Free Girls' Dormitory by Orrie Hitt Page B

hers."
    "Getting hers? She can't miss—not with Jerry."
    "She better hope that she doesn't miss."
    She turned away from the window, very excited. This would be a challenge, a real challenge. And she could laugh at him when she refused him, laugh at him and hate him. The others would talk about her but she would be secure and no one would ever guess about Helen.
    Someone was knocking on the door and she came slowly away from the window. That was the thing to do, the only thing to do. Once she went out with Jerry she would be established as a man's woman.
    Peggy opened the door and Thelma Reid stood there, smiling at her.
    "I was looking for Helen," Mrs. Reid said.
    "She just went down to your room."
    "Oh, did she?" Mrs. Reid smiled. "She's such a sweet thing, isn't she?"
    "She's nice."
    "You two get along well?"
    "Very well."
    "I hope you won't mind too much when I split you up."
    "Split us up?" A dull ache raced along Peggy's head. "Split us up?"
    Mrs. Reid nodded. "The college is starting some new classes, night courses and things like that, and they wanted to know if I could take in any more girls. At first I said I couldn't but then I thought of the attic and there's no reason why I can't use that for a dorm." Mrs. Reid smiled again. "Ten girls can go up there and ten girls means more money for me."
    "But—"
    "All of the other girls have single rooms, by themselves, and it doesn't seem right to be charging both you and Helen the same amount for this room. And I can't adjust the rates or the other girls might get angry. Since you're the newest, I thought I'd move you up into the dorm and let Helen have this room. It's only fair. She had it last year and she's the oldest."
    "I see," Peggy said weakly.
    "You won't mind. You'll meet some nice girls and I think you'll like the dorm."
    The ache across Peggy's head became worse, driving into her eyes and nearly blinding her.
    "Well—"
    "Four of the girls will be new and five of them are already in the college. The five have been staying at a place on the North Side but the woman got sick and she's closing down her house. I feel sorry for the woman but it does work out well for me. I can use the extra money."
    "Of course," Peggy mumbled.
    "A person has to look ahead. Next year we'll be getting taxed for the new central high school—craziest thing I ever heard of—and then a dollar won't be worth fifty cents. That's the way I look at it, anyway."
    There was nothing to say and Peggy said nothing.
    "You'll like the dorm," Mrs. Reid repeated. "When I went to college I was in a dorm and I found it was fun. You live very close together and you get to know each other better."
    "Well—"
    "As I say, I didn't want to make you move but it couldn't be helped. It wouldn't be fair to the other girls."
    Mrs. Reid talked on and on but Peggy didn't listen to her. This was terrible, just terrible. She was being torn away from Helen and their precious moments together would be ended. Unless—
    She smiled.
    "Thank you for telling me," Peggy said.
    She had money, plenty of money, and they could always go to a hotel. No one could stop them. Nothing could stop them. They would not be cheated, now or ever.
    "That's a nice dress you have on," Mrs. Reid was saying.
    "Do you like it?"
    "Very much. Only it is a little low in front, don't you think?"
    "Maybe."
    "You have such nice breasts I can't blame you for not wanting to hide them. But if you wear that to school I'm afraid they'll tell you about it."
    "I never wear it to -school."
    "Just around here?"
    "Just around here."
    "That's all right, then. Here we are just one big happy family."
    Peggy wondered how Mrs. Reid could be so blind about the things that Jerry Dixon did. He spent more time in some of the rooms upstairs than he spent in his own room in the cellar.
    "I just thought I'd tell you," Mrs. Reid said.
    "All right."
    "I hope you're not angry."
    "No, I'm not angry."
    Peggy noticed that Mrs. Reid was inspecting the top of her dress very