CHAPTER IX
THE AFTERMATH
What a day that had been at the Dalton School for girls! Sarah Ford wasat home suffering from a badly sprained ankle; Dorothy Dale had beentaken home ill from over-excitement, and Tavia Travers, for whom SquireSanders had been searching, was not to be found anywhere.
The interference of Squire Sanders worried Miss Ellis. A man,especially an official, knows absolutely nothing about girls and theirways, and he is sure to antagonize them in any attempt to force them tobetray one another's confidences.
But while the teacher, alone in the school, was reflecting upon thetasks she should soon undertake to perform; Dorothy lay in her littleroom, hot and feverish, with Aunt Libby beside her, bathing thethrobbing head tenderly with cold water and vinegar.
"You've been doin' too much," muttered the old nurse, "a-runnin'newspapers, helpin' drunkards, teachin' housework to that Tavia, though'twas a charity to show the child how to iron her own frocks. But yousee deary, it was too much for you, you as has always had Aunt Libby atyour elbow," and the old linen napkin, the softest of those ever readyfor headaches, was dipped again into the blue bowl of cool water andstrong vinegar, then pressed lightly to the feverish brow. "Try tosleep a bit now," went on the nurse, as Dorothy looked gratefully intothe wrinkled face. "All you want is rest, just a good, quiet rest."
Dorothy closed her eyes. They burned so she pulled the napkin from herforehead down over the hot lids. That eased the pain, and perhaps shecould sleep, she thought.
Watching her patient closely for a moment, Aunt Libby moved noiselesslyto the window, pulled down the shade, pushed the chair against it sothe breeze might not disturb it, left the room.
As she turned in the narrow hallway her gingham skirt brushed thecrouching form of Joe, who had been waiting at his sister's door, butthe aged lady did not know it.
Joe and Roger had been forbidden admission to their sister's room. Shewas to be left entirely alone, in absolute quiet; even Major Dale, whowas assured the attack was not more than a sick headache, did notpresume to disturb his daughter, but Joe had been waiting there in thehallway. He had an important message to deliver to his sister, one that"would not keep."
The boy had removed his shoes and now he stole noiselessly into theroom.
"Dorothy! Dorothy!" he whispered. "Are you asleep?"
Dorothy pushed the napkin from her eyes, and raised her arm to inviteher brother's kiss.
"Poor, dear Doro!" he murmured, pressing his cheek to her hot brow. "Iam sorry for you--every one is," and he kissed her again. "But I haveto hurry. Aunt Libby may come back."
He was looking for something in his blouse.
"I had a note from Tavia," he said. "She has gone away--"
"Gone away!" gasped the sick girl.
"Oh, only for a little while. Where is that note!"
The boy unbuttoned his waist, he even shook it out straight from thestring, but no note was to be found in its folds.
"I could not have lost it!" he said, now quite alarmed that the noteshould have gotten out of his possession.
"What was it about?" asked Dorothy.
"Why--about--about why she went away," stammered the boy, helplessly.
"Don't you know what was in it?"
"No, it was sealed, and no one but you was to open it. Where could Ihave dropped it? I had it--let me see."
The fear that he had dropped the missive where it might be picked up bythose not in sympathy with Tavia, and her troubles, now troubled Joesorely. He had promised the girl, most particularly, that he woulddeliver the note to his sister that night, and he waited at Dorothy'sdoor, risking the displeasure of Aunt Libby in keeping that promise.But now the very worst thing had happened--the note was lost!
"Never mind," whispered Dorothy, "perhaps you will find it in yourjacket. I am sure she only said good-bye; there could not have beenanything so very important in it."
"But if any of the others should get it," he sighed. "They could findout where she went, and she most particularly wanted to hide for a fewdays."
"Hide!"
"Yes, she told me she was sure Sarah would wake up in a few days andmake a 'clean breast of it.' Tavia declared she had done nothing wrongherself, and that she was not afraid of anybody, but, she said, therewas going to be trouble, and she never ran into trouble when she couldrun the other way."
"Well, dear," said the sister, "you had better go to bed now. I am sotired and I feel a little like sleeping. If you find the note, bring itto me in the morning; if you do not find it, there is no need to worry.Tavia will be back to see me as soon as she hears I am sick," and,giving the boy a good night kiss, Dorothy closed her eyes, while Joecrept out of the room as noiselessly as he had entered it.