THE "JANET MAY STALL."
The several girls of the committee separated, and went to join the
different parties who were working for the Fancy Fair.
Almost every girl in the school had volunteered to do something, and
on this long, lovely half-holiday they had decided to take their work
out to different parts of the grounds, where they sat, some under the
shelter of the wide-spreading beech trees, others in the summerhouses,
or tents, which were scattered here and there in the grounds.
Ruth, who had a certain gift for management, was helping three or four
of the smaller girls to make some patchwork quilts, but Olive had
decided to keep with Janet and help her as much as possible.
Janet's party had assembled in a large, roomy summerhouse. There was a
rustic table in the middle, and rustic chairs and benches surrounded
it. Here six girls, all of whom belonged to the lower school, were
sitting round a table laughing and chatting merrily. Some bits of
colored silk, some gay chintzes, a heap of wools for crewel work,
several boxes of water-color paints, some pieces of cardboard, some
fans, screens, and pretty baskets were scattered about.
The girls were waiting for Janet and Ruth. They were not disposed to
work. They lolled about and laughed, and looked somewhat wistfully at
the lovely outer world, with the flickering shadows on the grass, and
the dancing, happy sunshine making itself felt through everything.
"Even a Fancy Fair is a bore," said pretty little Violet to her crony
Nora.
"But then we are doing it for Tim," said Alice, raising her charming,
sweet face, and blushing as she spoke.
"Yes," retorted Violet again; "I think of Tim all the time, and how
nice it will be to collect money for the little darling, and how happy
we'll be in the long vacation, when we remember how we saved the pet
from going to the workhouse, but still I do want to bathe awfully
to-day, and however hard I think of the good this Fancy Fair is going
to do, I cannot help being lazy this hot weather."
"Did you know, girls," exclaimed Nora, "that Bridget can swim and dive?
She made a bet yesterday in the school that if we dropped sixpence into
the sea she'd bring it up again in her mouth. She did really; she was
most positive about it. Mary Hill and Cissy Jones bet against her that
she wouldn't, but she was so fierce, and said she had done it fifty
times before in the lake at home. I do love Bridget, don't you, Violet?"
"Yes, I adore her," said Violet, "she's quite the jolliest girl I ever
came across. I'm awfully sorry she has got into trouble, and I hope
Mrs. Freeman will soon forgive her. Poor dear, she doesn't mean to do
wrong, and she is such fun."
"She's like a big baby," said Alice; "but all the same, it is wrong of
her to bet, isn't it?"
"I don't know," replied Violet; "the way Biddy does things makes them
appear not a bit wrong. I should like awfully to see her bring up
that sixpence in her mouth. But hush, let us pretend to be talking of
something else, for here comes Janet and that nasty Olive."
"Janet is really very nice about this fair," said Alice; "but she hates
Biddy, and she has always hated darling Evelyn; it is so funny!"
"O Alice, do shut up," exclaimed Violet. "Here's Janet coming in. Let's
pretend to be talking of something else."
The little girls bent their heads together, pulled forward their
different working materials, and looked busy and important when Janet
and Olive came in.
"Well, girls," said Janet, "I hope you are making lots of progress.
How about that fan, Alice? Oh, you naughty puss, you have not touched
it yet to-day. Now set to work; do set to work. Violet, how is your
mat getting on? Let me look at it, dear; very pretty indeed; don't you
think you could finish it to-day? Molly," turning to the smallest girl
in the summerhouse, "you said you would paint some ribbon markers.
Have you begun them yet? No, I see you haven't. Sit down now, you lazy
darling, and try to make good progress."
Janet's tone was bright and confident. It had immediate effect upon,
the children, stimulating their listlessness, and exciting them to work
with energy.
Janet herself sat near the entrance of the summerhouse. She had an
easel in front of her, and was painting an exquisite little water-color
from nature. Janet had great talent for a certain kind of painting.
There was nothing bold nor masterful in her work, but her touch was
true and delicate, and in a small way she could produce a very pretty
effect.
The younger girls thought Janet's painting perfection, and they stole
up now, one by one, to look at her work and to give enthusiastic
opinions with regard to it.
Their little comments were delightful to her. She had a great thirst
for praise, and could swallow it in any guise.
