[Illustration: "Mr. Tedford, Have You Any Huyler Boxes?"Dixie School Girl (Page 36)] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A DIXIE SCHOOL GIRL By GABRIELLE E. JACKSON Made In U. S. A. M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY CHICAGO :: NEW YORK ------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT 1913 BY M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY Made in U. S. A. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TO MY TWO DIXIE NEIGHBORS, whose entertaining tales of their childhood escapades have helped to make these stories, this first volume of the "Dixie Girl" is most affectionately inscribed by their friend. G. E. J. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER I FULL SPEED FOR FOUR CORNERS Four straight country roads running at right angles. You cannot see wherethey begin because they have their beginning "over the hills and faraway, " but you can see where they end at "Four Corners, " the hub of thatuniverse, for there stand the general store, which is also thepostoffice, the "tavern, " as it is called in that part of the world, thechurch, the rectory, and perhaps a dozen private dwellings. "Four Corners" is oddly mis-named, because there are no corners there atall. It is a circle. Maybe it was originally four corners, but today itis certainly a circle with a big open space in the center, and in thevery middle of that stands a flag staff upon which floats the stars andstripes. The whole open space is covered with the softest green turf. _Not_ a lawn, mind you, such as one may see in almost any immaculatelykept northern town, with artistic flower beds dotting it, and a carefullytrimmed border of foliage plants surrounding it. No, this circle has realVirginia turf; the thick, rich, indestructible turf one finds in England, which, as an old gardener told the writer, "we rolls and tills it for athousand years. " Nature had been rolling and tilling this green plot ofground for a good many thousand years. The circle was encompassed by an iron rail fence to which the people fromthe surrounding community hitched their saddle or carriage horses whenthey came to the "Store" for their mail, or to make various purchases. And there the beasties often stood for hours, rubbing noses andexchanging the gossip of the paddocks, horse (or mule) fashion. There were always several hitched there, and they were always gossipingor dozing as they waited for their owners to start toward home, and theyrepresented all sorts and conditions of their kind just as those ownersrepresented all sorts and conditions of men. Some were young men, somemiddle-aged, some old. Some were of the gentry of the surroundingcountry, some the humbler white folk, some the negroes who had managed toacquire small tracts of land which they farmed successfully or otherwise. Among them, too, was the typical shiftless, "triflin' no-'count" darkeywho "jist sits 'round a-waitin', " though it would be hard for him to tellwhat he was waiting for. Nevertheless, the "Corners" is the center of the activities of thatcommunity, though to make those who most frequently gather there, comprehend the limitations of its activities they would have to be setdown in the midst of some big, hustling city. Still, some who go to the Corners are very much alive to this fact, forthey have journeyed throughout the length and breadth of their own landand many other lands beside. But they do not tell their less travelledbrothers much of the wonders which lie beyond the towering mountains, which is just as well, perhaps. The stay-at-home might be less happy andcontent were they to learn of the doings of the big world beyond thebarriers of their snug, peaceful valley, which seems to the wiser ones sofar away from the trials, struggles, and worries of the world beyond. And, curiously enough, when those of wider knowledge return to the valleythey find again the peace and tranquility which they left there, and, breathing a sigh of relief, settle back into its restful atmosphere, andtranquil content, as one settles into a comfortable old chair. The nearest "real, sure-enough town" to the Corners is Sprucy Branch andthat is fourteen miles from Luray, with its famous caverns. To reachSprucy Branch from Four Corners one must drive or ride "a right smartdistance, " and then to reach Luray take a railway trip or drive thefourteen miles. It is a beautiful part of this big world, and the valleyis a happy one. Moreover, it would be hard to find a more delightful, little social world than its gentlefolk represent. Not the formal, artificial, rigidly conventional social world of the big northern cities, where few have time or inclination to be absolutely genuine, but therare, true social life of the well-bred southerner, to whom friendshipmeans much, kinship more, and family ties everything. Whose sons go forthinto the world to make their mark, and often their fortunes, too, yetstill retain the charm of their up-bringing, the traditions of theirfamilies, and their intense love of "the home back yonder. " Whosedaughters, though brought up, "raised, " they often say, in the simplicityof country life, and more often than not having very limited financialresources, are in the truest sense of that beautiful old word, thegentlewomen we picture, prepared to grace their homes, or the outer worldand reflect credit upon the land of their birth. And this is theconviction of her northern sister, the first of nine generations to beborn beyond the borders of the old Bay State, so she can hardly beaccused of a biased opinion. And this lovely September morning, when the air holds just the faintestsuggestion of autumn, when the leaves are beginning to hint of richertints than the soft greens which they have worn all summer, when thenative birds are hobnobbing and gossiping with their friends who arejourneying farther south, "All the news of the north to the sunny southbringing, " and the squirrels are chattering and scolding as they gathertheir hoard of chinkapins and other fodder for the long winter at hand, something is stirring. Yes, stirring vigorously, too, if one may judge bythe hullabaloo which suddenly arises far down the East Pike. The peoplegathered upon the porch at the store prick up their ears to listen. Thereare a dozen or more there upon one errand or another, for the store isthe commercial center of the district, and from it can be bought orordered every nameable thing under the sun. It is also the postoffice, so, once, at least, each day there wends his or her way to it, everyhuman being who expects, hopes for, or by any chance may receive aletter. It was mail time. Hence the number of people gathered about to prick uptheir ears as the racket down the road grew louder and louder eachsecond, and the thud of horses' hoofs, the shouts of boys' voices and agirl's ringing laugh were borne to them. "Yonder comes the Woodbine bunch, I'll bet a dollar, and they're sureenough a-hittin' it up, too. Reckon that young one of the old Admiral'sis a-settin' the pace, too. She's a clipper, all right, " commented a manseated upon a tilted-back chair, his hat pushed far back upon his shockhead. He was guiltless of coat, and his jean trousers were hitched highabout his waist by a pair of wool suspenders. Hardly had he ceased speaking when three horses came pounding into view, the leader ridden by a girl about fifteen years of age. The animal was alittle mouse-colored beastie with white markings and eyes which gave apretty strong hint of a good bit of broncho disposition to which themarkings also pointed. He was lithe and agile as a cat and moved withsomething of the sinuous gliding of that animal, rather than the boundingmotions of his eastern-bred mates. The two horses running neck and neckbehind him were evidently blooded animals, and all three were a-latherfrom the pace set by their leader, all mud-bespattered to the point ofbeing wholly disreputable, for a shower the previous night had left manya wide puddle in the road. The girl leading rode as only a southern girl, accustomed to a saddle allher life, can ride. The saddle was of the Mexican type, but the headstallwas the lightest possible, with a simple snaffle bit, even that seemingalmost superfluous for she guided her mount more by the motions of herbody than the bridle. She held the reins at arm's length in her lefthand, while with her right she waved above her head a soft felt hat, herbanner of defiance and derision of her pursuers. Swaying ever so slightlyin her saddle, she brought her wiry little mount up to the platform, andslid from his back as snow slides from a hillside. The reins were tossedover his head and the race was ended. Running across the porch she nodded or bowed comprehensively to allseated or standing upon it--the greeting accompanied by a sunny, happysmile which revealed faultlessly pretty teeth. As she disappeared within the store her friends came rushing up to theplatform, shouting after her as they drew up their horses: "Here, come back! Hold on! That's no fair, even if you did beat. _We're_going to decide the kind of candy. You'll do us out of our last cent ifwe let you get it. " "Of course! Why not?" was called back, banteringly. "Do you think I'm going to run Apache off his legs, risk breaking my neckand then not have the say-so in the end? I reckon not. It's just _got_ tobe chocolates _this_ time. Cinnamon suckers are all right enough for alittle race, but this was a two-mile go-it-for-all-you're-worth one, andbesides, you'd better be nice to me, while you have the chance, becauseyou won't have me with you very much longer. " "Ah, cut that out. We know it well enough. You needn't rub it in, " wasthe chorus of answers. "Shut up, Bev, " added the taller of the two boys, a fair haired lad ofsixteen or seventeen. He was a handsome boy, with eyes of such a deepblue that they seemed violet, wavy golden hair and a fine, clear skin, though it was tanned many shades darker than nature intended it to be. The nose was clean cut, and the mouth and chin indicated considerablestrength of character. He carried himself as though very sure of hisplace in the world, and his intention to hold it. Nevertheless, the facewas a cheery, happy one. The other boy was so like the girl that it was laughable. Exchange theirgarments and it would have puzzled the cleverest person to tell"t'other-from-which. " To label them twins would have been superfluous. Nature had attended to that little matter fifteen years earlier in theirlives, and even their old mammy used to say: "Now don' none of yo' otherchillern go ter projectin' wid dem babies whilst I's got my haid turn'd'way, cause if yo' does dey's gwine fer to get mixed pintedly, an' denI's gwine ter have ter spend a hull hour mebbe a-gettin' my mind settledpon which is which again. " Moreover, the fifteen years of daily association had only served toconsummate what Dame Nature had so ably begun, for the girl and the boyalmost thought and felt in unison. In all those years they had hardlybeen separated for a day. That is no further than a strict quarantinebeneath the same roof had separated them, and that had been entirelyBeverly's doings. At five she began the performance by contractingwhooping-cough; at seven she tried mumps; at nine turned a beautifullobster hue from measles, and at eleven capped the climax by scaring thefamily nearly to death with scarlet fever, and thereby causing hergrandfather, Admiral Ashby, to exclaim: "Lord bless my soul, Beverly, you are worse than the potato bugs; they_do_ skip the fatal second year now and again, but you never let up. " Perhaps this criticism had called a halt in her performances in the lineof contagious diseases, for since the scarlet fever scare she had quitfrightening the family into spasms, and at fifteen was as charming, healthy, and tantalizing a bit of girlhood as one could wish to see, though about as much of a tomboy as one could find. CHAPTER II WOODBINE While Beverly Ashby is squabbling good-naturedly with her brother andchum, suppose we take this opportune moment in which to learn somethingabout the trio? Beverly and her brother, Athol, had elected to enter this world exactlyfifteen years and four months prior to the opening of this story. Theyalso chose the thirteenth of May, 1897, to spring their first surpriseupon their family by arriving together, and had managed to sustain theirreputations for surprising the grownups by never permitting a single yearto pass without some new outbreak, though it must be admitted thatBeverly could certainly claim the greater distinction of the two in thatdirection. "Woodbine, " their home, had been the family seat for many generations. Ithad seen many a Seldon enter this world and many a one depart from it. Ithad witnessed the outgoing of many brides from its broad halls, and seenmany enter to become its mistress. It was a wonderful old place, beautiful, stately, and so situated upon its wooded upland that itcommanded a magnificent view of the broad valley of Sprucy Stream. Overagainst it lay the foothills of the blue, blue mountains, the Blue Ridgerange, and far to the westward the peaks of the Alleghanies peeped abovethe Massanutton range nearer at hand. The valley itself was like a rare painting. The silvery stream runningthrough the foreground, the rich woodlands and fertile fields, themarvelous lights and shadows ever holding the one looking upon itentranced. And all this lay before the broad acres of Woodbine, so namedbecause that graceful vine hung in rich festoons from every column, gallery, portico and even the eaves to which it had climbed, a delicategray-green adornment in early spring, a rich, darker tone in midsummer, and a gorgeous crimson in the autumn. It was a spacious old mansion and would have been considered a large oneeven in the north, where, during the past fifty years, palaces havesprung into existence under the misnomer of "cottages. " Happily, it didnot tower up into the air as many of the so-called cottages do, butspread itself comfortably over the greensward, the central building beingthe only one ambitious enough to attain to two stories and a sharplypeaked roof, in which were set several dormer windows from which a mostentrancing view of the valley and distant mountain ranges could beobtained. These dormer window chambers were rarely used, and, excepting during thesemi-annual house cleaning, rarely visited. That one of these rare visitsshould have been paid one of them upon this particular day of which weare writing was simply Kismet. But of that a little later. Let us finishour picture of lovely Woodbine. Across the entire front of the main floor as well as the second story, ran a wide piazza, gallery they call it in that part of the country. Thelower gallery gave upon a broad, velvety lawn dotted with elms, beeches, oaks and feathery pines. No path led to this gallery, and when onestepped from it one's feet sank into the softest green turf. The doorwhich opened upon it fairly spoke hospitality and welcome from itsbeautiful fan-like arch to its diamond-paned side lights and the hallwithin was considered one of the more perfect specimens of thearchitecture of its period to be found in the state, as was the statelycircular double stairway leading to the floor above. Half way up, upon abroad landing, a stained glass window, brought long, long ago fromEngland, let the western sunlight filter through its richly tinted panesand lie in patches of exquisite color upon polished stairs and floor. At the north and south ends of the house were the real entrances from thecarefully raked, wide driveway which described almost a complete circlefrom the great stone gateway half a mile across Woodbine's lawn. Couldthis driveway have run straight through the house the circle would havebeen perfect, but it had to stop at the big south portico, with itsgraceful columns, and resume its sweep from the north one which gave uponthe "office, " the overseer's cottage, the various buildings devoted tothe business "ob de gr'et house, " as the darkies called it, and awayfurther to the stables, carriage house, granaries and other buildings ofthe estate, with the servants' cabins behind these. All upon the northside of Woodbine was devoted to the practical, utilitarian needs of theplace, all upon its southern to its pleasures and luxuries, for in thebuildings circling away from the south end were the spacious kitchens, dairy, smoke house, laundry and other buildings necessary to the domesticeconomy of the household. None of these buildings touched directly uponthe main house, but were connected with it by a roofed-over colonnadeupon which the woodbine ran riot, as it did upon all the detachedbuildings, producing an effect charming beyond description. Thecolonnades described a semicircle from the north-west and south-westcorners of the big house, and led from the kitchen to the big diningroom, and from the office to the Admiral's study. All the buildings wereconstructed of rich red brick, brought from England generations ago, thepillars being of white marble. The effect against the dark green foliagewas picturesque to agreed. Unlike many of the old southern homes, Woodbine had always been kept inperfect repair, and by some miracle of good fortune, had escaped theravages of the Civil War. Its present owner, Admiral Athol Seldon, enjoyed a very comfortable income, having been wise enough during thetroublous times of the war to invest his fortune where it would bereasonably safe. He would not have been called a wealthy man, as wealthis gauged in the great northern cities, but in this peaceful valley, where needs were simple and diversions sensible, he was regarded as a manof affluence and no little importance. During the war he had served in the Confederate Navy, and served with allthe strength of his convictions. When it ended in a lost cause hereturned to Woodbine to learn in what condition the home he so loved hadcome through the conflict, for it was situated in the very vortex of thedisturbance. Finding it but slightly harmed, and having sufficient meansto repair it, he resolved to end his days there. He had never married, anearly romance having come to a tragic end in the death of his fianceesoon after the outbreak of the war. Consequently, beautiful Woodbinelacked a mistress, to the great distress of the old family servants. To remedy this he sent for his brother's widow and her littletwo-year-old daughter, Mary. Beverly Seldon, two years his brother'sjunior, had been killed at the battle of Winchester in 1864, and thelittle Mary had entered this world exactly five months after her father'sdeath. Her mother came very near following her father into the greatbeyond, but survived the shock to live beneath Athol Seldon's hospitableroof until Mary was eleven years of age, then quietly went to sleep, leaving Mary to her uncle's care. The child then and there becamemistress not only of Woodbine, but of every living thing upon the place, her uncle included, and no only daughter could have been cared for, petted, spoiled or spanked more systematically than the Madcap MarySeldon. At twenty-six she married Turner Ashby, the grandson of one of theAdmiral's oldest friends. Two years later a little daughter was born, butdied before she was a year old. Then, just when the old Admiral wasbeginning to grumble because there seemed to be no prospect of agrand-nephew to inherit Woodbine, Mary Ashby presented him with not onlyan heir but an heiress as well, and the old gentleman came very near aballoon ascension. The twins were christened Athol Seldon Ashby and Beverly Turner Ashbybefore they had fully decided that they were really American citizens, and for seven years no happier household could have been found in thestate. Then another calamity visited it. Turner Ashby was killed in arailway accident while north on a business trip. It was a frightful blowto the home in which he was adored by every member, from the Admiralstraight down to the blackest little piccaninny upon the estate, and tomake it, if possible, more tragic, all that ever came back to Woodbinewas the seal ring he had worn, picked up in the charred ruins of theparlor coach. More than eight years had passed since that tragedy, andthose years had changed Mary Ashby from a light-hearted, happy young wifeand joyous mother to a quiet, dignified woman. Never again did herchildren find in her the care-free, romping play-fellow they had alwaysknown, though she never ceased to be the gentle, tender mother. And how they missed it. They were too young to fully appreciate theirloss, though they grieved deeply for the tall, handsome, golden-haired, blue-eyed father who had been their jolly comrade, riding, romping withthem, rowing, playing all manner of games, and always ready to relatesome thrilling tale, and who, after eleven years of married life, hadremained as much their mother's lover as upon the day he married her. Indeed, all the countryside mourned for Turner Ashby, for such apersonality could not be snatched from its environment without leaving aterrible blank for many years. Athol was like him in character, but not the least in personalappearance, for both children were Seldon from the crowns of their darkheads to the tips of their small feet. Their chum, and inseparablecompanion, Archie Carey, might more readily have been taken for TurnerAshby's son: he was so tall, fair-haired and blue-eyed. Two years theirsenior and living upon the adjacent estate of "Uplands, " he had grown upin an uninterrupted companionship with Athol and Beverly, and wasregarded by them very much as an elder brother so far as camaraderiewent, though by no means accorded an older brother's privileges by MissBeverly. Indeed, she was more often the leading spirit in the fun, frolics or scrapes into which they were constantly plunging, as forexample the one alluded to in the opening chapter. But that must have achapter all to itself. CHAPTER III FROM THE DORMER WINDOW Woodbine, as has been said, lay about two miles from Four Corners, theroad leading to the post office clearly visible for almost its entirelength. It had always been the custom at Woodbine and Uplands to send to FourCorners twice daily for the mail, the children as a rule doing the errandand only too glad of the diversion, for they never failed to hear somebit of neighborhood gossip at the post office, or meet friends from someof the adjacent estates. Moreover, there was invariably the speculationregarding the writers of the letters taken from the box even when theletters were addressed to other members of their respective families, forneither Beverly, Athol or Archie had extensive correspondence with theworld beyond the mountains. Just now, however, a new and vital interesthad arisen, for after a grave family conclave it had been definitelysettled that the time had arrived when Beverly and Athol must break awayfrom the old order of things and be sent to boarding schools. Up to thepresent time a governess or a tutor had taught their young ideas toshoot, (straight or otherwise) with Admiral Seldon as head of thediscipline department, a position by no means a sinecure since Beverlyrepresented one-half the need of such a department. Until the childrenwere twelve the governess had been all sufficient but at that point Atholrebelled at being "a sissy" and demanded a tutor, Beverly entirelyconcurring in his views. So a tutor had been installed and had remaineduntil the previous July, when he was called to fill a more lucrativeposition elsewhere. Thus Woodbine's young shoots were left without atrainer, to the dismay of its older members and distress of its youngerones, for both Beverly and Athol had grown very fond of Norman Lee, whoseemed but little older than themselves, though in reality quite tenyears their senior. In the schoolroom he had been the staid, dignifiedinstructor but beyond its walls no better chum and comrade could havebeen found. He was hale-fellow in all their good times and frolics. Consequently his resignation "just broke up the whole outfit, " as Atholput it, and both children vowed they wouldn't have anybody else atWoodbine because nobody else could ever be half so nice as Norman Lee. Long before the three years of his tutorship ended he had become "Norman"to all the household, even the children adopting the more familiarappellation beyond the schoolroom doors, though within it the concessionof "Mr. Norman" was yielded, which secretly amused the young tutor not alittle, and often caused him to wonder how the boy and girl contrived tomaintain the attitude so consistently and with such perfect gravity. Forfour hours of the day he might have been Methuselah's own brother fromtheir standpoint but upon the school-room's threshold they dropped asgarments the relations of pupils and teacher and became the best of goodchums. It had been a singularly happy relation and it was not surprising that itseemed to them well-nigh impossible to renew it with an entire stranger. And truth to tell the Admiral and Mrs. Ashby were not in the leastsanguine of being able to find any one else capable of repeating it andfor a time were a good deal daunted by the outlook for the coming year. The previous year Archie Carey had gone away to school and during hisholidays had come back to Uplands brimful of enthusiasm and determined tohave Athol join him. Athol was quite as eager to do so, the one fly inhis ointment of pure joy being the thought of the separation fromBeverly, though boy-like, he kept this fact deep buried in his heart. Nevertheless, it made him feel queer when the possibility of going upondivided ways to different schools became a very definite one indeed. Theboy and girl were like a pair of horses which has been driven togetherfifteen years and suddenly separated. True, the separation was not as yeta fact, but human beings can suffer more in anticipation than the brutecreation can in reality. The great question at present was which of manyschools to select. Admiral Seldon had written to several for circularsand information, and had been nearly swamped with replies in everyconceivable form. At length he had weeded the mass down to three, entering into more definite correspondence with these, and the replies tohis last letters were now being eagerly awaited by Beverly, Athol andArchie. The school now under most favorable consideration for Beverly wasabout thirty-five miles from Sprucy Branch, the town nearest Four Cornersand Woodbine. It was the coming of these letters which had caused the excitement atWoodbine as the boys and girl were about to go for the morning mail, Athol upon his little thoroughbred, Royal, Archie mounted upon his ownhandsome hunter, Snowdrift, and Beverly on a wiry little broncho whichhad been sent to her by an old friend of the Admiral's who had become theowner of a ranche in Arizona. The friend had assured Admiral Seldon that"Apache" had been "thoroughly gentled, " and Beverly, who had never knownthe meaning of fear from the hour she could bestride a horse, hadwelcomed him with delight. Whether the old Admiral had done likewise isopen to doubt, but Mrs. Ashby frankly protested. As a girl _she_ hadridden every ridable thing upon the place but it was literally a horse ofanother color when it came to the point of Beverly doing as she had done. So Apache had been tolerated, not welcomed, by Mrs. Ashby, and havingbeen an eye-witness to some of the little beast's astonishingperformances when he first came two years before, she has exacted fromBeverly a promise to be very cautious when riding him. Until his arrivalBeverly had ridden Jewel, her fourteen-hand pony, and been quite content, but Jewel's luster was dimmed by Apache's brilliant "shines, " as oldUncle Abel called his cavortings when feeling exceptionally fit from hisunaccustomed diet of oats and feed. Out in Arizona his food had consistedof alfalfa grass with an occasional "feed" thrown in, so it is notsurprising that the new order of high living somewhat intoxicated him. But Apache had won his place at Woodbine. As the young people were about to set forth upon their two-mile trip forthe mail Mrs. Ashby warned: "Now Beverly be careful, dear. Apache has a lively tickle in his toesthis crisp morning, and besides the roads are terribly muddy and slipperyfrom last night's shower. " "I'll be careful mumsey dear, " answered the girl, as she ran down thesteps to spring upon her mount. "Careful and _no_ racing with the boys, remember, " Mrs. Ashby calledafter her. Perhaps Beverly did not hear the concluding admonition. At any rate we'llgive her the benefit of the doubt, for at that moment Apache gavetestimony of the tickle in his toes by springing straight up into the airin as good an imitation of a "buck" as any "thoroughly gentled" littlebroncho could give in the polite society of his aristocratic Virginiacousins. Mrs. Ashby gave a startled exclamation, but Beverly, secure inher seat, waved a merry good-by and was off after the boys who werecalling to her to "hurry up. " Of course they had not heard one word of the foregoing conversation. Hadthey done so it