"Why isn't he?" asked Missy interestedly.
"Oh, I don't know--he's just a dub."
"A dub?"
"Yep, a dub." Pete had just made a "date" with Polly, so he beamed
on her benignantly as he explained further: "A gun--a dig-a greasy
grind."
"But isn't a smart person ever prominent?"
"Oh, sometimes. It all depends."
"Is Polly Currier a grind?"
"I should hope not!" as if defending the lady from an insulting
charge.
Missy looked puzzled; then asked:
"Does she ever pass?"
"Oh, now and then. Sometimes she flunks. Polly should worry!"
Here was strange news. One could be smart, devote oneself to study--
be a "greasy grind"--and yet fail of prominence; and one could fail
to pass--"flunk"--and yet climb to the pinnacle of prominence.
Evidently smartness and studiousness had nothing to do with it, and
Missy felt a pleasurable thrill. Formerly she had envied Beulah
Crosswhite, who wore glasses and was preternaturally wise. But maybe
Beulah Crosswhite was not so much. Manifestly it was more important
to be prominent than smart.
Oh, if she herself could be prominent!
To be sure, she wasn't pretty like Polly Currier, or even like her
own contemporary, Kitty Allen--though she had reason to believe that
Raymond Bonner had said something to one of the other boys that
sounded as if her eyes were a little nice.
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