CHAPTER XX
MARIAN'S CONFESSION
Grace reached home that night with her head in a whirl. She could thinkof nothing save the fact that she had seen Henry Hammond warmly welcomea man whom she knew in her heart to be a professional crook. It formedthe first link in the chain of evidence she hoped to forge against him.She had become so strongly imbued with the idea that Hammond was animpostor that the incident at the station only served to confirm herbelief.
The Phi Sigma Tau were besieged with questions the next day, and atrecess the five members held forth separately to groups of eager andadmiring girls on the glories of the visit.
"Where is Marian Barber?" asked Grace of Ruth Deane, as they wereleaving the senior locker-room at the close of the noon recess.
"She hasn't been in school to-day," replied Ruth. "I suppose whathappened Friday was too much for her."
"What happened Friday?" repeated Grace. "Well, what did happen?"
"Oh, Eleanor Savelli and Marian had a quarrel in the locker-room. I wasthe only one who heard it, and I shouldn't have stayed but I knowEleanor of old, and I made up my mind that I had better stay and seethat Marian had fair play. But I might as well have stayed away, for Iwasn't of any use to either side. In fact, I doubt if either onerealized I was there, they were so absorbed in their own troubles."
"It's a wonder that I wasn't around," remarked Grace. "I am really glad,however, that I wasn't. The Phi Sigma Tau were all in Miss Tebbs'classroom at recess last Friday. Miss Tebbs is a dear friend of theSouthards, you know. She was invited to go with us, but had made aprevious engagement that she could not break. We were talking thingsover with her. After school we all went straight home and I saw neitherEleanor nor Marian. Have you any idea what it was about?"
"I don't know," returned Ruth bluntly. "Marian and Eleanor came into thelocker-room together. I heard Marian say something about telling Eleanorwhat she had in confidence. Then Eleanor just laughed scornfully andtold Marian that she had told her secrets to the wrong person. Mariangrew very angry, and called Eleanor treacherous and revengeful, andEleanor said that Marian's opinion was a matter of indifference to her.
"Then she told Marian that she intended to call a class meeting forThursday of this week and entertain them with the very interestinglittle story that Marian had told her the previous week.
"Marian wilted at that and cried like a baby, but Eleanor kept onlaughing at her, and said that she would know better another time, andperhaps would think twice before she spoke once. She said that no onecould trample upon her with impunity."
"Oh, pshaw," exclaimed Grace impatiently. "She always says that when sheis angry. She said that last year."
"Well, Marian cried some more," continued Ruth, "and Eleanor made anumber of other spiteful remarks and walked out with a perfectly hatefullook of triumph on her face."
"And what about Marian?" asked Grace.
"She didn't go back to the study hall. She told Miss Thompson that shewas ill and went home."
"Poor Marian," said Grace. "She certainly has been very foolish to leaveher real friends and put her faith in people like Eleanor and that HenryHammond. I have been afraid all along that she would be bitterlydisillusioned. I think I'd better go to see her to-night."
"Why, I thought she wasn't on speaking terms with the Phi Sigma Tau!"exclaimed Ruth.
"Speaking terms or not, I'm going to find out what the trouble is andstraighten it out if I can. Please don't tell that to any one, Ruth. Idon't imagine it's anything serious. Eleanor always goes to extremes."
"Trust me, Grace, not to say a word," was the response.
"I wish Anne were here," mused Grace, as she took her seat and drew outher text-book on second year French. Then for the time being shedismissed Marian from her mind, and turned her attention to the lessonon hand.
By the time school closed that afternoon Grace had made up her mind togo to see Marian before going home. Leaving Nora and Jessica at theusual corner, she walked on for a block, then turned into the streetwhere the Barbers lived.
Grace pulled the bell rather strenuously by way of expressing herfeelings, and waited.
"Is Marian in?" she inquired of Alice, the old servant.
"Yes, Miss Grace," answered the woman, "She's in the sittin' room, walkright in there. It's a long time since I seen you here, Miss Grace."
"Yes, it is, Alice," replied Grace with a smile, then walked on into theroom.
Over in one corner, huddled up on the wide leather couch, was Marian.Her eyes were swollen and red, and she looked ill and miserable.
"Marian," began Grace, "Ruth Deane told me you were ill, and so I cameto see you."
"Go away," muttered Marian. "I don't wish to see you."
"I am not so sure of that," answered Grace. "I understand you have beenhaving some trouble with Eleanor, and that she has threatened revenge."
"Who told you?" cried Marian, sitting up and looking angrily at Grace."I can manage my own affairs, without any of your help."
"Very well," replied Grace quietly. "Then I had better go. I thoughtwhen I came that I might be able to help you. You look both ill andunhappy. I see I have been mistaken."
"You can't help me," replied Marian, her chin beginning to quiver."Nobody can help me. I'm the most miserable girl--" her voice ended in awail, and she rocked to and fro upon the couch, sobbing wildly.
"Listen to me, Marian," commanded Grace firmly. "You must stop cryingand tell me every single thing about this trouble of yours. I havecrossed swords with Eleanor before this, and I think I can bring her toreason."
"How can I tell you?" sobbed Marian. "Grace, I am a thief and may haveto go to prison."
"A thief!" echoed Grace. "Nonsense, Marian. I don't believe you wouldsteal a penny."
"But I am," persisted Marian tearfully. "I stole the class money, andit's all gone."
She began to sob again.
Grace let Marian finish her cry before interrogating her further. Shewanted time to think. Her mind hastily reviewed the two conversationsshe had overheard between Marian and Henry Hammond. This, then, was themeaning of it all. The brief suspicion that had flashed into her mindand Anne's on the night that Marian and Henry Hammond had passed them,had been only too well founded. Marian had drawn the money from the bankand given it to him.
