AN UNSUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW
There were two subjects of interest under discussion in the sophomore
class. One was the coming ball, the other the story of the lost signals,
which had gone the round of the class. The general opinion seemed to be
that Anne had betrayed the team, and with the unthinking cruelty of youth,
the girls had resolved to teach her a lesson. Miriam's accusation had been
repeated from one girl to another, with unconscious additions, until Anne
loomed up in the light of a traitor, and was treated accordingly.
Grace had told Anne the next day the details of the meeting, and in some
measure prepared her for what would undoubtedly follow. Anne had laughed a
little at the account of Miriam's remarks regarding her father, and the
girls' evident disapproval of the theatrical profession.
"How silly they are," she said to Grace, who felt secretly relieved to
know that Anne was not mortally hurt over Miriam's attack. "They don't
know anything about professional people. Of course, there are plenty of
worthless actors, but some of them are really very fine men and women.
Miriam may abuse my family all she chooses, but I do feel unhappy to think
that those girls believe me dishonorable and under-handed."
"They wouldn't if they had any sense," responded Grace hotly, "I never
believed that those girls could be so snobbish. I always thought them
above such petty meanness. Don't pay any attention to them, Anne. They
aren't worth it. I am going to interview Julia Crosby and make her
acknowledge that she wasn't referring to you the other day. There is
something queer about it all. I believe that there is some kind of secret
understanding between Miriam and Julia; that this is a deliberate plot on
their part to injure you and humiliate me, and I shall find out the truth
before I am through."
"But what has Julia Crosby against me?" queried Anne, "I hardly know her."
"She hasn't forgotten the way David defended you at Mrs. Gray's Christmas
ball last year," answered Grace, "Besides, you're a sophomore. Isn't that
a good enough reason?"
"I suppose it is," said Anne wearily.
Grace kept her word and hailed Julia Crosby on the following afternoon as
she was leaving the High School. It seemed a favorable opportunity for
Julia was alone.
"Miss Crosby," said Grace coldly. "I should like to speak to you about a
very important matter."
"There's nothing to hinder you, Miss Harlowe," replied Julia brusquely.
"I'm here. Are you sure that it really is important?"
She stopped and eyed Grace insolently.
"I am very sure that it is important, Miss Crosby," said Grace. "Not long
ago a certain sophomore overheard you telling a member of your class that
we sophomores could thank a girl in our class for our basketball defeat. A
certain girl had already been unjustly accused of betraying our signals.
When your remark was repeated to the team, they immediately decided that
you meant her. Since then her classmates have taken the matter up and are
determined to cut her acquaintance."
"Well what has all this childish prattle to do with me?" demanded Julia
rudely.
"It has this to do with you, that you can set the matter right by saying
it was not Anne. You know perfectly well she had nothing to do with it. I
don't know how you got those signals, but I do know that Anne never gave
them to you."
"Did I say that she did?" asked Julia.
"No," said Grace, "neither did you say that she didn't."
"Very true," replied Julia in a disagreeable tone, "and I don't intend to
say so either. She may or she may not have given them to me. I'll never
tell. She's a snippy, conceited, little prig, and a little punishment for
her sins will do her good."
"You are a cruel, heartless girl," cried Grace angrily. "Knowing Anne to
be innocent, you refuse to clear her name of the suspicion resting upon
it. Let me tell you one thing. I know who tripped me the day of the game,
and so does Anne. If you don't clear Anne instantly, I shall go straight
to Miss Thompson with it."
Grace's threat went home. Julia stood in actual dread of the principal. It
looked as though the tables had been turned at last. If Grace went to Miss
Thompson what a commotion there would be!
In a moment, however, Julia recovered herself. What was it Miss Thompson
had said about rough play? Ah, Julia remembered now, and with the
recollection of the principal's words came the means of worsting Grace
Harlowe in her efforts to vindicate Anne.
"You may go to Miss Thompson if you think it wise," she said with a
malicious smile, "but I wouldn't advise it--that is, unless you have
gotten over caring for basketball."
"What do you mean?" asked Grace. Then like a flash she understood. If she
should tell Miss Thompson the truth, the principal would believe her.
