THE EXPLANATION
When at length the quintette of callers regretfully agreed that they
must be getting back to the Hall, Freda said rather nervously:
"Please don't go just yet. I--we--there is something we think we ought
to tell you."
"Very well, tell us," invited Judith gaily.
She had an idea that the something might relate to the all-important
question of gowns. If Freda were worrying over that, Judith proposed to
dismiss the subject lightly. Precisely the same thought had occurred to
Jane, who noted Freda's sudden flush and evident confusion.
"Something--well--not very pleasant happened this afternoon," Freda
continued. "A--we had a caller--a girl----Why shouldn't I be frank? This
girl was of the freshman class. We saw her at class meeting the other
day, but we have never been introduced to her. She brought a paper with
her and asked us to sign it. It was about three of you girls; Miss
Allen, Miss Dupree and Miss Stearns, and----"
"About us?" chorused a trio of astonished voices.
"Yes," nodded Freda, her color heightening. "It began, 'We, the
undersigned,' I can't recall the exact words, but it was an agreement
not to accept an invitation from any one of you to the dance or to
notice you throughout the year, because of the discourteous and hateful
way you had treated a member of the freshman class. There were----"
"How perfectly disgraceful!" burst indignantly from Judith. "What did I
tell you, girls? I knew there was something wrong. We didn't expect to
find it out in this strange way, though. Well, 'murder will out,' as the
saying goes."
"You said the paper began, 'We, the undersigned'?" questioned Jane in a
clear, hard voice. "How many names were signed to it?"
"I can't say positively." Freda looked distressed. "You see, it made me
so disgusted that I handed it back the instant I had read it. The girl
offered it to my chums, too, but they wouldn't look at it. She said
that nearly all the members of the class had signed it. I know better. I
believe not half the class had signed."
"Would you object to telling us the name of the girl who brought you the
paper to sign?" steadily pursued Jane.
"I wouldn't object; no. Why should I? A girl like that deserves no
clemency," Freda returned spiritedly. "The trouble is, I don't know her
name. She is small and dark, with sharp black eyes and a pointed chin.
She's very homely, but dresses beautifully. She----"
"Thank you. We know who she is," interrupted Judith. "Her name is Elsie
Noble, and she lives at Madison Hall."
"Ah, but she is the hateful one," sputtered Adrienne. "It was most kind
in you, Miss Marsh, and your friends also, to thus refuse to sign this
hideously untruthful paper. We have done this girl no harm. Rather, it
is she who would harm us because we have respected our own rights."
"I suspected it to be a case of spite work," asserted Freda. "It is not
usual for a class in college to adopt such harsh measures."
"We were rather surprised at her coming to us with the paper," put in
Kathie. "We've seen her with a crowd of girls who don't appear to know
that we are on the map. She said she understood that you girls were
going to invite us to the dance and felt it her duty to call on us and
object to our accepting your invitations."
"But how could she possibly know that?" cried out Ethel Lacey. "No one
except the five of us knew it until Norma told you this morning."
"I hope you don't think----" began Freda.
A hurt look had crept into her soft, brown eyes.
"How could we possibly think such a thing?" cut in Jane assuringly. "We
can readily understand that Miss Noble's call must have been a complete
surprise to you. On the contrary, we are very grateful to you and your
friends for not signing the paper."
"Yes, indeed," nodded Judith. "Frankly, we suspected that something
unpleasant was in the wind. When first we heard about the dance, we each
invited freshmen whom we knew. Every one of them turned us down. We
didn't think anything of that in the beginning. We supposed we had just
happened to invite the wrong ones. Afterward we thought differently."
"I am sorry we didn't make it our business to get acquainted earlier
with you girls. We really should have, you know," Judith apologized.
"We were so busy getting started in our classes that we hadn't had time
yet to be sociable. Jane and I had both agreed to try to know every girl
in the freshman class this year. I'm glad it has turned out like this.
I'm sure we'll all have a splendid time at the dance, no matter whether
some people like it or not."
"I'm very sure of it, too," declared Kathie Meddart. "I can't understand
how a girl could be so contemptible as to deliberately set out to injure
others."
"Oh, well, she hasn't succeeded," reminded Judith, "so why should we
care? We've invited our freshmen in spite of her."
"What are you going to do about that paper?" Ida Leonard asked a trifle
curiously. "If I were you girls, I think I would make a fuss about it.
We'll stand by you if you do."
"Indeed we will," echoed Marie Benham. "I wouldn't allow such a document
to travel about college."
"It's hard to decide what to do," Jane said gravely. "It might be wiser
to ignore the whole thing. I don't know. We'll have to think it over, I
guess. I thank you girls for your offer to stand by us."
Aside from Freda's opinion that spite had actuated the circulation of
the damaging paper, she and her chums had exhibited an admirable
restraint concerning it. They had evidently accepted Adrienne's sketchy
explanation of it at its face value.
This courteous disinclination to pry had been especially noted and
approved by Jane. It added to the high opinion she already cherished of
the four freshmen. They had been moved solely by a sense of duty to
inform herself and her companions of the outrageous paper.
