CHAPTER VII
WITHOUT LEAVE
"Want to go to a party, Rosalind?"
It was a dull, uninteresting-looking day in early December. Snow wasthreatening and out-of-doors looked anything but attractive. Rosalindwas toiling over a history lesson and wishing that all the kings andqueens of France had been guillotined before they made trouble forfuture generations of schoolgirls, instead of afterward, when a tap atthe door heralded Marcia and her exciting question.
Rosalind dropped her book, casting Louis XIV to the winds.
"Of course I do. Where? And when? And how? Tell me quick."
Marcia shut the door carefully. "Any chance of your roommate comingin?"
"No, she's gone home for the week-end. No one will disturb us. I'msupposed to be studying. Didn't you see the sign?"
"Yes, but I knew you weren't hurting yourself with study. Now listen. Iam invited to a party at Sara Marshall's tonight, and I can bring afriend with me. Her brother will meet us at the corner with a car, atnine o'clock. I thought of you. Will you go?"
"I'd love to. Have you asked Miss Harland? Will she let us?"
"Rosalind, you _are_ green. What Miss Harland doesn't know won't hurther. I haven't asked her, and I don't intend to. If you would be afraidto go without leave, I'll ask Alison--but she's such a stickler forrules, I didn't think she would. And this is such a good chance, withyour roommate away, and all. We can dress in here after supper, and I'llspend the night with you, if anybody asks. As soon as lights are out,we'll slip down to the basement. There'll be a window unlatched. Annwill do anything for me. See how easy it will be."
It did strike Rosalind that the plan was too clearly arranged to havebeen settled on such short notice. She said doubtfully, "But when didyou see Sara Marshall?"
"Oh, she sent me a note yesterday. I've been thinking of it ever since,and planning it out." But Marcia did not explain that she had seen SaraMarshall the day before, and that all the arrangements had beencarefully canvassed before a word was to be said to Rosalind. The notehad been merely to say that all was as they had planned, and that herbrother and a friend would be waiting at the corner for them. ToRosalind it seemed an impromptu plan for a little fun, and herpleasure-loving little head was quite turned at the prospect.
"The only trouble is," Marcia was off on a fresh tack, "I haven't athing that is decent to wear. I spoiled my old blue the last time Iwore it. It was dreadfully unbecoming, anyway. I don't believe I cango, after all."
"I'll lend you my pink," offered Rosalind, dismayed at the thought ofdisappointment. "I have a new white dress mother just sent me. Pleasewear my pink. It would be so becoming to you."
Marcia knew it would be, and after a proper amount of hesitation andprotest, she yielded, and the die was cast. The afternoon was anexciting one, and after supper they retired to Rosalind's room,ostensibly to study together. Marcia had asked and obtained permissionto spend the night with Rosalind, and with the door securely shut andfastened, the business of dressing was before them.
All went as they had planned. At nine o'clock they cautiously opened thedoor. All was dark and still in the corridor, and they crept noiselesslydownstairs to the basement, where the window had been unlatched for themby one of the maids, bribed by Marcia.
They climbed out, ran swiftly across the lawn, in terror lest someonemight be looking from an upper window. But there was no sound ormovement from the sleeping rooms. They climbed over the low place in thewall and found themselves out in the quiet street.
No one was in sight, and they scurried along, only intent on getting outof sight of those dark windows. At the corner two dark figuresconfronted them, and Rosalind barely suppressed a scream. But it wasonly Tom Marshall, who greeted them cordially.
"Hello, girls, here you are. This is Ray Gordon. We've got a car here.Hop in, it's cold out here. Glad to see you have warm coats."
The coats had been put on chiefly to cover their evening dresses, butthey were shivering with cold and excitement, and were glad to findthemselves in the warm car.
They were soon in Mrs. Marshall's bright parlors, where a merry crowdwas gathered, and were pleasantly welcomed by Mrs. Marshall herself,and by Sara, who introduced them to her friends, some of whom were knownto Marcia, but not to Rosalind.
"Miss Harland did not object to your coming, dear?" Mrs. Marshall asked."I was sure she would not, she and I are old friends--"
"Oh, no, she did not object in the least," said Marcia quickly,forestalling the words she saw on Rosalind's lips, and replying, as sheargued to herself, quite truthfully, since Miss Harland had _not_objected, not having been consulted.
The evening went on. Marcia was very bright and animated. The pink dresswas becoming to her. Her cheeks glowed with bright color. A pearlnecklace clasped her throat, and on one finger gleamed a ring--abeautiful pearl ring which she certainly had not worn when they left theschool. Rosalind wondered. Could she have had the jewels in herhand-bag, and put them on in the comparative darkness of the car? Thatmust have been it, she decided. But she felt uncomfortable, and couldnot throw herself into the spirit of whole-souled enjoyment as theothers did. She was glad when the time came for breaking up, and theirtwo escorts took them back through the quiet streets.
"Here we are," said Tom Marshall, drawing up at the corner. "We'll seeyou safe to the gate--"
"Oh, no, thank you. It is only a step, and we have to climb the wall.Thank you, and goodnight," protested Marcia, her teeth chattering withcold and nervousness.
Not daring to speak aloud, the girls sped along, keeping close to thewall until they reached the low place where they could climb overwithout risking the opening of the gate. The basement window was stillunlatched. Carefully they scrambled through, and finally stood on thefloor--"Safe, and nobody saw us," exulted Marcia in a whisper.
And then, without warning the light flashed on, and the culprits stoodrevealed to the accusing eyes of Miss Charlton, the teacher on theirhall.
For a long minute they faced each other, the girls too dismayed andstartled to speak a word in their own behalf. At length Miss Charltonsaid slowly and very distinctly,
"I thought so. Marcia West and Rosalind Forrest, I shall report youabsent without leave. You will both go to Miss Harland's office afterchapel tomorrow morning. She will deal with you as she thinks best. Goto your rooms now. Goodnight!"
Thankful to be thus summarily dismissed, the girls scurried noiselesslyup two long flights of stairs and reached Rosalind's room withoutmeeting anyone. Every door was shut, the occupants of the rooms sleepingsafely and sweetly. How passionately Rosalind envied them. If she wereonly safe in her own bed now, with no sense of wrongdoing to hound her,no punishment awaiting her.
"It's all your fault, Marcia," she sobbed, tearing her white dress inher hurry to get it off. "I wish I had never listened to you--"
"My fault! Well, I like that. You were very willing to listen at thetime, it seems to me," returned Marcia crossly, pulling at the clasp ofthe pearl necklace so roughly in her irritation that it snapped, and thebeautiful thing lay broken in her hand. "There! see what you made medo," she added angrily.
"I didn't," contradicted Rosalind, too exasperated to sympathize; andpresently she was in bed, with the covers pulled over her head.
Frightened and ashamed, she remembered that she had not said herprayers. She tried to say them in bed, but the first words of contritionbrought tears, and she cried herself to sleep.
As for Marcia, she lay long awake, wondering what she should do with thebroken necklace she had "borrowed," in anticipation of this very party.Finally she rose softly, and without turning on the light, found a smallbox in the dresser drawer, placed the broken necklace in it, and openingthe door noiselessly, slipped past the line of trunks in the hall untilshe came to the one she wanted. She placed her littletissue-paper-wrapped parcel behind it, and returned as noiselessly toRosalind's room, and slipped into bed beside her.... Daylight wasbrightening the windows before she fell into a troubled doze.