College stories; Women college students -- Juvenile fiction
When Elizabeth saw Miss Emerson and Mrs. Thompson and all the girls,
she looked anxiously from one to the other and said, "Oh, I am very
sorry to have caused so much trouble, I didn't think I was of enough
account ever to be missed by any one, least of all by you, Jean."
"Oh, Elizabeth, how can you say that?" said Jean as she helped her to
arise. "Now sit down here on this chair and tell us how you happened to
be here. You didn't do it on purpose did you, Elizabeth, because I--"
[Illustration: "WHY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR
YOU ALL OVER COLLEGE."--_Page 90_.]
But Elizabeth interrupted her with, "Oh, Jean, thank you so much for
wanting to find me! It's worth all the rest. I don't see how it could
have happened--unless when I get to reading history I forget everything
else in the world. About four o'clock I went into the history alcove
and took down a volume on Queen Elizabeth's reign and began to read.
When I was about half way through the third chapter, Betty Winship,
who went down with me, told me it was a quarter of six. I knew I was
due at Merton at six but I had reached the most interesting account of
Elizabeth's education. I slipped a corner of my handkerchief into the
book and put it carefully back on the shelf, deciding to go back after
supper and just finish the chapter before I got ready for Peggy's party.
"I hurried back as soon as I had eaten my supper and began reading
again about Elizabeth. I suppose I must have forgotten everything else
in the world, for the first thing I knew every light in the building
went out. I called as loud as I could but no one answered me, and for a
moment I was frightened. It was so dark I could not find the electric
light switches and the windows were too high even to hope to reach. I
made up my mind there was nothing to do but stay here until morning
when perhaps I could hail a passer-by."
"But Elizabeth, didn't you know it was Saturday night and the library
wouldn't be opened again till Monday morning?" said Jean. "Just think
what might have happened if you couldn't have found some one to open
the door. You'd have almost starved in there alone. I guess very few
of the girls ever go by the library on Sundays. Isn't it lucky we came
here to-night?"
"I didn't think about that. I forgot it was Saturday and thought of
course it would open early the next morning. I was tired and as I could
find nothing else for a pillow I took the book in my lap and laid my
head on that. Of course floors aren't the softest beds in the world,
but I must have fallen asleep, for I don't remember anything else until
I heard Jean calling to me. I'm so sorry to have caused so much worry
and trouble. I didn't dream any one would ever miss me," and the tears
began to trickle down her cheeks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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