MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORECHAPTER IWHEN DREAMS COME TRUE"Come on in, Connie. The water's fine!" invited Marjorie Dean, beckoningwith one round, dripping arm to the girl on the sands, while with theother she kept herself lazily afloat.The sun of a perfect August morning poured down upon the white beach,dotted here and there with ambitious bathers, who had grasped Timefirmly by his venerated forelock, and fared forth with the proverbialearly bird for a morning dip in a deceitfully dimpled and smiling sea.It was not yet nine o'clock, but, fearful of losing a minute of herprecious seaside vacation, Marjorie Dean had come down to her favoriteplayground for her usual early morning swim."I know it's fine," laughed Constance Stevens, "but this nice white sandis even finer.""You'll never learn to swim if you just sit on the beach and dream,"reminded Marjorie. "I feel that it's my stern duty to see that youreducation as a water paddler is not neglected. So here goes!"With a few skilful strokes she brought up in shallow water. There was aquick rush of lithe feet, the sound of sweet, high laughter, then alittle, good-natured gurgle of protest from the golden-haired, blue-eyedgirl curled up on the sand as she found herself being dragged into thewater by a pair of sturdy young arms."Now--sink or swim, survive or perish!" panted Marjorie, as the lappingshallows broke over the yielding figure of her friend. "You'll simplyhave to be a water baby, Connie, dear. It's as important as being asophomore in Sanford High, and you know just how important that is! Now,watch me and do likewise."Her day dream thus rudely interrupted, Constance Stevens laughinglyresigned herself to Marjorie's energetic commands, and, now thoroughlyawake to the important business at hand, tried her best to follow herfriend's instructions. A fifteen minutes' lesson in the art of learningto float followed, and at the end of that time, by common consent, thetwo girls waded ashore and flung themselves on the warm sand."I'll never learn to swim. I feel it in my bones," asserted Constance,as she lazily rose, wrung the water from her bathing suit and seatedherself on the white beach beside Marjorie, who lay stretched at fulllength, her head propped upon her elbows, her alert gaze upon the fewbathers who were disporting themselves in the water."Then your bones are false prophets," declared Marjorie calmly. "Youknow how to float already, and that's half the battle. We'll rest alittle and talk some more, and then we'll try it again. Next time I'llteach you an easy stroke. Isn't it funny, Connie, we never seem to get'talked out.' We've been here together five whole weeks and yet therealways seems to be something new to say. You are really a mostentertaining person.""That's precisely my opinion of you." Constance's blue eyes twinkled.The two girls laughed joyously. Two wet hands stretched forth and met ina loving little squeeze."It's been wonderful to be here with you, Marjorie. Last year at thistime I never dreamed that anything so wonderful could possibly happen tome." The golden-haired girl's voice was not quite steady."And I've loved being here with you. What a lot of things can happen ina year," mused Marjorie. "Why, at this time last year I never even knewthat there was a town called Sanford on the map, and when I found outthere was really such a place, and that I was going to live thereinstead of staying in B---- and going to Franklin High, I felt perfectly_awful_ about it."It had, indeed, been a most unhappy period for sunny, lovable MarjorieDean when the call of her father's business had made it necessary forhim to remove his family from the beautiful city of B----, whereMarjorie had been born and lived sixteen untroubled years of life, tothe smaller northern city of Sanford, where she didn't know a soul.All that happened to Marjorie Dean from the first day in her new homehas been faithfully recorded in "MARJORIE DEAN, HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN."In that narrative was set forth her trials, which had been many, and hertriumphs, which had been proportionately greater, as a freshman inSanford High School. How she had become acquainted with ConstanceStevens and how, after never-to-be-forgotten days of storm and sunshine,the friendship between the two young girls had flowered into perfectunderstanding, formed a story of more than ordinary interest.