CHAPTER XXII
A RESCUE AND A REFORM
It was with considerable trepidation that Anne and Grace approached theNesbit gate the following afternoon.
"I feel my knees beginning to wobble," Grace observed, as they rang thebell. "This business of being a reformer has its drawbacks. How had webetter begin?"
"I don't know, the inspiration to say the right thing will probably come,when we see her," said Anne.
"If she behaves in her usual manner, I shall have a strong inspiration, togive her a good shaking," said Grace bluntly.
To their relief, the maid who answered the bell informed them that Miriamhad gone out for a walk.
"Do you know which way she went?" Grace asked.
"I think, miss, that she went toward Upton Wood. She often walks there,"replied the maid.
The girls thanked her and started down the walk.
"Miriam ought never to walk, alone, in Upton Wood, especially this timeof year," remarked Grace. "There are any amount of tramps lurking around.If David knew it he would be awfully provoked."
"Let's walk over that way, and perhaps we'll meet her," suggested Anne."Now that we've started, I hate to turn back. If we don't see her to-day,we'll keep on putting it off and end up by not seeing her at all."
"That's true," Grace agreed.
The two girls strolled along in the direction of Upton Wood, thoroughlyenjoying their walk. Occasionally, they stopped to gather a few wildflowers, or listen to the joyous trill of a bird. They were at the edge ofthe wood, when Grace suddenly put up her hand.
"Hush!" she said. "I hear voices."
Just then the cry Help! Help! rang out.
"That's Miriam's voice," cried Grace.
Glancing quickly about for a weapon, Grace picked up a good-sized stickshe found on the ground, and ran in the direction of the sound, Anne ather heels.
Miriam was struggling desperately to free herself from the grasp of arough, unkempt fellow who had her by the arm and was trying to abstractthe little gold watch that she wore fastened to her shirtwaist with achatelaine pin.
The tramp stood with his back to the approaching girls. Before he wasaware of their presence, Grace brought her stick down on his head with allthe force she had in her strong, young arms.
With a howl of pain he released Miriam, whirling on his assailant. Gracehit him again, the force of her second blow knocking him over.
Before the man could regain his feet the three girls were off through thewood. They ran without looking back until fairly out in the open field.
"I don't see him," panted Grace, halting to get her breath. "I guess he'sgone."
Anne was pale and trembling. The run out of the woods had been almost toomuch for her. As for Miriam, she was sobbing quite hysterically.
"Don't cry, Miriam," soothed Grace, putting her arm around the frightenedgirl. "He can't hurt you now. I am so glad that we happened along. Youought never to go into Upton Wood alone, you know."
Miriam gradually gained control of herself. Wiping her eyes, she asked,"How did you ever happen to be out here just at the time I needed help?"
"To tell the truth, we were hunting for you," Grace replied. "Your maidsaid that you had gone toward Upton Wood. We walked on, expecting everyminute to meet you. Then we heard you scream and that's all."
"It's not all," said Miriam quickly. "I know I have been a wretch. I havemade things unpleasant for you two girls ever since we started in at HighSchool. I made fun of Anne, and tried to make her lose the freshman prize.I sent her that doll a year ago last Christmas, knowing that it would hurther feelings. But the things I did last year aren't half as bad as allI've done this year, I gave----"
"That's just what we came to see you about, Miriam," interrupted Grace."We know that you gave the signals to Julia, and we know that you lockedme in the classroom the day of the big game."
Miriam flushed with shame and her lip quivered.
Seeing her distress, Grace went on quickly:
"The janitress found your scarab pin just outside the door on the day ofthe game. Anne has it here for you."
Anne fumbled in her purse and drew out the pin.
"But how did you get it?" asked Miriam faintly, as she took the pin withevident reluctance.
"Miss Thompson gave it to me," Anne answered.
