CHAPTER VII
GRACE TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS
"We have had, what might be considered by some people, a momentousevening," remarked Grace as Anne Pierson walked into their room shortlybefore ten o'clock. Having left the now almost cheerful Elfreda to thegood-natured ministrations of Miriam, Grace had said good night andreturned to her own room for a few more minutes of silent devotion toLivy.
"What happened?" asked Anne as she hung up her wraps, took down herkimono, and prepared to be comfortable.
"What might be expected," returned Grace, and briefly recounted what hadtranspired in Miriam's room.
"Wasn't it nice of Miriam to make a fuss over her, though?" said Annewarmly.
"Yes, of course, but it isn't Miriam's amiability that I'm thinkingabout at present. It's what we'd better do to straighten out thistrouble for Elfreda," said Grace anxiously. "I felt glad when I came toOverton that I did not have to worry about any one but myself, and nowI'm confronted with Elfreda's troubles."
"I think it would be best to see Miss Ashe first," agreed Anne, after abrief silence.
"That settles it, then, I'll go. Tell me about your new freshman friend,Anne."
"She's a very nice girl," Anne replied, "and has lots of the right kindof courage. She lives in a big, bare room in the top of an old house,clear down at the other end of the town, and the way she has made thatroom over to suit her needs is really wonderful. She has one corner ofit curtained off for her kitchen and has a cupboard for her dishes, whatthere are of them. She cooks her meals over a little two-burner gasstove, and does her own washing and ironing. Every spare moment she hasshe devotes to doing mending. She does it beautifully, too. Ever so manygirls have given her their silk stockings and lingerie waists to darn."
"Poor little thing," mused Grace. "I suppose she never has a minute toplay. I don't see how she manages to do all that work and study, too. Iwish we could do something to help her."
"I don't know what we could do," returned Anne thoughtfully. "I imagineshe wouldn't accept help. She strikes me as being one of the kind whowould rather die than allow her friends to pay her way."
"There must be some way," Grace said speculatively, "and some day we'llfind it out."
"Sometimes I feel as though I had earned my college money too easily,"confessed Anne. "The work I did on the stage wasn't work at all, it waspure pleasure. Ruth Denton's work is the hardest kind of drudgery."
"But think how hard you worked to win the scholarship," reminded Grace.
"That was work I loved, too," replied Anne, shaking her headdeprecatingly over her own good fortune.
"Never mind," laughed Grace. "Just think of how hard you might have hadto work if you hadn't been a genius, and that will comfort you alittle."
"Grace, you are too ridiculous," protested Anne, flushing deeply.
"Anne, you are entirely too modest," retorted Grace. "Come on, littleMiss Nonentity, let's go to bed or I won't get up early enough to-morrowmorning to see Mabel Ashe before my first recitation."
"All right," yawned Anne. "To-morrow night I must stay in the house andwrite letters. I've owed David a letter for a week. I wonder why Noraand Jessica don't write."
"They promised to write first, you know," said Grace.
"If we don't hear from them by Saturday we'd better send them a postcardto hurry them up. Let's go down to that little stationer's shopto-morrow and see what they have. I must find one that will suit Hippy'speculiar style of beauty."
Laughing and chatting of things that had happened at home, a subject ofwhich they never tired, Grace and Anne prepared for bed.
The next morning Anne awoke first. Glancing at the little clock on thechiffonier she exclaimed in dismay. They had overslept, and there wasbarely time to dress and eat breakfast before chapel.
"Oh, dear," lamented Grace as she slipped into her one-piece gown ofpink linen, "now I can't go to see Mabel until after luncheon. Howprovoking!"
But it was still more provoking to find, when she called at HollandHouse, late that afternoon, that Mabel Ashe had made a dinner engagementwith several seniors and had just left the house. "What had I better doabout it?" Grace asked herself. "Shall I put it off until to-morrow orshall I take matters into my own hands? It's only four days now untilthe reception, and those girls may do a great deal of talking duringthat time." She paused on the steps of Holland House and looked acrossthe campus toward Stuart Hall. "I'm sure I heard some one say that bothMiss Wicks and Miss Hampton live there," Grace reflected. "I don't liketo do it, but it's the only thing I can think of to do." Squaring hershoulders Grace crossed the campus, a look of determination on her fineface. Mounting the steps of Stuart Hall she deliberately rang the bell.
Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton were both in, the maid stated, usheringGrace into the big, attractively furnished living room. A moment laterthere was a scurry of footsteps on the stairs and Alberta Wicks,followed by Mary Hampton, entered the room.
Grace rose from her chair to greet them. "Good afternoon," she saidpleasantly. "I shall have to introduce myself. I am Grace Harlowe of thefreshman class. I saw you at the dance the other night but did not meetyou."
"How do you do?" returned Alberta Wicks in a bored tone, while the othergirl nodded indifferently. "I remember your face, I think. I'm not sure.There was an army of freshmen at the dance. The largest entering classfor a number of years, I understand."