is safe to say that they would never had proposed thetwo-mile race to the post office nor tormented Beverly for being "no sortof a sport, " and "scared to back her painted plug against theirthoroughbreds. " They were honorable lads and would have felt honor-boundto respect Mrs. Ashby's wishes. But not having heard, they gave Beverly"all that was coming to her for riding a calico nag, " though said "nag"was certainly a little beauty. Nearly a quarter of the distance to Four Corners had been ridden whenBeverly's temper, never too elastic, snapped. Her riding crop descendedwith a thwack, first upon Royal's round flank, then upon Snowdrift's andfinally upon Apache's side as she cried: "You-all hush up and _ride_. I'll beat you to Four Corners or die in theattempt!" The sudden onslaught brought the result to be expected. The twothoroughbreds plunged forward with snorts of indignant protest, answeredby Apache's very plebian squeal of rage as he shook his bony little headand struck into a gait such as Beverly had never dreamed a horse couldstrike. It was like a tornado let loose, and, expert little horsewomanthat she was, she found ample occupation for all her wits and equestrianskill, though she managed to jerk out as she whirled past her companions: "Two pounds of Huyler's candy if I _do_ beat those giraffes of yours. " Hence the commotion at Four Corners a few moments later, the whirlwindarrived and the conversation recorded in the first chapter. "Mr. Telford, have you got any Huyler boxes?" asked the winner of therace, resting her gauntleted hands and her riding crop upon the counter. "These boys are trying to make me take two pounds of cinnamon suckers ona bet. Did you ever hear such nonsense? I couldn't eat them in a year andreal, sure-enough bets mean something better than suckers. " "Wall, Miss Bev'ly, I aint rightly knowin' what kind o' lollypops is inthem boxes, most times folks jist helps theirselves an' I don't pay no'tention ter the brand. It's all candy, I reckon, " answered the shopkeeper, drawing two or three boxes from his case and placing them uponhis counter. From the appearance of the wrappings they belied Huyler'sadvertisement of being "fresh every hour, " though one of the boxes borethat firm's name. The others were stamped by Martha Washington, Lowneyand one or two other widely known manufacturers. "Yes this one's Huyler's but I've got to have _two_ this time. Yes I havetoo! Athol's got to put up for one and you for the other. Why just lookat me! The mud on me ought to just naturally make you both _want_ to dosomething to pay up for making me get into such a state. " "We didn't make you! You started the circus, " protested her brother. "Blessed if I'd do a thing for you if it wasn't likely to be the lastrace we'll have in one while. Look at _those_, " interjected Archie Carey, coming over from the letter window where he had gone to ask for the mailand slamming upon the counter beside the boxes of candy half a dozenplump letters. Three bore the addresses of the schools underconsideration. All three faces grew sober. "I'll bet those will settle your hash Bev, " was Athol's comment. "Ah, why couldn't you have been a boy instead of a girl anyhow, "protested Archie. "Then you'd have come along with us as a matter ofcourse and our good times wouldn't have all been knocked into a cockedhat. " "Come on. Let's go home, " said Beverly soberly, as she gathered up herboxes, nodded to Mr. Telford, and took her mud-splashed self from thestore, the boys lingering to pay the bill. She had remounted Apache when they joined her, Archie carrying theletters which he stuffed viciously into the mail-bag strapped to hissaddle. Then the two boys sprang upon their waiting horses. As they rodein silence Beverly glanced down at her khaki riding skirt and at Apache'smud-splashed body, and the next moment had stopped short, exclaiming: "Look at us, and I promised mother I wouldn't race!" "You did!" exclaimed the boys in duet. "I sure did, " she repeated with a solemn nod. This was too much for her companions and the woodland bordering the roadechoed to their shouts. When they had regained some self-control Atholasked: "Well, what are you going to do about it?" "Do? I'm going to stop at the branch and scrub some of this mud offApache and myself, for if we show up like this mother will think I'vebeen acting ten times worse that I really have, though goodness knowsit's bad enough as it is. I didn't mean to break my promise, but Icouldn't let you boys put it all over me like you did and not get back atyou. Now get out of the way while I clean up, and maybe you could do alittle on your own accounts and not suffer for it either. 'Snowdrift!' Helooks exactly like one after a spring thaw. " The boys glanced at the beautiful white horse and then at each other. Theensuing fifteen minutes were spent in the vigorous grooming of theirsteeds, Beverly scrubbing Apache as energetically as Archie and Athol didRoyal and Snowdrift. Flat sticks served as scrapers and bunches of drygrass for cloths. When the animals looked a little less like animated mudpies Beverly turned her attention to her riding skirt. To restore that toits pristine freshness might have daunted a professional scourer. Themore she rubbed and scrubbed the worse the result and finally, when shewas a sight from alternate streaks of mud and wet splotches, she sprangupon the startled Apache crying: "Come along home quick! If I've got to face the music the quicker it'sdone the better, " and was off down the road in a fair way to being asmuddy when she reached Woodbine as she was when she began her cleansingprocesses at the branch, while up in one of the dormer windows of the bighouse her mother stood smiling to herself. It was one of the rareoccasions when she had occasion to go to that room for some stored awaywinter clothing against Beverly's pending departure for boarding school. As the riders resumed their homeward journey she smiled and said softly: "How exactly like Beverly. Now will come confession and repentance andshall I be able to keep a sober face?" CHAPTER IV DIVIDED WAYS "Yes, I just forgot all about it, for of course I wasn't going to let theboys run me to death, and oh, mother, Apache can get over the ground! Inever saw anything like the way he ran. " "No, neither have _I_, " replied Mrs. Ashby significantly. "You!" asked Beverly in surprise. Mrs. Ashby nodded though her lips twitched. Beverly's face clouded and her lips set. "How did you see me?" she demanded. "From the window of the north-east dormer chamber. " The girl's dark eyes grew darker and signs of a pending tempest loweredas she asked: "Mother did you go up there to spy upon me? You almost _never_ go intothat room. Didn't you believe me? Did you think I had to be watched? Ithink that was horrid, horrid of you. You know I didn't mean to break myword. I just forgot when the boys teased me about my calico plug and_you_ wouldn't have stood for that if you'd been in my place. You justknow you wouldn't. You used to do crazier things when you were a girl forUncle Athol has told me just dozens and dozens of them. Why did you spyupon me? Why? Why? I loathe being distrusted. " The storm had burst with a vengeance. "Beverly hush and listen to me. If you will pause a moment you will knowperfectly well that I had no idea of 'spying' upon you. Have I ever doneso? You know better. It seems to me you are displaying some doubt also. If I did not know it to be the outcome of your excitement I shoulddecline to make any explanation. As it is I'll tell you that I went upthere to get out your winter things in order to have them remodeled. Bychance I looked out of the window--it is a view rather worth lookingupon, you'll admit--and, well I saw a moving picture instead of the usualquiet landscape and it was 'going some' as Athol would say. " Mrs. Ashbysmiled involuntarily as she recalled the spirited action of that movingpicture. "Yes wasn't it?" cried Beverly eagerly. "And, oh that little Apache issome horse, mumsey. " Then her face resumed its defiant expression and she continued: "But Ishowed them that they couldn't put it all over me and not pay for it. They got the try-out of their lives and _I_ got two pounds of _decent_candy if I did get some mud into the bargain. I'd have come home to tellyou anyway; you _know_ I would don't you?" "Have I intimated a doubt of it, dear?" The tone was very disarming, andwarm-hearted, quick tempered just-souled little Beverly succumbed. Throwing her arms about her mother's neck she buried her head upon hershoulder as she sobbed. "Oh, do forgive me. I was the horrid one for doubting you and saying suchnasty things. Please give me bally hack and send me away to school quick. Then maybe I'll learn to think twice before I sass once, as Mammy Riahsays. I reckon what I need is a good strict schoolmarm to boss me'round. " "I hope the 'bossing' element will be absent from the school we shallchoose. I doubt it would work very well with you, Beverly. Sparks andgunpowder are apt to lead to pretty serious explosions and I dislikepyrotechnics which are likely to spread disaster. Now go change yourclothes and make yourself presentable for I hear Uncle Athol calling andI dare say the momentous question is about to be answered. But what am Igoing to do without my little whirlwind to keep things stirring?" endedMrs. Ashby, tenderly drawing the penitent into her arms. "And oh, mumsey, mumsey where shall I ever find any one who will be aspatient with the whirlwind? I suspect I'm going to be desperatelyhomesick more days than once. But I'll truly, truly try not to disgraceyou and Woodbine. Yes, we're coming Uncle Athol, " as the Admiral'sstentorian tones came booming up the broad stairway. "Mary Beverly, come along quick and hear these letters. Lord save us, I'drather run a blockade than choose a school for a couple of youngsters. I'll be gray, dead and buried before it's done! Come down I say. " "We are coming Uncle, " called Mrs. Ashby, laughing softly as she picturedthe gray-haired old Admiral striding up and down the wide hallanathematizing all the schools in creation and launching side shots atthe boys because they were laughing at him. His roar was far worse thanhis attack as the lads well knew, as sitting--no, sprawling--upon the bigclaw-foot sofa they did not hesitate to let fly a projectile or two inreturn, only to howl at the result, for well both knew his weakness forhis grandniece. "She could wind him around her little finger, " they said. A moment later Mrs. Ashby appeared at the top of the landing to begreeted by: "Come and hear these letters. Where's Beverly?" "She will be down as soon as she changes her riding skirt. " The boys snickered. Turning upon them the Admiral demanded: "What are you young scamps chortling about?" "Bev, " answered his nephew. "Did you see her when she came in?" "Now what was the matter with her? She's usually all right. " "Oh, nothing. Just a trifle muddy. Mother can describe her appearancebetter than we can I reckon, " laughed Athol, Jr. The Admiral bent his keen eyes upon the boys. He was a handsome oldgentleman and wonderfully well-preserved for his seventy-three years. "And I'll lay a wager you fellows started the ball rolling and Beverlyhad to brace up and stop it, " he nodded. "We didn't! Honest, Uncle Athol, we didn't! Did we Arch?" "Ask Bev. Here she comes, " laughed Archie pointing toward the stairs downwhich a demure, spick and span, duck-clothed young lady was making herway with all the propriety of a young boarding-house-miss-in-the-making. Instantly Athol had sprung to his feet and was mincing along behind theAdmiral in such perfect mimicry of his sister that Archie hooted. Beverlyscorned to notice the by-play and asked: "Do you want me Uncle Athol?" "Yes, come along into my study for this er-er--well perplexing questionis going to be settled right here and now. " Realizing that the settling meant a separation for a shorter or longertime, and for a greater or less distance, however determined, the boyssobered down and followed the others into the study. There is no use going into details. The letters were duly read anddiscussed and it was decided that early the next morning Admiral Seldonand Mrs. Ashby should visit two of the schools, those nearest SprucyBranch being selected. "And please, Uncle Athol, choose Leslie Manor. It's so near Kilton Hallthat the boys can ride over to see me and I can go to see them, " beggedBeverly, clasping her hands about her great-uncle's arm and looking upinto his face in a manner to coax the birds off the bushes. He drew her into his circling arm and turning her face up to his asked, as he kissed the soft lips. "And how in kingdom come do you suppose _I'm_ going to get on withoutyour coming to see me often, you torment of my soul. And how do youexpect the boys to cover those ten miles between Leslie Manor and KiltonHall, much less you? And a pretty stir-up it would make if you were to goto their school, wouldn't it, you huzzy. " "Why, I'm Athol's sister, and almost Archie's too. Why couldn't I go?We'll have our horses, of course. " "Lord bless my soul, are you counting on moving the whole of Woodbine upyonder?" asked the Admiral in dismay. "Why no, Uncle Athol, but of course we must take Snowdrift, Royal andApache, " answered Beverly as a matter of course. Whereupon Archie andAthol, standing just behind the Admiral, and Beverly fell upon eachother's necks. Such an idea as taking their horses with them had neverfor a moment entered the boy's heads. "Well, we'll see; We'll see, " temporized the old gentleman, "No" seemingto have been left out of the vocabulary he employed in speaking toBeverly. An hour was spent in discussing the subject pro and con and at its endAdmiral Seldon cried: "Quit running on dead reckoning and tell Mammy Riah to pack our grips, foryour mother and I are off on the eight-thirty from Sprucy Branch and thatmeans stepping lively tomorrow morning, Mary. And I want Uncle Abel tounderstand that the carriage is to be at the door at seven-thirty, --_notnine-thirty_. " And so the die was cast. At seven-thirty the following morning thecarriage accompanied by the three most interested in what the verdictwould be upon its return, sped down the broad driveway, the leaves whichhad fallen during the night crinkling beneath the wheels, the carriagehorses cutting all sorts of antics in sympathy with their saddlecompanions cavorting beside them, for the young people were acting asbody guard. It was not at all likely that the older people would return that night, for train service was limited, so all preparations were made for anovernight trip. Bidding them good-by at the railway station Beverly, Athol and Archierode back to Woodbine, in no mood for one of their wild stampedes. Thereal parting was too close at hand. That day and evening seemed the longest to Beverly that she had everknown. Archie was to spend the night at Woodbine, and Aunt Caroline, Mammy Riah and Earl Queen, the butler, did their best to make up for theabsence of the heads of the house, but it surely was a sober little groupwhich sat down at the brightly polished mahogany dining table. Beverly inher mother's seat, Athol in his uncle's and Archie as guest. AuntCaroline had sent up her daintiest preserves and had prepared a supper"fitten' for a queen, " she averred. Her fried chicken would have putDelmonico's to shame and her hot waffles were "lak ter fly up offen dedish I serve 'em on, " was Queen's affirmation as he took them from her, but nothing was eaten with its usual relish. At ten the next morning came a long distance phone call from AdmiralSeldon. Beverly reached the phone first. "And it's all settled? Which one? Leslie Manor? Good! And Ath's going toKilton Hall? Oh, splendid! You'll be down on the three o'clock train?Meet you? Of course. Yes, I'll tell the boys. Mother sends love? Give herours and tell her we are all right and have been as good as gold. Good-by!" and the phone was hung up with a snap as Beverly spun round andcatching the one nearest at hand who happened to be Archie, turkeytrotted him the length of the big hall before she'd end their curiosity. And thus came the selection of the two schools. Athol with Archie atKilton Hall, and Beverly at Leslie Manor, ten miles away, and near one ofthe most wonderful and beautiful caprices of that capricious lady DameNature, that human eye is ever likely to rest upon. They were to leave Woodbine and Uplands on the last day of September, asthe school term began October first, the intervening days being full ofthe excitement incident to their departure. The thirtieth of September came at once too rapidly and too slowly, anddawned crisp and clear; a good omen for the start. Good-bys were said to the servants, Mrs. Ashby was embraced tempestuouslyby Beverly and given a bear hug by Athol, Archie shook hands and allthree followed Admiral Seldon in to the waiting carriage, to wavegood-bys to Mrs. Ashby who stood upon the south portico, and to all theservants gathered in the south colonnade. Then Mrs. Ashby re-entered the silent house, went upstairs to Beverly'sdeserted room, dropped into a chair beside her bed and burying her headin the tumbled pillow wept like a girl. A moment later Mammy Riah entered the room, caught sight of the weeper, grabbed up an old muddy shoe of Beverly's and raining tears into itforthwith raised a genuine darkey wail of woe which very nearly turnedMrs. Ashby's tears into hysterics. CHAPTER V LESLIE MANOR It was the opening day at Leslie Manor. Late the evening before the lastgirl had come straggling reluctantly back after a long summer vacation. This morning all was hustle and bustle. At the rear of the building thelast trunks were being bumped down from the express wagon which hadbrought them from the railway station, and under the direction of WesleyWatts Mather, the dusky porter, janitor and general handy man, were beingconveyed to the various rooms in which they and their owners would bidefor the ensuing eight months, for Leslie Manor did not open its doors toits pupils until October first and closed them the first week in June. This was at the option of Miss Woodhull, the principal, who went abroadeach June taking with her several of her pupils for a European tour, toreturn with her enlightened, edified charges in September. It was apleasurable as well as a profitable arrangement for the lady who wasabsolutely free of encumbrance and could do as she chose. Leslie Manor had once been the home of a widely known southern familywhose fortunes had sadly decreased during the war and completelyevaporated after it. For several years the place was entirely desertedand neglected, then Miss Woodhull, recently graduated from a New Englandcollege, and fairly bristling with degrees, for which she had exchangedthe freshness, sweetness and spontaneity of youth and health, was orderedto spend at least a year in the south in the doubtful hope of recoveringthe youth and health. Just where to find these valuable assets was the hardest question toanswer. Her only relatives were an elderly maiden aunt and an irascibleold uncle whose time was too filled with providing the wherewithal tomaintain a very elaborate establishment for a very vain wife and threefrivolous daughters, to leave any left over in which to think of thewelfare of his only sister's child. Moreover, his wife and daughterscould not endure her, and, truth to tell, they had about as much affinityfor one another as have oil and water. They might flow side by sideforever but never mingle. The maiden aunt was her father's sister, an austere dignified old partywho resided most exclusively in her ancestral home on Beacon Street, andlived in a rut worn _ages_ deep by tradition, conviction and self-will. Virginia was, so-to-speak, heiress-presumptive. Not that she was likelyto be supplanted by the birth of some one having greater claim to heraunt's fortune. Her possible rivals for the very substantial income whichher aunt enjoyed were foundling asylums, a new religious cult just thenin its infancy in the hub of the universe, and innumerable "movements"and "reforms. " She had sent Virginia through college, provided her with a fairallowance, bidden her make something of herself for the sake of her nameand then washed her hands of all responsibility. In her own sight she hadfulfilled all her duty. When Virginia Woodhull left ---- College afterattaining degrees galore, but in broken health, and with twenty-eightyears checked off upon her life's calendar, she seemed to have run plumpup against a stone wall. Dozens of positions were almost forced upon her. Mentally she wasqualified to fill any of them, physically _not one_. Nor could she remainnear the only relatives she possessed had they even cared two straws tohave her remain. While in this depressing state of mind and body a girl whom she hadcoached in the college graduated and was about to return to her home inVirginia. She was several years Virginia's junior, pretty, warm-heartedand charming, and possessed the power of looking a little deeper belowthe surface than the average human being possesses. She invited MissWoodhull to accompany her to Roanoke and fate stepped in and did therest. The month was spent in a lovely old home, Virginia Woodhull gainedin health and strength, and recovered something in the way of nervecontrol and mental poise. When the month ended she decided to "do" thestate whose name she bore and spent the rest of the year in going fromone point to another in it until she knew its entire topography by heart. In the course of her journeyings she visited the Luray Caverns as amatter of course, and enroute came upon picturesque, deserted, decrepitLeslie Manor, and fell as enthusiastically in love with it as it wasgiven to her repressed nature to fall in love. Moreover, for a long time she had been obsessed with a desire to bringinto this happy, easy-going, contented state something of the energy, progress, intellectual activities (as she gauged them) of New England. The general uplift inspired by the seat of learning she had just leftafter post-graduate courses unto the nth degree: To thoroughly stirthings up and make these comfortable, contented, easy-going Virginianssit up and take notice of their shortcomings. She was given a work inlife, though quite unsought, and she meant to undertake it exactly as shehas undertaken her college course and make a fine job of it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, according to the viewpoint taken, the auntin Boston was ceremoniously tucked away in the tomb of her ancestors justas this resolution crystalized and Virginia Woodhull found herself inpossession of a very comfortable income, though said income had a stringattached to it which was intended to yank it back to the religious cultbefore mentioned in the event of Virginia's _marriage_ or death. Eitherway considered, it was a rather dubious heritage. But it served topurchase Leslie Manor and the school became a fait accompli. This was inthe early eighties and from its opening day the school had flourished. Perhaps this was due to New England energy and culture, or possibly somecredit rested with Mrs. Bonnell, the matron, and real head of the house;a sweet lovable, gracious Southern gentlewoman whose own family andfortunes had vanished when she was a tiny child, but who had grown upwith relatives in whose home love ruled supreme and in which the littleVeronica Dulany had blossomed as a flower. At forty years of age shestill retained a genuine love and understanding of her fellow-beings inspite of many sorrows, and the death when she was still a mere girl ofhusband and little daughter before she had been called Mrs. Percy Bonnellfive years. At any rate, for ten years Mrs. Bonnell had ruled supreme at LeslieManor, engaging its servants as she saw fit, directing the household, economizing as she felt wisest; feeding hungry girls, cuddling thehomesick ones, caring for the ailing ones, and loved by every creaturehuman or animal upon the place. Miss Woodhull had no time for domesticmatters and all the sentiment in her had been killed in her earlychildhood. And curiously enough the academic force at Leslie Manor was about equallydivided into Woodhull and Bonnell factions. Miss Stetson, the teacher ofmathematics was in keen sympathy with Miss Woodhull, as was Miss Forsdykethe Latin teacher, and Miss Baylis, the teacher of history andliterature, but Miss Dalton the gymnasium and physical culture teacher, and Miss Powell who had charge of the little girls, sided with Mrs. Bonnell as did Monsieur Santelle, and old Herr Professor Stenzel. EvenMiss Juliet Atwell, who came twice each week for aesthetic dancing, andseveral other stunts, openly worshiped at the Bonnell's shrine. HerrStenzel's admiration had more than once proved an embarrassingproposition to the lady, for Herr Stenzel loved the flesh pots of LeslieManor and knew right well who presided over them. But Mrs. Bonnell wasequal to a good many Herr Stenzels. But in one sense we have wandered a long way from Beverly Ashby andopening day at Leslie Manor, though all these people vitally concern her. Leslie Manor stood in the centre of a wide, rolling, thickly woodedestate encompassed by a holly hedge noted for miles around for its beautyand its prickly barrier to freedom. The house had been restored and addedto in order to meet the demands of a school harboring sixty or seventygirls, though it still retained its old lines of beauty and its air ofhominess. Miss Woodhull's first concern had been "to make the place sanitary, " thelast word spelled with italics, and to this end modern improvements andconveniences had supplanted the old, easy-going expedients of domesticeconomy. Everything in Leslie Manor became strictly modern andup-to-date. The upper floors were arranged in the most approved singlebed-chambers or suites for the teachers and the seniors, the lower oneswere accurately divided into living, dining and reception rooms. In onewing were the model recitation rooms and Miss Woodhull's office; inanother the undergraduate's rooms. Nor had the grounds been overlooked. They were very trim, very prim, very perfectly kept and made one realizethis at every turn. It also made one wonder how the old owner would feelcould he return from his nameless grave at Appomatox and be obliged topace along the faultless walks where formerly he had romped with hischildren across the velvety turf. But he and his were dead and gone andthe spirit of New England primness, personified in Virginia Woodhull, spinster aged fifty-seven, now dominated the place. It was lovely to look upon, and compelled one's admiration, though itleft some indefinable longing unsatisfied. It was so orderly it almostmade one ache. Perhaps something of this ache unconsciously obsessed Beverly Ashby asshe sat upon one of the immaculate garden seats, placed at the side of animmaculate gravel walk, and looked through a vista of immaculatelytrimmed trees at the dozens of girls _boiling_ out of the door of thewing in which most of the undergraduate's rooms were situated, for allmembers of the under classes were housed in the south wing, the seniorsrooming in the more luxurious quarters of the main building. Not that theseniors were the happier for their exaltation. They had enjoyed somepretty merry hours in that old south wing, but with the advent of thesenior year were forced to live up to the dignity of the main building. The faculty occupied the north end of it. Beverly had arrived the previous afternoon and, owing to the fact thatshe had never been at school before in all her fifteen years, norjourneyed very far afield from dear old Woodbine, she did not know a soulat Leslie Manor so far as she now knew. The parting of the ways when Athol and Archie bade her good-by at FrontRoyal and, accompanied by Admiral Seldon, went on to Kilton Hall gaveBeverly an entirely new sensation. She then fully realized that she wasgrowing up and that the old happy-go-lucky days of boy and girl frolickingwere slipping into the background. That from that very spot where theroads branched she must begin her journey toward young-ladyhood, as theboys must begin theirs toward manhood, and the thought hurt like aphysical pain. She didn't want to grow up and leave those happy daysbehind. She had been met at Front Royal by one of the teachers who was returningto the school. Beverly had tried to talk to her as she would have talkedwith any one at home. But Miss Baylis did not encourage familiarity uponthe part of the pupils, and promptly decided that Beverly was one ofthose irresponsible, impulsive Southern girls who always proved suchtrials to her and Miss Woodhull before they could be brought tounderstand strict conventions. Consequently, she had met Beverly'swarm-hearted, spontaneous manner with frigid politeness and had relievedherself of the young girl's society the moment the school was reached. Luckily, Beverly had fallen into Mrs. Bonnell's hands directly shereached Leslie Manor, so some of the ice coating in which she had madethe