A Leader of the Opposition
GIPSY had called the General Meeting of the Magazine department of the
Guild because she honestly wished her journal to be a representative
organ for the whole of the Lower School. A member of each Form was on
the Committee, but she thought suggestions would probably be offered by
others, and could then be discussed and settled by popular vote. At four
o'clock on the Friday afternoon all the Juniors flocked to the
dressing-room, for there was a whisper abroad that changes were in the
wind, and that it behoved everybody who had an interest in the subject
to be present and take sides. Dilys Fenton, as President of the Guild,
opened the proceedings with a few introductory remarks; then Gipsy, as
editress, read her report on the Magazine.
"Members are invited to suggest any fresh features that they consider
would be advantageous for the forthcoming summer term, and to offer any
criticisms on the past number." So she concluded.
"I think we may all declare ourselves perfectly satisfied with this
report," commented Dilys. "Our editress has worked hard, and the
_Journal_ is a unique success, which speaks for itself. Personally I
can suggest no improvements, but members are of course invited to give
their opinions."
There was a moment's pause, then Maude Helm stood up.
"Our lady chairman and fellow members!" she began airily, "I am glad to
have this opportunity of raising a protest against an abuse which I
consider is beginning to creep into our Guild, and which, unchecked, may
be liable to lead to very serious results. You will remember that this
Guild was founded in consequence of the very unjust and unfair treatment
of the Lower School by the Seniors. This tyrannical attitude of the
monitresses had been long resented by the Juniors, and though one new
girl happened to seize upon the matter and voice the discontent, it was
felt in many quarters that her action had been given undue prominence,
and that the real credit belonged to those who had slowly and surely
influenced the general opinion. These members, though they stood aside
and waived their claims to gratitude, anxious only for the welfare of
the Lower School, feel strongly that the whole conduct of the Magazine
should be now revised and placed upon a more representative basis. I am
not wishful to disparage the work of one who has no doubt done her best
for the _Journal_, but I should like to suggest that there are others
among us equally capable of undertaking office, and, if they had the
chance, of running the affair with possibly even greater success. It
seems to me undesirable for one person to take everything upon her
shoulders, and as a question of fair play I beg to propose that the
editorship should be changed for each issue of the Magazine, with a
standing provision that nobody be elected more than once in twelve
months."
If a bombshell had suddenly exploded, some of the girls could not have
been more surprised. Dilys Fenton stared at Maude as if marvelling at
her amazing impudence, Hetty Hancock flushed pink with annoyance, and
Meg Gordon's eyes sought the face of her idol. A few of Maude's
following clapped vigorously, notably Leonora, and there was an echo of
support among some of the younger ones. Gipsy, though she had been quite
unprepared for such a mutiny in camp, bore the attack with admirable
coolness and self-possession.
"I may perhaps be allowed to state," she remarked calmly, "that any
office which I hold at present was not self-sought, but was given me as
the result of the general vote. To the members themselves, therefore, I
appeal, if they consider they've anything against me."
"Maude's perfectly right!" interposed Gladys Merriman, rising hastily.
"This Magazine business has been a 'one man show' all along. Nobody else
has had even a look-in. It's been 'Gipsy Latimer' from beginning to
end."
"Oh! Oh! Who's had a story in every number?" cried a voice from the
back.
"The editress oughtn't to be allowed to monopolize the chief parts!"
called out Alice O'Connor.
"She didn't!"
"How can you say so!"
"Go it, Alice! Pitch it strong! I'm with you!"
"Order! Order!" commanded Dilys. "This question must be discussed from
both sides. We'll take one at a time, please."
"Maude! Let Maude speak, then!" shouted a band of sympathizers from the
opposition.
Maude, who had waxed warm, was only too ready to speak, and seized upon
the opportunity.
"I want to know," she demanded aggressively, "why one girl expects to
take the top seat in this school, and dictate what's to be done all
round? Newcomers used to be kept in the background, but it seems all
that's changed now. However, if new girls are the fashion, Leonora
Parker's newer still, and why shouldn't she be editress?"
"Because she couldn't!" piped somebody.
"Who's that says she couldn't?" shouted Gladys.
"Give her a chance to try!" called out Alice O'Connor.
"Likely!"
"You want to try yourself, I suppose!"
"Look here, we don't want everything turned topsy-turvy to suit a few
like you."
"Order! Order!" cried Dilys again--a very necessary command, for the
members were growing excited, and instead of stating their proposals in
the orthodox, conventional language which they prided themselves upon
always using at meetings, were descending to personalities.
