JUDITH PLAYS DETECTIVE
WHILE the prefects were sitting in solemn conclave, Judith at her desk,
writing to her mother, found that the story of the week's doings centred
about Genevieve and the mysterious letter.
"She is hard to describe, Mummy," she wrote; "she isn't exactly pretty,
but her face changes so often when she is talking that she is
interesting to listen to. She doesn't play many games and I don't see
very much of her, but you remember I told you how clever she was as
Malvolio in 'Twelfth Night.' She acts awfully well and she just loves
doing it. And she's always getting frightfully fond of somebody and
feeling badly if they don't like her." Judith sat rolling her pen
absent-mindedly up and down her blotter as the picture of Genevieve
filled her mind.
Perhaps it was a matter of "thinking of angels and hearing their wings";
at any rate, just at this moment, Genevieve, returning from a fruitless
attempt to catch Catherine in her room, knocked at Judith's door.
"Come on down and see me, Judy," she begged; "I've got some biscuits and
some Washington coffee and I'll beg some hot water from Mrs. Bronson."
Judith who loved coffee needed no second bidding, and was soon enjoying
a steaming cup and listening to Genevieve's woes; but Genevieve was
scarcely well started on the subject of the letters when a heavy step
was heard in the corridor and she jumped up in alarm.
"Throw the coffee out the window, Judy," she begged--"that's Miss Watson
doing laundry--she's in Joan's room now." And with amazing swiftness she
emptied her laundry bag on the bed, covered the contents with her
eiderdown, spread out two dainty sets of immaculate French underwear,
and was seated with a darning-basket and a pair of stockings in her
hand, before the astonished Judith could take in the significance of her
actions.
"Come in," said Genevieve sweetly as Miss Watson knocked. "Oh, is that
you, Miss Watson? I'm just finishing my stockings."
Miss Watson, who was short-sighted and a bit indolent, hated the weekly
task of inspecting the newly returned laundry in search of missing
buttons and rents, all of which were to be recorded in her little black
book and checked off when the owners testified that the said garments
had been made whole. So remembering the immaculate clothes which awaited
her each week in Genevieve's room, she made a cursory examination of the
dainty undies and checked O.K. opposite Genevieve's name.
"There's a funny odor in here," she commented as she turned to go; "you
haven't--"
"Yes," said Genevieve politely, "I've just had a hot drink. Mrs. Bronson
thought I'd better have one because I felt so tired."
And Judith, watching with wide-open eyes, to her amazement saw
Genevieve's sensitive mobile face actually grow tired and sad-looking
while she watched, and then the moment Miss Watson was safely out of
sight, with a slight grimace and shrug Genevieve was smiling
triumphantly at her own cleverness, and slyly watching the effect of it
all on Judith.
"You'll keep it dark?" she asked, realizing that wholesale neatness
would arouse Miss Watson's suspicions and that the game would be up.
"Certainly," said Judith a little stiffly, wondering that Genevieve
would ask her--Nancy wouldn't have, nor Josephine; but then neither
would Nancy have taken advantage of Miss Watson's short sight in order
to present each week the same set of underwear kept especially for the
purpose.
"Yes; certainly she's clever, but she's got queer ideas about some
things," thought Judith as Genevieve began again on the meanness of the
person who wrote the anonymous letter.
"I'd give anything I've got," was Genevieve's parting word, "if I could
find out who did it."
"So would I," was Judith's thought as she dressed for a walk. "We've
just _got_ to find out, for Sally May and Catherine look perfectly
wretched--as if Sally May _would_; but some of them believe it. _How_
Genevieve can act! She just hoodwinked Miss Watson completely; looked
like a good little prig who'd done everything she ought to do--and she
was thoroughly enjoying herself. I guess she'll go on the stage when she
leaves school--it would be interesting to have people applauding. I
believe she was glad I was there to see her do it--and I believe--she
was glad the girls were round to sympathize when she got the letter--"
Perhaps it was because of her determination to help Sally May and
Catherine, perhaps because of the little scene she had just witnessed,
or perhaps for no particular reason at all, suddenly a new, and at first
glance a crazy, idea popped into her mind.
What if Genevieve enjoyed an audience so much that she wrote the
anonymous letter herself!
"Well that _is_ a silly idea--think how she cried and cried--yes, but
she had Cathy sympathizing with her--"
Judith started out to find Nancy to share her idea, but before she found
her she decided she'd say nothing about it--it was too far-fetched.
Nevertheless, she determined to keep an eye on Miss Genevieve.