Julia would receive her just deserts but, oh, bitter thought, there would
be no more basketball that season.
Grace felt that she had no right to sacrifice the pleasure of so many
others, even for Anne's sake. It would only increase the feeling against
both Anne and herself, and after all, Julia might still hold out in her
insinuations against Anne.
"How can you be so contemptible?" she said to her smiling enemy. "You
never win anything honestly. I see it is useless for me to appeal to you
for something which you cannot give, and that is fair play!" With a slight
bow, Grace walked quickly away, leaving Julia a little astonished at her
sudden departure and not at all pleased at Grace's frankly expressed
opinion.
Grace lost no time in relating to Anne her fruitless interview with the
junior captain.
"I am so humiliated to think I failed. I expected that threatening to tell
Miss Thompson would bring her to her senses, but she is too cunning for
me," sighed Grace.
The two girls were walking home from school.
"Shall you tell Nora and Jessica?" asked Anne.
"No," said Grace. "Let us keep the sprained ankle part of the story a
secret. They are loyal to you, at any rate, and Nora would be so angry. I
am afraid I couldn't keep her from going straight to Miss Thompson and
making a general mess of things. I am so sorry, Anne, dear, but I guess we
shall have to weather the gale together. It will die out after a while,
just as all those things do. Hush! Don't say anything now. Here come Nora
and Jessica."
"What do you think!" cried Nora. "Edna Wright is giving a party next
Saturday, and she isn't going to invite either you or Anne."
"How shocking!" said Grace. "We shall both die of grief at having been
slighted."
She spoke lightly, and no one but Anne guessed how much the news hurt her.
"We are not going," declared Nora, "and we told her so."
"What did she say?" asked Grace.
"We didn't give her time to answer," said Nora, "but rushed off to find
you. The whole thing is perfectly ridiculous! The idea of a lot of silly
little school girls thinking they own the earth. It's all Miriam's fault.
She has tried to be leader of her class ever since it was organized but
mark what I say, she'll never accomplish it. Pride will get a fall, one of
these days, and I hope I'll be around when it happens."
"Never mind, Nora," said Grace soothingly. "Anne and I don't care. We'll
give a party at the same time, to our own crowd. I'll tell you what we'll
do. We will have a surprise party for Mrs. Gray. I'll write to Tom Gray
and ask him to come down for next Saturday. That will be a double surprise
to dear Mrs. Gray."
"Fine!" cried Jessica. "We'll have Hippy and Reddy and David. Then our
circle will be complete. The other crowd will be furious. Those boys are
all popular, and I know that Edna intends to invite them."
"Let's tell them at once, then," said Nora, "before the other girls get a
chance."
The boys were promptly invited. Grace sent a note to Tom Gray, who found
it possible to get away for the week end.
Reddy, Hippy and David received invitations to the other party, but
politely declined. Miriam endeavored to point out to her brother the folly
of his conduct, but David simply stared at her and said nothing. He knew
to what lengths her jealousy had carried her during the freshman year, and
although Nora had entirely omitted his sister's name from the conversation
when telling him of the recent trouble that had arisen, still David felt
that Miriam was at the bottom of it.
Failing to elicit any response from her brother, she flew into a rage and
did not speak to him for a week, while David went serenely on his way,
and let her get over it as best she might.
The surprise party proved a success. Mrs. Gray's delight at seeing her
"Christmas children" and having her beloved nephew with her was worth
seeing. The young people did all the "stunts" they knew for her
entertainment, and the boys repeated their Shakespearian performance for
the old lady, who laughed until she could laugh no more.
It was their turn to be surprised, however, when the old butler suddenly
appeared and announced that supper was served. Mrs. Gray had held a word
of conversation with him directly after their arrival, which resulted in
an array of good things calculated to tempt the appetite of any healthy
boy or girl.
After supper they had an old-fashioned "sing," with Jessica at the piano,
ending with "Home, Sweet Home" and the inevitable "Good Night, Ladies."
"I'm sure we had a better time than the other crowd," said Nora as they
all walked down the street.
"Of course," said Grace, but a little feeling of sadness swept over her as
she realized for the first time in her short life she had been slighted by
any of her school friends.