five-mile drive from the railway station had been thawed by thatlovable lady. But she had passed a desperately lonely evening in her roomunpacking and getting settled, and had gone to bed in a frame of mindrarely experienced by Beverly Ashby. Her room-mate, like many other tardy ones, would not arrive until thenext day, and the whole atmosphere of the place spelled desolation forBeverly. Her first Waterloo had been encountered early that morning when, feelinglonelier than she ever had felt in all her life, she dressed early andran out to the stable to visit Apache. He seemed as lonely and forlorn ashis little mistress and thinking to cheer him as well as herself, she hadled him forth by his halter and together they had enjoyed one grandprance down the driveway. Unluckily, Miss Baylis had seen this harmlesslittle performance, and not being able to appreciate perfect human andequine grace, had been promptly scandalized. It was at once reported toMiss Woodhull and Beverly was informed that "such hoydenish actionsshould be relegated to the uncultured herd. " Beverly did not ask whether she must number herself among that herd butthe fact had been implied nevertheless, and she smarted under what shefelt to be an unmerited and unduly severe rebuke, if not an open insult. She was still smarting as she sat hidden in her nook, and sorely in needof an antidote for the smart. Presently it came in the homeopathic form of like curing like. CHAPTER VI NEW FRIENDS Naturally, no real work was done on opening day. Miss Woodhull, statelyand austere sat in her office directing her staff with the air of anempress. One of the old girls declared that all she lacked was a crownand sceptre, and the new ones who entered that office to be registered, "tagged" the above mentioned girl called it, came out of it feeling atleast three inches shorter than when they entered. During her reign inLeslie Manor, Miss Woodhull had grown much stouter and one seeing herupon this opening day would scarcely have recognized in her the slender, hollow-eyed worn-out woman who had opened its doors to the buddinggirlhood of the land nearly thirty years before. She was now awell-rounded, stately woman who carried herself with an air of owning thestate of her adoption, and looked comparatively younger in herfifty-eighth year than she had in her twenty-eighth. As Beverly sat in her nook watching the little girls of the primarygrades run out to their playground at the rear of the building, the oldgirls of the upper classes pair off and stroll away through the extensivegrounds, and the new ones drift thither and yonder like rudderless craft, she saw two girls come from Miss Woodhull's office. One was a trifleshorter than Beverly and plump as a woodcock. She was not pretty butpiquant, with a pair of hazel eyes that crinkled at the corners, a saucypug nose, a mouth like a Cupid's bow and a mop of the curliest red-brownhair Beverly had ever seen. Her companion was tall, slight, graceful, distinguished. A little aristocrat from the top of her raven black hairto the tips of her daintily shod feet was Aileen Norman and though onlysixteen, she was the one girl in the school who could hold Miss Woodhullwithin the limits of absolute courtesy under _all_ circumstances. Although descended from New England's finest stock, Miss Woodhull alsopossessed her full share of the New Englander's nervous irritabilitywhich all the good breeding and discipline ever brought to bear can neverwholly eradicate. Her sarcasm and irony had caused more than one girl'scheeks to grow crimson and her blood to boil under their stinginginjustice, for Miss Woodhull did not invariably get to the root ofthings. She was a trifle superior to minor details. But Aileen possessedan armor to combat just such a temperament and her companion, SallyConant's wits were sharp enough to get out of most of the scrapes intowhich she led her friend. So the pair were a very fair foil to each otherand a match for Miss Woodhull. What their ability would prove augmentedby Beverly's characteristics we will learn later. As they came down the steps from Miss Woodhull's office, said office, by-the-by, being in the wing in which the recitation rooms were situatedand quite separate from the main building, Sally's eyes were snapping, and her head wagging ominously; Aileen's cheeks were even a deeper tintthan they ordinarily were, and her head was held a little higher. Evidently something of a disturbing nature had taken place. They did notsee Beverly in her bosky nook and she did not feel called upon to revealherself to them. "It was all very well to stick _three_ of us together when we werefreshmen and sophomores, but juniors deserve _some_ consideration Ithink. If Peggy Westfield had come back this year it would have been allwell and good, but to put a perfect stranger in that room is a pure andsimple outrage. Why we haven't even an idea what she's like, or whethershe'll be congenial, or nice, or--or--anything. Why couldn't she havegiven us one of the girls we know?" stormed Sally. "Because she likes to prove that she is great and we are small, I daresay, " answered Aileen. "Of course the new girl may be perfectly lovelyand maybe we'll get to like her a lot, but it's the _principle_ of thething which enrages me. It seems to me we might have some voice in thechoice of a room-mate after being in the school three years. There are adozen in our class from which we could choose the third girl if we've gotto have her, though I don't see why just you and I couldn't have a suiteto ourselves. Mercy knows there are enough rooms in our wing and nextyear we'll have to be in the main house anyway, and I just loathe thethought of it too. " "Ugh! So do I! But let's reconnoiter and try to spot our bugbear. Iwonder if it wouldn't be appropriate to call her by another name? We'vegot to share our _rooms_ with her even if we haven't got to share ourbed. Why didn't the Empress tell us her name? the stubborn old thing!Just 'a girl from Sprucy Branch will share your suite this year. Shearrived last evening and has already arranged her things in A of Suite10. ' A of course! The very nicest of the three bedrooms opening out ofthat study and the only one which has sunshine all day long. You or Ishould have had it. I don't call it fair. She's probably trying to make agood impression upon Miss Sprucy Branch. The name sounds sort ofJapanesy, doesn't it? Wonder if she looks like a Jap too?" "Well if you are speaking of me I can tell you right now that MissWoodhull hasn't succeeded in making any _too_ pleasing an impression uponMiss Sprucy Branch and so far as keeping Room A in suite 10, isconcerned, either of you is welcome to it, because it would take justmighty little to make me beat it for the stables, mount Apache, habit orno habit, and do those thirty-five miles between this luck-forsaken placeand Woodbine in just about four hours, and that is allowing something forthe mountains too. Apache's equal to a good deal better time, but Ishould hate to push him, when we were heading toward _home_. That wouldpay up for any amount of delay. Thus far I haven't found Leslie Manor ashospitable as our servant's quarters at Woodbine. " Beverly's cheeks were as red as Aileen's, and her eyes snapping asmenacingly as Sally's by the time she had come to the end of her verydeliberately uttered speech, though she had not moved a hair's breadthupon her bench, nor had she changed her position. Her head was proppedupon her hand as her arm rested upon the back of the seat, but she waslooking straight at the astonished girls as she spoke. Never had there been a more complete ambush sprung upon a reconnoiteringparty, and for a moment both girls were speechless. It was Sally whosaved the day by springing away from Aileen and landing upon the seatbeside Beverly as she cried: "Are _you_ to be our room-mate?" "I don't know, I'm sure. I've got to be _somebody's_ I suppose and I'vebeen assigned A 10. And from your conversation, which I couldn't verywell help overhearing, you two seem to have been assigned B and C forstudy 10. But I've just given vent to my point of view. " There was still a good bit of electricity in the atmosphere, but it mustbe admitted that for the past eighteen hours Beverly had been prettysteadily brushed the wrong way, and it was an entirely new experience forher. Add to this a good dose of homesickness and a sense of utter loss ather separation from Athol, and her present frame of mind is not difficultto understand. "Are you Beverly _Ashby_ of Woodbine?" persisted Sally, while Aileendropped down upon the seat beside Sally to listen. "Yes, " was the laconic if uncompromising reply. "Well that's the best news I've heard since I left Richmond, and I'm justtickled nearly to death!" exclaimed Sally, spinning about to hug Aileenrapturously. This sudden change of base was so astonishing that Beverly'ssense of humor came to her rescue and she laughed. Sally again pivoted toward her crying: "Why I know you perfectly well! I've known you all my life! And you knowme just as well as I know you. Don't you know you do?" "Not so that it overwhelms me, " laughed Beverly. "Where did you meet Miss Ashby?" asked Aileen who felt it was about timeshe came in for this wholesale discovery of "auld acquaintance. " "Oh, I beg your pardon. This is Aileen Norman, the third girl for suite10. She's from Charlottesville and ought to know your family too. Ireckon you know hers. Everybody does. Just like they know yours. Why yourmother and mine went to Catonsville to school together. Didn't you knowthat? She was Sarah Wirt then. Why I think it's too lovely for words! Andwe were just as mad as fury when we started out to hunt up the new girlwe had to room with this year and here you aren't a new girl at all butone we've always known. Why I'm so tickled I'm foolish. Hug me Aileen orit will all seem like a dream and I'll wake up and find we've got toroost with someone like that stupid Electra Sanderson, or Petty Gordon, who can't do a thing but talk about that midshipman at Annapolis to whomshe says she's engaged, and she's only just seventeen. She makes metired. " "I hope you'll forgive us for all we said as we came down the walk. Wecertainly had no personal feeling as you must understand, but we werepretty well stirred up over the idea of having to begin junior year withsomeone we didn't know after having had the same room-mate for threeyears, " explained Aileen diplomatically, striving to pour a drop or twoof oil upon perturbed waters. "I couldn't very well feel any resentment toward you or Miss Conant whenI didn't know either of you from Eve, and I'm sorry if I seemed to. Thetruth is I was lonely and homesick and just ready to light into anybody. Is Miss Woodhull always so high and mighty, and Miss Baylis so like aniceberg?" "Mercy, did you fall into her clutches the first jump? She's the limit!Oh, Miss Woodhull's so deadly afraid she won't uphold the dignity of dearBosting and her Massy Alma Mater that she almost dies under the burden, but thank goodness, we don't see much of her, and Miss Baylis is _such_ afool we laugh behind her back. She's trying to make herself solid withthe Empress because she thinks she will succeed to her honors when thehigh and mighty lady retires. But she's harmless because all her airs andgraces are veneer. Give her one good scratch some day and you'll see howthin the veneer really is. But come on up to No. 10, and let's getsettled. Neither Aileen nor I had any heart to do a thing until we foundout who had been popped into A. Cricky, but I'm glad it's _you_, " andslipping her arm through Beverly's right one while Aileen took possessionof the left, all three hurried toward the house, Sally announcing: "We'll introduce you to all the nice girls and we'll call ourselves the"Three Mousquetaires. " There may not be any such word, but that doesn'tmatter in the least: It's Frenchy and I _love_ French. And besides, wemean to band together to fight for our rights and down oppression, "asserted this young Jacobin, as arm in arm all three made their way tothe pretty suite allotted to them on the second floor of the wing, forBeverly had entered Leslie Manor as a junior, her previous work underNorman Lee having well fitted her to do so. CHAPTER VII A RUNAWAY By the end of October, the golden month, and always beautiful inVirginia, things had shaken into routine. During that time suite Number10 had become one of the most popular in the school, as well as one ofthe most attractive, for, to the intense satisfaction of the trio theirbelongings were in as perfect harmony as themselves, Beverly's thingsbeing pink, Sally's the softest green and Aileen's all white and gold. Consequently all went merry as a marriage bell. But there had been hours of intense longing upon Beverly's part for thefreedom of bygone days and Athol. The brother and sister had beenentirely too united in every way to find perfect compensation in thecompanionship of others, however warm the friendships formed, and eachmissed the other sorely. Of course letters had been exchanged during themonth, but letters are a poor substitute for the voice of those we lovebest. Only Mrs. Ashby realized how intense was the brother's and sister'slonging to see each other. Archie, also, fumed under the enforcedseparation and vowed that "something was going to break loose mightysudden if his people and Athol's didn't get busy and _do_ something. " Had Beverly been at liberty to ride Apache as formerly the ten milesseparating the two schools would have meant merely a jolly cross countryrun, but she was only permitted to ride when the other girls rode, andunder the supervision of a groom who was held responsible for hischarges. Nor had the boys been allowed to visit Beverly, the male sex beingregarded by Miss Woodhull as a sort of natural enemy whose sole aim inlife was to circumvent, deprive and rob hers of its just rights. MissWoodhull was essentially a militant suffragette and her stanch admirers, Miss Baylis and Miss Stetson were her enthusiastic partisans. MissAtwell, the teacher of esthetic dancing and posing, who came thriceweekly to instill grace into the graceless and emphasize it in those whowere already graceful, sat, so to speak, upon the fence, undecided whichway to jump. She inclined strongly to the strictly feminine attitude ofdependence upon the stronger sex, but was wise to the advantage ofkeeping in touch with those occupying the seats of the mighty at LeslieManor. At Kilton Hall rules were less stringent. The boys could ride everyafternoon if they chose and often did so, ranging the country far andwide. Many a time they had gone tearing past Leslie Manor when the girlswere stived up within and been exasperated at being "so near and yet sofar, " as an old song puts it. Hence Archie's frame of mind, and hisdetermination to change the existing state of affairs before long ifpossible. Letters sent home by the boys and those Beverly wrote to hermother were the seeds sown which the three hoped would later start the"something doing. " Meanwhile Beverly chafed under the restraint, and suchchafing generally leads to some sort of an outbreak. It was Wednesday afternoon, October twenty-ninth, and riding-lesson day. Every Wednesday and Saturday Andrew Jackson Jefferson, whose name was asqueer a combination as himself, for he seemed to be about half _horse_, so wonderful was his understanding of those animals, and so more thanwonderful _theirs_ of him, took his "yo'ng sem'nary ladies a-gallopin'th'oo de windin's ob de kentry roads, " proud as a Drum Major of hischarges. And well he might be, for Andrew Jackson Jefferson had not only entirecharge of the horses belonging to Leslie Manor, but he had bought them, and he knew good horseflesh. So the Leslie Manor horses as well as thehalf dozen boarded there by the students, were always a credit to theschool. Their coats shone like satin, their hoofs were spick and span, noshoes ever clicked for want of the proverbial nail, fetlocks were trimmedlike a bridegroom's hair, and manes and forelocks brushed to thesilkiness of a bride's. Harness and bits were scrupulous. Jefferson knewhis business. When Apache was sent to Leslie Manor he was such a contrast to the otherhorses that Jefferson at first looked askance at him, but Apache was awise little beast. As a preliminary move he gently nozzled Jefferson, then by way of showing him that he was not to be taken too seriously, heflew up into the air, executed a wild fling and descended upon the exactspot from which he had risen, which exhibition so tickled Jefferson thathe grinned broadly and announced to his underlings: "Dat's some hawse! Yo' hyar me! Befo' he's done been in dis hyre stable aweek he gwine ter be eatin' outer ma hand, " and Apache verified thestatement by becoming Jefferson's abject slave before four days hadpassed, and Beverly basked in reflected glory, for was she not Apache's"Yo'ng Mist'ess?" "Kyant tech dat chile nothin' 'bout _ridin'_", was Jefferson's fiat whenhe saw Beverly astride her little mouse-colored and white mount. "_She_paht ob dat hawse!" There had already been several riding lessons since school opened, andeach time Jefferson's delight in his newest charges increased. Born andbrought up with the race, Beverly knew how to handle the negroes, andJefferson as promptly became her slave as Apache had become his. Now the prescribed route for these riding excursions was within afive-mile radius of the school. "No further, " said Miss Woodhull. Thosebounds seemed safe from encroachment upon the part of the Kilton Hallstudents, even had their Wednesday and Saturday mornings and afternoonsnot been entirely given over to athletics, thus precluding excursionsupon horseback. As a rule Jefferson took out eight or ten girls, but this particularWednesday afternoon several had obtained permission to go to town withMrs. Bonnell to do some shopping, have some photographs taken, see thedentists and what not, so the riders were reduced to Sally, Aileen, PettyGaylord, Hope MacLeod, a senior, and Beverly. All were well mounted andeach was looking her best in her trim habit. It was customary for the party to stop at the porte cochere to beinspected by Miss Woodhull, but on this particular afternoon MissWoodhull was absent at a social function in the neighborhood and the dutydevolved upon Miss Stetson, the teacher of mathematics, a strong-mindedlady with very pronounced views. She dressed as nearly like a man as wascompatible with law and decency, wore her hair short, and affected amasculine stride. She came from Miss Woodhull's state. Jefferson drew up his cavalcade of five and awaited the appearance ofMiss Stetson whom he despised with all your true negro's power to despise"white folks what doesn't know dey is white. " Miss Stetson insisted uponcalling him Mr. Jefferson, affirming that "the race never _could_ beself-respecting or, indeed, wholly emancipated, until treated as theequals of the white race. " She now strode out upon the piazza, cast a critical eye upon the horses, nodded and said: "Very fit. Very fit. Quite in order. You are to be commended Mr. Jefferson, but er--isn't there something a little peculiar in theappearance of your horses' er--er--headgear? Their _eyes_ seem to beexposed more than usual; and look somewhat bare, so to speak. Can it bepossible that you have forgotten something?" "Fergot?" queried Jefferson, looking from one animal to the other. "Ahcyant see nothin' I'se done fergot, Miss Ste'son. What it look lak ain'ton de hawses, ma'am?" "Why their eyes seem so prominent. They seem to _see_ too much, er--" Beverly was attacked with a sudden paroxysm of coughing. Jefferson nearlydisgraced himself, but managed to stammer: "We doesn't ingen'ally put blinders on de saddle hawses, Miss, but ef yersays so I'll tak 'em long back ter de stables an' change de saddleheadstalls fer de _kerridge_ ones, tho' it sure would look mightycur'ous. " "No! No! Certainly not. It was merely a remark in passing. You are thebetter judge of the requirements I dare say, " and Miss Stetson beat ahasty retreat, entirely forgetting to warn her charges against venturingbeyond bounds. Could she have seen Beverly's lips set she might have grown suspicious. The riding party started, Jefferson muttering: "Ma Lawd! dat 'oman suah do make me tired. Blinders on ma saddle hawses!Huh! '_Mr_. Jefferson'. Reckon I bettah tek ter callin' her Sis'Angeline, " Angeline being Miss Stetson's christian name. When the grounds of the school were left a few miles behind her Beverlydrew up to Sally's side and said significantly: "She did not tell us to keep within bounds. " "She forgot to. She was too busy missing the blinders, " laughed Sally. Beverly laughed softly and continued: "You girls hold in your horses when we've gone a little further. I wantto ride on ahead with Jefferson. I've a word to say and I've an idea heis in a receptive mood. " "What are you up to, Bev?" asked Aileen. "Just watch out. We'll take a new route today unless I'm much mistaken, "and touching Apache lightly with her heel she cavorted to Jefferson'sside. He had been too absorbed in his thoughts of Miss Stetson to leaveroom for any others: Your darkie is not unlike a horse in that respect;his brain is rarely capable of holding _two_ ideas at once. Perhaps thatexplains why darkies and horses are usually in such accord. As Apache careened against Jumbo's side the big horse gave a plungeforward which jerked Jefferson's wits back to his surroundings. That wasexactly what Beverly wished. "Lor' Miss Bev'ly, you done scare Jumbo an' me foolish, " he exclaimed, striving to bring Jumbo down to his usual easy pace, for the tall hackhad resented the little broncho's familiarity, though he could not knowthat his own grandsire and Apache's were the same. "Jefferson, will you do something to please me this afternoon?" she askedeagerly. "I shore will if it aint gwine ter get me into no fuss wid de Misses, "temporized Jefferson. "It won't get you into any fuss with anybody. Miss Woodhull is not athome and Miss Stetson was too busy trying to find out where the horseshad lost their blinders to tell us _not_ to take the road to KiltonHall. " Jefferson almost chortled. "So, when we come to that road will you turn down it and leave the restto me? And don't be surprised or frightened at anything Apache may do. " "I aint scared none at what you an' dat hawse doin'. He's got senseand--" added Jefferson with concession--"so has you. I aint got no timeter be a troublin' 'bout you-all. It's dese yo'ng ladies I has ter bat myeyes at; an' dey shore do keep me busy sometimes. Now what I tell you?Look at dat?" and as though in sympathy with Beverly's schemes, Chicadee, the little mare Petty Gaylord was riding chose that moment to shy at someleaves which fluttered to the ground and, of course, Petty shrieked, andthen followed up the shriek with the "tee-hee-hee, " which punctuatedevery tenth word she spoke whether apropos or not. That was exactly the cue Beverly needed. A slight pressure of her kneeupon Apache's side was sufficient. He was off like a comet, and to allintents and purposes entirely beyond his rider's control. Sally and Aileen laughed outright. Petty stopped her giggle to scream:"Oh, she's being run away with!" "Not so much as it would seem, " was Hope MacLeod's quiet comment as shelaid in place a lock of Satin Gloss's mane, and quieted him after hissympathetic plunge. "Well ef she is, she _is_, but I'm bettin' she knows whar she a-runnin'_at_, " said Andrew Jackson Jefferson more quietly than the situationseemed to warrant. "But just de same I'm thinkin' we might as well fooloursefs some, " and he hastened his pace, the others doing likewise. Itwould never do to let one of his charges be run away with and not make aneffort to save her from a possible calamity. CHAPTER VIII CLIMAXES Meanwhile the runaways were having the very time of their lives. Notsince that two-mile race to Four Corners for the letter which proved thewedge to divide her own and Athol's ways, had Beverly been able to "letout a notch, " as she put it. Nor had the little broncho been permitted totwinkle his legs as they were now twinkling over that soft dirt road. Virginia roads were made for equestrians, _not_ automobiles. Head thrustforward as far as his graceful slender neck permitted, ears laid back forthe first unwelcome word to halt, eyes flashing with exhilaration, andnostrils wide for the deep, full inhalations and exhalations which sentthe rich blood coursing through each pulsing artery, little Apache wasenjoying his freedom as much as his rider. In two seconds they were atthe top of a rise of ground, down at the further side and out of sight ofthe others. Then, to make the exhibition realistic, Beverly drew out herhat pin, gave it a toss to the side of the road, and the wind completedthe job by whisking her soft felt hat off her head and landing it uponthe roadside bush. Oh, it was glorious! Five miles? What were five miles to the littlebeastie which had many a time pounded off twenty-five without turning ahair? Or to Beverly who had often ridden fifty in one day with UncleAthol and her brother? Just a breather. And when there swept through thegateway of Kilton Hall a most exalted, hatless, rosy-cheeked, dancing-eyed lassie mounted upon a most hilarious steed, the gate-keepercame within an ace of having apoplexy, for she was a portly old body. But Beverly did not pause for explanations. Her objective point was theathletic field at the rear of the building and her appearance upon itmight have been regarded in the light of a distinct sensation. It wouldnever do to forsake too promptly the role of being run away with. Therewere coaches and referees upon tennis court, cinder path and footballfield, and boys galore, in every sort of athletic garb, performing everysort of athletic stunt. When Beverly set out to do anything she rarely omitted any detail to makeit as near perfect as possible. As she tore across the lawn which led tothe field her sharp eyes discovered Athol upon one of the tennis courtsand closer at hand a lot of other boys sprinting, gracefully orotherwise, around the cinder path, taking hurdles placed about a hundredfeet apart. Now, if there was one thing in this world upon which Apache and his youngmistress agreed more entirely than another, it was the pure delight ofskimming over a fence. A five-footer was a mere trifle. The three-foothurdles upon the cinder path a big joke. The tennis nets? Pouf! If Beverly really was tugging upon Apache's bridle he was not permittinganything so trivial as a girl's strength to bother him, and her kneestold him quite a different story as he swept upon the cinder path, tooktwo hurdles like a deer and was off over the tennis courts and over a netbefore the astonished players could draw a full breath. Then they woke up! "It's a runaway!" cried Mr. Cushman, who had charge of the footballcoaching, to be echoed by the tall quarter back in football togs, as bothbroke away in pursuit, the whole field quickly taking the alarm also. Butthat tennis court held one individual whose wits worked as quickly as thestar performer's, and there and then shrilled across it a high-pitched, peculiar whistle which they both knew mighty well, and the four-leggedone obeyed instanter by wheeling so suddenly that he put a very realisticclimax upon the scene by nearly unseating the two-legged one, as he torepell mell for the whistler and came to a sudden halt in front of him, tothe increased astonishment of the general audience. "Gee whiz, Bev! What's let loose?" cried Athol, trying to respond toApache's nozzling, whinnying demonstrations of delight and reach hissister's extended hands at the same time, while Archie did hisrecord-breaking sprint across the gridiron, and the whole field cameboiling toward them. "_I_ have. Don't you see I've been run away with? It's lucky Apacheturned in here, " answered Beverly, with remarkable calmness for one solately escaped from disaster or sudden death, as she brushed back herflying locks, for--well--reasons. "Run away nothing! _You_ run away with! Piffle. Ah, cut it out Apache! Iknow you're ready to throw a fit at seeing me, but keep bottled up for aminute, won't you?" he ended as Apache lay hold of his tennis shirt andtried to jerk him into attention. But he gave the bony little head agood-natured mauling nevertheless, as Archie rushing up exclaimed: "You're a winner, Bev!" Then the others surrounded them, the two coachesreally concerned lest the young lady had suffered some mishap, and Mr. Cushman brushing the boys aside as he asked: "Are you faint? Can we be of any assistance?" and Mr. Ford, the newinstructor from Yale and mighty good to look upon (so decided Beverly inthe space of one glance) pressed to her side to ask: "Were you ridingalone when your mount bolted?" Before Beverly could draw breath to reply the answer came from anotherquarter. Now there is no such accomplished actor, (or liar) upon the face of theround world as your genuine darkey. Indeed he can do both so perfectlythat he actually lives in the