Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College

  Produced by David Newman, Sigal Alon, Mary Meehan and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College

  By JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M.

  Author of The Grace Harlowe High School Girls Series, Grace Harlowe'sFirst Year at Overton College, Grace Harlowe's Second Year at OvertonCollege, Grace Harlowe's Third Year at Overton College.

  PHILADELPHIAHENRY ALTEMUS COMPANYCopyright, 1914

  Grace Paused in the Doorway.]

  CONTENTS

  I. A Semper Fidelis Luncheon

  II. The Last Freshman

  III. An Accident and a Surprise

  IV. Patience Promises to Stand By

  V. A Declaration of War

  VI. A Face to Face Talk

  VII. When Friends Fall Out

  VIII. A Leaf from the Past

  IX. A Thanksgiving Invitation

  X. Kathleen's Promise

  XI. Kathleen's Great Story

  XII. Treachery

  XIII. The Invitation

  XIV. A Congenial Sextette

  XV. A Firelight Council

  XVI. Elfreda Shows Grace the Way

  XVII. What the Seniors Thought of the Plan

  XVIII. The Fairy Godmother's Visit

  XIX. What Patience Overheard

  XX. The Mysterious "Peter Rabbit"

  XXI. Who Will Win the Honor Pin?

  XXII. Kathleen's Great Moment

  XXIII. Grace Finds Her Work

  XXIV. Conclusion

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  Grace Paused in the Doorway.

  Grace Stepped Behind a Tree.

  They Clustered About the Fireplace.

  The Four Friends Were Strolling Across the Campus.

  Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College

  CHAPTER I

  A SEMPER FIDELIS LUNCHEON

  "The skies must smile and the sun must shine When Semper Fidelis goes out to dine,"

  sang Arline Thayer joyously as she rearranged her sofa pillows for theeighth time, patting each one energetically before placing it, thenstepping back to view the effect. "Aren't you glad every one's here, andthings have begun to happen again, Ruth?" she asked blithely. "I hope noone disappoints us. I wish this room were larger. Still, it heldeighteen girls one night last year. Don't you remember my Hallowe'enparty, and what a time we had squeezing in here?"

  "It is so good in Mrs. Kane to let us have the dining room with Mary toserve the oysters," said Ruth. "We never could do things properly uphere."

  "I know it. Oysters are such slippery old things, even on the halfshell," returned Arline, who was not specially fond of them. "Let mesee. The girls will be here at four o'clock. We are to have oysters,soup, a meat course, salad and dessert. That makes five differentcourses in five different houses. It will be eight o'clock before wereach the dessert. I am glad that is to be served in Grace's room. Wealways have a good time at Wayne Hall."

  To the readers of "Grace Harlowe's First Year at OvertonCollege," "Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College"and "Grace Harlowe's Third Year at Overton College," GraceHarlowe and her various intimate associates have become familiarfigures. Those who made her acquaintance, together with that of herthree friends, Nora O'Malley, Jessica Bright and Anne Pierson, duringher high school days will recall with pleasure the many eventfulhappenings of these four happy years as set forth in "GraceHarlowe's Plebe Year at High School," "Grace Harlowe'sSophomore Year at High School," "Grace Harlowe's Junior Year atHigh School" and "Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at HighSchool."

  The September following the graduation of the four friends from highschool had seen their paths diverge widely, for Nora and Jessica hadentered an eastern conservatory of music, while Anne and Grace, afterdue deliberation, had decided upon Overton College. Miriam Nesbit, ofOakdale fame, had entered college with them, and the trio of friends hadspent three eventful years at Overton.

  "It is time we gathered home," grumbled Arline. "I have hardly seenGrace or any of the Semper Fidelis girls this week. They have all beenso popular that they haven't given a thought to their neglected littlefriends."

  "Let me see," returned Ruth slyly. "How many nights have you stayedquietly at home this week?"

  "Not one, you rascal," retorted Arline, laughing. "I ought to be thelast one to grumble. But in spite of all the rush, I have missed thedear old quartette."

  "So have I," declared Ruth earnestly. "Twenty minutes to four. They willsoon be here."

  "Yes. I asked Grace to come as early as possible," said Arline. "There,I hear the bell now." Arline whisked out of the room and peeredanxiously over the baluster. "Hello, Grace," she called joyously. "Hurryas fast as ever you can. Where are your faithful three?"

  "I came on ahead," laughed Grace. "I had promised you that I would, andbeing a person of my word, I didn't wish to disappoint you. When I leftWayne Hall Miriam was playing maid to Elfreda. The new gown she had madefor the luncheon didn't arrive until the last minute. So Miriam stayedto help her dress. It is a perfectly darling gown. Just wait until yousee Elfreda in it. She hasn't gained an ounce since she went home lastspring. She has had a strenuous time all summer to keep her weight down.You must ask her to tell you about it."

  "I will," promised Arline, with an anticipatory smile. "But where isAnne?"

  "I left Anne finishing a letter to her mother. She will be here withMiriam and Elfreda. Isn't it splendid to think you and Ruth can betogether this year?"

  Grace ran lightly up the stairs in Arline's wake, and a moment latergreeted Ruth with outstretched hands.

  "Take the seat of honor, Grace," directed Arline, gently propelling hertoward her best leather upholstered armchair. "Isn't it obliging of theweather to stay so nice and warm? We don't need hats or coats. You weresensible and didn't wear either. Not having to bother with wraps willsave time, too."

  "I am highly impressed with this house-to-house luncheon," declaredGrace. "It was clever in you to suggest it, Arline."

