CHAPTER VIII

“RUSHING” ALINE FOR THE “BATS”

It was at rather a late hour that evening when Ann and Marta attacked what Suzanne called “the everlasting lessons”. The Jolly Six had gathered in to see the new headquarters, and even after study hours had commenced, Suzanne or Eleanor would whisk around, to say something, or to bring some little forgotten article. Lora Collier was arriving late, and according to Suzanne, nobody in the suite could study for the excitement. “The reputation of the family rests with you, as usual,” teased Suzanne, a new Suzanne, it seemed, so happy, in spite of a few twinges of conscience in regard to Madeline. Suzanne’s conscience was waking up a little.

“Say, Ann, tell me honestly now,” said Marta, “wouldn’t you have preferred to stay in the suite with Suzanne?”

“Who’s been talking to you, Marta Ward?” asked Ann in return.

“Suzanne and Eleanor made a few remarks that informed me of something back of all this.”

“I may as well tell you the whole story now, then,” said Ann, “and first of all, let me say that while I liked being with Eleanor and Aline, as long as you were with me, and while I like Suzanne, I should have been much troubled _about_ you, had Miss Tudor arranged it that way, and homesick _for_ you, Marta Ward.”

With this introduction, Arm told Marta all that had happened, from Suzanne’s first coming to her about Eleanor’s leaving the suite, to the events of the evening. “And I believe that we are the best off of all, Marta,” she concluded. “Isn’t this restful and fine? Why, we can each have a bedroom if we want to,--and all this closet room! The girls don’t think that we’ll have anybody put in with us at all, though you will want some one after I go to Florida, as I suppose I shall. Perhaps you could change then, and room with Lora in Suzanne’s place.”

“Time enough to think of that later. I’m glad that everybody is so happy. It is too bad about Madeline, though.”

“She likes Genevieve. They are really more congenial, and you’ll see her getting over this,--if for no other reason than that Suzanne is sister to a very handsome brother.”

“Why, Ann!”

“That is rather terrible for me to say, isn’t it? But ‘mark my words’,--and it will make Suzanne feel better. Trust Miss Tudor, too, to do something to fix Genevieve and Madeline. For all Madeline said what she did to me, she wasn’t the least bit cast down.”

“We are going to have a lot of company here, Ann.”

“Indeed we are. We’ll have to _plan_, to get all our lessons in, because of the rushing, and we’ll begin with Aline!”

“_Aline?_ You haven’t suddenly taken leave of your senses, have you, my dear room-mate?”

“Not yet, Marta. Aline’s mother was a Beta Alpha Tau. Her mother died not so very long ago, it seems, and Aline won’t hear to going into the Sig-Eps. Naturally, she hasn’t offered herself to the Bats, and I wondered why in the world the Sig-Eps hadn’t initiated her long ago. Eleanor herself told me!”

At that astonishing statement, Marta almost gasped. “It behooves us to get right at it, then,” she said, “and we must find out about the other new girls right away. There was a fine looking girl at dinner with Genevieve. She was rather over-dressed, but looked like a girl of some force, and Genevieve was being too nice to her for words.”

Ann nodded assent “I saw her,” she said. “But we’ll get in touch with the senior girls tomorrow and ask what they know and what they want us to do. I know that they will want Aline, as much as if we had had a meeting.”

“By the way, did you hear Katherine tell me that a meeting is called for tomorrow afternoon, right after lessons, after last hour, and that meanwhile we are to find out all we can about the new girls. We can’t take many in this year, you know, because our number is so nearly filled.”

“But we must not miss any especially fine girls,” said Ann. “The others will be just as anxious as we are, so we must arrange to meet them.”

“What do you think about our numbers?”

“It always seems to me, Marta, that a sorority that has a comparatively large number of members in the chapter stands a chance of not being so ‘exclusive’, which is the main criticism, Mother says, upon the sororities. However, let the authorities concern themselves about it. As long as they have ’em, and especially one as ‘chawming’ as the Bats, and I belong to it, I’m not worrying. At the same time, I can’t think it all there is of school life, like some of the girls, can you, Marta?”