characters he temporarily creates andbelieves his own prevarications, and that, it must be admitted, is _someachievement_. When Beverly departed so suddenly upon her self-elected route, Jeffersonnaturally had but a very hazy idea of her intentions. He knew Kilton Halllay over five miles straight ahead, and he knew, also that Beverly'sbrother was at school there, but Jefferson did not possess an analyticalmind: It could not out-run Apache. He knew, however, that he must put upa pretty good bluff if he wished to save his kinky scalp upon his returnto Leslie Manor, so he set about planning to "hand out dat fool 'oman acorker. " Moreover, Petty was inclined to take the situation seriously. Petty was sweetly romantic, but stupidly literal. At times a hopelesscombination. The riding party had cantered along in the fleeing Beverly'swake for a little more than a mile when Petty spied the hat upon thebush. Nothing further was needed to confirm her misgivings. "She _has_ been run away with, girls! She has! I think it's perfectlyawful not to ride faster. She may be lying on the road d-e-a-d-!" By this time Jefferson thought it might be politic to manifest moreconcern, so throwing a well-assimilated anxiety into voice and manner hesaid hastily: "Now you fo' yo'ng ladies jist come 'long careful an' orderly, so's notter bring no mo' trebbulations, 'pon us an' I'll light out fer datrun-way. Ma Lawd, I'se been clar distracted fer de las' ten minutes ferter know which-a-way ter tu'n! I aint really believe Miss Bev'ly is in nodanger 'twell Miss Petty done got me so sympathizin', but now I'se shorerattled an' I'se gwin' ter find out fer sartin. Come on yo' Jumbo! Wo'kyo' laigs fer fair, " and under touch of the spur the big horse broke intoa gait which bade fair to speedily overhand the scapegraces, _providingJefferson let him do so_. A turn in the road simplified the problem. "Now don' yo' tak ter sweatin' yo'self so's I has ter spend a hull houra-coolin' yo' down, " admonished Jefferson when well out of sight. "We'llgit there, an' when we does we'll mak' one fair show down, " and thereuponJefferson restrained his steed to a long swinging run which told off themiles without making him turn a hair until Kilton Hall was in sight. _Then_ the dusky actor and his mount prepared to make their spectacularentré. Pulling up at the roadside Jefferson threw his cap upon theground, twisted his tie awry, and let fly the belt of his riding blouse, then dismounting, he caught up a few handfuls of dust and promptlytransformed big bay Jumbo into as disreputable looking a horse as dustrubbed upon his muzzle, his chest and his warm moist flanks couldtransform him. It was this likely pair which came pounding across theathletic field of Kilton Hall at the moment of Mr. Ford's question, thehuman of the species, with eyes rolling until they were nearly allwhites, shouting as he drew near: "My Lawd-a-mighty, Miss Bev'ly, is yo' hu't? Is yo' daid?" It was a good enough bit of acting to have won the actor fame andfortune. As a matter of fact, Beverly gave one glance at the fly-awayfigure, then clasping both arms around Apache's neck, buried her face inhis mane and to all intents and purposes collapsed into a paroxysm oftears, to the entire dismay of Mr. Cushman, and the skeptical "sizing up"of the situation by Mr. Ford, more lately from the campus. It was Atholwho promptly turned a few handsprings behind their backs and Archie whorolled over upon the grass chortling. "Don't be alarmed! Don't be alarmed, my good man. Your young lady is nonethe worse for her involuntary run (just here a distinct snort came fromthe ground behind Mr. Cushman) though I dare say a little unstrung andexhausted. But we stopped her mount ("yes you did!" came sotto voce fromAthol) and now we will lead your mistress back to the house where Mrs. Kilton will be delighted to minister to her comfort. Are you too nervousto ride to the rear entrance, Miss Ashby?" for during the few wordsspoken Mr. Cushman had discovered that this was Athol Ashby's sister, hadthe resemblance left any doubt of that fact. Beverly resumed an upright position, hastily wiped away her tears, (one_can_ laugh as well as weep them) and answered: "Oh, no sir. Of course I was a little startled at first, but Apache isnever vicious, and it was only the need of exercise which madeus--_him_--bolt, you know. " The acrobat came to an upright position and very nearly upset the wholeshow. Meantime Jefferson with many flutterings and gesticulations, haddismounted and managed to work his way to Archie's side and whisper: "Don't yo' let on, will yo' suh?" "Not on your sweet life. It's the best ever. But where's the rest of thebunch? There must _be_ some. You always take out a full fledgedseminary. " "Praise Gawd der aint but fo' dis time, an' dey's yander on de pikesome--'ers. But I'se near scared blue. " "Gray, you mean. Keep cool. I'll fix it all right. Oh, Mr. Cushman thegroom had to leave the other young ladies back yonder on the road andhe's a good bit upset about it. Hadn't he better ride back to them?They'll be scared blue you know. " "Certainly. Certainly. By all means. Return to them at once. This younglady will be carefully looked after, " and Jefferson lost no time ingoing. "You'd better bring the whole outfit--I--er--I mean you'd better bringthe other young ladies to the Hall, " called Mr. Ford, deciding that ifBeverly was a sample of the Leslie Manor girls it would be just as wellto see more of the material. Had he caught the sudden flash in Archie'seyes perhaps he would have grown a bit wiser. Twenty minutes later all five girls were seated in Mrs. Kilton's cozyliving room, the boys, and the instructors who had shifted intodrawing-room garments in record time, serving hot chocolate and littleiced cakes. As they were not expected home until five anyway there was no cause forconcern. There would be no alarm at Leslie Manor. Meanwhile Jefferson, who had looked after the horses, was holding the floor in the servant'squarters. If a report of that afternoon's experiences did reach LeslieManor he meant to have first scoop. After an hour spent very delightfully, for Mr. Ford was attention itselfto Beverly, to Archie's ill-concealed disgust, Hope MacLeod advised amove toward home. As they were about to start Beverly asked sweetly: "Oh, dear Mrs. Kilton, would you mind if Athol showed me his room? Youknow we have never before in all our lives been separated and I get sohomesick for him and his traps it just seems as though I couldn't standit. " "Why of course you may go up, my dear, " smiled kindly Mrs. Kilton. Shewas too wholesome to see the least impropriety in so simple a request. "Oh, hold on a second, Ath. Keep her a minute until I rush up and stow afew of our duds. We didn't stop to slick things up when we shifted, " andArchie bounded away. "Come on now, Bev. I reckon he's had time to make Number 70 presentable, "said Athol three minutes later, and the brother and sister went demurelyfrom the room. CHAPTER IX WHILE GOBLINS DANCED Although in little sympathy with frivolous forms of entertainment, MissWoodhull did condescend to a Hallowe'en Masquerade each year, and twonights after Beverly's John Gilpin performance the girls were preparingfor the dance in the big gymnasium. A collection had been taken up among the sixty girls constituting theacademic grades and a couple of musicians engaged for the occasion. Theycame from an adjacent town where they formed part of a colored orchestraof more than local fame, which was in great demand for miles around. Consequently, the girls would have good music for their frolic and asMrs. Bonnell looked to the refreshments, everything was satisfactoryexcepting Miss Woodhull's veto upon "the absurd practices of Hallowe'en:"meaning the love tests of fate and fortune usually made that night. Thosewere debarred, though many a one was indulged in in secret of which thatpractical lady little kenned. As a hostess and chaperone were deemed absolutely indispensable upon anyoccasion, however informal, Mrs. Bonnell was always eagerly sought afterby the girls to act in the former capacity and Miss Dalton the gyminstructor in the latter. Miss Dalton seemed just like a girl herself, and was, in fact, not many years her pupils' senior. She was in hertwenty-fourth year, but looked about nineteen, a jolly, chummy, lovablewoman, though no instructor maintained better discipline, or was morewillingly obeyed. She and Mrs. Bonnell worked in perfect harmony whentheir duties brought them together. Now it is only reasonable to surmise that Beverly and the boys had madethe very utmost of the fifteen minutes spent in Athol's room the previousWednesday, and some lightening-like communications had been interchanged. On the way back to Leslie Manor, Beverly, Sally and Aileen had keptsomewhat in the rear, Petty and Hope (by the latter's finesse) contrivingto keep Jefferson between them. This had not been difficult becauseJefferson simply _had_ to have someone to talk to. What the three in the rear discussed will be seen later. Those leadingwere needlessly trying to convince Jefferson of the folly of making anyreference whatsoever to the unexpected route taken that afternoon. Had they only known it, he was as anxious as they were to keep the affairfrom headquarters, his chief misgivings resting in the possibility of thereport coming from Kilton Hall. As a matter of fact, it never occurred toeither Dr. Or Mrs. Kilton to report it. It was a mere incident which hadended rather pleasantly than otherwise, and, as a matter of fact, therelations between the two schools were not over cordial. Dr. And Mrs. Kilton had made very gracious overtures to Miss Woodhull when she firstopened Leslie Manor, but desiring to keep distantly at arm's length allrelations with a school that harbored boys, her response had been asfrigid as her New England coast line in February. This was ratherfortunate in the present case. Dr. And Mrs. Kilton not only requested theinstructors not to give needless publicity to the affair, or anxiety toMiss Woodhull by permitting any report of the runaway to becomecirculated, but also warned the servants and forbade the boys discussingit abroad. And the boys were wise enough to put two and two together. Soa discreet silence was maintained, and Miss Woodhull spared a nerveshock. At seven-thirty o'clock on Hallowe'en, suite Number 10 buzzed like abee-hive. The three occupants were dressing, two or three girls wereassisting at the robing, and two or three more who were already costumedwere acting as spectators. Beverly was going as Tweedle-dum, her costume consisting of funny littleruffled trousers, a Lord Fauntleroy shirt, jacket and collar, her hairbraided and tucked inside her waist and her head covered by a hugeGlengarry bonnet. Tiny patent-leather pumps and little blue sockscompleted the funny makeup. She was as bonny a little lad as one couldfind, her name being plainly printed upon her big collar. Who wouldcomplete the pair by being Tweedle-dee no one had been able to coax fromher. Her reply to all the girl's importunities being: "Just wait and see if we don't match well. " Sally was to be Will-o'-the-Wisp, and a plump, spooky sprite she madewith dabs of phosphorus upon her fluttering black cambric costume, andfunny peaked cap, which glowed uncannily when the room was darkened. Shecarried a little electric bulb lantern which unexpectedly flashed itsblinding rays into people's faces. Aileen chose to be the evening star and very lovely she looked in hercostume made of several silver-spangled scarfs draped over one of herdainty "nighties, " which, of course, fell straight from her shoulders. Her hair was caught up with every rhinestone pin or buckle she owned orcould borrow, and Mrs. Bonnell had supplied from the properties kept forprivate theatricals the glittering star she wore above her forehead. Aileen moved a goddess and she looked a queen, for she was a verystately, lovely young girl. At the stroke of eight all were ready and a general rush was made for thegym, the girls laughing, talking, jostling each other and in mosthilarious mood, but, when they reached that gaily decorated roomTweedle-dum was not among them. The gym presented a pretty picture that night lighted by pumpkin Jack o'Lanterns in which electric bulbs had been hidden, and by grotesque paperlanterns representing bats, owls and all sorts of flying nocturnalcreatures. The side walls had been covered with gorgeous autumn foliage, palms and potted rubber plants stood all about, and last, but by no meansleast, there was a long table laden with goodies and more pumpkindecorations. The room was a fitting scene for goblin's revels. A barn dance had just begun, when down through the gym prancedTweedle-dum _and_ Tweedle-dee, and so identical were the figures that nomortal being could have told one from the other had they chanced tobecome separated. But this they seemed to have no intention of doing. Together they went through the figures of the pretty fancy dance, prancing, twirling, advancing, retreating; arms clasped or held aboveeach other's heads, feet twinkling in perfect time, heads nodding, eyesdancing through the peepers of their little black half-masks, lipssmiling to reveal faultless teeth. In two minutes everybody was asking: "Who _is_ it? Who _are_ they? How _can_ they look so exactly alike? Wedidn't know there were two girls in the school who matched so well, andwho could do everything so exactly alike. " But neither Tweedle-dum nor Tweedle-dee enlightened the questioners. Indeed, neither spoke one word, signs having to answer to all queries. Presently the musicians struck up a hornpipe, when away they went in thejolliest dance eyes ever looked upon, and would have absorbed allattention had not a new diversion been created just then. During their prancing, Sally, in her Will-o'-the-Wisp costume, had beendarting in and out between the tall potted plants and bowers constructedof Autumn leaves, her luminous tatters fluttering and her dancing lightblinding every dancer into whose face she flashed it. Just as Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee were in the height of theirperformance she darted from her bosky nook and flitted down the room, closely followed by a tall Jack o' Lantern with his pumpkin light. No onein the room was so tall. Who could it be? There was just one person inthe school who might look as tall if so disguised and that was MissStetson, but even the liveliest imagination could hardly fancy MissStetson in that guise. Moreover, Miss Stetson could never have prancedwith such supple grace as this dancing Jack was prancing after theWill-o'-the-Wisp. No, it could not be Miss Stetson. Towering above the nimble little Will, Jack cavorted, swung his lanternand by signs indicated his desire to imitate Tweedle-dum's andTweedle-dee's performances, to which Will promptly acceded and thequartette hornpipe was on. Now it was Miss Woodhull's custom to grace all festive occasions by herpresence just prior to the stroke of nine-thirty when refreshments wereserved. The revelers were to unmask before partaking of the feast. Afterthe feast they were at liberty to dance until ten-thirty but not a momentlater. The fun was at its height, Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee had danced withevery other goblin, the evening star included, though it must beconfessed that Tweedle-dee had been unanimously pronounced the betterleader by his partners, and Jack "almost as good as a boy; she was sostrong and danced so divinely, " though none had as yet guessed theidentity of either. Then Miss Woodhull, escorted by Miss Baylis, enteredthe gym. Had it been possible to suddenly reduce the temperature of theroom and thus congeal the dancers the effect produced could hardly havebeen more chilling. From the merriest, most hilarious frolicing, the gayest, cheeriestbantering and laughter, to the utmost decorum was the transformationeffected in two minutes after Miss Woodhull's and Miss Baylis' entrance. With the exception of Tweedle-dum, Tweedle-dee, Will-o'-the-Wisp and Jacko' Lantern, the girls ceased dancing and stood in groups and even themusicians played more softly. There was not the vestige of a smile on Miss Woodhull's face as shelooked upon the four dancers. She tolerated such frivolity; she wascompelled to do so; her school would have been unpopular had she not doneso; other schools approved of them. Raising her lorgnettes, she looked sharply at the four dancing figures. Then turning to Mrs. Bonnell, who had crossed from the table to receiveher, she asked: "Who is that strikingly tall figure in the Jack o' Lantern costume. I didnot know we had so tall a girl in the school. " "I am sure I do not know, Miss Woodhull. She came in after the dancingbegan. She sustains the character well, doesn't she?" "I wish to know _who_ she is. Send someone for her if you please, "answered the principal, ignoring the question. She was a little doubtfulof that tall girl. In times gone by some of her pupils had been guilty ofindiscretions. If this were a repetition it must be nipped in the bud. Mrs. Bonnell beckoned to one of the masqueraders, a jolly little Tam o'Shanta, and bade him bring Jack. He nodded and instantly darted off in pursuit of him. As well have triedto capture the original of the character! The mad chase lasted perhaps five minutes. Miss Woodhull was powerless. How could she accuse Jack of disrespect to her or disregard of hercommands when he could not possibly have known them? He was only actinghis part to perfection any way. Besides Tam never had caught the goblins:The shoe had been on the other foot. But at that second Jack tripped overa ring set in the floor of the gym and went sprawling, his pumpkinlantern flying out of his hand and breaking into a dozen fragments. Tamwas almost upon him, but before he could lay hold Jack was up again, hadmade a spring, caught one of the flying rings which dangled high abovehis head, swung like a monkey from that to the next, and so on down theline until he was in range of the gallery, at which he hurled himselfbodily, landed upon the railing, balanced a half-second and was safe uponthe gallery floor, to the boundless amazement of the onlookers andabsolute banishment of their suspicions regarding the identity of MissStetson. That spring settled his fate with Miss Woodhull: No girl inLeslie Manor could have performed such a feat, and all the dancers werestaring speechless. It was the ominous silence before the storm. "That masquerader is not a girl, Miss Bonnell! It is some boy! Who hasperpetrated this outrage? Miss Baylis, order all the outer doors closedand guarded and a thorough search made. This matter shall be sifted tothe very bottom. No, you will all remain in this room and immediatelyunmask under Mrs. Bonnell's eyes. I shall superintend the search, " andMiss Woodhull sailed majestically from the room. CHAPTER X THE SEARCH "We're in for it, " whispered Tweedle-dee to Tweedle-dum, as the twocomical figures drew unobtrusively into the rear of the group of girlsnow removing their masks under Mrs. Bonnell's half-amused, half-seriouseyes, for she began to suspect that some sort of innocent prank had beenplayed which, like many another would have harmlessly played itself outif let alone. She had always been opposed to the rigorous ban placed uponboys and their visits to Leslie Manor by Miss Woodhull, believing andjustifiably too, that such arbitrary rules only led to a livelier desirein the girls to meet said boys by hook or by crook. "Hush!" whispered Tweedle-dum "and come behind this rubber plant. Now getdown on your hands and knees and follow me. " Tweedle-dee promptly obeyed orders and the next moment was in front ofthe spiral stairway which led to the gallery. "Make yourself as small as possible and crawl on your _stomach_ up thisstaircase. At the other end of the gallery is a door leading into ourwing. I can't tell you another thing. Just use your wits, " andTweedle-dum flitted back to be swallowed up in the crowd of girls who, once more restored to an equable frame of mind were laughing merrily, everyone asking everyone else if she knew who the Jack o' Lantern reallywas. This very fact was sufficient reassurance for Mrs. Bonnell. She knewgirls better than Miss Woodhull knew them in spite of having _knownnothing_ else for more than forty years, but she resolved then and therenot to ask too many questions, which fact made two girls her slaves forlife. The discipline department was not her province nor was it one whichanything could have induced her to undertake. If Will-o'-the-Wisp wasaware of the name of her partner in the quartette hornpipe, orTweedle-dum knew Tweedle-dee's surname Miss Woodhull was the one to findit out, not she. So smiling upon the group before her she asked: "Are you now all visible to the naked eye and all accounted for? If so, let us to the feast, for time is speeding. " No urging was needed and lotswere promptly drawn for the privilege of cutting the fate cake. Mrs. Bonnell had not considered it necessary to mention the fact that she hadordered Aunt Sally, the cook, to bake one for the occasion, and whilegood fellowship and hilarity reign below let us follow two less fortunatemortals whom the witches seemed to have marked for their sport thatnight. Agreeable with Miss Woodhull's orders, Miss Baylis, who was only toodelighted to shine so advantageously in her superior's eyes, had scuttledaway, issuing as she went, the order to close _all_ outer doors and guardthem, allowing no one to pass through. Guileless souls both hers and MissWoodhull's, though another adjective might possibly be more apt. Thehouse had a few windows as well as doors. Meeting Miss Stetson on the stairs she found in her a militant coadjutor, and wireless could not have flashed the orders more quickly. Servantswent a-running until one might have suspected the presence of a criminalin Leslie Manor rather than a mere boy. Meanwhile, what of Jack o' Lantern and Tweedle-dee? Jack, it must beadmitted, had the greater advantage in having made a quicker get-away, but Leslie Manor had many bewildering turns and corners, and when one hasbeen an inmate of a house less than--well, we won't specify the length oftime--one cannot be blamed for growing confused. Jack had made for thevery door Tweedle-dum had advised Tweedle-dee to make for and dartedthrough it muttering as he paused a second to listen: "Gee, I wish Iwasn't so confoundedly long legged!" No sound coming to his ears from any of the rooms opening upon thecorridor into which he had darted, he sprinted down its length until itterminated suddenly in a flight of stairs leading to the lower hall. Hehad descended about half way when a babel of voices sent him scuttlingback again, and a moment later a voice commanded. "Wesley, hurry up to the south wing. Whoever is in the house certainlytried to make an escape from that quarter. " "Yas'm. I catches 'em ef dey 're up dar, " blustered Wesley Watts Mather, hurrying up the stairs and almost whistling to keep his courage up, foryour true darkie finds All Saint's Night an awesome one, and not to beregarded lightly. Moreover, nearly all the electric lights were turnedoff, only those necessary to light the halls being left on, and this factmade the rooms seem the darker. Now Jack o' Lantern's costume, like Will-o'-the-Wisp's, had beenliberally daubed with phosphorus and he still grasped the electricflash-light which had illuminated his shattered pumpkin. There was notime to stand upon ceremony for Wesley was almost at the top of thestairs. A door stood open at hand and he darted through it into the room, overturning a chair in the darkness. "Hi, you! I done got you!" shouted his dusky pursuer and burst into theroom in hot chase. The next instant the exaltant shout changed to a howlof terror, for in the middle of that room stood a towering motionlessfigure from which radiated sheets of lightning, one blinding flashdarting straight into the terrified darkie's eyes. "A flash ob lightenin'what cl'ar par'lyzed me an' helt ma feet fast to de floo'! Den, befo' Icould get 'em loosen' dat hant jist lif' his hoof--yas ma'am, dat was ahoof, not no man's foot--an' I 'clar cross ma heart he done hist me froodat do' an' cl'ar down dem stairs. He want no _man_. He de debbil hissef. No siree, yo' ain' gettin' me back up _dem_ stairs twell some white folksgwine _fust_. Not _me_. I knows when ter lie low, I does. " (Goal kickingdevelops a fellow's muscles. ) Nor could any amount of urging or scolding prevail, and Miss Stetson, thestrong-minded, was obliged to go up to investigate. But though every roomwas searched there was no sign of mortal being. All the window sashes inLeslie Manor had been rehung in the most approved modern methods andcould be raised and lowered without a sound. A porch roof and a slendercolumn are quite as available as flying rings to a born acrobat. As she was returning from her fruitless search she encountered MissWoodhull. "Well?" queried that lady. "It is _not_ well. If there really was any one in that wing, which I amcompelled to doubt, he has made a most amazing escape. " "Doubt?" repeated Miss Woodhull with no little asperity. "You will hardlydoubt the evidence of my own eyesight, will you Miss Stetson? I _saw_that person cross the gallery and enter the south wing. Be good enough togo down to the gymnasium and call the roll. I desire to know if all thegirls are accounted for. " To judge by Miss Stetson's expression she was none too well pleased bythe principal's tone. Nevertheless, she repaired to the gym and ignoringMrs. Bonnell's assurance that no girls were missing proceeded to call theroll. Of course all responded. Meanwhile, Miss Woodhull had summoned Jefferson, who if no lesssuperstitious, was backed up by her august presence, and together theymounted the stairs and made a room-to-room inspection, peering into everycloset or any possible hiding place. Not a sign of human being was founduntil they came to the study of Suite 10, then a faint sound was audiblein bedroom A beyond. Quicker than it would seem possible for a person of her proportions tomove, Miss Woodhull entered the study, reached the electric switch andturned on the lights, calling at the same moment: "Who is in that room?" There was no reply, and the irate lady, speedily covering the distancebetween the electric switch and the bedroom door, turned on the light inthat room also. There stood Tweedle-dee. He had removed his mask and was about to don a long gray automobile coat. "What are you doing here, Beverly, when I gave explicit orders that noone should leave the gymnasium?" demanded Miss Woodhull, frowningportentously upon the delinquent. "My costume is so thin I was cold. I came up after my coat, MissWoodhull, " was the smiling answer, spoken quite softly enough to turnaway wrath. "You came in direct disobedience to my orders? You may now remain herefor the rest of the evening. " "Oh please, Miss Woodhull, let me go back. They are to have a reel, "begged her victim. "No, I have spoken. You will remain in your room. " Without more ado the defrauded one hurled herself into the middle of thebed, buried her head in the immaculate pillows and burst into a paroxysmof sobs. "You have brought this upon yourself. Had you obeyed me there would havebeen no occasion for this punishment. " "I was freezing! I just won't stay stived up here while all the girls arehaving such fun in the gym. It isn't fair. I haven't done a single thingbut get this coat, " was sobbed from the bed, as a vigorous kick sent theeiderdown cover flying almost in Miss Woodhull's face. A little moreenergy would have compassed it. Miss Woodhull deigned no reply, but turning swept from the room lockingthe door behind her. She could deal summarily with rebellious pupils. Then the search was resumed under her eagle eye, but without results. Nota creature was to be found, and dismissing her followers she returned tothe gym to get Miss Stetson's report. "Are _all_ the older pupils present?" she asked. "They are, " replied Miss Stetson somewhat icily. "Excepting Beverly Ashby, of course. " "Beverly Ashby is here. She is standing in the group near the table, "corrected Miss Stetson with some satisfaction. "Impossible. I have just this moment locked her in her room fordisobedience and insolence. You are mistaken. " "Hardly, as you may convince yourself by merely looking. " Miss Woodhull did look and for a moment felt as though caught in thespell of that mystic night. Beverly Ashby stood laughing and talking withSally Conant, Aileen and Mrs. Bonnell, as merry a little Tweedle-dum asone could picture. Miss Woodhull caught her eye and motioned her toapproach. "Ye gods and little fishes, " whispered Beverly to Sally as she left thegroup and went toward Miss Woodhull. That lady's expression was mostforbidding. "Why are you here?" she demanded icily. Beverly looked at her innocently as she answered: "I don't think I quiteunderstand you, Miss Woodhull. " "Not understand me? Is your intellect impaired? Did I not order you