Mimi at Sheridan School

  CHAPTER IV

  FOLLOW THE LEADER

  "You'll _love_ our room, Sue!" Mimi was saying as she relieved Sue ofsome of her luggage as they trailed Mrs. Cole's swishing serge skirttoward Prep Hall. Styles could come and styles could go but Mrs. Cole'sdark gored skirts with tails and her white shirt waists would be atSheridan forever. "Mrs. Cole wears a uniform, too," a last year's girlhad already informed Mimi.

  "How did you manage to get here? Why didn't I know? How could you keepfrom telling me?'

  "Honest, Mimi--I didn't know--I'm pinching myself to see if it's I;that I'm actually here in the flesh. I'm scared to death I'll wake upand be back in B. G."

  "Tell me before I go mad and bite myself!"

  "The folks decided I'd do more with my music here. Mother isn't verywell. My honorable male parent made some quick money in the stockmarket. I heard Mother telling him plenty about that, although theydon't know I did. Oh boy, was it good? Mother said it was gambling ofthe worst kind. Father said she must listen to reason. Finally indesperation he offered her half of it and Mother took him up and scaredhim sure enough. 'All right, I'll take it--I'll take it and--and--sendSue to school!'"

  "What an inspiration!"

  "That's all it was, I'm sure. She had been talking to your Mother onthe telephone, saying goodbye or something and talking about how happyyou were going to be here. I know that just popped in Mother's head.But Father took her up on it. Whatever miracle it was, I'm here. Myuniforms won't get here for a week."

  Handicapped by bundles, they hugged each other the best they could.

  Mrs. Cole turned and spoke to them.

  "Young ladies, don't make public displays of your emotions."

  The parrot-like way she said it, Mimi knew she had laid that law down athousand times. She looked at Sue and said, "Br-r-r" and made motionsof turning her collar up.

  Mimi slowed up at 207 but Mrs. Cole kept right on.

  "Excuse me, Mrs. Cole, but here is 207."

  "Well?"

  "I am in 207."

  "Yes, goodnight, Mimi. Er--er--Lou."

  "My name is Sue, Sue Hawkins."

  "Yes, yes, Sue dear. This way. I am putting you in 321. It is a singleroom and I hope you'll like it. Your reservation came in so late."

  "But Mrs. Cole--" Mimi had not stopped at 207. As soon as it dawned onher what was happening she hurried after them. "Mrs. Cole, please, Sueand I want to room together. I don't have a roommate. You see we areboth from B. G., and we know each other. We were in camp together thissummer."

  "Our parents would want us to be together," Sue took up Mimi'sdesperate appeal.

  "My dears, we have a policy here at Sheridan that new girls from thesame town are not allowed to room together their first year. It breedshomesickness and cliques--we want neither. Next year if you still feelthis way, we'll see. Besides, Mimi, you have a roommate. I haveassigned Clorissa Madison to 207 since supper. The adjoining room isfull now. You may come with us, if you wish, and help Lou--er, I mean,Sue, unpack."

  There was nothing further Mimi could do--not then. As soon as she andSue closed the door of 321 behind Mrs. Cole, they put their headstogether. Sue looked disgustedly at the narrow room.

  "Even if I can't room with you, I won't stay in this room. I'll go homefirst!"

  "Forget it for tonight. Fix up and go back down to the parlors and meetsome of the girls. I want to get back to 207-209 and see who has movedin. I am in a suite, the only one in Prep Hall, and if I don't like theother three girls I may envy you this single room. Go on down and I'lljoin you later. In the meantime I hope to 'scum a scheme.'"

  Mimi was so absorbed that she absent mindedly turned in the open doorof 209 and stumbled against a trunk in the dark. The hall light shownin through the open door on the name painted across the end in whiteletters--_Betsy Buchanan_.

  "Whew!" Mimi whistled between her teeth. "Now that's something!" Shehad wanted the cutest and the peppiest in her suite but this was morethan she expected. Delighted as she was she felt strangely uneasy. Mimibacked away from the trunk and into the hall instead of cutting throughthe bathroom to 207. Here again she stumbled, another trunk tagged_Clorissa Madison_ blocked her way again.

  "Clorissa Madison," Mimi said aloud and the sound was pleasing to her."I wonder which one of all that mob downstairs is you, Chloe?"

  She turned toward the parlor to find out.

  Even as she arrived Chloe faded into the background of her mind. Thescene had changed since she left. The college girls, instead of beinggrouped by classes as they were when she left, were massed in one largegroup. The new preps who had clustered so eagerly around Mimi hadjoined the old preps. Betsy was standing in front of the whole groupgiving directions.

  Mimi watched from the edge of the crowd. Betsy, she knew, had what ittook--pep, poise, and that innate gift of leadership.

  Between the end of the last yell and the singing of Alma Mater, Mimiwas conscious of lowered voices behind her. Two faculty membersstrolling through the hall had paused to listen.

  "The Buchanan girl is a born leader," one of the voices said.

  "I am too," Mimi wanted to answer. Instead, she resolved to show them."Actions," Cissy had told her so often, "speak louder than words."