TAKING SIDES.
When Dorothy entered Evelyn's bedroom she found her friend up and
dressed.
"I'm quite well, really, Dolly," said Evelyn, with a smile. "I stayed
in bed until I could endure it no longer. I can't tell you how vexed I
am that I fainted last night, and gave Mrs. Freeman a fright. There was
nothing really to make anyone else faint, for that brave girl saved me
from being hurt in the most wonderful manner. By the way, how is she? I
should like to see her and to thank her."
"Poor Eva," said Dorothy, coming up and kissing her friend, "you are
just the most forgiving creature in existence. Anyone else would be
awfully angry with Bridget. Her conduct very nearly cost you your life!"
"There is a wide difference between 'very nearly' and 'quite,'" said
Evelyn, with a smile. "I escaped with a 'very nearly,' and feel as well
as ever now, and rather ashamed of myself. There never was a girl who
meant less harm than this Bridget. I can see her now running down the
road, her face all smiles, her eyes dancing, her white teeth showing;
I can see the little ones surrounding her. They waved boughs of trees,
and they shouted and sang as they came. For one moment I said to
myself, 'O Jubilate! here is a welcome worth having!' but then Caspar
took fright, the carriage swayed horribly, the cushions jumped up as
if they were going to strike me, and I remembered nothing more until I
awoke with my head on this girl's lap, and Mrs. Freeman bending over
me. I should like to see the girl, to thank her. Where is she, Dolly? I
am attracted by her face; it is a very lovely one!"
"Well, sit down, now, by the window, and let us talk," answered
Dorothy. "I shall be jealous if you give all your thoughts to Bridget
O'Hara. I know she's a pretty girl, and I like her very much for some
things. But, oh dear, she is a care! I don't believe that any school
had ever before such a madcap in it. But don't let us waste all our
time talking about her. You can't help hearing her name spoken morning,
noon, and night, when you come into the school."
Evelyn sank down in a low easy-chair by the open window. She wore a
white cambric dress, and a pale blue belt round her slender waist. Her
gentle eyes, also faint blue in their coloring, looked out over the
summer scene. She was not beautiful, but there was a charm about her, a
sense of repose, which made it delightful to be with her. The singular
unselfishness of her nature was apparent in everything she did, said,
and thought.
"I'm delighted to be back, Dolly," she said. "This illness of mine has
been such a bother, and it's delicious to be well and able to go in for
things again. Now, if I may not speak of Bridget, tell me about the
other girls in the school. Tell me, also, what is the great object of
interest at present?"
"Oh, the Fancy Fair!" Dorothy colored as she spoke. "You need not
bother your head about it, Evelyn," she continued quickly. "Janet is
at the head of it; it was she who thought of the fair, and she's the
moving spring. You know what that means, don't you, darling?"
"I'm afraid I do," replied Evelyn. "Does Janet May dislike me as much
as ever?"
"She certainly does; but don't fret about her; she's not worth it. Eva,
you will most likely be asked to come on the committee, and to take a
stall at the Fancy Fair. If you get the invitation, will you accept it?"
"Of course I shall. Need you ask? Alack and alas! I have no chance of
winning any prizes, so the fair will be a great diversion. I suppose
it's a charity concern; who is it for?"
"A little orphan boy in the neighborhood. Oh, you'll learn all about
him presently. We are working as hard as possible for the fair. If
you come on the committee, Evelyn, you must let me help you with your
stall."
"_If_ I come on the committee," repeated Evelyn. "I suppose I am quite
certain to be asked to join? Dolly, you look at me in rather a queer
way!"
"_Do_ I? Don't notice my looks. There is something worrying me, but
nothing bad may come of it. It is so nice to talk to you again. Now I
have something to say about that poor Biddy. At the present moment she
is in disgrace."
"In disgrace? What about?"
"I'm afraid it's about you."
"Oh, but I must speak to Mrs. Freeman. She really meant nothing wrong,
dear child."
"She broke the rules in leaving the grounds without leave. I think it
is for her disobedience that Mrs. Freeman is punishing her. She has
shut her up in Miss Patience's room, and poor Biddy won't eat, and
is in a dreadful state of mind. Marshall spoke to me about her after
dinner, and asked me to go to her; but we had a committee meeting just
then, and afterward I could not find Mrs. Freeman."
"Have you left the poor girl by herself all this time, Dolly?"
"I must own that I have. I will go and have a talk with her as soon as
ever I leave you; not that I can do much good, she's such a queer kind
of mixture of obstinacy and passion."
"But it does seem dreadful to leave her by herself all this time; just
as if no one had a scrap of sympathy for her. Let us both go to her at
once, Dolly. I want to thank her for being so brave."
"But Mrs. Freeman; we ought to ask her leave."
"Mrs. Freeman will be in her own sitting room at this time. Come along,
Dolly, we have just a few minutes to spare before the gong sounds for
tea."
Dorothy made no further objections, and she and Eva went downstairs
side by side.
