A NEW ANGLE
There was no time to repeat to Trixy the story Jack had told Gloria,
but the “high spots” could not be suppressed even temporarily so Gloria
repeatedly told those on her way to the village.
“And that explains the riders’ mystery,” she commented. “You see this
treasure business is supposed to be hidden in some wild mountain place.”
“It is so like the usual silly yarn, with the prospect of some similar
spectacular and impossible ending,” replied Trixy, “that really, Glo, I
could hardly work up interest in it. Can you?”
“Of course not,” agreed Gloria promptly, “I’m not interested in the
treasure hunt, but in Jack’s predicament. She’s a real little brick,
Trixy. You should hear her stand up for this queer installment plan
mother. I hope the ogress won’t eat me up over the wire.”
“Doesn’t the treasure hunt sound a little like the Pirate’s Daughter?”
Trixy said, quizzically.
“Oh, I thought of that, and made more than one leading remark in its
direction,” admitted Gloria, “but I couldn’t catch even a glimmer of
suspicion. Not that I would disturb Jack about it now, but I can’t help
wanting to know who bestowed the black necklace upon me. I almost took
the token in to our village jeweler for his opinion yesterday. But that
must all wait now. Don’t you really feel sorry for proud, high-strung
Jack, Trix? I think I would feel exactly like her if I had to hide the
weakness of some one I loved. I couldn’t let others see it to scoff.”
The black eyes threw out threatening gleams and vouched promptly for
the girl’s loyalty to a friend in need.
“Yes, it is hard for Jack to manage that sort of person. I would rather
do most anything than try to cover up relatives’ shortcomings. They
always crop out and spoil everything at the critical time,” said Trixy.
“Yes.” Gloria paused reflectively. Her father was a gentleman,
always, Aunt Harriet, Hazel’s mother was old fashioned but naturally
polite, even Jane, though no relative and really only a nurse, was
instinctively considerate. “Yes, it must be humiliating for a girl to
have to fight vulgarity,” Gloria concluded.
“And you know, Trix,” she continued, “Jack just jokes about her money.
Says it is all done up in little prize packages so that she can use a
week’s or month’s supply without counting it. Isn’t that like Jack?”
“Exactly. But here we are. I’ll wait for you at the soda counter. I
want the joy of a soda undisturbed. I may have another with you while
you swallow your favorite lime.”
“Oh, there’s Blanche, and Edna,” Gloria grumbled, catching sight of a
group of girls within the store.
“And worse yet, there’s Jean. However did they all get out here so
early?”
“Working hard on the essay, I suppose, so they came in early in order
to have a long evening. Are you going in for it, Trix?”
“No, I’m too old and grown-up for prize essays,” laughed Trix. “But I
hope you’ll win out. Of course you know that, Lambikins.”
“I want to, for dad’s sake,” replied Gloria evenly, “and I really do
love the subject. It’s no trouble at all to write it.”
“I imagine you would love it. Now slip into the phone while I flag the
others. Don’t get excited and don’t make any rash promises.”
Ten minutes later Gloria emerged from the booth, her cheeks aflame and
her eyes shining.
“Whew!” she whispered to Trixy. “That was some message. I’m not sure I
succeeded in allaying Mrs. Corday’s fears for Jack. Somehow she already
had the news.”
“Want a soda? You look puffed out,” commented Trixy, beckoning the
clerk. “Take your time, Glo, the others have all gone. Just as you
suspected, they are in for the prize. It seems Jean’s mother is a
Daughter of the Wars, and the Daughters, it also seems, are interested
in the success of the contest. And harken! If you win the prize you may
have cash or the especially struck off medal. You should have heard
what the girls are going to buy for the cash consideration,” Trixy
enjoyed the joke.
“I suppose so,” Gloria was fanning with the soda list and still
panting. Presently she said, “Trixy, there is something queer about
Jack’s Steppy. I don’t wonder Jack wants to keep her away from carping
critics. She got so excited I thought she would short circuit the
system.”
Trixy laughed. “Then you are not sure you have forestalled her coming?”
“No, I’m not.”
“It wouldn’t do Jack any good to worry about her just now. The doctor
told Miss Taylor that Jack was suffering from what is termed an
athletic heart, and she must be kept quiet. He really insinuated her
condition could easily become critical.”
Gloria sipped her soda thoughtfully. She was still flushed and
uncomfortable.
“But if she insists upon coming? There is no doubt of it she thinks the
world of our Jack, and who can blame her for wanting a glimpse of the
girl? What a shame she had to get the worst end of the news.”
“Cheer up! Here’s a letter, if you are calm enough to read it. Go right
ahead, I have one I’ll re-read. It’s from dad. Yours has a favorite
post mark, I noticed,” said Trixy.
“From Jane. Dear old Jane!” exclaimed Gloria. “I’d just love to see
her. Have I time to read this? I’ll just glance through it----”
“Do.” The business letter head was again drawn from the business
envelope and Trixy smiled over every word as she re-read.
Gloria’s face lit up like a blaze.
“Oh, she’s coming! Jane is coming down to see me! Isn’t that delicious!
Janie, the calico lady! The only woman on earth who can wear a tight
bonnet, strings under her chin and look pretty! She does. Trixy, I can
just see her landing in Altmount. I hope she comes at recreation so
every one sees her----”
Gloria was fairly dancing. Trixy had paid the check and they were ready
to leave. The prim young lady clerk was smiling broadly.
“No danger of you wanting to hide your near-mother,” remarked Trixy.
“Perhaps Jack is too sensitive. Why should she so fear to have the
girls see the woman?”
