A DISHEARTENING SITUATION
The discovery that Marjorie was the rustic maid in the pale yellow
gingham gown who had accompanied Leslie Cairns to the door of the
gymnasium was a distinct shock to Doris. Following the Rustic Romp she
received a second jolt when Julia Peyton waylaid her on the campus to
inform her triumphantly that she had something “very important to say
about Miss Cairns.”
“Whatever it may be, say it now,” Doris commanded, keeping curiosity and
interest well out of her tone. During the progression of her sophomore
year she had grown to dislike Julia more and more. In the beginning she
had tolerated resignedly Julia’s jealous preference for her society. Now
she did not care whether either Julia or Clara Carter liked her or not.
“I couldn’t _think_ of saying it now. I haven’t time. It’s something
confidential.” Julia crested her black head importantly. Her black,
moon-like eyes fixed themselves upon Doris in a mysterious stare.
“Now, or not at all.” Doris stood firm. “I’d prefer not to invite you to
my room because of Miss Harding. I don’t like to go to yours. You and
Miss Carter nearly always quarrel. It’s such a bore to listen to you.”
She affected a weary expression.
Julia cast a frowning glance about her. She glanced hastily up at the
clock tower and said doggedly: “I must go. I’ll meet you at the big
green seat near the west side of the campus at five this afternoon. I
have your welfare at heart, even though you don’t think so,” she flung
this reproachfully at Doris. “I simply _must_ speak to you about Miss
Cairns.”
Doris knew nothing of Julia’s unfortunate fall over Leslie’s umbrella.
She had gone outdoors after a spirited dancing number, in company with
half a dozen merry masks, for a breath of the sweet spring air. The
spill had occurred while she was outside. When she had returned she had
been immediately claimed for the next dance. A little later while
dancing she had caught sight of Leslie surrounded by hilarious maskers.
She had hurried to extricate her from her difficulties as soon as the
dance was over. She had then spied Leslie moving towards the vestibule
door in company with the mask in yellow gingham. It filled her with an
immeasurable relief to know that Leslie had, as she supposed, escaped
discovery and was then on her way to leaving the frolic.
To learn soon afterward that Marjorie Dean had been Leslie’s companion
to the door was not re-assuring. Her heart sank at the very thought
until her first agitation had passed. She had recollected that, masked,
Miss Dean might not have recognized Leslie. Leslie had promised not to
talk. She and Marjorie were as strangers to each other; had been for
some time. Doris could only marvel at the queer twist of fortune which
had brought Leslie and Marjorie together. According to Leslie’s accounts
the two were bitter enemies. Masked, they had paraded up the gymnasium
together on apparently congenial terms.
This latest thought completely re-assured Doris. Of course they had not
recognized each other! Knowingly, neither would have gone a step with
the other. Leslie had undoubtedly managed to free herself from her
partner before reaching the door. Directly after the unmasking Doris had
skipped a dance purposely to make a careful search on the floor for
Leslie. Leslie had disappeared, completely and satisfactorily.
Doris had not said to Julia Peyton whether or not she would meet her at
the big green campus bench near the west entrance. She changed her mind
about going half a dozen times before five o’clock came. She had
expected to hear from Leslie on the telephone through the day. No call
from Leslie came until a quarter to five that afternoon. The message was
a fairly polite invitation from Leslie to drive to Orchard Inn to
dinner. She agreed to meet Doris on Hamilton Pike in front of the
central campus gates.
Since she had come downstairs to answer the telephone Doris decided to
walk over to the campus bench and learn what Julia had to say about
Leslie. She was to meet Leslie at half past five. She would not spend
more than ten or fifteen minutes in Julia’s company. Since the romp was
over, and nothing of mishap had occurred to Leslie on the frolicsome
occasion, Doris was not inclined to borrow trouble over whatever Julia
might have to say of Leslie.
“I’m glad you came.” Julia rolled her black eyes at Doris in an
expression of spiteful satisfaction. “You must have _some_ idea of what
I have to say, after what happened last night.”
“I didn’t intend to come. I happened to be downstairs, so I changed my
mind about meeting you. I do not know what you mean by saying ‘after
what happened last night.’ How can I possibly know what you are going to
say?” Doris asked the question with a suspicion of sarcasm in her tone.
“Are you pretending you don’t know what happened?” Julia asked
offendedly. “Weren’t you on the floor most of the time before the
unmasking?”
“Yes, but I saw nothing happen, either remarkable or dreadful. You told
me this morning you had something to say to me about Miss Cairns.
Whatever happened last night has nothing to do with her,” Doris said
coldly.
“I don’t understand you at all, Doris,” Julia cried resentfully. “Didn’t
you know that Miss Cairns tripped Miss Dean and me last night while we
were dancing, and that we both fell?”
Doris shook her head in blank amazement. “I did not know,” she said very
positively. “When did that happen? I went outdoors for a few minutes
about two numbers before unmasking time. Was it then, I wonder?”
“Maybe it was. You admit then that Miss Cairns was in the gym,” was the
triumphant return.
