Molly Brown's Freshman Days Part 17

"Where is Dodo?" asked Judy, with the smile of the victor, since she had predicted only a few moments before that Dodo might by this time have become so frightened at his boldness that he would suddenly become extinct like his namesake, the dodo-bird.

"Well, if Dodo is really extinct," said Molly, "we'll just take a little walk back through the fields. Epimenides thought nothing of it. He expects to walk to-day and meet us at lunch."

But Dodo was not extinct that morning, and they beheld him now running down the steep road as fast as his heavy boots could carry him.

"Behold, his spirit has risen from its fossil remains and he now walks among us in the guise of a man," chanted Judy.

"Don't make us laugh, Judy, just as the poor soul arrives without enough breath to apologize," said Nance, and the next instant the embarra.s.sed young man stood before them blushing and stammering as if he had been caught in the act of picking a pocket or committing some other slight crime which required explanation.

"I'm terribly sorry--have you waited long?--the schedule was changed--I didn't know--you should have come half an hour later--I don't mean that--I mean I wasn't ready--" he broke off in an agony of embarra.s.sment and the girls burst out laughing.

"Don't you be caring," said Judy. "We're here and nothing else really matters."

"I shouldn't have thought the station of a man's college could be so deserted," observed Molly, looking about the empty place.

Dodo a.s.sured her that plenty of people would be there in half an hour, when the train arrived; just then everybody was either in the village on the other side of the buildings, or down on the football grounds watching the morning practice game. There was to be a real game that afternoon.

"You see, it's only a small college," he went on. "There are only two hundred and fifty in all. The standards are so high it's rather hard to get in, but we are heavily endowed and can afford to keep up the standards," he added proudly.

They climbed the road to the college almost in silence and in ten minutes emerged on a level elevation or table land which commanded a view of the entire countryside. Here stood the college buildings, built of red brick, seasoned and mellowed with time. They were a beautiful and dignified group of buildings, and there was a decidedly old world atmosphere about the place and the campus with splendid elm trees.

Molly had once heard Judith Blount refer to Exmoor as that "one-horse, old-fashioned little college," and she was not prepared for anything so fine and impressive as this.

Nor was she prepared for the surprise of Miss Green, sister of Professor Edwin and Dodo. The girls had pictured her a middle-aged spinster, having heard she was older than the Professor himself, who seemed a thousand to them. And here, waiting for them, in the living room of the Chapter House, was a very charming and girlish young woman with Edwin's brown eyes and cleft chin and George's blonde hair; the ease and graciousness of one brother and the youthful fairness of the other. She had come down from New York the night before especially to meet them, she said.

Rather an expensive trip, they thought, for one day's pleasure, since it took about seven hours and meant usually one meal and of course at night a berth on the sleeper.

"At first I thought I couldn't manage it for this week," she continued, "but Edwin was so insistent and no one has ever been known to refuse him anything he really wanted."

Edwin! But why Edwin? Why not the youthful and blushing Dodo? So Molly wondered, while they were conducted over the entire college; the beautiful little Gothic chapel with its stained gla.s.s windows; through the splendid old library which was much smaller than the one at Wellington, but much more "atmospheric" as Judy had remarked; then through the dormitories where they remained discreetly in the corridors, and finally back to the Chapter House, in which George lodged with some thirty schoolmates.

There on the piazza was Professor Edwin Green waiting for them. He had made an early start, he said, and walked the whole distance in less than three hours. Some other young men came up and were introduced, and the entire gay party, Nance shyly sticking closely beside Miss Green, went off to view the village, which was a quaint old place well worth visiting, they were told.

The train had evidently come in, and crowds of people were hurrying up the road. There was a sound of a horn and a coach dashed in sight filled with students wearing crimson streamers in their b.u.t.tonholes.

"It's a crowd of Repton fellows come over to see their team licked,"

George explained, "but look, Edwin, here comes d.i.c.kie Blount. I thought he was in Chicago."

"Evidently he isn't," said the Professor, his eyes smiling, his mouth serious. It was Richard Blount, the hero of the ham bone, and he straightway attached himself to Molly and declined to leave her side for the rest of the day.

"Don't tell me that that delightful, joking, jolly person is brother to Judith," whispered Judy in Molly's ear.

Molly nodded.

"There's no family resemblance, but it's true, nevertheless."

