CHAPTER XII.
SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST.
It was quite the custom at Wellington for girls to prepare breakfastson Sunday morning in their rooms. There was always the useful bonelesschicken to be creamed in one's chafing dish; and in another, eggs to bescrambled with a lick and a promise, at these impromptu affairs; and itwas a change from the usual codfish balls of the Sunday house breakfast.
It was quite the custom for girls to prepare breakfast intheir rooms.--_Page 152._]
On this particular Sunday morning, Judy was very busy; for the breakfastparty was of her giving, in Molly's and Nance's room; her own"singleton" being too small. She was also very angry in her tempestuousand unrestrained way, and having emptied the vials of her wrath onMolly's head, she was angrier with herself for giving away to temper.
Although it was Judy's party, Molly, as usual kind-hearted and grandlyhospitable, had invited Frances Andrews. Then she had gone andconfessed her sins to Judy, who flared up and said things she hadn'tintended, and Molly had wept a little and owned that she was entirelyat fault. But what could be done? Frances was invited and had accepted.To atone for her sins, poor Molly had made popovers as a surprise andarranged to bake them in Mrs. Murphy's oven. But the hostess beinggloomy, the company was gloomy, since the one is apt to reflect thehumor of the other. However, as the coffee began to send forth itscheerful aroma from Judy's Russian samovar, discord took wings andharmony reigned. It was a very comfortable and sociable party. Most ofthe girls wore their kimonos, it being a time for rest and relaxation;but when Frances Andrews swept into the room in a long lavender silk_peignoir_ trimmed with frills of lace, all cotton crepe Japanesedressing gowns faded into insignificance.
"There is no doubt that college girls are a hungry lot," remarkedMargaret Wakefield, settling herself comfortably to dispose of food andconversation and arouse argument, a thing she deeply enjoyed.
"So much brain work requires nourishment," observed Mabel Hinton.
"There is not much brain nourishment at Queen's," put in FrancesAndrews. "I've been living on raw eggs and sweet chocolate for the lastweek. The table has run down frightfully."
Sallie Marks was a loyal Queen's girl, and resented this slur on thetable of the establishment which was sheltering her now for the thirdyear.
"The food here is quite as good as it is at any of the other houses,"she said coldly to the unfortunate Frances, who really had not intendedto give offence.
"Pardon me, but I don't agree with you," replied Frances, "and I havea right to my own opinion, I suppose."
Judy gave Molly a triumphant glance, as much as to say, "You see whatyou have done."
Everybody looked a little uncomfortable, and Margaret Wakefield, equalto every occasion, launched into a learned discussion on how many ouncesof food the normal person requires a day.
Once more the talk flowed on smoothly. But where Frances was, it wouldseem there were always hidden reefs which wrecked every subject, nomatter how innocent, the moment it was launched.
"Molly, I can trade compliments with you," put in Jessie Lynch, takingnot the slightest notice of her roommate's discourse. "It's one of thosevery indirect, three-times-removed compliments, but you'll be amused byit."
"Really," said Molly, "do tell me what it is before I burst withcuriosity."
"I said 'trade,'" laughed Jessie, who liked a compliment herselfextremely.
"Oh, of course," replied Molly. "I have any number I can give you inexchange. How do you care for this one? Mary Stewart thinks you are veryattractive."
"Does she, really? That's nice of her," exclaimed Jessie, blushing withpleasure as if she hadn't been told the same thing dozens of timesbefore. "I think she's fine; not exactly pretty, you know, but fine."
"I suppose you don't know how her father made his money?" broke inFrances.
There was a silence, and Molly, feeling that she was about to bemortified again by something disagreeable, cried hastily:
"Oh, dear, I forgot the surprise. Do wait a moment," and dashed from theroom.
While she was gone, Nance and Judy began filling up the intervals withodd bits of conversation, helped out by the other girls, and FrancesAndrews did not have another opportunity to put in her oar. Suddenly sherose and swept to the door.
"You would none of you feel interested to know, I suppose, that MaryStewart's father started life as a bootblack----"
"That's what I'm starting life as," cried Molly, who now appearedcarrying a large tray covered with a napkin. "I am the officialbootblack of Queen's, and I make sometimes one-fifty a week at it. Ihope I'll do as well as Mr. Stewart in the business. Have a popover?"
She unfolded the napkin and behold a pile of golden muffins steaminghot. There were wild cries of joy from the kimonoed company.
"And now, Jessie, I'll take my second-hand, roundabout compliment----"she began, when Judy interrupted her.
"Won't you have a popover, Miss Andrews?" she asked in a cold,exasperated tone.
"Thanks; I eat the European breakfast usually--coffee and roll----"
"Yes, I've been there," answered Judy.
"I'll say good morning. I've enjoyed your little party immensely," andFrances marched out of the room and banged the door.
"I should think you would have learned a lesson by this time, MollyBrown," cried Judy hotly. "There is always a row whenever that girl isaround. She can't be nice, and there is no use trying to make her over."
"I'm sorry," said Molly penitently. "I wish I could understand why shebehaves that way when she knows it's going to take away what few friendsshe has."
"I think I can tell you," put in Mabel Hinton. "Nobody likes her, andnobody expects any good of her. If you are constantly on the lookoutfor bad traits, they are sure to appear. It's almost a natural law.Everybody was expecting this to-day, and so it happened, of course. Ifwe had been cordial and sweet to her, she never would have said thatabout Mary Stewart or the food at Queen's, either."
"Dear me, are we listening to a sermon," broke in Judy flippantly.
But, in spite of Judy's interruption, Mabel's speech made an impressionon the girls, some of whom felt a little ashamed of their attitudetoward Frances Andrews.
