CHAPTER II.--LEVITY IN THE LEAVEN.
"Molly, do you know you are a grown-up lady?" asked Nance a few daysafter they had settled themselves and were back in the grind of work. "Ihave been seeing it in all kinds of ways; firstly, you have gained inweight."
"Only three pounds, and that could not show much, spread over such alarge area," laughed Molly.
"Well, you look more rounded, somehow. Then I notice you keep your pumpson and don't kick them off every time you sit down; and when you do sitdown you don't always lie down as you used to do. Now, I have alwaysbeen a grown-up little old lady, but you were a child when you leftcollege last June, and now you are a beautiful, dignified woman."
"Nonsense, Nance, I am exactly the same. I don't kick off my pumpsbecause I might have a hole in the toe of my stocking, and I don't liedown when I sit down because of my good tailored skirt. You are justfancying things. I am the same old kid. It is thanks to Judy that I havethe tailor-made dress and the other things that make me feel grown-up.You see, my family have always had an idea that I did not care forclothes just because I wore the old ones without complaining. One dayKent spoke of my indifference to clothes to Judy, and she fired up andtold him I did love clothes and would like to have pretty ones more thanany girl she knew of; that I pretended to be indifferent just to carryoff the old ones with grace. Kent was very much astonished and the dearboy insisted on my going into Louisville before Judy left and having agood tailor make me two dresses, this blue one for every day and mylovely best gray. I was so afraid of hurting Miss Lizzie Monday'sfeelings (she is the little old seamstress who has made my clothes eversince I was born); but Kent fixed that up by going to see Miss Lizziehimself, asking her advice and requesting her company into Louisville,where we did the shopping and interviewed the tailor, had lunch at theWatterson and took in a show in the afternoon. Miss Lizzie had the timeof her life and was as much pleased over my having some good clothes asI am myself. Dear old Kent had to draw on his savings that he is puttingby with a view to taking a finishing course on architecture, but mothersays she is going to reimburse him just as soon as there is a settlementmade for the oil lands we are selling."
"Do you know, Molly, when I got your letter telling me about Mr. Kean'snosing out oil on your place, I was so happy and excited that I began tocry and got my nose so red I had to skip a lecture at Chautauqua, whichshocked my mother greatly. To think of your dear mother having an incomethat will make her comfortable and independent!"
"Mother does not seem to be greatly elated over it. She is very glad topay off the mortgage on Chatsworth; relieved that we shall not have tosell our beautiful beech woods; but money means less to my mother thanany one in the world, I do believe. Why, talking about my being a kid, Iwas born more grown-up than my mother, in some ways. It's the Irish inher. The Irish are all children."
Molly had very cleverly got Nance off of the subject of there being achange in her, but Nance was right. Molly was older, and she felt itherself. The summer had been an eventful one for her and had left herolder and wiser. Mildred's marriage; Jimmy Lufton's proposal, or nearproposal; the family's change of fortune; Professor Green's evidentpreference for her society; all these things had combined to sober herin a way.
"I am as limber as ever, and don't feel my age in my 'jints,' but I amgetting on," thought Molly. "Nance sees it, and I wonder if ProfessorGreen notices it. He seemed a little stiff with me, but seeing him forthe first time in class might account for that."
The class in Domestic Science was proving of tremendous interest both toMolly and Melissa. Melissa had much to learn and Molly much to un-learn.It was a special course, and for that reason girls from all classes weremixed in it. There were quite a number of Juniors, and Molly was sorryto see Anne White among them, as she had been on the platform atWellington when Melissa arrived, and, in the quiet way for which she wasfamous in making trouble, had been the one to start the titter that hadgrown, as that seemingly unconscious young goddess made her way down theplatform, into a wave of laughter. Melissa had been fully aware of theamusement she had caused, but she had borne no malice against thethoughtless girls.
"I reckon I was a figure of fun to these rich girls," Melissa said toMolly, "but I know they did not mean to be unkind; and if they knew whatit means to me to come to college perhaps they would look at medifferently. Anyhow, you were so nice to me from the very minute I spoketo you; and even before I spoke, Molly, dear, because I saw your sweeteyes taking me in as I came up the platform between the rows of grinningstudents. And I said to myself, 'All these are just second-growth timberand don't count for much. That girl with the blue eyes and the prettyred hair looking at me so kindly is the only tree here that is worthmuch.' And somehow I have been resting in the shade of your branchesever since."
This little conversation was held one morning as the girls were gettingtheir materials ready for some experimental bread-making. A tremendouslyinteresting lecture on yeast had preceded it, and now was to be followedby various chemical experiments. The lecturer had not arrived, but hadappointed certain students to get the materials in order.
