The longer Dulcie pondered the matter, the more she became convinced she
could do more damage by letter than to go to the doctor in person.
Elizabeth Walbert had several times advised this course. The latter knew
nothing of Dulcie's resolve to leave college. Dulcie did not purpose she
should until she wrote the sophomore from her New York apartment after
leaving Hamilton. She had planned to take an apartment in an exclusive
hotel on Central Park West. From there she would write her mother that
she was too ill to return to college. She left it to her mother's tact
to break the news to her father. He was not to know she had failed
miserably in all respects at Hamilton.
Over and over again she wrote the damaging letter to Doctor Matthews.
She wrote at first at length, putting in everything she could think of
against the Sans. She made effort to stick to facts. There were enough
of them to create havoc. Then she rewrote the letter, eliminating and
revising until the finished product of her spite was worded to suit her.
It was necessarily a long letter and could not fail in its object.
When college closed for Easter, Dulcie shook the dust of Hamilton from
her feet and took her letter to New York with her. She did not inform
the registrar that she would not return. She would write that from New
York. The day after college reopened, following the ten days' vacation,
Dulcie mailed four letters. One to Elizabeth Walbert, one to Miss
Humphrey, one to Leslie Cairns, and _the_ letter.
Those four letters created amazement, displeasure, consternation,
according to the recipient. Miss Humphrey was annoyed as only a
registrar can be annoyed by such a procedure. Elizabeth Walbert was
surprised and miffed because Dulcie had not confided in her. Doctor
Matthews' indignation soared to still heights. Leslie Cairns opened her
letter at the breakfast table. She read the first page and hurriedly
rose, tipping over her coffee in her haste. Paying no attention to the
stream of coffee which flowed to the floor, she rushed from the dining
room to her own. Locking the door, she sat down with trembling knees to
read the letter. She read it twice, uttered a half sob of agony and
threw herself face downward on her bed. The sword had fallen, the end
had come.
Of the four letters, the one Dulcie had written her was the shortest and
read:
"Leslie:
"When you read this you will not feel so secure as you did the night
you humiliated me so. You thought I would not dare say a word about
a number of things because I was afraid of being expelled from
college. You will see now that you made a serious mistake; so
serious you won't be at Hamilton long after President Matthews
receives the letter I have written him. I have told him
_everything_. The Sans are in for trouble with him. It doesn't make
a particle of difference to me what happens to you and your pals,
for I am not coming back to Hamilton. My letter to Doctor Matthews
is convincing. You will surely receive a summons. What? Oh, yes! I
think I have proved myself almost as clever as you.
"Dulciana Maud Vale."
Not far behind Leslie came Natalie Weyman to her friend's room. Startled
by Leslie's peculiar behavior she had followed her upstairs, her own
breakfast untouched.
"Leslie," she called softly, "May I come in? It's Nat."
"Go away." Leslie's voice was harsh and broken. "Come back after
recitations this afternoon."
"Very well." Natalie retreated, puzzled but not angry. She was
understanding that something very unusual had happened to Leslie. Her
mind took it up, however, as presumably bad news from home. She hoped
nothing serious had happened to Leslie's father. Her shallow serenity
soon returned and she went about her affairs smugly unconscious of what
was in store for her.
Meanwhile, President Matthews was holding a long and unpleasant session
with Laura Sayres. Dulcie had not failed to describe Laura's part in the
plot against Miss Remson. Now the incensed doctor was endeavoring to pin
his shifty secretary down to lamentable facts.
Laura had always assured Leslie she would never divulge the Sans'
secrets under pressure. For a short period only she lied, evaded and
pretended ignorance. Little by little the ground was cut from under her
treacherous feet. Before the morning was over President Matthews had the
complete story of the trickery which had brought misunderstanding
between him and Miss Remson. Of the hazing Laura knew little; enough,
however, to establish the truth of Dulcie's confession.
"I have yet to find a more flagrant case of dishonorable dealing," were
the doctor's cutting words at the close of that painful morning. "I
trusted you. Knowing that, you should have been above trading upon my
confidence. I cannot comprehend your object in allying yourself with
these lawless young women. You say you are not a member of their club.
Why, then, were their dishonest interests so dear to you?"
To this Laura made no reply save by sobs. She had crumpled entirely. One
thing only she had rigorously kept back. She would not admit that she
had been paid by Leslie Cairns for her ignoble services. If the doctor
suspected this he made no sign of it. He dismissed her with stern
brevity and was glad to see her go. Aside from her worthless character,
she had not been a satisfactory secretary.
Immediately she was gone, he put on his hat and overcoat and set out for
Wayland Hall. To right matters with his old friend was to be his second
move.