While she worked, however, her thoughts were very busy; she had to
solve a difficult problem, and had only a few hours to do it in.
After a long period of silence a remark dropped from her lips.
"I have made up my mind," she said, turning round and addressing all
the children.
"O Janey, what have you thought of now?" asked Alice, raising her
pretty flushed face, and pushing aside her painting.
"Take care of messing that fan, dear; you are painting in that red
poppy very nicely," answered Janet. "Well, girls, I have made up my
mind."
"Yes, Janey, yes; what about?" they all answered.
"Our stall is to be far and away the most beautiful at the Fancy Fair."
"Three cheers!" exclaimed the children, but then Alice said in a
wistful tone:
"I don't see how it can be, Janet, for we are none of us rich. I heard
Dolly say this morning that Evelyn's stall would certainly be far and
away the best, for she was the only one of us who had money."
"Evelyn may not have a stall at all," said Janet, "but, in any case,
if you six little girls will back me, and if Olive--I can answer for
Olive that she will do her best--if Olive will help also, our stall
will be the richest and the most lovely at the fair. Will you trust me
to manage this, children?"
"Of course, Janet!" replied Nora, her eyes sparkling.
"Now I tell you what," said Janet, "I know pretty well what the other
girls are doing. Frances Murray's girls are going in for the sober and
useful; Dorothy Collingwood's are working with a will on the same dull
lines. Poor old Ruth--oh, I'm not disparaging her--can't rise above her
patchwork quilts, whereas we, we alone, have embraced ART. Girls, the
combination of _art_ and _money_ will produce the most lovely stall
at the fair. Now I have spoken! You stick to me, girls, and keep your
secret to yourselves. Say nothing, but determine, every one of you, to
do her utmost, not only for little Tim, but for the glory of the 'Janet
May Stall.'"
"We will, we will!" said the children.
They were quite impressed by Janet's enthusiasm, and looked upon their
own humble little efforts in the great field of art with some awe.
"It shall be done!" said Janet. "You have my word for it; I can, I will
manage it. I shall take immediate steps. Olive, will you look after the
girls during the remainder of this afternoon? I must do something at
once to secure our ends."
Janet walked quickly back to the house. She was so lost in thought that
she never saw a girl who was running full tilt against her.
"A penny for your thoughts, Janey!" exclaimed Dorothy Collingwood.
"I never saw your brow so knit with care, my love. What _can_ be the
matter? Is the problem you have got to solve within twenty-four hours
so intensely difficult?"
"It is difficult, Dorothy," replied Janet. "But, puzzling as it is, I
am not going to allow it to conquer me. By the way, that reminds me;
have you just come from the prisoner?"
"What prisoner?"
"That sweet Irish maid, Bridget O'Hara."
"No, I haven't, Janet; I have not forgotten her by any means. But I
suppose I ought to ask Mrs. Freeman's leave before I visit her."
"Well, can't you ask it?"
"I have been looking all over the place for her, but can't find her
anywhere. I am ever so sorry, for I should like to see Biddy, and I am
sure I could exercise a little influence over her. However, there is
nothing to be done until I get Mrs. Freeman's permission, and, as I'm
going up to Evelyn now, poor Biddy must ponder over her shortcomings
for at least another hour."
"What a happy girl you are, Dorothy!" said Janet. "Just fancy spending
all one's time between the good and the naughty favorite of the school.
Oh, what will not money effect!"
"I did not know before that poor Biddy was the favorite of the school,"
said Dorothy. "I wish you would not speak in such a satirical way,
Janet. What is the good of trying to throw scorn on Evelyn? People
only dislike you when you speak like that, and I earnestly wish you
wouldn't."
"You are a good little soul, Dolly," said Janet, "but I must speak
as the spirit moves me. Now don't let me keep you from your darling.
There! I'll try and tolerate her for your sake."
Dorothy ran off, and Janet walked slowly past the front of the house,
her brow knit in anxious thought.
She had reached a little wicket gate, which led round to the back
premises, when she was suddenly startled by finding herself face to
face with Mrs. Freeman.
For a moment a flood of color rushed to her cheeks. She felt inclined
to pass her mistress with a brief salutation; then another impulse
arrested her steps.
"Mrs. Freeman," she said, "may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Certainly, my dear! Can I do anything for you?"
