CHAPTER V
ANNE HAS A SECRET
On the night of the flying machine exhibition, the four chums, for Annehad now been formally adopted by Grace and her friends, arrived somewhatearly at the great arched doorway leading into the gymnasium.
They were all somewhat excited over this new experience. There had beenmany balloon ascensions at the State Fair, and once a dirigible airshiphad sailed over the town of Oakdale. But to see a real flying machinewith all its grace and elegance and lightness was like stepping ontoanother planet where progress had advanced much faster than it had onthis.
At least, so thought Anne as she followed her friends into the building.There was a sound of puffing and churning, during which David arrived ina cloud of smoke on his motor cycle.
"I mean to learn to ride one of those queer machines," exclaimed Gracefrom the doorway, never dreaming what an important part that verymachine was one day to play in the history of Oakdale.
"All right, you're welcome to," replied David, jumping off as he stoppedthe motor. "Come over to the campus to-morrow afternoon, and I'll giveyou your first lesson."
"Is that really an invitation?" asked Grace. "For I shall accept it, ifit is."
"It certainly is," answered the young man, "and I shall expect you tomake a very excellent prize pupil, not like Reddy Brooks, who tumbledoff and smashed his nose because he suddenly forgot how to manage thebrakes."
A few other people gathered in the roomy gymnasium to see theexhibition, but the girls could see that it was a very exclusive companythey had been invited to join. There were, in fact, no other girls,except Miriam Nesbit, who came late with her mother, a handsome, quietwoman to whom her son David bore a marked resemblance.
Grace and her friends spoke to Mrs. Nesbit cordially, while Miriam bowedcoldly and confined all her attentions to Miss Leece, the unpopularteacher of mathematics. Miriam ignored Anne entirely.
"And now, ladies, if you will all be seated, the show will begin,"announced David, leading them to the spectators' benches ranged againstthe wall. "Don't expect anything wonderful of mine," he added. "It'sonly in the first stages so far. I'm afraid she'll break down, but she'sa great little machine, just the same. Isn't she, mother?"
"She is wonderful, I think, David," replied Mrs. Nesbit, who was a veryshy, quiet woman, almost entirely wrapped up in her only son. Miriam hadalways been too much for her, and she had long since given up attemptingto rule or direct her brilliant, willful daughter.
"Mrs. Nesbit," said Grace, "this is Anne Pierson, one of the brightestgirls in the freshman class."
"How do you do?" said Mrs. Nesbit cordially, giving the girl her hand."You are a newcomer, are you not? I haven't heard Miriam speak of you."
"She is a newcomer, mother, but I hear she's giving your daughter Miriama stiff pull for first place," said David teasingly.
"I wish you'd keep quiet, David," exclaimed his sister angrily. "Youalways talk too much."
"Miriam!" remonstrated her mother.
"Miss Nesbit," said Miss Leece in a disagreeable, harsh voice, "willhave no trouble, I think, in holding her own."
The teacher gave Anne such a glare from her pale blue eyes that the poorchild shrank behind Grace in embarrassment.
"Dear, dear," murmured Mrs. Nesbit helplessly. She disliked exceedinglythe scenes to which her daughter often subjected the family.
David only laughed good-naturedly.
"The exhibition is about to begin," he said, and disappeared into theroom where the ships were to be put through their performances.
In a few moments six young airship builders appeared, each carrying inhis arms the result of his summer's labors. There was vigorous applausefrom everybody except Miriam, who was too angry with her brother toenjoy the spectacle.
The aeroplanes were all copies of well-known models, except David's,which was of an entirely new and original design of his own invention.It looked something like a flying fish, the girls thought, with itsslender, oblong body, gauzy fins at the sides and a funny little forkedtail at the stern.
The models were too light for machinery, so rubber bands, securedcris-cross in the bows, when suddenly released with a snap gave thelittle ships the impetus they needed to fly the length of the gymnasium.
Only four of the six, however, were destined to fly that evening. Theysoared straight down the big room, as easily and gracefully as greatwhite birds, and dropped gently when they hit the curtain at the otherend, their builders running after them as eagerly as boys sailing kites.One of the models fluttered and settled down before it reached the otherside, and David's machine, which had commanded most attention because itwas different, started out bravely enough, its little propeller making abusy humming as it skimmed along. But it had gone hardly ten yardsbefore it collapsed and ignominiously crashed to the floor.
"I'm glad of it," said Miriam above the din, for everyone had gatheredabout the young man to offer sympathy and congratulations at the sametime.
"It's very, very clever, my boy," said Professor Blitz, "and you'llsucceed yet, if you keep at it."
"She wouldn't go far, David," said Grace, stroking the little model, asif it had been a pet dog, "but she's the prettiest of all, just thesame."
"Did it hurt it when it fell?" Anne asked him.
"I think it broke one of its little fins," laughed David. "It hurt memuch more than itself, because it wouldn't be good and fly all the way."
"Anne," called Grace, "here is some one looking for you. It's a boy witha note."
Anne looked frightened as she opened a soiled looking envelope the boyhanded her.
"Is anything the matter?" asked Jessica, seeing the expression of fearon her face.
"No--yes----," answered poor little Anne, undecidedly. "I must go home,or rather I mustn't go the way I came. Don't you think I could leave ata side entrance? I don't want to see the person who is waiting for me infront."
"Of course, child," spoke up Grace. "We'll see you home ourselves. Won'twe, girls!"
"Wait until I lock up my motor cycle and I'll go along," called David."We'll all protect Miss Anne."
"Tell him," said Anne to the boy, putting the note back in the envelopeand giving it to him, "that what he asks is impossible."
"Couldn't you squeeze us into the carriage, mother?" asked David,returning presently with his hat.
