CHAPTER XXV
CAUGHT--CONCLUSION
Billie Bradley and her three companions were without wraps, though theywere too excited to think of that. Also, they had had no time to informthe boys at Boxton Military Academy as to their purpose and enlisttheir help. They were too excited to think of that, either.
They followed Maria Tatgood, always at a discreet distance, through theschool gates and along the dusty road.
“Where do you suppose she’s going?” Laura whispered.
“Home!” said Billie “I’ve a notion we are going to make a realdiscovery this time!”
Maria Tatgood lived in an old house, set well back from the road andsurrounded by tall trees. There had been no attempt to cut the grassthat grew in reedy abundance to the very steps of the porch. The houseitself was in a state of considerable disrepair. A little carpentrywork and a coat or two of paint would have made it a much morehabitable place.
All these things impressed themselves more or less vividly on the mindsof the girls as they watched Maria Tatgood ascend the worn steps of theporch and disappear into the house.
The day had turned dismal and chill. The sun had disappeared under theclouds that by this time had risen from a streak low on the westernhorizon and covered the zenith. A light, misty rain was falling. Thereamong the trees it was gloomy and dark.
Evidently, the occupants of the house were also in semi-darkness, for,as the girls watched, they saw a light flash up in a room at the rear.From this same room presently came the sound of angry voices.
Billie tugged Vi’s sleeve.
“Come along! Tell Laura and Edina. The folks inside have forgotten topull the shade down at that window. Thanks to them, we can both see andhear.”
Silently, keeping to the shelter of the trees, the girls crept towardthat lighted window. The angry voices were becoming intelligible. Thegirls could hear phrases, scraps of sentences.
“You’ve spent it! You had no business----”
“I had no business, didn’t I? I like that! Ain’t I your mother?”
Billie put finger to lips in a gesture of caution and crept closer tothe window. Laura pinched Vi’s arm. Edina’s face looked very white inthe dusk.
“Just the same,” came the younger voice sullenly, “you ain’t keepin’ toyour end of the bargain. We was to split, wasn’t we?”
“Split, is it?” The voice of the older woman rose waspishly. “I shouldhave the big half, anyways. Ain’t I your mother?”
“It was me took all the risks. It was that way in the old days, too,wasn’t it? It was me opened the pocketbooks of the rich women in thestores while you took the money I got out of ’em! Well, it ain’t goin’to be so no more. We split, or I quit!”
A sullen silence fell upon the room and its occupants. Outside thegirls held their breath to listen. After a moment the more youthfulvoice continued:
“How much you got left of the money?”
“Two hundred dollars. That’s all exceptin’ a few cents in silver--ahalf a dollar, maybe.”
“You’ve already spent sixty dollars? Well, if that ain’t a rum go!”
Suddenly Edina clutched Billie’s arm.
“Quick! Hide!” she cried. “Somebody’s comin’!”
The watchers had barely time to gain the shelter of the trees when athick-set figure loomed up through the gloom. A man brushed past them,a man with hunched shoulders and a week’s growth of stubble on his face.
This person stumped around to the rear of the house, a door opened andclosed, and soon the two voices within the room were joined by a third.
“Hello, you cats at it ag’in, scratchin’ and clawin’? Where’s mydinner? That’s what I’d like to know. When are you goin’ to git me somegrub?”
Billie turned to her companions. They could see her eyes shining in thedull light.
“We’ve heard enough!’” she whispered. “Let’s be getting back.”
They fairly ran down the road to Three Towers Hall. They were scarcelyaware that they were cold and dishevelled and pretty well soaked bythe misty drizzle. In their minds two facts loomed paramount. Theyhad positively identified Maria Tatgood as the thief, and two hundreddollars of the Gift Club fund still remained in the custody of theunsavory Tatgood family. If they hurried, they still might save thattwo hundred dollars.
Up the steps of the school they rushed and into the hall, to be met bya group of horrified girls.
“Where have you been?”
“To the wars, if looks count for anything!”
“You big sillies! You are soaked through!”
Connie Danvers pushed through the crowd and plucked Billie anxiously bythe sleeve.
“Listen! Eliza Dilks saw you girls leave by the front gate a littlewhile ago. She reported to Amanda. Of course Amanda promptly reportedto Miss Walters. She’s up there in Miss Walters’ office now. I’mafraid you are in for it, Billie!”
“Where are you going?” she added, as Billie broke from her and made forthe stairs.
From the first step Billie looked down upon the group of curious,upturned faces.
“I am going to see Miss Walters on an important mission,” she said,with a challenging laugh. “You may come, too, if you like!”
