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Nihad A. Hassan

Digital Forensics Basics

A Practical Guide Using Windows OS
Nihad A. Hassan
New York, New York, USA

Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the

author in this book is available to readers onGitHub via the book’s
product page, located at www.​apress.​com/​9781484238370 . For more
detailed information, please visit http://​www.​apress.​com/​source-code
.

ISBN 978-1-4842-3837-0 e-ISBN 978-1-4842-3838-7

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-3838-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019933884

© Nihad A. Hassan 2019

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the

Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned,
specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other
physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval,
electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar
methodology now known or hereafter developed.

Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather
than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked
name, logo, or image we use the names, logos, and images only in an
editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no
intention of infringement of the trademark. The use in this publication
of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if
they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of
opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights.
While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true
and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the
editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any
errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no
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To my mom, Samiha. Thank you for everything.
Without you, I’m nothing.
—Nihad A. Hassan
Introduction
If you are a newcomer to the digital forensic field and you do not know
where to start, this is your book! Digital Forensics Basics is your
introductory guide to understanding and implementing digital
forensics to investigate computer crime using Windows, the most
widely used operating system. This book will provide readers with the
necessary skills to identify an intruder’s footprints and to gather the
necessary digital evidence in a forensically sound manner to prosecute
in a court of law.
Geared toward users with no experience in the field, this book will
teach the readers the basic elements, concepts, tools, techniques, and
common activities of digital forensics, so they will become well
prepared to participate in investigations and understand the process of
finding, collecting, and analyzing digital evidence.
Digital Forensics Basics is written as a series of tutorials, with each
task demonstrating how to use a specific computer forensics tool or
technique. Information presented in this book is suitable for users with
varying IT skills, so both professional computer users and beginners
will gain the necessary knowledge to uncover and use digital evidence
effectively in any kind of investigation. In addition to its up-to-date
contents, a dedicated section is reserved for Open Source Intelligence
(OSINT) gathering, a topic missed in most digital forensics books.
As the number of people who are entering the digital age
continually increases, experienced computer forensics investigators
will remain in high demand in the future to investigate cybercrimes.
This book is all you need to start your journey in this field with
confidence.
Target Audience
1. Police and other law enforcement personnel

2. Defense and military personnel

3. E-business security professionals

4. Systems administrators

5. Computer security professionals

6. Judges and lawyers (with no technical background)

7. Banking, insurance, and other professionals

8. IT students

Summary of Contents
Here is a brief description of each chapter’s contents:
Chapter 1 , “Introduction: Understanding Digital Forensics”: In this
chapter, we introduce the term “digital forensics” and differentiate
between it and other kinds of cybersecurity domains. We briefly
cover the concept of digital evidence, its various types, and where we
can find it in electronic devices. There is no formal process for
applying digital forensics investigations across the globe; however,
we introduce the general phases of any digital investigation process
and what tasks are required as a part of each phase.
Chapter 2 , “Essential Technical Concepts”: In this chapter, we cover
important technical concepts about computers that must be well
understood by any digital forensic examiner. We describe how
computers store and represent data digitally, the concept of
operating system file structure and its types, and hash algorithms
and how we can use them to verify the authenticity of any piece of
digital data. We also discuss types of computer storage and the file
system types supported by Windows OS.
Chapter 3 , “Computer Forensics Lab Requirements”: In this chapter,
we cover the essential tools needed to assemble a digital forensic lab.
We talk about the characteristics of the physical facility that are going
to house the lab, needed electrical equipment, and lab furniture and
hardware devices related to digital investigation work; we also cover
the minimum technical requirements for the forensic workstation(s)
we are going to use for analyzing digital evidence. We discuss the
design and security requirements of the lab network, then we move
to talk about forensic software and the importance of validating
computer forensic tools by a credible body before using it officially in
the investigation.
Chapter 4 , “Initial Response and First Responder Tasks”: In this
chapter, we talk about the mission and services provided by the first
responder for any investigation that involves digital evidence. We
cover the first responder’s toolkit, the first responder’s tasks upon
arriving at the crime scene, and the practical aspects of identification,
seizure, and transport of gathered evidence stored on electronic
media to the forensic lab for detailed examination.
Chapter 5 , “Acquiring Digital Evidence”: In this chapter, we cover the
main task conducted during any digital forensics investigation, which
is capturing computer memory images. We discuss how to capture
volatile memory (live acquisition), such as RAM memory and other
volatile data like network information, and nonvolatile memory
(static acquisition), such as HDD, tape, SSD, flash thumb, and any
similar digital storage medium. We also list possible challenges that a
digital forensic examiner may face during the acquisition process.
Chapter 6 , “Analyzing Digital Evidence”: In this chapter, we
demonstrate how to analyze acquired forensics images from both
volatile and nonvolatile memory. The focus was on using free and
open source software to do the analysis job.
Chapter 7 , “Windows Forensics Analysis”: In this chapter, we cover
the main areas where forensics artifacts can be found in Windows
operating systems. A dedicated section for Windows 10–specific
forensic features is also included.
Chapter 8 , “Web Browser and E-mail Forensics”: In this chapter, we
thoroughly cover how to investigate the most used web browsers—
Google Chrome, Firefox, and IE/Edge—for forensic artifacts. The
work described in this chapter depends on manual analysis, but
some simple, free tools that can aid investigators in automating their
forensics work are also mentioned.
Chapter 9 , “Antiforensics Techniques”: In this chapter, we describe
the nature of digital antiforensics techniques and explain how these
techniques may be used to mislead the forensic investigation process,
 thereby making it very difficult to carry out a digital investigation or
even gather enough evidence to debate during a trial.
Chapter 10 , “Gathering Intelligence from OSINT Sources”: Open
source intelligence (OSINT) refers to all information that is publicly
available. In this chapter, we define the various types of OSINT,
describe its main users and the legal implications of its use, and learn
how it can be used in different scenarios by different parties to
acquire valuable intelligence from publicly available resources.
Chapter 11 , “Digital Forensics Report”: In this chapter, we cover the
main elements of the final digital forensics investigative report,
where an investigator presents his/her findings from the digital
forensics examination to the entity impacted by the cyberattack or to
a court of law, if it is a public investigation.

