GRACE TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS
"We have had, what might be considered by some people, a momentous
evening," remarked Grace as Anne Pierson walked into their room shortly
before ten o'clock. Having left the now almost cheerful Elfreda to the
good-natured ministrations of Miriam, Grace had said good night and
returned to her own room for a few more minutes of silent devotion to
Livy.
"What happened?" asked Anne as she hung up her wraps, took down her
kimono, and prepared to be comfortable.
"What might be expected," returned Grace, and briefly recounted what had
transpired in Miriam's room.
"Wasn't it nice of Miriam to make a fuss over her, though?" said Anne
warmly.
"Yes, of course, but it isn't Miriam's amiability that I'm thinking
about at present. It's what we'd better do to straighten out this
trouble for Elfreda," said Grace anxiously. "I felt glad when I came to
Overton that I did not have to worry about any one but myself, and now
I'm confronted with Elfreda's troubles."
"I think it would be best to see Miss Ashe first," agreed Anne, after a
brief silence.
"That settles it, then, I'll go. Tell me about your new freshman friend,
Anne."
"She's a very nice girl," Anne replied, "and has lots of the right kind
of courage. She lives in a big, bare room in the top of an old house,
clear down at the other end of the town, and the way she has made that
room over to suit her needs is really wonderful. She has one corner of
it curtained off for her kitchen and has a cupboard for her dishes, what
there are of them. She cooks her meals over a little two-burner gas
stove, and does her own washing and ironing. Every spare moment she has
she devotes to doing mending. She does it beautifully, too. Ever so many
girls have given her their silk stockings and lingerie waists to darn."
"Poor little thing," mused Grace. "I suppose she never has a minute to
play. I don't see how she manages to do all that work and study, too. I
wish we could do something to help her."
"I don't know what we could do," returned Anne thoughtfully. "I imagine
she wouldn't accept help. She strikes me as being one of the kind who
would rather die than allow her friends to pay her way."
"There must be some way," Grace said speculatively, "and some day we'll
find it out."
"Sometimes I feel as though I had earned my college money too easily,"
confessed Anne. "The work I did on the stage wasn't work at all, it was
pure pleasure. Ruth Denton's work is the hardest kind of drudgery."
"But think how hard you worked to win the scholarship," reminded Grace.
"That was work I loved, too," replied Anne, shaking her head
deprecatingly over her own good fortune.
"Never mind," laughed Grace. "Just think of how hard you might have had
to work if you hadn't been a genius, and that will comfort you a
little."
"Grace, you are too ridiculous," protested Anne, flushing deeply.
"Anne, you are entirely too modest," retorted Grace. "Come on, little
Miss Nonentity, let's go to bed or I won't get up early enough to-morrow
morning to see Mabel Ashe before my first recitation."
"All right," yawned Anne. "To-morrow night I must stay in the house and
write letters. I've owed David a letter for a week. I wonder why Nora
and Jessica don't write."
"They promised to write first, you know," said Grace.
"If we don't hear from them by Saturday we'd better send them a postcard
to hurry them up. Let's go down to that little stationer's shop
to-morrow and see what they have. I must find one that will suit Hippy's
peculiar style of beauty."
Laughing and chatting of things that had happened at home, a subject of
which they never tired, Grace and Anne prepared for bed.
The next morning Anne awoke first. Glancing at the little clock on the
chiffonier she exclaimed in dismay. They had overslept, and there was
barely time to dress and eat breakfast before chapel.
"Oh, dear," lamented Grace as she slipped into her one-piece gown of
pink linen, "now I can't go to see Mabel until after luncheon. How
provoking!"
But it was still more provoking to find, when she called at Holland
House, late that afternoon, that Mabel Ashe had made a dinner engagement
with several seniors and had just left the house. "What had I better do
about it?" Grace asked herself. "Shall I put it off until to-morrow or
shall I take matters into my own hands? It's only four days now until
the reception, and those girls may do a great deal of talking during
that time." She paused on the steps of Holland House and looked across
the campus toward Stuart Hall. "I'm sure I heard some one say that both
Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton live there," Grace reflected. "I don't like
to do it, but it's the only thing I can think of to do." Squaring her
shoulders Grace crossed the campus, a look of determination on her fine
face. Mounting the steps of Stuart Hall she deliberately rang the bell.
Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton were both in, the maid stated, ushering
Grace into the big, attractively furnished living room. A moment later
there was a scurry of footsteps on the stairs and Alberta Wicks,
followed by Mary Hampton, entered the room.
Grace rose from her chair to greet them. "Good afternoon," she said
pleasantly. "I shall have to introduce myself. I am Grace Harlowe of the
freshman class. I saw you at the dance the other night but did not meet
you."
"How do you do?" returned Alberta Wicks in a bored tone, while the other
girl nodded indifferently. "I remember your face, I think. I'm not sure.
There was an army of freshmen at the dance. The largest entering class
for a number of years, I understand."