toremain in your room for the remainder of this evening?" "No, Miss Woodhull. " Miss Woodhull turned crimson. Such barefaced audacity was unheard of. "How did you manage to leave the room, may I inquire?" "I have not left the room since I entered it at eight o'clock, MissWoodhull. " "Mrs. Bonnell, " called the now thoroughly exasperated principal, "did yousee Beverly Ashby return to this gymnasium less than ten minutes ago?" "Beverly has not been _out_ of it, Miss Woodhull. She has been enjoyingher refreshments with the other pupils. " "Ridiculous! Miss Stetson, perhaps _you_ have a clearer idea of factssince I requested you to return to the gymnasium and call the roll. WasBeverly present when you did so?" "She was standing not ten feet from me, Miss Woodhull. Of this I ampositive, because her cap fell from her head as she replied and delayedthe response of the girl next on the roll, who stopped to pick it up. " "I believe you are all irresponsible! These silly Hallowe'en customs haveturned your heads. I have never approved such inane proceedings. Why youmay as well try to convince me that I, myself, did not enter Suite 10, and that I did not speak to Beverly Ashby in it not ten minutes ago, andleave her there in the middle of her bed weeping and conducting herselflike a spoiled child because she could not participate in the closingVirginia Reel. Utter nonsense! Utter nonsense! But we will have no morehoodwinking, rest assured. There has been quite enough already. You mayall go to your rooms reels or no reels. I have experienced enough follyfor one night--if not much worse. " For a second there was profound silence, then a general cry of protestarose. To be defrauded of their Virginia Reel for no justifiable reason, and sent to bed before ten o'clock like a lot of naughty children whenthey really had not done a single thing, was too much. Petty wept openly. Petty's griefs, sorrow or joys could invariably findprompt relief in tears or giggles. She existed in a perpetual state ofemotion of some sort. Aileen murmured: "Look at Miss Stetson's face. She doesn't know whether to frown or smile. She will lose her reason presently. " "Oh, why need the Empress have come in at all. We were having such funand--" Sally paused significantly. Beverly nodded a quick comprehension of what the conclusion of Sally'ssentence would have been, and said, under cover of the babel of voices, for even the Empress, stalking along ahead of her rebellious ones couldnot entirely subdue their protests: "And I am wondering what we shall find up in Number 10, and especially inbedroom A. " And in spite of those possibilities she laughed softly. "And not a single mouthful of that delicious spread after those tenmiles. I call it a perfect outrage, " muttered Sally like a distantthunder-storm. Beverly flashed one quizzical, tantalizing glance at her. "Don't let_that_ worry you, " she said. "What?" whispered Sally eagerly. "Hush. Listen to the Empress. Oh, isn't this the richest you ever heard?" CHAPTER XI "DE HANTS DONE GOT DIS HYER HOUSE SURE" They had now reached the south corridor, Miss Woodhull in the full forceof her convictions, again heading straight for Suite 10, and bedroom A, in order to substantiate her statement of having within the past twentyminutes locked Beverly in. She was affirming in no doubtful voice to Miss Stetson: "There is noreason that I should try to justify myself or endeavor to prove that myfaculties are unimpaired, unless I choose to do so, but I prefer toconvince both you and Mrs. Bonnell that I generally know what I amtalking about. You will find that door securely locked!" They needed no urging, but the door opened at a touch, locks neverthelessand notwithstanding. The light was switched on instanter. The room wasabsolutely undisturbed, likewise the bed. The puff cover, so latelyhurtling through space and straight for Miss Woodhull's august head, layneatly folded in a triangle across the foot of the bed. The pillow casedid not show a line or crease. The spread was absolutely unrumpled. Inshort, not one single thing was out of place or tumbled. The room mightnot have been occupied for twenty-four hours so far as any sign ofdisturbance was evident. Miss Stetson looked just a trifle skeptical. Mrs. Bonnell's lips twitcheda bit at the corners though her face was most respectfully sober. With one withering glance at Beverly, the teachers, and all concerned, Miss Woodhull remarked scathingly: "If you were capable of suchexpedition in worthier causes you would lead the school, " and glancingneither to the right nor left, swept from the room. "You are to retire at once and no noise, young ladies, " ordered MissStetson, divided between satisfaction at having proved her statementregarding Beverly's presence in the gym and her resentment at beingdoubted at the outset. Mrs. Bonnell had already retreated to her special sanctum, there to havea quiet laugh over the whole absurd situation. She had guessed, ofcourse, who Tweedle-dee and Jack o' Lantern were and in spite of rules tothe contrary, thought it a rather good joke than otherwise. Presently shewould send the servants into the gym to clear away the remains of thefeast, but she would have her laugh first. Miss Baylis, whose room was in the main building with the seniors hadrepaired thither to enforce compliance with Miss Woodhull's commands. Noeasy task, for some of the girls were long past baby days and resentedbaby treatment. The other teachers also had their hands full. Consequently the south wing was left entirely to Miss Stetson'ssupervision, and the south wing was a pretty sizable building andnaturally under existing circumstances, it did not simmer down aspromptly as under ordinary conditions. Miss Stetson was compelled to gofrom room to room. "Girls, be quick! Get undressed as fast as you can and put out yourlight, " urged Beverly. "What's up?" demanded Sally, who was inclined to dawdle from veryperversity. "Springing another one on us, Bev?" asked Aileen, laughing softly buthastily complying with orders. Beverly vouchsafed no answer beyond a significant little jerk of herhead. In five minutes the lights were out in A, B, and C and Study 10 was indarkness also. Miss Stetson, ever suspicious, tiptoed back to peep in butfound nothing amiss. Then a new outbreak far down the corridor summonedher to that end and Number 10 was for the time being left in peace. Thiswas the cue. Beverly let about five minutes pass, then slipped out of bedand into her bathrobe and bedroom slippers in a jiffy. Sally and Aileenneeded no hint to follow suit. "Come quick, " whispered Beverly. Number 10 was fortunately, (or unfortunately) nearer the door leading tothe gym gallery than some other suites. The corridor was now convenientlydark, the lights having been extinguished by Miss Stetson. Only thepatches of moonlight shining through the windows showed the prowlerswhich way to turn. In two seconds the gallery door was reached and thethree were upon the gym side of it. Now Miss Woodhull's pet economy was lights, and woe betide the lucklessinmate of Leslie Manor who needlessly used electricity. The girls oftensaid that if the house ever caught fire Miss Woodhull would pause inrushing from it to switch off any electric bulb left burning. From sheerforce of habit she had switched off the lights in the gym as she hurriedfrom it, a key happening to be at the side of the door through which sheled her brood. That the tail-end of the crowd might have stumbled oversomething was a trifling consideration. Beverly's quick wits which had grasped many details of Miss Woodhull'sidiosyncrasies, had taken in this one. It served her turn now. The gymwas lighted only by moonlight, and silent as silence itself. The girlstittered. "Isn't the joke on you, Bev?" asked Aileen. "Oh look! Quick!" whispered Sally. Beverly merely nodded. At the further end of the room something glowed uncannily. Then twofigures stole into a patch of moonlight, one tall and tattered; the otherenveloped in a long garment which resembled a girl's coat, and from outthe darkness came a sepulchral whisper: "Where the dickens did you say that key was?" "Under the last side-horse, " Beverly whispered back. "Can't you find it?" "Ah, I looked under the first one, " was the disgusted answer. "Did you get the box?" "Yes, I've got it all O. K. , " replied the taller figure, "and now we'regoing to beat it. Good-night. Did you get ragged again?" "Nothing stirring, but we wanted to be sure you got the eats. They'regreat. Good-night, " whispered Beverly. "So long, " and spook number one having evidently found the key inquestion made for a door which gave upon the rear terrace. Just as he wasabout to insert the key the door was opened from the outside and Wesley'swooley head was outlined in the moonlight. The spooks darted behind therefreshment table and the three watchers dropped into inconspicuous heapsupon the gallery floor. Wesley had entered with his pass key in compliance with Mrs. Bonnell'sorders. The maids who were to help him had lingered to get their trays. Wesley would have given a good deal could the clearing up have beendeferred until the light of day, but he was obliged to obey Mrs. Bonnell. "Whar dose fool gals at wid dey trays?" he muttered, "Seem lak gals ain'never whar yo' want 'em _when_ yo' want 'em, an' pintedly dar when yo'don'. Ma Lawd, whar' dat 'lectric switch at, " he ended as he clawed aboutthe dark wall at the side of the door for the duplicate of the switchMiss Woodhull had so carefully turned off. As he found it a groan just behind him caused him to swing sharply about. Unless one has heard a darkie's howl of terror at what he believes to bean apparition it is utterly impossible to convey any idea of itsweirdness. Wesley tried to reach the door. So did the tall spook. The result was acollision which sent Wesley heels over head, and before he could scrambleto his feet again two spooks instead of one had vanished. With a second howl the darkie shot across the gym and out of the doorwhich led into the main building, where his cries speedily brought anaudience to which he protested that: "De hants done got dis house, suah!" and so successfully drew attentionto the main floor that the three girls had no difficulty in slipping backto Number 10 and raising a window to listen to the thud of hoofbeats downthe driveway. So ended All Saint's Eve, though Wesley Watts Mather long retained hishorror of that gymnasium after nightfall. Then for a time all moved serenely at Leslie Manor. Thanksgiving recesswas drawing nigh and the girls were planning for their holiday, whichwould begin on the afternoon of the day before and last until thefollowing Monday morning. Beverly was, of course, going to Woodbine, the boys to be her escort fromFront Royal, to which junction she would be duly escorted by MissStetson, in company with Sally and Aileen, who were also going home. Petty Gaylord was to join her doting mamma in Washington and proceed fromthat city to Annapolis to attend the Thanksgiving hop at the NavalAcademy with the idol of her affections and also go up to the Army-Navygame in Philadelphia upon the Saturday following, and Petty was a verygeyser of gurgling giggles at the prospect. Beverly's five days at home with the boys seemed only to emphasize theseparation of the past two months and make the ensuing ones harder tocontemplate. The Sunday evening before she must go back to school she was nestlingupon the arm of the Admiral's big chair, her arm about his neck, her darkhead resting lovingly against his white one as she "confessed her sins. " From baby days this had been a Sunday night custom, and more passedbetween these two in those twilight hours than anyone else ever kenned. The Admiral's study was one of those rooms which seem full to the veryceiling of wonderful memories, and was also one of the homiest rooms atWoodbine. It was the hour before tea time. Across the big hall could be heard EarlQueen's mellow tenor as he softly intoned: "Swing low, sweet chariot, "while laying the table for the evening meal, the little clink of silverand glass betraying his occupation. Mrs. Ashby had gone upstairs with Athol to unearth some treasures hewished to take back to school with him. The big house was very silent, apeaceful, restful spirit pervading it. Upon the hearth in the study the logs blazed brightly, filling the bigroom with a rich, red glow and the sweet odor of burning spruce. For some time neither Beverly nor her uncle had spoken. He was thinkingintently of the confessions just made as he gazed at the darting flamesand absently stroked the hand she had slipped into his, her other onegently patting his shoulder. Now and again she kissed the thick, silverycurls which crowned the dear old head. Presently he said abruptly: "And now that you've gotten your load of sins off your shoulders andbundled onto mine do you feel better?" "No, I can't say that I do, but I had to unload all the same. There is noone at the school to unload upon, you see. Besides, it could never belike you, any way. You always let things sort of percolate, before youlet off steam, but it's mostly all steam, or _hot air_, at Leslie Manor. " "Reckon you can supply your share of the latter, can't you?" was the halfserious, half-bantering retort. "Somehow, I haven't felt exactly hot-airy since I've been there. It makesme feel more steamy; as though I'd blow up sometimes. It seems so sortof--of--oh, I don't know just how to tell you. I'd _like_ to like MissWoodhull but she'd freeze a polar bear, and I believe she just hatesgirls even though she keeps a girl's school. And Miss Stetson must havebeen fed on vinegar when she was a baby, and Miss Baylis is the _limit_, and Miss Forsdyke lives in Rome. " "Is anybody just right?" asked the Admiral, quizzically. "Some of them would be all right if they had half a chance or dared. Mrs. Bonnel is a dear. Miss Dalton's lovely, but has no chance to prove it. Miss Powell is the most loveable girl you ever knew and the littlekindergarteners adore her. Miss Forsdyke would be lovely if she wasn'tscared to death of Miss Woodhull and Miss Atwell would be sort of nice ifshe wasn't so silly. Oh, Uncle Athol if you only _could_ see her pose andmake us do stunts! And she's just like a jelly fish; all floppy andtumble-a-party. I feel just exactly as though I hadn't a bone in my bodyafter two hours flopping 'round under her instructions. " "What in thunder do they waste time on such nonsense for?" blurted outthe Admiral. "To make us supple and graceful. Am I stiff, Uncle Athol? I've alwaysfelt ten times more supple after a rattling good gallop with Ath andArchie, or half a dozen games of tennis, than after I've turned andtwisted myself into bowline-knots with Miss Atwell. Oh, _how_ I miss theold good times, Uncle Athol! Why can't Ath come to see me or I go to seehim sometimes? If they'd only let me I'd never think of running away as Idid that day. " "Good Lord how can I tell the workings of an old maid's mind?" explodedAdmiral Seldon. "It's too big a question for me to answer. I've alwayshad an idea that it was a good thing for boys and girls to grow uptogether, and so has your mother, I reckon, or she'd never have allowedyou to romp 'round with Athol and Archie as long as you have. And I can'tfor the life of me see that you're any the worse for it. But maybe that'sjust exactly the difference between an old maid's and an old bach'sviewpoint. Can't you wheedle her as you wheedle _me_. Seems to me if youwent at it like this you might make her believe that the port andstarboard lights were black and white instead of red and green. Try it. " "_Cuddle_ Miss Woodhull! Uncle Athol would _you_ like to cuddle MissWoodhull?" demanded Beverly tragically. "God bless my soul, No! I'd as soon cuddle that statue of Diana yonder onthe lawn. " "So would _I_, " was the prompt reply. "I reckon I'd rather. She isn'thalf so cold. Wheedle? Hum. Wouldn't it be funny if I could? I'll thinkabout it. But if she were as cuddable as you it would be--de-li-cious, "she ended with a bear hug. "Here's Queen to announce tea. Come along you artful huzzy. I never havean atom of justice or logic in me when I talk to you. " Nevertheless, he kissed her very tenderly as he untwined her circlingarms. The past two months had been very lonely ones for him without her. "Will you try to make Miss Woodhull let us see each other?" she begged. "I'll think about it. I'll think about it. And do you do some thinkingtoo lest you disgrace Woodbine. "I'm _going_ to think. _Hard_, " she added, as together they entered thecheerful dining room. CHAPTER XII AFTER THE HOLIDAYS The session between the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation always seemeda brief one, filled as it is with plans for the latter holiday. When the Thanksgiving holiday was over Beverly and the boys went back totheir respective schools under Admiral Seldon's escort. At least he wentas far as Front Royal with Athol and Archie, leaving them at that pointto go on by themselves while he accompanied Beverly to Leslie Manor. Hewas minded to have a few words with Miss Woodhull and know something moreof the lady's character than he already knew. The outcome of thatinterview left a good deal to be desired upon the Admiral's part. Hereturned to Woodbine "with every gun silenced, " and the lady triumphantin her convictions that _her_ methods of conducting a school for girlswere quite beyond criticism. It would be utterly impossible for Beverlyto even think of visiting her brother at Kilton Hall, she said, nor couldshe consent to Athol visiting Leslie Manor. She did not wish to establisha precedent. As to Archie _ever_ coming there, _that_ idea waspreposterous. Why every boy for miles around would feel at liberty tocall upon her pupils and they would be simply besieged. She had conductedher school successfully for many years under its present methods anduntil she saw more cogent reasons for changing she should continue to doso. Had not the Admiral made arrangements for the year it is safe to surmisethat Beverly would have returned to Woodbine with him, and his frame ofmind, and the remarks to which he gave utterance, as he drove back to thejunction, elicited more than one broad grin or chuckle from Andrew J. Jefferson as he drove. But Beverly did not know anything about it. So the weeks sped by until the Christmas recess drew near and the girlswere once more planning to scatter, far and wide, for their two-weeksholiday. Now be it known that Petty had returned from her Thanksgiving trip toAnnapolis in a more sentimental frame of mind than ever, and filled asfull of romance as an egg is of meat. Each day brought a letter always addressed in a feminine handwriting, tobe sure, or there would have been little chance of said letter everreaching Petty. They were, she confided to every girl in the school understrictest promises of secrecy, re-addressed for "Reggy" by "darlingmamma, " for mamma, knowing how desperate was their devotion to eachother, just simply could not help acting as a go-between. And she knewvery well too that she, Petty, would not have remained at school a singleday unless she did this. Why, mamma, herself, had eloped with papa beforeshe was sixteen. One whole year younger than she, herself, was at thatmoment. "Wasn't that romantic?" "Where is papa now?" asked Beverly. She had never heard him mentioned. "Oh, why--well--he has business interests which keep him in South Americanearly all the time, and--er, " "Oh, you needn't go into details. It doesn't make any difference to me, "said Beverly, and walked away with Sally. "Isn't she odious! And so perfectly callous to sentiment, " cried Petty. "She's a dear, and it's a pity you hadn't a small portion of her commonsense, " championed Aileen emphatically. "I have sense enough to be engaged before I'm _seventeen_, and to knowwhat it means to be _embraced_, which is more than any other girl in thisschool can boast, " brindled Petty. "Well, I should hope it is!" was Aileen's disgusted retort. "And if youdon't watch out you'll boast just once too often and Miss Woodhull willget wise to your boasting. Then there will be something stirring unlessI'm mighty mistaken. " "Pouf! Who cares for Miss Woodhull? I don't believe she ever had aproposal in all her life. " "Well, you'd better be careful, " was Aileen's final warning as she leftthe half-dozen girls of which Petty formed the bright particular star. "Those three feel themselves so superior yet they are such children, " wasPetty's withering remark. Aileen was two months her junior. Sally less than a year and Beverlyexactly fifteen months. But being engaged very naturally developes andbroadens one's views of life. Dear "Reggie" was just twenty, and had hislady love but known that interesting fact, had already been "engaged" tothree other susceptible damsels during his brief sojourn upon the earth. Moreover, he was openly boasting of it to his fellow midshipmen andregarding it as a good joke. Oh, Reggie was a full-fledged, brass-buttonedheart-breaker. Happily he was not a representative among his companions. Most of them are gentlemen. They can do a good bit of "fussing" as theyterm it, but this wholesale engagement business is the exception, ratherthan the rule. Nevertheless, Petty had sang of the charms of Annapolis until all her setwere wild to go there, and her enthusiasm had spread like chickenpox. Ifthe affairs at Annapolis were all Petty pictured them and the midshipmenas fascinating, the place must, indeed, be a sort of Paradise. Of course, all the girls knew that Beverly was a real, true Admiral'sgrandniece. That he had left Annapolis upon his graduation to take sideswith his native state. So why had Beverly never been to that alluringplace? Beverly had never given Annapolis a thought. Now, however, she meant toknow a few facts regarding it, and while home on her vacation learned anumber. She also learned that sometime in the spring, during the Easterholiday, possibly, her uncle might take her and the boys to Washingtonand while stopping in the capital, visit the old town which lay adjacentto the Naval Academy Reservation. Upon her return after the Christmas recess Beverly made some casualallusion to this fact, and at once started a new and livelier interest. Why couldn't a party of girls be chaperoned there by one of the teachers, choosing the same time? In five minutes it was all planned. But they had Miss Woodhull to reckonwith, and Easter was still many weeks ahead on the calendar. When not long after came the mid-year examinations. The girls had beenworking hard all the week and were tired. Examinations had ended the daybefore and they had about reached the limit for that week. February wasthe month most dreaded of all the eight. The last period of each day wastwelve to one, the juniors had history and English literature under MissBaylis. Now Miss Baylis at her very best was not a restful individualwith whom to come in touch, and after a long morning of hard work and thegrowing hunger of healthy appetites for food for the body rather than forthe mind, the girls did not find "a barbed tongue" and a causticdisposition soothing. English literature as taught by Miss Baylis was not inspiring to say theleast, and the half hour devoted to it had not aroused enthusiasm. Thencame the second half hour for English history; Miss Woodhull believing itwell to take up the kindred subject while the girl's minds were wellimbued with the first one. Just as Miss Baylis was about to begin she wassummoned from the recitation room by Miss Forsdyke. "Take your books and refresh your memories for a moment or two: I shallbe back immediately, and I _hope_ you will employ this special privilegein studying diligently. _You_ in particular, Electra, for you certainlydid not make a brilliant showing in your literature recitation. RememberI shall expect you to redeem yourself in history, for the periods areidentical, " was her admonition as she went toward the door. As she wasabout to pass through it, she paused to repeat her words. Sally yawnedbehind her book. As the door closed Petty's inevitable "tee-hee-hee" wasaudible. The next second the door was hastily opened. "I _hope_, " and Miss Baylis' suspicious eyes were upon her charges. Thenshe vanished. Naturally someone else tittered. Barely five minutes passed and when she returned her first words were: "I hope--" then she paused for a smile appeared upon every face bringingthe abstracted lady back to earth. It was Beverly who asked innocently:"Excuse me, Miss Baylis, but did you tell us to begin our literaturepapers at the ninety-fifth line of Pope's Essay on Man: 'Hope springseternal'?" "We ended our literature recitation ten minutes ago, Beverly. If you wereso inattentive as to miss what I said that is your misfortune, " was theaustere retort. Nevertheless, the shot had told. Ten more minutes of the period slipped by, nay, crawled by, in which MissBaylis darting from one victim to another bent upon reaching theirvulnerable points. Then it came, Electra Sanderson's turn to recite. Now Electra Sanderson was distinctly of the nouveau riche. She came froman eastern city where money is the god of things. Why her father, akindly soul who had risen from hod carrier to contractor, happened tochoose Leslie Manor for his youngest daughter must remain one of theunanswered questions. Perhaps "mommer" made the selection on account ofthe name which had appealed to her. Manors or manners were all one toher. At any rate, Electra (christened Ellen) was a pupil at MissWoodhull's very select school. A big, good-natured, warm-hearted, generous, dull _slouchy_ girl of seventeen, who never could and neverwould "change her spots, " but was inevitably destined to marry someone ofher own class, rear a flourishing family and settle down into acommonplace, good-natured matron, Leslie Manor nevertheless, andnotwithstanding. Miss Woodhull and her staff might polish untilexhausted. The only result would be the removal of the plating and theexposure of the alloy beneath. Electra didn't care a whoop for the old fogies who had lived and ruled inEngland generations before she was born. Indeed, she would not have wepthad England and all the histories ever written about her disappearedbeneath the sea which surrounded that country. What she wanted now was toget out of that classroom and into the dining room visible from thewindow near which she was sitting, and through which she gazed longingly, for there could be found something tangible. Her thoughts had been in thedining room for the past five minutes, consequently she was not awarethat Sally had surreptitiously reached toward her from the seat behind, laid hold of about eighteen inches of the lacing of her Peter Thomson(dangling as usual) and while Petty Gaylord, sitting next Sally, wassecretly reading a letter concealed behind her book, had made fastElectra's Peter Thomson lacing to Petty's boot lacing, _likewise_ adrift, and then soberly awaited developments. Sally could manage to do more things unobserved than any other girl inthe school, though she had found a fair rival in Beverly. Thus lay the train "of things as they ought (not) to be" when Miss Baylisfired her first shot at poor Electra. "Electra suppose you return to _this_ world of facts, --you seem to be indreamland at present--and tell me who brought a rather unpleasantnotoriety upon himself at this period. " Electra returned to England and English affairs at a bound. But to whichperiod was Miss Baylis referring? Electra had not the ghost of an ideabut would make a stab at it any way. "Why-er-oh, it was-er-the man who made extensive use of bricks in theHouse of Commons, " she ventured at random. "What?" demanded Miss Baylis, utterly bewildered. "Yes, ma'am. I mean yes, Miss Baylis. I can't remember his name but hedid. I learned that by heart last night at study period, " staunchlyasserted Electra, sure for once in her life of her point, for hadn't she_read_ those very words? "Of 'bricks'?" repeated Miss Baylis. "Yes m--, Miss Baylis. " Miss Baylis' eyes snapped as much as any pair of colorless blue eyes settoo close together can snap. One of the many hopeless tasks which she hadundertaken with Electra had been to banish from her vocabulary thatimpossible "ma'am", yet like Banquo's ghost it refused to be laid. "Open your book at that page and read the sentence, " commanded thehistory teacher. Electra obediently did as bidden and read glibly. "'He made extensive use of----'" and just there came to an embarrassedhalt as a titter went around the schoolroom. "Silence!" Miss Baylis' tone of voice did not encourage levity. "Well?"she interrogated crisply. "It's _bribes_, Miss Baylis, " said poor Electra, covered with confusionand blushes. "Exactly. The greatest simpleton would understand that. Are you morefamiliar with bricks than bribes?" It was a cruel thrust under thecircumstances, and Miss Baylis had the grace to blush at the look ofscorn which darted from Beverly's eyes straight into her own and the curlwhich Aileen's lips held. But even a worm may turn, and for