THE RESCUE PARTY
It was with mingled feelings of excitement and trepidation that Grace
Harlowe and Jessica Bright hurried toward the office of the latter's
father the following afternoon. Now that they were fairly started on
their mission of rescue, they were not quite so confident as to the
result. To be sure they had unlimited faith in Jessica's father, but it
was so much easier to talk about taking Mabel away from Miss Brant than
to do it.
"I'm terribly afraid of facing her," confided Jessica to Grace. "She is
the terror of Oakdale, you know."
"She can't hurt us," said Grace. "Your father will do all the talking.
All we need to do is to take charge of Mabel, after Miss Brant gives her
up."
"Well, young ladies," said Mr. Bright, as the two girls entered his
office, "I see you are prompt in keeping your appointment. Let us go at
once, for I must be back here at five o'clock."
"What are you going to say to that terrible woman, papa?" shuddered
Jessica as they neared the Brant home. "I'm afraid she'll scratch your
eyes out."
"Am I really in such serious danger?" asked Mr. Bright in mock alarm.
"I am glad I brought you girls along to protect me."
"You haven't any idea what a crank she is, Mr. Bright," laughed Grace.
"She fairly snarled at us the other day, when we were coming from
school, because she said we were taking up the whole sidewalk. Poor
little Mabel, no wonder she has a scared look in her eyes all the time."
"Well, here we are," responded Mr. Bright, as he rang the bell. "Now for
the tug of war."
As he spoke the door was opened by Mabel, who positively shook in her
shoes when she saw her visitors. "Don't be frightened," whispered Grace,
taking her hand. "We have come for you."
"May I speak with Miss Brant?" asked Mr. Bright courteously, as they
stepped into the narrow hall.
Before Mabel had time to answer, a tall, raw-boned woman, with a hard,
forbidding face, shoved her aside and confronted them. It was Miss Brant
herself.
"Well, what do you want?" she said rudely.
"Good afternoon," said Mr. Bright courteously. "Am I speaking to Miss
Brant?"
"I guess likely you are," responded the woman, "and you better state
your business now, for I've no time to fool away on strangers."
"You have a young girl with you by the name of Mabel Allison, have you
not?" asked Mr. Bright.
"Yes, I have. What's the matter with her? Has she been gettin' into
mischief? If she has, I'll tan her hide," said Miss Brant, with a
threatening gesture.
"On the contrary," replied Mr. Bright, "I hear very good reports of her.
Has she lived with you long?"
"That's none of your business," snapped Miss Brant. "If you've come here
to quiz me and pry around about her, you can get right out, for I'm not
answering any fool questions."
"I will not trouble you with further questions," replied Mr. Bright,
"but will proceed at once to business. I have come to take Miss Mabel
away with me. She has found friends who are willing to help her until
she finishes her education, and she wishes to go to them."
"Oh, she does, does she?" sneered the woman mockingly. "Well, you just
take her, if you dare."
"Have you legally adopted her?" asked Mr. Bright quietly.
"That's none of your business, either. You get out of my house or I'll
throw you out and these two snips of girls with you," almost screamed
Miss Brant.
"That will do," said Mr. Bright sternly. "We will go, but we shall take
Miss Mabel with us. I am a lawyer, Miss Brant, and I have positive proof
that this child is not bound to you in any way. You took her from the
orphanage on trial, exactly as you might hire a servant. You did not
even take the trouble to have yourself appointed her guardian. You
agreed to pay her for her work, but blows and harsh words are the only
payment she has ever received at your hands. She wishes to leave you
because she can no longer endure life with you. You haven't the
slightest claim upon her, and she is perfectly free to do as she
chooses. She is not of age yet, but as you are not her guardian, you had
no right to take money that she has earned from her, and she can call
you to account for it if she chooses. However, you have imposed upon her
for the last time, for she shall not spend another hour under your
roof."
"You touch her if you dare. She shan't leave this house," said the woman
in a furious tone.
"Mabel," said Mr. Bright to the young girl, who was cowering at one end
of the hall, "get your things and come at once. We will wait for you.
