AN UNINTENTIONAL LISTENER
"Delightful young person," commented Emma dryly, as the resounding slam
of the door echoed through the room.
Grace walked slowly over to the chair which she had been occupying when
Evelyn had made her tempestuous entrance, and sat down. There was a
brief silence, then, "Do you suppose Miss Wilder will send Evelyn home?"
"Grace, you aren't going to try to intercede for that hateful girl after
this," Emma's tones quivered with vexation.
"I don't know. I suppose it wouldn't be of much use. Miss Wilder won't
tolerate out and out disobedience. I--yes, Emma, I'm going to see if I
can save her. I'm going now."
Grace sprang from her chair and began slipping into her wraps.
Emma eyed her moodily, struggling between approval and disapproval, but
saying nothing.
"Good-bye, dear," called Grace over her shoulder as she hurried out the
door. "I'm afraid I'll be late for dinner. Don't wait for me."
Outside the house she paused, glanced toward Overton Hall, then set off
in the opposite direction toward Miss Wilder's home.
"I hope she's at home," was Grace's anxious thought as she rang the
bell.
"Miss Wilder's in the library, miss. I'll call her," informed the maid.
"Come in. It's Miss Harlowe wants to see her, isn't it?"
"Yes," Grace smiled in pleasant appreciation of the maid's remembrance
of her.
"Good evening, Miss Harlowe." Miss Wilder rose to greet her unexpected
visitor and offered her a chair.
Grace returned the greeting, then seated herself directly opposite the
dean.
"Miss Wilder, I came to see you," she burst forth, "to ask you if there
is--if you could give Miss Ward another chance. She came to me to-night
and said that she was to be sent home for what happened last Saturday. I
am sorry that she has put herself in such an unpleasant position, but I
am more sorry still for her sister, who has made so many sacrifices to
give her a college education. I never told you much about Miss Ward,
Miss Wilder. Let me tell you now."
Miss Wilder listened attentively to Grace's eager outpouring.
"Miss Ward's case has not yet been settled," she said slowly. "It rests
with me whether she shall remain at Overton. I will think over what you
have told me. I am not prepared to give you an answer now. Come to my
office at four o'clock to-morrow afternoon and bring Miss Ward with
you."
"Thank you, Miss Wilder. Good night."
Feeling that there was nothing more to be said, Grace rose and held out
her hand to the dean. The older woman took the hand in both of hers and
looked deep into Grace's honest eyes.
"You are a true house mother," she said gently. "I know something of how
greatly Miss Ward has tried your patience, and if I do decide to give
her an opportunity to begin over again it will be largely because you
have asked me."
When Grace let herself into Harlowe House a little later a hasty glance
into the dining-room revealed the fact that dinner was over. "I'll come
down and get mine after awhile," she decided, and ran upstairs to her
own room.
"Well?" inquired Emma as Grace entered.
"Pretty well," retorted Grace. "I won't know positively until to-morrow.
Is Miss Ward in her room?"
"She is," stated Emma, "and, judging from the sounds, packing is in full
swing. I have heard her trunk lid banging frequently and wickedly, and
she is opening and shutting the drawers of her chiffonier in an anything
but gentle manner."
"I must see her," declared Grace.
"Then prepare to be greeted with an icy blast," predicted Emma.
The next moment found Grace knocking on Evelyn's door.
There was a rush of steps, the door was flung open and Evelyn faced her,
white and defiant.
"Miss Wilder wishes you to be in her office at four o'clock to-morrow
afternoon. It will be to your interest to do as she requests," stated
Grace briefly. Without giving Evelyn an opportunity for speech she
turned and walked down the hall to her room.
"Back so soon and no bones broken," commented Emma.
Grace laughed a little in spite of herself. "Really, Emma, this is a
serious matter," she declared. "I'm not at all sure that Miss Wilder
will give Miss Ward another chance."
"Don't think about it and she will. Worry over it and you'll defeat your
own hope. Think about your dinner instead. It's downstairs keeping hot
for you. I'll go down with you and entertain you while you eat. I have a
letter from Elfreda which I've been keeping as a surprise. There is
something in it that you will be glad to know."