"I should like to ask a favor of you."
"Well, Janet, you don't very often petition for my small mercies. You
are a good girl, studious and attentive. Your masters and mistresses
always give me pleasant reports of your progress. Now, what can I do
for you?"
"I've been told that Bridget O'Hara is under punishment. I should very
much like to see her."
This request of Janet's evidently astonished Mrs. Freeman. She looked
attentively at her pupil, then said in a voice of surprise:
"I did not even know that you were friends."
"Nor are we. I think without any doubt we are at the antipodes in
everything. But--I am sorry for a girl who is under punishment. I
thought perhaps I might say something to her about--submitting.
She might take it better from one of her schoolfellows than from a
mistress. This occurred to me, but perhaps I am only taking a liberty."
"By no means, Janet. I frankly say I am pleased and surprised at your
thoughtfulness. I confess to you, my dear, that Bridget is a very
difficult girl to manage."
"I am sure of that!"
"Very, very difficult. The care of her weighs heavily on me. I
sympathize with her in some things. She is full of good impulses, but
her character--well, it has not been trained at all. Are you likely to
be able to influence her, Janet?"
"I could but do my best!"
Mrs. Freeman paused to consider.
"Had Dorothy made this petition," she said then, "I should have granted
it, as a matter of course. Dorothy has always tried to be nice to
Bridget, and it would have been like her to do a kindness now. Dorothy,
however, has come to me with no such request, and you have, Janet. I am
pleased with your thoughtfulness. I shall certainly not refuse you. Go
to her, dear, and say what is in your heart. You have my best wishes!"
"Thank you, Mrs. Freeman," said Janet, in her low, pretty voice. She
tripped away, and a moment later was knocking at Miss Patience's
sitting-room door.
"Come in, whoever you are!" said a sulky voice from the interior of the
room.
Janet opened the door, shut it carefully behind her, and advanced to
the table, on the edge of which Bridget had perched herself as if she
were on horseback.
"Well, what do you want now that you have come?" asked Miss O'Hara, in
her proudest voice. "You never liked me, so I suppose you are awfully
pleased to see me like this?"
"Now do hush," said Janet. "I have not come in an unkind spirit. You
must really listen, Bridget, to what I have come to say. I am the very
first of your schoolfellows to visit you, and _would_ I trouble to come
if I did not mean it kindly?"
Janet's voice was the essence of gentle calm. It affected poor
tempest-tossed Biddy, who jumped down from her imaginary horse, and
leant up against the window-sill, a strikingly handsome, but defiant
looking young sinner.
"I suppose you do mean it kindly," she said, "and you are the first of
the girls to look me up. But you are sure Mrs. Freeman did not send
you?"
"She knows that I have come, but she certainly did not send me."
"Well, I suppose it's good-natured of you. I thought Dolly Collingwood
would have come to me before now, but it's 'out of sight, out of mind'
with her as with the rest of them."
"Dorothy, at the present moment, is with Evelyn Percival."
"The girl who was thrown out of the carriage last night--the queen of
the school? I may be thankful she was not badly hurt, poor dear."
Janet did not say anything. Bridget turned to the window, and began to
beat a tattoo on the pane with her knuckles.
"Look here," she said again, after a pause, "now that you are here,
what do you want? It's good-natured of you to come, of course, but I
can't make out what good you are likely to do."
"Yes. I shall do plenty of good," said Janet, in her assured tones. "I
am going to give you some advice which you will be very glad to take."
"Indeed, then, you are finely mistaken. I'll be nothing of the kind."
"You've not heard what I'm going to say, yet. Won't you sit down and
let us be comfortable?"
"You can sit if you fancy it. I prefer standing."
"Very well; we shall both be pleased. This is a very comfortable chair."
Janet sank back in it, and raised her placid face to Bridget's. The
two girls were in all particulars contrasts. Biddy's curls were now a
mop; a wild, aggressive, almost disreputable looking mop. Her white
dress was draggled and crumpled, her cheeks were deeply flushed, her
eyes flashed ominous fire, her proud lips took many haughty and defiant
curves. Janet, in contradistinction to all this, was the soul of neat
commonplace. Her pale blue cambric frock fitted her neat figure like a
glove. She had white linen cuffs at her wrists; her little hands were
exquisitely clean; her fair face looked the essence of peace. Her neat,
smooth head of light hair shone like satin.
