CHAPTER X
JULIA PERFORMS A SACRED DUTY
"What have we ever done that we should be so neglected?" said DavidNesbit, swinging himself from his motorcycle and landing squarely infront of Grace Harlowe and Anne Pierson while they were out walking oneafternoon.
"Why, David Nesbit, how can you make such statements?" replied Grace,looking at the young man in mock disapproval. "You know perfectly wellthat you've been shut up in your old laboratory all fall. We havescarcely seen you since the walking party. You have even given footballthe go by, and I'm so sorry, for you were a star player last year."
"I see you have discovered the secrets of my past life," replied David,laughing. "That's what comes of having a sister who belongs to asorority. However, you folks are equally guilty, you've all gone madover your sorority, and left Hippy and Reddy and me to wander aboutOakdale like lost souls. I hear you've adopted a girl, too. Reddy ishorribly jealous of her. He says Jessica won't look at him any more."
"Reddy is laboring under a false impression," said Anne. "He is headover heels in football practice and has forgotten he ever knew Jessica.As for Hippy, Nora says that he is studying night and day, and that heis actually wearing himself away by burning midnight oil."
"Yes, Hippy is studying some this year," replied David. "You see this isour senior year, and we are going to enter the same college next year,if all goes well. You know Hippy never bothered himself much aboutstudy, just managed to scrape through. But now he'll have to hustle ifhe gets through with High School this year, and he's wide awake to thatfact."
"Under those circumstances, Hippy is forgiven, but not you and Reddy!"said Grace severely. "You'll have to have better excuses than footballand experiments."
"I'll tell you what we'll do to square ourselves," said David, smiling."We'll take you girls to the football game next Thursday. It'sThanksgiving Day, you know, and Oakdale is going to play GeorgetownCollege. Reddy's on the team, but Hippy and I will do the honors."
"Fine," replied Grace. "But are you willing to burden yourselves withsome extra girls? You see it's this way. One of the things that oursorority has pledged itself to do this year is to look up the straygirls in High School, and see that they are not lonely and homesickduring holiday seasons. I used to know nearly all the girls in school,but ever so many new ones have crept in, and some of them have come herefrom quite a distance, on account of the excellence of our High School.After we adopted Mabel Allison, we began looking about us for other fishto fry, and found out about these girls. So every girl in the sororityhas invited one or more of these lonely ones for Thanksgiving Day. Theyare to come in the morning and stay until the lights go out, which willbe late, for mother has consented to let me have a party and all thosenew girls are to be the guests of honor.
"Mrs. Gray is in it, too. She insists on having Anne with her onThanksgiving, although Anne had invited two girls to her house,"continued Grace. "Mrs. Gray had planned a party for us, but when we toldher what we were about to do, she gave up her party and agreed to go tomine instead, on condition that Anne's family, plus Anne's two guests,should have dinner with her."
"Bless her dear heart," said David, "she is always thinking of thepleasure of others. Now about the football game. Bring your girls alongand I'll do my best to give them a good time, although I'm generallyanything but a success with new girls. However, Hippy makes up for whatI lack. He can entertain a regiment of them, and not even exert himself.Now I must leave you, for I have a very important engagement at home."
"In the laboratory, I suppose," said Anne teasingly.
"Just so," replied David. "Good-bye, girls. Let me know how many ticketsyou want for the game." He raised his cap, mounted his machine and wasoff down the street.
"It will seem good to have a frolic with the boys again, won't it?" saidGrace to Anne as they strolled along.
"We do seem to be getting awfully serious and settled of late," repliedAnne. "Why, this sorority business has taken up all our spare timelately. We've had so many special meetings."
"I know it," replied Grace, "but after Thanksgiving we'll only meet oncein two weeks, for I must get my basketball team in shape, and you seeall the members belong to the society."
"You ought to do extra good work this year," observed Anne, "for theteam is absolutely harmonious. Last season seems like a dream to menow."
"It was real enough then," replied Grace grimly. "I have forgiven, longago, but I have not forgotten the way some of those girls performed lastyear. It was remarkable that things ever straightened themselves. Theclouds looked black for a while, didn't they?"
Anne pressed Grace's hand by way of answer. The sophomore year had beencrowded with many trials, some of them positive school tragedies, inwhich Anne and Grace had been the principal actors.
"What are you two mooning over?" asked a gay voice, and the two girlsturned with a start to find Julia Crosby grinning cheerfully at them.
"O Julia, how glad I am to see you at close range!" exclaimed Grace."Admiring you from a distance isn't a bit satisfactory."
"Business, children, business," said Julia briskly. "That's the onlything that keeps me from your side. The duties of the class presidentare many and irksome. At the present moment I've a duty on hand thatI don't in the least relish, and I want your august assistance. Will youpromise to help before I tell you?"
"Why, of course," answered Grace and Anne in the same breath. "What isit you want us to do?"
"Well, it seems that some of your juniors are still in need ofdiscipline. You remember the hatchet that we buried last year with suchpomp and ceremony?"
