"Is the last egg scrambled, Betty?" asked Dotty. "Come on, we've saved room enough for you on this log. We spread out, kind of, to keep it. It isn't as soft as the ground, but easier to sit on with a plate. I considered getting down with my plate and a cup full of chocolate and gave it up."

"I will, too," a.s.sented Betty, carefully balancing her plate as she cautiously sat down on the big log and the others adjusted themselves after their move. "I'm lucky to have such a good place. You must have reserved your seat early."

"We did. Look at Lucia with the juniors, Kiddie."

"I noticed. I looked for her because she spoke of wanting to be with us." Betty said "us" instead of "me." "It is good for Lucia to get acquainted," she added, but Betty pursed up her lips as she made that remark.

"Q. E. D. sororities," said Peggy apropos of the geometry which the soph.o.m.ores were just beginning.

"Yes," said Carolyn, "but the less said about them right now the better.

By the way, Louise Madison is being rushed by the Kappa--oh, now I've forgotten the rest of it, but it's one of the best in the University."

"Well, ask what Louise thinks of sororities," said Betty, "if you ever see her. Doesn't she come to see your sister, Carolyn?"

"Yes."

"Did Louise belong to a high school sorority, Carolyn?" asked Dotty.

"No, she didn't but I never dared ask her why."

"She _must_ have been asked," said Betty, "because she was so prominent in everything."

"That isn't a sign. Look at that silly Rose--I can't think of her name right now. She wasn't in anything, but she was the High Mogul in her sorority."

"Social stuff," said Peggy Pollard. "That is a good line, Betty. Don't think that scholarship is the only thing."

Betty looked at Peggy to see if she were serious or joking, but saw that Peggy was serious.

"Maybe you're right, Peggy. Perhaps doing the things you are expected to do in school isn't all there is. Still, I have a prejudice in favor of getting your lessons, or rather for girls that do it or do something else at any rate."

"Social stuff keeps them very busy, Betty," said Peggy, laughing now.

"And if you want to get married--well, just watch that kind of a girl."

"Peggy's getting too sophisticated," said Carolyn. "That is what my sister would call it. But I'd like to combine the 'social line' with good sense and 'doing something' as Betty means it. About Louise, remember that with possibly one or two exceptions, sororities are new in Lyon High. Of course, I don't really know how many may have flourished without anybody's knowing a thing about it. There always are little cliques, I guess. But let's talk about Hallowe'en. How about a soph.o.m.ore party that night, or a smaller one anyway?"

"That would be great, Carolyn," said Dotty, "though I'm afraid we haven't time to get up a cla.s.s party. Betty, can I get you another bun?"

"No thanks. I've eaten two."

"That is nothing. The rest of us had three. I insist. Hand me your plate, please. No one shall say that the chairman of the soph.o.m.ore refreshment committee didn't have enough to eat. There are loads left and I see that Chet Dorrance is cooking some more bacon, just in time for Betty's last sandwich!"

Without protest Betty handed her plate to Dotty. She was tired and "ought to have strength for the hike back," as Peggy suggested. And when Dotty came back, didn't the three boys come with her, to stand in front of the five upon the log and suggest a soph.o.m.ore cla.s.s yell.

"It's too much mixed up, Chet," said Carolyn, "and we'll let the others tell how good the soph.o.m.ore committee was. Aren't you a reporter for the Lyon paper, Chet? Write up Betty as chairman."

"I will. Betty, may I hike home with the chairman and her friends?"

"Of course, unless Chauncey wants you in the car."

"What Chauncey wants is not the question, ladies, and there are almost no supplies to go back. I speak for a hot dog to eat on the way."

"Make as many 'hot dogs' as you want, Chet," laughed Betty, taking a good bite from her own sandwich just brought. "You boys ought to have all you want for helping us out. Please see that Miss Fox is looked after."