Miriam looked frightened. "Then she knows----"
"Nothing," said Grace softly. "As soon as Anne heard that Miss Thompsonhad your pin and knew where it had been found, she went right to theoffice and asked Miss Thompson to give it to her. Miss Thompson thoughtfrom the first that I had been the victim of a trick. Anne knew that thefinding of your pin would make her suspect you. She had already sent foryou when Anne reached the office. Luckily you weren't in school. Anneasked permission to return the pin to you. She wouldn't give any reasonfor asking. Finally Miss Thompson handed it to her, and told Anne she wassure she would do what was right."
"You owe a great deal to Anne, Miriam," Grace continued, "for if she hadnot gone to Miss Thompson I am afraid you would have been suspended fromschool. Miss Thompson would have had very little mercy upon you, for sheknew about those examination papers last June."
Miriam looked so utterly miserable and ashamed at Grace's words, that Annehastened to say:
"I would have given you your pin at once, Miriam, but you were away fromschool. Then David told me how unhappy you seemed. I hadn't said a wordto any one about the pin until I told Grace. We decided to come and seeyou, and say that we were willing to 'let bygones be bygones' if you were.We thought it was right to let you know that we knew everything. There isonly one other person who knows. That person is your brother."
"He knew I locked you up the day of the game," faltered Miriam, "The wayhe looked at me has haunted me ever since. He thinks me the mostdishonorable girl in the world." She began to cry again.
Anne and Grace walked along silently beside the weeping girl. They thoughtit better to let her have her cry out. She really deserved to spend abrief season in the Valley of Humiliation.
They had now left the fields and were turning into one of the smallerstreets of Oakdale.
"Miriam," said Grace, "try and brace up. We'll soon be on Main Street andyou don't want people to see you cry, do you? Here," extracting a littlebook of rice powder paper from her bag, "rub this over your face and themarks of your tears won't show."
Miriam took the paper gratefully, and did as Grace bade her. Then shestraightened up and gave a long sigh, "I feel like that man in Pilgrim'sProgress, after he dropped his burden from his back," she said. "The meanthings I did never bothered me until just lately. After I saw that my ownbrother had nothing but contempt for me, I began to realize what a wretchI was, and the remorse has been just awful."
It was David, after all, who had been instrumental in holding up themirror so that his stubborn sister could see herself as others saw her.Although she had quarreled frequently with him, she had secretly respectedhis high standard of honor and fine principles. The fear that he despisedher utterly had brought her face to face with herself at last.
"Anne has always wanted to be friends with you, Miriam," Grace saidearnestly as they neared the Nesbit home. "You and I used to play togetherwhen we were little girls in the grammar school. It's only since westarted High School that this quarreling has begun. Let's put it all asideand swear to be friends, tried and true, from now on? You can be a greatpower for good if you choose. We all ought to try to set up a highstandard, for the sake of those who come after. Then Oakdale will havegood reason to be proud of her High School girls."
They had reached the gate.
Miriam turned and stretched out a hand to each girl. There was a newlight in her eyes. "My dear, dear friends," she said softly.
A shrill whistle broke in upon this little love feast and the three girlslooked up. David was hurrying down the walk, his face aglow.
"I whistled to attract your attention. I was afraid you girls would gobefore I could reach you. Mother wants
you girls to come in for dinner.She saw you from the window. Don't say you can't, for I'm going to call onthe Piersons and Harlowes right now and inform them that their daughtersare dining out to-night. So hurry along now, for mother's waiting foryou."
A minute later he had mounted his motorcycle and was off down the street,going like the wind.
The girls entered the house and were warmly greeted by Mrs. Nesbit. Sheand David had viewed the little scene from the window. She had deeplydeplored Miriam's attitude toward Grace and her chums. It was with delightthat she and David had watched the three girls stop at the gate and clasphands. She therefore hurried her son out to the girls to offer them herhospitality.
Anne had never before entered the Nesbit home. She thought it verybeautiful and luxurious. Miriam put forth every effort to be agreeable,and the time passed so rapidly that they were surprised when dinner wasannounced.