Comments and Questions

To comment on or ask technical questions about this book, send an e-
mail to the book author at [email protected] . For additional
references about the subject, computer security tools, tutorials, and
other related matters, check out the author’s blog at
www.DarknessGate.com and the author’s dedicated portal for
OSINT resources at www.OSINT.link .
Acknowledgments
I start by thanking God for giving me the gift to write and convert my
ideas into something useful. Without God’s blessing, I would not be able
to achieve anything.
I want to thank the ladies at Apress: Susan, Rita, and Laura. I was
pleased to work with you again and very much appreciate your
valuable feedback and encouragement.
Specifically, to book acquisitions editor Susan McDermott, thank
you for believing in my book’s idea and for your honest encouragement
before and during the writing process. To book project editor Rita
Fernando, you were very supportive during the writing process. You
made authoring this book a joyful journey. To book development editor
Laura Berendson, thank you very much for your diligent and
professional work in producing this book.
I also want to thank all the Apress staff who worked behind the
scenes to make this book possible and ready for launch. I hope you will
continue your excellent work in creating highly valued computing
books. Your work is greatly appreciated.
Naturally, I’m saving the best for last. In Chapter 9 , I use a photo for
a child to describe a digital steganographic technique in images. This
photo is of my brother’s son Omran. I want to thank this beautiful child
for adding a pleasant touch to the technical script!
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​Introduction:​Understanding Digital Forensics
What Is Digital Forensics?​
Digital Forensics Goals
Cybercrime
Cybercrime Attack Mode
How Are Computers Used in Cybercrimes?​
Example of Cybercrime
Digital Forensics Categories
Computer Forensics
Mobile Forensics
Network Forensics
Database Forensics
Forensics Data Analysis
Digital Forensics Users
Law Enforcement
Civil Ligation
Intelligence and Counterintellige​nce
Digital Forensics Investigation Types
Forensics Readiness
The Importance of Forensic Readiness for Organizations
Digital Evidence
Digital Evidence Types
Locations of Electronic Evidence
Challenge of Acquiring Digital Evidence
Who Should Collect Digital Evidence?​
 Chain of Custody
Digital Forensics Examination Process
Seizure
Acquisition
Analysis
Reporting
Digital Forensics Process Official Guides
Digital Forensics Certifications
Digital Forensics vs.​Other Computing Domain
Chapter Summary
Chapter 2:​Essential Technical Concepts
Data Representation
Decimal (Base-10)
Binary
Hexadecimal (Base-16)
Computer Character Encoding Schema
File Structure
Digital File Metadata
Timestamps Decoder (Tool)
Hash Analysis
How to Calculate File Hash
Memory Types
Volatile Memory
Nonvolatile Memory
Types of Computer Storage
Primary Storage
 Secondary Storage
HPA and DCO
Data Recovery Considerations
File Systems
NTFS
FAT
Computing Environment
Personal Computing Environment
Client Server Computing Environment
Distributed Computing Environment
Cloud Computing
Windows Version Variations
IP Address
What Is an IP Address?​
Digital Forensics Resources and Study Materials
Chapter Summary
Chapter 3:​Computer Forensics Lab Requirements
Lab Physical Facility Requirements
Environment Controls
Hardware Equipment
Furniture and Consumable Materials
Evidence Container
Forensic Workstation
Commercial Ready-Made Digital Forensic Workstation
Forensic Software
Commercial Forensics Tools
 Free and Open Source Forensic Tools
Linux Distribution for Digital Forensics
Virtualization Technology
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
Other Software
Validation and Verification of Forensics Hardware and Software
Lab Manager
Secrecy Requirements
Lab Data Backup
Training Requirements
Lab Policies and Procedures
Documentation
Lab Accreditation Requirements
Step 1:​Self-Assessment
Step 2:​Identifying the Current Level of Conformance to the
Target Accreditation Standards
Step 3:​Closing the Gap
Step 4:​Implementation
Step 5:​Conformance to Standards Documentation
Chapter Summary
Chapter 4:​Initial Response and First Responder Tasks
Search and Seizure
Consent to Search
Subpoena
Search Warrant
First Responder Toolkit
 First Responder Tasks
Order of Volatility
Documenting the Digital Crime Scene
Packaging and Transporting Electronic Devices
Conducting Interview
First Responder Questions When Contacted by a Client
Witness Interview Questions
Witness Signature
Chapter Summary
Chapter 5:​Acquiring Digital Evidence
Forensic Image File Format
Raw Format
AFF
Expert Witness (EnCase)
Other File Formats
Forensics Image File Validation
Acquiring Volatile Memory (Live Acquisition)
