CHAPTER XV
A BELATED REPENTANCE
The following Monday as Grace Harlowe was about to leave the schoolroom,Julia Crosby's younger sister, one of the freshman class, handed her anote. It was from Julia, and read as follows:
"DEAR GRACE:
"Will you come and see me this afternoon when school is over? I have a severe cold, and am unable to be out of bed. I have something I must say to you that cannot wait until I get back to school.
"Your sincere friend,
"JULIA"
"Oh, dear!" thought Grace. "I don't want to go up there. Her mother willfall upon my neck and weep, and tell me I saved Julia's life. I know herof old. She's one of the weeping kind. I suppose it's my duty to go,however."
Grace's prognostication was fulfilled to the letter. Mrs. Crosby claspedher in a tumultuous embrace the moment she entered the hall. Grace finallyescaped from her, and was shown up to Julia's room.
She looked about her with some curiosity. It was a light airy room,daintily furnished. Julia was lying on the pretty brass bed in one cornerof the room. She wore a dressing gown of pale blue eiderdown, and Gracethought she had never seen her old enemy look better.
"How do you do, Julia?" she said, walking over to the bed and holding outher hand to the invalid.
"Not very well," responded Julia hoarsely. "I have a bad cold and am tooweak to be up."
"I'm sorry," said Grace, "the wetting didn't hurt me in the least. But, ofcourse, I wasn't in the water like you were. It didn't hurt Tom, either."
"I'm glad you are both all right," said Julia.
She looked solemnly at Grace, and then said hesitatingly, "Grace, I didn'tdeserve to be rescued the other day. I've been awfully mean to you." Sheburied her face in the bed clothing and sobbed convulsively.
"Julia, Julia, please don't cry," said Grace, her quick sympathy arousedby the distress of another. "Did you think we would leave you to drown?You would have done the same for me. Don't you know that people neverthink of petty differences when real trouble arises?"
She laid her hand upon the head of the weeping girl. After a little thesobs ceased and Julia sat up and wiped her eyes.
"Bring that chair over and sit down beside me, Grace. I want to tell youeverything," she said. "Last year I was perfectly horrid to you and thatlittle Pierson girl, for no earthly reason either, I thought it was smartto annoy you and torment you. After we had the quarrel that day in thegymnasium, I was really angry with you, and determined to pay you back.
"You know, of course, that I purposely tripped you the day of thebasketball game. I was awfully shocked when I found you had sprained yourankle, but I was too cowardly to confess that I did it. Miss Thompsonwould have suspended me from school. I didn't know whether you knew that Ihad done it until I met you that day in the corridor, and the way youlooked at me made me feel miserable. Then we got hold of your signals."
She paused.
Grace leaned forward in her chair in an agony of suspense.
"Julia," she said, "I don't care what you did to me; but won't you pleasesay that Anne didn't give you those signals?"
"Miss Pierson did not give them to me," was the quick reply.
"I'm so glad to hear you say it," Grace answered. "I knew she wasinnocent, but the girls have distrusted her all year. She lost the listaccidentally, you know, but they wouldn't believe that she did."
"Yes, I heard that she did," said Julia. "The list was given to me, but Iam not at liberty to tell who gave it. It was not your Anne, although Iwas too mean to say so, even when I knew that she had been accused. I'llwrite you a statement to that effect if you want me to do so. That willclear her."
"Oh, Julia, will you truly? I want it more than anything else in the wholeworld. A statement from you will carry more weight with the girls thananything I could possibly tell them. It will convince the doubters, youknow. There are sure to be some who will insist on being skeptical."
Acting under Julia's direction, Grace brought a little writing case from anearby table, Julia opened it, selected a sheet of paper and wrote in afirm, clear hand:
"To the members of the sophomore class, and to all those whom it mayconcern:
"The accusation made against Anne Pierson last fall regarding the betrayalof the basketball signals to the junior team is false. Our knowledge ofthese signals came from an entirely different source.
"JULIA CROSBY, Capt. Junior Team."
"And now," concluded Julia, "I have done something toward straighteningout the mischief I made. Will you forgive me, Grace, and try to think ofme as your friend?"
"With all my heart," replied Grace, kissing her warmly. "And I am so happyto-day. Just think, the junior and sophomore classes will be at peace atlast."
The two girls looked into each other's eyes, and both began to laugh.
"After two years' war the hatchet will be buried," said Julia a littletremulously.
"Oh, Julia!" exclaimed Grace, hopping about, "I've a perfectly splendididea!"
"What is it?" asked Julia breathlessly.
"Let's have a grand blow out and bury the hatchet with pomp and ceremony.We'll have speeches from both classes, and a perfectly gorgeous feedafterwards. You break the news to your class and I'll endeavor to get mynaughty children under control once more. I believe some of them love me alittle yet," she smiled.
"Of course, they do," said Julia stoutly. "I must say I don't see why theywere so hateful to you, even if Anne Pierson were under suspicion. I knowI am to blame for helping the grudge along," she added remorsefully, "butI am, not the only one."
"I know," said Grace quickly. "There are lots of things I'd like to say,but for certain reasons of my own I shall not say them. You understand, Ithink."
Julia nodded. She did, indeed, understand, and the full beauty of GraceHarlowe's nobility of spirit was revealed to her.
"You are the finest, squarest girl I ever knew, Grace," she saidadmiringly.
"Nonsense," laughed Grace, flushing a little at the tribute paid her bythe once arrogant junior captain. "You don't know me at all. I have justas many faults as other girls, with a few extra ones thrown in. I have noclaim to a pedestal. I hope we shall be friends for the rest of ourschooldays and forever after. You will be a senior next year, and I shallbe a junior. It's time we put by childish quarrels, and assumed the highand mighty attitude of the upper classes. It is our duty to become aliving example to erring freshmen."
Both girls laughed merrily; then Grace rose to go. She kissed Juliagood-bye and walked out of the house as though on air. Her cup ofhappiness was full to the brim. She carefully tucked the precious paperaway in her bag and sped down the street on winged feet.
The incredible had come to pass. Her old-time enemy had become her friend.She wondered if it could have ever come about by any other means. Shedoubted it. She had always heard that "Desperate cases require desperateremedies." The happenings of the past week seemed conclusive proof of thetruth of the saying. Furthermore, she believed in the sincerity of JuliaCrosby's repentance. It was more than skin deep. She felt thathenceforward Julia would be different. Best of all, she had the reward ofher own conscience. In being true to Anne she had been true to herself.