“Can you imagine anything harder than for Miss Cairns to re-enter Hamilton College under a cloud?” Marjorie’s voice rang with appealing earnestness. “Her story is well known on the campus even though many of the students who were at Hamilton when she was there have been graduated. The Travelers will stand by her and try to make other students understand and respect her motive, should she be permitted to return. But she will undoubtedly be subjected to many humiliations. It will be a question of ethics, and there are so many different codes.” Marjorie made a gesture expressive of futility. “Could she choose a thornier path of restitution?”
“True enough.” The doctor bowed agreement. “It is you, rather than I, who should put Miss Cairns’ case before the Board,” he said, half smiling. “You have the courage of your convictions.”
“Oh, no!” Marjorie looked her alarm. “I beg your pardon,” she apologized in the same breath. “I didn’t mean—I meant—” She stopped, rosy with confusion. “I am sure no one else could explain Leslie’s case to the Board as you could, Dr. Matthews,” she rallied with confidence. “It was easy for me to come to you because you are my friend. I would go before the Board, in order to help Leslie, if there were no other way open for me to do. But I should not like to do so.” Her sunny smile flashed out with the confession.
“I understand your attitude in the matter, better, perhaps, than you may guess. I shall respect it, and try to present Miss Cairns’ case to the Board members as sympathetically as you have presented it to me.” The president answered her smile, his grave features lighting.
Marjorie breathed again at the reassurance. She was recalling the one occasion on which she has appeared before the Board. It had had strictly to do with expelling Leslie Cairns from Hamilton College. She was glad to remember now that her testimony then had added no weight to the evidence against Leslie.
“You underestimate your own powers, Miss Marjorie.” She came back from remembrance of that dark day to hear the president saying. “Of all persons whom I know you have the best right to ask of and receive from the executives of Hamilton College the concession which you ask. You have accomplished for Hamilton that which I believe no one else could have done.”
CHAPTER XI.
COMING BACK
“Well, Bean, beneficent, belated Bean, I thought you were never coming.” Jerry Macy cheerfully addressed Marjorie from the top step of the veranda of Wayland Hall on which she was sitting viewing her chums’ progress up the walk with an encouraging grin.
“It’s only ten minutes past five,” Marjorie defended, her eyes seeking the clock tower of Hamilton Hall.