"Did you ever see a dog that had been kicked all its life?" went onMabel; "how it snarls and bites and snaps at anybody who tries to petit? Well, Frances is just a poor kicked dog. She's done something sheought not to have done, and she's been kicked out for it, and she's sosore and unhappy, she snarls at everybody who comes near her."
"Mabel, you're a brick!" exclaimed Sallie Marks. "I started the fightthis morning and I'm ashamed of it. I'm going to make a resolution to benice to that poor girl hereafter, no matter how horrid she is. It willbe an interesting experiment, if for no other reason."
"Let's form a society," put in Molly, "to reinstate Frances Andrews, andthe way to do it will be to be as nice as we can to her and to say nicethings about her to the other girls."
"Good work!" cried Margaret Wakefield, scenting another opportunity todraw up a constitution, by-laws and resolutions. "We will call a firstmeeting right now, and elect officers. I move that Molly be madechairman of the meeting."
"I second the motion," said Sallie heartily. "All in favor say 'aye.'"
There was a chorus of laughing "ayes" and a society was actuallyestablished that morning, Molly, as founder, being elected President. Itconsisted of eight members, all freshmen, except the good-natured SallieMarks, who condescended, although a junior, to join.
"Suppose we vote on a name now," continued Margaret who wished to leavenothing undone in creating the club. "Each member has a right to suggesttwo names, votes to be taken afterward."
It was all very business-like, owing to Margaret's experienced methods,but the girls enjoyed it and felt quite important. As a matter of fact,it was the first society to be established that year in the freshmanclass, and it developed afterward into a very important organization.
Among the various names suggested were "The O
ptimists," "The Bluebirds,""The Glad Hands," mentioned by Sallie Marks, and "The Happy Hearts."
"They are all too sentimental," said the astute Margaret, lookingthem over. "There'll be so many croaks about us if we choose one ofthese names that we'll be crushed with ridicule. How about theseinitials--'G.F.' What do they stand for?"
"Gold Fishes," replied Mabel Hinton promptly. The others laughed, butthe name pleased them, nevertheless. "You see," went on Mabel, "a goldfish always radiates a cheerful glow no matter where he is. He is themost amiable, contented little optimist in the animal kingdom, and heswims just as happily in a finger bowl as he does in a fish pond. He wasevidently created to cheer up the fish tribe and I'm sure he mustsucceed in doing it."
The explanation was received with applause, and when the votes weretaken, "G.F." was chosen without a dissenting voice.
It was decided that the club was to meet once a week, it's object, tobe, in a way, the promotion of kindliness, especially toward such peopleas Frances Andrews, who were friendless.
"We'll be something like the Misericordia Society in Italy," observedJudy, "only, instead of looking after wounded and hurt people, we'lllook after wounded and hurt feelings."
It was further moved, seconded and the motion carried that the societyshould be a secret one; that reports should be read each week bymembers who had anything to report; and, by way of infusing a littlesociability into the society, it was to give an entertainment, somethingunique in the annals of Wellington; subject to be thought of later.
It was noon by the time the first meeting of the G. F. Society was readyto disband. But the girls had really enjoyed it. In the first place,there was an important feeling about being an initial member of a clubwhich had such a beneficial object, and was to be so delightfullysecretive. There was, in fact, a good deal of knight errantry in thepurpose of the G. F.'s, who felt not a little like Amazonian cavalierslooking for adventure on the highway.
"Really, you know," observed Jessie, "we should be called 'The Friendsof the Wallflowers,' like some men at home, who made up their minds oneNew Year's night at a ball to give a poor cross-eyed, ugly girl whonever had partners the time of her life, just once."
"Did they do it?" asked Nance, who imagined that she was a wallflower,and was always conscious when the name was mentioned.
"They certainly did," answered Jessie, "and when I saw the girlafterward in the dressing room, she said to me, 'Oh, Jessie, wasn't itheaven?' She cried a little. I was ashamed."
"By the way, Jessie, I never got my compliment," said Molly. "Pay it tome this instant, or I shall be thinking I haven't had a 'square deal.'"
"Well, here it is," answered Jessie. "It has been passed alongconsiderably, but it's all the more valuable for taking such aroundabout route to get to you. I'll warn you beforehand that you willprobably have an electric shock when you hear it. You know I have somecousins who live up in New York. One of them writes to me----"
"Girl or man?" demanded Judy.
"Man," answered Jessie, blushing.
There was a laugh at this, because Jessie's beaux were numerous.
"His best friend," she continued, "has a sister, and that sister--do youfollow--is an intimate friend----"
"'An intimate friend of an intimate friend,'" one of the girlsinterrupted.
"Yes," said Jessie, "it's obscure, but perfectly logical. My cousin'sintimate friend's sister has an intimate friend--Miss Green----"
"Oh, ho!" cried Judy. "Now we are getting down to rock bottom."
"And Miss Green told her intimate friend who told my cousin's intimatefriend's sister--it's a little involved, but I think I have itstraight--who told her brother who told my cousin who wrote it to me."
"But what did he write," they demanded in a chorus.
"That one of Miss Green's brothers was crushed on a charming red-headedgirl from Kentucky."
Molly's face turned crimson.
"But Dodo is crushed on Judy," she laughed.
"It may be," said Jessie. "Rumors are most generally twisted."
The first meeting of the G. F.'s now disbanded and the members scatteredto dress for the early Sunday dinner. They all attended Vespers thatafternoon, and in the quiet hour of the impressive service more than onepondered seriously upon the conversation of the morning and the purposeof the new club.