"No. I came here because of the advantages Harlowe House offers. I heard
of it through a friend. I wanted to go to Smith, but--oh, well, here I
am at Overton. Let's talk about you. I know you are interesting. You
look just like the picture of a girl I saw in a magazine I was reading
on the train. She is an actress. I didn't stop to read her name, but I
loved her picture. I think I brought the magazine along. Oh, yes, there
it is." She reached for the magazine, which lay on the table, and turned
the leaves energetically. "Here is the picture," she declared. Evelyn
found herself gazing at her own likeness. She began to laugh.
"What's the matter?" demanded Jean. Her color rose in instant resentment
of Evelyn's laughter.
Evelyn pointed to the printed name under the picture. "I am Evelyn Ward,
you know."
"But not the _actress_?" Jean's blue eyes were wide with amazement.
Evelyn nodded laughingly. "That's my way of earning my tuition money and
my clothes," she explained. "I was never on the stage until last
summer." She went on to tell the astonished Jean of her meeting with the
Southards and her final stage debut.
"How interesting!" exclaimed Jean. "I suppose all the Harlowe House
girls earn their college fees. I wonder how I can earn mine. I had quite
a sum toward them when I left--" again came the abrupt stop. "Oh, dear,"
she sighed the next moment, "I wish I'd been more careful of my money. I
had no business to lay my bag down. What's the use of regretting? I'll
have to think of some way to raise that money. If I can't find it any
other way I can sell my clothes. I have perfectly _beautiful_ things.
Four trunks full. Lots more than I can wear. It is lucky for me that--"
She checked herself guiltily.
"That what?" asked Evelyn. She was beginning to feel a vague impatience
at the strange way in which Jean Brent chopped off her sentences. And
how recklessly she talked about selling her clothes.
"That I have you for a roommate," smiled the mysterious freshman. "I
wonder how much the expressman will charge to bring my trunks from the
station. Then, too, I wonder where I can put them. I wouldn't think of
spoiling the looks of our room with them."
"You can put one of them over in that corner," planned Evelyn, "and we
could get one into the closet. It's large and quite light. The other two
Miss Harlowe will allow you to leave in the trunk room."
"I suppose it will cost a small fortune to have them delivered,"
demurred Jean. "I can't have the sale, either, until I know some of the
girls who would be interested in my wares. I'll have to telegraph my
friend to send me some money. Will you go with me to the telegraph
office. I don't know the way. I'll ask Miss Harlowe to pay the
expressman. Then I'll pay her when my money comes. Frenzied finance,
isn't it? But if you knew--" Again that maddening break.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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