"Oh, do let me speak! I'll give it them hot!" begged Hetty. But Meg
Gordon had already caught the President's eye, and began:
"If this is to be a representative meeting, it's time some reply was
made to Maude Helm's insinuations. The main object of Maude's remarks
seems to be to cast a slur upon Gipsy Latimer, and to imply that she's
taken an unfair advantage in coming to the fore. Every girl in this room
knows that Gipsy Latimer refused the Presidency of the Guild, and only
accepted the editorship because it was forced upon her. Did any one of
those who are so ready to run the Magazine now it's started think of
originating it? Of course they didn't! It was Gipsy, and Gipsy alone,
who suggested the idea, drew up the plan, asked for contributions, and
made the thing the success it is. There isn't another girl at Briarcroft
who could have done it, or if there is, why didn't she? Where's your
gratitude? Gipsy got us our own Guild, and the _Journal's_ the organ of
the Guild. She's the only one who's really qualified to be editress. I
ask you, do you think anyone else could do it equally well? No, you know
very well they couldn't, and wouldn't take the trouble either!"
"Hear, hear!" shouted a number of voices, as Meg stopped from sheer lack
of breath.
"I thought this meeting was to be conducted in strict order!" sneered
Maude. "I made a proposal a while ago, and instead of its being allowed
to be seconded and put to the vote, everybody began to talk separately.
I beg to propose again that the editorship of the Magazine be changed
each time, and nobody be eligible for office again within twelve
months."
"And I beg to second the proposal," cried Gladys.
"Those in favour, kindly signify!" said the President.
"Put it to the ballot!" suggested Alice O'Connor eagerly.
"No, we'll have a show of hands," returned Hetty grimly. "We want to
know which among you are answerable for this business. In all common
sense, how do you suppose a magazine can be run properly with a
different editress each time? But it's evidently a question of Gipsy
Latimer versus Maude Helm as leader of the Lower School. Which will you
choose, girls?"
Several hands that were on the point of going up wavered at that, and
went down again. Maude was not a general favourite, and though she had
contrived to raise a spirit of envy against Gipsy, nobody was anxious to
claim her as a leader.
"I suggested Leonora as editress," corrected Maude, rising angrily.
"Miss Poppleton herself proposed it!"
But at that there was a scornful laugh. Maude had made a fatal mistake.
Miss Poppleton's championship, far from being a recommendation, was
exactly the reverse. The girls resented her interference in their
private concerns, and did not intend to allow her the least voice in
their councils.
"We don't want Poppie's pet, thanks!"
"She's not going to manage our Guild for us!"
"We can make our own choice!"
So few hands went up in favour of Maude's proposal that its rejection
was obvious at once. Meg Gordon started up immediately with a counter
motion.
"I beg to propose that Gipsy Latimer continue to be editress until the
end of the summer term."
"And I beg to second that motion," agreed Lennie Chapman heartily.
This time the hands went up in earnest, and there was no doubt about the
majority.
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted Gipsy's supporters, turning in much triumph
upon the opposition as the meeting broke up. Maude and her friends,
finding the point carried, had no more to say, and were obliged to drop
the subject. Leonora affected a sublime indifference.
"I'm sure I didn't want to be editress. I can't think why they suggested
it," she said, in her stolid, bored fashion.
"To carry favour with Poppie, and spite Gipsy!" declared Lennie Chapman.
"I don't blame you: they made you a cat's-paw, that's all."
"It's a victory for Gipsy, but I'm sorry it's happened at all," fretted
Hetty. "It's annoyed her dreadfully, and I believe she's ready to throw
the whole thing up and resign office."
"That she can't and shan't and mustn't do! We won't allow her!"
The struggle made a great sensation in the Upper Fourth. Some of the
girls openly twitted Maude with her defeat, an unwise and ungenerous
proceeding which bore ill fruit. Maude was not a girl to let bygones be
bygones; she turned sulky, brooded over her grievances, and bore Gipsy
a deeper grudge than ever. She was determined that she would not let the
latter go entirely unscathed, and looked about for some further
opportunity of flinging a dart.
"I'll pay her out somehow--see if I don't!" she grumbled to her chum
Gladys. "Wish I could think of some really good way!"
"I know!" cackled Gladys suddenly. "It's only struck me this second. Oh!
It's an inspiration! No, I daren't tell you here, with all those kids
about eavesdropping. Come outside into the playground, and I'll explain.
Have you any used South African stamps in your collection? Good! Then
it's as simple as ABC."
"What are the Triumvirate up to?" asked Lennie Chapman a few days later.