"Freshmen are perhaps not important enough to be remembered," returnedGrace, smiling faintly. Then deciding that there was nothing to begained by beating about the bush she said earnestly, "I hope you willnot think me meddlesome or presuming, but I came here this afternoon totalk with you about something that concerns a member of the freshmanclass. I refer to Miss Briggs, whom I am quite certain you know."
"Miss Briggs," repeated Alberta Wicks, meditatively. "Let me see, Ithink we met her----"
"The day she came to college," supplemented Grace.
"How did you know that?" was the sharp question.
"I saw you and Miss Hampton when you approached her, and also when youwalked away from the station with her," Grace said quietly. "Miss Briggsrode part of the way on the train with us to Overton."
A deep flush rose to the faces of both young women at Grace'sindisputable statement. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"I know also," continued Grace, "that you conducted her to the countycourt house instead of the registrar's office and left her to find outthe truth as best she might."
"Really," sneered Alberta, "you seem to be extremely well informed as towhat took place. It is quite evident that Miss Briggs published the newsbroadcast."
"She did nothing of the sort," retorted Grace coldly. "She did tell myroommate and me, and I regret to say that she also told the registrar,but she now realizes her mistake in doing so."
"Her realization comes entirely too late," was the sarcastic reply. "Sheshould have thought things over before going to the registrar withanything so silly."
"Ah!" ejaculated Grace. "I am glad to hear you admit that the trick youplayed was silly. To my mind it was both senseless and unkind. However,I did not come here to-day to discuss the ethics of the affair. MissBriggs has received a note forbidding her attendance at the sophomorereception and advising her to leave Overton. It is signed 'SophomoreClass.' It states her betrayal of two sophomores to the registrar as thecause of its origin. What I wish to ask you is whether the sophomoreshave really taken action in this matter, or whether you wrote this notein order to frighten Miss Briggs into leaving college?"
"I do not admit your right to interfere, and I shall certainly notanswer your question, Miss Harlowe. You are decidedly impertinent, tosay the least," replied Alberta in a tone of suppressed anger. "I cannotunderstand why you should take such an unprecedented interest in MissBriggs's affairs and I shall tell you nothing."
"I Am Sorry That We Have Failed to Come to anUnderstanding."]
"Very well," said Grace composedly. "I see that I shall have to go t
oeach member of the sophomore class in turn in order to find out thetruth. I cannot believe that these girls are so lacking in collegespirit as to ostracize a newcomer, even though she did act unwisely."
"You would not dare to do it!" exclaimed Mary Hampton excitedly. She hadhitherto taken no part in the conversation.
"Why not?" asked Grace. "I am determined to go to the root of thismatter. I don't intend Miss Briggs shall leave college, or be sent tocoventry either. She has acted hastily, but she will live it down, thatis, unless word of it has traveled too far. Even so, I hardly think shewill leave college. I am sorry that we have failed to come to anunderstanding."
Grace walked proudly toward the door. Inwardly she was deeplydisappointed at having failed, but she gave no sign of feeling herdefeat.
"Come back!" commanded Alberta Wicks harshly, as Grace stood with herhand on the door knob. Grace turned and walked toward them. Her facegave no sign of her surprise.
"Do you really intend to take up this affair with every member of thesophomore class?" demanded Alberta, eyeing Grace sharply. There was afaint note of dismay in her voice, despite her attempt to appearunconcerned.
"Yes," answered Grace firmly. "The only alternative would be to take itto the faculty, and that is not to be thought of. I shall make apersonal appeal to each sophomore for Miss Briggs."
"Then I suppose rather than bring down a hornet's nest about our ears,we might as well tell you that the majority of the class know nothing ofthis. A number of sophomores, with a view to the good of the college,decided themselves to be justified in sending the letter to Miss Briggs.We do not wish young women of her type at Overton, and Miss Briggs willdo well to go elsewhere. She will never be happy at Overton."
"Is that a threat?" asked Grace quickly.
Alberta merely shrugged her shoulders in answer to Grace's question.
"You may call it what you please," remarked Mary Hampton sullenly.
"Thank you," said Grace gravely. "I think I have a fair idea of thesituation. I believe I know too, just how many sophomores were concernedin the writing of the letter, and am sure that their adverse opinionwill neither make nor mar Miss Briggs. Good afternoon."
With this Grace walked serenely out of the house, leaving behind her twodiscomfited and ignominiously defeated young women.
"Do you believe she would have kept her word and put the matter beforethe class?" asked Mary Hampton after Grace had gone.
"Yes," responded Alberta, frowning. "She wouldn't have hesitated. Shemeant what she said. She is one of those tiresome persons who is foreveradvocating fair play. She only does it as a pose. She imagines, Isuppose that it will attract the attention of the upper class girls. Ishould like to teach her a lesson in humility, but it is dangerous, forwith all her faults she is by no means stupid, and unless we were verycareful we would be quite likely to come to grief."