CHAPTER I ȜBACK TO THE COLLEGE AGAINȝ ȜOh, Rachel Morrison, am I too late for the four-ten train?ȝ Betty Wales, pink-cheeked and breathless, her yellow curls flying under her dainty lingerie hat, and her crisp white skirts held high to escape the dust of the station platform, sank down beside Rachel on a steamer trunk that the Harding baggage-men had been too busy or too accommodating to move away, and began to fan herself vigorously with a very small and filmy handkerchief. ȜNo, youșre not late, dearie,ȝ laughed Rachel, pulling Bettyșs hat straight, Ȝor rather the train is late, too. Where have you been?ȝ Betty smiled reminiscently. ȜEverywhere, pretty nearly. You know that cunning little freshman that had lost her trunksȔȔȝ ȜAll those that Ișve interviewed have lost their trunks,ȝ interpolated Rachel. Betty waved a deprecating hand toward the mountain of baggage that was piled up further down the platform. ȜOh, of course, in that lovely mess. Who wouldnșt? But this girl lost hers before she got hereȔin Chicago or Albany, or maybe it was Omaha. She lives in Los Angeles, so she might have lost them almost anywhere, you see.ȝ ȜAnd of course she expected Prexy or the registrar to go back and look for them,ȝ added Rachel. Betty laughed. ȜNot she. Besides she doesnșt seem to care a bit. She seems to think itșs a splendid chance to go to New York next week and buy new clothes. But what she wanted of me was to tell her where she could get some shirt waistsȔjust enough to last until sheșs perfectly sure that the trunks are gone for good. I didnșt want to stick around here from three to four, so I said Ișd go and show her Evansșs and that little new shirt waist place. Of course I pointed out all the objects of interest along the way, and when I mentioned Cuylerșs, she insisted upon going in to have ices.ȝ ȜAnd how many does that make for you to-day?ȝ demanded Rachel severely. ȜWell,ȝ Betty defended herself, ȜI treated you once, and you treated me once, and then we met Christy Mason, and as you couldnșt go back with her I had to. But I only had lemonade that time. And this child was so comical, and it was such a good idea.ȝ ȜWhat was such a good idea?ȝ inquired Rachel. ȜOh, didnșt I tell you? Why, after weșd finished at Cuylerșs, she asked me if there werenșt any other places something like it, and she said she thought if we tried them all in a row we could tell which was best. But we couldnșt,ȝ sighed Betty regretfully, Ȝbecause of course things taste better when youșre hungriest. But anyhow she wanted to keep on, because now she can give pointers to other freshmen, and make them think she is a sophomore.ȝ ȜHow about the shirt waists?ȝ ȜOh, she had just got to that when I had to leave her.ȝ Betty rose, sighing, as a train whistled somewhere down the track. ȜDo you suppose Georgia Ames will be on this one?ȝ ȜWho can tell?ȝ said Rachel. ȜThereșll be somebody that we know anyway....