Marjorie Dean College Freshman Part 1

Marjorie Dean College Freshman.

by Pauline Lester.

CHAPTER I.-A LONELY LOOKOUT.

"Oh, dear! I wish Jerry would come home! I want to see her! I've always missed her terribly during vacations, but this summer I've missed her more than ever. I'm simply starved for a sight of her dear jolly face!

Here it is, the twenty-fourth of August, and no Jerry Jeremiah Geraldine Macy!"

Marjorie Dean had addressed this little series of wistful remarks to no one in particular. She stood at one of the long French windows of the living room, her nose flattened against the pane, little-girl fashion, watching a very wet outdoors. All morning, the rain had been beating down with a sullen persistency which Marjorie found distinctly disheartening. She was as near to having a case of the blues as was possible to one of her care-free, buoyant nature. Wet weather did not often interfere with her happiness. Given her particular girl friends within telephone call and she could discount a rainy day.

Today she was without that source of entertainment and consolation. None of her chums had returned to Sanford from their summer outings. Susan Atwell, Irma Linton, Muriel Harding, Constance Stevens, Jerry Macy-all were missing from the town into which Marjorie had come, a stranger, but of which she now was, to use her own expression, "a regular citizen."

Marjorie's thoughts were dwelling on her absent schoolmates as she pensively watched the rain. She wondered if, wherever they were, they were penned in by the rain too. It seemed rather queer to her that she should be the only one of the s.e.xtette of girls, who had founded the Lookout Club, to be spending the summer in Sanford. She was not a real Sanfordite by birth. With the exception of Constance Stevens, the others claimed Sanford as their native town.

Readers of the "Marjorie Dean High School Series" have already an acquaintance with Marjorie Dean, and have followed her course as a student at Sanford High School. They have seen her through both sad and happy days, the events of which have been chronicled in "Marjorie Dean, High School Freshman," "Marjorie Dean, High School Soph.o.m.ore," "Marjorie Dean, High School Junior," and "Marjorie Dean, High School Senior."

"There goes that old mail carrier and he isn't going to stop here!" This time Marjorie's tones were not wistful. Their disgusted energy indicated her patent disappointment. Her red lips drooped in dejection as she saw the unfeeling object of her hopeful antic.i.p.ation plod stolidly past the gate without so much as a glance at the mailbox at the foot of the driveway.

"Not one single solitary letter," mourned the watcher. "Why doesn't Jerry write?"

"When did you hear from Jerry last, Lieutenant?" Mrs. Dean had entered the room in time to hear Marjorie's plaint.

"Oh, Captain, I'm _so_ glad you came to the rescue! I was _so_ lonely!

You asked me when last I heard from Jerry. Why, it's almost two weeks.

She wrote me it was awfully hot at the beach and-Are you going to stay here awhile and talk to me, Captain?"

Marjorie interrupted herself with this question. Her downcast face had begun to brighten.

"If you are," she continued, "I'll run up to my house and get Jerry's last letter. I'd love to read it to you."

"I'll oblige you by staying awhile." Mrs. Dean sat down in her own particular wicker rocker, her eyes resting fondly on Marjorie.

"You're a dear. Be back in a minute." A rush of light feet on the stairs proclaimed that Marjorie had gone to her "house," as she chose to call her pretty pink and white room, for her letter.

"I can't find it," presently announced a disappointed voice from above stairs. "Have you seen a square gray envelope with large writing on it anywhere in the living room, Captain?"

"I am looking straight at one now," came the rea.s.suring information.

"You left it on the mantelpiece, Lieutenant."

"Oh, thank you." A moment and Marjorie was heard making a vigorous descent of the stairs.

"I came down stairs at a positive gallop," she said lightly, as she crossed the room and secured her letter. "I was afraid I had left it in the table drawer in the paG.o.da. If I had, that would have meant a wading trip for me. I suppose I'd have gone after it, but I am glad it's here."

"You are overflowing with repressed energy, Marjorie," Mrs. Dean said, looking a trifle anxious. "I wonder if a quiet summer at home has really been best for you. While there is no place I know more comfortable than our own home, the change would have been beneficial to you. I believe we should have spent, at least, two weeks at the beach or in the mountains."

"Please don't feel that you haven't done the very best for me, Captain!"

was Marjorie's instant response. "You know it was my fault that we didn't go away this vacation. I said I had rather stay at home. We didn't care to go anywhere for an outing without General, and, so long as he couldn't be with us, we decided that home was nicest. That's the way things were. How can you say you were to blame?"

Marjorie was hanging over her mother's chair now, soft hands patting the face she loved most in the world.

"I wanted particularly to be at home this summer on account of my going to college in the fall. Ever since we came to Sanford to live I have had one long succession of good times. Most of them have taken me away from you. If I had a party, then I had to be with my guests. If I was invited to one, that took me away from you."

