Betty Lee, Freshman Part 18

"This is Betty's mother speaking," she said, taking the receiver. "Betty is anxious to accept your kind invitation, but I want to inquire about the safety of the sport. Where is the hill located and just what are you going to do?"

"Aw, Mother'll spoil it all, Betty," said d.i.c.k, who was listening, while Betty stood half-way between hall and the dining room double doors.

Betty frowned and shook her head at her brother, who pa.s.sed his plate for a second helping of meat and potato. d.i.c.k was going out himself with his sled and the hill had been pa.s.sed upon by his father, though d.i.c.k in his peregrinations did not always ask permission. That was one of Mr.

Lee's little worries for fear that in a city he could not so easily know just where his son was spending his leisure hours or whether his company was all that it should be. In the country town there was just as much danger of contamination, but they knew so well what was to be avoided and what companions were safe and who were unsafe.

Mother, however, had not "spoiled it all." She came back smiling and put her arm about Betty to lead her in the room with her. "Chet explained it all satisfactorily, and I am rather glad to know that Ted Dorrance and a group of the older high school boys and girls will be there. There is a 'sled load,' I understand, though that used to mean a different sort of sled, in the country. Moreover, it is on the Dorrance place, and it may be that you can be called for. I think myself that the street car is safer, however, and so I told him."

"Mother!" exclaimed Betty, half embarra.s.sed.

"Don't worry, child. Parents have to manage some of these things. I liked Chet and he is not offended. It is most likely that his own parents have a few remarks to make occasionally. Chet is not old enough to drive a car, Betty."

"Well, I'm obliged to you anyway, Mother, for letting us go. Did you ring off?"

"Yes, I never thought that Chet might like to speak to you again."

"Your mother isn't yet used to having young men ring up and talk to her daughter," mischievously said Mr. Lee.

"And I hope that I shall _not_ get used to it for some time," firmly replied his wife. "Betty's not going to run around regardless; and I'm so sure of her that I know she does not want to do it either."

"I'm perfectly willing to wait until I grow up a little more," said Betty. "But this is different."

"Yes, this is different."

It was different. Betty never forgot this first winter fun of her freshman year, the night so beautiful, the snow so white, the little company so gay. Moonlight made the most of the scene. It was the first time that Betty had seen the Dorrance place, rather the house, which stood back, facing a road which was marked "Private" and wound around a short ascent to where two houses were built, some distance apart, upon a hill in a thick grove of trees. But the hill began to descend where the houses were and only the trees and chimneys could be seen from the main road where ran the street cars. A path had been well cleared and machines had gone over the road since the snow had fallen. Escorted by the three boys, the three girls ascended the hill after leaving the street car and heard, while they talked, the merry laughter of a group just preceding them.

"So this is where you live, Chet," said Janet, by this time well acquainted, for she and Chet had pulled taffy together and joked each other while they did it.

"Yes; it's a bit of a climb for some folks, but my mother uses the car most of the time and I suppose it isn't more than a good square's walk to the house. The hill we're going to slide on is the other side of the house. You see there's really a ravine there, but this hill is wide and the way the ground slopes and humps around it makes a good long hill of it. We've got it as slick as can be and we'll shoot across a narrow brook at the foot. It's good and frozen tonight and getting colder.

You'll all come in the house and meet Mother first. But we're going to make a big bonfire to get warm by and Louise, Ted's girl, you know, says we can roast marshmallows the same as if it were summer."

"So this is Betty Lee," said pretty Mrs. Dorrance, holding Betty's hand a trifle longer, as she was the last girl of the group. "Both Ted and Chet have spoken of you. I am glad to meet you and I hope that my boys can give all you girls a good time tonight. I've cautioned them to be careful of you."

"Now, Mother!" cried Chet. "You don't understand. Of course we'll take care of them, but they're pretty independent, too, and they'll tell us if they don't want to do anything, at least Louise will tell Ted!"

