Edith Lavell

“ But Marjorie had taken little interest in such affairs. She became greatly absorbed in athletics; she bent all her energy toward making the hockey team.
To add to her interest in athletics, she became infatuated with Miss Phillips, the gym-teacher, a young woman just out of college, whose clear, bright eyes and pink cheeks radiated health. She seemed, indeed, a living example of the wholesome life she advocated. Besides this, Miss Phillips had a charm all her own; she inspired the girls with a greater love of athletics than they would otherwise have had. ”

“ Marjorie rose to go. “It’s time to study,” she said. “I just wanted to run in and see you for a little while. Ruth,” she lowered her voice, “please don’t be discouraged. There’s a great deal more to school than being a sorority member!”
Ruth turned away. “I tell you I don’t want your sympathy, Marj.”
“I’ll never mention it again,” agreed the other, as she stood with her hand on the door. “And Ruth, I’ll look for you at hockey-practice to-morrow! Good night!” ”

“ When the four freshmen left Marjorie’s room, and walked out of the dormitory to the campus where Ethel Todd and Marian Guard, another sophomore members of ΦΑΒ, were waiting with the camera, their whole bearing expressed pride, as if they wanted to say to the rest of the school, “We have been singled out by the sorority as the four most eligible freshmen!”
Before they reached Ethel and Marian, the former called out, “Hurry up, girls! We can’t wait all day!” Then, turning to Marian, she said in a low voice, “Those girls are entirely too sure of themselves.” ”

“ As they danced, he asked her all sorts of questions about the school, and the girls, and even the sorority. When she described the methods of the latter, he wrinkled his brows.
“Doesn’t that cause a good deal of unhappiness?” he asked.
“Perhaps—at first; but I guess the girls who aren’t taken in soon get over it. Don’t you have fraternities at Episcopal?”
“No; we only have a Boy Scout troop; and all the money, and pull, and even popularity, in the world can’t get you into that. It’s simply a question of hard work.” ”

“ Now, if you four girls are asked to join, and I’m not, I will never dare talk about the sorority to you.”
“That makes it all the more fun,” said Ruth.
“Perhaps for those in it. But think of the dozens of girls like Lily who are just eating their hearts out because they aren’t asked, and never would be.”
“What kind of society would you have?” asked Doris diplomatically.
“Well, I’d have one that only takes in the all-around girl—first she’d have to be excellent in her studies; then good in athletics; and finally, generally popular. ”

“ By the time the scouts had completed their tour of inspection, it was ten o’clock, and they said good-bye to the girls and hurried off to get their things. Lily ran up to her room as fast as she could, to tell Marjorie the news.
“Did he really ask about me?” asked her room-mate, trying to appear disinterested.
“Yes, and he seemed so disappointed that you weren’t in the troop!”
“Tell me all about it,” said Marjorie; and Lily complied with her request, carrying on one of those one-sided conversations about “what he said,” that girls all love to hold with each other. ”

“ At that moment Marjorie felt all the bitterness of the outcast. “Ruth will make the sorority, and I won’t,” she thought. But she gave her attention to Miss Landis, who introduced her to some other freshmen.
When supper was over, Marjorie asked some of her new friends to her room. They did visit her for a few minutes; but they were all tired, and left early. Marjorie went to bed without even bothering to unpack, or to make any attempt to see Ruth.
“Never run after the sorority girls,” Miss Landis had advised, and Marjorie intended to profit by the advice. ”

“ But Ruth’s thoughts had taken an entirely different direction.
“Who are our room-mates?” she asked, as they ascended the stairs.
“Let me think,” said Miss Landis. “It’s hard to remember with so many girls, but I helped Miss Allen with the lists.” She stopped as they reached the second floor. “Oh, yes,” she continued, “you room with Ethel Todd—a sophomore. She’s a splendid girl—very popular. You’re lucky! And your room-mate,” she turned to Marjorie—“hasn’t come yet. She’s a freshman, named Lily Andrews.” ”

