nat, at this late stage of the game? Next winter, when you are in New York society, you’ll have plenty of opportunity for amateur theatricals.”
“Oh, I daresay I shall.” This did not console Natalie. Of all the Sans, she was the only one not satisfied with her lot. She would not have exchanged places with any student outside her own particular coterie. Still, she had dreamed from her freshman year of shining as a star in college theatricals. To her lasting disappointment, she had never been invited to take part in an entertainment. The Sans had neither the inclination nor the ability to engineer a play or revue. The democratic element at Hamilton did not require the Sans’ services.
“Are you going to that show?” Leslie cast a peculiar glance at her friend.
“I—well, yes; I bought a ticket.” Natalie appeared rather ashamed of the admission. “Did you buy one?” she hastily countered.
“Yes; two. Laura Sayres bought them for me. Humphrey has them for sale in her office. I asked Laura if everything were just the same with Matthews since that Miss Warner substituted for her. She said all was O. K. She has her files, letters and papers arranged so that no one could ever make trouble for her.”
“Too bad, Leslie, that Miss Warner was the one to substitute for Laura. It gave her a chance to meet Doctor Matthews. One never can tell what might develop from even so small an incident as that.” Natalie was not disposed to be reassuring that evening.
“Will you cut out croaking, Nat?” Leslie sprang from her chair and began a nervous pacing of the floor. “You might as well pour ice-water down the back of my neck. Enough annoying things have happened lately to worry me without having to reckon on what ‘might’ happen. I told Sayres to take good care of herself and try not to be away from her position again. I advised her, if ever she had to be away, even for a day, to supply her own sub. She should have had sense enough to do so the last time.”