Anne White was one of the monitors, and was moving around in a demureway, daintily setting out the little bowls of flour and portions ofyeast. Anne White was a small, mousy-looking, brown-haired young womanwho looked as though butter would not melt in her mouth, but who was inreality often the ring-leader in many foolish escapades. She was a greatpractical joker, and when all is told a practical joker is a very tryingperson, and very often a person lacking in true humor. As she placed thebowls of yeast, she sang the following song with many sly looks at Mollyand her friend:
"The first time I saw Melissa, She was sitting in the cellar, Sitting in the cellar shelling peas. And when I stooped to kiss her, She said she'd tell her mother, For she was such an awful little tease. Oh, wasn't she sweet? You bet she was, She couldn't have been any sweeter. Oh, wasn't she cute? You bet she was, She couldn't have been any cuter. For when I stooped to kiss her, She said she'd tell her mother, For she was such an awful little tease."
The singing was so evidently done for Melissa's benefit that Molly feltindignant.
"I can't stand teasing, and certainly not such silly teasing as AnneWhite delights in. She is a slippery little thing, and I have an ideameans mischief for my Melissa. I wish Judy were here to circumvent her,but since she is not I shall have to keep my eye open." So thoughtMolly, and accordingly opened her eyes just in time to see Anne Whiteraise the cover of Melissa's bowl of flour and drop in something. Theinstructor came in just then and the class came to order.
"It can't do any real harm," thought Molly, "because we don't have toeat our messes, but if it is something to embarrass Melissa I shall havea talk with Anne White that she will remember all her days. She knowsMelissa and I are not the kind to blab on her, the reason she ispresuming in this way."
Miss Morse, the Domestic Science teacher, was so exactly like theadvertisements in the magazines of various foodstuffs that one wasforced to smile. She was always dressed in immaculate linen, and, as shewould stand at her desk and hold out a sample of material with which shewas going to demonstrate, her smile and expression were always those ofthe lady who says, "Use this and no other." She was thoroughly inearnest, however, and scientific, and her lectures on Domestic Economywere really thrilling to Molly, who always took an interest in householdaffairs and was astonished to find out what a waste was going on in allAmerican homes. Melissa listened to every word, and felt that theknowledge she was gaining in this branch of college work was perhaps themost necessary of all to take back to her mountain people.
Miss Morse had the most wonderful and capable hands that were ever seen.She was never known to spill anything or slop over; she used her scalesand measures with the precision of an analytical chemist; and, no matterhow complicated the experiment, there were no extra, useless utensils.This in itself is worth coming to college to learn, as I have neverknown a girl make a plate of fudge without getting eve
ry pan in thekitchen dirty. Later on in the course of lectures this wonderful womanactually killed a fowl and picked and dressed it right before the eyesof the astonished girls, without making a spot on her dress or on thecloth spread on her desk, and she did not even turn back her linencuffs.
"I wish Ca'line could see that," thought Molly on that occasion, apicture of the chicken pickin' in the back yard at Chatsworth comingbefore her mind's eye, with feathers flying hither and yon and Ca'lineherself covered with gore.
"Now, young ladies," said the precise Miss Morse, "enough flour is giveneach one for a small loaf of bread; the right amount of water ismeasured out; salt and sugar; lard and yeast. You have the correctmaterial for a perfect loaf. This is a demonstration of yesterday'slecture. Remember, salt retards the action of yeast and must not be putin until the yeast plant has begun to grow. Sugar promotes the growthand can be placed in the warm water with the yeast."
The students went eagerly to work like so many children with their mudpies. In due course of time each little loaf was made out and put atexactly the right temperature to rise. Miss Morse explained to them thedifferent methods of bread-making and the fallacy of thinking that goodbread-making is due to luck. Molly smiled in remembering what dear oldAunt Mary had said about remembering to put the gumption in.
While the bread was rising and baking the girls were allowed to work ontheir Domestic Science problem, a pretty difficult one requiring alltheir faculties: it was how to feed a family consisting of five, motherand father and three children, on ten dollars for one week. The marketprice of food was given and their menus were to be worked out withregard to the amount of nourishment to be gained as well as thesuitability of food. Miss Morse told them they would have to studypretty hard to do it, but it was splendid practice. Poor Melissa washaving a hard time. In the first place, she knew so little about food,having been brought up so very simply, and then, she confided to Molly,she was very much worried about her loaf of bread because it didn't dojust right.
Finally the time was up, and the bread, too, according to science,should have been up and ready to bake. The monitors were requested toplace the loaves in the gas ovens, already tested and proved to be ofproper temperature. The problems, meantime, must be completed at onceand handed in.
A wail from Melissa on the aside to Molly: "Oh, Molly, Molly, I have gotmy family all fed for six days, and I forgot Sunday. Not a cent of moneyleft from all of that ten dollars, and I have known whole families livefor a month on less in the mountains! What shall I do?"
"I tell you," said Molly, stopping a minute to think, "have them allinvited out to Sunday dinner and let them eat no breakfast inanticipation of the good things they are expecting; and let the dinnerbe so delicious and plentiful that they can't possibly want any supper."
"Good," said Melissa, ever appreciative of Molly's suggestions, "I'll dothat very thing." And so she did; and Miss Morse was so amused that shelet it pass as a very good paper, as indeed it was.