The "something" was Elfreda's announcement that Miriam had invited her
to go to Oakdale for the Easter holidays.
"That settles it, Emma, you simply must come home with me!" exclaimed
Grace. "You know you delight in J. Elfreda."
"I do, I do," solemnly agreed Emma. "I'll think it over, Gracious, and
if my finances can be stretched to cover my railroad fare I'll be 'wid
yez.' But who will look after the Harlowites if I fold my tents like the
Arabs and set sail for Oakdale?"
"I don't know yet. Louise Sampson, perhaps. She is so capable and the
girls not only like her but respect her as well. I must talk with her
first. She may not wish to assume the responsibility. Then again she may
have other Easter plans. We shall manage, somehow, to arrange things
satisfactorily."
Louise Sampson had no definite Easter plans, so she said, when Grace
broached the subject to her the following day. With never-failing
good-nature she readily agreed to take charge of Harlowe House during
the absence of Grace and Emma, provided Grace felt confident that she
was able to measure up to her responsibility.
"I'm so thankful that's arranged," sighed Grace as Louise left her
office after luncheon to return to her classes. "I wish some other
things could be as easily disposed of."
As she dressed that afternoon to go to Miss Wilder's office she was far
from joyous. She disliked the idea of meeting Evelyn in the dean's
office. She was confident that Miss Wilder would state frankly to Evelyn
why she had been spared.
Her conjecture was only too well grounded. When Evelyn appeared in the
dean's office at precisely four o'clock, half anxious, half defiant,
Miss Wilder read her a lecture, the cutting severity of which caused
Evelyn to flush and pale with humiliation and anger. "Remember, Miss
Ward," she emphasized, "it is solely due to Miss Harlowe's intercession
in your behalf that I have decided to allow you to remain at Overton."
"Oh, dear, I hope she isn't going to make Evelyn apologize to me," was
Grace's thought. "Why did Miss Wilder ask me to come here to-day?"
As if in answer to her unspoken question, Miss Wilder went on to say,
"Miss Harlowe came to me last night and asked me not to send you home. I
requested her to be present to-day to hear what I wished to say to you.
I trust, Miss Ward, that, hereafter, you will see fit to observe the
rules of Overton College and live up to them, as a second infringement
of this nature will mean instant dismissal from Overton. That is all, I
believe."
Thus dismissed Evelyn left the room without a word.
Grace lingered for a moment's conversation with Miss Wilder, then left
the office and started across the campus for Harlowe House. Half way
there she glanced at her watch. It was not yet five o'clock. She would
have time to do a little shopping before dinner. Turning her steps in
the opposite direction she was soon hurrying along Overton's main
business thoroughfare.
It was ten minutes to six when, her shopping done, she came within sight
of Harlowe House. She wondered if Evelyn were at home. Of late she had
been more intimate than ever with Althea Parker. As Grace walked into
the house and slowly up the stairs the pale face of Ida Ward rose before
her. She was glad that she had been able to avert the disastrous
consequences of Evelyn's disobedience so that Evelyn alone should
suffer.
Entering her room she took off her wraps and began rearranging her hair
preparatory to going downstairs to dinner. The sound of footsteps in the
hall, the opening of Evelyn's door, then Evelyn's voice declaring
excitedly, "You can do it if you want to," caused Grace to lay down her
brush and involuntarily listen for a reply.
It came, and in Mary Reynolds' distressed tones. "Oh, really, I
couldn't, Evelyn. Please, please don't ask me."
"You must," Evelyn's command broke forth sharply.
"I won't," Mary refusal gathered strength. "You have no right to ask me
and I have no right to do it."
"Then you are not my friend if you don't do as I ask," flung back
Evelyn, "and I shall never speak to you again. Please go away and don't
ever come to this room again."
"I am your friend," quivered Mary, "that's why I refuse to do something
which will surely make trouble for you."
"How can it make trouble for me?" demanded Evelyn. "You know as well as
I--"
But Grace, coming to a sudden realization that she was listening to
something not intended for her ears, sprang from her seat before her
dressing-table and went downstairs, wondering not a little what it all
meant.