CHAPTER I.
DAUGHTERS OF WELLINGTON
No. 5 in the Quadrangle at Wellington College was in a condition of upheaval. Surprising things were happening there. The simultaneous arrival of six trunks, five express boxes and a piano had thrown the three orderly and not over-large rooms into a state of the wildest confusion.
In the midst of this mountain of luggage and scattered boxes stood a small, lonely figure dressed in brown, gazing disconsolately about.
“I feel as if I had been cast up by an earthquake with a lot of other miscellaneous things,” she remarked hopelessly.
It was Nance Oldham, back at college by an early train, and devoutly wishing she had waited for the four-ten when the others were expected.
“This is too much to face alone,” she continued. “If it had been at Queen’s it never would have happened. Mrs. Markham wouldn’t have allowed six trunks and a piano and five boxes to be piled into one room. And mine at the very bottom, too. If it wasn’t a selfish act, I think I’d leave everything and go call on Mrs. McLean – but, no, that wouldn’t do on the first day.” Nance blushed. “But Andy’s there to-day.” She blushed again at this bold, outspoken thought. “I shall get the janitor to come up here and distribute these things,” she added presently, with New England determination not even to peep at a picture of pleasure behind a granite wall of duty.
The doors of No. 5 opened on a broad, high-ceiled corridor, the side walls of which were wainscoted halfway up with dark polished wood. On either side of this corridor ranged the apartments and single rooms of the Quadrangle, one row facing the campus, the other the courtyard. An occasional upholstered bench or high-backed chair stood between the frequent doors and gave a home-like touch to the long gallery. They had been the gift of a rich ex-graduate.
Nance, closing the door of No. 5, paused and looked proudly down the polished vista of the hallway, which curved at the far end and continued its way on the other side of the Quadrangle.
The sound of voices and laughter floated to her through the half open doors of the other rooms. With a smile of contentment, she sat down in one of the high-backed chairs.
“Dear old Wellington,” she said softly, “other girls love their homes, but I love you.” Thus she apostrophized the classic shades of the university while her gaze lighted absently on a large laundry bag stuffed full standing just outside one of the doors. It was different from the usual Wellington laundry bag, being of a peculiar shape and of material covered with Japanese fans.
“It’s Otoyo’s. Of course, she must have been here since Monday. I heard she had spent the summer down in the village.”
She hastened along the green path of carpet running down the middle of the corridor and paused at the room of the Japanese laundry bag.
“Otoyo Sen,” she called. “Why don’t you come out and meet your friends?”
The Japanese girl was seated on the floor gazing at a photograph. She rose quickly and flew to the door, thrusting the picture behind her.
“Oh, I am so deeply happee to see you again, Mees Oldham,” she exclaimed.
“She has learned the use of adverbs,” thought Nance, kissing Otoyo’s round dark cheek.
“You see I have been studying long time. I now speak the language with correctness. Do you not think so?” said Otoyo, apparently reading Nance’s thoughts.
“Perfectly,” answered Nance. “But tell me the news. Is Queen’s not to be rebuilt?”
“No, no. Queen’s is to remain flat on the ground. She will not be erected into another building.”
“And have you had a happy summer? Was it quite lonesome for you, poor child?”
“No, no,” protested Otoyo, still hiding the photograph behind her. “Those who remained at Wellington were most kind to little Japanese girl.”
“And who remained, Otoyo?”
“Professor Green was here long time. I studied the English language under him. He is a great man. It is an honorable pleasure to learn from one so great.”
“He is, indeed. And who else? Any of the rest of the faculty?”
“No, no. They had all departing gone.”
Nance smiled. There was still a relic of last year’s English.
“Mrs. McLean and her family remained at Wellington through the entire summer,” went on Otoyo fluently.
“And were they nice to you, Otoyo?”
“Veree, exceedinglee.”
“Was Andy well?”
“Quite, quite,” replied the Japanese girl, backing off from Nance and slipping the photograph into a book.
Not for many a day did Nance find out that it was a portrait of that youth himself, taken at the age of eight in Scotch kilties and a little black velvet hat with two streamers down the back.
Suddenly Otoyo became very voluble. She changed the subject and talked in rapid, smooth English. Could she not see the new rooms of her friends? She understood everybody was coming down on the four-ten train. It would be very crowded. She had found a new laundress whom she could highly recommend.
Nance looked at her curiously as they strolled back to the other rooms. Something was changed about the little Japanese girl. She seemed older and much less timid.