Virtual Memory (Swap Space)
The Challenges of Acquiring RAM Memory
Capturing RAM Using the DumpIt Tool
Belkasoft Live RAM Capturer
Capture RAM with Magnet
Capture RAM with FTK Imager
Acquiring Nonvolatile Memory (Static Acquisition)
Hard Drive Acquisition Methods
Using FTK Imager to Capture Hard Drive
 Hard Drive Imaging Risks and Challenges
NAS
Encrypted Hard Drive
Corrupted or Physically Damaged Hard Drive
Cloud Data Acquisition
Network Acquisition
Forensic Tool Limitations
Other Challenges
Chapter Summary
Chapter 6:​Analyzing Digital Evidence
Analyzing Hard Drive Forensic Images
Arsenal Image Mounter
OSFMount
Autopsy
Analyzing RAM Forensic Image
Redline
Volatility Framework
Chapter Summary
Chapter 7:​Windows Forensics Analysis
Timeline Analysis
Creating a Timeline Using Autopsy
Generate a Timeline Report Using Autopsy
File Recovery
Undeleting Files Using Autopsy
Windows Recycle Bin Forensics
Data Carving
 Attributing an Action to Its Associated User Account
Windows Registry Analysis
Architecture of Windows Registry
Acquiring Windows Registry
Registry Examination
Deleted Registry Key Recovery
File Format Identification
Windows Features Forensics Analysis
Windows Prefetch Analysis
Windows Thumbnail Forensics
Jump Lists Forensics
LNK File Forensics
Event Log Analysis
Hidden Hard Drive Partition Analysis
Windows Minidump File Forensics
Pagefile.​sys, Hiberfil.​sys, and Swapfile.​sys
Windows Volume Shadow Copies Forensics
Windows 10 Forensics
Windows 10 Features Forensics
Chapter Summary
Chapter 8:​Web Browser and E-mail Forensics
Web Browser Forensics
IE
Microsoft Edge Web Browser
Firefox
Google Chrome
 History
Cookies
Top Sites
Shortcuts
Login Data
Web Data
Bookmarks
Bookmarks.​bak
Cache Folder
Other Web Browser Investigation Tools
E-mail Forensics
Steps in E-mail Communications
List of E-mail Protocols
E-mail Header Examination
Chapter Summary
Chapter 9:​Antiforensics Techniques
Users of Antiforensics Techniques
Classification of Antiforensics Techniques
Digital Steganography
Data Destruction and Antirecovery Techniques
Encryption Techniques
Cryptographic Anonymity Techniques
Direct Attacks Against Computer Forensics Tools
Chapter Summary
Chapter 10:​Gathering Evidence from OSINT Sources
Goals of OSINT Collection
 OSINF Categories
OSINT Benefits
Challenges of OSINT
The OSINT Cycle
OSINT Gathering and the Need for Privacy
OSINT and the Darknet
Internet Layers
Online Resources
Chapter Summary
Chapter 11:​Digital Forensics Report
Report Main Elements
Autogenerated Report
Chapter Summary
Index
About the Author
Nihad A. Hassan
is an independent information security
consultant, digital forensics and
cybersecurity expert, online blogger, and
book author. He has been actively
conducting research on different areas of
information security for more than a
decade and has developed numerous
cybersecurity education courses and
technical guides. He has completed
several technical security consulting
engagements involving security
architectures, penetration testing,
computer crime investigation, and cyber open source intelligence
(OSINT). Nihad has authored five books and scores of information
security articles for various global publications. He also enjoys being
involved in security training, education, and motivation. His current
work focuses on digital forensics, antiforensics techniques, digital
privacy, and cyber-OSINT. He covers different information security
topics and related matters on his security blog at
www.DarknessGate.com and recently launched a dedicated site for
open source intelligence resources at www.OSINT.link . Nihad has a
bachelor’s of science honors degree in computer science from the
University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom. Nihad can be followed
on Twitter ( @DarknessGate ), and you can connect to him via
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/darknessgate .
Visit https://textbookfull.com
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About the Technical Reviewer
Rami Hijazi
has a master’s degree in information technology (information security)
from the University of Liverpool. He currently works at MERICLER Inc.,
an education and corporate training firm in Toronto, Canada. Rami is an
experienced IT professional who lectures on a wide array of topics,
including object-oriented programming, Java, e-commerce, agile
development, database design, and data handling analysis. Rami also
works as an information security consultant, where he is involved in
designing encryption systems and wireless networks, detecting
intrusions and tracking data breaches, and giving planning and
development advice for IT departments concerning contingency
planning.
© Nihad A. Hassan 2019
Nihad A. Hassan, Digital Forensics Basics
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-3838-7_1

