A HAPPY THOUGHT
During the week that followed Jane became too fully occupied with
settling down in college to trouble herself further about Marian Seaton.
Neither the latter nor Maizie Gilbert had as yet returned to Wellington,
a fact which caused Jane no regret.
She did not doubt that as soon as Marian put in an appearance she would
hear a garbled tale of woe from her belligerent cousin. Whether Marian
would take up the cudgels in her cousin's defense was another matter.
Firm in her belief that Marian had written the disquieting letter, Jane
was fairly sure that the former's guilty conscience would warn her
against making a protest to Mrs. Weatherbee that her cousin had been
shabbily treated.
As it happened she was quite correct in her surmise. When, late one
afternoon at the end of the week, Marian and Maizie Gilbert arrived at
Madison Hall they were treated to a sight that disturbed them
considerably.
To a casual observer there was nothing strange in the sight of two
white-gowned girls seated in the big porch swing, apparently well
pleased with each other's society. To Marian Seaton, however, it
represented the defeat of a carefully laid scheme. Sight of Jane Allen,
calmly ensconced in the swing and actually laughing at something
Adrienne Dupree was relating with many gestures, filled Marian Seaton
with sullen rage, not unmixed with craven fear.
"_What_ do you think of that?" she muttered to Maizie as the driver of
the taxicab brought the machine to a slow stop on the drive. "I never
expected to see _her_ here."
"Maybe Mrs. Weatherbee didn't receive it," returned Maizie in equally
guarded tones.
"Something's gone wrong," was the cross surmise. "Watch yourself, Maiz,
when you talk, to Mrs. Weatherbee."
"Oh, she couldn't possibly know," assured Maizie. "This Allen snip has
just managed to have her own way. You know what a hurricane she is when
she gets started."
"Just the same you'd better be on your guard," warned Marian.
"Madison Hall, miss."
The driver was impatiently addressing Marian. Deep in considering the
unwelcome state of affairs revealed by Jane's presence on the veranda,
neither girl had made any move to alight.
"Oh, keep quiet!" exclaimed Marian rudely. "We'll get out when we are
ready."
"Charge you more if you keep me waiting," retorted the man. "Time's
money to me."
This threat resulted in the hasty exit of both girls from the machine.
Provided with plenty of spending money, Marian thriftily endeavored
always to obtain the greatest possible return for the least expenditure.
As the luggage-laden pair ascended the steps, some hidden force drew
Marian's unwilling gaze to the porch swing. A quick, guilty flush dyed
her cheeks as her pale blue eyes met the steady, inscrutable stare of
Jane's gray ones.
Immediately she looked away. She could not fathom the meaning of that
calm, penetrating glance.
In consequence Marian could not know that Jane had been seeking
confirmation of a certain private belief, which the former's guilty
confusion had supplied.
"Do you think she's found out anything?" Marian asked nervously of
Maizie, the instant they had entered the house.
"Mercy, no. If she had she'd have glowered at you," reassured Maizie.
"She just looked at you as though you were a stranger. You needn't be
afraid of _her_. She's too stupid to put two and two together."
"She must know about the letter, though. What I can't see is how she
managed to stick here in spite of it. Every room here was spoken for
last June. Mrs. Weatherbee told me so. I'll bet Elsie's had to go to
another campus house. It's a shame! That letter was meant to do two
things. Get Jane Allen out of the Hall and Elsie in. Don't stop to talk
with old Weatherbee, Maizie," was Marian's injunction. "We'll just say
'How do you do. We're back,' and hustle upstairs. Be sure to notice if
she seems as cordial as ever. If she is, it will be a good sign that
we're safe."
Meanwhile, out on the veranda, Adrienne was remarking under her breath
to Jane:
"Did you observe the face of Marian Seaton? Ah, but she is the guilty
one!"
"I noticed," replied Jane dryly. "I was determined to make her look at
me, and she did. It upset her to see me here. She wasn't expecting it."
"It is the annoyance that she has returned," sighed Adrienne. "All has
been so delightful without her."
