FLETA TO THE RESCUE
Sidney did not do anything so foolish as to remain away from the
Hallowe’en fun. However unhappy she felt over the apparent copying of
her costume, or perhaps a deliberate suggestion by Caroline, who knew
that the freshman witch would wear such a costume, she reached a better
frame of mind under the urging of Fleta, pretty in shepherdess gayety.
The Turkish costume was one which she had used in Chicago and had
brought with her the year before. Then, the little play called for the
“Double Three” domino. “Luckily it hasn’t been worn here, Sidney,” said
Fleta, as she helped Sidney hunt through the big box and took smaller
boxes down from the top shelf of the closet.
“But it is so terribly mussed,” wailed Sidney. “I can’t wear it at
all!” The main part of the costume was, of course, at the very bottom
of the big box which formed the window seat in their study.
“Yes, you can, Sid! Hunt up the sash, and if you can’t find it, there’s
that red one of mine that will do. It’s in my drawer, somewhere in a
box. I’ll get my little iron and run down to the kitchen. They’ll let
me press there, under the circumstances. Wait till I get a sheet to lay
on the table, if I can’t get hold of an ironing board. Where’s the cord
to my iron? There, now!”
A very capable shepherdess, still wearing her mask, flew down to the
kitchen, where refreshments were being prepared for a real Hallowe’en
banquet, the first one of the kind that they had ever had there. Fleta
explained that there had been a great mistake and that somebody would
miss all the fun if this costume could not be pressed and made fit to
wear.
“If you can find a place to do it, go ahead,” was the reply to Fleta’s
explanation and request, and determined Fleta found a place where she
could attach the cord to her electric iron and press the costume well
enough.
Sidney, who was accustomed to be waited on, thanked Fleta, however,
very sincerely. She had found the sash and some other little
accompaniments and was ready to slip right into the newly pressed
garments. It had taken scarcely half an hour from the time when she
and Fleta had left the parlors. Sidney quite enjoyed one feature of
wearing a different costume, that of deceiving her other suite-mates,
for they all dressed together.
“Where is Sidney?” Irma inquired of Edith.
“I don’t know. There’s Fleta. Ask her.”
“What has become of Sidney, Fleta? I haven’t seen a thing of her since
that cat performance. Do you suppose that she hated it to have made a
costume so like that of the witch?”
“Yes, she did, but she got over it. She’s somewhere around. I persuaded
her to come back.”
“Oh, she did run off, then!”
“Yes. Better let her say the first word about it.”
“Yes, indeed. I know Sidney too well to make any uncalled for remarks!”
Great was the surprise, when the masks came off, just before the
Supper, and Sidney was found by her suite-mates in Turkish garb.
Shirley, also, was asked many times if she had led the Cat Brigade; but
she explained as best she could, and it was all made clear when she was
announced as the winner of the first prize, and as “having the costume
which is considered the most original. It gave the idea, also, for
the freshman stunt and was worn by the freshman witch in the cleverly
performed drill. Miss Shirley is the composer of the song which they
sang.”
The “banquet,” served early enough, it was hoped, not to upset the
young ladies, and simple enough to ward off all criticism, was funny
chiefly in its decorations, place cards and the names of dishes upon
the menu cards. It was too bad that there should be any one not able to
throw herself entirely into the enjoyment of the evening. But Shirley
was too tired, after her strenuous efforts of the day, to throw off
altogether the unpleasant impressions made by Sidney’s remarks, which
she had overheard.
Madge noticed how quiet she was, but laid it to her being tired. As
they went into their room, after all the fun was over, Madge said, “I
hope you didn’t mind what Sidney said that time about ‘Mother Goose
stuff.’ Your song and the way the freshmen sang it nearly made me
double up laughing, and to think you won the prize makes me swell with
pride to have such a room-mate.”
“Nonsense! I’d think you’d be ashamed of me for the style of literature
that I produced, to say nothing of that tune.”
“It was as funny as the words, and the jazz was thrown in by the piano
and violin. The queerest thing, Shirley, was that as I looked back, out
of the corner of my eye when Sidney’s voice spoke so near us, I found
that she was wearing the witch costume, the one with the yellow cat.
You can imagine how surprised I was to see Sidney as a Turkish lady,
after masks were off.”
“I knew that Sidney was the yellow cat witch, Madge, for I heard Fleta
talking to her when they left the room. I happened to be near her again
when I went out to change my costume. I watched to see if she would
come back, and she didn’t come for so long that I gave her up. Then I
found her later, or the costume that I imagined was the one they had
spoken about. I felt worried, for some reason.”
“Sidney is sort of peevish about things lately, Caroline says.”
“Perhaps it is my being here. I’m sorry; but it doesn’t seem to be
possible to help it.”