"I hope so."

"We want to do what everybody does," gently said Betty, "and I'm sure the boys know about the hill and everything, don't they, Mrs. Dorrance?"

"I hope so," whimsically replied Mrs. Dorrance, who was timid about sports of all sorts, though she rather liked this confidence in her boys.

Then the fun began. The girls and boys in warm sweaters and woollen caps gathered about the bob sleds at the top of the hill. One with Ted guiding and full of the older ones went first, down, down around, up a little, swooping down till it was lost to view and only the little squeals and shrieks of excitement or a whoop from some boy reached Betty's ears.

"I'll let you take this one down, Budd," said Chet. "Budd's an expert, girls. Now not too many. We've another right here and I'll take that first. Chauncey, watch how I take that curve and you can take it down next time. Come on, Betty, as soon as Budd's sled goes and rounds the curve all right we'll start, I think."

Shortly Betty found herself flying among the shadows, through patches of moonlight, around the breath-taking curve, shooting down a straight, steep descent, holding tight, breathing in the fresh, frosty air, happy as a bird. Again and again they climbed and descended till they were tired and lit the great pile prepared by the boys in an open s.p.a.ce. The flames shot up, lighting the gay colors of the sweaters and coats, the bright young faces and the snow man that some one started to build while marshmallows were really being toasted. A s...o...b..ll fight or two livened the scene for a little, and oh, how surprised they all were, when some one looked at a watch in the firelight and announced that it was getting late.

"Don't put on any more wood, boys," said Louise Madison. "I've only been able to toast anything in this one corner as it is; and if it is as late as that we'll go in, for Mrs. Dorrance will be calling us."

As if the hour had been noted at just the right time, some one came running out of the house to tell the company that refreshments were readyand such funny ones, ordered by the boys, no doubt, the two Dorrance boys that were hosts. There were hot tea and bottles of pop, hot "wieners" and fresh buns to put them in, hot beans in tomato sauce, pickles, real spiced home-made ones, and for dessert what d.i.c.k always called "Wiggle," jello or a kindred article, this time holding an a.s.sortment of fresh fruit together and served on a plate with an immense piece of frosted spice cake.

Somebody, the cook, Betty supposed, stood behind a long table by which they were to pa.s.s in cafeteria style, each taking, as the cook indicated, plate and silver and being served to the variety of foods by Chet and Ted, who with laughing faces had put on a white paper cap and a white ap.r.o.n. These the two boys kept on as they followed the rest into the dining room, to which a maid beckoned them. But all helpers disappeared at once. Mrs. Dorrance only looked in upon them to see that they were happy, and perhaps to a.s.sure Louise that the chaperon was doing her duty in being about. Jokes and fun and more hot things offered by Chet and Ted completed the evening's enjoyment.

"It's too much for you to go home with us, boys," said Betty, rather thinking that she made a "social blunder" by saying so, but feeling that if they put her on the car she could see herself and her friends home.

"Couldn't think of anything else," replied Chet, guiding Janet down the rather slippery hill at the front. "You don't know how late and dark it will be when we get off the car near your house. The moon's setting now, or else there's a cloud or two. Wouldn't it be great if we kept on having snow!"

"But dear sakes," said Betty, "we'll be in school and have to study!"

"Not to _hurt_," remarked Chauncey Allen.

CHAPTER XIII: BETTY MEETS TROUBLE

There are degrees of satisfaction or of disappointment, but Betty Lee had never met what she would consider real trouble connected with her school life until after Christmas in her freshman year.

The happy Thanksgiving vacation with Janet and Sue as her guests came duly to a close after a pleasant Sabbath during which they went to Sabbath school and church and spent part of the afternoon in wandering around the main art gallery of the city, open to visitors. The girls took an early morning train on Monday and Betty, more or less upset by too many good times, went back to school not feeling much like study.

But neither did any one else and the teachers in the main, having had a good rest themselves, seemed not to be too hard on any one.