1. Introduction: Understanding Digital

Forensics
Nihad A. Hassan1

(1) New York, New York, USA

As the world goes digital, the use of computerized systems to provide

services and store information becomes prevalent in both the public
and private sectors. Individuals also use computing devices heavily in
their daily lives; it is rare to see a person who is not dependent on some
form of computing device to organize his or her digital data or to
communicate with others.
The threat of cybersecurity is unquestionably growing more serious
over time. A recent estimate shows that by 2021, cybercrime damages
will cost the world $6 trillion annually,1 while the spending on
information security products and services will grow to $93 billion in
2018, according to the latest forecast from Gartner, Inc.2 Cybersecurity
Ventures expects the damage caused by ransomware attacks will
increase to $11.5 billion in 20193; at that time, a ransomware attack
will target businesses every 14 seconds. This dollar amount does not
include the costs of attacks against individuals, which are expected to
exceed even this number!
The increase in cybercrimes, terrorist threats, and security concerns
in addition to the increased awareness of the importance of data on the
part of authorities and business corporations has encouraged them to
act and develop different digital forensics tools and methodologies to
counter such threats. Nowadays, anything related to the examination,
interpretation, or reconstruction of digital artifacts in a computing
environment is considered within the discipline of digital forensics.
Digital forensics can be used in different contexts like government,
the private sector, financial institutions, and legal; many organizations
already use it as a part of their disaster recovery planning. In this
introductory chapter, we will define the term “digital forensics”;
describe its objectives, usage, main users, and professional
certifications; look at the governmental and institutional organizations
that promote its methodologies and best practices; learn about its
different types; and describe its core element, which is the digital
evidence.

Note! During this book we will use the term “computing device” to
refer to a digital device in the form of a smartphone, laptop, personal
digital assistant (PDA), tablet, thumb drive, or any other electronic
device that can store digital information.

What Is Digital Forensics?

Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science that uses scientific
knowledge for collecting, analyzing, documenting, and presenting
digital evidence related to computer crime for using it in a court of law.
The ultimate goal is knowing what was done, when it was done, and
who did it.
The term “digital forensics” is widely used as a synonym for
computer forensics (also known as cyberforensics) but has expanded to
cover investigating all devices that are capable of storing digital data,
like networking devices, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras,
Internet of Things (IoT) devices, digital home appliances, and other
digital storage media like CD/DVD, USB drives, SD cards, external
drives, and backup tapes.
Under this wider definition, digital forensics is also responsible for
investigating nearly all cyberattacks against computerized systems like
ransomware, phishing, SQL injunction attacks, distributed denial-of-
service (DDoS) attacks, data breach, cyberespionage, compromised
accounts, unauthorized access to network infrastructure, and other
related cyberattacks that can cause commercial or reputation loss.
Conducting computer forensic investigation requires implementing
rigorous standards to stand up to cross-examination in court. This
includes acquiring data (both static and volatile) in a forensically sound
manner, analyzing data using court-accepted forensics tools, searching
in the collected data to find evidence, and finally presenting findings to
court in an official report. If these procedures are incorrectly
implemented, we risk damaging or destroying digital evidence, making
it inadmissible in a court of law.
Digital forensics is considered a relatively new branch in the
cybersecurity domain that is becoming increasingly important with the
proliferation of crimes and illegal activities in cyberspace. Compared
with traditional forensic science (DNA profiling, blood tests, and
fingerprinting), digital forensics is not a mature science; the fact that
this science deals with fast-paced changes in the computing
environment, in addition to its span over many disciplines (like the
legal system, law enforcement, business management, information
technology, and the borderless nature of the Internet) makes it a very
challenging field that requires continual development of its
methodologies, tools, and laws to counter the ever newly emerging
variations of cybercrime.