This was said as they struck the homeward stride. “Well, you see,
Trix,” replied Gloria, “she has some little kink in her mentality, and
Jack says she knows she would blurt out the family history, unabridged,
first thing.”
“Oh,” an emphatic pause drew out the single syllable until it included
a quizzical sentence.
“You see, with Jack’s money,” Gloria quickly defended. But that didn’t
explain the fear of publishing the family history. “Really,” she began
again lamely, “you would think her fortune was a joke. The way she
speaks of it. I wouldn’t wonder but she’ll do some huge thing just to
show the girls how mistaken they have been. But that isn’t half as
interesting as the coming of Jane!” Trixy’s arm stood the battery of a
powerful love squeeze just then.
“How is she coming?”
“Didn’t say, but I hope by auto. I wouldn’t know when to meet her. And
let’s hurry, Trix. I’ll have to work until all hours to have a little
time off tomorrow.” They both quickened the already lively pace. “And
of course,” Gloria rattled on, “I’ll have to tell Jack---- Dear me! What
shall I tell her?”
“The best yarn you can fix up. Remember that sick people sometimes need
poison in medicine and--shall I say good healthy falsehoods are the
same sort of mental antidote?”
“I see. Of course, I’ll try to make her mind easy. But you know, Trix,
I couldn’t get the woman to say she would wait to hear when Jack might
have a free day. She talked so much, so fast, so loud! My ears still
tingle.”
“Just tell Jack you fixed it all right----”
“And then set Sam to watch the trains! Trix, if she ever comes what
will happen to my essay? I have to retype it tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry, lamb, perhaps she won’t come. I’d offer to watch for her
and corral her, if necessary, but I have a test, in physics at that,
and I’ve been plugging for nights on the stuff, but somehow I don’t get
the big idea.”
“How about Mary? Suppose we could make her understand? Oh, but that
wouldn’t do either,” Gloria hastened to correct. “I promised Jack to
tell no one but you. She mentioned Mary’s name but did not include her.”
They were climbing the second hill in Altmount grounds, and the evening
was in quite a hurry to finish up its duties, for already shadows were
plunging into Night’s canopy.
“I hope poor Jack is asleep,” remarked Gloria. She showed real
agitation now, as her task became more complicated.
“She may be asleep, for medicines often have that sort of secondary
action. Glo, love, I’m glad I’m here now. It has been rather stupid
after the wildly lovely times we had together out in the reckless
world,” she explained more fully, with a charming but most unworldly
manner characteristic of the real unspoiled girl, “and now,” she
continued, “you the little old reliable _you_ that has bewitched
me, have precipitated the most alluring episode of all, including
pirate’s daughter, hiding gem laden trunks, losing guilty blood stones
and surreptitiously rewarding the poor but honest finder with a black
jade necklace. Naturally, we’re afraid the necklace is hoodooed, but
I’m going to borrow it some day and find out.”
“Glad I was able to inject a little variety into the solitude,”
murmured Gloria, “but as far as I am personally concerned, I’d like to
thin it out right now. I didn’t count on irate stepmothers shocking
snobby school girls into fear of social contamination. There! see how
my English has improved?”
“Marvelously! You’ll surely win that prize----”
“And Jack is trying----”
“I know. I’ve been helping her a little----”
“Oh.”
“You don’t mind, Glo? I wouldn’t help her against you. But she’s
pitifully weak on spelling, for instance. It’s a strange thing that
she should be so low in grade if she has always been--in such affluent
circumstances.”
“Yes. I don’t think it’s gossipy to remark on her lack of many things
that usually come with money,” said Gloria wisely. “All of which would
point to sudden wealth.”
“Or, perhaps, to some circumstance not compatible with wealth.
Sometimes a big mill manager may really be rich and yet have to live in
a horrible district,” reasoned Trixy. Her own father was a manufacturer
and a magnate, but their home in Sandford was the show place of the
town. Yet Beatrix Travers was well versed in such limitations.
“I don’t believe it is that,” said Gloria. “It appears to me----”
“Oh, naturally it must fit in with all the other thrilling details.”
They were in the hallway, but no one seemed to be about. “Just as
we thought they are--plugging,” smiled Trixy. “I’ll make a sign for
our door while I wait for you. They might just come down on us for
curiosity’s sake.”
Gloria tossed back a smile as she took the other corridor. In spite
of her confidence with Trixy there was always a subtle something she
could not find words to express. She knew, instinctively, that Jack had
hidden more than she had divulged, she also knew that the sensitiveness
could not account for such alarm as Jack had betrayed, therefore there
was something definite Jack was bound to hide from her companions.
This line of reasoning was suddenly interrupted by Mary Mears almost
colliding with Gloria on the turn near Jack’s door.
“Oh!” both exclaimed.
“She’s asleep,” said Mary. “Did you get her mother on the wire?”
“Yes,” murmured Gloria surprised that Mary should ask.
“Is she--satisfied to wait--until Jack is stronger?”
“I think so----”
“She was--excited?”
“Mary,” whispered Gloria, drawing the girl into a nearby alcove. “Did
Jack--tell you?”
“Yes and no,” said Mary frankly. “But Gloria, I know something of
Jack’s anxiety and you need not fear you are divulging confidence. In
fact, it is really more important for me to know if Mrs. Corday is
coming here than it is for Jack.”
“For you to know?” repeated Gloria, incredulously.
“Yes,” said Mary decisively. “And if you know whether or not she is
coming, Gloria, can’t you trust me far enough to let me know?” The
voice and manner were subtly ingratiating.
“Certainly, Mary,” promised Gloria, and the next moment she was in her
own room holding her confused head in two unwilling hands.
“The waters gather,” she groaned to Trixy.
“They rush along,” finished the girl under the yellow lamp shade.