"It is true. She is Mother's sister. I really do not know why I told no one at first. I took a notion that I didn't want the girls to know, and Aunt Mary humored me. I am her namesake."

"And that is where you have been evenings when I wondered so where you were," Dolly broke out a trifle incoherently.

"Yes, I was up in her room. I can go there any time I wish. I thought that I would leave you and Beth an opportunity to talk and study in our sitting-room."

"Professor Newton must have a high opinion of me," Dolly interjected discontentedly, "if she thinks that I drive you away."

"You needn't worry about Aunt Mary. She knows how lovely you have been to an awkward, green girl from the western prairies, and she is very grateful. Now you see, don't you, that I can say just enough to her confidentially to warrant her in warning Miss Ainsworth that the faculty will expect different behavior from her in the future? That is all that will be necessary, I am sure, only, of course, she will be watched after this. I will not mention a single name, and I will not tell anything that she has done in the past. If she behaves herself after the warning, she will be all right. There will be no harm done, but lots of good will have been accomplished. If she doesn't choose to take heed--"

"She will deserve to suffer the full consequences," declared Beth.

"Yes, go ahead, that is the best plan. Truly, I am not thinking entirely of the college either, when I say it. While I care nothing, personally, for Margery Ainsworth, I do not want her to ruin her whole life by some piece of folly."

The girls talked the subject over more fully, and the matter was finally left entirely in Mary's hands.

A sudden recollection struck Dolly. "No wonder that you did not care to have me introduce you to Professor Newton that first evening; do you remember? And of course she had saved a place at her table purposely for you. Mary Sutherland, if I supposed you repeated to her all the nonsense that you have heard me talk about her, I should never let you return to college alive."

Mary smiled, not very much overcome by the threat. "You always say nice things about her; now, if it had been Professor Arnold--you really don't like her at all."

"Of course I don't. An angel from heaven couldn't suit Professor Arnold when it comes to a Latin translation. But just to think how I have gushed over Professor Newton. Mary Sutherland, have you ever told her the silly things I have said?"

"You might know that I would not repeat anything that would displease Aunt Mary."

Dolly looked at her sharply. "You are evading my questions, Mary Sutherland. I just know that you have told Professor Newton how I have gushed over her, and how deeply in love with her I am. Don't try to fool me. I will never, never tell anything to you again. Don't talk to me about unsophisticated girls from the country, they are deeper than any city girl I ever saw."

And Dolly settled back in her seat with a look of vengeance in her eyes, that did not disturb Mary in the least. It was very true that Dolly had fallen deeply in love with Professor Newton, after the harmless fashion that students have. Her lessons for Professor Newton were faultlessly prepared, and while she was a good student in all her chosen studies, she absolutely shone in Professor Newton's cla.s.ses. There was something very attractive about this teacher. She understood girls and knew how to deal with them.

She had written a couple of textbooks herself, and it was generally understood among the students that she had supported herself when attending college. Yet she had not become hard or bitter. Her face was strong, but sweet, and her own experience made her very tender toward those girls who were trying to win an education against great odds. It was to this aunt that Mary Sutherland went, knowing that she could trust her implicitly to do the very best for all concerned.

Beth knew that her room-mate was summoned to the president's room the following Wednesday, and that she came back looking very angry and half frightened as well. Evidently, whatever had been said to her was of such a nature that she did not suspect Beth in the least. In fact, the president (alluding, of course, to Professor Newton) had said that "one of the members of the faculty had told her that Miss Ainsworth was proving herself untrustworthy." Then there had followed a serious talk in which Margery said as little as she could. She surmised that she had probably been seen by some one of the professors on one of her many escapades; on which one it might have been, she had no means of knowing, and she was afraid of saying too much in extenuation or excuse, lest she might inadvertently admit some misdemeanor of which the president was ignorant up to this time. Therefore, she returned to her room both wrathful and alarmed.

Beth reported later to Dolly, that her room-mate was doing more studying and paying more attention to the rules, than she ever had before.

"Will it last, do you think?" queried Dolly anxiously.

"I have my doubts. In my humble opinion, she is simply trying to throw them off their guard now, and to induce them to believe that she does not need watching. From several little things that have happened, however, I am perfectly positive that the faculty is keeping a very wide-awake eye on her. We have not many rules here, you know, but it goes hard with any girl who attempts to break those few."

"Yes, the mere fact that we are on our honor to a great extent, ought to make the girls behave. I feel like being doubly careful."

"My dear, you are hardly the same type of girl as Margery Ainsworth. She is the sort to take advantage of any privilege. She is so very quiet now, that I cannot help thinking there is some special reason why she is endeavoring to throw them off their guard before the Christmas holidays."

"They are only a week distant. Remember that you are going to eat Christmas dinner with me, Beth. Mary will go, too, and Fred has invited Mr. Martin and Mr. Steele for the holidays, so that we shall have the same crowd we did at Thanksgiving time."