"Yes, yes," was the answer.
"This morning I overheard certain girls planning to go out to theOmnibus House after school to-morrow and dig up the poor hatchet andflaunt it in the seniors' faces the day of the opening basketball game,simply to rattle us. Just as though it wouldn't upset your team as muchas ours. It's an idiotic trick, at any rate, and anything but funny. NowI propose to take four of our class, and you must select four of yours.We'll hustle out there the minute school is over to-morrow, and be readyto receive the marauders when they arrive. Select your girls, but don'ttell them what you want or they may tell some one about it beforehand."
"Well, of all impudence!" exclaimed Anne. "Who are the girls, Julia? Areyou sure they're juniors?"
"The two I heard talking are juniors. I don't know who else is in it.They'll be very much astonished to find us 'waiting at thechurch'--Omnibus House, I mean," said Julia, "and I imagine they'll feelrather silly, too."
"Tell us who they are, Julia," said Grace. "We don't want to go intothis blindfolded."
"Wait and see," replied Julia tantalizingly. "Then you'll feel moreindignant and can help my cause along all the better. I give you my wordthat the girls I overheard talking are not particular friends of yours.You aren't going to back out, are you, and leave me without propersupport?"
"Of course not," laughed Grace. "Don't worry. We'll support you, onlyyou must agree to do all the talking."
"I shall endeavor to overcome their insane freshness with a fewwell-chosen words," Julia promised. "Be sure and be on hand early."
Grace chose Anne, Nora, Jessica and Marian Barber, the latter threebeing considerably mystified at her request, but nevertheless agreeingto be on hand when school closed. They were met at the gate by Julia andfour other seniors, and the whole party set out for the Omnibus Housewithout delay.
Grace walked with Julia, and the two girls found plenty to say to eachother during the walk. Julia was studying hard, she told Grace. Shewanted to enter Smith next year.
"I don't know where I shall go after I finish High School," said Grace."Ethel Post wants me to go to Wellesley. She'll be a junior when I'm afreshman. You know, she was graduated from High School last June and shecould help me a lot in getting used to college. But I don't knowwhether I should like Wellesley. I shall not try to decide where I wantto go for a while yet."
"Wherever we are we'll write and always be
friends," said Julia, andGrace warmly acquiesced.
As they neared the old Omnibus House they could see no one about.
"We're early!" exclaimed Julia. "The enemy has not arrived. Thankgoodness, it's not cold to-day or we might have a chilly vigil. Nowlisten, all ye faithful, while I set forth the object of this walk." Shethereupon related what Grace and Anne already knew.
"What a shame!" cried Marian Barber. "It isn't the hatchet we care for,it's the principle of the thing. Give them what they deserve, Julia."
"Never fear," replied Julia. "I'll effectually attend to their case. Nowwe'd better dodge around the corner and keep out of sight until they gethere. Then we'll swoop down upon them unawares."
The avengers hurriedly concealed themselves at the side of the old housewhere they could not be seen by an approaching party.
They had not waited long before they heard voices.
"They're coming," whispered Julia. "There are eight of them. Form inline and when they get nicely started, we'll circle about them and hemthem in. I'll give you the signal."
The girls waited in silence. "They have trowels," Julia informed themfrom time to time. "They have a spade. They've begun to dig, and theyare having their own troubles, for the ground is hard. All ready!March!"
Softly the procession approached the spot where the marauders wereenergetically digging. Grace gave a little gasp, and reaching backcaught Anne's hand.
The girl using the spade was Eleanor.
"Now I'm in for it," groaned Grace. "She's down on me now, and she'll besure to think I organized the whole thing." For an instant Graceregretted making the promise to Julia, before learning the situation;then, holding her head a trifle more erect, she decided to make the bestof her unfortunate predicament.
"It isn't Julia's fault," she thought. "She probably knows nothing aboutour acquaintance with Eleanor; besides, Eleanor has no business to playsuch tricks. Edna Wright must have told her all about last year."
Her reflections were cut short, for one of the girls glanced up from herdigging with a sudden exclamation which drew all eyes toward Julia andher party.
"Well, little folks," said Julia in mock surprise, "what sort of a partyis this? Are you making mud pies or are you pretending you are at theseashore?"
At Julia's first words Eleanor dropped the small spade she held andstraightened up, the picture of defiance. Her glance traveled from girlto girl, and she curled her lip contemptuously as her eye rested onGrace and Anne. The other diggers looked sheepishly at Julia, who stoodeyeing them in a way that made them feel "too foolish for anything," asone of them afterwards expressed it.
"Why don't you answer me, little girls?" asked Julia. "Has the kittystolen your tongue?"
This was too much for Eleanor.
"How dare you speak to us in that manner and treat us as though we werechildren?" she burst forth. "What business is it of yours why we arehere? Do you own this property?"
"Mercy, no," replied Julia composedly. "Do you?"
"No," replied Eleanor a trifle less rudely, "but we have as much righthere as you have."
