mother. "I'm not sure anybody can go yet. It's all a question of money. Do you really think you would like to ask a small loan for a few days from Amelia's mother?"
"I certainly would," said Melissa cheerfully. "I'll go right away. I'll have to polish my shoes first and clean that spot off my suit, but I can get started in fifteen minutes, I guess."
"Well, I'm going out to try out an idea," said Phyllis, picking up her coat and hat that had been lying on a chair in the little hall. "I won't tell you what it is, but it will either work or it won't, and I'll likely be back inside an hour or two at most."
So they all went off, leaving Melissa dressing for a call on her fortunate friend's mother.
Melissa looked very pretty as she finally put on the last touch to her hair and pulled her small dark blue hat on. Of course, her shoes and gloves were a bit shabby, but she couldn't help that, and they had once been the best of their kind.
She hunted out her best handkerchief and put it into her handbag, with the two dollars that had been doled from the family treasury as her share for carfare and necessity.
Just as she turned from a last survey of herself in the mirror, she heard a knock on the door.
She hurried downstairs and found a good-looking young man standing impatiently, looking up at the front windows and then trying to peer through the muslin curtain Phyllis had pinned up last night for protection.
As she swung the door open, she caught a glimpse of a large shiny blue car, much benickeled, standing in front of the house with a lady of ample proportions in a handsome furred coat sitting inside. Melissa always knew what people wore. It was the first thing she usually noticed.
"Anybody by the name of Challenger live here?" demanded the good-looking man; and then getting a glimpse of Melissa he stepped back and lifted his hat.
"I am Miss Challenger!" said Melissa, lifting her pretty patrician chin with composure. And then, suddenly aware of his quick glance of surprise into the empty little living room behind her, she explained, almost haughtily, "We don't live here. We're just staying here a few days while we look around for another apartment."
"Well, I'm glad I've found you," said the young man. "I had all kinds of time and had almost given it up when I went into a butcher shop and found a man who said he knew you."
"Oh, yes," said Melissa, the color stealing up into her fair cheeks again. She hoped he wouldn't think the butcher was a relative or anything. "We--he--" she began and then realized that she did not have to explain to a stranger, and the stranger wasn't wanting an explanation.
"Well, my name's Hollister, Gene Hollister. Perhaps you've heard of my brother, Jack Hollister. I believe he's a classmate of your brother Steve, or a fraternity brother or something. But anyway, he went on the same joyride last night, and now he's in the same hospital with a busted rib and a nasty cut around his eye. And he called me up this morning and suggested some of Steve's folks might like to drive up with us today, so I came around to see. Tried to get you on the phone but couldn't get a response, so we just drove around. Any of the family like to go? My mother's out in the car with me, and she says you're mighty welcome."
Melissa eyed the wonderful high-powered car and the lady in the deep furs and gasped. What an opportunity!
"Oh, how wonderful of you!" she exclaimed. "But--Mother's not here. I don't know what to say. She went out to telephone the college about Steve. There isn't any phone in this funny little house. How soon do you start?"
"Why, we're on the way now. Sorry to hurry you, but the Mater is all kinds of anxious of course to see the kid and make sure he isn't hurt seriously. How soon will your mother be back?"
"Oh, I don't know. She didn't know what to do about Steve when she left. She had to see Father first. He's in the hospital, getting well of a long illness. I don't know when she will be back. If she
"I certainly would," said Melissa cheerfully. "I'll go right away. I'll have to polish my shoes first and clean that spot off my suit, but I can get started in fifteen minutes, I guess."
"Well, I'm going out to try out an idea," said Phyllis, picking up her coat and hat that had been lying on a chair in the little hall. "I won't tell you what it is, but it will either work or it won't, and I'll likely be back inside an hour or two at most."
So they all went off, leaving Melissa dressing for a call on her fortunate friend's mother.
Melissa looked very pretty as she finally put on the last touch to her hair and pulled her small dark blue hat on. Of course, her shoes and gloves were a bit shabby, but she couldn't help that, and they had once been the best of their kind.
She hunted out her best handkerchief and put it into her handbag, with the two dollars that had been doled from the family treasury as her share for carfare and necessity.
Just as she turned from a last survey of herself in the mirror, she heard a knock on the door.
She hurried downstairs and found a good-looking young man standing impatiently, looking up at the front windows and then trying to peer through the muslin curtain Phyllis had pinned up last night for protection.
As she swung the door open, she caught a glimpse of a large shiny blue car, much benickeled, standing in front of the house with a lady of ample proportions in a handsome furred coat sitting inside. Melissa always knew what people wore. It was the first thing she usually noticed.
"Anybody by the name of Challenger live here?" demanded the good-looking man; and then getting a glimpse of Melissa he stepped back and lifted his hat.
"I am Miss Challenger!" said Melissa, lifting her pretty patrician chin with composure. And then, suddenly aware of his quick glance of surprise into the empty little living room behind her, she explained, almost haughtily, "We don't live here. We're just staying here a few days while we look around for another apartment."
"Well, I'm glad I've found you," said the young man. "I had all kinds of time and had almost given it up when I went into a butcher shop and found a man who said he knew you."
"Oh, yes," said Melissa, the color stealing up into her fair cheeks again. She hoped he wouldn't think the butcher was a relative or anything. "We--he--" she began and then realized that she did not have to explain to a stranger, and the stranger wasn't wanting an explanation.
"Well, my name's Hollister, Gene Hollister. Perhaps you've heard of my brother, Jack Hollister. I believe he's a classmate of your brother Steve, or a fraternity brother or something. But anyway, he went on the same joyride last night, and now he's in the same hospital with a busted rib and a nasty cut around his eye. And he called me up this morning and suggested some of Steve's folks might like to drive up with us today, so I came around to see. Tried to get you on the phone but couldn't get a response, so we just drove around. Any of the family like to go? My mother's out in the car with me, and she says you're mighty welcome."
Melissa eyed the wonderful high-powered car and the lady in the deep furs and gasped. What an opportunity!
"Oh, how wonderful of you!" she exclaimed. "But--Mother's not here. I don't know what to say. She went out to telephone the college about Steve. There isn't any phone in this funny little house. How soon do you start?"
"Why, we're on the way now. Sorry to hurry you, but the Mater is all kinds of anxious of course to see the kid and make sure he isn't hurt seriously. How soon will your mother be back?"
"Oh, I don't know. She didn't know what to do about Steve when she left. She had to see Father first. He's in the hospital, getting well of a long illness. I don't know when she will be back. If she
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