Note! “Forensically sound” is a term used in the digital forensics

community to describe the process of acquiring digital evidence
while preserving its integrity to be admissible in a court of law.

Digital Forensics Goals

From a technical standpoint, the main goal of digital forensics is
investigating crimes committed using computing devices like
computers, tablets, cell phones, or any other device that can
store/process digital data and extracting digital evidence from it in a
forensically sound manner to be presented in a court of law. Digital
forensics achieves this in the following ways:
1. Finding legal evidence in computing devices and preserving its
integrity in a way that is deemed admissible in a court of law.

2. Preserving and recovering evidence following court-accepted

technical procedures.

3. Attributing an action to its initiator.

4. Identifying data leaks within an organization.

5. Accessing possible damage occurring during a data breach.

6. Presenting the results in a formal report suitable to be presented in

court.

7. Providing a guide for expert testimony in court.

Cybercrime
In a nutshell, cybercrime includes any illegal activity committed using a
type of computing device or computer networks such as the Internet.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) defines cybercrime as “any criminal
offense committed against or with the use of a computer or computer
network.” The major motivation behind cybercrime is financial gain
(example: spreading malware to steal access codes to bank accounts).
However, a good portion of cybercrime has different motivations, like
interrupting service (for example, DDoS attacks to stop services offered
by the target organization), stealing confidential data (example:
consumer data, medical information), exchanging copyrighted
materials in an unlawful way, and cyberespionage (corporate trade and
military secrets).

Cybercrime Attack Mode

Cybercrime can be originated from two main sources: insider attacks
and external attacks.
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This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
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Title: Betty Wales decides

a story for girls

Author: Edith K. Dunton

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Credits: D A Alexander, David E. Brown, and the Online

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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BETTY

WALES DECIDES ***
“I THINK I SHALL LIKE IT HERE”
 BETTY WALES
DECIDES

A STORY FOR GIRLS

by
MARGARET WARDE

AUTHOR OF
BETTY WALES FRESHMAN
BETTY WALES SOPHOMORE
BETTY WALES JUNIOR
BETTY WALES SENIOR
BETTY WALES B. A.
BETTY WALES & CO.
BETTY WALES ON THE CAMPUS

ILLUSTRATED BY
EVA M NAGEL

THE PENN
PUBLISHING COMPANY
PHILADELPHIA
MCMXI
COPYRIGHT
1911 BY
THE PENN
PUBLISHING
COMPANY
 Introduction
Betty Wales and her friends appeared first in “Betty Wales,
Freshman,” which told the story of their freshman year at Harding
College. Eleanor Watson was in that group; so were Mary Brooks,
Helen Adams, Roberta, the three B’s, and Katharine Kittredge, of
Kankakee. Madeline Ayres made her entrance in “Betty Wales,
Sophomore.” “Betty Wales, Junior,” and “Betty Wales, Senior”
completed the undergraduate history of Betty’s class. “Betty Wales,
B. A.” is the story of a summer abroad, where Betty met Mr. Morton,
and “Babe” met his son. “Betty Wales & Co.” described the
beginnings of the famous Tally-ho Tea-Shop, and “Betty Wales on
the Campus” brought Betty back to Harding as the Secretary of the
Student’s Aid Committee. She lived in Morton Hall, erected by the
testy old millionaire because Betty’s work had won his sympathy and
interest.
The “ploshkin” referred to in this story was at first a fascinatingly
impossible little animal in a story that Eugenia Ford told Betty’s
Smallest Sister, but Madeline Ayres saw its wide possibilities as a
fun-maker, and Jasper J. Morton helped the girls put images of it on
the market.
 Contents
I. A Slump in Ploshkins 9
II. Montana Marie O’Toole Dawns Upon Harding
College 27
III. The Initiation of Montana Marie 45
IV. Montana Marie Takes a Ride 64
V. The B. C. A.’s “Undertake” Montana Marie 81
VI. The Intervention of Jim 98
VII. Binks Ames Makes a Discovery 115
VIII. Jists and Suffragists 131
IX. The Tally-ho’s Dignified Dinner 147
X. Rescuing Montana Marie 165
XI. The Beguiling of the Smallest Sister 179
XII. The Popping Mascots 193
XIII. Montana Marie and the Prom. Man Supply
Company 212
XIV. Entertaining Georgia’s Sister 227
XV. The New Woman at Harding 246
XVI. The Freckles of Miss A. Pease 265
XVII. Two Surprises 283
XVIII. Montana Marie Disappears 293
XIX. Living Up to Harding 311
XX. Climaxes 324
XXI. The End of Betty Wales 341
 Illustrations
PAGE
“I Think I Shall Like it Here” Frontispiece
“Go Ahead—Make a Speech” 54
“I’ve Passed Off My Entrance Latin” 113
She Peeped Cautiously in at the Door 161
He Waved His Purple Banner 205
A Tall Merry-faced Girl 240
“So I’ve Shut My Eyes, and I’ve Chosen” 335
Betty Wales Decides
 CHAPTER I
A SLUMP IN PLOSHKINS