“I should say not! But it is lots of fun. Hurrah for the Beta Alpha Taus!”

* * * * *

On the following afternoon, a group of merry girls were arranging themselves upon the hillside for a meeting. Some had brought cushions. Others found convenient stone or rock; and still others sat down upon the green hill itself, with its grass, weeds and vines.

“Look out there, Kit,” warned Lucile Early. “There is some poison ivy near that bush.”

“It never poisons me,” replied Katherine Neville, pulling aside some sticks from the place she had chosen.

“Where is poison ivy?” asked Ethel Johns, jumping up. “It poisons me all right. That summer I went to camp I spent two weeks in the little hospital room from being poisoned by it.”

Lucile moved over to the other side of what was forming itself into a circle and sat down by Dorothy Horton. The Jolly Six was out in force, for here came the other two members, Ann Sterling and Marta Ward. “Ho there, Dots,” laughed Ann, “may I sit down by you?”

“Come right along,” Dorothy invited, and Ann threw a cushion down, then dropped upon it, leaning over to engage in a low conversation with Dorothy. There were many secrets in the air now. Exchange of experiences or of facts was going on around the circle. The senior girls carried the greatest responsibility. The junior girls came next, in dignities and consultation; then, the new sophomores, eager to help with the important activities on hand. It was wonderful not to be a freshman any longer. A whole year of experience made a Forest Hill girl something more than a mere initiate. Her feet were founded upon the rock of residence, familiarity and enthusiasm. It was her school home, beloved, dearest of colleges!

Ann had no thought of any trouble in persuading the girls that Aline would make a desirable member. The only contingency that might arise was one of numbers, in case the older girls had those in the upper classes whom they wanted to add to the sorority.

Sorority meetings and sorority affairs are shrouded in much secrecy. One would scarcely dare describe one of the official meetings, so to speak. And as for those prescribing the duties of faithful members or the rites of initiation, what dire consequences might follow one shudders to consider! But this meeting was an ordinary, informal gathering, designed only to consider ways and means in the important provision for handing the Beta Alpha Taus down to future ages.

There were several preliminary interruptions, due to the difficulty of getting settled. “All ready, Alice?” asked the secretary, who had come without any paper and had just secured an old envelope from the sweater pocket of a friend. From another she borrowed a short pencil.

“You’re a great secretary, Jean,” remarked the one who surrendered the pencil. “I suppose that I’ll never see that again, either.” This was said laughingly, with no intent to wound.

“I hadn’t a minute to get ready. Alice called me and told me to come right over, that we would be late. Yes, perhaps I _can_ remember to hand back your precious pencil. You must have had it last year, I think, and when was it sharpened last?”

“I found it, in the table drawer of my new suite,” laughed the lender.

“Ow,--girls!” A girl on the opposite side of the circle jumped up with what Virgil would have termed a feminine shriek. “Look out! There he goes!”

Half the girls were on their feet by this time, but Ann and Dots, who had seen the dire monster glide in a different direction from their position, sat laughing.

“What on earth!”

“What is it!”

“I nearly sat _down_ on it!”

“A garter snake, girls,” announced Alice, who was Alice Mann, the present head of the “Bats”. “Hurry up, please, and get in order. We haven’t much time before dinner. Come to order at once, please.” Alice was clapping her hands; and several other girls, who were quietly sitting and ready, softly seconded her clapping. In a moment all was quiet, though several girls still nervously looked about them, to make sure that none of the hated species was near.

“We shall come right to the point, and I want to hear from those who have names to propose for our consideration. We shall not elect, I suppose. Then I want to know how we shall arrange for our first informal banquet and whom we shall invite. We’ll have to do what we are going to do right away, if we get our bids in first with several, who know nothing about our sororities and will go with the jolliest or most attentive crowd.”