"I have invited Miss Leece to drive home with us, mother," interruptedMiriam, giving her brother a blighting glance. "There is room for onlyone more person. Perhaps Jessica will take it."
"You are very kind," said Jessica coldly, "but I prefer to walk with thegirls."
"_You'd_ better walk, too, cross-patch, and learn a few manners fromyour friends," was David's parting advice to his sister.
"Children, children!" exclaimed Mrs. Nesbit, "don't, I beg of you,quarrel in public."
Presently the five young people had slipped out of a side door of thegymnasium and started down a back street in the direction of Anne'shouse. They had not gone far, however, before they became aware thatthey were being followed. Grace was the first to call the attention ofNora and Jessica to a long, slim figure stealing after them in theshadows.
"Here he comes," whispered Jessica. "What in the world do you suppose hewants with our poor little Anne?"
"I believe he's going to stop us," returned Grace. "He is coming nearerand nearer."
"Anne, I command you to wait!" called a voice from behind them.
They all stopped suddenly and Anne jumped as though she had received ashock.
A tall, theatrical-looking individual had come up to them. He wore ashabby frock coat and a black slouch hat, which he raised with anelaborate flourish when he saw the young girls.
"Pardon me, ladies," he said, "but I wish to speak with my daughter."
Anne controlled herself with an effort.
"I cannot see you now, father," she said. "It is quite late and I mustget back."
"You shall not only speak to me but you shall come with me," exclaime
dthe man, with a sudden flare of anger. "I will not submit todisobedience again. Come at once!"
"Father, I cannot go with you," cried Anne, clinging to her friends. "Iwould rather be with mother and Mary. They need me more than you do andI want to go to school and study to be a teacher."
The man was now beside himself with theatrical rage.
"Miserable child!" he cried, waving his arms wildly. "I shall take youif I must by force." Breaking through the group, he seized the hand ofhis daughter and dragged her after him.
"Oh, save me!" cried the poor girl, struggling to release herself.
"I can't stand this! If she doesn't want to go with him, she shan't,father or no father," growled David, dashing after the pair.
"Stop, sir!" he cried, seizing Anne's other hand. "I must ask you torelease this young lady at once."
"Insolent boy!" cried the other, giving each word an oratoricalflourish, "are you not aware that this young lady, as you call her, ismerely a child, and that she happens to be my daughter? I cannot seethat you have a right to interfere in a family matter."
"But I have no proof that Miss Pierson is your daughter," retortedDavid. "It is enough that she doesn't want to go with you. I undertookto see her safely to her own home, this evening, and I mean to do it.After that you may settle your difficulties as you please."
"Miserable upstart!" cried the man, now so thoroughly angry that he letgo Anne's hand, "I have a good mind to give you what you deserve. As foryou, undutiful, wretched girl," he added, his voice rising to anemotional tremolo, "you shall be well punished for this!"
"Don't wait," whispered Anne. "If we run, we can get away, now, while heis so angry." At that they all took to their heels, David followingafter them, much relieved to have given Anne's father the slip withoutfurther disagreeable argument.
No one spoke until they had reached the Pierson cottage and had seenAnne safely to the front door.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed at last, trying not to cry. "I wouldn'tfor anything have had it happen, and just when you were all beginning tolike me a little. Will you forgive me?"
"Forgive you, Anne!" cried Grace. "It wasn't your fault. We are onlyawfully sorry for you."
"We will just forget all about it, and never speak of it to anyone,"promised Jessica, taking the girl's hand kindly.
"But I want you to understand that I was right in not going," protestedAnne. "Some day I will explain."
"Of course you were right," said David, "and I hope you will never bepersuaded to go."
"Thank you, all, a thousand times!" came gratefully from Anne; "and goodnight." Then she disappeared into the cottage.
"Well, this was a night's adventure," observed Grace, as they startedhomeward.
"I am afraid Anne's father is a night's adventurer," muttered David. "Helooks mightily like one of those strolling actors who go barnstormingthrough country towns."
"Poor Anne! Do you suppose he wants her to barnstorm?" asked Nora.
"I haven't a doubt of it," replied the young man. "I think you girls hadbetter adopt that poor child and look after her."
"We have already," answered Grace. "Didn't Miriam tell you about it?"
"Miriam? No; she never tells me anything. Besides, what has she to dowith it?"
The girls were silent.
"By the way," continued Grace, "speaking of barnstorming, we want to askyour advice, David. The sophomores played a mean trick on us the otherday at the old Omnibus House."
"I heard something about the Black Monks of Asia," answered David,laughing.
"Can't your inventive brain devise a scheme of revenge?" went on Grace."If we don't get even with them soon, the story will be all over town."
"Well," replied David, "I can tell you a secret I happened to haveoverheard when one of the sophomores was calling on Miriam. I was aneavesdropper entirely by accident, but what I heard might help some. Thesophomores are going to give an initiation mask ball a week fromSaturday night. Only the class and a few outsiders, among them Miriam,are to be present. Everybody is to be in fancy dress, and disguised outof all recognition. Can't you work up a scheme with that to go upon,girls?"
"We certainly can," cried Nora. "It's the chance of a lifetime."
"Just wait and see!" exclaimed Grace.
"By the way, David, you didn't happen to overhear the password, didyou?" asked Jessica.
"I did," he replied. "Nothing escaped me, for I was caught in a trap.You know I don't care for that large, husky young damsel who leads thesophomores, and if I had made my presence behind the screen known, Ishould have had to speak to her. So I just sat still and said nothing.The password is 'Asia.'"
"They are trying to rub it in, I suppose," cried Grace. "But I thinkthey won't be so ready to use that word after their old ball is over."
"If you want any help," offered David as he left Grace at her frontdoor, "you know where to come for it, don't you?"
"You're a true brick, David!" said Grace. "Good night."