“A delightful young civil engineer. His name is Kingdon Barrett. It is a real romance,” Robin went on eagerly. “When Elaine was a tiny girl and this Mr. Barrett a small boy they used to go to the same beach every summer with their parents. They played together on the sand and were good friends. Then the Barretts went West and Elaine never saw her boy playmate again until Commencement. He was visiting Prexy’s son and saw her name on the Commencement program. He actually picked her out among the graduates. The moment he had a chance he had Prexy Matthews, who knows her family well, introduce him to her. He told her who he was. They promptly fell in love and now they’re engaged. Can you beat that?” Robin spread open both hands in a challenging gesture.
“We can not. Nor is it likely that we shall try. I have no wish to fall in love, for isn’t it true that I might never be able to fall out again? It is a pit that I shall keep my feet well away from,” declared Leila with unsentimental wisdom.
“I can’t imagine you in love, you ridiculous girl,” Vera’s infectious giggle went the round of the table.
“Ah, if I were; and what a fine frenzy I should be in. Like this,” Leila rolled her eyes, put on a lovelorn expression and struck her hand to her forehead with tragic force. She immediately rubbed her hand. “Arrah, but I have a hard forehead,” she remarked ruefully.
The return of the waitress with the consomme put a momentary check on the animated rolling of what Vera had whimsically called the “gabble ball.” The instant the hungry girls began their soup they resumed conversation. While Leila and Vera had many news items germane to the campus to relate, none of them were of moment. Robin had much concerning herself and Phylis Moore, her cousin, now a senior, to tell. Marjorie’s news centered on Jerry’s, Lucy’s, Muriel’s and her own doings during vacation. Of Ronny she had almost no news to relate. She had received but one letter from her since Ronny had sped West to her beautiful ranch home in California. The news of Elaine Hunter’s engagement was, thus far, the banner surprise.
“Oh, girls, have you seen Miss Susanna since you came?” was Marjorie’s concerned question, as the four lingered over the dessert of maple mousse and _petit fours_. “I’ve been trying to ask you that question from the first, and haven’t.”