CHAPTER VI
GREEN CAP WEEK
Even though Mimi heard the announcement in chapel that Green Cap Weekbegan today, something had to happen to her before she realized itssignificance. She was hurrying down the hall to English. Classes wereunder way and she was having a time finding the different rooms andgetting there on time.
"Wait a minute," Olivia said, holding out her arms and blocking thedoor to the room. "Another girl whose hearing is deficient, whoseeyesight faileth. Away, lowly one, and wash that powder off your face."
"What?" Mimi stammered incredulously.
"Go read the bulletin board. Ever hear of Green Cap Week?"
Mimi couldn't be late to English. She didn't want to get a bad start soshe ducked under Olivia's arm into the classroom, only to collide withBetsy.
"Trouble?" she asked Olivia.
"A mere trifle--Miss Hammond hasn't time to remove her make-up."
"Yes, she has."
"I'll be late," Mimi protested. She could feel her cheeks burning. Whyhadn't she collided with anyone else in school but Betsy?
"Be late, but when you do get here, your face will be so bright andshining Miss Lipscomb may mistake it for intelligence." Betsy's toneleft no alternative. Mimi turned in her most dignified manner andwalked toward the stairs. She did not run until she turned the landingand was out of sight.
Only last night she had been sure she and Betsy would be friends andnow----
In her confusion she opened the bathroom door with such violence shealmost knocked Chloe down. Chloe was drying her face and Sue'sroly-poly figure was doubled over the lavatory. She was still scrubbing.
"What! Y'all too?"
Then Mimi saw how funny it was. Going without make-up was no trial forher. She used very little anyhow. She only side-swiped her nose with apowder puff on special occasions. But Sue couldn't set her hair! Chloecouldn't put polish on her nails! No rouge, no powder, no lipstick, nomascara for a week. It would be much worse in College Hall than in PrepHall. Green Cap Week had started in College Hall for the freshmen. In ayear or so the Preps had taken up this light form of hazing and appliedGreen Cap Week regulations to all new girls regardless of class. Mrs.Cole was constantly on guard for fear they would overdo it. Sheheartily approved of one rule, however. No college freshman or new girlcould leave the campus the entire week. Prep girls never could leaveunchaperoned. Thinking over the rules, Mimi wondered if there'd ever betime to go to town.
Even Chloe smiled broadly before they hustled back to their classes.About as well be a good sport.
Mimi had recovered her poise when she dashed by Tumble Inn betweendinner and class time. Betsy and two other old girls were there groupedaround the treasure chest finishing the date cake.
"'Scuse," Mimi apologized, "but I live here, too."
"Glad you came." Betsy's tone made it evident they were waiting forher. "I didn't stop for my mail. Bring it up, please. They will let youhave it. I have arranged with the girl."
"I mustn't let her see she is getting under my skin--I mustn't--Imustn't," Mimi gritted her teeth together.
"Be a pleasure. Going by anyway. So long."
"Oh Mimi," one of the other girls called, "Since you're going that way,stop in 223 and pick up my laundry and take it down to the maid'sentrance. It's all tied up and tagged."
"223? Just love to," Mimi fibbed. They couldn't see her flushed face.They mustn't know she was teased. There were ruts and bumps on thetrail now but Mimi would forge ahead. Once she determined to dosomething she kept at it doggedly. At camp she had resolved to find thebeautiful in life, and where it was not, to create beauty. She hadchosen as her watchword, "Hojoni," a Navajo word meaning "trail ofbeauty." In darkest moments she uttered it prayerfully. As she turnedin 223 she whispered to herself, "Hojoni." Gingerly she picked up thesoiled clothes tied up in a big bath towel and holding them at arm'slength away from her averted nose, fled down the back stairs and leftthem.
She reached the post office just in time to have the windows closed inher face--and there was a letter in her box! It could be for Chloe butagain it could be from Mother Dear! All period she tried to concentrateon the fact that "a straight line is the shortest distance between twopoints," but who could focus her attention on geometry when she hadbeen humiliated? When she might have her first news from home? The postoffice wouldn't be open again until three-thirty. How could she wait?
Going to her first gym class helped, or she thought it would.
