CHAPTER V
A DECLARATION OF WAR
The October twilight had fallen before the two girls finished theirwalk. When Patience opened her door she did not at first glance see thehuddled figure crouched close to the window. A sound, half sob, halfsigh, caused her to cross the room in an instant.
"Who are you, and what is the trouble?" were her blunt questions.
The girl burrowed her face in her arm and made no answer.
"Get up!" commanded Patience, an imperative note in her voice thatcaused the girl to half struggle to her feet, then sink sobbing to herold position.
"This won't do at all," remonstrated Patience. "You mustn't sit here.Stop crying instantly." She purposely made her voice coldlyunsympathetic with a view toward summoning the weeper's pride to heraid.
It had the desired effect. The girl rose from the floor and stumbledtoward the door, her head still hidden on her arm.
With a cry of, "Why, it is Miss Rawle!" Patience sprang forward andcaught the girl by the hand. "You poor child! What has happened to youto make you cry so?"
"Please don't sympathize with me, Miss Eliot, or I'll break down and cryagain. It isn't anything in particular. I'm just a silly goose, that'sall. Miss West promised to be here this afternoon, and I've been waitingfor her ever since half-past four. I suppose she forgot all about it."Miss Rawle made a valiant attempt to smile. "Please tell her I was here,and--and was very sorry I didn't see her." Her lip quivered like that ofa grieved child.
Patience turned on the light, then went over to where Miss Rawle stood."Do you wish me to give you a piece of good advice?" she asked withabrupt frankness, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Yes," responded Miss Rawle in a halfhearted manner.
"Then don't leave any word for Miss West, and don't put yourself withinspeaking distance of her for at least a week."
"But--I can't do that. She wouldn't understand----"
"All the better for you," cut in Patience's crisp voice. "You are veryfond of Miss West, aren't you?"
Miss Rawle nodded. "She is so bright and clever and says such smartthings, and can write. I adore cleverness. I'm not a bit clever. I workdreadfully hard to keep up in my classes. But Kathleen is actuallybrilliant, and, besides, she took me to the sophomore reception."
The tall girl listened gravely to this enthusiastic tribute to hercaptious roommate. "Very good reasons," she agreed. "Still, I wish youwould try to do what I just suggested. Miss West is like a great manyother clever people, she doesn't appreciate what is easily won."
A deep flush overspread Miss Rawle's face. An angry light leaped intoher blue eyes. Then, meeting Patience's calm glance, she said slowly,"Do you mean that I force myself upon her?"
"In a measure, yes," was the cool reply. "You are very fond of her andshe knows it, consequently she doesn't value your friendship half ashighly as though she weren't sure of it. You must meet her on her ownground, and make her realize that you are of as much importance in theworld as she. It may be hard at first, but it will be best for both ofyou. Miss West stands in need of a friend, and I am sure you would beloyal to her."
"How nice in you to say so," returned Miss Rawle, brightening. "Ithought I was angry with you for saying what you did about my forcingmyself upon Kathleen, but I'm not. I am going straight home, now, andI'll do as you say. Would you mind if I were to come and see you sometime, and won't you take luncheon with me some day at Vinton's?"
Patience smilingly acquiesced to both eager requests, and little MissRawle descended the steps of Wayne Hall and set off for Livingston Hall,where she lived, looking anything but sorrowful.
"I'll try her way," she planned as she sped along through the soft falldarkness. "It is worth trying. But I wonder what made her say thatKathleen stood in need of a friend."
After Miss Rawle had departed, armed and equipped with her newly-bornindependence, Patience smiled whimsically to herself as she brushed herlong, fair hair, rebraided it and wound it about her head. It was acoiffure she had recently adopted at Elfreda's suggestion, and it wentfar toward softening the severe outline of her face. "I didn't come tocollege to play mentor to any one," she said, half aloud, "nor to giveadvice, for that matter. Perhaps I should not have told Miss Rawle tostay away from Kathleen. It isn't really any of my business. Wouldn'tshe be angry if she knew? Shall I tell her? No, I don't believe I will.If, during a season of adoration, Miss Rawle is indiscreet enough totell her, then that is a different matter. But I don't believe shewill."
Patience had just finished doing her hair when the object of hermonologue appeared in the door and after a quick survey of the roomstepped inside.
"Was Miss Rawle here?" she asked abruptly.
"Yes," answered Patience, noncommittally.
"I'm glad I wasn't. She is such a frightful bore. What did she say?"
"She asked me to tell you she was here and was very sorry she missedyou."
"I am very glad I missed her," declared Kathleen, with a shrug. "Deliverme from 'crushes' of her sort, at least. There are several girls in thefreshman class who look rather interesting, but they are evidently notanxious to know me," she added, her face darkening.
"Whose fault is it?" asked Patience pointedly.
"Not mine," retorted Kathleen with asperity. Then, turning uponPatience, she said in a voice shaking with sudden anger: "What do youmean by asking me such a question? I did not realize the insult itcontained or I wouldn't have answered you."
"I did not intend to be insulting," said Patience, "but candidly I thinkyou are to blame for whatever attitude the girls here maintain towardyou. Then, again, you do not value your friends. For instance, there islittle Miss Rawle who is really fond of you. Yet you are continuallyrunning away from her. If I were Miss Rawle I would let you severelyalone; you don't deserve her friendship. You don't and can't appreciateit."
Kathleen stared at Patience in angry amazement. No one had ever beforespoken to her quite so plainly. Then she found her voice.
"I think you are not only insulting, but impertinent and meddlesome aswell. I suppose Miss Rawle complained to you because I didn't keep myengagement with her and you thought it your duty to take me to task forit. Understand, once and for all, you are not to interfere in myaffairs. I shall answer to no one for my actions. I did not choose youfor a roommate. You are the last girl I would choose. I won't standbeing criticized and lectured at every turn. Save your criticisms forthose who are silly enough to take them seriously, but please don'timagine for an instant that what you may think or say carries theslightest weight with me."
Before Patience could frame a reply the newspaper girl had rushed fromthe room, slamming the door with a vehemence that fairly shook thewalls.
She did not return to the room until after dinner, and then only longenough to slip into her coat and hat. During that brief moment sheneither spoke to nor noticed Patience, who went quietly on with herstudying as though nothing had happened. Kathleen's outburst had made noimpression upon this calm-faced girl, but Patience's all too truthfulwords had sunk deeper into the newspaper girl's mind than she cared toadmit.