"Granted," replied Julia calmly. "However, there is this difference.You are here to make mischief and we are here to prevent it, and,furthermore, are going to do so."
"What do you mean?" retorted Eleanor, her eyes flashing.
"Just this," replied Julia. "Last year the girls belonging to thepresent senior and junior classes met on this very spot and amicablydisposed of a two-year-old class grudge. Emblematic of this they burieda hatchet, once occupying a humble though honorable position in theCrosby family, but cheerfully sacrificed for the good of the cause.
"Yesterday," continued Julia, "I overheard two juniors plotting to getpossession of this same hatchet for the purpose of flaunting it in thefaces of the seniors at the opening basketball game. Therefore I decidedto take a hand in things, and here I am, backed by girls from bothclasses, who are of the self-same mind."
"Really, Miss Crosby," said Edna Wright, "you are very amusing."
"My friends all think so," returned Julia sweetly, "but never mind nowabout my amusing qualities, Edna. Let's talk about the presentsituation."
She looked at Edna with the old-time aggravating smile that was alwayswarranted to further incense her opponent. It had its desired effect,for Edna fairly bristled with indignation and was about to make afurious reply when she was pushed aside by Eleanor, who said loftily,"Allow me to talk to this person, Edna."
"No," said Julia resolutely, every vestige of a smile leaving her faceat Eleanor's words. "It would be useless for you to attempt to bespokesman in this matter, because you are a new girl in High School andknow nothing of past class matters except from hearsay. But you havewith you seven girls who do know all about the enmity that was buriedhere last spring, and who ought to have enough good sense to know thatthis afternoon's performance is liable to bring it to life again.
"If you girls carry this hatchet to school and exhibit it to the seniorson the day of the game you are apt to start bad feeling all over again,"she said, turning to the others. "There are sure to be some girls in thesenior class who would resent it. Neither class has played tricks on theother since peace was declared, and we don't want to begin now.
"That's the reason I asked Grace to appoint a committee of juniors andcome out here with me. I feel sure that under the circumstances theabsent members of both classes would agree with us if they were present.Digging up a rusty old hatchet is nothing, but digging up a rusty oldgrudge is quite another matter. We didn't come here to quarrel, but Iappeal to you, as members of the junior class, to think before you dosomething that is bound to cause us all annoyance and perhapsunhappiness."
There was complete silence after Julia finished speaking. What she hadsaid evidently impressed them. Eleanor alone looked belligerent.
"Perhaps we'd better let the old hatchet alone," Daisy Culver saidsullenly. "The fun is all spoiled now, and everyone will know about itbefore school begins to-morrow."
"Daisy, how can you say so?" exclaimed Grace, who, fearing a scene withEleanor, had hitherto remained silent. "You know perfectly well thatnone of us will say anything about it. Why, we came out here simply totry to prevent your doing something that might stir up trouble againbetween the senior and junior classes. There isn't a girl here who wouldbe so contemptible as to tell any one outside about what has happenedto-day."
This was Eleanor's opportunity. Turning furiously on Grace, her eyesflashing, she exclaimed: "Yes, there is one girl who would tellanything, and that girl is you! You pretend to be honorable andhigh-principled, but you are nothing but a hypocrite and a sneak.I would not trust you as far as I could see you. I have no doubt MissCrosby obtained her information about this affair to-day from you, andthat everyone in school will hear it from the same source. You seemdetermined to meddle with matters that do not concern you, and I warnyou that if you do not change your tactics you may regret it.
"You seem to think yourself the idol of your class, but there are someof the girls who are too clever to be deceived. They do not belong amongthe number who trail tamely after you, either. And now I wish to saythat I despise you and all your friends, and wish never to speak to anyof you again. Come on, girls," she said, turning to the members of herparty, who had listened in silent amazement to her attack upon Grace."Let us go. Let them keep their trumpery hatchet."
With these words she turned and stalked across the field to the road,where her runabout stood. After an instant's hesitation, she wasfollowed by Edna, Daisy Culver and those who had come with her.Henceforth there would again be two distinct factions in the juniorclass.
"Good gracious," exclaimed Julia Crosby. "Talk about your humanwhirlwinds! What on earth did you ever do to her, Grace?"
But Grace could not answer. She was winking hard to keep back the tears.Twice she attempted to speak and failed. "Never mind her, dear," saidJulia, slipping her arm about Grace, while the other girls gatheredround with many expressions of displeasure at Eleanor's cru
el speech.
"I can't help feeling badly," said Grace, with a sob. "She said suchdreadful things."
"No one who knows you would believe them," replied Julia. "By the way,who is she? I know her name is Savell and that she's a recent arrival inOakdale, but considering the plain and uncomplimentary manner in whichshe addressed you, you must have seriously offended her ladyship."
"I'll tell you about her as we walk along," replied Grace, wiping hereyes and smiling a little.
"Yes, we had better be moving," said Julia. "The battle is over. No onehas been killed and only one wounded. Nevertheless, the enemy hasretired in confusion."