Dolly's College Experiences Part 23

"If we had not made the absurd rule that only Seniors could be in these contests, we might do something even yet. There is rather good material among the freshmen and soph.o.m.ores."

"But the other colleges only admit the seniors, so we could not be allowed to pick from all the cla.s.ses. If only Ruth Armstrong were here!"

But Ruth, just then, was climbing the Alps, with no thought of her former cla.s.smates who stood in such dire need of her.

"Tell me once more on what contests you have finally decided." Of course, it was Mary who asked the question; any other girl would have known.

"The idea of your not knowing!"

"Well, you have changed your minds so often, and I have been so busy with my new experiments, that I do not think it wonderful that I am not posted. Tell me, Dolly."

"The faculties limited us to three contests. I felt indignant at the time, for I wanted a dozen, at least, but now I am ready to bow to their superior wisdom. The more contests there are, the more defeats there would be for us."

"But how have you finally settled it?"

"We have settled and unsettled matters a dozen times, but our last decision is really final; there will be running and jumping, and, last of all, a boat race."

"And we do not stand a show?"

"Not a ghost of a show for even second place," and Dolly sighed. Being president, she felt as if the honor or disgrace of the college rested on her.

Mary broke the silence at last. "I have not gone in for athletics since I have been here, because I don't care for such things, but I can do considerable in the running and jumping line. I can't row at all, and I would be no good there, but if you want me to try and help you out in the other things, I will."

"Why, Mary Sutherland, and you never said a word before! But you must be awfully out of practice. Do you actually think that you can save us from total disgrace?"

"I don't know what the girls at the other colleges can do, so I am hardly prepared to say how much I can aid you, dear. I am not so fearfully out of practice, either. Every summer I have been kept in trim by my brothers, and really I can beat them both at running and jumping, when I am in good condition."

"But that was nearly a year ago, Mary."

"I know, but I have been to the gymnasium every night after my experiments. I have done all sorts of running and jumping there just to tire myself out so that I could sleep. No one has ever seen me at that time, and I never thought of your really needing my services. I expect that I have been horribly selfish."

"You are just angelic now, for I know that you were planning to do a lot of extra work with Professor Reimer during these last days of college, and you would rather be with him than helping us out of a hole."

That was so very true that Mary blushed. She had felt reluctant to even mention her prowess, but a second thought had made her ashamed of her hesitancy. What had not Dolly and these other friends of hers done to make college life pleasant for her during the past four years? Mary herself could not get up much enthusiasm with regard to the athletics.

If there were a scientific contest now!

"Come up to the gymnasium, girls, and I will get into my suit and show you what I can do. As I said, I practice almost every evening, for after the laboratory work I am so wide awake that I could never go to sleep at all. I found that out long ago. I would just lie in bed and think out different experiments. Of course, the next day my head felt like lead, and I was as stupid as an owl. So I resorted to the gymnasium. There is no trouble any more about my sleeping, for I tire myself out physically before I stop. Now, just wait a moment. I hope you will not be disappointed after all my boasting. I really do not know whether I am better than the rest of the girls you have picked out or not. I suppose I must be pretty good at running and jumping, because the boys think so, and they are usually very chary of their praise where sisters are concerned."

But after the first five minutes there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to Mary's superiority over all the other girls. She was really fine.

Dolly's drooping spirits rose with a bound.

"I shall love you forever for saving the day for us, Mary. You are not out of practice a bit, but still you will let Mr. Thornbury have all your extra leisure until the games come off, won't you? I hate to ask it," Dolly went on hurriedly, for she knew that this would involve the giving up of all the extra laboratory work which Mary was doing. "But you will do it for the sake of the college, will you not?"

"Oh, yes. If I am going to go into this thing at all, I want to do my best. I didn't see the trial compet.i.tions last year, but you and Beth did. How do I compare with the girls from the other colleges?"

"You do better than they did then, but I hear that they have been practicing hard ever since."

"I will do my very best, Dolly; perhaps we can win a 'second' after all. Mr. Thornbury shall give me all the drilling and training that he wishes to. My examinations are all over, and I really do not have to do a single thing more. I was doing the extra work with Professor Reimer just because it was such a wonderfully good chance."

And Mary, true to her word, gave up all her time to gymnasium work. All of their friends came flocking to Westover for Commencement week. In fact, the closing ceremonies occupied nearly ten days.