"I am anxious about you," said Janet. "I can see quite plainly that you
are going all wrong."
Bridget gave a sort of snort.
Janet held up her small hand imploringly.
"Do listen," she said. "How can I explain myself if you interrupt me
each moment?"
"But you never liked me, Janey. You have shown that all too plainly. I
cannot imagine what you are prying into my affairs for. Now if Dolly
came----"
"Dolly has not come, and I have. Now, will you listen. I will frankly
say that I did not care about you when you first came to the school.
When I saw you so--so defiant, Bridget, so proud, so free, so
absolutely fearless; when I saw you with all these characteristics,
taking people by storm, for you know you did take the little girls of
the school quite by storm, I felt a sense of strong irritation against
you. I never met a girl like you before; you puzzled me; you did not
please me. Now, I am going to be quite frank; I do not really like you
much better now, but as I see that you fully intend to be on my side,
it is impossible for me any longer not to take your part."
"I fully intend to be on your side?" repeated Bridget. "Indeed, then, I
don't, and I may as well say so frankly at once."
"Yes, Bridget, you do; you can't help yourself, for you and I will in
future have good cause to hate the same girl."
"What girl?'
"Evelyn Percival; the one you have just spoken of as the queen of the
school."
"The darling!" exclaimed Bridget, "and why in the name of goodness am I
to hate her?"
"Well, you must be a poor-spirited thing if you don't. May I ask if
you would have got into your present scrape but for her? Have you not
before this disobeyed Mrs. Freeman? Up to last night she took pity on
you; she said to herself: 'Bridget knows nothing of the rules of the
school; Bridget has never been accustomed to obey any rules, I will be
merciful to her, I will be lenient, I will never forget that Biddy has
been queen in her Irish home.'"
"Oh, don't talk to me about my home," said Bridget, her lips quivering,
her eyes filling with tears.
"Yes; but is it not true, Bridget? Has not Mrs. Freeman been very
lenient to you in the past?"
"I suppose she has. I never thought much about it. I scraped along
somehow; I was happy enough."
"Well, was she lenient to you to-day?"
"Need you ask, Janet? I'm a prisoner; a close prisoner in this
abominable room. Such treatment will soon kill me. I can't eat; I shall
soon die of misery."
"It is hard on you, Bridget; you are exactly like a wild bird of the
woods put into a cage."
"Yes, that's it; and the captive bird will break its heart."
"Poor Bridget! I didn't like you in your free days, but I'm willing to
own that I pity you now."
"Thank you, thank you; but I hate pity. Whoever would think of offering
pity to Bridget O'Hara at home?"
"But Bridget O'Hara is no longer at home; she is a captive in a strange
land. Don't cry, Biddy. Let us leave sentimentalities now, and come to
facts. Whom do you think you owe this severe treatment to?"
"I am sure I can't tell you."
"I can tell you, however. You owe it entirely--to Evelyn Percival."
"Now what do you mean? that nice girl whom I nearly killed?"
"You didn't nearly kill her; that's all stuff! Bridget, you don't know
Evelyn Percival, but I do. Had any other girl been in the carriage when
you and the children startled the horses, you would have been forgiven.
Mrs. Freeman would still have remembered that you were unaccustomed
to rules, and she would have tried to break you in gently and
considerately; but as Evelyn happened to be the person whose delicate
nerves sustained a shock, Mrs. Freeman was incapable of showing any
mercy. Evelyn Percival poses in the school as a sort of saint. Nearly
everyone bows down to her; Mrs. Freeman, head mistress though she is,
is so influenced by her that you are sure to have a bad time in future."
"I shan't stand it; it isn't likely."
"You will be forced to stand it. If Evelyn gives the smallest
suggestion about you, it will be certain to be followed out. I pity
you, Bridget, but you are certainly likely to have a lively time."
"You don't mean to tell me," answered Bridget, "that I have to thank
Miss Percival for this punishment; that it is at her instigation I am
here?"
"You are certainly here at no one else's instigation."
"Did she tell Mrs. Freeman to make a close prisoner of me, and to
starve me?"