After dinner, Miriam, who was really a brilliant performer for a girl ofher age, played for them. Anne, who was a music-hungry little soul,listened like one entranced. David, seeing her absorption, beckoned toGrace, who stole softly out of the room without being observed.
Once out in the hall the two young people did a sort of wild dance toexpress their feelings.
"You are the best girl a fellow ever knew," said David in a whisper. "Howdid you do it?"
"I'll tell you some other time," whispered Grace, who had cautioned thegirls to say nothing of the adventure for fear of frightening Miriam'smother. "Let's go back before they notice we're gone."
"Anne is too wrapped up in music to pay any attention to us. Come on up tomy workshop. I want to show you something I'm working at in connectionwith my aeroplane. We can talk there, without being disturbed. I want toknow what worked this transformation. It is really too good to be true.I've always wanted Miriam to be friends with Anne, but I had just aboutlost all hope."
Grace followed David up the stairs and through the hall to his workshop,which was situated at the back of the house.
"Now," said the young man, as he pushed forward a stool for his guest,"fire away."
Grace began with their call at the house, their walk in search of Miriam,and their adventure with the tramp, modestly making light of her ownbravery. When she had finished, David held out his hand, his face glowingwith appreciation "Grace," he said, "you've more spirit and courage thanany girl I ever knew. You ought to have been a boy. You would have donegreat things."
Grace felt that this was the highest compliment David could pay her. Shehad always cherished a secret regret that she had been born a girl.
"Thank you, David," she said, blushing, then hastily changed the subject."Tell me about your aeroplane. Is it still at the old Omnibus House?"
"Yes," David answered. "I had it here all winter, but I moved it out thereagain about a month ago."
"I should like to see it again," said Grace. "I didn't have time to lookat it carefully the day you invited us out there."
"I'll take you over any time you want to go," said David. "Oh, betterstill, here's a duplicate key to the place. You can take the girls and goover there whenever you please, without waiting for me. You are the onlyperson that I'd trust with this key, Grace," he added gravely. "I had itmade in case old Jean or I should lose those we carry. I wouldn't even letthe fellows have one, for fear they might go over there, get careless anddo some damage."
"It's awfully good of you, David," Grace replied as she took the key."I'll be careful not to lose it. I'll put it on my watch chain. It's sucha small key it is not likely it will be noticed."
Grace took from her neck the long, silver chain from which her watch wassuspended. She opened the clasp, slid the key on the chain and tucked bothwatch and key snugly into her belt.
"There," she said, patting it, "that can't get lost. My chain is verystrong. I prefer a chain to a pin or fob, because either one is so easy tolose."
"That's sensible," commented David. "Girls wouldn't be eternally losingtheir watches if they weren't so vain about wearing those silly littlechatelaine pins."
"Why, David Nesbit!" exclaimed Grace, glancing up at the mission clock onthe wall. "It's almost nine o'clock! I had no idea it was so late. Let'sgo down at once."
They returned to the parlor to find Anne and Miriam deep in some foreignphotographs that Miriam had collected during her trip to Europe theprevious summer.
"How I should love to see Europe," sighed Anne. "I'm going there some day,though, if I live," she added with a sudden resolution.
"Mother and father have promised me a trip across as a graduation gift.Maybe you'll be able to go, too, by that time, Anne," said Gracehopefully.
"Perhaps I shall, but I'm afraid it's doubtful," said Anne, smiling alittle.
"We've had a fine time, Miriam," said Grace, "but we really must go.Mother will worry if I stay any later."
"Please come again soon," said Miriam, kissing both girls affectionately."I have a plan to talk over with you, but I can't say anything about itnow. I must consult mother first. You'll like it, I'm sure."
"Of course we shall," responded Grace. "Good night, Miriam, and pleasantdreams."
"They are the nicest girls in Oakdale, and I shall try hard to be likethem," thought Miriam, as she closed the door. "David is right. Itcertainly pays to be square."