All of the "diggers" had won their degrees, and also, rather to their astonishment, a place on the "honor" roll. Beth, as everyone expected, had taken the mathematical prize, Mary had been awarded the special prize given occasionally for exceptionally fine work along scientific lines, Margaret had won a year's study abroad for the highest average throughout the entire course. Margery received an honorable mention for her work, but she was not eligible for any prize, as those were open only to students who went straight through the four years' course, and Margery had not done that. There was an archaeological prize that went to Helen Stetson, and several other prizes or scholarships in post-graduate work that went to girls who had excelled in some special line.

The friends of the "diggers" were more than satisfied with the work that had been done by them. It seemed to Dolly as if everyone had come to Westover that she had ever known. All of Beth's relatives and hers, even to the third and fourth cousins. Constance's people were there, of course, and they did not fail to exert themselves to make Mrs.

Hamilton comfortable and at ease. Her delight and pride in Margaret were something beautiful to see. The prize which she had so unexpectedly won, changed Margaret's plans somewhat. She would go to Girton for a year's study; her mother was also to go; there was money enough for that, for neither of them had been extravagant during these four years just past. A fine position was already promised Margaret on her return.

Mary had secured the coveted place in the preparatory school at Westover, and had arranged to do special work at the college next year. She had been very sober when the other girls had been talking about Commencement and their friends who were coming. It seemed hard to Mary that her father and mother could not be there. But she knew that such an expense was simply out of the question, and she tried to be content.

Then a most wonderful thing happened, just a fortnight before Commencement. Some one (Mary suspected Constance, though she never knew surely) had sent Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland two railroad tickets to Westover and return; there were Pullman seats enclosed, too, for the day on which they should depart, and so, after all, Mary's father and mother were present. And if their hands were toilworn and their clothes very old-fashioned, Mary did not care. After all, in the great throng no one's garments were noticed very particularly. It was only the graduating cla.s.s that was especially scrutinized, and it was hard to tell whether the girls looked more enchanting in their white, filmy dresses or in their caps and gowns.

Cla.s.s Day, with all its gayety, pa.s.sed off brilliantly. Constance made a fine historian; Hazel Browne read the cla.s.s poem, and it was very generally conceded, even among the old graduates, to be one of the best things that had ever been read in the old Westover Hall. It was pungent and witty, without being at all bitter or malicious.

Dolly presided on all the numerous occasions necessitated by Commencement week, with a pretty dignity and grace that more than one person found very fascinating.

The weather was perfect, sunshiny and bright, but not overpoweringly hot, and the exercises went off with a smoothness that made Dolly wild with satisfaction and delight.

"You are getting altogether too proud, sister mine," a.s.serted Fred.

"If Westover should actually happen to win something in tomorrow's contest, there will be no living with you."

"I am proud of the girls and of the college, and of everything connected with it."

"To tell the truth, I am rather proud of you! I don't wish to make you conceited and all puffed up with vanity, but really, Dolly, you make a first-cla.s.s president. We are just br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with pride. Can't you see how satisfied Father and Mother are looking? You owe me something for getting Rob to coach you last year. I verily believe that you were just about ready to give up then."

"I was, for a fact, and I shall be grateful to you all my life, Fred, for what you planned. Just think of missing this," and Dolly drew a deep breath.

"It would have been too bad, that's sure," affirmed d.i.c.k Martin, who chanced to be present. "I never saw a more ideal Commencement. Perfect weather, lovely girls and original programs. How did you ever manage it all so smoothly, Miss Dolly? I see that your special friends captured the choicest prizes and scholarships. Was it all a prearranged plan?

Things went your way--you could hardly ask anything more than you and your friends got."

"Yes, I could," and Dolly sobered down. "The athletic contests come tomorrow, the very last thing on our program. We could not get them in before, and perhaps it is just as well, for I do not expect that we shall win any glory."

"I thought Fred said that Miss Sutherland was to save the day for you?"

"She is our only hope; the rest of the girls do not amount to anything.

But Va.s.sar and Smith, to say nothing of Cornell and Wellesley and Mount Holyoke, have been boasting so securely since they arrived that our hopes are now below zero."

"You are anxious to win?"

"Very. Westover has been out of all athletic contests for so long that we want to get our place again, and if our own particular cla.s.s could achieve that, we should feel that we had nothing more to ask."

"I should say you wouldn't have, for your cla.s.s is leaving a great record here, that is sure. I have faith in your friend. I believe that she will help you out, despite all the boasting of the others."

"I hope you are right. I do hope it. I shall be so glad, so glad--"

"So glad, that you will grant all sorts of favors?" her companion asked, as they sauntered slowly over the lawn. Fred had disappeared in search of Mary.

"Yes, quite glad enough to do anything for anyone," a.s.serted Dolly recklessly. A moment later she caught her breath, and wished she had not said just that.