scription. She was colorless and lifeless. Her one desire seemed to be
to be ladylike and to go with the best people. In her lexicon, _best_
meant those with money or influence. Her hands were always cold, and her
face expressionless. She posed as being the leader in classes. She was
literary and musical, if one might believe her own judgment of herself.
She never played, however, for the practice tired her. When she failed
to respond to an invitation to recite--sometimes the invitation was
quite urgent--it was not that she was not prepared to recite, but she
was so nervous that she could not control her voice.

"I've been waiting for you for half an hour," she began as Hester
entered the room. Her tones implied, that although the responsibility be
on Hester's head, she would be good enough to overlook it.

"Were you?" replied Hester. "You surely knew that the freshies were busy
until this hour."

"I presume I did so; but it passed entirely from my mind. I was so
absorbed in my work. I am editor-in-chief of the 'Dickinson Mirror.'"

"Oh," exclaimed Hester. She looked at Miss Bucher again. The glory of
being editor of the "Mirror" cast a halo about the head of the otherwise
unattractive girl.

"Yes, the girls selected me. I do not understand why they did. They
appeared to think I had literary ability. Of course, I do not see that I
have, but everyone speaks about it."

She had an unpleasant little mannerism of talking through closed teeth
and but slightly parted lips. In conversation, she used her lips as
little as possible. It may have been that she wished to keep them from
wearing out, or perhaps, she considered it unladylike to open her mouth
more than was absolutely necessary.

"I came to have you help. We always appoint four girls to collect news,
write special articles and poetry. Of course everything must treat of
school life. Then, when it is printed--"

"Printed," cried Hester, her eyes snapping with fire. "Do you really
have it printed and do the ones who write things have their names in
it?"

"Certainly. It is issued four times a year; once during each semester,
and a special souvenir one for commencement. What do you think you'd
like to do?"

"I'll write some poetry," said Hester. She had never written any in her
life, but she had the feeling that she could do it by half trying.

"Poetry, isn't hard," she replied airily to Miss Bucher's look of
surprise. "Just make out a list of rhymes like this.