CHAPTER VIII

THE SOPHOMORE RECEPTION

It was the night of the sophomore reception and the gymnasium was ablaze with light and color.  All day the valiant sophomore class had labored as decorators.  Sofa cushions, portieres, screens and anything else that might add to the beauty of the decorations had been begged and borrowed from good-natured residents of the campus and nearby boarding houses.  There were great branches of red and gold leaves festooning and hiding the gymnasium apparatus, and the respective sophomore and freshman colors of blue and gold were in evidence in every nook and corner of the big room.  There was a real orchestra of eight pieces from the town of Overton, seated on a palm-screened platform which had been erected for the occasion; while a long line of freshmen in their best bib and tucker crowded up to pay their respects to the receiving line of sophomores, headed by the class president.

The freshmen of Wayne Hall had elected to go together, and Ruth Denton had also been invited to take dinner and dress with Anne, then go with her and her friends to the reception.  At first Ruth demurred on account of her gown, which was a very plain little affair of white dotted swiss.  Then Grace had come to the rescue and insisted that Ruth should wear a very beautiful white satin ribbon belt with long, graceful ends, belonging to her, which quite transformed the simple frock.  There was also a white satin hair ornament to match, and Miriam’s clever fingers had done her soft brown hair in a new, becoming fashion.  Even Elfreda had insisted on lending her a white opera cape and praising her appearance until the little girl was in a maze of delight at so much unexpected attention.  Grace, Anne, and Miriam had put on their graduating gowns and Elfreda was arrayed in all the glory of the gown she had ordered for the occasion and afterward entertained so little hope of wearing.

Just as they were ready to start the door bell rang.  There was a sound of laughing voices and the patter of slippered feet on the stairs, and Mabel Ashe, accompanied by Frances Marlton, Constance Fuller, and two other juniors, appeared on the landing.

“Better late than never,” announced Mabel cheerily, as Grace appeared in the doorway.  “We’ve come to take you to the reception.  We weren’t invited until the eleventh hour, but we’re making up for lost time.”

“Why, I didn’t know juniors were invited to the reception,” exclaimed Grace, taking Mabel’s extended hand in both her own.  “Judging from all outward signs I suppose you are going to the reception, else why wear your costliest raiment?”

“Your deduction is not only marvelous but correct,” returned Mabel.  “We were invited because the sophomores found themselves lacking not in quality, but quantity.  There weren’t nearly enough sophomore ‘gentlemen’ to go round, so we juniors were pressed into service.