Motor cars and carriages of all varieties now began to arrive. The whole countryside had turned out to see the great game between the two local college teams, and the Wellington girls pinned green rosettes in their b.u.t.tonholes to signify that their sympathies were all for Exmoor.

"It's the most exciting, jolliest time I ever had in all my life," cried Molly to Professor Green, who walked on her other side. "And to think I have never seen a football game before in all my life."

"I must draw a diagram for you and show you what some of the plays are, or you will be in a muddle," said the Professor, looking at her gravely, almost, as Molly thought, as if she were one of his English Literature pupils.

At lunch, according to the etiquette of the place, George and his guests were placed at the senior table. There was no smoking nor loud talking and the students behaved themselves most decorously, although George confided to Judy that ordinarily pandemonium prevailed.

After lunch they started for the grounds in a triumphal procession; for our Wellington freshmen and their chaperone had an escort of at least four or five young men apiece. Nance looked bewildered and shy and happy; Judy was never more sparkling nor prettier, and Molly was in her gayest, brightest humor.

They had hardly left the Chapter House behind them and proceeded in a snake-like procession across the campus, when a black and prancing, though rather bony, steed dashed up bearing a young lady in a faultlessly fitting riding habit. It was Judith Blount.

n.o.body looked particularly thrilled at Judith's appearance, not even Judith's brother, and Judy almost exclaimed out loud:

"Bother! Why couldn't she stay at home just once?"

"How do you do, Cousin Grace?" called Judith from her perch. "I heard you were going to be down and I couldn't resist riding over to see you."

"How are you, Judith? I'm so glad to see you," answered Cousin Grace in a tone without much heart to it. "Why didn't you come sooner? We've just finished lunch."

"Thanks, I had a sandwich early. I suppose you are off for the grounds.

Go ahead. I'll get Cousin Edwin to help me tie up this old animal somewhere. We'll follow right behind."

Molly was almost certain that Cousin Edwin was about to place this office on the shoulders of his younger brother, but glancing again at the flushed and happy face of Dodo at the side of Judy, the Professor relented and dropped behind to look after his relation.

Never had Molly been so wildly excited as she was over the football game that afternoon. It was a wonderful picture, the two teams lined up against each other; crowds of people yelling themselves hoa.r.s.e; the battle cry of the Repton team mingling with the warlike cry of the Exmoor students. The cheer leaders at the heads of the cheer sections made the welkin ring continuously. At last a young man, who seemed to be a giant in size and strength, dashed like a wild horse across the Russian steppes straight up the field with the ball under his arm, and from the insane behavior of the green men, including Professor Edwin Green and his fair sister, Molly became suddenly aware that the game was over and Exmoor had won.

The cheering section could yell no more, because to a man it had lost its voice; but, oh, the glad burst of song from the Exmoor students as they leaped into the field and bore the conquering giant around on their shoulders. And, oh! the dejection of the men of crimson as they stalked sadly from the scene of their humiliation.

At last the whole glorious day was over and the girls found themselves on the way to the trolley station. Richard Blount and his cousin, Miss Green, had hastened on ahead. They were to take the six o'clock train back to New York.

"Cousin Edwin, why can't you hire a horse in the village and ride back to Wellington with me?" asked Judith, when they paused at the Chapter House for her to mount her black steed.

"Because I'm engaged to take these young ladies home by trolley, Judith," answered the Professor firmly.

Judith leaped on her horse without a.s.sistance, gave the poor animal a savage lash with her whip and dashed across the campus without another word.

The ride back at sunset was even more perfect than the morning trip.

The Professor of English Literature appeared to have been temporarily changed into a boy. He told them funny stories and bits of his own college experiences, and made them talk, too. Almost before they knew it, the conductor was calling: "Wellington!"

CHAPTER XII.

SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST.

It was quite the custom at Wellington for girls to prepare breakfasts on Sunday morning in their rooms. There was always the useful boneless chicken to be creamed in one's chafing dish; and in another, eggs to be scrambled with a lick and a promise, at these impromptu affairs; and it was a change from the usual codfish b.a.l.l.s of the Sunday house breakfast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: It was quite the custom for girls to prepare breakfast in their rooms.--_Page 152._]

On this particular Sunday morning, Judy was very busy; for the breakfast party was of her giving, in Molly's and Nance's room; her own "singleton" being too small. She was also very angry in her tempestuous and unrestrained way, and having emptied the vials of her wrath on Molly's head, she was angrier with herself for giving away to temper.