A SHADOW IN FORECAST
I thought everyone had been supplied with the anti-tack hammer
circular," remarked Jane, falling back where Judith's cushions ought
to be. "Just hear that tattoo over in the wing. I'll bet it's
Dozia."
"She has a collection of movie queens and I doubt not that is the
official coronation. Let us hope the new proctor is deaf on the
left, Dozia's room leans that way," replied Judith. Then she tossed
a couple of sweaters at Jane's head. "Put those under your ears
dear," she ordered, "my pillows aren't unpacked yet and you may find
Neddie's last year tacks in that burlap. There now, you look almost
human. But the wistful whimper lingers. Jane, what has happened? You
are simply smothered in the soft pedal. Tell your Judy all about
it," she cooed.
Feet stretched out straight in front of her and arms ending with
finger tips laced over her black head, Judith looked longer than she
really needed to measure up or down. Also, she looked too stiff to
be comfortable, but the wooden pose was Judith's favorite. She
rested that way, defying every known law for relaxation. Jane, au
contraire, was curled up like a kitten, with one red sweater balled
under her ruffled head and the other blue one tangled about her slim
ankles. Both girls were tired--justly so, for the opening day at
Wellington was ever a time of joyous activity, and the day just
closed had roared and yelled itself into an evening still vibrant
with bristling energy, tack hammers and movie pictures smashing
rules and regulations, until the night gong sounded its irrevocable
warning. Then roommates paired off even as did Jane and Judith.
"Has anything happened to your baggage?" prompted Judith, as her
companion failed to confide.
Jane teased one small worsted tassel of Judith's blue sweater free
from its tangle with her shoe lace, then she poked her dimpled chin
forward saucily.
"Can't ever have a secret, I suppose, Pally dear," she mocked the
girl sliding slowly but surely out of her chair. "But I don't mind.
Shows how truly you love me. There, you will feel better on the rug.
I knew you were coming." Judith had landed.
"I believe I'll sleep here," declared Judith, one end of the
international carpet sample was bunched up under her ear. "Never was
so tired on any other first or last day." The long legs shot out
straight again. "And if your secret is really thrilling Janie, pray
keep it for a more auspicious occasion. I am apt to snore when I
should groan, or even sneeze when I should----" A choking spasm
interrupted. "Don't tell me to take quinine, Janie. This is the end.
I have had it since August and it is due to depart now, exactly
now." A couple of sneezes added punctuation to this.
"But get up from that floor instantly," ordered the girl on the
divan. "Nothing worse for colds than rag carpet rugs. There's plenty
of room up here out of drafts. Come, lovey. Do try to curl up some.
I always fear you will break up in splinters when I see you go
wooden."
"Too comfy, Dinks, I can't move."
"Sneeze then and I'll catch you. You have just got to get up off
that chilly floor somehow. Besides the oil may be contagious. It
still smells gooey."
"Anything for peace. Give me a lift. There," Judith hung over the
edge but Jane held on to the black head. "It's not so safe as the
floor but I suppose it is more prophylactic. Now I will sleep. The
girls seem to have died down. Strange"--yawn and groan--"how they do
love to fuss up the rooms."
"Temperment, my dear. Dozia wouldn't sleep a wink with her
photograph gallery unhung. What do you think of the crowd this year?
Spot any stars?"
"A couple. Did you see that beauty with the shiny gold hair? The one
who stood under the hemlock alone during the cheering? Isn't she
tragically pretty?"
"Exactly that. One couldn't help seeing her, although she struck me
as being shy."
"Scared to death, and so unconscious of her charms. There Janie, my
brain is sound asleep this moment. If I say real words they must be
coming from another world. This is gone." Judith ducked deeper into
the pillowless couch. She plainly was sleepy.
"Why Judith Stearns," called Jane severely, "you are giving me as
much trouble as a baby. Don't you dare fall asleep. We have got to
make beds yet. That comes of your notion not to have ready-to-wear
beds in our suite. And you can just see how much fun it is to drag
things out on tired nights." Jane sprang up from the divan and tried
to yank the sleepy girl after her. "Come on, Pally," she implored.
"I'll do most all the fixing, only I really demur at the disrobing.
You know my hatred for buttons and fastenings. I wouldn't leave one
snap to meet its partner. Come on Judy," the feet were again on the
rug, "we will be simply dead in the morning, and we have got to be
very much alive. We do miss the Weatherbee. I don't see why we let
her go. Dear, prim, prompt Weatherbee! Now we know we loved her. Her
successor is too young to be motherly."
"Jane Allen, you're a pest," groaned Judith. "I can't hear a thing
but words, and I suppose you are calling me names. Who's this guy
Bed, I heard you mention? Lead me to her," and whether the collapse
was assumed or real Judith rolled over twice and once more stretched
out on the long runner at Jane's feet.