Many of the girls availed themselves of this permission and troopedafter her. There was a mysterious air about Billie Bradley and hercompanions that roused their curiosity and warned them to expectdevelopments of an extraordinary character.
The group was joined on the way by new recruits, so by the time Billieand her friends reached the door of Miss Walters’ office about half thestudent body was trailing at her heels.
“You all wait here,” said Billie to her escort. “I’ll leave the dooropen just a crack so that you can hear what happens.”
Billie tapped on the door of the office. After a brief pause, MissWalters’ pleasant voice called, “Come in!”
As Billie pushed open the door she gestured to Vi and Laura and Edinato follow her.
“I can see Amanda in there,” she whispered. “I don’t intend to take mymedicine alone!”
Miss Walters looked up as the girls entered. The troubled frown on herface deepened.
“Amanda has just been telling me about you,” she said, tapping herdesk with a pencil. “Did you four students leave these grounds withoutpermission?”
“Yes, Miss Walters,” said Billie meekly, and added unnecessarily: “Wehave just got back.”
“So it seems!” Miss Walters’ frown deepened. She continued thera-ta-ta-tat with the pencil on the edge of her desk. Amanda’striumphant smirk grew until it seemed to spread over all of her face.
“You have some explanation?” said Miss Walters, at last.
This was the opportunity for which Billie had waited. Making sure thatthe door of the office was open so that the girls outside could heareverything she said, she addressed the white-haired, gracious head ofThree Towers Hall.
“Miss Walters, I have an explanation. When you hear it I think you willforgive us for leaving the grounds without asking permission.”
Miss Walters inclined her head, half-smiling at Billie’s earnestness.
“Let me hear the explanation,” she said.
Billie drew a long breath and plunged into her story. She began withthe founding of the Gift Club and Edina’s elevation to the post oftreasurer. She went on through the strange disappearance of the GiftClub fund, dwelling upon Edina Tooker’s distress upon finding herselfsuspected of the theft.
When she came to the account of her day in town, including theidentification of the blotted five dollar bill, Miss Walters’ interestvisibly increased. There was an audible sigh from the girls groupedclose about the office door. Amanda’s triumphant grin grew slightlyless triumphant.
“So you see, the evidence all pointed to the dormitory maid, MariaTatgood,” Billie pleaded.
Miss Walters nodded.
“Yes,” she said, “I see. Please go on.”
“Well, when we saw Maria l
eave the Hall to-night we felt thatthere, perhaps, was the chance to establish real evidence--policeevidence--against her. We should have asked your permission, MissWalters, to leave the school grounds, but we really hadn’t time.”
Billie was still pleading her case. Miss Walters nodded as though sheunderstood--as, indeed, she did.
“Go on!”
As Billie proceeded she was vividly aware of the keen interest thatgreeted her account of the happenings leading up to the positiveidentification of Maria Tatgood as the thief.
At the startling revelation Amanda’s jaw dropped open. Billie,happening to glance at her, choked back a laugh, which brought on sucha dire attack of coughing and strangling that Miss Walters inquiredwith a smile on her own lips whether she would not feel better for aglass of water.
“No, th-thanks,” stuttered Billie. “I--I’m all right now.”
“About this Maria Tatgood,” said Miss Walters, her face suddenly stern.“If your story is to be trusted--and I have never yet found occasionto question any statement of yours--then this Maria Tatgood and herinfamous family must be brought to the attention of the police, and atonce. I will attend to it.”
Miss Walters was silent for a moment, tracing thoughtful figures on ascrap of paper. When she looked up the troubled frown had completelyvanished from her face.
“You left the school grounds without permission, which is against therules and so merits rebuke.”
“Yes, Miss Walters,” murmured Billie, her eyes demurely lowered.
“However,” continued the principal in her pleasant, flowing voice,“your conduct was prompted by such exemplary motives that I amtempted to waive punishment for this time. In fact,” Miss Waltersflung out her hand toward Billie in a gracious, impulsive gesture,“I must congratulate you, my dear girl, on the persistent loyaltyand friendliness you have shown toward Edina Tooker, this sorelymisunderstood girl. You are a friend such as I would choose formyself.”
This praise flooded Billie with an emotion that robbed her of words.She could only look her love and gratitude.
Miss Walters said softly:
“Edina! Edina Tooker, come here, my dear.”
Edina approached uncertainly and stood before the gracious,white-haired lady who held her own fate and the fate of all thestudents of Three Towers Hall in the hollow of her hand.
Miss Walters searched among the papers on her desk and drew forth aletter.
“This communication came to me to-day, Edina. It is from your fatherand it contains news that I am sure you will be glad to hear.”
Edina looked big and awkward and pitiful as she stood there, nervouslytwisting her fingers together.