  "Oh, these progressive luncheons are nothing new," returned Arlinequickly. "I have read that they are extremely popular among college andhigh school girls. I am sure I don't know why I never before proposedthat we give one. It is going to be lots of fun, isn't it? There's thebell again. I hope that maid hasn't gone on a vacation. It usually takesher forever." Arline darted out of the room to hang over the balusteronce more.

  This time it was the Emerson twins, and by four o'clock the last memberof the club had taken her place beside her sisters in Arline's room.

  "As we are all here," announced Arline, "we might as well begin. Thefeast awaits you downstairs in the dining room; that is, a very smallpart of it. There is one beautiful feature about this luncheon, we areto have plenty of exercise between each course. Are all of you hungry?"

  There was a lively chorus of affirmatives.

  "Then choose your partners and come along," ordered the littlecurly-haired girl.

  It did not take long to dispose of the oysters, and, headed by Sara andJulia Emerson, the little procession of girls moved on to Ralston House,where the twins were to play hostess and serve the soup.

  "You can thank your stars and me that you don't have to squeeze into ourroom and eat your soup from cups instead of Mrs. Bryant's best soupplates," Julia informed her guests as they swarmed up the steps. "Mrs.Bryant couldn't see this luncheon at first. She had no appreciation ofwhat a really important affair it was to be. I had to use all mypersuasive powers on her. But I won, and s
he descended to the kitchenand made the soup herself."

  "I think we owe Julia a special vote of thanks," declared Miriam Nesbita little later, as she finished her soup. "This vermicelli soup is thebest I ever tasted."

  "It can't be beaten, can it?" asked Sara Emerson eagerly. "That was whywe were so anxious to take the soup course on our shoulders. We knewwhat was in store for us if we could make Mrs. Bryant see things in ourlight."

  "S-h-h, she's coming!" warned Julia. "For goodness' sake, Sara, becareful."

  Mrs. Bryant, a rather austere person and not in the least like hersister, Mrs. Elwood, who managed Wayne Hall, walked into the dining roomat this juncture, apparently in the best of humors.

  Arline glanced inquiringly at Grace, who nodded slightly, whereupon thedainty president of the Semper Fidelis Club rose and made the matron apretty little speech of thanks in behalf of the club. Then the luncheonparty started on their way again, Mrs. Bryant hospitably seeing them tothe door and extending a smiling invitation to come again.

  "I knew she couldn't resist us," chuckled Sara Emerson, as the girlsfiled down the walk. "A combination like ours is safe to make its wayanywhere. Come on, Marian and Elizabeth, you are the hostesses now.Shall we head for Livingstone Hall?"

  "No, indeed," smiled Marian. "Bess and I are not so lucky. It isVinton's for ours. But we can assure you that you won't be disappointedin the layout."

  One of the features of the luncheon was the fact that no one knew untilthe moment of serving what the various courses were to be. When it wasdiscovered that Marian and Elizabeth had ordered fried chicken, forwhich Vinton's was famous, with potatoes au gratin and tiny French peas,there was general rejoicing. It took the better part of an hour to eatthese good things, and the guests, feeling that they were on familiarground, enjoyed themselves hugely.

  "Oh, dear!" groaned Elfreda, "I know I have gained a pound since Istarted out this afternoon. I haven't eaten so much at one time forages. There is still the salad and dessert to come. I can't possiblymiss either one of them."

  "Never mind, Elfreda," soothed Emma Dean; "we won't invite you to thenext luncheon, then you can----"

  "Just try leaving me out and see what happens," retorted Elfredathreateningly. "You may find yourself locked in your room on thatself-same day with the key missing."

  "Be good, both of you," admonished Miriam, "or I'll see that neither ofyou get any dessert."

  "Grace and Anne wouldn't be so mean," returned Elfreda with supremeself-assurance.

  "How could we blast such touching faith?" laughed Anne.

  "There, what did I tell you?" asked Elfreda, turning triumphant eyes onEmma. "Now, leave me out if you dare."

  "I don't dare. I don't want to," declared Emma affably. "I was merelytrying to be pleasant and helpful. If you were not invited to thespread, naturally you wouldn't eat, and if you didn't eat, then youwouldn't have to worry about that extra pound. It is all very simple."

  "Very!" agreed Elfreda, with such scathing emphasis that the exchange ofwords ended in a general giggle at Emma's expense.

  "Now that you've all finished laughing at me," she declaredgood-naturedly, "I hereby invite all of you, even Elfreda, to Martell'sfor the salad, which is my part of the ceremony."

  "Oh, goody, it's Waldorf!" exclaimed Elfreda delightedly, as, seatedabout the big corner table at Martell's, perhaps twenty minutes later,they saw the salad brought on. "You knew what we liked, didn't you,Emma?"

  "I did, in spite of my simple tendencies," murmured Emma.

  "That was a well merited thrust," laughed Elfreda, laying her handlightly over her heart.

  "And now Wayne Hall and our humble apartment await you," proclaimedGrace when the last vestige of salad had disappeared. "Anne and I extendyou a pressing invitation to dessert and conversation. Although this isto be a strictly informal session of the club, we may wish to discusscertain club business. The evening is before us. We ought to make gooduse of it."

  "And so we shall," returned Emma Dean, as they rose to go. "The affairsof the nation shall be discussed and adjusted to-night."

  "And the world will be upside down forever after," predicted Elfreda.

  "Don't croak," reproved Emma. "Who knows what this night may bringforth? It may engender indigestion, or a stern injunction to make lessnoise on the part of Mrs. Elwood, but whatever the future has in storefor us, we shall have had at least one luncheon worth remembering."