THE SOPHOMORE BALL
There was an undercurrent of excitement in the air on the day of the
sophomore ball.
The sophomores themselves were full of secrets, whispering around in
groups, their faces grave with self-important expressions. This was to
be their annual Initiation Ball, and many new members, after receiving
initiation into the various sophomore societies, were to be invited to
the gymnasium, which had been turned over to the class for the evening.
There was no end to the fun of these balls, according to feminine
gossip, for no male was ever admitted and only three invitations were
issued to girls of other classes. It was, in fact, to be nothing but fun
and frolic, and every costume had been planned weeks ahead.
One teacher was asked to be present to keep order in case of intrusion,
for the gymnasium door, on that famous night, was always besieged by
youths from the Boys' High School, who roared and jeered as each cloaked
and masked figure rushed under the archway and disappeared.
The freshmen, all through the day, were unusually quiet. They kept to
themselves and had little to say. Miriam and her three particular
friends were carefully avoided by their classmates. Miriam, herself,
felt the snub at once. Had she, after all, made a mistake, and was she
losing ground in the class? But her vanity was like a life buoy to her
sinking hopes. She refused to see that the other girls regarded her with
growing dislike.
When school was over, that afternoon, six girls strolled down the High
School walk arm in arm. They were Grace and her three chums and two
other girls who were popular in the freshman class.
Anne's small figure seemed almost dwarfed next to Grace, who towered
half a foot above her. Ever since Anne's trying scene with her father,
Grace had been doubly tender and kind to her, until the young girl
seemed to expand under the happy influence.
"Well, girlies, dear, we are the chosen six. I hope we shall be a credit
to the class."
"Don't talk so loudly, Nora. I feel as if we were surrounded by spies
to-day. Everybody has been so mysterious and queer."
"One thing is practically certain," whispered Grace: "I believe it was
Miriam who told the sophomores about the Omnibus House. Why else did
they invite her to their ball?"
"We can never prove it, though," said one of the others, "unless we get
her up a tree some day and make her admit it."
"Remember, Anne," cautioned Grace, when they came to the cross street
leading to the Pierson cottage, "eight o'clock sharp at my house! And
don't bother about things. We shall have more than enough among us."
At half-past eight that night the sound of a stringed orchestra floated
out on the breeze as the door of the gymnasium swung back and forth to
admit disguised sophomores, who each whispered the countersign to the
doorkeeper, after running the gauntlet of the waiting crowd, and slipped
in.
The music was furnished by a troupe of women players especially engaged
to play in this Adamless Eden. What would not the crowd of waiting boys
have given for one glimpse of the ball room, where ballet girls, clowns
and courtiers, Egyptian snake charmers, Mephistopholeses and
Marguerites, priests and priestesses of the Orient, all whirled madly
together?
Every door had been locked and bolted and every downstairs window
securely closed. Ventilation was obtained through the half-open windows
opening on the upper gallery, which ran around the four sides of the
gymnasium. The doors to this gallery had also been locked and the only
way to reach it was by steps leading up from the gymnasium.
Six masked and hooded figures swung down High School Street together,
talking and laughing in low voices. The smallest of the six appeared to
stumble over her feet, and once tumbled in the road. Her friends gayly
helped her up, when it was disclosed that she wore a pair of boy's shoes
much too large for her.
"If we don't break our necks stumbling over these brogans," whispered
the tallest girl, "we'll be lucky."
As a matter of fact, each one of the six maskers was wearing a pair of
men's shoes.
"I stuffed my toes with cotton," laughed another, "but even now they are
hard to manage."
Just then a motor cycle shot past them, slowed down and stopped
altogether.
The rider rested it against a tree and came back.
"I recognized you by your big feet," he said in a whisper. "Grace,
here's the duplicate key to the laboratory. I had some trouble getting
it, but no one knows, and you'll be safe enough. I'll let myself in with
the other duplicate key and lock the door. They will be sure to try it
at intervals. If you get into any trouble, early in the evening, make a
dash for the steps and blow your horn loud. Now, that's all, I think.
I'll be hidden in the laboratory until my turn comes. Good-bye and good
luck!"
In another instant he was off on his motor cycle.
Six figures, well disguised in dominoes of as many hues, presently
appeared on the ball room floor, just in time for the grand march. It
was a pity no one, except the lone teacher, was permitted to look at the
brilliant picture. But such was the tradition of the class. After the
march, ten ballet girls in tarlatan skirts, their faces concealed by
little black satin masks, gave a performance. Following this, a Spanish
dancer, whom the six dominoes recognized at once as the treacherous
Miriam Nesbit, gave an exhibition of her skill.
"I'm going to have some fun with her," whispered the blue domino to the
red one. "Just follow me and see."
The last speaker joined the dancer as the music struck up a waltz.
"That was a good day's work you did for our class, not long ago," she
whispered as they danced off together.
"What do you mean?" asked the Spanish dancer.
"I mean the Black Monks of Asia. Now, do you understand?"
"But I thought it was not to be told," exclaimed the dancer, flushing
under her mask.
"Only to the committee so that you might be rewarded with an
invitation," whispered the domino, as she slipped away.