“I admit nothing.” Doris managed to keep up her cold composure. Anger
gleamed in her green eyes.
“She was there, even if you won’t admit it. She behaved like a boor to
me. She crashed into us like a locomotive and poked a miserable umbrella
she carried squarely between our feet. How could we help but fall? I
simply said I thought it wasn’t best for her to carry such a large
umbrella on the dancing floor. You should have heard the insulting
things she said to me, and to Miss Dean. She was in a terrible rage. I
had all I could do to keep my temper.” Julia endeavored to look very
superior.
Doris did not make the mistake of uttering a word. She purposed to hear
Julia out before speaking. The sophomore was more than satisfied to be
allowed to do all the talking.
“I knew it was Miss Cairns by her voice. I was _so_ shocked. After she
had abused us both she swaggered off down the room. Then my partner told
me that she was Miss Dean. I was _so_ surprised. She said we had best
not tell anyone just then that Miss Cairns was on the floor—the best way
to do was not to mention names, but to order her out of the gym quietly.
She did that very thing herself. Just before the unmasking I saw Miss
Dean walking Miss Cairns up the gym and to the vestibule door. In two or
three minutes Miss Dean came back alone.” Julia gave out this
information with malicious relish. “But that’s not _all_ Miss Dean did.
She played a trick on the whole college which I think very ignoble.” She
paused to note the effect on Doris of this remarkable news.
“Go on,” Doris commanded with bored amusement. “Your tale of the Rustic
Mask is growing interesting.”
“You may find it more so.” A dull angry red overspread Julia’s
pasty-white complexion. “I haven’t come to your part in it yet.”
“No?” Doris smilingly tilted her golden head and raised polite brows.
“Miss Dean acted entirely against the traditions of Hamilton,” she
continued sullenly. “She went straight to Jane Everest, who was detailed
to blow the whistle for unmasking and asked her not to blow it until
she, Miss Dean, gave her the signal. She told Jane why, too. She had
asked _me_ not to say a word to a soul about Miss Cairns.”
“How do you happen to know all this?” Doris asked in a quick sharp tone.
“I was with Miss Dean. I—er—I didn’t—I couldn’t get away from her just
then. So I heard the whole thing.” Julia floundered briefly, but ended
in triumph.
“What did Miss Everest say?”
“She said she would wait to blow it. I was so disgusted with them both
for their disloyalty to tradition I simply turned and left them. You
know, Doris, that Miss Dean had no business to ask Jane Everest to
disobey the order of the senior dance committee. They had set the time
for unmasking. It was very dishonorable for her to try to shield an
expelled student who had taken advantage of the masquerade to trick her
way into the gym. Miss Cairns couldn’t possibly ever again have hoped to
take part in a college frolic after the way she left Hamilton. She was
considered utterly lawless by the Board, Prexy and the faculty. I’ve
heard _volumes_ against her since I came to Hamilton.
“Miss Dean knows more against Miss Cairns, so I’ve been told, than any
other student at Hamilton. She and Miss Cairns were rivals for
popularity while Miss Cairns was on the campus. They used to play all
sorts of dishonorable tricks upon each other, I suspect,” Julia eyed
Doris darkly, “that Miss Dean didn’t have the—the—courage to expose Miss
Cairns. It would take a person of very high principle to expose Miss
Cairns openly on the floor of the gym, as she should have been exposed.
I hope, for _your_ sake, Miss Dean won’t tell her pals about it. If she
does, it will soon be campus gossip.”
“Why for my sake?” Doris still refused to be included in Julia’s
implications.
“It’s sweet in you to try to protect Miss Cairns, Doris, I honor you for
it.” Julia said, her reply reeking acidity. “But you can’t deceive me. I
know the farmer with the striped umbrella was Miss Cairns. I saw you go
through the grand march and dance the first dance with her. I knew you
by your walk and I came up close to you on purpose and took a good look
at you to make sure. I know your emerald ring and I saw some of your
hair fluffing out from under your hat.”
“I went through the grand march and danced the first number with a
rustic swain,” Doris stated with deliberate coldness. “I did not see my
partner’s face. Did you?”
“That’s not the point,” Julia evaded, stung to exasperation by her
classmate’s cool reception of her revelation. “What I came here
_specially_ to tell you is that you had better not be seen going around
with Miss Cairns. This story will travel, I feel sure. You’ll be
severely criticized and dropped by most of the students. Even your good
looks won’t save you. It was very inconsiderate and selfish of Miss
Cairns to put you in such a risky position. She is certainly not your
friend. The crowd last night was frisky. If the girls had had the least
idea of whom she was they would have ripped off her mask, hooted her
from the gym and maybe the campus. How would you have felt then?”
“I only know the way I feel now. I don’t like you, Miss Peyton, and I
never have.” Doris chose to be drastically candid. “If a story such as
you have just told me should go the round of the campus, I should not
blame Miss Dean or Miss Everest for having started it. I should blame
you. I intend to be silent. Let me give you a piece of advice. You had
best be silent, too, about what you _believe_ you know against Miss
Cairns.”
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