"It is your own fault if you are starved, Bridget; don't exaggerate,
my dear; you do no good by that. As to your being made a prisoner, you
certainly owe it to Evelyn. She can say things, even though she does
not put them into words."
"Oh, I understand," said Bridget. She turned again to look out of the
window, and her impatient fingers once more played a tattoo on the
glass.
"Evelyn is most popular," continued Janet, "for the simple reason that
people don't read her through and through. I can see beneath that
sweet, saintly calm, and I honestly say that I cannot bear her. Now,
Bridget, if you will come on my side, if you will join me in opposing
the pernicious influence that girl exercises, I can help you out of
this scrape without allowing you to humiliate yourself, and I can at
the same time put you up to having the nicest little revenge in the
world on this delightful Miss Percival."
"But Dorothy believes in her, and Dorothy is so sweet and kind,"
exclaimed Bridget, in perplexity.
"Poor, dear Dolly," exclaimed Janet, "anyone can take her in; but you,
my dear, although you are not very learned, are clever. However, this
is your own concern. If you like to stay in this hot room until Mrs.
Freeman breaks in your proud spirit, and if you like to submit to the
many indignities which I can plainly see are before you, that, of
course, is your affair. I thought it only kind to warn you, but perhaps
I have interfered unwarrantably. If so, forgive me."
Janet rose as she spoke, and took a step or two toward the door.
"No, don't go," exclaimed Biddy. "You puzzle me very much; there's no
one in the world who hates mean ways more than I do, and if Evelyn is
that sort----"
"She is that sort, Bridget."
"Well, well!" Bridget turned again to the window.
"What am I to do, Janet?" she said, after a pause. Her tone was quite
humble; there was a crushed expression in her face.
"Poor old thing!" said Janet, in her light, silvery voice. She went up
to Bridget, and gave her a careless kiss on her cheek. She could afford
to do this, for she knew the victory was hers.
"In the future I will be your friend," she said; "you may rely upon me.
We are going to choose fresh chums in a week's time. Suppose we choose
one another. I know we are not a bit alike, but that's just the very
thing; opposites should keep together. However, there's time enough to
settle that presently."
"Yes, quite time enough," said Bridget. "I thought that I'd take Dolly
for my chum."
"You can't get her, my dear; she's bespoken to Evelyn long ago."
"That horrid Evelyn!" Bridget stamped her foot impatiently.
"Ah, I see, Biddy, that you and I will get on capitally. I could kiss
you again, but kissing isn't my way. Now then to business. The first
thing is to get you out of this room."
"How is that to be effected? Mrs. Freeman says that I am to stay here
until I promise to obey the rules of the school. I can't obey them, so
I suppose I'm to stay here until I die."
"And why can't you obey them, Bridget?"
"Why can't I obey the rules of the school? We are not likely to be
chums if you talk to me in that fashion, Janet."
"Now, my dear, I must just reason with you a little. You say you can't
obey the rules of the school; you say so because you fail to understand
them. If you put yourself under my guidance, and I am quite willing to
take charge of you, I will show you that you can obey them sufficiently
to keep yourself out of all serious scrapes, and yet at the same time
you will enjoy as much liberty as any girl need desire. Do you think I
am unhappy on account of the rules of the school?"
"No; but you haven't got a wild heart like me."
"Poor Biddy, I'll take care of your wild heart. It was ill-natured of
me not to see after you before, but in the future, my dear, you are
quite safe. I am going to fetch Mrs. Freeman now."
"What in the world for?"
"To tell her that you will obey the rules, that you will cease to be an
unruly member of the community, that you are going to be my chum."
"O Janet, but it's dreadful to promise and not to perform. I have been
awfully naughty, I know, over and over and over again, but I have never
stooped to breaking a promise."
"You shall not break this promise, for I won't let you, but I can show
you a way to keep the fetters from galling. Now I am going to fetch
Mrs. Freeman. It's worth your while to submit at once, Biddy, for I
intend to take you for a row."
"A row on the water!" Bridget's eyes sparkled; she threw back her
shoulders with a gesture of relief.
"Yes," repeated Janet, "a row on the water. The school boat is at our
disposal this evening. Mademoiselle is coming to take charge of us,
but, as she is really nobody, we shall practically be as free as air.
Stay where you are, Biddy, until I fetch Mrs. Freeman."