All of the little loaves were baked and placed in front of the girls,the pans being numbered so that each loaf returned to its tremblingmaker. It was strange that in spite of science the loaves did not lookexactly alike. Molly's was beautiful, but had she not had her hand inAunt Mary's dough ever since she could climb up to the table and cut outlittle "bis'it wif a thimble"? Some of them looked bumpy and somestringy, but poor Melissa's was a strange dark color and had not risen.
"Miss Hathaway, did you follow the directions in your experiment?"
"Yes, Miss Morse, to the best of my ability," answered Melissa. And,then flushing and becoming excited, she dropped into her familiarmountain speech. "Some low-down sneak has drapped some sody in we'un'spannikin. I mean, oh, I mean, some ill-bred person has put saleratus inmy little bowl. I have been raised on too much saleratus in the bread,and I know it." And the proud mountain girl, who had not minded thelaughter caused by her appearance, burst into tears over the failure ofher bread-making and fled from the room.
Miss Morse was shocked and sorry that such a scene should have occurredin her class, but was determined to investigate the matter. Shedismissed the class without a word; but, as Molly was leaving the room,she requested her to stop a moment.
"Miss Brown, this is a very unfortunate thing to have occurred in thisclass. Domestic Science seems to be an easy prey to the practical joke,and when once it is started it is a difficult matter to weed out. I amparticularly sorry for it to have been played on Miss Hathaway, who isso earnest and anxious to learn. Miss Walker has told me much about her,and the girl's appearance alone is fine enough to interest one. I couldnot help seeing by your countenance, which is a very speaking one, mydear, that you knew something about this so-called joke. Now, MissBrown, I ask you as a friend to tell me what you know, and, if you arenot willing, I demand it of you as an instructor and member of thefaculty of Wellington."
Molly, who had been as pale as death ever since Melissa's mortificationand outbreak, now flushed crimson, held her breath a minute to getcontrol of her voice, and then answered with as much composure as shecould muster: "Miss Morse, I have gone through four years at Wellingtonand have happened to know of a great many scrapes the different studentshave got themselves in, but never yet have I been known to tell tales,and I could hardly start now. I do know who did the dastardly trick, andam glad that Melissa had recourse to her native dialect to express herfeelings about the person who was mean enough to do it; 'low-down sneak'is exactly what she was."
"Very well, Miss Brown, if you refuse to divulge the name of the joker,I shall be forced to take the matter up with the president. I hoped wecould settle it in the class. This department being a new one atWellington, and also my first experience at teaching, I naturally havesome feeling about making it go as smoothly as possible." This time MissMorse was flushed and her lip trembling.
Molly felt truly sorry for her, and suddenly realized that Miss Morse,with all of her assurance, was little more than a girl herself. As fortaking it up with the president, Molly smiled when she remembered thetime Miss Walker had tried to make her tell, and when she had refusedhow Miss Walker had hugged her.
"Oh, Miss Morse, I am so sorry for you, and wish, almost wish, some onehad seen the offence besides myself, some one who would not mindtelling; but I truly can't tell, somehow I am not made that way. Thereis something I can do, though, and that is, go call on the person myselfand put it up to her to refrain from any more jokes in your class. Imeant to see her, anyhow, and warn her to let my Melissa alone."
"Would you do that? I think that would be all that is necessary, and Ineed not inform the president. I thank you, Miss Brown. You do not knowhow this has disturbed me."
"Too much 'sody' in the bread is a very disturbing thing," laughedMolly. "I remember a story they tell on my grandfather. He had an oldcook who was very fond of making buttermilk biscuit, and equally fond ofputting too much soda in them. He stood it for some time, but onemorning when they were brought to breakfast as green as poor Melissa'sloaf, grandpa sent for the cook and made her eat the whole panful.Needless to add, she was cured of the soda habit. It would be a greatway to cure the would-be joker if we made her eat Melissa's sad loaf."
Molly did see Anne White that very afternoon, making a formal call onher and giving that mousy young woman a talk that made her cry andpromise to play no more jokes in Domestic Science class, and toapologize to Melissa for the mortification she had caused her. Mollytold her something about Melissa and the struggle and sacrifices she hadmade to get her education, and before she had finished Anne White was asmuch interested in the mountain girl and as anxious for her to succeedas Molly herself. She promised to help her all she could, and a Juniorcan do a great deal to help a Freshman. Molly was astonished to findthat Anne White was really rather likable. She had a mistaken sense offun, but was not really unkind.
Melissa had too much to do to brood long over her outbreak, and laughedand let the matter drop out of her mind when the following apology waspoked under her door:
/> "My Dear Miss Hathaway: I am truly sorry to have caused you so much mortification in the Domestic Science class. It was a very foolish, thoughtless act, and I hope you will accept my apology. I wish I had found such a friend in my freshman year as you have in Molly Brown.
"Sincerely yours, "'A Low-Down Sneak.'"