once MissBaylis was taken off her feet by having Electra reply: "I guess it's morehonest to be. " "Good!" came from someone, but Miss Baylis thought it wiser to ignore it. "You may stand and read that sentence five times. Perhaps it maypercolate after so doing. " Electra, still smarting under the sting of Miss Baylis' sarcasm rosehastily, and with her as hastily rose Petty's foot to a horizontalposition, encountering in its ascent the rung of Electra's chair andtoppling it over with a crash. CHAPTER XIII CULINARY EXPERIMENTS Most of the girls gave vent to startled exclamations, but Miss Baylis wasspeechless with rage. Electra turned and twisted in her frantic endeavorsto discover the origin of the upheaval, and Petty made a mad scramble forher history book which the sudden jerk had sent flying out of her hands, the sentimental missive fluttering from its hiding place to drop atBeverly's feet. Stooping hastily, Beverly caught it up unnoticed in thegreater confusion, though she could not help seeing "Darling littlesweetheart, " in a large immature hand at the heading. With a scarcelyrepressed laugh she hid it in her book, and turned to face the stormcenter, Miss Baylis. "Who is responsible for this folly?" demanded the irate one. There was no reply. "I wish an answer, " reiterated Miss Baylis, turning to Beverly who satnear Petty. "Is this your idea of a joke?" "Not exactly, Miss Baylis. " "Are you guilty of this act?" "No, Miss Baylis. " "Do you know who is?" "I could not tell if I did, Miss Baylis. " "I shall force you to tell, " was the unguarded retort. "It is rather hard to force an Ashby or a Seldon to do something theyconsider dishonorable, Miss Baylis, " was the quiet reply. "You are insolent. " "I did not intend to be. " Of this Miss Baylis was quite well aware. She had begun to understandsomething of Beverly's character and to learn something of the importanceof this Woodbine family and their standing in the community. Consequentlyshe turned her attention to Sally and asked: "Is your sense of honor equally nice? Which of your classmates playedthis senseless trick?" Sally remained silent. "Did you hear my question?" "I did, Miss Baylis. " "Then why do you not answer me. If you are aware which girl did thissilly thing why do you keep silent when you know I am sure to discoversooner or later?" "Perhaps for the same reason Beverly has, " answered Sally. "But why don'tyou ask me if _I_ did it Miss Baylis? I've often done far worse, haven'tI?" "You are rarely vulgar in your pranks, " was Miss Baylis' amazing retort, which caused the class to gasp. What was back of this extraordinaryhedging? "Well I _did_ do it, Miss Baylis, and I am perfectly willing to stand thepunishment. Shall I go to Miss Woodhull's office after class?" "No, I wish to talk with you myself. " Sally looked scornful. Well she knew that Miss Baylis had passed hervacation at Kittery Point where Uncle Tom Conant, a bachelor had alsopassed his. Uncle Tom was rich, good looking and dapper. A lady's man whocharmed every member of the fair sex with whom he was thrown, but with nomore idea of matrimony than of murder in his heart. He was devoted to hisbrother's children, as well as the fair sex in general and could no morehelp flattering every one of them than he could help petting the childrenwho were always crowding about him. Some of his stories of Miss Baylis'"shining up" to him had nearly convulsed his nieces. It was the memory ofthese which brought the smile to Sally's lips at the lady's last words. At that moment the last bell sounded and Miss Baylis was obliged todismiss her class as quickly as possible. Miss Woodhull was veryintolerant of tardiness at meals. Upon the instant the release bellsounded the classes must be dismissed and each girl must hurry to herroom to make herself presentable at luncheon. "Sally, you will come to me _immediately_ after luncheon. I am deeplypained that you could be guilty of such deportment. I wish to talkseriously with you, " was Miss Baylis' concluding admonition to theincorrigible one. "Yes, Miss Baylis, " replied Sally, as she scrambled up her books andjoined the girls all hurrying to their rooms. Petty lingered to glance beneath chairs and desks for the lost letter. Toher dismay it had vanished completely. She never suspected that Beverlyrunning upstairs with the others, held it safe in her history. She wouldreturn it to Petty later. Just at present she was too much amused by MissBaylis' attitude toward Sally, who had told her of some of the funnyscenes at Kittery Point, to think much about Petty's love affairs, andbefore luncheon was over a diversion was created, which made her entirelyforget it. For some time, "Aunt Sally Jefferson, " the cook at Leslie Manor had beenailing, and had recently gone away to "res' up. " Mrs. Bonnell knew wellenough that it was useless to protest. These "res'in' ups" wereperiodical. Usually she substituted a colored woman who lived at Luray, but Rebecca had taken a permanent situation and was not available. Jefferson came to her rescue. He had a "lady frien'" who could cooknearly as well as his mother. Mrs. Bonnell was skeptical, but it was acase of "needs must when the de'il drives, " and Juno Daphne came assubstitute cook. Then Mrs. Bonnell's trials began. One morning girl aftergirl left her fried smelts untasted though ordinarily they were a raredelicacy in that part of the world. Mrs. Bonnell investigated. What _was_ the trouble? Had Juno prepared themproperly? "Yas'm I did. I just done fry 'em. " "Did you clean and wash them carefully?" persisted Mrs. Bonnell. "No'm. Dey's such triflin' fish I ain' see no sense 'n botherin' terclean and wash 'em. " The next morning such smelts as had been left uncooked for the previousbreakfast, came to the table a truly tempting sight, but with the firstmouthful a distinct murmur arose and Mrs. Bonnell exclaimed: "Mercy uponme! _What_ has she done this time?" Inquiries followed. "Yas _ma'am_. I done wash 'em _good_ dis time. I wash 'em wid dat sof'soap what Aunt Sally done made befo' she took sick!" And then for more than a week all went serenely. Now dessert was beingbrought on. Mrs. Bonnell always served it. Wesley came in from the pantrybearing a large platter upon which rested a mold of pudding of the mostamazing color mortal eye ever rested upon. It was a vivid beautifulsky-blue and Wesley disclosed every ivory in his ample mouth as he setthe dish upon the table. Mrs. Bonnell had ordered corn-starch puddingwith chocolate sauce. When she looked upon the viand before her she gavea little cry of dismay. "Wesley what is it?" "De Lawd on'y know, Miss. I sho' don'. Dat Juno done sent it in. " "Go at once and ask her what she used in making this pudding. I havenever seen its equal. " "Ner I, " chuckled Wesley as he hurried off. In five minutes he was back, his hand across his mouth and struggling manfully not to disgracehimself. "Well?" queried Mrs. Bonnell, her lips twitching. "She--she--" he strove to articulate. "She--she say she done gotde-de-sta-sta-sta'ch in--de la'ndry, an' she--she--taken dat fer ter beec'nomical an' save 'spence fer de school. It--it--wor lef' over by AuntMandy f'om de washin'. She ain' think, --ha--ha, --she ain' think de_bluin'_ in it mak' no diff'ence, he-he-he--. Please, ma'am, scuse me, Ican't stan' fo' no mo, " and Wesley beat a hasty retreat. Juno Daphne departed that afternoon, Mrs. Bonnell wishing to avoid theservices of a coroner. As there was no study period on Friday evenings the girls were at libertyto amuse themselves as they chose. At least, within limitations, thoughthey often miscalculated the limitations. The afternoon had been too dulland cold for much outdoor exercise, so they had spent it in the gymnasiumpracticing basket-ball. In March they would play a game with a team froma town a few miles from Leslie Manor. Beverly, Sally and Aileen were all on the team, Beverly having made itthrough adaptability rather than knowledge, for she had never seen abasketball before coming to school, but being as quick as a cat had madegood. Consequently the occupants of Suite 10 were glad to rest theirweary bodies upon couch or easy chairs when dinner was over, and Sallywas entertaining them with an account of her interview with Miss Baylisafter luncheon. "She makes me tired. If it had been you, Bev, she would have sent youdown to Miss Woodhull's office in jig time. But I've a good one for UncleTom, " and Sally laughed. "I wouldn't have cared if she had sent me. I'd rather come to an issuewith the Empress anytime than with Miss Baylis. But the whole thing wasfunny as the mischief, " answered Beverly from her big wicker chair. "Let's make some fudge. I've got the needfuls, and it will sweeten ourtempers. Such things make me cross for hours. We don't indulge in pettysquabbles at home. Mother would be disgusted if she knew of some of thethings which take place here, and father would say there was somethingwrong with the gasoline. He's just bought a new car so his metaphors areapt to be gasoliney, " laughed Aileen. "What will you make the fudge in? You let Hope MacLeod have the chafingdish. " Aileen looked daunted for a moment. Then her face lighted. "I've a tin pail. I can make it in that. " "But _how_? You can't boil it without the lamp. " "Can't I? Just you watch me do it. " Aileen was resourceful. In a fewminutes she had the mixture in her pail, and the pail swinging by astring over the gas jet. Leslie Manor was quite up-to-date. It had gas aswell as electricity, though gas was not supposed to be used excepting incases of emergency. Once or twice the electric current had failed. Aileen had fastened the string from one side of the room to the other ona couple of picture hooks. A none too secure support. Then all three satdown to wait until the fudge gave signs of boiling and promptly becameabsorbed in a new interest, the Easter vacation. In the midst of the conversation, Beverly paused. She had suddenlyremembered Petty's note. "What's the matter?" asked Sally. "I've forgotten something, " she answered, scrambling from her chair andcrossing to her desk for her history. She would take the note back toPetty. It was utter nonsense of course, but it was Petty's and if she waspleased with such nonsense, she was welcome to it. She looked hurriedlythrough the book. The note was not in it. Where could she have droppedit? No, she had not dropped it, of that she was certain. She had takenpains to keep the book tightly closed. She meant to have given the noteto Petty directly after luncheon. How provoking! Maybe Petty had seen hercatch it up and had come for it herself. She would go and ask her. As sheturned to make her intention known to the others there was a snapoverhead. The heat had burned Aileen's string before the fudge had begunto boil and pail and contents descended upon the study table with arattle and splash, the hot mass scattering in every direction. For the ensuing half hour the three girls had their hands full and Petty, notes, history examination and all minor affairs were forgotten. CHAPTER XIV COMPLICATIONS But Petty had _not_ taken the note from Beverly's history. It had beenremoved by quite a different person. In fact about the last one eitherBeverly or Petty would have dreamed of. But of this a little later. By the time the fudge had been cleaned off from everything within aradius of five feet, for a more complete splash had never been made byany descending mass, the "lights out" bells were ringing in all thecorridors. Miss Woodhull had only to press a series of buttons arrangedin the hall just outside her study door to produce the effect of theneedle-prick in the fairy tale. Every inmate immediately dropped asleep. Every? Well, exceptions prove a rule, it is said. The following morning Beverly told Petty the circumstances of picking upthe note and of its subsequent disappearance. Petty was in despair and scolded and wept alternately, accusing Beverlyof having deliberately confiscated it, and hinting pretty broadly thatshe had also read it. The moment this accusation left her lips she regretted it because sheknew it to be utterly unfounded and the blaze which sprung into Beverly'seyes warned the little shallow pate that she had ventured a bit too far. She tried to retract by saying she was "nervous and excited and_perfectly miserable_ at the loss of the letter. It was the first ofReggie's letters she had _ever_ lost, and he had written every single dayfor a _whole_ year. " "Three-hundred and sixty-five letters, and every one mushy?" criedBeverly, incredulously. "I should think it would be worse than eating apound of nougat every day. " Petty alternately moped and searched all Saturday, but, of course to nopurpose. When Monday morning came she was in despair, and went to herfirst recitation in a most emotional frame of mind. It happened to be French, and Monsieur Sautelle had been the Frenchinstructor but four months. Moreover, he had not yet been in America ayear and American girls, and things American, were not only new but aconstant source of marvel to him. He lived in a world of hitherto unknownsensations and this morning was destined to experience an entirely newone. The period was nearly over before it came Petty's turn to recite andPetty, as the result of having spent all her study period in a vainsearch for the lost letter, was totally unprepared. "Madamoiselle Gaylor, you will be so good as to come the conjugation ofthe verb love, indi_ca_tive mood, if you please. " Unfortunate choice! Petty was in a very indicative mood already. Had he chosen any other verbshe might have survived the ordeal, but under the circumstances to openlyaffirm: "I love; Thou lovest; _he_ loves----. " Well, there are limits to every one's endurance under extreme emotion. Petty hesitated and was lost. Not a word would come. Her throat throbbedand it seemed as though that pound of nougat Beverly had alluded to mustbe stuck in it. "Proceed, if you please, Madamoiselle, " urged Monsieur. Petty sat almostdirectly in front of him, or rather she stood--Miss Woodhull wished eachpupil to stand while reciting--and upon being urged to "proceed" raisedto him a pair of violet eyes swimming in tears, and a face of abject woe. Monsieur Sautelle was not over thirty. A dapper, exquisite little man. Hewas distraught at the sight of this tearful damsel and, very naturallyattributed her distress to unpreparedness. Petty was a pretty, inconsequential little creature born to play upon the feelings of one manor another. It did not much matter who he happened to be so long as hecould satisfy the sentimental element in her makeup, and she was mostlysentimentality. "Madamoiselle I implore. Why these tears? You quite desolate me. It is nosuch crushing matter that you do not know 'to love'. " "But oh, I do. I _do_, " sobbed Petty. "Then you will most kindly demonstrate that fact to the class. Theywait. " If ever instructor was taken literally Monsieur Sautelle was then andthere, for with an overpowering sob she swayed forward, flung botharms about the dismayed man's neck and burying her face against hisimmaculate collar, gurgled: "Oh, I love! I _do_ love! Thou lov-v-est!He--He--loves----_me_!" It was the most astonishing conjugation the startled Professor had everheard in all his thirty years, and he frantically strove to remove theclinging damsel, at the same time commanding: "Madamoiselle, Madamoiselle, make yourself tranquil! You will cease at once. MeesWoodhull! Mees Stetson, Mees--Mees. " Now it so happened that Miss Stetson's recitation room adjoined MonsieurSautelle's. She heard his call and responded with wingéd feet, arrivingupon the scene just as Eleanor Allen, Petty's bosom friend, had sprung toher side, and while in reality striving to untwine Petty's clinging armsseemed also to be in the act of embracing the French teacher. What followed is almost too painful to dwell upon, but within tenminutes, all three actors in the little drama were arraigned before MissWoodhull and it was only Eleanor's clever tongue which saved thesituation. She stated very emphatically that Petty had been too ill tostudy on Saturday evening; she did not feel it necessary to name thenature of the malady. That it had been impossible for Petty to prepareher lessons for Monday and that her act was purely the outcome of nervousexcitement and held no personal demonstration toward Professor Sautelle. This statement the Professor was more than delighted to back up andPetty's tears clenched it. Miss Woodhull could not endure tears; she hadnever shed one in her life so far as she could recall--and she wished toend the scene forthwith. Consequently the Professor was politelydismissed and speedily went to procure fresh linen. Under Miss Stetson'scharge Petty was sent to the Infirmary, where she was detained a week, and Eleanor was bidden to go to her next recitation. But Eleanor, who wasPetty's confidant in all things, instantly decided to keep her trump cardto be played when the moment should be ripe. Eleanor had missed hervocation in life. She should have been in the Turkish diplomatic serviceinstead of in an American boarding school. Eleanor had taken the note from Beverly's history. She did so because, having seen Beverly pick it up and place it there she decided, frominnate suspicion of all her fellow beings, that Beverly meant to use itto Petty's undoing. It never occurred to her that Beverly could entertaina generous motive toward a girl whom she held in aversion if notcontempt. Then the note once in her possession she wished to keep it aday or so, in the hope that Petty might discover for herself where it hadgone. It never entered her head that Beverly would go straight to Pettyand explain the situation, and in a reticent freak quite uncommon to hernature, Petty had not confided this fact to Eleanor. And now it was outof the question to do so for the pupils were not permitted to visit thegirls in the Infirmary. Two weeks later the basket-ball game with the rival school was imminentand the team was working like mad. Leslie Manor had been beaten the yearbefore and a second defeat would spell disgrace. Eleanor was on thesub-team. So was Electra. The captain and one forward were seniors. Aileen center, Sally a forward, Beverly had made good as guard and wasworking like a Trojan for the great event. The Friday afternoon before the game a party of girls were taken to thevillage to do some shopping. Nothing more diverting than purchasing newshoe ties, hairpins, bows, and various other trifles. Also to make surethat the decorations ordered for the gymnasium would be punctually sentover to the school that afternoon and last, but by no means least, toindulge in chocolate sodas etc. , at the big drug store. It so happened that Miss Forsdyke, the Latin teacher was acting aschaperone that afternoon and Miss Forsdyke was alive just exactly twothousand years after her time. She should have lived about 55 B. C. , forin reality she was living in that period right in the Twentieth CenturyA. D. And was so lost to all things modern, and so buried in all thingsancient, that she was never quite fully alive to those happening allaround her. As a chaperone she was "just dead easy" Sally said. A moreabsent-minded creature it would have been hard to come upon. Sally, Aileen and Beverly were lingering over the last deliciousmouthfuls of nut sundaes. Electra had finished hers and gone to anadjoining counter to make a purchase. Miss Forsdyke, who had declinedSally's invitation to have a sundae, was selecting a tooth brush at anadjoining counter when Beverly asked: "Miss Forsdyke, why can't we carry the flags and ribbons back with us?Then we would be sure of them. " Miss Forsdyke laid down the tooth brush, picked it up again, hesitated, then walked toward Beverly, saying, "I am not quite sure that MissWoodhull would approve. She does not like the pupils to carryparcels--large ones, I mean--and these would be quite large, would theynot?" "Then why not phone to her to ask if we may?" suggested Sally. "Why-er-I-suppose I-I could. Will you kindly direct me to the publictooth brush?" she turned to the clerk to ask. "Oh no, no, I mean thepublic telephone booth, " she corrected, coloring a deep pink. "It's behind you, " answered the clerk, trying not to laugh, and pointingto the booth which was exactly behind Miss Forsdyke. Still grasping hertooth brush she scuttled into the booth. Naturally, Electra had been an interested listener and Electra's mind didnot grasp two ideas simultaneously as a rule. She had not yet made herwants known to the clerk, who stood deferentially waiting for her to doso. As the possibility seemed vague he asked politely. "What can I do for you, Miss?" and nearly disappeared beneath the showcase when Electra answered. "Will you please give me a glass eye. No, no, I mean a glass eye _cup_. " "That's no school, it's a blooming lunatic asylum, " clerk No. 1 declaredto clerk No. 2 as the last pair of shoeheels disappeared through thedoor, "an' the _old_ one's the looniest of them all. " Nevertheless, some of those "lunatics" put up a good game of basket-ballthe next afternoon. As the game progressed the school and the spectators were jubilant. Atleast one-half of the latter were, and none more so than two girls whohad come with the rival team, as all the Leslie Manor girls believed, and, although strangers, certainly enthused more over the blue andyellow, the Leslie Manor colors, than over the green and red. "Look at those two stunning girls in the third row on the left side, Aileen. Do you know who they are?" asked Sally, during one of theintermissions. "Never laid eyes on them before, " replied Aileen. Isn't the tall fair onebeautiful though? I've never seen such eyes and skin in all my life. "She knows how to dress too, believe me, " was Sally's admiring comment. "That's a stunning velveteen suit she has on, and her hat well, New Yorkor Paris, sure. " "The smaller one must be attractive too. But isn't it funny that sheshould wear her chiffon veil under her lace one instead of outside of it?I wish she'd raise them properly; I want to get a good look at her face. Somehow she reminds me of someone I've met before but I can't think ofwhom. We'll ask Beverly. " But just then the whistle blew and the game wason again. When Leslie Manor won on a score of twenty to seven, the girl in thechiffon veil jumped to her feet, pitched her muff high into the air andyelled. Then evidently overwhelmed with mortification at her wilddemonstration instantly dropped back upon her chair, aided in her descentthereto by a vigorous tug from her companion. At Beverly's grasping, "Oh!" Aileen and Sally started. Beverly had notnoticed the two girls until that instant. "What's the matter?" asked Sally. "Nothing. Just a funny kink in my side. It's all over now. " "You've played too hard. I knew you would. Come quick and get a goodrub-down. You're nearly all in. Why didn't we realize it sooner. Comeon, " and full of solicitude they hurried her away to the dressing-room, her supposed indisposition driving all thoughts of the strange girls fromtheir heads, and when the three were dressed and ready to join theircompanions the visitors had disappeared; gone undoubtedly with others whohad come to witness the game, and they never thought to mention theirpresence to Beverly. That they in common with the other guests had been ushered into MissWoodhull's library, where, agreeable to custom, hot chocolate was served, had each, by some miraculous means contrived to be served _three times_, and had held a brief but most flattering conversation with Miss Woodhull, Sally, Beverly and Aileen never suspected. When they took their departureMiss Woodhull suddenly remembered that they had not been introduced toher and that she had not the vaguest idea of their names. Which of herteachers or pupils had been so very remiss? CHAPTER XV THE TRUMP CARD It so happened that the presence of the two strange girls had aroused thecuriosity of someone else, and that this somebody being of a suspiciousnature at all times required but little to set her fancies a-galloping. She had watched the girls all through the game, and at its end sped awayto the dressing room and changed her clothes with remarkable expedition. Then, instead of joining her companions in Miss Woodhull's receptionroom, where tea was to be served to pupils and guests, she hurried intoher outdoor garments, and slipped out of a side door, made her way aroundthe house to a clump of fir trees in which she could watch undetected allwho left the main entrance of Leslie Manor. She did not have to wait long. The two girls were among the first toleave, but instead of following the broad main walk as the other guestsdid, they turned into a side path as though wishing to stroll about thegrounds. The moment they were out of sight the suspicious one washot-foot upon their trail, and Miss Eleanor Allen was compelled to dosome lively stepping out in order to overtake her quarry. Only they werecertainly most athletic young women if one might judge from the manner inwhich they strode forward. Naturally at that season of the year the outskirts of the grounds wereentirely deserted. The elegantly dressed young ladies hurried toward adense clump of cedars which grew near the prickly holly hedge, and, toEleanor's amazement, the wearer of the big chiffon veil began to tug andhaul at it until it came loose, while the taller girl began to divestherself of her handsome fur collar and coat. Eleanor gasped, and the nextmoment nearly passed away, for now Miss "Chiffon-Veil's" skirts fell fromher, and Miss "Tall-Blonde" began to wriggle out of _her_ garments as aboy might wriggle out of his coat and vest. . . . It was all Eleanor coulddo to repress a cry of horror. Then off fell the big hat, the hair comingwith it, and before her stood a tall, fair boy in his trousers and shirt. "Gee Whiz! Ath, pitch me my coat quick! Those girl's togs nearlysmothered me and now I'm freezing, " he cried. The garments desired were picked out of a bundle of things hidden in thecedars, and flung at the shivering blonde, who promptly scrambled intoit, and drew from one of the pockets a cap, which he jammed down upon hiscurly pate. Then swooping down he caught up the feminine gear lying uponthe ground, jammed it pell mell into a laundry bag, and heaved it overthe hedge into the road beyond, his companion, now having cast his outerraiment, doing precisely the same thing. Then both shinned up a tall treewhose branches overhung the road, walked like rope-walkers along a branchwhich topped the hedge, and dropped lightly to the ground. Eleanor ran tothe hedge in time to see the laundry bags pitched upon the backs of twowaiting horses, the boys scramble upon their mounts and with a whoop oftriumph go pelting off down the road. "Well, I never! Well, I never!" gasped Miss Paulina Pry, which wasunquestionably the absolute truth, though not characteristic. "That wasBeverly Ashby's brother and her beau!" Eleanor's selection of commonnouns was at times decidedly common. "Now, Miss High-and-Mighty, we willsee what happens to girls who are so very superior to other girls but canread their letters and sneak boys into our school against rules, " andback she sped to the house, filled to the brim with knowledge, but withsuch a paucity of wisdom in her brain that it was a wonder she kept tothe path. It was a pity that no one was at hand to quote for her benefit:"Knowledge is haughty that she knows so much, but Wisdom is humble thatshe knows no more. " From the moment Eleanor Allen entered Leslie Manor, she had been PettyGaylord's slave, and a more complete "crush" never was known. Flowers, candy, books, and what not were lavished upon her adored one. Everythingthat Petty would accept, and since Petty's discrimination was not of thenicest order all proved fish which fell into her net. Eleanor lived inthe atmosphere of Petty's thrilling romance until she almost felt it tobe her own. She had seen the lost letter flutter to the schoolroom floor, and had also seen Beverly pick it up. Her first impulse was to run andtell Petty, but had no opportunity to do so in the classroom. Then shedecided to effect its rescue herself, and while the others were atluncheon had slipped into Beverly's room and extracted the note from herhistory. She never dreamed that Beverly meant to return it to Petty anddid not know that she had gone to her the following morning to explainits loss as well as she was able. Eleanor intended to give Petty the noteat once, but when circumstances had prevented her from doing so forseveral hours, she made up her mind to keep it in her own possession inorder to use it to Beverly's undoing. Just how this was to be compassedshe had no very clear idea, and _now_ had come a fine opening. She hatedBeverly because she had laughed at Petty's love affair, and ignoredcompletely the one who worshipped at Petty's shrine. The scene inProfessor Sautelle's room had nearly thrown Beverly into hysterics, andEleanor had also witnessed that. Oh, she had a long score against BeverlyAshby. That evening