“ Her party followed the crowd across the campus to the gym where tea was being served. John looked anxiously for Marjorie, but she had been too much exhausted to appear. Everyone was clamoring for her—the heroine of the day.
“And they say she isn’t even a Girl Scout!” Ruth heard one of Miss Martin’s girls remark to her companions. “She’s such a peach, too! I wonder why!”
Ruth frowned. “Yes, everybody else wonders why, too!” she thought. “Oh, I’m sick of hearing the praises of Marjorie Wilkinson. But I’m even with her!” ”

“ I can see already that no man who marries a Girl Scout of Pansy troop ever need worry about his future happiness.”
The girls laughed, and Ethel looked significantly at Doris, as if to indicate that she would probably be the first to have the chance to prove this fact.
“I wish I could pass you all on every part of your second-class test,” continued Miss Phillips, “as easily as I can on your cooking. But unfortunately, I can award only three green clovers to-night: to Helen Stewart, Ruth Henry, and Doris Sands!” ”

“ Marjorie took Lily’s suitcase and the two girls walked off together.
“Poor Marjorie!” sighed Ada, “I hope she has the good sense to drop her.”
Lily talked all the way upstairs about the clothes she had brought. When they arrived at the room, and Marjorie opened the door, she uttered an exclamation of disgust.
“What!” she exclaimed, “me, Lily Andrews, have to live in a room like this, when my father’s rich enough to buy me a suite at the McAlpin?”
Marjorie tried to explain. “You see the older girls choose their rooms, and the freshmen are assigned the ones that are left. ”

“ Lily started to dress for supper. Suddenly turning to Marjorie, she said:
“I’ve made a new resolution. From to-day on, I give up candy and sweets between meals. And I’m going to practice for full-back on the team. Do you think there’s any chance of my making it?”
“Splendid!” exclaimed her room-mate. “Yes, there is no one to substitute for Mildred Warren, in case she gets sick. And Lily, couldn’t you go out for swimming? Each class is supposed to have six girls on the team; and positively, our class is awful!” ”

“ I have always heard that the Girl Scouts is an organization along athletic lines.”
Ruth was not a favorite with Miss Phillips. She frowned. “Oh, don’t let’s have any teachers in it! Except you,” she added diplomatically.
“But you have to have a Captain—a woman over twenty-one. And I see each troop has thirty-two members, but there are ninety-five girls in the school—how would you decide who was to belong?”
“Why, that’s easy—I started it, so Evelyn and two or three more of our friends would vote on the new members.”
Miss Allen smiled. “You want another sorority, Ruth,” she said. ”

“ During spring vacation, we are to go to a big party at the Boy Scout cabin.”
“How perfect!” exclaimed Ruth enthusiastically.
“After vacation,” the Captain continued, “we will give our play and study for merit badge examinations, and take some hikes—maybe one over-night hike—learning about trees and flowers. And, if any of you girls want to go out for the Pioneer badge, the Boy Scouts said they would show us how to build a cabin.”
“It would be wonderful to have our own cabin!” said Ethel.
“And, of course, you know, after that comes vacation and our week of camping. ”

“ It is natural for the younger girls of a school to look up to those in the upper classes—for the freshmen to make one of the juniors or seniors her ideal; and it is likewise usual to find the younger girl admiring the older boys she happens to meet. Partly for this reason, perhaps, and partly because he was both genial and attractive, Ruth conceived a violent admiration for John Hadley. ”

“ Ruth’s eyes danced; already she was fascinated by Ethel.
“Now I’ll show you to your room,” said Miss8 Landis to Marjorie. “I’m sorry there will be no room-mate there to welcome you, but then you can do that for her when she comes.”
As they went up another flight of stairs, Marjorie asked:
“Does she—does Ruth’s room-mate—belong to any of the sororities?”
“Yes, she belongs to the sorority,” replied Miss Landis. “There’s only one, but we teachers wish there weren’t any; for it takes the girls’ minds from their lessons and their athletics, and besides, it causes a good deal of unhappiness.” ”