"But my own dear lieutenant, your captain wished you to have these good times with your school friends," reasoned her mother. "I could hardly expect to keep you tied to my ap.r.o.n string."

"I know you have been the most unselfish mother in the whole world,"

stoutly a.s.serted Marjorie. "I know I haven't appreciated you half so highly as I ought. It all comes over me now just because it is growing nearer the time to go to college. I can't bear to think about it."

The merry light had faded from Marjorie's features. Her lips had begun to quiver. Her two hands dropped inert to her captain's shoulders and rested there. She had no words for all that was in her heart.

Leaving her captain to go to Hamilton College was bound to be the greatest cross Marjorie had, thus far in her happy young life, been called upon to bear. She always missed her general keenly when he went away on long business trips. This in the warm shelter of her mother's devotion. But to part from Captain! Not to see her every day; not to hear her beloved voice! Marjorie sometimes tried to dwell on this sad feature of entering college. She found it unendurable and frequently entertained the desperate wish that her parents might suddenly discover that they could not afford to send her to college. That would be a legitimate excuse for staying at home.

A brief interval of silence followed her woeful declaration. It was broken by a stifled sob. The little lieutenant had struggled hard to keep back her tears, but had failed. Without a word she bundled herself in to her mother's arms. Heavy showers were due to fall indoors as well as out.

CHAPTER II.-A TALK WITH CAPTAIN AND A SURPRISE.

Presently clearance came. With a long sigh, Marjorie raised her head.

She was just in time to see her mother wiping her own eyes and making a valiant effort to smile. It pulled the little lieutenant together as nothing else could have done.

"Oh, Captain, forgive me!" she cried out in contrition. It was unusual to see tears in her mother's soft eyes. "I'm a nice kind of soldier!"

"No harm done," was the tender response. "This little tear shower was bound to fall, sooner or later. I am all right now." Her mother's wavering smile steadied itself.

"I've tried to keep away from the sad side of going away to college,"

Marjorie said somberly, "but how many girls are there who have the dear beautiful home life that I have? And this summer alone with you! It's been great happiness and sadness all jumbled together. Every once in awhile when I am very happy, I suddenly remember that there's a shadow.

I have to stop for a minute to think what it is. Then I know-I am going away from my captain before long."

"You must also stop to remember that you can't go through life only half educated," practically reminded Mrs. Dean, with a view toward lightening the lieutenant's pessimistic views. "At least, General and I do not propose that you shall. Suppose you wished more than all else to go through college and we could not afford to send you? That would really be a case for lamentation."

"I've thought of all that," Marjorie returned soberly. "I know it is splendid that I have the opportunity. I am thankful for all my benefits, truly I am. I ought to be glad I haven't Lucy Warner's problem to solve."

"I don't believe either General or I could truly accuse you of being ungrateful." Mrs. Dean smiled down upon the flushed face so near her own. "Do you think Lucy Warner will try to enter Hamilton College this fall?" She asked this question with a double object in view. First, to take Marjorie's mind off herself. While on the subject of college, she wished also to draw from Marjorie, if possible, Lucy's present att.i.tude toward the world in general. When, occasionally, Marjorie had entertained Lucy at the house that summer at luncheon or dinner, Mrs.

Dean had accorded her the same friendly courtesy she would have extended to Jerry or Muriel. She had never quite forgiven Lucy for the unhappiness she had caused Marjorie during both her junior and senior years at high school. She had not yet come to a point where she could repose faith in the odd, green-eyed girl of whom Marjorie had grown so fond.

"She would like to, but she is worried about the expenses. They are so high at Hamilton." Marjorie's face clouded momentarily. "She could draw whatever sum of money she needs from the Lookouts' treasury, but she won't. I may tell you, Captain, but no one else-Lucy feels dreadfully yet, over that misunderstanding we had last year. She blames herself for not having believed in me. She says the other girls would not have doubted me, and she had no right to be so hard on me. She thinks she isn't worthy of help from the club. She told me this, privately, because she felt it was my right to know."

Mrs. Dean's long-harbored sense of injury against Lucy Warner took sudden flight. She understood at last the peculiar girl's innate honesty of character, and could not do else than respect her for her drastic stand.

"Lucy feels afraid she may not find any kind of work at Hamilton to help her out with her personal expenses," Marjorie continued. "She can tutor in either Latin or mathematics. She has saved nearly two hundred dollars from her work last year and this summer. If she should enter Hamilton this fall her mother will do practical nursing. Then she will be earning quite a good deal of money and she won't be so lonely. That's the way things are with Lucy. I wish she would enter college with the rest of us. It would be easier for her and nice for us to be freshmen together."

"Would Lucy accept financial help from you? You may offer it to her if you think best, Lieutenant." Mrs. Dean's generous proposal arose from a relieved mind. She could make it with absolute freedom of spirit.

"No, Captain. I am the last one Lucy would allow to help her. If Ronny were here she might be able to make Lucy see things in the right light.