“What was it?” Laura was eyeing Stephanie speculatively.
“I don’t know,” Stephanie confessed. “He didn’t say he had, but—I understand my father, when he’s set his mind upon some certain thing. He talked to me very seriously about Hamilton. He wants me to make a notable record for myself here; win honors, you know, and make my influence felt on the campus. He’s promised me a diamond necklace next June if I succeed in carrying out his ideas on the subject.” Stephanie’s lowering features cleared themselves for the moment.
“Go to it.” There was a hint of indolent satire in the stout girl’s tone. “What are you going to do to start the noble influence ball to rolling?”
“How should I know?” Stephanie countered irritably. “The very idea of it makes me weary. I want the necklace. I know that much. I’ll have to study the situation, and then try to hit the high spots at the psychological moment.”
“It sounds easy. I wonder—” Laura made a tantalizing pause.
“Don’t make fun of me,” Stephanie turned upon her roommate with sudden fierceness of tone. “It’s—it’s outrageous in Father to expect any such thing of me, necklace or no necklace. I like to do as I please, without having to watch my step all the time. I’ll have to see to it that I make brilliant recitations. That means digging, when I’m longing to be out in my car. I’ll have to make myself popular with the girls that count as powers on the campus. That will be a frightfully tiresome task. I’m going to entertain a good deal. Father has doubled my allowance. I shall pick the best sorority, and try to make it, and go in for dramatics and sports.”
“Good-bye, in case I shouldn’t see you again,” Laura crunched a chocolate almond, smiling at Stephanie out of half-closed eyes. “You’re going to be so busy.”
“Oh, stop trying to be funny. You can help me a lot if you choose. You can keep the rest of our gang in line to help me, too. Only they mustn’t be let into the real reason why. It wouldn’t do. I can trust you. I’m not so sure of the others. Through one, or another of them, my plan would leak out on the campus, and make not only myself, but my father, too, seem ridiculous. You are so clever. You can pick up bits of campus news from the students without them suspecting they are being pumped. Then I’ll know exactly how I stand at all times, and can act accordingly. You’ll be something on the order of a prime minister to me.” Stephanie had now become flatteringly appealing.
“Yes, I can wind the girls around my finger,” Laura conceded confidently. “Only they never suspect they’re being wound. You get the credit as leader, while I do the managing. You’re in luck, Steve, to have me around. Do you get that?”
“Oh, I know it.” Stephanie had changed to sweetly grateful. Laura’s boast, made in significant assurance, called for sugar on her part. “You’re quite wonderful, dear,” she continued purringly. “What do you think we ought to do first?”