Getting out of her uniform and putting on black shorts and a cleanwhite shirt perked her up. Mimi loved the freedom of gym clothes. Sheliked to fling her arms, stretch her legs, to run and dance and play.The greatest disappointment she had had so far at Sheridan was the factthat there was no swimming pool. Plans for the completion of a modernswimming pool with lights beneath the water were under way but thatdidn't help Mimi this year. To make up for not having a pool, therewere macadam tennis courts and an excellent hardwood basket ball floor.Today she would find out about them and from Miss Bassett! Dit might bethere, too.
Again Mimi was disappointed. Something besides play was happening inthe gymnasium. Girls were huddled in the anteroom. Two doctors, twonurses and half a dozen college seniors--yes, Dit was one ofthem--majoring in Physical Education were busy. Miss Bassett was hereand there.
"In line alphabetically," she said as Mimi straggled in. "New girls inanteroom to the left, alphabetically, please."
When Miss Bassett spoke, people acted.
"What is it all about?" Chloe asked Mimi. There was something soappealing about her wide-eyed question, Mimi put her arm around her.Chloe looked so small and helpless in her gym clothes. Her legs andarms were paper-white in contrast to Mimi's ruddiness.
"Physical examination," Mimi guessed, and she was right. "I took one toget my medical card for camp and it isn't bad," Mimi reassured Chloe.
She was not half so composed as she sounded. Daddy had examined her forcamp. Hastily he had run down the card, checking the contagiousdiseases she had had--measles, mumps, whooping cough--writing yes or noafter questions about vaccination and serums. He had thumped her chesta time or two, pressed his ear above her heart. Laughing heartily hehad said:
"Go to it, camper! Swim, ride, row--shoot the works! Nothing the matterwith _my_ girl."
Daddy was so proud of his tomboy. Mimi sensed this examination would bedifferent, and it was.
First a senior ushered you into a dressing room where another seniorwas seated. The senior with the fountain pen and stack of cards lookedup at Mimi----
"Last name first, please."
"Hammond, Mimi."
"Age?"
"Fourteen."
On and on the questions came. Mimi had to think hard to remember allthe answers. When the senior handed her the card with instructions totake it to the nurse in the next room, Mimi was not at all sure she hadanswered truthfully.
Here Mimi had a new experience.
Suddenly the nurse struck a match quite close to Mimi's eye. She closedher eyes and flinched.
"There. All over. Merely testing your reflexes."
She hadn't known she had any.
The nurse wrote on the card while the doctor listened to her heart,thumped both her chest and between her shoulder blades. Carefully henoted her posture. She was weighed, height measured and before it wasover her footprints noted.
Mimi had laughed about this. First, she had stepped in a basin of waterand then made wet tracks like the ones she left in the hall when Cissycalled her to the telephone from the bathtub. One more test and theexamination was over. The last nurse wiped the tip of Mimi's fingerwith alcohol, stuck it so skillfully that it did not hurt, and squeezeda drop of blood on a small glass plate. Then wiping the finger againshe sent Mimi to her room.
Sue was there before her, crosswise of the bed, sobbing softly.
Homesick, Mimi guessed. Then she remembered the letter in Box 207. Sheran all the way downstairs an
d when she got it, it was for Chloe. Shetook the letter back upstairs and put it on Chloe's dresser.
"Sue, honey, can I do anything about it?" Mimi asked gently.
"No," Sue blubbered, "it's done. Miss Taylor cut my finger nails nearlyto the quick so I wouldn't fray my violin strings and peck the keyboardand now that old nurse sticks my middle finger. I know my fingers willbe so sore I can't practice for days. I hope I can't!" She dabbed ather eyes with her middy collar. "Whose letter?"
"It is _not_ Betsy's. She didn't have any and I am glad! It's Chloe's.Say, we have to keep study hall tonight seven-thirty to nine. I thoughtwe stayed in our rooms and studied that time like the college girls,but we don't. We have to sit at those desks in the chapel. I'll neverlive through it. Cheer up, Sue. If I can sit still an hour and a half_every_ night, you can surely stand your fingers a little bit sore.What a life!"
What a life it was that week----
Since this was the last year Sheridan would have a preparatorydepartment, the old girls greatly outnumbered the new; consequently,Mimi and Sue flunkied all week long. They made beds, shined shoes,swept rooms--thank goodness the maids swept the halls--carried towelsto the floor showers and worst of all wore silly green felt caps allweek. They dared not take them off until lights out. Sue's hair wasstringy and Mimi's freckled nose shone.