It was a breathless August afternoon. Betty Wales, very crisp and

cool in white linen, sat in a big wicker chair on the broad piazza of
the family cottage at Lakeside. On the wicker table beside her were
a big basket of family mending, a new novel, and an uncut
magazine. In her lap was a fuzzy gray kitten. Betty Wales was
deliberately ignoring the mending; she had been “perfectly crazy” to
begin the new novel, but now she ignored that likewise; she had
entirely forgotten the fuzzy gray kitten. She was busily engaged in
the altogether delectable occupation, for a hot August afternoon, of
doing nothing at all.
Jim Watson,—Eleanor’s brother, you remember, and the architect in
charge of Morton Hall, also a warm admirer of Morton Hall’s pretty
little manager,—had been in Cleveland for a week “on business.”
The business was connected with two big houses that his firm were
building there. It had left all his evenings and most of his afternoons
wholly at the disposal of the Wales’s family cook, alias the pretty little
manager of Morton Hall. The cook had rushed through her work in a
scandalous fashion that caused the Wales family to indulge in many
loud complaints of too-early breakfasts, “snippy” lunches, and wildly
extravagant dinners—Jim always got out to Lakeside in plenty of
time for the dinners. He had left for New York the night before, after
the very most elaborate and delicious dinner of them all, and the
Wales’s family cook was tired, though she did not know it, and
happy, in spite of a queer lonely sensation that was hopelessly
mixed with relief at having a long, lazy afternoon all to herself, to
spend with a kitten for company, a book for diversion, and plenty of
mending in case the unwonted joys of idleness should pall.
At four, when the postman came by on his afternoon round, Betty
was still staring absently off at the blue lake, thinking vague, happy
thoughts. She was so absorbed that she never even saw the
postman, who obligingly walked across the piazza to her corner and
dropped the afternoon mail in her lap, right on top of the gray kitten,
who was too sleepy to care.
Just one letter, and it was for Miss B. Wales, the address typewritten,
the name of Jasper J. Morton’s world-famous banking house in a
corner of the envelope. It was from one of Mr. Morton’s secretaries,
—not the Harding graduate that Betty had sent him, but an energetic
young man who had been with the firm for several years. It was he to
whom Mr. Morton had delegated the task of marketing ploshkins in
New York and elsewhere, and he and Betty had become quite
friendly over the checks and reorders and other business
arrangements.
“I regret to state,” he wrote now, “that the ploshkin market
has slumped. Our regular customers all report that they
are ‘stuck,’ to use a technical expression of commerce,
with the ploshkins they already have on hand, that the
demand has entirely dropped off, and that they do not
anticipate a revival of it.
“Mr. Morton has asked me to communicate with you,
expressing his regret at the sudden termination of so
profitable a business. (You will be amused, I know, to hear
that the first thing he said was, ‘My, but that relieves my
mind. It always worried me to think of people wanting to
waste their money on those silly old splashers.’)
“Fortunately the spring sales used up practically all the
stock you had on hand, so there will be no losses to meet.
But there will also, I fear, be no more profits.
“Mr. Morton respectfully suggests that the ingenious young
lady whose name he is unable to recall shall coöperate
with you in inventing a new specialty. ‘Most anything will
do if it’s only silly enough,’ in Mr. Morton’s opinion; and he
will gladly arrange to market the product as he has the
ploshkins.
 “Hoping anxiously for such a renewal of our business
relations, I remain,
“Most respectfully,
“Samuel Stone.”
Betty laughed heartily, all by herself, over Mr. Morton’s characteristic
remarks. It was fortunate, she reflected, that when he was cross he
was always comical. Otherwise she would never have made friends
with him in Europe, and then he would never have built Morton Hall
at Harding to please her, nor helped the Tally-ho Tea-Shop out of its
very worst trouble,—nor sold the ploshkins. She smiled all to herself
at Mr. Samuel Stone’s “anxious hopes,” and frowned as she
contemplated the utter impossibility of making the ingenious young
lady (named Madeline Ayres) invent a new “specialty” except by
some such happy accident as had produced the ploshkin, that
comically sad little creature, with an “ingrowing face” that smiled, a