as Miss Woodhull sat by her study table reading a tap cameupon her door and Eleanor entered at the word "Come. " Miss Woodhull was not over-pleased at being interrupted in the midst of athrilling article on the Suffrage question and the militant doings of herwronged sisters in England. "Well?" she queried crisply. "I would like to speak to you, Miss Woodhull. " "Very well, speak, " was the terse reply. This was somewhat disconcerting. Eleanor coughed. "Will you be good enough to state your errand without further peroration. I do not relish being interrupted in my reading. " "I--I--thought I ought to tell you, --to show you--I mean you ought to seethis note which I found, " and Eleanor crossed the room to Miss Woodhull'sside, the note held toward her. She took it, asking as she did so: "Why come to me about so trivial amatter? What is it? Where did you find it?" "I didn't think it trivial and that is why I came right to you, " Eleanorreplied, ignoring the embarrassing questions. Miss Woodhull opened the note. The first line acted like a galvanicshock. She sat up rigid as a lamp post. The words were "Darling LittleSweetheart:--" Then she read on: "When I close my eyes I can still feel your soft arms about my neck andyour kisses upon my lips. I can't wait much longer for you, darling. Something must be done. I just can't stand it. I've got to see you beforeEaster. It's no use to say I can't, because I'm going to--somehow. Sodon't be surprised at anything. Leslie Manor is not so many miles awayand ways and means can be contrived in spite of all the old maidguardians that ever lived. Wonder if the old lady knows how it feels tohave a man kiss her? I bet she don't! I've never seen your Suffragettequeen, but I don't need to after all you've told me about her. She mustbe a cuckoo. "So keep your weather eye piped, sweetness and leave the rest to your Adoring 'Boy'" By the time the Empress reached the last word of that missive her facehad assumed the color of a gobbler's wattles, and her eyes were blazing. Eleanor was nearly frightened to death at the Genius of Wrath which shehad invoked. "To whom does this nauseating thing belong?" "It was not in an envelope when I found it, Miss Woodhull. " "Where did you find it?" Eleanor hesitated, it would never do to seem too communicative. "Did you understand my question?" "Yes, Miss Woodhull. " "Then reply at once. " "I found it in the south wing, " she said hesitatingly. "Ah!" The word was exhaled triumphantly. "In the lower end of that wing?" "Yes, Miss Woodhull. " "Near Suite 10?" She recalled the tall, acrobatic visitor of All Saints' Eve. She hadalways suspected Beverly and her suspicions had been confirmed whenAdmiral Ashby asked her to sanction visits from Athol and Archie. "Youdid quite right to come to me with this letter. It is far too serious amatter to be dealt with by my subordinates. I highly commend yourdiscretion. I shall sift the matter to the bottom. " Eleanor winced. That "sifting" might change from a small affair to alarge one, as a snowball may grow into an avalanche. Then she said withwell-assumed contrition, "Oh, Miss Woodhull, I would not for the worldaccuse _anyone_. It may be just fun----" "There is no element of fun in such a letter as this, and absolutely nohumor. I have realized for some time that a decided atmosphere was beingcreated in this school, but have been unable to discover its origin, and_this_, " giving the letter the vicious shake a terrier would give a rat, "may prove the touchstone. I need hardly enjoin absolute secrecy uponyour part. You have already proved your discretion. If you make anyfurther discoveries you will, of course, come to me at once. By-the-way, when did you find the letter?" "Why--er--several days ago, Miss Woodhull. " "Then why have you so long delayed coming to me?" The eyes were verysearching. "I was afraid--afraid--I might be mistaken. That after all it reallydidn't mean anything. The girls often play jokes upon one another, youknow. " "Not such senseless jokes as this one I trust. What caused you to alteryour opinion?" The professional stage certainly missed a star when it failed to discoverEleanor. She hesitated, looked down, then up with appealing eyes. Shetwisted her fingers together and untwisted them. She shifted from onefoot to the other, all of which was maddeningly irritating to MissWoodhull. "This is no time for hesitation, --speak!" "This afternoon, " whispered Eleanor. "Sit in that chair and tell me everything without further circumlocution. "The tone was final. With appropriate hesitancy the events of the afternoon were graphicallypictured for the Empress. When they were completely drawn she said withthe grimness of Fate: "You may go, but remember, not one word to yourcompanions. " A most superfluous admonition, for Eleanor was nearlypetrified with fear as it was. She retreated to her room with allpossible speed and her room-mate wondered what had taken place to makeher look so pale, but refrained from asking questions. Eleanor and herroom-mate were not entirely congenial. It was close to nine-thirty when she entered her room which was on thefloor above Beverly's. Down in hospitable Suite 10 the social spirit wasrampant. The Basket-ball victory was being celebrated by a spread. Lightbell did not ring until ten Saturday nights. Beverly was in the act ofbiting into a chocolate eclair when Miss Stetson came to the door. Beverly was sitting back to it and supposed it was one of her companions. As all will concede, an eclair is, to say the least, an uncertainquantity. Even upon a plate and carefully manipulated with a fork, it isgiven to erratic performances. When held between a thumb and forefinger, and _bitten_ into, its possibilities are beyond conjecture. Miss Stetsonappeared at a most inopportune moment (she usually did) and each girlrose to her feet, Beverly under the circumstances being the last to do sobecause she had no idea that Miss Stetson was anywhere near No. 10. Hertardy uprising brought about the inevitable result. Her teeth cametogether upon her eclair and the filling escaped its bounds, landing inmany places that it should not have landed. When Miss Stetson had removedabout a tablespoonful of cream filling from her bosom, she said icily:"Miss Ashby, you are to report at Miss Woodhull's study at once, " andutterly ignored Beverly's apologies. "Report at Miss Woodhull's office at nine-thirty at night?" Consternation fell upon the revellers. The hair had snapped and Damocles'sword had certainly fallen. CHAPTER XVI A CRISIS Fully as bewildered as the girls she had left behind her, Beverly wentquickly to Miss Woodhull's study. So far as she could recollect nothingcould be scored against her deportment unless, at this late date her wildgallop to Kilton Hall had become known, or the presence of Athol andArchie at the Hallowe'en frolic had been discovered. True, she hadrecognized Athol and his companion as they were leaving the gymnasiumthat afternoon, but she did not believe that any one else had. As to anyforeknowledge of that prank she had not had the slightest. So herconscience was quite clear on that score anyway. She tapped at the doorand was bidden enter. Miss Woodhull's expression as she looked at Beverlywas most forbidding. "Good-evening, Miss Woodhull. Miss Stetson said you wished to see me. " Utterly ignoring the greeting, Miss Woodhull thrust toward Beverly theincriminating letter, at the same time demanding: "Who has had theaudacity to send such a thing as this to you while you are a pupil in myschool?" Beverly started at sight of the lost love billet, Miss Woodhull noted thestart and a sneer curved her set lips. "No one sent it to me, Miss Woodhull, " she answered calmly. "You will probably add that you have never seen it before. " Beverly did not reply. "Answer me at once. " "Yes, I have seen it before. " "Where did you last see it?" "In my English history book. " "How came it there, pray?" "I put it there myself. " "And yet you have the temerity to tell me that it is not yours? Are youin the habit of reading letters which are addressed to other people?" "Was the letter addressed, Miss Woodhull? It was not even in an envelopewhen it came into my possession. " "You have no doubt destroyed the envelope. Nevertheless, I must insistupon knowing who wrote that letter. " "I cannot tell you, Miss Woodhull. I have never looked at the signature. " "How dare you resort to such fencing with me? You cannot evade a directanswer, for I have resolved to learn the writer's name, and report him tothe principal of his school, " asserted Miss Woodhull, jumping atconclusions. "I cannot tell you the writer's name. " "You mean that you _will_ not. But, I warn you, this obstinacy only addsto the gravity of the situation. " "It is not obstinacy, Miss Woodhull; I do not know it. " "Yet you admit having had this open letter in your possession and insistthat it is not your own? A curious combination, to say the least, " wasthe sarcastic retort. "I had the letter, but it is not mine. I never read it, and I do not knowthe writer's name. " This was entirely true, Beverly had never heard dear"Reggie's" surname. "Perhaps you are likewise ignorant of the identity of the two people whomasqueraded as Tweedle-dee and Jack o' Lantern?" "They were my brother and his friend Archie, " was the prompt reply. "Ah! Then you will admit something of this intrigue. " "If it can be called by so portentious a name, " answered Beverly smiling. That smile acted like a match to gunpowder. Miss Woodhull's temper andself-control vanished together, and for a few moments Beverly was theobject of a scathing volley of sarcastic invective. As it waxed hotterand hotter Beverly grew colder and colder, though her eyes and cheekswere blazing. "It is useless to keep up this silly deception. You may as well try tomake me believe that you were not aware of the presence of your brotherand your silly sweetheart disguised as girls this afternoon, and that youdid not lay the whole disgraceful plan for them to escape at the rear ofthe grounds. " Miss Woodhull did not confide to Beverly that she had beenmost beautifully hoodwinked by those same girls, who had actually goneinto the reception room, partaken of the "eats" with the other guests, held charmingly lisping conversations with two or three of the faculty, Miss Woodhull included, who had afterward commented upon the "charmingmanners of the two young girls who had come from Luray, " they having soinformed that lady. "Sweetheart?" repeated Beverly in amazement. It was the one word whichburned itself into her brain. The tone in which she echoed it ought tohave enlightened Miss Woodhull. "Archie my sweetheart?" "I dare say that is what you call him, since he so terms you in thismissive, " sneered Miss Woodhull. "Archie is like an older brother to me, Miss Woodhull. We were raisedtogether, " said Beverly with a simple dignity which should haveprohibited further taunts of the kind. "Raised?" queried the lady. "Do you class yourself with the vegetable orthe lower animal kingdom?" "I think you must have heard that expression used before in Virginia, "was the quiet reply, though her cheeks grew a deeper red, and had Mrs. Ashby been present, and occupying the tribunal it is safe to assume thatshe would have been prepared for something to happen right speedily. Indeed it was a wonder something had not happened long ago. "It is just such barbarisms of speech that I have spent a quarter of acentury in a vain endeavor to eliminate from the extraordinary vocabularyof this section of the United States, but I recognize it to be a Sisyphustask. That, however, is aside the question. The vital ones at this momentare: By whom was this letter written? When did you receive it? What isthe meaning of its contents, and how you could have had the audacity tohold clandestine meetings with this young man? Also, how many times hehas actually forced himself into my school disguised as a girl?" In a slow even voice Beverly replied to each question: "I do not know the name of the person who wrote that letter. I neverreceived it. I can not tell you the meaning of the contents because I donot know them. I have never held any clandestine meetings with Athol orArchie, and so far as I knew until after the game today they had been inthis school but once. At that time I knew they were coming and we did itpartly for a lark and partly because I wanted so terribly to see Athol. "A little catch came into her voice just there. Miss Woodhull whollymisinterpreted the reason for it and murmured sarcastically: _"Athol. "_ "Yes, my twin brother, Miss Woodhull. I do not expect _you_ to understandwhat we have always been to each other. As to their presence here thisafternoon, I knew absolutely nothing of it until Athol pitched his muffinto the air and gave our old yell of victory at the end of the game, "and Beverly nearly laughed at the recollection of her start when the oldfamiliar sound fell upon her ears, and the memory of the way in whichthat muff had hurtled into the air. "Your mirth is most ill-timed, Miss Ashby. This is by no means afacetious occasion, please understand. I do not lightly tolerate theinfringement of my rules, as you will learn to your cost. If, as youstate, you are ignorant of the contents of this letter you may now readit aloud in my presence. Perhaps that may refresh your memory and enableyou to answer _truthfully_ the other questions. " Miss Woodhull held the letter toward Beverly. The girl did not stir. "Did you understand my command?" "I did, Miss Woodhull. I have already told you the entire truth, but Imust decline to read that letter because it is not mine. " "Decline! Decline!" almost shrieked the infuriated principal. "Do youdare defy my commands?" "I do not wish to defy your orders, Miss Woodhull, but I can not readsomeone else's letter. " Beverly's voice was trembling partly from nervousness, partly fromoutraged pride. "You shall read that letter to me whether it is yours or not though Ihave not the slightest doubt that it is yours, and that you are trying toshield yourself behind some purely fictitious person. You seem to possessa lively imagination. " Beverly stood rigid. Miss Woodhull waited. "Perhaps you will be good enough to give a name to your fictitiousbeing?" "I do know to whom that letter was sent, for I saw her drop it. I pickedit up to return it to her, but before I could do so it disappeared frommy history. I could not help reading the first line because it stood outso plainly before me when I picked the letter from the floor. I knownothing further of its contents, and I do not wish to. That line wassilly enough. The girl did not know what had become of it until I went toher later and told her about finding it and also about its lossafterward. From that moment to this I have never laid eyes upon it, and Iwish I never had seen it at all. You may believe me or not as you choose, but until I came into this school such things had never entered my head, and mother and Uncle Athol would be perfectly disgusted with the wholeshowdown. And so am I. " Beverly paused for want of breath. _"Who dropped that letter?"_ The words were in italics, notwithstandingthe fact that some vague doubts were beginning to form in the back of theprincipal's brain. "Do you for one second think that I will tell you?" blazed Beverly. "I am very positive that you will tell me without a moment's delay, oryou will be suspended from this school within twenty-four hours, if notexpelled. Her name! At once!" "I shall never tell you no matter what you do to me. What do you take mefor? How _dare_ you think me capable of such a low-down, mucker trick?"Unconsciously she had lapsed into Athol's vernacular. It was the lasttouch to Miss Woodhull's wrath. She actually flew up out of her chair andcatching Beverly by her shoulders shook her soundly. Then it all happenedin a flash. Miss Woodhull was a tall woman and a large woman as well. Sheweighed at least one-hundred-seventy pounds. But from lack of properexercise (she loathed walking) and the enjoyment of the many luxurieswhich the past successful years had made possible, she was exactly like awell-modeled India rubber figure. Beverly was tall for a girl not yet sixteen, and as the result of havinggrown up with two active healthy boys, and having done every earthlything which they had done, she was a living, vital bunch of energy andwell-developed muscles, and fully as strong as Athol. Never since tiny childhood when Mammy Riah had smacked her for somemisdeed, or her mother had spanked her for some real transgression, hadhand been laid upon her excepting in a caress. That any human being couldso lose her self-control as to resort to such methods of correction shewould not have believed possible. Then in a flash all the fighting blood of the Ashbys and Seldons boiled, and with a cry of outraged feelings Beverly Ashby laid hold of MissWoodhull's flabby arms with a pair of slender muscular hands, backed herby main force against the chair which she had so hastily vacated, andplumped that dumbfounded lady down upon it with a force which made herteeth crack together, as she cried indignantly: "How dare you touch me! How dare you!" Then with a whirl she was across the room, out of the door and up thestairs to Study 10, which she entered like a cyclone and rushed acrossinto her bedroom, slamming and locking the door. What mental processes took place behind that locked door her astonishedroom-mates, who had been eagerly awaiting her return, could not evenguess, and dared not venture to inquire. Not a sound came from the room. "What do you suppose has happened?" asked Sally breathlessly. "Something a good deal more serious than we have any idea of. BeverlyAshby is not the kind of girl to look or act like that without a mightygood cause. Did you notice her face? It frightened me, " was Aileen's awedreply. "What can we do?" asked Sally in deep distress. "Not one single, solitary thing, and that's the very worst of it. Wedon't even know what has happened, " and the two girls began to preparefor bed in a bewildered sort of way. Meanwhile down in that perfectly appointed study a very dazed woman satrigid and silent. For the very first time in all her life she hadencountered a will stronger than her own, had met in the person of anindividual only a quarter of her own age a force which had literally andfiguratively swept her off her feet and set at naught a resolution whichshe believed to be indomitable. And worst of all, it had all come to passbecause she had lost her self-control. Up to her own outbreak MissWoodhull was forced to admit that Beverly had been absolutely courteous. It was purely her own act which had precipitated that climax. For fullyhalf an hour she sat as one stunned, then she said, and the words almosthissed from her colorless lips: "I shall make an example of her! She shall be expelled in disgrace!"though then and there she resolved that none should ever learn of thatfinal scene, and--well--somehow, though she could not explain herconviction, she knew that the outside world would never learn of itthrough Beverly. CHAPTER XVII IN THE WEE SMA' HOURS When Beverly swept into her room her thoughts were like a seethingcauldron; One instant one impression boiled to the surface, only to besubmerged the very next by others surging to the top. She could not thinkconnectedly. Everything seemed jumbled pell mell in her brains. Just oneincident took definite shape: She had been shaken like a naughty childand told that she was lying. And all because every instinct of honor andjustice forbade her betraying a class-mate, even though she entertainedfor her little less than contempt. And the effect of Miss Woodhull's actwas very much as though a man had deliberately walked up to AdmiralSeldon, accused him of lying and slapped his face. During the six months which she had spent at Leslie Manor, Beverly Ashbyhad been no more nor less than just herself: neither better nor worsethan the average girl. But for her six months in a boarding-schoolpresided over by a woman who had never known any real girlhood, orgirlhood's exuberance, was an experience far different than for theaverage girl. Miss Woodhull had grown more and more iconoclastic, andmore of a law unto herself with each advancing year. She had become asadamant to all natural impulses, and apparently dead to all affection. Bitterly intolerant of suggestion, advice, or even the natural laws ofethics. With each year she had grown more difficult to live with, andless and less fitted to govern growing girls. But in the beginning theschool had established a reputation for the thoroughness of itscurriculum and its instruction, as well as for its discipline, and thereis little doubt that some of the girls which had come to it during thepast thirty years were in need of some discipline. But Beverly Ashby was not of the type who required discipline of theorder Miss Woodhull believed in. Beverly had lived for more than fifteenyears under the discipline of love and good judgement, and had developedfairly well in that atmosphere. Her mother had never reproved or punishedher in anger. The Admiral, while adoring her, was "boss of the ship, " andboth she and Athol had always recognized that fact. His word was law. Moreover, she had always been treated as a reasoning human being_invariably_ trusted; a nice code of honor having been established fromthe moment the twins could understand the meaning of that fine old word. And that is much earlier in children's lives than a good many grownupsbelieve. No wonder an outraged little mortal now sat at her window, her heartbeating tattoo, her temples throbbing, her cheeks blazing, her eyesflashing, but her hands clenched and icy cold. There she sat until allsounds in the big house were hushed. She was as rigid as though carvedfrom marble, even though her breath came and went pantingly. The hand upon the clock in the stable tower crept from hour to hour, thebell telling off the half-hours. She neither saw nor heard. Then came thetwelve long deliberate strokes announcing the witching hour. At the firststroke Beverly started into life. By the time the last had sounded thepretty pink dinner gown she had been wearing lay in a tumbled heap uponthe bed where she had tossed it. By this time the moon which had been pouring its flood of light into herroom was dropping behind the tall trees and the room was growing dark. The steam heat had long since died down and the room was cold. She wasentirely unconscious of physical conditions. Silently as a shadow sheworked, and with the swiftness of a cloud scudding before a gale of wind. In ten minutes the room was in perfect order and she was garbed in herstout riding-boots, heavy riding skirt, a warm flannel shirt waist andheavy sweater. Her wool skating cap was pulled tight down about her ears, and she carried her riding crop in her gloved hands. Gently raising her window she slipped out upon the piazza roof, crawledupon her hands and knees to the edge, tossed her riding crop to theground and then, boy-fashion slid down the piazza pillar as easily asAthol could have done it. Picking up the riding crop she sped across thelawn to the stable, well hidden by the foliage. Andrew Jackson Jefferson and his two assistants slept in a little cottagebehind the stable. The stable door was locked but a small window at theside had been left open for ventilation. Monkey-wise she scrambled up andthrough it. A low nickering from the horses greeted her; they knew her atonce. Apache was contentedly munching his hay. Horses sleep or eatcapriciously. To slip on his bridle, adjust and cinch his saddle took buta few minutes. Then she led him from his stall, silently unbarred the bigdoors, led him outside, again closed the doors carefully, and mountedhim. The night was clear and cold. The moon, though now well toward thewestern mountains, still made it bright. Not a sound had Beverly utteredfor over two hours, but now, leaning forward she clasped both arms aroundthe little broncho's neck, rested her face against his mane, andwhispered: "Apache, no Seldon or Ashby can ever be told that they are lying. Do youunderstand? We are going back to people who don't say such things. It's along distance, and I don't know the way very well I may get lost, but Idon't believe that _you_ will. Take me safely home, Apache. _Please, please_ take me home to dear old Woodbine and mother and Uncle Athol andMammy Riah and Athol and--and everybody I love. " A little sob ended the entreaty, and as though he understood every wordshe had spoken Apache gave a neigh loud enough to waken the SevenSleepers. Beverly clapped her hand across his nostrils as she cried: "Oh, you mustn't! You will wake everybody up! Go!" and with a boundApache went, but as though he now fully understood he swept like a shadowacross the lawn, out through a side gate and down the pike. Jefferson onhis cot in the cottage roused enough to mutter: "Dat hawse a-hollerin'. I bettah get up an' see----" and then resumed hissnore just where Apache's farewell had interrupted it. And out in thegreat lonely, silent night the little horse sped away like the wind. Fora mile Beverly let Apache gang his ain gait, then she drew him down tothe steady lope which he could keep up for hours without tiring. The lines: "But there is a road from Winchester town, A good broadhighway leading down, " might have been written of the first five miles ofthe road Beverly was following, and which led to Front Royal. Those mileswere covered in less than half an hour. But over thirty still lay aheadand some of them would have been pretty rough riding even in summer timeand with the roads in good condition. The moon was now dropping behind the distant range of the great NorthMountains, the air was chill and penetrating, and the dense darknesswhich precedes the dawn enveloped all the world. Front Royal, save for afew scattered, flickering lights, lay in absolute darkness. Beverly drewa quick breath and shut her teeth hard. From Front Royal to Luray her waymust be on dead reckoning and Apache's incomprehensible instinct, andthose miles seemed to Beverly to be double the length of ordinary miles. Still, she knew, that she could not go far astray if she kept between therailroad and the river, so plucking up her courage she fled through thesleeping town like a wraith. Once beyond it the roads branched and herfirst doubt had to be settled. Dismounting, she went close to the stonemile post and tried to read the sign. She managed to make out the name, but it might as well have been Greek. She knew nothing of the townindicated three miles beyond. "Apache, " she said desperately, "do you know that it's up to _you_?" Thenshe looked to her saddle cinch and her stirrup straps, took the littlebeast's head in her arms and hugged him, and kissed his velvety muzzle. "Yes, it's up to you. You've got to pull out for Woodbine and Uncle Abelsomehow. " Perhaps Uncle Abel's name was the pass word. At any rate, Apache nuzzledBeverly, neighed, pawed the ground impatiently, and indicated in everypossible way that he would do all any horse could. "All right then. Now make good!" and with a light spring she was again inthe saddle. There is no time to dwell in detail upon that dark, cold, terrible ridebetween Front Royal and Luray. Beverly had never been so cold in all herlife. She let Apache choose his own way, and take his own gait, which wasnow slow and doubtful, and then like an arrow, as his confidence grew. Luray was reached in time and skirted, then all was plain sailing toSprucy Branch fourteen miles beyond. Apache had often been to Luray andknew every inch of that road, but Beverly was by that time nearly numbfrom the cold. Then: "As if he knew the terrible need, He stretched away with the utmost speed. Hills rose and fell, but his heart was gay With _Woodbine_ only eight miles away. " Three-thirty A. M. Had just been struck by the ship's clock near the headof Admiral Seldon's bed, the "seven bells" rousing him slightly. He hadnever ceased counting time by "watches, " and as sure as "morning watch"drew near he would waken. The habits of early years are not readilyforsaken. The faintest suggestion of dawn was visible over the Blue Ridge when, instead of turning over again and settling down for his last, snugmorning nap, the old gentleman started wide awake and keenly alert. "Had he heard a horse neigh?" Impossible! The stables were too far fromhis bedchamber for any such sound to reach him. "Reckon I must have beendreaming of Beverly and her little skallawag, " he said softly, and wasabout to settle down once more when a neigh, loud, clear and insistent, pierced the crisp morning air. "What the ----?" he cried, springing out of bed with surprising agilityfor his years, and switching on the electric lights. Hurrying to thewindow which commanded the sweep of the driveway he peered out. In thefaint light the indistinct outline of a horse was visible. "Now which of those young devils of colts has escaped?" was his query, ashe hastily donned his clothes, and started down stairs. But