“Your father has struck oil again on his property--a genuine gusherthis time. I imagine you will be very, very rich, Edina.”
Miss Walters smiled, as though at some secret thought of her own.Reaching into the letter she drew forth a long yellow slip.
“Your father asked me to give you this check--to help him celebrate, hesaid.”
Edina took the slip of paper without pausing to read the illiteratescrawl across its face. Her eyes were on Miss Walters’ face.
“You been so awful good to me,” she muttered.
“You are worth being good to, Edina,” said Miss Walters, smiling.“Billie and I have always believed that--haven’t we, Billie?”
Miss Walters held out a hand and Edina slipped her clumsy red one intoit. At the touch, all the iron in Edina’s nature suddenly melted beforea turbulent flood of emotion.
She flung herself to her knees beside Miss Walters, and buried her facein her lap, harsh sobs tore at her aching throat.
Miss Walters stroked the dark hair and glanced with gentle meaning atthe other girls.
“You may go now,” she said. “I’ll send Edina down to you. She will feelbetter presently.”
As the girls passed from the office to be met by a group of deeplymoved and silenced students in the outer hall, Amanda Peabody was heardto mutter vindictively:
“Billie Bradley has all the pull in this place! She can get away withanything!”
* * * * *
It was the night of the big dance at Boxton Military Academy. Billiewas there and Laura and Vi and, yes--oh, of course--Edina Tooker.
Billie was a dream--Teddy told her so--in a rose-colored chiffonevening dress. Scarcely less lovely were Laura in a dainty lavenderchiffon dress and Vi in a clinging crêpe that brought out her prettyfigure to perfection.
Edina in her gold-colored taffeta with gold slippers on her feet, herhair a shining, blue-black cap for her shapely head, was quite therage with the young cadets at Boxton. She could not dance very well,but she was learning. In truth, there appeared to be no dearth ofdancing instructors, prominent among these being the good-looking PaulMartinson.
Billie and her chums discussed these--and other things--during atemporary lull in the festivities. Teddy and Chet and Ferd Stowing hadgone to fetch ice-cream and some of those “ducky little almond-flavoredcakes.”
“Well,” said Laura as she patted a soft bow of her chiffon frock intoplace, “I can only remark what I believe a gentleman called Shakespearehas already remarked before me, ‘All’s well that ends well!’”
“Which sentiment we echo heartily,” agreed Billie. “I crave yourindulgence for a moment while I sum up our reasons for gratitude.First of all, Maria Tatgood and her mother are safe in jail where theywill steal no more Gift Club funds. The two hundred dollars has beenrecovered----”
“It was generous of Edina to make up the missing sixty dollars from thecheck her father sent her,” interpolated Vi.
“Well, Edina has plenty of money now, you know. She’ll never miss thatsixty dollars. Paw Tooker will probably be a millionaire before his newgusher stops gushing, and what’s Paw’s seems to belong equally to hisbeloved Edina. But to continue with the list of our blessings. With thetwo hundred and sixty dollars, we have been able to buy Miss GeraldineGay a most gorgeous wedding present----”
“She was delighted with it, wasn’t she?”
“Why wouldn’t she be? There is no finer grandfather’s clock aroundhere.”
“When is she to be married?”
“Not before the Thanksgiving holidays. The new teacher comes then.”
“That’s not so far away. We’re not too awfully forehanded with ourgift.”
“To continue with the list of our blessings,” reiterated Billiedreamily: “Our friend and fellow student, Violet Farrington, hasrecovered from her backslidings in math to the extent of working off anonerous condition----”
“And it _is_ a blessing, believe me!” said Vi fervently. “With thatcondition off my shoulders, I feel as though I could begin to lookabout and enjoy myself.”
“Here come the boys with our ice-cream.”
“I hope they have brought dozens of cakes!”
“Before they get here,” said Laura hurriedly, “there is just one littlepoint I’d like cleared up.”
“Any little thing we can do,” murmured Billie.
“It’s about that five dollar gold piece that Edina spent in the shoeshop to buy a pair of shoes. If that was Nellie Bane’s five dollar goldpiece----”
“It wasn’t. It was Edina’s. She had kept it as a lucky piece but, beingshort of funds, was forced to use it to buy shoes. Any more questions?”
“How about Nellie’s gold piece, then?”
“It was part of the sixty dollars spent by Maria Tatgood’s mother; sheadmitted as much when pressed. Now, no more questions, please. Let joybe unconfined!”
“It is a lovely party, isn’t it?” breathed Vi.
With her eyes on Edina Tooker’s happy face, Billie Bradley answered:
“Yes, it is. The very nicest, ever!”
THE END