"I'm going to forget that she's here," avowed Jane sturdily. "Come on,
Imp. Let's go over to the stable and see Firefly. I promised him an
apple and three lumps of sugar yesterday. I must keep my word to him."
Rising, Jane held out an inviting hand to Adrienne. The little girl
promptly linked her fingers within Jane's and the two started down the
steps, making a pretty picture as they strolled bare-headed across the
campus to the western gate.
"Hello, children! Whither away?"
Almost to the wide gateway they encountered Dorothy Martin coming from
an opposite direction.
"We're going to call on Firefly. Want to come along?" invited Jane.
"Of course I do. Firefly is a very dear friend of mine."
"I must stop at that little fruit stand below the campus and buy
Firefly's apple," Jane said as the trio emerged from the campus onto the
public highway. "I have the sugar in my blouse pocket."
She patted a tiny bulging pocket of her white silk blouse.
"Marian Seaton and Maizie Gilbert have returned," Adrienne informed
Dorothy, with a droll air of resignation. "But a few moments past and we
saw them arrive. We made no effort to embrace them."
"Miss Howard isn't pleased over their staying away so long," confided
Dorothy. "She told me yesterday that every student had reported except
those two. She asked me if I knew why they were so late. She hadn't
received a word of excuse from either of them. Too bad, isn't it, that
they should so deliberately set their faces against right?"
"They walk with the eyes open, yet are blind," mused Adrienne. "I have
known many such persons. Seldom is there the remedy. I cannot imagine
the reform of Marian Seaton. It would be the miracle."
"You may laugh if you like, but I've wondered whether there mightn't be
some way to find the good in her. Dad says there's some good in even
the worst person, if one can only find it."
Silent from the moment Adrienne had mentioned Marian's name, Jane broke
into the conversation.
"After I read that miserable letter, I felt as though I hated Marian
Seaton harder than ever," she went on. "When I saw her to-day I despised
her for being what she was. All of a sudden it came to me that I was
sorry for her instead. It's a kind of queer mix-up of feelings."
Jane gave a short laugh.
"You have the right spirit, Jane. I'm proud of you for it. You make me
feel ashamed. While I've been merely saying that it's too bad about
Marian, you've gone to the root of the matter," assured Dorothy
earnestly.
"Yet what could one do thus to bring about the reform?"
Adrienne's shrug was eloquent of the dubiety of such an enterprise.
"Begin as Jane has, by being sorry for her," replied Dorothy
thoughtfully.
"I am French," returned Adrienne simply. "The Latin never forgets nor
forgives."
Having now reached the fruit stand where Jane had stopped to purchase a
large red apple for her horse, the subject of Marian Seaton was dropped.
Arrived at the stable the three girls spent a merry session with
Firefly, who demanded much petting from them.
"He's the dearest little horse I ever saw, Jane!" glowed Dorothy when
they finally left him finishing the apple which Jane had saved as a
good-bye solace. "If ever I owned a horse like Firefly I'd be the
happiest girl in the whole world."
"There aren't many like him."
Jane turned for a last look over her shoulder at her beautiful pet.
Pursing her lips she whistled to him. Instantly he neighed an answer.
"Is he not cunning?" cried Adrienne.
Dorothy admiringly agreed that he was.
Jane smiled in an absent manner. An idea had taken shape in her mind,
the pleasure of which brought a warm flush to her cheeks.
In consequence she suddenly quickened her pace.
"What's the matter, Jane? Training for a walking match?" asked Dorothy
humorously.
"I beg your pardon," apologized Jane, slowing down. "I just happened to
think of a letter I wanted to write and send by the first mail."
"Run on ahead, then," proposed Dorothy. "We'll excuse you this once."
"Oh, it's not so urgent as all that. I just let my thoughts run away
with me for a minute."
Nevertheless there was a preoccupied light in Jane's eyes as the three
returned across the campus to the Hall.
The instant she gained her room she went hastily to work on a letter, a
pleased smile curving her lips as she wrote. When it was finished she
prepared it for mailing and ran lightly down the stairs and across the
campus to the nearest mail box. She gave a happy little sigh as it
disappeared through the receiving slot. How glad she was that the idea
had come to her. She wondered only why she had never thought of it
before.