that neigh had been heard by others also, and as the Admiral reachedthe end of the hall Mrs. Ashby came from her bedroom arrayed in bath robeand bed slippers. "What is it?" she asked. "The Lord only knows. One of those confounded colts broken loose I daresay, and if it is I'll crack Uncle Abel's head for him, " and away hehurried. But Uncle Abel, who possessed six instead of five senses, the sixth being"horse sense" had heard that neigh, too, and the ceremony of his robingrequiring less time than the Admiral's, he was already speeding towardthat sound as fast as his old legs would carry him. As he turned thecorner of the house he was welcomed by a most jubilant neigh, and thenext second had reached the steaming Apache, and exclaiming: "Ma Lawd-Gawd-A'mighty, what done happen! Is dat yo', Miss Bev'ly? Baby!Honey! Is yo' daid?" for a rigid, unconscious little figure was leaningforward with her arms clasped tightly around the panting horse's neck. Quicker than it takes to tell it Abel had unclasped the clinging arms andwas tenderly lifting her from the horse's back. At that moment theAdmiral burst through the big front door and came striding across thelawn, storming at each step: "You Abel! You old fool! How did that horse break loose? How----My God!Who is that?" for he was now near enough to see the three figures and tohear Abel's sobs which punctuated his words as he held the helplesslittle figure in his arms. "What is it? What has happened?" "Gawd only knows, Mars Athol. But he'p me wid dis chile quick please sur. She lak ter die ef we don' do some'n. " No need of that request. Relieved of his precious burden, Apache spedaway for the stable, his duty faithfully performed. There many willinghands cared for him while his little mistress, the excitement, fatigueand cold having completed Miss Woodhull's cruel work, was tenderlycarried into the house by old Abel and her uncle, the latter muttering: "It's some of that damned woman's work! I know it is, and I'll bring thewhole school down about her ears unless I find out the truth of it all. My little girl! My little girl! Over thirty-five miles in the dead ofnight, alone and nearly frozen. Mary! Mary! Mammy! Everybody come quickand phone for Doctor Marshall!" But Beverly was not dying, and within an hour, under her mother's andgood old Mammy Riah's ministrations, was warm and snug in her bed, thoughweak and exhausted. When the doctor came he ordered absolute quiet andundisturbed rest. "She will soon drop off to sleep, and let her sleep forhours if she can. She is utterly worn out and as much from nerve strainas physical fatigue if I know anything of symptoms. What happened, Seldon?" "The good Lord who brought her through it only knows, for I don't, thoughI mean to learn as soon as that child is in a condition to tell me. Andthen by the great guns something's going to let loose. I've talked withthat stone image of a woman at Leslie Manor and I know what it can say. It isn't a woman; It's a blight upon the sex: A freak: It's _stone_, andwhen lightning strikes stone something bursts to smithereens. And by allthat's powerful the lightning's going to strike _this_ time. Thirty-fivemiles all alone in the dead of the night. Marshall I'm all bowled over. Good Lord! Good Lord!" The Admiral paced the library like a caged lion. "A woman without children is only half a woman, " sputtered fat littleDoctor Marshall. "I'll be in again toward evening. Don't worry about her, for she'll come out all right. She has a constitution like India rubber. " "Well may the Lord help that old maid if she doesn't!" was the Admiral'ssignificant answer. CHAPTER XVIII WHEN THE LIGHTNING STRUCK "Hurry up Bev! You'll be late for breakfast. You've done some sleepingsince ten o'clock last night, " called Sally, pounding upon the door ofbedroom A, but getting no response. Aileen had already knocked and called without eliciting a reply, and boththe girls were worried but tried not to show it. When ten more minutespassed in silence Aileen looked troubled and asked: "Do you think she is ill? Ought we to call Miss Stetson?" "Miss Stetson!" snapped Sally. "If she is ill she would rather see theold Nick himself than Miss Stetson. I'll run and get Mrs. Bonnell. " In spite of her anxiety Aileen laughed. True enough, Miss Stetson was notexactly the person to call in when one was ill. "That's true, Mrs. Bonnell will be the one to call. But I wish Bev _would_ answer. It scaresme almost to death. And I'd like right well to know what happened lastnight. Beverly Ashby is not the sort of girl to go up in the air overnothing, believe me, but she was pretty high up last night. Do go forBonny, Sally. I'm too nervous to wait another minute. " "All right, " and away sped Sally down the corridor. As she reached thefoot of the stairs she almost ran into Wesley. "Has yo' heard what done happen las' night, Miss Sally?" he askedexcitedly. "No. What was it?" asked Sally eagerly. "Miss Bev'ly's hawse done been stole f'om de stable; saddle, bridle an'all. " "Never!" cried Sally. "Yas ma'am, dey done been! Jeff'son yonder in de study a-tellin' MissWoodhull 'bout it right dis minute, " and Wesley hurried away to thedining room. "Apache stolen! Oh----" Sally gasped. She recalled the words whichBeverly had spoken the very first hour of their acquaintance: "It wouldtake very little to make me light out for Woodbine. " Six months had passed since those words had been spoken, and during thosemonths Beverly had known some lonely hours as well as happy ones; she hadbeen made miserable more than once by Miss Bayliss, Miss Stetson and MissWoodhull, who seemed to have conceived a most unmerited dislike for thegirl. Sally knew nothing of Miss Woodhull's dislike for Admiral Seldonbecause he had presumed to question her policy, nor could a girl ofSally's sweet nature possibly understand the smallness of one which wouldtake out upon a defenceless young girl the resentment which she harboredtoward her older relative. Nevertheless, that was precisely thesituation, and Miss Stetson and Miss Bayliss were Miss Woodhull'smirrors. Sally soon found Mrs. Bonnell and together they hurried up stairs. ButMrs. Bonnell was no more successful in getting a response to her callsthan the girls had been. "Sally, can you climb?" she asked. "Yes, Mrs. Bonnell, " answered Sally wholly bewildered. "Then crawl through your window and along the roof to Beverly's. I'm notgoing to stir up a fuss unless I am compelled to. Look in and tell mewhat you see. Be careful, dear, " she ended as Sally scuttled over thewindow sill. They leaned out to watch her. She gave a little cry when shediscovered that the room was empty. "What is it?" they asked in a breath. "She--she isn't there at all, " gasped Sally. "Not there! Raise the window and go in and unfasten the door, Sally. Bequick for the breakfast bell will ring in a few minutes. " Sally did as bidden. The room was as undisturbed as it had been twelvehours before. Aileen ran to the closet. "Her riding things are gone!" she cried. "And Wesley just told me that Apache had been stolen in the night, "wailed Sally. "There is more to this than we thought, " said Mrs. Bonnell considerablyperturbed. "Now I _must_ report to Miss Woodhull. " She turned and hurried from the room but had not gone ten steps down thecorridor when she met that lady with wrath and fire in her eye. "What is this fresh annoyance concerning Beverly Ashby? Jefferson hasjust told me that her horse was stolen in the night. A likely story! Itis some new deception upon her part. Such duplicity it has never been mymisfortune to encounter. I wish to speak to her at once, " stormed theprincipal, striding into the study. Now to be responsible for a young girl not yet sixteen years of age, andone whose family is widely known throughout the entire state, and todiscover that said young lady has been missing from beneath one's roofall night, is, to say the least, disconcerting. For the first time in herdomineering life the Empress was thoroughly alarmed. Alarmed forBeverly's safety, the reputation of the school, and, last, but by nomeans least, for what such a denouement might bring to pass in the futurefinancial outlook for her business. The school had paid well, but howlong would its patronage continue if the facts of this case became widelyknown? Miss Woodhull was an alien in the land of her adoption. She had nevertried to be anything else. She had established herself at Leslie Manorbecause she wished to acquire health and wealth, and she had achieved herobjects to a wonderful degree. But she had made no friends. She did notwish to make friends among the Southerners. She despised them and alltheir customs, and though in the beginning they had made many graciousovertures of friendship she had repulsed them at every turn. Consequentlythey soon began to regard her with indifference if not with contempt. There was absolutely nothing in common between them. She was merely abusiness proposition in their midst. Their children could acquire beneathher roof the education they desired for them, and there it ended. If, asrumor stated, she really came of gentle Northern blood it must havereceived a very peculiar infusion in her immediate forebears. They missedsomething of the noblesse oblige which was to them as a matter of course. So with each passing year the gulf had imperceptibly widened until MissWoodhull was as much alone in hospitable Virginia as though she lived inBorneo. Upon realizing that Beverly was really missing her first impulse was tophone to Kilton Hall, for, of course, she had risen early and rushed offto see Athol. Miss Woodhull's blood boiled at the thought! Kilton Hall ofall places the one she detested most. It had been a thorn in her fleshfrom the moment she knew of its existence for its policy wasdiametrically opposed to her own. Still, inquiries must be made withoutfurther delay, but she would be discreet. So she called the school up byphone: "Had they seen anything of a stray horse? One of her pupil's horses hadescaped during the night and she was phoning in every direction in herendeavors to find it. It was Miss Ashby's horse and he might have madehis way as far as the hall. " "No, there was no stray animal there, but Dr. Kilton would have athorough search made in their neighborhood. " But Dr. Kilton was a far cry from being a fool. Why should Miss Woodhullthink a runaway horse had run all that distance? And if he _had_ Dr. Kilton was fully convinced that he had not run riderless. He had notforgotten that October runaway. Moreover, he had detected a repressedexcitement in the voice over that phone. He very quietly conferred withMrs. Kilton and that lady was quite as quick-witted as her spouse. Theydecided to maintain a discreet silence, but to make some quiet inquiries. A few hours later Smedes, the Doctor's body servant, was sent upon anerrand to the little village nearest Leslie Manor, and Smedes knew everyservant at that school. When he returned Dr. And Mrs. Kilton becameconsiderably wiser regarding the true facts of the case, but decided tosay nothing to Beverly's brother for the present. But they kept inconstant communication with Leslie Manor, via Smedes and Jefferson. Far and wide did Leslie Manor send messages and messengers. No horse wasto be found. In the school chaos reigned, and the usual Sunday decorum andpeace went by the board completely. Some of the girls were rebellious, some hysterical, some scolded and some wept silently, and to a unit theyall blamed Miss Woodhull for the situation. Mrs. Bonnell and several ofthe teachers were wholly indignant that she had not instantly communicatedwith Beverly's family, as was obviously her duty. Mrs. Bonnell openlyurged it. Miss Woodhull pooh-poohed the idea. "Beverly would come backwhen she recovered from her fit of sulks, and would be properly punishedfor her conduct by expulsion. She had already transgressed to a degree towarrant it, and had been warned the evening before to that effect. ("Ah, "breathed Mrs. Bonnell at this admission). Communicate with Beverly'speople? Absurd! Why magnify such a trivial matter? Girls had made believeto run away from the school before, and would doubtless do so again. Theyinvariably ran back again and Beverly would do likewise when she gotready. She was probably with some friend in the neighborhood. She was inthe habit of forming friendships with all sorts and conditions of people. That her horse was also gone might be a mere coincidence, or else she wastrying to frighten them all, and would come riding back by sundown. Shewas capable of almost any insubordination, and rising at dawn and ridingoff somewhere was merely a fresh demonstration of it. " That Miss Woodhull was merely "whistling to keep her courage up" all wellknew. But sunset failed to bring the runaway, and Kilton Hall knew of this factright speedily. Then Athol was called to the Doctor's study and the factstold him. The boy was thunderstruck, and blurted out: "It's that old harridan!" then blushed crimson. Dr. And Mrs. Kilton didnot reprove the outbreak, but pardoned it upon the ground of excitement. "You would better call up your uncle at once, Athol. I do not wish tointerfere, or criticise, but I know what I should wish if it were mydaughter, " said Mrs. Kilton. "Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Kilton, I'll do it right off, " and hehurried into the little room at the end of the hall where the phonestood, Mrs. Kilton following, while the Doctor wondered what the nextmove must be. A moment later he joined them. Athol soon had Woodbine onthe wire and then ensued a funny, one-sided conversation. "Oh, Uncle Athol, is that you?" * * * * * "Say, have you, --that is, --has Bev sent any message to you today? What!She's there, in bed? Great Scott! When did she come?" * * * * * "Three-thirty this morning on Apache? And all in? Gee! But she's allright now? You have just been hearing the whole story from her? She didthose thirty-five miles in three hours? Jimminy Christmas! Say, she's apippin! Bully girl! I knew that pie-face over at her school would queerthe whole show. Say, Uncle Ath, I'd just like to put one over on her forfair. What did she do to Bev, anyhow?" * * * * * "She never! What, told her she _lied_!" Athol very nearly kicked over thelittle phone stand. "And Bev wouldn't stand for it and lit out? Snappy work! I say, UncleAth, let me come home, please, and hear all about it. I'll blow up if youdon't say yes, honest, I shall. The Doctor won't let me? You bet he will. He and Mrs. Kilton are right here beside me and almost dancing up anddown. They're peaches. " "Oh, I beg your pardon!" he jerked over his shoulder. "But they are allright. They've been almost worried to death. They heard of it early thismorning and wanted to get word to you right off, but didn't dare butt in, you see. . . . "Yes, they have just said I may come and I'll be down on the first trainin the morning. I mustn't say a word to _Arch_. Oh, Uncle Ath! Well, Iwon't if you say not but I reckon I'll burst if I don't tell him. Youdon't want the old maid to get wise that Bev's at Woodbine? Going to giveher a little dose of discipline? Oh, I say, Uncle Ath, give her allthat's coming to her. She rates it all right, all right. She's madethings just too darned hot for Bev, and a whole bunch of the girls upthere. Everybody hates her. " "Eh?" as Mrs. Kilton's hand was laid warningly upon his shoulder. Dr. Kilton had turned hastily away. He could not trust his countenance, nordid he wish to hear too much. The boy which had never died in him wasrebelling in sympathy with Athol. A few more sentences and Athol hung up the receiver, and sought theDoctor. He was boiling with rage. "Brace up, old chap. It's nothing serious, you may be sure of that, oryour uncle would have sent for you at once. And, remember, mum's theword. " "Yes, sir. I'll remember, sir. And thank you a whole lot, sir, forletting me phone. I'll hold my jaw--I mean I won't say a single word. " "A pretty state of things, I'll be bound, " stormed Dr. Kilton when Atholhad gone. "Why that woman----" he did not complete his sentence. "I wish she would sell out and go to live in Jericho, or some otherremote place!" cried Mrs. Kilton, petulantly. Then added eagerly: "OhAvary, perhaps she will--after all this. It will stir the wholecountryside. " CHAPTER XIX FOR HAPPIER DAYS While Athol was fuming at Kilton Hall and trying to keep his promise tohis uncle to "hold his jaw, " though it very nearly resulted in lockjaw, the ferment at Leslie Manor grew. The older girls had grown rebellious almost to a unit, and the entireschool was terror-stricken or hysterical, the inevitable outcome of adiscipline which had steadily grown more severe and arbitrary; a naggingsurveillance which only incited in the pupils a wild desire to do thevery things of which they were unjustly suspected and accused. They werenever trusted, their simplest, most innocent acts were misconstrued, their word doubted, and, as in Beverly's case, Miss Woodhull had morethan once cruelly baited and insulted them. Truly, "the years had wrought strangenesses in her, " and a moreshort-sighted policy than she had adopted for the past five it would behard to conceive. Mrs. Bonnell and some of the teachers had been painfully alive to allthis for a long time. Two or three of the instructors had resigned andsought positions elsewhere, unable to work in the unhappy atmospherewhich Miss Woodhull created. Once Mrs. Bonnell had bearded the lioness in her den and striven toremonstrate with her, which had drawn upon her devoted head such a stormof resentment that she had then and there tendered her resignation also. At that point Miss Woodhull, realizing how entirely dependent she wasupon Mrs. Bonnell's perfect management of Leslie Manor had actuallyapologized and begged Mrs. Bonnell to remain. She excused her languageupon the score of excessive fatigue after so many years of unremittingwork. "Unremitting?" Mrs. Bonnell smiled but accepted the apology. Herlivelihood depended upon her own work, and she also loved the place andhad many friends in that part of the world. But the idea of MissWoodhull's "arduous work" was certainly amusing. Miss Woodhull never dida thing (but criticise) from one day's end to the next. She had longsince given up all classes, and now merely presided as the autocrat ofthe establishment, unloved by any, feared by many, disliked by all. IfMiss Stetson and Miss Baylis really did like her they also shared thefear she inspired. More than one upheaval had occurred in the course of the school'sexistence, but had always been quickly hushed up, though vague rumors hadcirculated throughout the community. During later years, however, morethan one girl had "been dismissed, " so Miss Woodhull stated, "forunbecoming conduct. " The girls themselves told different stories. For thepast three years Dr. And Mrs. Kilton had been quietly trying to purchaseLeslie Manor through agents in Richmond, for a good bit of insideinformation had come to them regarding the manner in which matters wereshaping there, and their pride in the community, and in Warren County, shrank from some possible crisis which would bring upon it an unpleasantnotoriety. In one sense the girls in Leslie Manor were well cared for. Theirphysical and personal welfare were safe in Mrs. Bonnell's hands and theinstruction was thorough and excellent. But in the wise development ofcharacter, in the trustful, happy confidence which girlhood should know, in the harmony which is girlhood's right, or the harmless frolicing, andhealthful bodily development from spontaneous activities, they were sadlylacking. Everything was cut and dried. All things ordered from MissWoodhull's austere standpoint. No wonder that the school harbored"Pettys" and "Eleanors" and "Electras" and a few other oddities. Untilthis year it had never sheltered a "Beverly, " and this same Beverly waslikely to prove, though with no such intention upon her part, itsWaterloo. And thus stood affairs that Sunday evening after Beverly's flight, andthen from a source least expected Bomb Number 1 was hurled. All day long Electra Sanderson had been strangely silent. At eighto'clock she marched down to Miss Woodhull's study, rapped upon the door, and was bidden enter. That lady sat with her hand upon the telephonereceiver, about to remove it. She now fully realized that Admiral Seldonmust be communicated with at once. She must face the music this time. Shealmost hailed Electra with joy as the source of a brief respite. Electra crossed the room, rested one hand upon the corner of MissWoodhull's desk, plucked up her courage and plunged in head first: "You scolded Beverly Ashby for receivin' a letter she didn't _get_. Itwasn't hers at all. It was Petty Gaylord's. I saw her receive it. I don'twant to tell tales, but I _wont_ have Beverly blamed for something shenever done--_did_. She's always been nice and polite to me and Petty aintbeen. Eleanor Allen _stole_ that letter and brought it down here to youjust to get Beverly into trouble. I _saw_ her do it. She took it rightout of Beverly's history book. Petty dropped it in history class andnever knew what had become of it. The next morning Beverly came into ourroom and told Petty that she had picked it up to return it to her butwhen she opened her book to get it it was gone, but Petty wouldn'tbelieve her and said awful things to her till Beverly just looked at herthe way she _can_ look when she _despises_ people (well Miss Woodhullknew that look) and went out of the room. But Eleanor had that letter allthe time, 'cause I saw her sneak into Beverly's room and snitch it. Idon't know what she wanted with it, but after I saw her take it I watchedher every single minute. I thought she would give it to Petty, of course, they're so stuck on each other, but she didn't. She just kept and kept itfor some mucker trick, and when I saw her comin' down to your study lastnight I knew just as well as anything what she was up to. She hatesBeverly just because she won't have anything to do with her and laughs atPetty and her mash. Petty's just dead in love with that feller atAnnapolis. Now if you don't believe what I've told you you can just sendfor both of them and ask them yourself. I don't care a cent what you dofor I'm going to leave this hateful school tomorrow and you can't stopme. And I'll tell dad all about this fracas too. I hate you andeverything in the school--so there, now!" and with this final explosionEleanor turned and fled from the room. Erin Go Bra! If Eleanor's storyhad not collapsed Miss Woodhull her English certainly would havecompassed that result. She fell back upon her chair panting. Just thenher phone rang: BOMB No. 2. "No, Admiral Seldon, your niece is not here this evening. She istemporarily absent. When do I expect her to return? Oh, er--I think bytomorrow at latest. Is she where you can communicate with her by phone?Oh, certainly, certainly. The number? Why, er, I must ascertain for you. You must know immediately? You have heard alarming rumors? Ridiculous!Your niece missing since last evening? Preposterous! Absurd! Yes, ofcourse, if you insist. And you will be over by the first train in themorning? Really, you are over-solicitous. My pupils are well looked afterand cared for. You have reason to believe they are? Your tone hardlybears out your statement. She must be here to receive you when youarrive? Oh, certainly. _Very_ well. Good-by. " The Empress came nearerfainting after that conversation than she had ever come in all her life. But such a nature as hers must have a vent for its spleen, and whatbetter ones than Eleanor and Petty, the cause of all the mischief? Theelectric bell which summoned them to Miss Woodhull's study fairlysputtered sparks. Eleanor was sulkily silent. Petty, as usual, in tears. Tears were Petty's long suit. We have not time to dwell upon the details of that interview even if wewould. Eleanor was one of the few girls to really be expelled from theschool, and Petty promptly fled to "darling mamma" and "Reggie. " Early Monday morning Admiral Seldon arrived upon the scene and wascloseted with the Empress for two solid hours. This time his guns were_not_ silenced, and those passing the study door could hear a steadyrumble like heavy firing afar off, and in the intervals lighter shots, asthough a gatling gun were popping its stacatto fire. Ultimately the heavygun silenced the gatling. The last shot was something upon this order: "Your methods, Madam, may prevail elsewhere, but permit me to say thatthey are a dead failure here. You are not training cart horses, butthoroughbreds, and you can't lash and spur _that_ breed. No, my niecewill _never_ return to Leslie Manor while it continues under its presentmanagement, and the next time I select a school for her the character andpersonality of its head will influence my choice far more than thecurriculum, or modern methods. We have managed in bygone days to producesome pretty fine specimens of the true gentlewoman by the old methods invogue in this part of the United States, and I am hopeful that we mayproduce a few more before the race dies out. Yes, I assuredly advise arest, Madam, and that you prolong it indefinitely. It will benefit youimmensely, I am sure--and also a great many others. I have the honor towish you good-morning. And you need feel no further concern regarding myniece. " The following week the Easter recess began. During that recess MissWoodhull went to a famous Sanitarium in the state in order to "Restoreher over-taxed nerves. " She did not know that the physician in charge wasone of Admiral Seldon's oldest friends. He strongly advised againstresuming her duties after the Easter recess, and urged her to discontinueall work (?) for at least a year, and to seek an entire change of scene. She followed his advice so far as change of scene was concerned, but heridea of a complete rest was an immediate and very active affiliation withher suffering sisters in a crusade for their "rights, " and the overthrowof the oppression of the sterner sex. She sailed for England, and once inLondon became one of the most rampant of the wronged ones. Meanwhile the school was being conducted by Miss Baylis, who for fiveblissful weeks reigned supreme, while "hope" hinted a permanent one. But, alas! nothing is so delusive as human hope. That city across the seasettled Miss Baylis' plans, and Miss Woodhull's future. That lady hadfound her true place among England's "gentlewomen"(?), though she hadutterly failed to do so among Virginia's. Over there she could chuckbooks at the heads of dignified judges and glory in seeing the oldgentlemen dodge. She could heave her shoes at the Chancellor, and shoutand yell with her wronged sisters. She could smash windows, blow uppeople's houses, arrange and cavort with the maddest of her femininefriends, and give a glorious vent to all the long pent-up belligerence inher makeup, to the everlasting humiliation, mortification, shame andhorror of the GENTLEWOMEN of her own land. Exit Miss Woodhull. And her substitute? Her triumph was short lived. Leslie Manor was sold inMay. Agents in Richmond conducted the sale. No one knew the purchaser, but during the following month workmen appeared as by magic and laboredlike gnomes all day, and almost all night too. New buildings wereerected, all sorts of strange changes made in the old ones. The placeassumed huge proportions. What could it all mean? In August the cat popped out of the bag. Dr. And Mrs. Kilton moved in. Anew and imposing sign appeared upon the handsome iron grill-work of theentrance gate, the gold letters reading: "The Wilder-Kilton Co-EducationalAcademy!" Wilder had been Mrs. Kilton's maiden name. Old Kilton Hall, longsince out-grown, became the home farm, and a sort of retreat for anypupils who were ailing or in need of a complete rest. The school was to beopened September thirtieth, under an entirely new auspices, and certainlyunder very new conditions. It was a daring venture, a complete innovation, but Dr. And Mrs. Kilton were sanguine of success. Whether their dreamswere realized or not must be told in "A Dixie Girl Co-Ed. " And down in Woodbine? Well, three hilarious young people were nearly tearing the world totatters in their joy. In May Admiral Seldon had taken them to Washingtonand Annapolis, where they had, sure enough, had the time of their lives. Then, the sight-seeing fever increasing, Mrs. Ashby joined them inPhiladelphia, and away they went to New York, Niagara, and finally toEurope, where the summer was spent in one round of ecstasy. And nowSeptember was drawing to its close, and with the last day of that monththeir eagerly-longed for co-ed days would begin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POPULAR AND ATTRACTIVE CLOTH BOUND BOOKS Printed on superior paper; clear type; multi-color jackets. A carefullyselected list of titles of the World's Best Authors; embracing absorbinglove stories, baffling detective and mystery stories, and the mostfascinating romantic stories of the West. 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