Next morning, according to the prefects' plans, Patricia and Catherine
haunted the front corridor. Patricia even took up a post just inside the
sitting-room door and watched through the crack, but the corridor was
deserted all morning. Helen and Esther took the afternoon watch and had
no better luck.
Esther saw the mistress distribute the evening mail, putting several
letters into pigeon-hole "S," which had been empty until now, and then
came a rush of fifty girls crowding round the box. Esther reported
afterwards to Eleanor that whoever did it managed very quickly, for she
was watching all the time. Genevieve put up her hand, drew out of
pigeon-hole "S" another printed letter, and with a faint cry collapsed
in a dead faint. At least so her condition was described to those few
who were not privileged to be present. Ambulance classes had not been
held in vain at York Hill, and in less time than it takes to tell
Genevieve found herself on the sofa in the housekeeper's room, where she
proceeded to indulge in an old-fashioned fit of hysterics.
Judith, who had helped carry her in, wanted to stay and see, if
possible, whether Genevieve were shamming, but Mrs. Bronson shooed them
all out saying that Genevieve must have an hour's rest and then she
could go to the Infirmary.
Judith returned to the corridor where she found excited groups
discussing this third terrible letter. Some of the girls talked with
lowered voices and several looked almost as white as Genevieve had, and
when our heroine entered the "Jolly Susan," it was as little like its
name as possible. Sally May was sobbing audibly and Nancy was trying in
vain to comfort her.
"Horrid things! I hate them all. Why should they think I would do such a
nasty trick?" she heard between the sobs.
Josephine appeared in Judith's doorway.
"It's a shame, isn't it?" she whispered. "I would like to knock their
silly heads together. I don't wonder Sally's mad, and I believe that
Catherine is crying, too."
Judith was horrified.
"Catherine crying! Why in the world should she cry?"
"Well, you know," said Josephine, "it's rotten for her, and probably she
believes that Miss Marlowe thinks she has been silly, too. I don't know
for sure, but she wouldn't let Eleanor in a few minutes ago, and her
voice sounded shaky."
This was awful! A prefect weeping!
Two days passed without any further development and Eleanor was
beginning to hope that the nine days' wonder was at an end. On Wednesday
evening, however, Judith heard Genevieve's protest when Catherine
hurried off to a gymnasium class, after a vain effort to get rid of a
now increasingly unwelcome visitor.
"You don't have to go yet, Cathy. It's five minutes before the bell will
ring. Do stay and talk to me; I'm awfully miserable."
But Catherine was evidently exasperated and held the door open for
Genevieve, who had no choice but to go too.
"Now," said Judith inelegantly to Nancy, "Genevieve will have another
spasm."
Privately she resolved to play the detective.
She awoke next morning to hear the rain falling steadily. "Ugh," she
thought, "a rainy day and my Latin isn't finished--two horrid things to
begin with." And then she remembered her plans of the night before.
Instantly she was out of bed; she wouldn't try to keep her secret any
longer. Nancy should share it, but she wouldn't tell Sally May until she
had caught Genevieve. Nancy was impressed by Judith's cleverness in
thinking of such a thing, but doubtful about Genevieve's guilt.
"Why, she cried and cried; I saw her," Nancy kept repeating. "She
couldn't have done it herself."
But Judith was not to be shaken in her resolve, and leaving the study
room a little before one o'clock she settled herself in Helen Richard's
cupboard to watch. Fortunately for Judith's plan Helen was in the
Infirmary with a sore throat and through the keyhole of her cupboard
Judith had a clear view of the letter-box.
At a quarter-to-one Miss Marlowe put out the mail, but no one else came
near the box until one o'clock when every one came as usual. Then, when
everything was quiet again, Judith slipped out and caught up with the
others as they went down to the dining-room. Before dinner was quite
over, she asked permission to leave early, and she hid herself once more
in the cupboard.
The afternoon seemed interminably long, and as the cupboard was stuffy
and close, if it had not been for Nancy's chocolates Judith felt that
she could not have kept awake. Her knees ached horribly, for she was in
a cramped position, but she never dreamed of giving up, so sure was she
that something would happen.
And something did happen.
At a quarter-to-five the mail was put out, and as no one had appeared,
Judith was beginning to think that she would have to watch another day,
when suddenly she saw Genevieve come swiftly down the corridor, pause
for an instant at the box, slip in a letter, and then vanish as quickly
as she had come.
Judith could hardly wait to get the letter into her own hands. Yes, it
was the now familiar printed envelope.
"Genevieve Singleton."
What should she do? Whom should she tell? Nancy? Eleanor? Miss Marlowe?
