“I wouldn’t haze _anyone_,” declared Alida emphatically.
“Wise child; neither would I.” Lola fixed half scornful eyes on Elizabeth. “What ever made you light upon such a foolhardy idea? Where and how would you haze her?”
“I don’t know yet what I would do,” pouted Elizabeth. “There are lots of ways of hazing a person. The girls have done a few little things to her room, as it is. Nothing was said to them about it.” She related with relish the tricks that had been played on Gussie.
“All that’s _hazing_,” flatly maintained Lola. “This freshie must be pretty white or she would have reported it to Remson. You say nothing’s been said. That means she can keep her affairs to herself.”
“Hm-m!” Elizabeth made a pettish gesture. “You are queer. One minute you talk against this hateful creature, the next you praise her. It’s a clear case of blow hot, blow cold with you, Lola.”
“If you don’t like my ways, you had best stay away from me.” Lola half closed her eyes. Her expression was one of utter boredom.
Elizabeth made no answer to this. She was not ready to stay away from Lola.
“Let me tell you something, Bess.” Alida now took the floor, shaking a warning finger at their caller. “Don’t come to us with any scheme for getting even with someone you don’t like. We are not going in for revenge this season. If a really clever scout like Leslie Cairns couldn’t get away with it, neither you nor I could. That is certain.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t say I think Leslie was so very clever. She bore the reputation of being a wonder worker, but she made plenty of flivvers. I could have engineered that hazing of Miss Dean and carried it through successfully. She made an awful mess of it.”
“I never heard the rights of that affair, so I can’t pass opinion on what you just said.” Lola’s tones were dry to displeasure. She knew enough concerning their caller’s proclivity toward malicious gossiping to weigh well her words. “I prefer to drop the subject entirely, Bess. It does not interest me. Get it straight, once and for all, Alida and I know when we are well off. We aren’t contemplating any changes in our programme, least of all foolish changes.”
“Very well.” The reply bristled with offended vanity. It was gall to the conscienceless junior to be thus baldly snubbed. “You girls are _very_ magnanimous. Perhaps you haven’t heard much that Miss Forbes has said against both of you. I assure you it has been _considerable_.”