prickly, slippery tail, and one wing to hide behind, plaster images of
which had been circulated, by the energy and enterprise of Jasper J.
Morton and Samuel Stone, from New York to San Francisco, if not
further.
And having laughed and smiled and frowned, Betty read the letter all
through again, sat up straight in her big easy chair, and, choosing
one of Will’s stockings, began to darn the very biggest hole in it. She
wanted to think hard, and she could always think harder when her
fingers were busy.
A slump in the ploshkin market meant no more ploshkin income.
When she considered staying at home for the winter, Betty had
counted on that hitherto prolific source of revenue to keep Dorothy
on at Miss Dick’s, as well as to provide herself with necessary pin-
money. Father wanted her to stay at home, but Betty wondered sadly
if he realized how much she would cost! A girl doesn’t know about
that until she has tried living on her earnings. Betty Wales
understood just how fast little things will count up, try as you may to
be careful. Father wasn’t yet back on Easy Street; Will had made a
bad joke to the effect that Easy Street was certainly Hard Street
when it came to getting a place on it again after you had carelessly
slipped off.
“That’s true as well as funny,” Betty reflected sadly, “and the reason
is that people who have been rich don’t know how to be poor. We’re
still an extravagant family, no matter how hard we try to save. So I
almost think—oh dear! I wonder if they do miss me much at home
when I’m away! Because President Wallace is sure that Morton Hall
will miss me if I don’t go back to it. I wonder if he’s right. I almost
think—— Goodness, I should hate to seem conceited about it,
because I know as well as anything that it’s perfect nonsense the
way they all think I can do things that other people can’t. Anybody
could do anything that I’ve ever done,—if they’d only try,” ended
Betty Wales, with a fine disregard for antecedents and a serene lack
of appreciation of the rarity of people who try—and who keep on
trying to the bitter end.
If Dorothy didn’t go back to Miss Dick’s there would be two extra
ones at home; that would put boarding, with five in the family, out of
the question, and rents in town were frightfully expensive. It did
seem as if a person who had a good salary waiting for her in Harding
would better “go back on the job,” as Will would have put it.
A big, snorting motor-car slewed round a corner, with a silvery peal
of its “gabriel,” glided swiftly down the street, and drew up with a
lurch in front of the Wales cottage. Betty, her eyes on Will’s stocking,
her thoughts working hard on the perplexing Harding-or-no-Harding
problem, gave a little start at discovering that she was going to have
callers. By the time she had dropped the stocking and carefully
arranged the kitten in a comfortable little furry ball on a hammock
cushion, the two ladies in the tonneau of the car had shed their
protecting goggles, hoods, veils, and ulsters, and started up the path
to the door.
“Nobody I know,” reflected Betty, going forward hospitably to meet
them. They were both young-more likely to be Nan’s friends than
Mother’s, and Nan was off spending a week with Ethel Hale Eaton.
Looking more closely Betty decided that they must have mistaken
the house; the pretty, overdressed girl with the huge plumed hat, and
the more subdued young woman in a wonderful silk gown and a
close-fitting toque, both in the very latest style, did not look quite like
friends of Nan or indeed of any of the Wales family.
The girl was ahead as they came up the steps. “Is Miss Wales at
home?” she asked in a sweet, assured voice, smiling a dazzling
smile from beneath the big drooping plumes.
“Do you mean the real Miss Wales-my sister Nan?” Betty asked.
“She’s away paying some visits. I’m Betty, the next youngest. Won’t
you sit down a moment?”
“Thanks, yes,” the older woman, with the sweet, subdued face and
manner answered. “And it ain’t your sister we want. It’s you. I’m Mrs.
James O’Toole, of Paris, France, and that’s my girl Marie.”
“I’m very glad to meet you both,” Betty stammered. “That is,—I
haven’t met you before, have I? I have such a bad memory.”
“No, you haven’t met us,” Miss Marie O’Toole told her with an
amused giggle. “If you had, you’d remember. Even people with bad
memories don’t forget Ma and me.”
“No?” Betty laughed back at her in friendly fashion. In spite of the
plumes, too much jewelry, and an absurdly hobbled skirt, there was
something very winning about Miss Marie O’Toole, with her pretty
doll face and her sweet, thrilling voice. But Mrs. O’Toole was a