“Madam President.”

“Miss Price.”

“I propose that inasmuch as we took in a larger number of freshmen than usual last year, we bring in a number of upper classmen, some juniors and seniors that made good last year and did not enter a sorority, and also look up a few juniors that have just come in. Then, of course, we’d better add a few freshmen. We have enough in the present sophomore class.”

Ann looked at Dorothy in dismay. “We’ll vote against that,” she whispered. “What’s the _matter_ with her?”

“Have you a list of girls that you think eligible?” asked Alice Mann.

“Yes; shall I read it?”

“If you please.”

“That is all set up,” whispered Dorothy, “but I suppose they had to have some idea.”

The girls listened while the list was read, and when it was finished its reader sat down, several girls were on their feet at once. The president recognized one of them.

“Madam President, is there a motion before the house?”

“Miss Price, did you offer that list or your suggestion as a motion?”

“Yes,--if you want one to start on.”

“Very well, Miss Price moves that we elect from the juniors, seniors and freshmen,--is that right?”

“Madam President,----”

“In a moment. Is there a second to that motion?”

“I second it.”

“Very well. The motion has been moved and seconded that we elect from the seniors, juniors and freshmen. Any remark? Now, girls a motion is before the house and I suppose that you can talk about it all you please.”

The girls who had first risen were still standing and were recognized in turn.

“Madam President, I suppose that it is not necessary to talk about the motion, is it? In Congress they talk about everything on earth sometimes, so my father says.”

Alice laughed a little. “If you follow the example of Congress, I’m afraid we’ll not get anywhere this afternoon. It is not necessary to be too formal anyhow. Get to work!”

Katherine was standing now. “Madam President, as a sophomore, I do not like to have my class discriminated against. Suppose that we fail to pass that motion and substitute one that merely suggests the offering of suitable names from any class. We can use our judgment afterwards in selection.”

A little further discussion followed. Then the president put the “crazy” motion--this was Dots’ term for it,--and it was lost. Katherine was permitted to put a different motion. The list was read again. One or two other girls presented additional names and then Ann was on her feet.

“As one of the sophomore members I feel a little timid about presenting names, particularly since it has been suggested that we have enough sophomores. I acknowledge, too, that we have; but there is one fine girl that I am sure none of you know, or knew last year, would be eligible. The Sig-Eps have done their best to get her,--of that I was told by a loyal Sig-Ep--but this girl’s mother was a Bat, which we did not know, though I suppose it is in the records.”

The girls were listening intently. Who could it be that had been rushed by the Sig-Eps and wouldn’t join?

Ann avoided telling the name a little longer. “It isn’t so very long since her mother died and that makes her all the more ready to join her mother’s society, I think. Now, Madam President, do you think that you could consider her name if I should give it? Indeed I am ready to propose her at once, for she is gifted in several different ways and a lovely girl that everybody likes, so far as I know.”

“Who is it, Ann? Who is it?” came from several sources, sophomore as well; for in the rush of events, Ann had not had time to talk privately with any of the Jolly Six or her other friends.

“I am sure that we are all anxious, Miss Sterling, to know who the girl is,” said Alice, again clapping her hands for order.

“I haven’t even had time to talk it over with anybody except my room-mate since I found out. This girl, too, has made no effort, I assure you, to let it be known that she favors the Bats. I understood that her room-mate found it out accidentally. She is Aline Robson.”

“Aline!”

“Why, I supposed that she was already a Sig!”

“Let’s not miss Aline,--it will make a sensation all right!”

“Let’s have her in right away and give her a big initiation to impress the natives!”

“What is your pleasure, ladies?” laughed Alice, who was as surprised as any one. Aline, small, reserved, but gifted and industrious, had made an impression upon her schoolmates in the one year that she had been with them. “Miss Price,” Alice continued, recognizing that young woman, one of the seniors.