"_She_ did confess it, and every freshman in the class shall know it
to-morrow!" the emissary exclaimed privately to her friend, the red
domino.
"In spite of what her brother is doing for us to-night?" returned the
red domino.
"You are quite right, child. I never thought of that. Perhaps that is
the very reason he is helping us get even to-night."
"I think it is," added the other, quietly.
"Girls, we must hurry up and begin," whispered another of the six
dominoes. "They are all going to unmask at half-past ten."
So the unrecognized intruders slipped away, stationing themselves about
the room.
Pretty soon a rumor began to spread among the dancers that there were
young men present. No one knew exactly how it started, but it grew and
spread with such persistency that it finally reached the ears of the
chaperon.
"Some of the girls saw their feet," said her informant, "and not only
their feet but their trousers, too."
The teacher rose and rapped sharply for order.
"Young ladies," she called in a loud voice, "I am sorry to disturb the
dancers, but we have every reason to believe there are some men in the
room. Since it is not yet time for you to unmask, it will be simple to
find out who does not belong here by having you file past me. I will
lift each mask myself."
The dancers accordingly arranged themselves in a long line and walked
single file past the teacher. She saw only girl's faces, however, as she
peeped under the masks, and the dance proceeded.
The next disturbance came when the maskers had all taken their stand at
one end of the room at the request of the six dominoes, who managed to
whisper to each sophomore that there was presently to be a surprise.
An expectant hush fell over the company as the six dominoes filed out of
a side room and stood, for a moment, in full view of the sophomores.
Then the six deliberately lifted their dominoes, disclosing trouser legs
and men's shoes. Instantly the place was in pandemonium; yet before the
sophomores could rush upon the intruders six long horns were blown in
unison, and immediately the lights went out. In the darkness the six
dominoes made for the stairs, rushed along the gallery, and were
admitted to the laboratory by the duplicate key. But, just before the
blue domino disappeared, she called out in a loud voice from the
gallery:
"The freshmen are avenged!"
When the doors were safely closed the lights were turned on again,
disclosing the sophomores blinking foolishly at each other after the
sudden startling change from darkness to light.
"They are in the laboratory!" cried one. "Let's cut off their escape!"
The angry sophomores made a rush for the door.
"Hurry girls!" urged David, who had just returned to the laboratory
after manipulating the lights. "They'll catch us before we know it."
But the young fugitives were too late. Just then there was the sound of
many feet running up the stairs from the other door.
"How about one of the gallery doors?" asked Grace.
"They are all locked," answered David. "There only remain the skylight
trap-door and the roof. Do you think you could manage it if I helped
you?"
"Of course; we could manage anything," protested the freshmen girls.
It was an easy matter to climb up the ladder, and clamber through the
trap-door on to the roof.
"We're just in time," whispered David. "They have found the right key to
the gallery door, and they'll be coming in both ways. Crawl carefully
now, girls, for heaven's sake, and don't slip!"
The seven young people began slowly to draw themselves along the
gymnasium roof on their hands and knees. Fortunately, it was not a very
sloping roof, and their only danger lay in their movements being heard
from below. Meanwhile the gymnasium had emptied itself, and parties of
enraged sophomores were engaged in searching the adjoining class rooms
and passages.
"Let's surround the building on the outside," cried one of the class
leaders. "They can't escape, then, by any of the fire escapes, and we
are sure to catch them!"
In a few moments, David peeping over the edge of the roof, saw figures
stationed at every possible exit, waiting patiently.
"Lie low," he whispered, "and crawl on your stomachs, or you're surely
caught."
Soon after the seven had reached the end of the hundred feet of
gymnasium, where their flight was stopped short by a blank wall where
the gymnasium joined the High School building.
"Here's a pretty pass," whispered David. "I forgot about this old school
wall. The only thing to do, now, is to hide behind this chimney and wait
for the row to quiet down."
There they lay, as flat as possible, listening with bated breath to the
sophomores below. Presently there was a sound of footsteps on the
gymnasium roof and they heard Miriam's voice saying:
"They must have escaped through the trap-door in the laboratory and come
along here. Wait a minute, girls, and I'll see."
"O Grace, we're caught!" groaned Jessica. "What shall we do?"
"No we aren't yet," answered Grace. "Especially if she is coming alone,
and that is what I am praying for."
"I'll come with you, Miriam," called the voice of the sophomore leader.
"Why don't you take the other side?" proposed Miriam. "And I'll go
around and meet you."
"Very well," came the answer.
The freshmen clutched each other and waited.
Miriam ran lightly along the roof, and came upon the seven prostrate
figures so suddenly that she almost lost her balance.
"Don't speak," said Grace, in a distinct whisper, "and don't give us
away. If you do, you will regret it. Remember the blue domino who
waltzed with you!"
She hoped Miriam would understand what she meant and so save her from
further explanation. In this Grace was right. Miriam was trapped at
last. She deliberately turned and walked away without a word.
"Come on, girls," they heard her call to the others, "let's waste no
more time on them." When all was quiet the seven intriguers slipped down
the fire escape and disappeared in the darkness--safely escaping
discovery.