{"product_id":"2940013158085","title":"MARJORIE DEAN, High School Senior","description":"CHAPTER I—A PRETENSE OF FRIENDSHIP\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Marjorie! Marjorie Dean!” The black-eyed girl in the runabout\u003cbr\u003eaccompanied her high-pitched call by a gradual slowing down of the smart\u003cbr\u003elittle car she was driving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe dainty, white-gowned figure on the sidewalk tilted a white parasol\u003cbr\u003eover one shoulder and turned a pair of startled brown eyes in the\u003cbr\u003edirection of the voice. “Why, Mignon, I didn’t know you were home from\u003cbr\u003eSevern Beach! How do you do?” Advancing to the runabout, Marjorie Dean\u003cbr\u003estretched forth a white-gloved hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’ve been in Sanford since Wednesday,” returned Mignon. Leaning out of\u003cbr\u003ethe runabout, she lightly clasped the proffered fingers. “Get into my\u003cbr\u003ecar and I’ll take you wherever you want to go. I’m glad I saw you. It’s\u003cbr\u003ebeen deadly dull in Sanford with most of the girls still away.” Her\u003cbr\u003eelfish eyes noting that Marjorie’s smart attire betokened a possible\u003cbr\u003eluncheon or tea, Mignon was consumed with a lively curiosity to learn\u003cbr\u003ethe pretty senior’s destination. “You look as though you were going to\u003cbr\u003ean afternoon tea,” she continued artfully. “Say where and I’ll ride you\u003cbr\u003ethere.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Thank you, but I don’t believe I’ll ride. I was out in the car all\u003cbr\u003emorning with General. It’s so lovely this afternoon I’d rather walk. I’m\u003cbr\u003enot bound for a tea, though. I am going to make a call.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMignon’s dark brows drew together in a faint frown. “Oh, pshaw!” she\u003cbr\u003eexclaimed. “Why not ride? Unless you don’t wish me to know where you are\u003cbr\u003egoing?” she added suspiciously.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I never thought of that,” was Marjorie’s honest protest. Yet now that\u003cbr\u003eMignon had mentioned it, it struck Marjorie rather forcibly that she was\u003cbr\u003enot specially anxious to reveal her destination. “I am going to call on\u003cbr\u003eMiss Archer,” she informed her, making an effort to be casual.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Then I’ll take you there. I should like to see her, too,” announced\u003cbr\u003eMignon calmly. She had decided that to call on the principal in\u003cbr\u003eMarjorie’s company would be of great advantage to her. “Come on,” she\u003cbr\u003eurged.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToo well-bred to exhibit pointed reluctance, Marjorie resigned herself\u003cbr\u003eto the inevitable and stepped into the runabout. Her visit to Miss\u003cbr\u003eArcher was of a somewhat personal nature. Still, she reflected, it was\u003cbr\u003enothing very secret, after all. Should her mission prove successful,\u003cbr\u003eMignon would, under any circumstances, soon learn the result.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“How do you know Miss Archer will be at home?” inquired Mignon as she\u003cbr\u003edrove slowly down the shady avenue. “I thought she was still in the\u003cbr\u003eWest.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“She came home only yesterday. I telephoned her,” returned Marjorie.\u003cbr\u003e“This call of mine is really more like a business appointment. I would\u003cbr\u003erather have waited until she had her house fairly opened again, but I\u003cbr\u003ecouldn’t very well. It might be too late.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Oh!” Mignon was burning to demand further information, but the finality\u003cbr\u003ein Marjorie’s tones warned her to go slowly. Between herself and the\u003cbr\u003elatter there remained always a curious wall of reserve created by their\u003cbr\u003emental attitude toward each other. Mignon did not believe that\u003cbr\u003eMarjorie’s friendliness toward herself was sincere. On the other hand,\u003cbr\u003eMarjorie sensed the note of unbelief. She felt that Mignon did not trust\u003cbr\u003eher and it made her uncomfortable when in the French girl’s presence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a comparatively short ride to the spacious, old-fashioned house,\u003cbr\u003eset in the midst of giant elms, which the last three generations of\u003cbr\u003eArchers had called home. Of them all Miss Archer and an elder sister\u003cbr\u003ealone remained. The two women had arrived in Sanford from a visit to\u003cbr\u003eWestern relatives on the previous day. Even in that short time the big\u003cbr\u003ehouse had taken on an air of new life. The shuttered windows and\u003cbr\u003eboarded-up doors were now open and a hospitable array of comfortable\u003cbr\u003ewicker and willow chairs on the wide veranda proclaimed that someone was\u003cbr\u003eat home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We’ll leave the runabout here,” decreed Mignon, as they brought up\u003cbr\u003eoutside the tall iron gate. She alighted from it in her lithe, cat-like\u003cbr\u003emanner, her restless eyes fixed on the house. Quite forgetting that she\u003cbr\u003ewas merely a second party to the call, Mignon motioned impatiently for\u003cbr\u003eMarjorie to follow and set off up the walk in her most imposing manner.\u003cbr\u003eDivided between amusement and vexation, Marjorie gave a little sigh and\u003cbr\u003estepped quickly after the French girl.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47147504369904,"sku":"2940013158085","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013158085_p0.jpg?v=1763577610","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013158085","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}