No; Catherine was the one most concerned. Judith fairly ran with the
precious missive to Catherine's room and fortunately found Catherine
there studying. Her story was soon told and Catherine was scarcely less
excited than Judith.
"Judy, you are the brickiest brick, and the trumpest trump! Come here
and let me shake you. Hasn't it been horrid--such a little thing, but
everybody in such a stew," she added in a confidential tone, which was
ample reward to Judith. "And now we can be rid of her, the little
wretch! Three cheers for the first mate of the 'Jolly Susan!'"
The two of them went arm in arm down to the Captain's room. Judith told
her story but so modestly and so simply that Eleanor forgot the
necessity of "keeping a fifth-form new girl in her place."
The six o'clock dressing-bell rang before they could do more than decide
to have a formal prefects' meeting at which they would confront
Genevieve with the letter.
"She'll confess, of course, right away," whispered Catherine scornfully
to Judith as they went down to tea; "she's that sort."
And this proved to be a true prophecy. Confronted by the prefects,
sitting like judges at their study table, Genevieve turned pale and
looked unmistakably guilty, and when Eleanor said in her sternest voice:
"You were seen putting this letter, which you addressed to yourself, in
the letter-box," Genevieve made no denials; she broke down and confessed
to all four letters. Her misery and humiliation were so genuine and so
overwhelming that Eleanor wisely sent her to her room in the care of
Patricia, who could be trusted not to give Genevieve too much sympathy.
Then the prefects faced the difficult question of the culprit's
punishment. Esther wanted a special house meeting called at which
Genevieve and her ways could be denounced; Catherine thought that a
public apology should be made to Sally May, for Genevieve, it seemed,
was responsible for the spreading of the false accusation; Helen
remarked that Genevieve would like nothing better than to be the centre
of such a romantic picture, and she added shrewdly, "Half the girls
would make a martyr of her and think we had been awfully cruel and
unfair."
Finally, after much discussion it was decided that Eleanor should
consult Miss Marlowe, who must be informed that the culprit had been
discovered. Miss Marlowe was interested and sympathetic.
"I'll send her to the Infirmary for a few days," she said; "the child is
really not well. She is growing too fast and she is morbid and
self-centred. Every one thinks of her as seventeen and she has just
turned fifteen. Then after she is back again let the facts be made known
about the letters; that's only fair to Sally May and to Catherine; but
do it as casually as possible. Nothing is so bad for Genevieve as too
much attention--and keep an eye on Judith," she added; "she is worth
watching, Eleanor. She and Nancy ought to be prefects next year, so we
mustn't let Judith be spoiled over this."
Genevieve was safely tucked up in one of the cheerful Infirmary rooms,
and for the time she suffered as only a sensitive, highstrung girl of
fifteen can suffer. Her one interest in life at the present time was her
emotions; her passionate attachments were usually short-lived, but for
the time being they blotted out everything else. Just now she desired
Catherine's love and approval with all the force of her undisciplined
nature, and, born actress that she was, it was the wish to attract
Catherine's admiration, or at least her attention, which had made her
Malvolio last term so outstandingly good. She lacked a sense of
proportion in all her thinking, and even now that she had been found
out, and knew that she would be shamed in the eyes of the whole school,
the only thing that mattered to her was that Catherine would have even
less to do with her than before. Eleanor's stern voice might have been
the buzzing of a fly; Genevieve's eyes had been fixed on Catherine's
face and she had read her sentence there.
For two whole days she wanted to die, and then quite suddenly she
transferred her affections to a young nurse who was temporarily
assisting the school nurse. She made Miss Burton promise her at least
three dances for the prefects' dance on Friday night, and she did
frantic sums in mental arithmetic trying to calculate whether she had
enough in the bank to buy a posy of sweetheart roses for her new idol's
adornment.
Genevieve returned to school to find every one discussing the dance, and
the anonymous letters seemed entirely forgotten. But Eleanor found her
opportunity a day or two later. The usual crowd was about the letter-box
at five o'clock, and Eleanor noted with satisfaction that both Sally May
and Catherine were there.
"Any for me?" she called to Sally May, who was at the box.
"Not one," was the answer.
"Oh, well," said Eleanor, clearly and distinctly, "of course I can
always follow Genevieve's example and _write one to myself_, a printed
one, I mean; but no, on second thoughts I don't believe I shall, they
are rather horrid things, don't you think?" And she walked quietly away.
For days afterwards at mail-time Jane, who loved to ride a joke--"till
it died of sheer exhaustion," as Peggy said--could always raise a laugh
at Genevieve's expense. "Any a-non-y-mous letters for me?" she would
inquire plaintively. "No? I really must see about it. I suppose I must
attend to it myself."