Chloe got off easier. She kept every rule. Her first waking thought wasto put her green cap on. She obeyed so meekly and was so shy the oldgirls soon let her alone. They picked on Sue and hounded Mimi. It wasmore fun to tease girls who resented it and had to battle themselves toremain good sports. Mimi felt like a martyr but she gritted her teethand bore the persecutions.
This was a week Mimi never forgot. She completed her schedule, becameacquainted with her teachers, tried out for soccer and tennis. Suetried out for orchestra and was assigned second violin. Chloe beganspending all her spare time in the library or better, the art studio.Betsy tried out for the same things Mimi did. She was good at them. Herchances for soccer looked better than Mimi's. Mimi admired her skill,her sense of fair play. Only once did her admiration waver.
Mimi was stretched out on the window ledge in the gym when she heardtwo girls talking below her outside. She recognized Betsy's voiceimmediately. It was tense with repressed excitement. After becominginterested in their plot, Mimi peeped over the ledge and recognizedMagdalene.
"This has been the tamest green cap week I ever heard of," Betsy wassaying.
"It sure has and it ends tonight."
"Wish we could stir up a little excitement. Don't you remember lastyear we rolled that trash can down the stairs, nonstop flight fromthird floor to basement, at midnight?"
"Do I remember? I've never heard such a clatter in my life. It nearlyscared me out of my wits. I wasn't in on it. I was one of the ones itawakened."
"Oh boy! Did Mrs. Cole rave!"
"I never shall forget how funny she looked with that outing kimonawrapped around her and her hair twisted up on kid curlers. She was afright."
"She never did find out who did it."
"Betsy, surely you can hatch up something as good as that. Think hard."
"I have thought of something better, only I can't think of anyone withnerve enough to do it."
Magdalene's eyes gleamed. She was a nervous, high-strung girl. Sheadored Betsy and would run any risk to win favor in Betsy's eyes. Betsyknew this.
"Dare me, why don't you?"
"Why Magdalene--you'd be afraid!" Betsy certainly knows how to work herschemes, Mimi thought.
"I would not! Name it and see!"
Betsy lowered her voice until Mimi had to strain her ears to catch whatshe was saying. She did not get it all but she did hear "alarm bell,""basement," and "midnight."
Because Mimi liked to play pranks herself, her first thought was, Willthat be a riot? It won't scare me. I'll be listening. I'll tell Sue andChloe and we'll stay up for the fun.
Then she saw more clearly what the plot was and what its consequencesmight be.
Evidently there was, somewhere about the building, an emergency alarm.Betsy wanted Magdalene to wait until the building was quiet and darkand then set it off. Mimi remembered all the stories of panic she hadheard; how people jumped out windows, trampled each other, fainted fromfright. Chloe might faint, and in spite of the resentment she had felttoward Chloe for being forced on her, she was beginning to love her.She loved her so much she didn't want her badly frightened. Poor Mrs.Cole. She had had a miserable week getting things organized and running.
"What to do?"
By the time Mimi had made up her mind that the alarm must not ringtonight, supper was over and she was seated in study hall. "I'll askpermission to speak to Betsy and tell her I know." No. She couldn't dothat. She wouldn't have time to explain all her reasons and Betsy mightthink she was a sissy. Besides, she was afraid Betsy didn't like hermuch anyhow.
Suppose she spoke to Magdalene? She didn't know her well enough tointerfere. Suppose she told Mrs. Cole? That would only get the twowould-be culprits in trouble. Mimi had already heard how you receivedlong campus sentences for even small offenses. They might be sent homefor this prank. Besides, she couldn't be a tattletale.
Tick-tock-tick-tock----
The hands of the study hall clock were getting around too fast. Beforeshe chose her course of action, study hall was over. Gathering up herbooks, which had been open before her but unread, she started afterBetsy and Magdalene who were strolling down the hall together.
Dit detained her. She came striding down from College corridor, onehand in the pocket of her big white sweater with the green letter, theother holding a list she was carefully scanning.
"Mimi, you are on number one soccer squad and number one tennis club."Everything had a number. "That doesn't mean _team_ but it means a goodchance. Report at two-twenty tomorrow."
"Oh thanks, Dit. Thanks a lot."
"Where's Betsy?"
"Gone." She and Magdalene had disappeared. Mimi ran upstairs. She mustfind them.
They were not in Tumble Inn. Sue, who was brushing her hair one hundredstrokes every night paused long enough to say----
"Fifty-five--Betsy is spending the night with Madge--I guess Mrs. Colegave her permission." Then she changed her hairbrush to her other handand continued brushing--"fifty-six, fifty-seven."