"That will be jolly, but you must go home with me after Christmas. I don't pretend that you will have as good a time in Philadelphia with me, as I did at your home, but I want you to come. I asked Mary to go, too, because I knew she could not afford to go way out to her own home, but she said that she was to take a little trip with her aunt, and so I shall have you all to myself. I'm rather glad of it, to tell the truth."

"Yet you like Mary?"

"More than I ever imagined that I could. I am getting to know her better, for one thing. Of course, I shall never care for her as much as I do for you, but she is thoroughly genuine. There is nothing mean or underhanded about her."

"No, there certainly is not, and hasn't she improved wonderfully in personal appearance since she came?"

"You are responsible for that. Since she allows you to superintend her purchases, and tell her what colors to wear, she looks more like a girl, and less like a relic of some former geological era."

"Poor child, she had no opportunity to learn on the farm, and very little money to spend for anything, I fancy."

"All very true, and Professor Newton is a trump for giving her forlorn namesake this chance. Of course, she pays all Mary's expenses."

"Yes, and Mary is going to be a credit in the end to all her relatives and friends. I wish I could say as much of your room-mate."

"You can't. The most I dare hope in that direction is that Margaret will not do anything to make us ashamed of her."

But the next week proved that this hope would not be realized.

CHAPTER VII

On Thursday the girls would leave for their Christmas vacation. Dolly, as well as Beth and Mary Sutherland, had pa.s.sed their examinations in a very satisfactory manner, and could enjoy the holidays with clear consciences. The freshmen had been getting up a musical extravaganza under the energetic direction of their president. There was no denying the fact that Margaret Hamilton made a fine cla.s.s president. She had insisted upon Dolly's having a prominent part. Margaret, herself, had a fine contralto voice, and by common vote, another of the princ.i.p.al parts was given to her. Beth had a minor part, and Mary appeared only in the choruses.

A number of the other girls had remarkably fine voices, and all of the leading parts were well carried. The cla.s.s president seemed unusually elated and happy. The entertainment would be given by the freshmen in the College Hall on Wednesday evening. The faculty was invited, of course, as well as the soph.o.m.ores, juniors and seniors. It was the first entertainment that the freshmen had given, and everyone was eager to see what they could do.

Professor Newton had been admitted to the last rehearsal, and she a.s.sured the girls that it was the best thing that she had ever seen done by any freshman cla.s.s. "There wasn't a flaw in it. The idea is unique, the costuming fine and the solo work was absolutely superb. You must have worked hard. It will be something for all the cla.s.ses to talk about for years to come. Just do as well as you did at this rehearsal, and you will find yourselves covered with glory, if you do not attempt anything else in your entire college course."

"It is all due to our president," said one of the group who surrounded Professor Newton. "It was her idea in the first place; she adapted the extravaganza to our cla.s.s, and it is she who has made us work so hard at it."

"You have every reason to be proud of your work, Miss Hamilton,"

Professor Newton said cordially.

"I am tremendously proud of the girls, Professor Newton. Of course, I could have done nothing at all if they had not been so willing."

Just then the ringing of the gong summoned the majority of the girls to a recitation, and Margaret added in a lower tone, "I am only afraid of Ada Willing's last solo."

"But why, Miss Hamilton? That is one of the best things in the entire entertainment. It is so full of good-natured hits at the other cla.s.ses and the faculty. It is sheer, pure fun; everyone will enjoy it, and Miss Willing has a magnificent voice."

"But it is so uncertain. That solo should be sung well, for it is the most unique thing that we have. Sometimes Miss Willing does it superbly, and sometimes she does it miserably. Once or twice she has actually forgotten the opening words, they are pure nonsense, you know, and not very easy to remember, if a person be nervous."

"Don't worry about it," Professor Newton advised kindly. "I am sure you will come out all right this evening. You should rest the balance of the day."

"I want to go out for a little while, Professor Newton; then I shall surely take your advice."

Dolly and Beth had been almost the only ones who had heard this conversation. As the two walked down the corridor, Beth said thoughtfully: "I would be willing to wager a peanut that our president has gone out merely to walk up Murray's lane. She goes there every single day at this hour."

"I don't believe it is for any wrong purpose, Beth. The lane is within the limits that we are allowed to go. Some way I have faith in Miss Hamilton."

"I am not saying that I have not. But certainly she is secretive. Of course, that is no sin, as we decided long ago; at the same time one cannot help speculating about her, more or less."

"I have watched her rather closely ever since Thanksgiving, and she really has never said a word in my hearing that was untrue or false. Last week, in Miss Dunbar's room, the subject of wealth and aristocracy came up in some way. Miss Hamilton was appealed to. I do not think you were present, but Miss Dunbar asked if Miss Hamilton did not consider good breeding and refinement inseparable from wealth and family position."