Betty, however, buckled down to the work of what is always the hardest term of the year, that before Christmas, and had many delightful antic.i.p.ations of that beautiful celebration. They could not "go to Grandma's" this year, but they could and did enjoy Christmas day together. Accustomed, now, to the demands of the city school, she felt a real satisfaction in the fact that her work was being well done and her grades upon the cards such that she need not feel ashamed.

There were many interesting distractions toward Christmas and Betty joined the Girl Reserves, the group that included freshmen in her high school, in time to help with the Christmas basket which was to go to make some one's Christmas brighter. The stores, with their fascinating windows, the hurrying crowds of shoppers, the entertainments and the Christmas music, all had their accustomed charm; but Betty's vacation of only the one week, with an extra week-end, was spent largely at home, for none of the girls whom she knew well entertained and were absorbed in home affairs.

Again it was hard to settle down to work, but Betty was anxious to do well in the semester examinations and worked particularly hard on her Latin and mathematics. By some shifting of pupils, Betty was now in the adorable Miss Heath's Latin cla.s.s, though she had not begun the year with her. Betty was always very shy with her teachers and although Miss Heath was most "human," as Carolyn said, and friendly with the girls and boys there was a certain bound over which none of them stepped and Betty never presumed even upon the privileges which she might have enjoyed, in a chat or talk or consultation. It was characteristic of her family, perhaps, to be independent. Even at home she always wanted to "get everything herself" if she could, preferring to spend much more time upon a problem rather than ask any one for light upon it.

And now Miss Heath, gave them an examination which they all felt was important. Indeed she told them so. "It is going to help me find out whether you have gotten the important things that I have tried to teach you," she said. "As you know, I have emphasized some things. Some things we have gone over again and again. I see you smile, for you think that we have gone over _everything_ again and again. So we have. But this may help you, too, in reviewing for your semester finals. The questions for those I do not make out, except in some line a.s.signed to me by the head of the department. This I call a review examination and its results will be most interesting to me. This is not to 'scare' you at all, and it will be recorded in my grade book as an ordinary test, but I want you to _use your brains_ to the best of your ability. Day after tomorrow, Thursday, at this hour, come prepared for a test."

The next day a strange teacher was at the desk, a "subst.i.tute," young and worried. The boys who were in the habit of "acting up" performed as far as they dared, Betty reported at home; and the girls giggled, "because they couldn't help it. It was so funny."

"You have to know how to manage the freshmen in this school," said Carolyn to Betty on their way from the room. "I wonder if Miss Heath will be back tomorrow. She looked half sick yesterday and took some medicine as we went out."

"Did she? I didn't notice. That is too bad. I wonder if we'll have the test, then."

"Oh, of course. That would be the easiest thing for a subst.i.tute to give and she wouldn't miss doing it, I should think. But perhaps," Carolyn hopefully added, "perhaps Miss Heath couldn't make out the questions."

"She talked as if she had them already made out," thoughtfully returned Betty, determined to go over all the vocabulary and the paradigms hardest for her to remember. "I'm going to put all the time I can on Latin tonight."

"I'm not," laughed a boy behind Betty, who had caught her last words.

"We have basketball practice and I'm invited to a good show tonight. Oh boy!"

Betty smilingly remarked that he'd better not miss a little study even if he did know everything, but the lad grinned and shook his head as he pa.s.sed her.

"I don't like Jakey," said Carolyn, as her eyes followed him and the confused group of boys and girls, pa.s.sing and repa.s.sing in the hall.

"He's smart as can be and gets along in Latin better than I do, but there's something tricky about him once in awhile and he's so terribly conceited. He can't stand it when you can answer a question that he has missed or can't put up his hand for. I know. I've watched him. Did you see those boys change their seats? _She_ didn't know any better and they did it for fun I suppose, just to do something."

"Do you mean during cla.s.s?"