“I want to withdraw what I said about our having enough sophomores. Honestly, girls, I believe that it will make a stir and a good impression for us if we get Aline in instanter. Madam President, I move that we waive all rules and put it through now, sending Ann Sterling to present Aline with our invitation and bid to the greatest sorority in Forest Hill college!”

“Hear, hear!”

There was no objection and presently the deed was done. Ann was to see Aline at the close of the meeting. But there were other interesting matters. The girls began to talk about other desirable members.

“This girl, fellow Bats,” said one of the juniors, “comes from another school, with all kinds of honors, for one thing; and while I do not like to speak of such a mundane matter, she also has plenty of money, which would help like everything in getting our new cottage that has recently been suggested.”

“Fie, fie,” jokingly said Dots.

“Well, I know the Bats are not a ‘society’ crowd, but we are not blind to the fact that if those who are fine girls anyhow are able to help us out financially, it is no drawback. I’m one of the practical sort!”

“The ‘root of all evil’, Jane!”

“You have it wrong,--it’s the _love_ of money that’s the ‘root of all evil’!”

So it went. One girl was good and interesting, but would not “fit in” with the rest. Another pleased everybody. A committee was appointed to find out more about these girls and others before a second meeting to be held that evening after dinner. “It is too soon, girls,” said one distressed member of the committee. “It’s nearly dinner time now!”

“Very well,” said the president of the meeting. “Come around to our suite when the bell rings for the close of study hours,--and come ‘tout de suite’, too.”

“Listen to Alice’s French, and punning, too!”

“Wait a minute, Ann,” called Alice, as Ann, happy in the thought of Aline, was about to leave, with Katherine and Lucile, it happened.

Ann waited for Alice, who put her arm over Ann’s shoulder as they walked toward the buildings. “You know, don’t you, Ann, that it is best not to be too precipitate in a thing of this sort?”

Ann looked inquiringly at Alice. “You mean not to take it for granted that Aline is ready to fall into our arms at once?”

“Yes. The girls, of course, will not do or say one thing till they get the report from you.”

“I have been wondering how to manage it,” said Ann. “I know Aline pretty well by this time, especially since we came very near to being suite-mates. Still, the Bats haven’t paid her any particular attention since the first of last year.”

“We did then, didn’t we? That makes it a little better.”

“Yes, but then we thought that it was not best to bid her,--she was so surrounded with the Sig-Eps and so intimate with Eleanor, though they didn’t room together. Of course I did not know about it then, but I heard Katherine and Dots talk about it.”

Alice walked along without saying anything further for a few moments. “How would it do, Ann, if after dinner we get hold of Aline, some of our crowd, maybe go outdoors, or bring her around to our suite, as it happens; and then when you go back to your building, I will stroll along with you and perhaps say something about our having found out that she had not joined the Sig-Eps, and being glad of it, or something like that--you never can tell what is best to say until the times comes.”

“That is one reason why you are at the head of the Betas, Alice,” said Ann. “You always _do_ know just the nice thing to say!”

“Thanks, Ann. You are a loyal Beta Alpha Tau. I’m certainly glad that we got you in! Well, now, after what I am going to say has been said, and of course Aline will know anyhow, having been here a year, what we Bats are after,--then the way will be paved for you to have a serious little talk with her. Just tell her the facts, Ann, for they are certainly complimentary, the interest the girls took and how they want her. But I want a lot of our girls to meet her beforehand, anyhow, for the ‘psychological effect’.”

“I’m so glad, Alice, that you thought of this, because while we do want to hurry it up, it ought to be done in the right way. Goodbye. I’ll tag on to Aline and tell her that I want to see her about something, if I can’t get her away from her crowd in any other way.”

“Very well, Ann, goodbye till after dinner! The rushing season for Aline will be short I hope.”

“Yes; and I’m so glad that you think we’ll have a special feast to celebrate her coming in,--if she does, and I’m pretty sure of it, on account of her mother you know.”

Ann ran happily over to her suite, to hug Marta in the excess of her emotions, and to tell her about the plan of attack.