Jane felt strongly that an explanation was due them, yet she hated to
make it. It would be too much like gossiping, she thought.
"Adrienne told you, a little while ago, that we had done Miss Noble no
harm," she said slowly. "That is really all that I think ought to be
said about this affair. Are you satisfied to leave it so?"
"Perfectly," replied Freda. "I'd rather it would be that way. I can see
no good in dragging up unpleasant things. We'd rather not hear about
them."
"The paper itself speaks for those who drew it up," smiled Marie. "It's
easy to place the blame where it belongs."
Ida and Kathie's warmly expressed opinion coincided with that of their
companion.
"Shall we not speak of more pleasant things? What of the dance? At what
time shall we come for you?"
Adrienne had addressed herself to Freda.
Glad to get away from the distasteful topic they had been discussing,
the girls began to make their arrangements for the freshman frolic.
After a little further talk, the five callers took their leave.
"Well, what are we going to do about it?" demanded Judith, the moment
they had reached the street. "I agree with that nice Miss Benham. We
can't afford to have a paper like that going the rounds of the college."
"I will of my own accord go to the Prexy. He is of _mon père_ the old
friend. He will not allow that such mischief should be done."
Adrienne threateningly wagged her curly head, as she made this vengeful
announcement.
"Good for you, Imp!" lauded Judith.
"I think either Prexy or Miss Rutledge ought to be told," concurred
Ethel. "It would nip the whole business in the bud. There'll be more of
this sort of thing if it isn't stopped right away.
"Did you hear what I said, Jane?" she questioned over her shoulder to
Jane, who was walking behind her with Norma. Ethel, Adrienne and Judith
had taken the lead.
"Yes, I heard. Let's wait until we get back to the Hall to talk this
over," Jane grimly proposed. "We'll have time to settle it before the
ten-thirty bell."
"Come on, then. Forward march!" ordered Judith. "The sooner we get there
the longer we'll have to talk."
This important point settled, a brisk hike to the Hall became the order.
"Don't stop to talk to anyone," commanded Judith, as they scampered up
the front steps. "Make a bee-line for our room. I'll hang out a 'Busy'
sign, so that we won't be disturbed."
Five minutes later the "Busy" sign was in place and the key turned in
the lock.
"Three of us can sit on my couch. That means you, Imp and Ethel. Now,
Jane and Norma, draw up your chairs. Ahem!" Judith giggled. "What is the
pleasure of this indignation meeting? You know what we think, Jane.
Let's hear from you and Norma."
"Oh, I haven't any voice in the matter," smiled Norma. "That is, I've no
right to decide anything."
"Neither have I, but I'm speaking just the same," laughed Ethel. "I say,
'On to Prexy with the horrible tale.'"
"I think we'd best handle this affair if we can without the faculty's
help," Jane said quietly. "If we went to anyone it ought to be Miss
Rutledge. I'd rather not tell even her. I hate telling tales."
"I don't," disagreed Judith. "If we let it go without saying a word,
we'll have trouble right along. It ought to be stamped out _now_."
"I intend that it shall be," Jane tersely assured.
"How?"
Judith's query rang with skepticism.
"By going straight to Miss Noble and ordering her to stop it," was
Jane's determined reply. "I shall ask her to give me that paper."
"A lot of good that will do." Judith gave a short laugh. "You might as
well tell the wind to stop blowing."
"It will do this much good," retorted Jane. "We shall give Miss Noble
her choice between giving up that paper or being reported to the
faculty."
"Who's going to tell her all this?" demanded Judith in a slightly
ruffled tone.
"I am," returned Jane composedly.
"And I. I shall be there also," instantly supported Adrienne.
"Very fine. It looks as though I'd be there myself."
Judith's annoyed expression vanished in a wide grin.
"When do we do this valiant stunt?" she inquired facetiously. "When does
the great offensive take place?"
"We'll have to put it off until to-morrow," Jane answered. "It's too
late to do it to-night. We'll go to her just before dinner, or else
right after. There won't be time enough in the morning or at noon."
"Suppose she won't let us inside her room?" argued Judith.
"She isn't rooming alone," was Jane's reminder. "I intend to see Alicia
Reynolds to-morrow and find out just why she wouldn't talk to me the
other day. I promised myself that I'd never ask her. But something I saw
to-day makes me feel that I must. This Miss Noble has been making
trouble between us. I'm convinced of that. It can't go on. The tangle
between Alicia and me must be straightened out by a frank understanding
of what caused it. Once that is done, Alicia will stand by us, I
believe."
"But you said yourself that she'd gone back to Marian Seaton."
Judith looked amazement of Jane's sudden change of opinion.
"So I thought," admitted Jane, "until I saw her pass Marian on the
campus to-day without speaking. It came to me right then that only Miss
Noble was to blame for the snub Alicia gave me. But I was too proud to
run after Alicia and have it out with her. Now I'm going to do it."