“You are a little too bright at your lessons and too influential
yourself Shirley, to please Sidney, who is used to being the center of
things. That is my private opinion.”
“I don’t care for any particular influence, Madge, but of course I
do care for standing well in my classes. I’ll try to keep off of
committees after this.”
“You must do nothing of the kind. It isn’t fair.”
“Yes, it is Madge, because all I want is to have good reports for my
father and mother and to enjoy as much of the good times with you girls
as I have time for.”
“You are too capable, Shirley. You can’t get out of things like that.”
The next morning Shirley, going upstairs, met Sidney coming down; but
instead of the usual courteous greeting from Sidney, she passed with
her head in the air and without looking at Shirley. Shirley frowned
thoughtfully and went on to her room. Was Sidney blaming her for the
costume affair?
At her first opportunity, she reported the cut to Madge and asked
if she could tell Caroline to come to their room after classes at
noon. “There is no need of Sidney Thorne’s taking such an attitude
toward me,” Shirley said. “I shall go to her to-day and ask her what
the trouble is, apologize, if I have done anything, or receive her
explanation. I do not think that she is the sort of a girl who would
refuse one.”
Shirley repeated to Madge what she had overheard and asked Madge if it
would be best to repeat it to Caroline.
“No, Shirley,” said Madge. “Of course, you want to get at the bottom of
this, but it will only make Caroline mad to tell her what Sidney said,
when Sid was out of patience, too. We’ll just ask Caroline if she knows
how it happened that Sidney wore the witch suit.”
Shirley agreed with Madge that this would be the best course. The less
trouble stirred up the better. But Shirley was surprised to realize how
it troubled her to have a misunderstanding with Sidney.
Before lunch, Caroline, with her arms full of books, rushed in on
her way from class. A little tap on the door was all that announced
her arrival, and she pushed the door open without waiting for an
invitation. “Hello, Cad,” said Madge. “I waited for you, till I saw
that you were going to be too long.”
“Yes, I thought that Miss Gibson would never let me go. Here are all
the books that I have to read for my essay on--what is it that I have
to write about?” Caroline with a look of pretended ignorance, consulted
a large sheet of paper filled with notes.
“Never mind that,” laughed Madge. “We want to ask you how it happened
that Sidney wore the yellow cat witch costume? Do you know anything
about it? Has Hope said anything, or any of the Double Three?”
“What makes you think that I know anything about what Sidney wore?
_Did_ she _really_ do that? That certainly is a joke on her!” Caroline
was so absorbed in the idea that she forgot to push the question why
they thought she would know about it.
“I wonder if what I said to Hope was at the bottom of it. We girls
were talking about costumes for the party and I said that the cutest
costume I had ever seen was a witch’s costume with cats painted on
it. Remember, Madge? You had shown me Shirley’s costume, and began to
tell about the big eyes in the head in front and the big cat ready
to spring that was between the shoulders. Hope said that Sidney was
uncertain about her costume, and I started to say that the costume I
was describing had better not be copied, but some one broke in with
something so funny that we all laughed and I forgot all about what I
had said. But Sidney wore a Turkish costume when we unmasked.”
“Yes, but that was after the Cat Brigade. She was in the senior stunt
as a witch, you remember. Don’t you remember what an impression the
yellow cat made?”
“No, Madge,” said Shirley. “That was not Sidney. She must have done
what I did; for she wouldn’t do anything, you remember, in the Senior
stunt.”
“That is so. I had forgotten. Some one just wore her costume to save
making another witch costume. Mercy, how mixed up everything was!”
“All the better for a costume party, Madge,” said Caroline. “But what
is the trouble? Why do you want to know about it?”
“Oh, just because Sidney cut Shirley this morning, and Shirley thinks
that it must have something to do with the costumes that were so much
alike.”
“Whew! Wouldn’t Sidney _speak_ to you, Shirley? Are you sure?”
“I met her, by myself, and I was by myself. But it is not fatal,
Caroline, and I would not pay any attention to it, except that with a
girl like Sidney there must be some reason for it. She must think that
I have done something. Please do not speak of the cut. I did not mean
to have Madge mention it.”
“I’m perfectly safe, Shirley. I’ll speak to Hope about the costume. She
need not know how _I_ know that Sidney wore it. She does not room with
Sidney, but as a member of the Double Three she probably knew what all
of them were going to wear.”
“I’d appreciate it, Caroline,” said Shirley. “I am going to see Sidney
to-night anyhow and ask if I have offended her, but if I had some idea
of how I have happened to do so, it would help.”
“Yes, it would. I’ll see Hope some time this afternoon, Shirley, and
report before dinner.” Caroline ran out with her books, while Madge and
Shirley started out on their way downstairs, for it was nearly time for
the gong.