They knocked at Mrs. Freeman's sitting-room door. She was not in, but
Miss Delicia was tidying books and papers on her davenport.
"Is that you, Eva!" she exclaimed in delight. "Why, you look as well
and jolly as possible. How nice to have you back again!"
The little lady ran up to Evelyn, and kissed her affectionately. "Now,
my darling, you are not going to tire yourself," she said. "Come and
sit here by the open window."
"I have been sitting still and lying down all day," replied Evelyn,
with a faint little grimace; "I am not really tired at all. Dolly and
I came, Miss Delicia, to ask Mrs. Freeman to give us leave to go and
see that poor girl, Bridget O'Hara. It seems she has got into a scrape
on my account."
"And rightly, my dear; and very rightly. For my part, I don't approve
of punishments; I am all the other way; but such conduct as Bridget's
does deserve a sharp reprimand. Suppose you had been seriously hurt,
Evelyn?"
"But I was not hurt at all. I wish I could go and see Miss O'Hara now;
I want to thank her for having saved my life. If she did give me a
fright, Miss Delicia, she also kept me from the consequences of her own
act. I wish I could thank her."
"Well, dear, do go to her; I'll give you permission, and set things
right with Mrs. Freeman. If you and Dolly can bring that wild child to
hear reason we shall all be only too delighted. Run away, my dears,
both of you, and do your best."
The girls left the room, and ran down the stone passage which led to
Miss Patience's little sitting room at the other side of the big house.
They were surprised, however, on reaching it, to find the door flung
wide open and the room empty.
Dorothy gave an exclamation of astonishment.
"Bridget must have given in," she said; "Mrs. Freeman must have come to
her, and she must have yielded. Oh, what a relief! How glad I am! Come,
Evelyn, let us go on the terrace, and walk up and down until tea is
ready."
The broad terrace which ran in front of the house was completely
sheltered from the sun at this hour. There was a pleasant breeze, and
the girls, as they paced arm in arm up and down the broad path, looked
happy and picturesque.
Two girls who were coming up the grassy slope at this moment stopped at
sight of them; one uttered a slight exclamation of dismay, the other
made an eager bound forward.
"There's Dolly!" exclaimed Bridget; "do let me run to her, Janet."
"Miss Percival is with her," exclaimed Janet. "Do you really want to
speak to Miss Percival, Bridget, after all you have suffered on her
account?"
"But she looks very nice."
"What a poor, weak kind of creature you are to be influenced by looks;
besides, she is in reality very plain. Even her warmest admirers have
never yet bestowed on her the palm of beauty."
"Oh, I like her face; it looks so good."
Janet paused in her walk to give her young companion a glance of steady
contempt.
"Can I possibly go on with this scheme of mine?" she muttered to
herself. "Bridget O'Hara is altogether too dreadful." Had Janet yielded
to her impulses at that moment she would have told Bridget to join her
beloved Dorothy and Evelyn Percival, and have declared her intention of
washing her hands of her on the spot. Had Janet acted so, this story
need never have been written. But that strong ambition, that thirst
for praise, which was her most marked characteristic came to her aid.
Bridget was the only means within her power to achieve a most desirable
end, and as such she must be tolerated.
"Come down this walk with me," she said, in a low tone; "come quickly,
before those girls see us. I want to say a word to you." She took
Biddy's hand as she spoke and hurried her into a little sheltered path
which led round to the back of the house.
"Now, Bridget," she said, "I must clearly understand how matters are
going to be. Dorothy Collingwood cares nothing at all for you; she is
a most fickle girl. She took you up to a certain extent when first you
came, but her conduct during your punishment proves how little she
really cares for you. She and Evelyn will be all in all to each other,
and if you go back to them, you will soon see for yourself that three
is trumpery; now, on the other hand, if you will be guided by me, I
will keep my promise to you. I am willing to become your chum, and if I
am your chum, I will see you safely past all the rocks ahead. You know
nothing whatever about school. There are two sorts of girls at every
school; there is the girl who is always in trouble, who doesn't learn
her lessons, who doesn't obey the rules. Such a girl is a misery both
to herself and her companions. There is also the girl who obeys the
rules, and who learns her lessons. I represent the one sort of girl,
you represent the other. I can teach you to become like me, without
making things at all unpleasant to you, but you must choose at once;
you must be on my side, or on Evelyn Percival's side. Now which is it
to be?"
"Yours, of course," said Bridget; "you are the only girl in the school
who was kind to me to-day, so of course I'll be on your side."
"Very well, that's all right. You must copy me when you talk to Evelyn
Percival. You must show Dorothy also that you resent her coldness.
There's the tea gong. Let us go in. Immediately after tea you will
find time to write that letter to your father, won't you, dear?"
"Yes, of course. I know he'll give me as much money as I want."
"Ask him for plenty; there's nothing like money when all is said and
done. Now come along to tea. I won't be able to sit near you, Bridget,
but I'll have my eye on you, so don't forget how I'll expect you to
behave."