"Have it your own way. Stay there if you insist and sneeze your head
off, but I'm going to bed," decided Jane helplessly.
"That's the girl. Her name is Bed. I want to meet her. Heard so much
about her. Jane dear introduce me, there's a dar--link," Judith
muttered.
"Someone is coming and I just hope it is Prexy or Proxy. I'll open
the door wide as I can," declared the outraged Jane.
She stepped over the long girl but even the tap on the door did not
disturb Judith.
"It's I--are you up, Jane?" The voice came as the tap subsided.
"Yes Dozia. Come along in. I can't get Judy to bed. Just look at
her!"
"Poor child," commiserated Dozia, surveying the figure on the floor
very much as a policeman looks upon an ambulance case. "We ought to
help her. Is the day bed translated?"
"Yes, I got it ready. But Judy won't undress," Jane protested.
"Why need she? If I ever slept like that I would murder a disturber.
Just get hold of that rug Janie, and we'll dump her into bed."
Judith was actually sleeping when the two compassionate friends
picked up the rug, hammock fashion, and proceeded to "dump her into
bed." She never moved voluntarily. Judith Stearns knew a good thing
when it came her way, and what could be better than this?
"She'll ruin her skirt," suggested Jane as they drew the rug out
from under the blue accordion pleats.
"What's a mere skirt compared with that?"
Dozia stood aside to admire the unconscious Judy, but striking a
statuesque pose she caught the critical eye of Jane and was rewarded
with a most complimentary smile.
"Where did you get that wonderful robe, Dozia?" Jane asked. "You
simply look like--like some notable personage in those soft folds
and with your hair down. What a pity we must make ourselves ugly to
be conventional."
"Ain't it now," mocked Dozia, abusing language to make comedy. She
swung the velveteen folds about her and spun around to wind them
tighter. "Like this? Do I resemble a movie queen? That's what
brought me, Janie. This nocturnal visit is consequent upon a
disaster. My hammer, the one I put my queens up with, fell through
the mirror. Silly little hammer. You know how this house staff feels
about breaking looking-glasses."
"Yes, spoils the set of course. You are not insinuating anyone here
might be superstitious? I am awfully sorry you broke the mirror. How
did it happen?"
"Sissh!" Dozia sibilated, pointing to Judith who had actually turned
over. "Don't wake her, this really is a secret. Girlie," dragging
Jane down into a chair, "have you noticed that ugly, fat, common
country girl, with the wire hair and gimlet eyes? Well, she came in,
pushed her way in really, and squatted down plumb in my best
Sheraton chair. The size of her!" (This with seething indignation.)
"I was so provoked--why, Jane, what is the matter? You are
frightened or nervous or something. Have you seen a ghost anywhere?"
broke off Dozia.
"Oh no, but I am so tired," Jane edged away from the suspector.
"After all I do believe Judy is sensible, see her slumber."
"Jane Allen, you are a fraud," pronounced the girl in the velveteen
robe. "You are smothering some mystery and I must have stepped on
the spring," guessed the inquisitive caller. "Was it the tack hammer
or the spindle chair or the fat girl? Not she, you have had no
chance to do uplift work yet. Land knows that farmer will need your
greatest skill, but dear, don't waste it on her. She's incurable."
"Bad as all that?" asked Jane colorlessly. "But what happened? You
did not try to hit her with the hammer I hope?"
"I didn't try to hit her, I did hit her. It fell accidentally on her
fat head and she tossed it through the mirror. Now what can a girl
do in a case like that?"
The haunted look, so foreign to the face of Jane, shaped itself
again.
"Is she--did you hurt her?"
"I hope so," dared Dozia. "It would be a charity to send her home.
Her name is Shirley Duncan and she's from some country town. But
Jane, if she gets really horrid, I mean more horrid than she is now,
I want you to stand by me. That's what I came for."
"All right Dozia," said Jane, "but I hope it won't have to go as far
as that."
"Me too," responded the carefree Dozia. "But there's no telling what
Shirley may do."
For some moments after Dozia glided out Jane stood there, her gray
eyes almost misty.
"Of all the tragedies!" she was thinking. Then with a jerk she
pulled herself up. "But I guess I can handle it," she declared
finally, and when she succeeded in rousing Judith no one would have
suspected anything new amiss.
Jane Allen might have worries but they could not dominate her. Sunny
Jane, with sunny hair and gray eyes, was no mope. It would take
fight to conquer this new condition, she realized, but Jane could
fight, and her dreams on this first night back in college were
strangely confused with school-day battles.
More than once she awoke with a start, as if some danger were
impending, and a sense of uneasiness possessed her. Each time it
seemed more difficult to fall back into slumber, and all this was
new, indeed, to happy Jane.
"Daddy!" she murmured. "It's because of daddy's----"
She was finally sound asleep.