curiosity. Betty had had to try hard not to jump when the demure little
lady, dressed with such exquisite elegance, had opened her mouth
and been suddenly transformed into a very ordinary person with a
dreadful twang in her voice and a shocking lack of grammar in her
conversation. She listened in blank silence to her daughter’s
comment, and then handed Betty a card.
“That’s to interduce us. Has the letter followed?”
Betty stared in bewilderment. The card was President Wallace’s,
introducing Mrs. and Miss O’Toole. “Letter will follow” was written
after the names.
“Oh,” exclaimed Betty comprehendingly, “you are friends of
President Wallace’s, and he is going to write me about—something.
I’m very glad to meet any friends of his. Isn’t he splendid?”
“I think he’s a cross old bear,” returned Miss Marie O’Toole sweetly,
“and Ma thinks he hasn’t ordinary common sense, don’t you, Ma?”
“Never mind about that,” said Mrs. O’Toole sharply. “But we ain’t any
friends of his. The letter to follow is about Marie entering the college.
I told you we had ought to have waited a while, Marie, for that there
letter.”
Marie smiled blandly. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess we’re capable of
explaining ourselves to Miss Wales.”
“I’m sure you are,” agreed Betty hastily. She was bursting with
suppressed curiosity.
“Well,” began Mrs. O’Toole, “it’s like this. Marie wants to go to
college. I can’t think why, but she does. She met some swell New
York girls in Paris last winter, and they told her that it was all the
rage. Of course,” added Mrs. O’Toole magnificently, “we know all the
elect of the American colony.”
“She means élite,” explained Miss Marie with a giggle. “Hurry up,
Ma, and get to the point of your story.”
Mrs. O’Toole sighed a patient, long-suffering sigh and continued. “So
when we came across in June, Marie went right up to Harding and
took the exams, and she failed in most of ’em. So then she was
more sot than ever on her idee, and she hired a teacher to travel
with us all summer—a girl that this President Wallace recommended.
And last week she tried again and done better, but not good enough
to suit.”
“The tutor was so tiresome,” explained Miss Marie with asperity.
“She told me that I couldn’t possibly pass, so of course I couldn’t. Go
on, Ma.”
“So then she was still more sot to go,” went on Mrs. O’Toole, “and
she sent her Pa a tellergram and he——”
“You can’t tell that part,” broke in her daughter hastily. “Don’t you
remember that he said not to—President Wallace, I mean?”
“Well, anyhow, nothing come of it,” said Mrs. O’Toole wearily. “But he
finally sent us here, to say that if you’d undertake Marie she could
come, otherwise not. She’ll be terrible disappointed if you won’t,”
ended Mrs. O’Toole, “and if you will she’s willing to pay quite
regardless.”
Marie giggled nervously. “That sounds as if I was buying a hat, Ma,
or an invitation to an exclusive ball. President Wallace said that
money was no object to Miss Wales.”
Mrs. O’Toole glanced sharply at the little cottage and then at the
perfectly plain white dress that Betty was wearing, with its marked
contrast to Marie’s furbelows. “Money is something of an object to
any sensible person—except some college presidents,” she added
pointedly.
Miss Marie O’Toole turned to Betty with a pleading smile on her
pretty face. “I guess you understand what I mean,” she said, “and
please do say that you’ll ‘undertake’ me.”
Betty looked perplexedly from one to the other. “But what am I to
do?” she asked. “I don’t understand what you mean by that word.”
“There!” exclaimed Mrs. O’Toole triumphantly. “I told you we had
ought to have waited for the letter.”
Miss Marie shrugged her shoulders impatiently, and turned to Betty.
“President Wallace said that he was willing, under the circumstances
——” Marie hesitated. “I suppose he meant my being educated
mostly in a convent, where they don’t prepare girls for college, and
being so ‘sot’ on coming, and so on. Anyway he said that under the
circumstances he was willing for me to enter with one more condition
than is strictly according to rules, if you would promise to tutor me as
you did another girl once, and to look after me generally, and explain
things that I don’t know about. He said he thought I would find a lot
of things at college that I didn’t know about.”
There was a long pause. Of all the embarrassing situations, Betty
thought, this was the worst. President Wallace was—it would be very
disrespectful to say what. Besides, Betty realized in spite of her
annoyance that President Wallace undoubtedly had had a good