"Marian," asked Grace, "did you give the money the judge sent us toHenry Hammond?"
Marian nodded, too overcome as yet to speak.
"Can't you tell me about it?" continued Grace patiently.
Marian struggled for self-control, then began in a shaking voice.
"I have been a perfect idiot over that miserable Henry Hammond, and Ideserve everything. I was not satisfied with being a school-girl, butthought it very smart to put up my hair and make a general goose ofmyself.
"It all began the night of the bazaar. I had no business to pay anyattention to that man. He is really very clever, for before I realizedwhat I had said I had told him all about our sorority and about beingclass treasurer, and a lot of things that were none of his business.
"After the bazaar I saw him often and told him about the judge's check.
"One day he asked me if I had any friends who had money that they wouldlike to double. I had fifty dollars of my own that I had been saving forever so long, and told him about it. He said that he manipulated stocksa little (whatever that is) in connection with his real estate business.He asked me to give him the money and let him prove to me how easily hecould double it. I did, and he brought me back one hundred dollars.
"Of course, I was delighted. Then mother sent me fifty dollars forChristmas, and I bought all those presents. It took every cent I had,and I was awfully silly, for no one cared as much for them as if they'dbeen pretty little gifts that I made myself. That was my first folly.
"The next was those three gowns. They haven't been paid for yet. Ihaven't dared give father the bills, and I can never face mother. Shewould never have allowed me to order anything like them. Well, you knowhow
badly I behaved at the house party, and how nice you all were to me,even when I was so hateful.
"On New Year's Night, when we were coming from Nesbits, Henry Hammondasked me for the class money. He said he had a chance to treble it, andthat it was too good an opportunity to be lost.
"I refused point blank at first, and then he talked and talked in thatsmooth way of his until I began to think what a fine thing it would beto walk into the class and say, 'Girls, here are fifteen hundred dollarsinstead of five hundred.' I was feeling awfully cross at you girls justthen, because he made me believe that you were slighting me and leavingme out of things. Besides, all of you had warned me against him, and Iwanted to show you that I knew more than you did.
"I didn't promise to give it to him that night, but the more I thoughtof it the more I inclined toward his views, and the upshot of the matterwas that I drew it out of the bank and let him have it."
Marian paused and looked piteously at Grace. Then she said brokenly:
"He lost it, Grace, every cent of it. The week after I gave it to him hetold me that luck had been against him, and that it was all gone. When Iasked him what he intended to do about it he promised that he would sellsome real estate of his and turn the money over to me to give back tothe class. He said it was his fault for persuading me to do it, and thatI shouldn't suffer for it. But he never kept his word.
"Last week I asked him for the last time if he would refund the money,and he laughed at me and said that I had risked it and ought to acceptmy losses with good grace. I threatened to expose him, and he said if Idid I should only succeed in making more trouble for myself than forhim. He had only speculated with what I had given him. Where I obtainedthe money was none of his business, and as long as I had appropriated itI would have to abide by the consequences.
"Of course, I was desperate and didn't know what to do. I had no moneyof my own, and I didn't dare ask my father for it. I had to tell someone, so I told Eleanor."
"Eleanor!" exclaimed Grace aghast. "Oh, Marian, why did you tell her ofall people."
"I thought she was my friend," declared Marian, "but I soon found outthat she wasn't. As soon as I had told her, she changed entirely. Shetold me last Friday that she had been watching for a long time in thehope of revenging herself upon the Phi Sigma Tau for their insults, andthat at last she had the means to do so.
"Her friendship for me was merely a pretense. She said that when Iseparated from my sorority she knew I was sure to do something foolish,so she decided to make advances to me and see what she could find out.
"She is going to call a class meeting for next Thursday after school,and she is going to expose me. She says that it is right that the classshould know just what sort of material the Phi Sigma Tau is made up of,and that one of its members is a sneak and a thief."
"This is serious, and no mistake," replied Grace soberly. "Don't youremember, Marian, that back in our junior year, when Eleanor tried toget Anne's part in the play, I cautioned the girls to never putthemselves in a position where Eleanor might injure them."
"Yes, I remember, now," Marian faltered, "but it is too late."
"I might try to checkmate her at her own game by threatening to tell thestory of the missing costumes," reflected Grace aloud. "I'll try it atany rate. But even if we do succeed in silencing Eleanor, where are weto get the money to pay back the class fund? We can't arrest thatmiserable Henry Hammond without making the affair public, and thissimply must remain a private matter. It is the hardest problem that Ihave ever been called upon to contend with.
"You must brace up, Marian, and go back to school to-morrow," directedGrace. "If you keep on this way it will serve to create suspicion. Youhave done a very foolish and really criminal act, but your own remorsehas punished you severely enough. None of us are infallible. The thingto do now, is to find a way to make up this money."
Marian wiped her eyes, and, leaving the lounge, walked over to Grace,and, putting her arms about Grace's neck, said, with agonizedearnestness:
"Grace, can you and the girls ever forgive me for being so hateful?"
"Why, of course, we can. There is nothing to forgive. We have neverstopped thinking of you as a member of our sorority. We wouldn't ask anyone else to take your place."
An expression of intense relief shone in Marian's face.
"I am so glad," she said. "I can't help being happy, even with thiscloud hanging over me."
"Cheer up, Marian," said Grace hopefully. "I have an idea that I shallstraighten out this tangle yet. I must go now. Keep up your courage andwhatever you do, don't tell any one else what you have told me. Thereare too many in the secret now."