As for you," turning to Miss Brant, "if you try to stop her, you will
soon find yourself in a most unpleasant position. I am certain that if
you think back for an instant you will realize that you have forfeited
all right to object."
For a moment Miss Brant stood speechless with anger, then in her wrath
she poured forth such a flood of abuse that the rescue party stared in
amazement. Never had they seen such an exhibition of temper. When Mabel
appeared, her shabby hat in her hand, Miss Brant reached forward and
tore the hat from her.
"Don't you dare leave my house with any of my property, you baggage,"
she hissed. "I paid for that hat and for the clothes you're wearing, and
you'll send every stitch you've on back to me, or I'll have you arrested
for stealing."
[Illustration: "Don't You Dare Leave This House With My Property."]
"Come on, Mabel," said Grace, putting her arm around the shrinking
little figure. "Don't pay any attention to her. She isn't worth
bothering over. You can send her back her ridiculous things. You are
going to be happy now, and forget all about this cruel, terrible woman."
"You brazen imp, you," screamed the woman, and rushed at Grace, who
stood perfectly still, looking the angry woman in the face with such
open scorn in her gray eyes that Miss Brant drew back and stood scowling
at her, her hands working convulsively.
"Come, girls," said Mr. Bright. "We have no more time to waste. If you
have anything to say to me, Miss Brant, you can always find me at my
office on East Main Street. The clothing now worn by Miss Mabel will be
returned to you in due season. Good afternoon."
Mr. Bright, bowing politely, motioned to the three young girls to
precede him, and the party went quietly down the walk, leaving Miss
Brant in the open door, shaking her fist and uttering dire threats.
As for Mabel, she collapsed utterly, crying as though her heart would
break. Grace and Jessica exerted every effort to quiet her sobs, and
after a little she looked up, and, smiling through her tears, said
brokenly: "I can't believe that it's all true--that I shall never have
to go back there again. I'm afraid that it's all a dream and that I'll
wake up and find her standing over me. Can she get me again?" she said,
turning piteously to Mr. Bright.
"My dear little girl," he said, taking her hand, "she can't touch you.
I'll adopt you myself before I'll let you go back to her. Now run along
with Jessica and forget all about what has passed. Good-bye, Grace. You
see, your rescue party proved a success. Good-bye, daughter. Take good
care of Mabel. I'll have to hurry now, or miss my appointment."
Mr. Bright beamed on the three girls, raised his hat and hurried down
the street, leaving them to proceed slowly toward Jessica's home.
Passersby glanced curiously at the hatless, shabby young girl, as she
walked between Grace and Jessica, clinging to their hands as though
expecting every minute to be snatched from them.
"Well, girls," said Grace, "here is my street. I must leave you now. Be
good children, and----"
She was interrupted by an exultant shriek, and a second later five girls
appeared as by magic and gleefully surrounded the rescue party. The Phi
Sigma Tau was out in full force.
"Hurrah!" shrieked Nora, waving her school bag. "'We have met the enemy
and they are ours.' Tell us about it quickly. Why didn't you let me go
along? I was dying to cross swords with that old stone face."
Then everyone talked at once, surrounding Mabel and asking her questions
until Grace said, laughing: "Stop it, girls; let her get used to you
gradually. Don't come down on her like an avalanche."
Mabel, however, was equal to the occasion. She answered their questions
without embarrassment, and seemed quietly pleased at their
demonstrations.
"You are the child of the sorority now, Mabel," said Miriam Nesbit, "and
we are your adopted mothers. You will have your hands full trying to
please all of us."
"Stop teasing her," said Anne, "or she'll run away before she is fairly
adopted."
"It is very uncertain as to whether she will ever go further than my
house," said Jessica calmly. "I need Mabel more than do the rest of you,
but perhaps if you're good I'll loan her to you occasionally. Come on,
Mabel, let's go home before they spoil you completely."
"Considering the fact that the Bright family did two thirds of the
rescuing, I suppose we shall have to respect your claim," said Nora,
"but remember, Jessica, that generosity is a beautiful virtue to
cultivate."