“ By this time Miss Phillips and the rest of the scouts had reached the spot where the girls had stopped, and they all crowded around, asking questions.
“I will go to her at once,” said Miss Phillips, hurrying off with Dorothy.
The girls resumed walking. “Suppose she can’t take part in the play,” suggested Ethel. “She’s leading lady, you know!”
“I think that is what Miss Phillips thought of first, but of course she wouldn’t say anything,” said Ruth.
“Nobody else could ever take her place at this late date,” said Doris; “besides, we all have our own parts. What would we do?” ”

“ Then we’re all going over and sing a little song Frances wrote in her honor—a parody on ‘Perfect Day’—and go into her room with our presents and refreshments. Ruth and Doris are buying everything; the tax will be about a quarter apiece. You’re both in for it?”
“Yes, indeed!” answered Lily.
Marjorie hesitated. “I’d love to,” she said, “but it doesn’t seem exactly right. I’m not a Girl Scout!”
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Ethel. “If there is anything that isn’t right about it, it’s that you aren’t a Girl Scout. I’d like to have seen that Latin paper! ”

“ Marjorie, because she was both tall and quick, had been chosen for the position of jumping-center on the school team. She had been going out regularly to the practices in the field (the girls at Miss Allen’s played out-door basket-ball) , and she was in splendid trim for the game. Her cheeks glowed and her eyes sparkled while she played; had she been a vain girl, she would have realized that under no other circumstance could she appear so attractive.
“Go on—write to Jack!” pleaded Ruth. “Why, he’d love to see you play. ”

“ When it came time to pick the class swimming teams, it was a difficult matter to find enough freshmen to make the required number. In fact, most of the girls chosen were beginners. Lily Andrews, who had gone religiously to practice every day, made it; and, strange to say, Ruth Henry developed a new interest in athletics, and proved to be so clever in the water that she was immediately chosen captain. But the team could not in any way compete with those of the upper classes; in the inter-class tournament, it was the first to be defeated.
Marjorie tried not to take the defeat to heart ”

“ Finally, Marjorie stood up.
“Girls,” she said, “I have been thinking about it seriously and I have decided I would rather be a101 Girl Scout. We meet here Friday after Friday, and do nothing but have a silly business meeting, chat, and drink cocoa. And when we ought to be studying or practicing for some team, we are going to a feed. We never learn anything new. We have friends, but we are not supposed to make any close ones outside our own set. And once a year, we make the whole freshman class—except four girls—miserably unhappy. So I’ve decided to hand in my resignation to the sorority.” ”

“ Jack looked at Marjorie doubtfully, as if he had no desire to spend a whole hour cooped up with his English teacher when it was not necessary. So he suggested an alternative to his sister.
“How would you like to see our swimming-hole?” he asked.
“Fine!” answered Marjorie. “It’s too nice a day to be inside. Besides, I’m tired of sitting still.”
They took the path back of the school which led down to the creek, and in less than five minutes they reached the dam. ”

“ She opened the pamphlet she was holding, and read off a list of symbolic characters. “Of course the play is an allegory; ‘Everygirl’ just represents any girl, who meets with good and evil, and who has to choose her companions and her course through life. There are a good many parts to the play, so I hope you will all be able to be in it. Of course, the main part is that of Everygirl, the heroine.”
“Captain,” said Frances, rising and saluting, “please tell me how you are going to select the girls for the parts, and whether we shall be able to study them over spring vacation.” ”

“ Returning to the subject of interest, he continued, “Two other Boy Scouts—both juniors—are coming. Russell Henderson and David Conner—I think you’ll like them, too. And the other two boys—Ross Morgan and Art Whiteside, are members of my class. Ross is funny; can keep you laughing forever. Perhaps he isn’t much for looks, but everybody likes him.”
“Aren’t there any freshmen coming?” asked Mae, a trifle disappointed.
“No, I didn’t ask any; they’re so green, you know.”
The girls laughed at the typical sophomore point of view.
“Are the boys pretty good dancers?” asked Marjorie. ”