"I'm absolutely certain they've some mischief brewing."
"Do you mean Maude, Gladys, and Alice? I call them Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram," said Dilys. "They're always hatching plots of some kind. I
suppose they've a fresh grievance against the Guild."
"I believe they'd like to start a rival magazine of their own."
"Let them, then! There's no reason why they shouldn't. We should have a
chance to prove who's the best editress. But I don't believe they'd take
the trouble when it came to the point. They only make a fuss because
they enjoy growling."
"I can stand growls, but Maude's apt to stick in pins as well. I should
like to find out what she's evolving just at present."
Maude kept her secret well, however, and even Lennie's watchful eyes
could discover nothing beyond the ordinary schoolgirl nonsense that
generally went on among the three chums. She decided that she must have
been mistaken after all.
March, with its boisterous winds, was passing fast away, and an early
spring was bringing on green buds, and opening out venturous blossom on
pear and plum trees. It was the first time Gipsy had seen an English
spring, and she enjoyed the experience. The thrushes and blackbirds
which carolled all day in the Briarcroft garden especially appealed to
her.
"They're little plain birds to look at, but they just sing their hearts
out," she said. "I learnt Browning's piece about the thrush when I was
at school in Australia, and I always wanted to hear a real English one.
I don't wonder he was enthusiastic about it."
March had arrived like the traditional lion, but went out like the
orthodox lamb, and the 1st of April was ushered in by most appropriate
showers. The time-honoured festival was kept up in rather a languid
fashion at Briarcroft. The Upper School discountenanced it as childish
and foolish, but a few of the Juniors indulged in jokes at one another's
expense. These were mostly confined to the First and Second Forms, and
the Upper Fourth as a rule scorned them equally with the Seniors.
On this particular morning the girls had just taken their places in
their classroom, and were waiting for Miss White, when Maude handed
Gipsy a letter, with the casual enquiry: "I say, Yankee Doodle, is this
meant for you?" It was a thin foreign envelope, and bore a South
African stamp, and it was addressed to "Miss Latimer, Briarcroft Hall,
Greyfield, England". Gipsy glanced at it at first idly, then seized upon
it as a starving man clutches at food. Her heart was beating and
throbbing wildly, and her shaking, trembling fingers could scarcely tear
it open. Was it at last the news for which she had been yearning,
craving, sickening for so many weary, weary months? It was not her
father's writing, but it might possibly contain tidings of him. She
could scarcely control her violent excitement; her cheeks were white,
her lips were quivering, and she drew her breath with little, short,
painful jerks. In frantic anticipation she dragged the letter from its
envelope, and unfolded it. It was only a single sheet of foreign paper,
and it bore but one sentence:
"First of April; nicely sold!"
For a moment Gipsy gazed at the words without really comprehending their
meaning. Then it dawned upon her that she was the victim of a most cruel
hoax. The revulsion of feeling was so great, and the disappointment so
intense, that she gave a little, sharp, bitter cry, and, leaning forward
over her desk, buried her head in her arms, and sobbed audibly.
"What is it, Gipsy? What's the matter?" enquired her neighbours.
"Read it! Oh, how could anybody?" choked Gipsy.
Hetty Hancock seized upon the sheet, which had fallen to the floor, and
after one brief glance at its contents turned upon Maude with blazing
eyes.
"I never thought much of you, Maude Helm, but I didn't believe even you
could have invented such a detestably mean, dastardly trick as this. You
deserve to be boycotted by every decent girl in the school."
"It was only a joke," blustered Maude. "Everyone expects to be taken in
to-day."
"It's a wicked, heartless joke--the cruellest thing you could have
thought of--and you knew it, and did it on purpose!"
"How could you, Maude? It's hateful!" came in a chorus from the other
girls. "We'll tell Miss White!"
"Well, I'm sure it's not so dreadful, and it was Gladys who thought of
it, too!" protested Maude, finding popular opinion against her.
"Don't try and put it off on Gladys, though one of you is as bad as the
other. Girls, I'm not going to speak to Maude Helm or Gladys Merriman
for a week, and I hope nobody else will either!" thundered Hetty.
Lennie Chapman and Meg Gordon were trying to comfort Gipsy, and make her
take heart of grace again, but she had suffered a severe shock, and
controlled herself with difficulty. She sat up, however, as Miss White
came into the room.
"Don't tell her!" she whispered huskily. "What's the use? It would only
make a fuss, and I hate fusses. The thing's over now, and I'd rather try
and forget it. Maude needn't be proud of such a poor joke!"
"What a stoic you are!" returned Meg admiringly.