"Miss Fox has had every attention, and we hope that this is not the last time we go on a oust--I mean a picnic--with the G. A. A. girls."

"Hear, hear," said Dotty, widely grinning.

CHAPTER X: A STARTLING SITUATION

In a number of G. A. A. girls as large as this it was natural that Betty Lee should have contact with a good many outside of her own cla.s.s. Lucia looked her up and her new satellite, Mathilde, was not far from Lucia; but one junior and one senior girl remained in Lucia's neighborhood at the start of the hike home. Mathilde's fall and incidents of the hike out had been related to Betty while she ate her luncheon and were enlivened by Dotty's comments. Betty, however, was not disturbed by any of the little undercurrents. She wasn't jealous of anybody, didn't hate anybody, the soph.o.m.ore part of the hike had been a success and the whole thing was great fun.

Mathilde still carried Lucia's alpenstock on the way back and used it with great effect. She seemed in a happy mood and the only remark which might have been considered to carry a sting was one made when Betty waxed enthusiastic over hearing a meadow lark. "Oh, listen!" cried Betty. "The birds aren't all gone yet by any means, and if there isn't a dear old meadow lark singing in the sunshine!"

Lucia looked interested and followed Betty's glance, trying to find the bird. But Mathilde laughed. "Oh, yes. Betty Lee's from the country and knows the birds!"

Betty said nothing, but a junior girl remarked, "Well, then, let me stick to Betty on this hike. We study those things in the Girl Reserve camp. Are you a 'Girl Reserve,' Betty?"

"Oh, yes. I joined last year, but I don't belong to the same group in high school that you do, of course."

"No. We've been watching the fall migration and gathering some of the fall wild flowers for botany cla.s.s, too."

"I'd like to do that," said Lucia. Mathilde tossed her head and looked disgusted, saying something about there being such a "fad for nature study."

"It's more than a fad," said Lucia. "It's good for you to get outdoors more, and then it helps your country to look after the birds and wild flowers. I don't know much about your American birds and flowers and trees, but I could learn, perhaps."

"Oh, that would be lovely, Lucia!" cried Betty. "I don't know much, but I can tell you a little when we take the hikes. You'd soon get ahead of my small knowledge, though."

"Girls," said the junior, "I'm going to have a party Hallowe'en night and I'd love to have you come. I'm getting it up rather suddenly, but there are a few soph.o.m.ore girls that I want. Will you be one of them?"

"Thank you," said Lucia. "I will ask Mother."

"I'd be delighted," said Mathilde.

"It's so good of you," smiled Betty. "I think I can come. Some of the girls were talking about a soph.o.m.ore party, but I don't see how we could get up such a big affair on short notice."

"I wouldn't try a cla.s.s affair," pleasantly advised the junior. "I'll call you up, perhaps; but if I don't you will understand, I hope. I'm sending out some funny invitations and suppose you just give me your addresses now, though I _could_ look it up in the directory, of course."

Addresses were scribbled on sc.r.a.ps of paper, which was all any of them could muster, it seemed. The invited guests were naturally wondering what they would be expected to wear, though Hallowe'en customs gave them a pretty good idea. "What sort of a party is it?" asked Mathilde, "a costume party?"

"Yes. Wear anything you happen to have, and a mask, of course. We'll do the usual things, indoors and out if it isn't too freezing cold by that time. We've an attic and a bas.e.m.e.nt and I'm going to use both for stunts."

"How jolly!" Betty's face brightened with her happiest enthusiasm, and the junior, Marcella Waite, was glad that she had invited her, privately thinking Betty a "dear."

Betty was wondering if Marcella was one of those who wanted Lucia in a sorority, according to the ideas of Dotty and the rest. Oh, wasn't life nice with so many mysteries and good friends and everything and plenty of things to do! She would probably meet a number of the older girls at this party. It would have been more than human not to be pleased at notice from the juniors. But of course it was probably on account of Lucia. She needn't plume _herself_ upon it.