CALLED TO ACCOUNT
The cutter drew up with a flourish and a jingle of bells at the main
door of Lakeview Hall, and Walter Mason helped the girls out.
"So good of you to bring us over," said Nan, as Walter's hand held hers
for perhaps a second more than was absolutely necessary.
"Tickled to death to have the chance," replied the youth. "And say, Nan,
count me in on that subscription for Mrs. Bragley."
"Thanks just as much," was Nan's response, as she and Bess ran up the
steps, "but I imagine you've done more than your share already. Who paid
for all those good things you brought over in your sleigh? Answer me
that."
"Give you three guesses," laughed Walter. "And now, good night, girls.
Tell me when you're going over again and I'll be here with the cutter."
Another moment and he was off with a farewell wave of the hand, and Nan
and Bess entered the Hall, where they speedily found themselves the
center of a chattering bevy of girls, all trying to talk at once.
"Tell us all about it, Nan," pleaded Rhoda Hammond. "Did the doctor get
there?"
"Was Mrs. Bragley badly hurt?" asked Laura.
"Not seriously," answered Nan. "The doctor and the nurse both came, and
everything is going on all right. She'll be able to walk again in a
couple of weeks, they think."
"Don't tell them another word, Nan Sherwood, until we have had something
to eat," laughed Bess. "I'm just dying from hunger, and I suppose we're
late now for supper."
Linda Riggs, who had been standing apart with a sneer on her lips,
turned to Cora Courtney and said in a voice that was not so low but all
could hear:
"So that's why she stayed to nurse the old woman; so she could get a
ride home with Walter Mason. She's foxy, all right."
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Linda Riggs!" Bess Harley cried
hotly. But Nan laid her hand soothingly on her arm.
"Never mind her, Bess," she counseled with a level glance at Linda.
"What else can you expect? Let's go in to supper."
"Linda is peeved because the _Gay Girl_ was beaten this afternoon,"
laughed Laura Polk. "You know she thought she had a mortgage on the
race."
"Was she beaten?" asked Bess, with eager interest. "I declare, my
mind's been so full of the accident that I'd almost forgotten that we
had a race."
"Yes," replied Laura gleefully. "She was beaten by more than a hundred
feet."
"And she had three chances where we had only one," put in Rhoda. "We
might have beaten our own mark if we had had our full number of trips."
"There's not much of the sport about Linda," commented Grace. "Any one
who beats her makes her an enemy. She takes it as a personal insult if
any one dares to get ahead of her."
"She can't be any more of an enemy to us than she always has been,"
concluded Bess. "But come along, Nan, and let's eat. My appetite's
keener than ever, now that I know we won."
"Was there ever anything the matter with your appetite, Bess?"
questioned Nan with a smile.
"Sometimes--not often. But, oh, Nan! neither of us would have had much
appetite if we had seriously injured that poor woman."
"You are right there. Every time I think of the narrow escape we had I
have to shiver."
"Yes, and supposing the sled had gone into a tree, or one of those sharp
rocks! Oh, it would have been dreadful!"
"We can count ourselves very lucky."
"And to think we won the race after all! That's the best news I've heard
in a long time."
"Oh, no, Bess. The best news is our escape, and Mrs. Bragley's, from
serious injury. The race doesn't count alongside of that."
"Well, maybe you are right. Nevertheless, I am awfully glad we won."
The rest of the girls had already had their supper, but there was plenty
left, and Nan and Bess did full justice to it. They had scarcely
finished when, a message came to Nan that Dr. Prescott, the head of the
school, wished to see her.
"I always feel nervous when I hear that Doctor Beulah wants to see me,"
remarked Laura, the madcap of the school. "But perhaps Nan has a better
conscience than I usually have. Run along now, Nan, and take your
medicine, and then come back and tell us all about it."
Nan went at once to the principal's room, and was graciously received by
the serene, handsome woman who directed the activities of Lakeview Hall.
Dr. Beulah Prescott was a woman of culture and marked executive ability.
For many years she had been the head of the school, and had won for it
an enviable position among institutions of its kind. She had a large and
valuable clientele, which was constantly expanding.
She was an extremely good-looking woman, and exquisitely groomed and
dressed, although with an utter absence of ostentation. She knew the
value of appearance, especially before the critical eyes of her
schoolgirls, and never allowed herself to be seen at a disadvantage.
Her rule was mild, but just and firm, and all the girls knew that she
was not to be trifled with. Behind her back they often referred to her
as Doctor Beulah, but none permitted herself any familiarity in her
presence. Her poise was perfect. No one had ever seen her angry or
flustered. When she did not inspire ardent affection, she always
commanded the genuine respect of her pupils.
She greeted Nan pleasantly as the latter entered, and asked her to be
seated.
"I hear you came near having a serious accident this afternoon, Nan,"
she said, "and I have sent for you to have you tell me all about it."
Nan told in detail the events of the afternoon, and the doctor listened
with keen interest, interrupting once in a while to make some incident
perfectly clear.
"It was a very narrow escape," she commented, when Nan had finished. "I
am thankful beyond words that none of the girls was hurt or killed, as
they so easily might have been. And I want to congratulate you on the
way you played your part. I notice you left that out of your story, but
others have already told me how cool and clear-headed you were through
it all. I'm glad that you happened to be steering."
Nan flushed at the words of praise, and murmured rather uncomfortably
that she had done only what any other of the girls would have done in
her place.
"I differ with you there," replied Dr. Prescott, with a smile. "But we
won't discuss that. What must be done is to make the coasting safer in
the future. After this, I will have some one stationed at that crossing
to warn passers-by. As for that poor woman, I will see that all the
expenses of her illness are paid and that she is compensated besides for
the fright and pain she has undergone."
"Pardon me, Dr. Prescott," said Nan with some diffidence, "but the girls
feel that they ought to do most of the helping. They have already
contributed a little, and they are planning to do more."
"A very commendable feeling," agreed the head of the school graciously.
"But at least you will let me help. I know Mrs. Bragley. She is a very
worthy woman."
"She seems to be," remarked Nan. "Her little house is poor, but
everything about it is neat and clean. I gathered from some things she
said that she used to be in fairly comfortable circumstances."
"That is true," was the response. "Her husband was a hard-working man
and had saved up some money. But he was inclined to invest his savings
in rather risky enterprises, and I imagine he was swindled out of most
of it. It seems to me that I have heard something of that kind, though I
don't recall it clearly."
"I would like to go over to the cottage as often as I can in the next
few days to see what I can do to help, if you have no objections,"
remarked Nan.
"None whatever," rejoined Dr. Prescott. "In fact, I shall be very glad
to have you do so, provided, of course, that you don't let it interfere
with your school work. You can go now, Nan. You must be tired after the
strain and excitement of this afternoon, and I would suggest that you go
to bed early."
Nan bade the principal good-night and hurried up to her room, where she
found a group of her special friends all on the _qui vive_ to learn of
her interview.