"Freshmen are perhaps not important enough to be remembered," returned
Grace, smiling faintly. Then deciding that there was nothing to be
gained by beating about the bush she said earnestly, "I hope you will
not think me meddlesome or presuming, but I came here this afternoon to
talk with you about something that concerns a member of the freshman
class. I refer to Miss Briggs, whom I am quite certain you know."
"Miss Briggs," repeated Alberta Wicks, meditatively. "Let me see, I
think we met her----"
"The day she came to college," supplemented Grace.
"How did you know that?" was the sharp question.
"I saw you and Miss Hampton when you approached her, and also when you
walked away from the station with her," Grace said quietly. "Miss Briggs
rode part of the way on the train with us to Overton."
A deep flush rose to the faces of both young women at Grace's
indisputable statement. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"I know also," continued Grace, "that you conducted her to the county
court house instead of the registrar's office and left her to find out
the truth as best she might."
"Really," sneered Alberta, "you seem to be extremely well informed as to
what took place. It is quite evident that Miss Briggs published the news
broadcast."
"She did nothing of the sort," retorted Grace coldly. "She did tell my
roommate and me, and I regret to say that she also told the registrar,
but she now realizes her mistake in doing so."
"Her realization comes entirely too late," was the sarcastic reply. "She
should have thought things over before going to the registrar with
anything so silly."
"Ah!" ejaculated Grace. "I am glad to hear you admit that the trick you
played was silly. To my mind it was both senseless and unkind. However,
I did not come here to-day to discuss the ethics of the affair. Miss
Briggs has received a note forbidding her attendance at the sophomore
reception and advising her to leave Overton. It is signed 'Sophomore
Class.' It states her betrayal of two sophomores to the registrar as the
cause of its origin. What I wish to ask you is whether the sophomores
have really taken action in this matter, or whether you wrote this note
in order to frighten Miss Briggs into leaving college?"
"I do not admit your right to interfere, and I shall certainly not
answer your question, Miss Harlowe. You are decidedly impertinent, to
say the least," replied Alberta in a tone of suppressed anger. "I cannot
understand why you should take such an unprecedented interest in Miss
Briggs's affairs and I shall tell you nothing."
[Illustration: "I Am Sorry That We Have Failed to Come to an
Understanding."]
"Very well," said Grace composedly. "I see that I shall have to go to
each member of the sophomore class in turn in order to find out the
truth. I cannot believe that these girls are so lacking in college
spirit as to ostracize a newcomer, even though she did act unwisely."
"You would not dare to do it!" exclaimed Mary Hampton excitedly. She had
hitherto taken no part in the conversation.
"Why not?" asked Grace. "I am determined to go to the root of this
matter. I don't intend Miss Briggs shall leave college, or be sent to
coventry either. She has acted hastily, but she will live it down, that
is, unless word of it has traveled too far. Even so, I hardly think she
will leave college. I am sorry that we have failed to come to an
understanding."
Grace walked proudly toward the door. Inwardly she was deeply
disappointed at having failed, but she gave no sign of feeling her
defeat.
"Come back!" commanded Alberta Wicks harshly, as Grace stood with her
hand on the door knob. Grace turned and walked toward them. Her face
gave no sign of her surprise.
"Do you really intend to take up this affair with every member of the
sophomore class?" demanded Alberta, eyeing Grace sharply. There was a
faint note of dismay in her voice, despite her attempt to appear
unconcerned.
"Yes," answered Grace firmly. "The only alternative would be to take it
to the faculty, and that is not to be thought of. I shall make a
personal appeal to each sophomore for Miss Briggs."
"Then I suppose rather than bring down a hornet's nest about our ears,
we might as well tell you that the majority of the class know nothing of
this. A number of sophomores, with a view to the good of the college,
decided themselves to be justified in sending the letter to Miss Briggs.
We do not wish young women of her type at Overton, and Miss Briggs will
do well to go elsewhere. She will never be happy at Overton."
"Is that a threat?" asked Grace quickly.
Alberta merely shrugged her shoulders in answer to Grace's question.
"You may call it what you please," remarked Mary Hampton sullenly.
"Thank you," said Grace gravely. "I think I have a fair idea of the
situation. I believe I know too, just how many sophomores were concerned
in the writing of the letter, and am sure that their adverse opinion
will neither make nor mar Miss Briggs. Good afternoon."
With this Grace walked serenely out of the house, leaving behind her two
discomfited and ignominiously defeated young women.
"Do you believe she would have kept her word and put the matter before
the class?" asked Mary Hampton after Grace had gone.
"Yes," responded Alberta, frowning. "She wouldn't have hesitated. She
meant what she said. She is one of those tiresome persons who is forever
advocating fair play. She only does it as a pose. She imagines, I
suppose that it will attract the attention of the upper class girls. I
should like to teach her a lesson in humility, but it is dangerous, for
with all her faults she is by no means stupid, and unless we were very
careful we would be quite likely to come to grief."