“We’ll have to make the best of it. It needn’t hinder us from going on and giving our play. The more money we earn, the more of our own we’ll have when we find a site. Never say die, Robin. That is the only way to do.” Marjorie was recovering from the damper she had lately received. “It will all come out for the best. Remember what I say, and see if it doesn’t. Some day we may be very glad we didn’t get those properties. That is poor consolation just now, I know.”
“Oh, I’m not cast into the depths,” Robin replied in a lighter tone. “Nothing worth while is ever gained without a struggle. Leslie Cairns may find one of these days that she’d far rather have her sixty thousand dollars back than be the owner of those properties. I only hope she does.”
CHAPTER XIX—AN UNRELENTING ENEMY
At a meeting of the Nineteen Travelers in Robin’s room, a howl of indignation went up over the loss of the desired real estate. Discussion grew apace when Leslie Cairns’ part in the transaction was revealed. More than one girl among them named Elizabeth Walbert as the source from which Leslie had received information of the intended movement toward erecting a dormitory. Marjorie soon learned that she was not the only one who had seen the two girls driving together.
This grave set-back only served to make the new sorority more determined to carry out their project. Marjorie having brought Kathie’s play with her, she invited Leila to read it to the company. It was received with acclamation. Before the Travelers separated that evening, the parts had all been assigned. Lucy had volunteered the typing of each part during the evenings. She was sure that President Matthews would not object to her use of the typewriting machine in his home office. With rehearsals under way at once, they hoped to give a performance of the play soon after New Years. Leila, Vera and Helen offered to go to the attic of Wayland Hall and inspect the chest of costumes. Vera laughingly announced herself as wardrobe mistress. Leila accepted the post of stage manager and threatened to be “a bully of some bad manners and a roaring voice, if you show yourselves too stupid.”
The Saturday succeeding Marjorie’s and Robin’s disappointment sent Augusta Forbes to the heights of stardom in the basket ball arena. She went into the game fiercely resolving to outplay her team-mates if she could. She was in the pink of condition and played with more snap and precision than Marjorie had ever seen her exhibit. She carried her team, who did not distinguish themselves, on to victory by her sensational plays. The freshmen won over the sophomores by eight points. Gussie was riotously lauded, as she deserved to be, and escorted in triumph about the gymnasium by the usual admiring mob of jubilant fans.
That evening she came to Marjorie’s door and called her into the hall.
“I can’t stay a minute,” she commenced in evident embarrassment. “I only want to say that I couldn’t have played so well if it hadn’t been for you. I was losing my nerve until you made those girls let me alone. One of them was really pleasant to me today. The others haven’t been quite so snippy as before. Thank you, until I can do something splendid for you.”
She turned and fairly ran down the hall, leaving Marjorie to look smilingly after her. She had not had time to say a word in return for the impulsive little recognition of her own worth.
“Why don’t you invite your company inside the room instead of whispering to them in the hall?” demanded Jerry with a ferocious scowl, as Marjorie re-entered. “Once I was your honored confidant. Now I am—What am I? An idiot, let us say, for studying Political Science. It’s werry dry and werry hard, Bean.”