ADVENTURE OF THE LAMP
Late one afternoon, a few days later, five of the Kindred Spirits
gathered in Kathy's room to talk things over, for the excitement over
the recent happenings in the school still ran high. Evelyn, Polly and
Joan sat on the bed, Rachel in the window seat, and Kathy on a low
velvet stool, known as the "Stool of Repentance." A light snow was
falling outside, making a pleasant contrast with the warmth and comfort
within.
The girls were all talking at once, yet, mysteriously, each hearing what
all the others said. In the midst of the Babel the door was pushed
quietly open, and Rosalind slipped in, looking ashamed and sorry and
confused all at once; doubtful of her welcome, yet anxious to be back in
her old place among them.
"May I come? I knocked, but you were all talking so hard, you didn't
hear me."
"Of course you may. Here, sit down beside me on the 'stool of
repentance,'" said Kathy, making room for her.
"It's the right place for me, I know," said Rosalind meekly. "I've been
horrid lately, girls, but I'm one of the 'K. S.' still, unless you've
turned me out."
"We haven't. You deserted us," said Polly the blunt. "But we are glad to
see you back, Rosy," she added, frankly.
"I'm dreadfully glad to be back, if you've all forgiven me. I've missed
you terribly. I don't exactly know how it happened. But I'm sorry. What
were you all talking about when I came in?" asked Rosalind, as
completely one of the group as if she had never left it.
"Why, of these odd things that have been happening lately," explained
Joan. "You know, the disappearance of Kathy's ring and necklace,
and----"
"But I found the necklace this morning," interrupted Kathy. "I meant to
tell you, but you haven't given me a chance."
"Why, Kathy!" "Where?" "How?" A chorus arose.
"When I moved my trunk out from the wall to sweep behind it," explained
Kathy, "I found a little parcel wrapped in tissue paper. I opened it,
thinking I might have dropped something there, and inside was my
necklace, all crushed together into a ball, and the clasp broken. If
anyone knows anything about it, explanations will be in order."
The girls, silent in sheer amaze, looked at each other and then at
Rosalind, who gazed blankly at them in return.
"I didn't put it there, girls, indeed. I don't know in the least how it
got there--"
"But do you know anything about it?" asked Kathy.
"No, I don't. It looks like the one Marcia wore the night of that
party, but I thought it was hers, and it may have been."
"She said nothing about it to you?"
"Not a word. Please believe me, girls."
"Of course we believe _you_," said Joan, with an emphasis on the last
word.
"Well, at any rate, the necklace is found, and I am very glad. I will
have it mended, and take better care of it," said Kathy gravely. "I
haven't found my ring yet, nor has Rachel's pencil case been
discovered."
"That is what I came about," said Rosalind, gathering courage. She
opened the handkerchief which she had held crumpled in her hand, and
showed the two missing articles under discussion, a locket and chain and
one or two other small articles. "I found them in my dresser drawer just
now, in a little box. Honestly, I don't know anything about them, or how
they got there."
"How did it happen that you didn't find them before?" asked Rachel,
reclaiming her property.
"I haven't cleared out my drawer lately, and the box was at the back,
under a pile of handkerchiefs and things. The drawer was in an awful
mess, and I was hunting for a collar," confessed Rosalind with a
shame-faced grin, for her untidiness was a proverb. "I brought it to you
as soon as I found it," she added, and there was truth in her face and
voice. The girls believed her.
"But what does it mean?" asked Joan. "Don't cry, Rosy, we know you
didn't take them. You are silly enough sometimes, but you wouldn't
steal."
The others assented readily. They all knew that, while Rosalind might be
led away for a time by folly and vanity, yet her nature was true and
sound, and she had a conscience. She knew quite well that she had been
led astray by her love of pleasure, and her penitence was sincere.
"I can't understand it a bit," she began, when the door was opened
again--abruptly, and Alison appeared--a pale and dismayed Alison with
wide frightened eyes.
"Girls--have you hidden it on purpose, just to frighten me? Please don't
tease me, but tell me it is just a joke. I know you only meant to
frighten me!"
"Why, Alison, what can you mean? We haven't done a thing," said Kathy,
speaking for them all.
Alison flung herself across the bed, already sufficiently occupied by
three substantial girls. Joan caught her and pulled her into her lap.
"Here," she said, shaking Alison roughly by the shoulder. "No hysterics,
or I'll slap you. Just tell us what is the matter."
Thus importuned, Alison checked her sobs and raised a tragic face. "My
lamp! I'll never see it again!"
"Nonsense. How could you never see it again? Tell us. Is it broken?"
"It's gone!"
"Gone! Not your beautiful Aladdin lamp, Alison? Why, it _couldn't_ be
lost. What do you mean?"
Alison pulled herself together and tried to speak collectedly.
"I've been down in the library all the afternoon, taking notes for my
English; I came up to my room a few minutes ago, and as I looked round I
missed the lamp. You all know where it always stands, on my table. Well,
it wasn't there. And I thought--I hoped--that some of you might have
hidden it for a joke. If you didn't, then I don't know what to think."
"What a ridiculous idea," said Polly indignantly. "A fine joke it would
be. What do you take us for?"
"I couldn't think what else could have become of it," said Alison,
beginning to cry again. Joan began to comfort her, but Kathy checked the
words on her lips.
"Listen, Alison. Who was in your room while you were gone?"
"Only Marcia. I left her studying algebra."
"And where is she now?"
"I don't know. She was gone when I came up."
"And your lamp with her," added Joan. "I have an idea. Wait a minute,
all of you."
She ran across the hall to Alison's room, returning promptly. "Come, all
of you, and see."
The girls followed her, and stood puzzled in the doorway.
"Where are Marcia's things?" demanded Joan.
A glance around the room showed it empty of all that had belonged to
Marcia. The girls looked at each other. Kathy was the first to speak.
"We must find Marcia, girls--if she is to be found--and ask her if the
lamp was in the room when she left it."
A hasty but thorough search established the certainty that Marcia was
not in any of the buildings. Neither, apparently, was the lamp. It was
almost supper time when the girls came together again to report
failure.
"What do you think?" Alison asked.
Joan, as usual, was the spokeswoman. "It looks to me as if she wanted to
go away, and has taken the lamp to sell it in order to get the money for
her ticket. She could not sell jewelry, of course, but a handsome lamp
might bring a good price. She has looked even more forbidding than usual
the last few days, and I know she hated school. She put back the other
things she 'borrowed,' and tried to throw the blame on Rosalind by
hiding them in her drawer. She knew Rosy was in Kathy's room with us,
and she had a clear field. So she carried out her plans, and ran away."
"Well," said Kathy after a pause. "If Joan is right, we ought to report
Marcia's disappearance at once. If she has really run away from school,
Miss Harland will have to know it."