So that was it. Madge's room (Sue insisted on calling her that) was onthe third floor at the head of the stairs. It would be easier to sneakdown from there. Perhaps she should ask Sue what to do. But no, Mimiwas a lot like the cat who walked by herself. She could figure this outand act alone. If she ran the risk of being caught out of her roomafter light bell, and if her plan did not succeed she might be caughtand considered a plotter herself.
Mimi tried to be natural as she undressed, cleaned her teeth, and saidher prayers. Chloe almost sat on Mimi's flashlight she had sneakedunder her pillow.
"Chloe." Sue sounded so lonesome in the darkness. "Please, come sleepwith me. I can't go to sleep by myself."
"Move over and give me your warm place and I will."
Mimi didn't stir until several minutes after she heard Chloe's barefeet patter across the floor. She could get up now without disturbinganyone. Carefully she eased up to a sitting position, then liftedherself noiselessly to her feet. The bed springs squeaked as she stoodup and Mimi stood rigid listening. She slipped into her felt slippersand bathrobe and, inch at a time, opened the door.
The hall was twilight dark--only dim lights above the bathroomentrances. Staying close to the wall she moved toward the stairs. Shefroze in her tracks, one foot on the first step, as she heard a doorclose softly and a whisper "sh-sh." Then acting without knowing why,Mimi hid in the bathroom and waited. Peeping out she saw Madge andBetsy creep by, casting goblin shadows against the wall.
For a mad instant Mimi wanted to join them rather than foil theirplans. Then she decided to have some fun of her own. She'd pay MissBetsy back for some of the insults she had endured during Green CapWeek.
Giving the girls a safe start she followed them down, down, down to thebasement. At the foot of the stairs the two girls turned right andback. Mimi ran on tiptoe left and back to meet them under the stairs.She crouched down behind a large trash container and waited. Betsy'sflashlight was playing against the wall.
"There's the buzzer," she whispered. "Give me a minute to get back tothe foot of the stairs so you can find me by the light and so we canrun."
The alarm buzzer was right over Mimi's head. She could reach up andtouch it herself. But she had decided on her course. Better to scareone girl or two girls out of their wits, than turn the whole schoolinside out.
"O. K." Betsy whispered tensely. "Let'er go and scram!"
When Madge's thin white arm reached up, Mimi grabbed her wrist and withher other hand she threw her flashlight in her own face so that Madgewould know instantly she would not be harmed. "Steady, steady," shewhispered.
Madge did not cry out. All sound died in her throat but Mimi could feelher trembling all over. Mimi was thinking fast now. She extinguishedher light, and pulled Madge toward her.
"What's wrong?" Betsy called in a low tone.
"Tell her--nothing--bell out of order," Mimi hissed in Madge's ear.
"Nothing--it won't r-r-ring--must be out of fix." She was still shaking.
Mimi couldn't hear what Betsy said but she was shoving Madge toward thestairs.
"Go to bed. Not a word about me."
"Y--yes," Madge promised, running toward Betsy and light.
Mimi followed them as soon as she dared. Her speed increased as sheneared Tumble Inn. She was almost safe when Mrs. Cole's door poppedopen and a light snapped on.
"Who is it?" Miss Cole asked coming toward Mimi.
It was Mimi's turn to shake with fright and she did.
"Mimi Hammond, Mrs. Cole--I----"
"What are you doing out of your room at this hour?"
"I am sick at the stomach, Mrs. Cole, and I started to go to thekitchen to see if I could find some soda but I got scared."
Mimi hadn't known before she could fib so readily. Once she startedthere was no stopping.
"Don't you know you shouldn't prowl around the building at night? Whydidn't you call me?"
"I'm not scared," another fib, "and I didn't want to disturb you."
"Come in my room now."
Mimi followed meekly. Anything to keep Mrs. Cole from going to TumbleInn and finding Betsy out. She was sure all along Betsy did not havepermission. She watched Mrs. Cole pry the top from a box of salts.
"I'd rather have soda water, please."
"This will do you more good," said Mrs. Cole, stirring vigorously."Here, drink it."
What else could Mimi do?
While the bitter taste was in her mouth she wished she had let thealarm sound, that Mrs. Cole had been scared worst of all. But as shefinally closed the door of Tumble Inn safely behind her, she knew thatone dose of salts was better than two girls suspended, especially whenone of them was Betsy.