Arriving at the Hall at the hour the students were returning for
luncheon, his appearance caused no end of private flutter. Having, as
yet, held no communication with Leslie, the older members of the Sans
were thrown into panic, nevertheless. What they had least desired had
come to pass. The Lookouts, on the contrary, were overjoyed. Helen Trent
had spied the president and promptly passed the word of it to her chums.
To Miss Remson the surprise of her caller amounted to a shock. It did
not take long for the manager to produce the letter she had received,
purporting to be from Doctor Matthews.
"I never dictated any such letter," was his blunt denial. "Yes, the
signature is mine. I can only explain it by saying that it may have been
traced and copied from another letter, or else it has been handed me to
sign when I was in a hurry. Miss Sayres had an annoying habit of
bringing me my letters for signature at the very last minute before I
was due to leave my office. I dropped the matter of the way these girls
at your house had behaved because I received a letter from you which
stated that you had come to a better understanding with them and would
like to have the matter closed. I deferred to your judgment, as always.
I know no one better qualified as manager of a campus house than you."
"I never wrote you any such letter," avowed the manager. "Several of my
devoted friends in the house among the students were confident that
there had been trickery used. I was obliged to acquaint them with the
fact that you had refused to act in the matter of transferring these
girls to another campus house. My friends had suffered many annoyances
at their hands. I had promised them of my own accord that these girls
should be transferred. It has all been a sad misunderstanding. I am glad
to have it cleared up." Miss Remson avoided all mention of her own
personal humiliation.
Returned to his office at Hamilton Hall after a late luncheon, Doctor
Matthews requested Miss Humphrey to lend him her stenographer for the
rest of the afternoon. His business correspondence attended to, he
brought forth Dulcie Vale's letter from an inside coat pocket and
composed a stiff, brief summons. This summons the stenographer had the
pleasure of typing seventeen times. A list of names which Dulcie had
thoughtfully included in her letter furnished seventeen addresses. The
Sans were curtly informed that Doctor Matthews required their presence
in his office at Hamilton Hall at four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.
Almost incidental with the time at which these notes were being typed, a
bevy of white-faced girls had gathered in Leslie Cairns' room to discuss
the dire situation. Leslie had recovered from her first spasm of grief
and fear and had let Natalie into her room immediately the latter had
come from recitations. Natalie brought more bad news in the shape of an
apprehensive report of the doctor's call on Miss Remson.
During the afternoon Leslie had received a telephone call from Laura
Sayres. Laura had refused to go into much detail over the telephone. She
announced herself as having been discharged from the doctor's employ and
asserted that he knew "all about everything" without her having said a
word of betrayal. Leslie had not stopped to consider whether she
believed the secretary's story or not. She had said: "You can't tell me
anything. I know too much already. Goodbye." With that she had hung up
the receiver. Her eyes blinded by tears of defeat and real fear, she had
stumbled her way to her room. There she had spent the most unhappy
afternoon of her life.
"It's no use, girls. We are done. You may as well be thinking what
excuse you can make to your families, for you will be expelled as sure
as fate. Matthews' call on Remson shows that Dulcie betrayed us. Sayres
was fired by the doctor; all on account of that Remson mix-up. She
didn't see Dulcie's letter, but I know he received it. Sayres called me
on the 'phone."
"But, Leslie, some of us don't know a thing about how you worked that
Remson affair! You never told us. I don't see why we should be expelled
for something we know nothing of." Eleanor made this half tearful
defense.
"Oh, that isn't _all_." Leslie's loose-lipped mouth curled in a bitter
smile. "There is the hazing business, too. Dulc told that, of course.
Perhaps she told the 'soft talk' stunt Ramsey taught the soph team last
year. I don't know. All is over for us. I do know that. I expected to go
into business with my father after I was graduated from Hamilton. Now!"
She walked away from her companions and stood with her back toward them
at the window.
"Perhaps it will blow over," ventured Margaret Wayne. "I shall make a
hard fight to stay on at Hamilton. I won't be cheated out of my diploma,
if I can help it. It's our word against Dulcie's."
"That's of no use to us now." Leslie turned suddenly from the window
with this gloomy utterance. "Remember Laura Sayres has been discharged
from Matthews' employ. Remson and Matthews have had an understanding.
What chance have we? Sayres told me the doctor quizzed her for over two
hours. She claims she told nothing against us. I know better. If Dulcie,
the little wretch, had sprung this before Easter we might have saved our
faces. She waited purposely. She and Walbert deliberately planned this
expose. Look for a summons soon. We won't escape. I shall begin to pack
tonight. So far as this rattletrap old college is concerned, I don't
care a rap about leaving it. All that is worrying me is: What shall I
say to my father?"