A TROUBLED HEART.
“What is the matter, Doris?” asked Zona, as the path at length brought
them through the woods and in sight of Lakeside Academy.
Doris shook her head and swallowed down a choking lump in her throat.
“Nothing,” she answered.
In a moment Zona’s arm was about her.
“Tell me,” she urged. “I am your friend. What was it Chester said to
you? I could hear but little of it.”
“He said enough to prove conclusively that he is no gentleman!” declared
the troubled girl.
“Oh! I am sure you’re wrong about that. He is naturally a gentleman,
Doris. If he told you anything, he told it because he believed you
should know.”
“But it isn’t true—it can’t be true. Dick wouldn’t say such things to
his best friends. I will never believe the academy boys are talking such
gossip.”
Again Zona urged her companion to tell, and Doris finally consented.
With her cheeks burning, she repeated what Chester Arlington had said.
“What do you think of that, Zona?” she demanded.
The girl with the yellow hair turned her face away.
“I—don’t—know,” she murmured, finding it difficult to reply.
“You don’t know,” cried the other, grasping her arm. “Why, you don’t
believe the boys are saying such things, do you?”
Suddenly, with a burst of absolute frankness, Zona turned toward her
friend:
“Do you want me to tell you the actual truth?” she asked. “Perhaps it
will be the best thing I can do. It will be better for you, better for
Hal, better for Dick, better for every one.”
Although her heart was seized with apprehension, Doris urged Zona to
speak.
“To begin with,” said Zona, “you know it’s true that your father and
Hal’s, who have always been true friends, agreed long ago to make a
match between you, if possible.”
“I know that,” murmured Doris. “And that’s the very thing I have
resented most. As if we had no minds of our own. In France they make
such matches, I believe, but not in this country. Any girl with the
least spirit would resent it. It’s the very thing to make a girl detest
a fellow.”
“But you don’t detest Hal?”
“Well, I thought I did. But for this foolish agreement between our
parents I might have liked him very well.”
“Of course you would; you couldn’t help it. He’s a splendid fellow, and
he’s done everything for you. All the girls like him, but as soon as you
gave him the shake, he would have nothing to do with any of them.”
“I wish he would,” passionately exclaimed Doris. “I’d like him better
myself if he would!”
“No doubt of that,” smiled Zona, showing her fine teeth. “At the same
time down in your heart you know you like him very well as it is. You
have given him the cold shoulder simply because you were provoked over
that agreement, and because Dick Merriwell happened to be convenient as
a friend. Hal has been too earnest in his attentions, Doris.”
“Not of late. He despises me now.”
“Don’t think that! He is paying you back in your own coin, that’s all.”
“But this has nothing to do with the gossip Chester Arlington spoke of.
How does this prove Dick said he was sorry he had ever become so
friendly? I know he is not the boy to boast that he cut Hal out.”
“If there was no such gossip, Doris, how did Chester know about it? You
say you want me to tell you the truth? Well, I will, even though you get
angry with me. I have heard such talk myself.”
“You?” breathed Doris, as she started away and stared at her companion,
her hands clinched. “You, Zona?”
“Yes,” nodded Zona grimly. “Why, it is the most natural thing in the
world. Dick has his friends and confidants, and he is liable to trust
them with his secrets and tell them his thoughts. You know girls have to
talk; they can’t help it. They have their little secrets, and it often
happens these secrets are betrayed by the ones they trust. Brad Buckhart
is Dick’s closest friend. Why shouldn’t he talk things over with Brad?
It’s perfectly natural. Brad might tell some one else, and in that way
it could leak out. If there was no foundation of the truth in it you may
think it never happened.”
“But I can’t—I can’t believe it!” murmured the distressed girl. “I shall
go to him and ask him about it myself.”
Zona shook her head.
“You will do nothing of the sort,” she asserted.
“Why not?”
“You have too much pride.”
“Pride?”
“Yes. You know you can’t face Dick and ask him about it. What would he
think of you? He would fancy you were running after him, and I am sure
you don’t want him to believe that.”
“No, no!” panted Doris.
“Now, be reasonable, dear. When you think it over you know well enough
that you like Hal Darrell as well as you do Dick. It is only because you
were proud and spirited that you gave him the cold shoulder. At the same
time you must see that Dick likes June Arlington. Of course, it is
nothing but friendship, but it is friendship of a sort that means
something. Many a time you have told me how much Dick has done for
Chester. Why should he do all those things? Wasn’t it for the sake of
June, and not for Chester? You’re not the girl to run after any fellow.
You know a fellow gets tired of a girl who chases after him.”
“Oh, I decided long ago that Dick and I could never be anything but
ordinary friends.”
“Then let him see it—let him understand it.”
“How?”
“That’s easy. Suppose you receive attentions from Hal? That will open
his eyes. He will understand what you mean quick enough. At the same
time, if he still likes you more than he does June, it will bring him
round pretty quick.”
“I don’t want to bring him round. If he bothered me I’d soon show him
that I didn’t want his attentions.”
“Well,” laughed Zona, “at least you would have the satisfaction of doing
that. If he didn’t come round you would know beyond question that he
liked June better.”
“Oh, I don’t know what to do!” cried Doris. “I am just as miserable and
wretched as I can be. It seems to me that every one is false and
treacherous.”
“Not every one, dear,” murmured Zona, again clasping her friend. “You
know you can trust me.”
Doris began to quiver:
“I—I—believe I—must cry!”
She could not keep back the tears of vexation and injured pride which
welled from her eyes.
When the two girls reached the academy and were met by others who
inquired about the game, Zona explained how Fardale had lost, and
declared that both she and Doris had felt so badly over it they came
near “crying their eyes out.”
Alone in her room, Doris gave way to her feelings, and the result of
that “good cry” relieved the strain on her nerves so that she felt much
better after it. Still she continued to think with perplexity and
vexation of what Chester Arlington had told her.
Shortly after sunset, with the dusk of evening coming on, a carriage
stopped before the academy, and June Arlington ran up the steps. She
found Doris and Zona together in their room.
“Oh, girls!” she exclaimed. “I have a splendid plan! Mother has agreed
to it, and I think it will be just fine! I am going to have the members
of the baseball team and a few others at my house this evening, and I
want you to come. I am going to invite several of the girls here, and we
will have a jolly time. You know the boys feel so badly over that game
that I think we ought to cheer them up. Now, what girls shall we
invite?”
“That’s splendid!” laughed Zona. “Why, it’s almost an impromptu party! I
wonder if we can obtain leave to go, Doris?”
“I think I can fix that,” said June. “I will see Miss Tartington about
it myself. I don’t believe she will object.”
June and Zona eagerly talked over the plans, deciding on the girls to be
invited. Doris took little part in this, which June finally noticed.
“What’s the matter?” she questioned.
“Oh, she was just about heartbroken over that game,” quickly explained
Zona. “She can’t seem to forget it.”
“Nor I,” confessed June. “And I think I should feel worse than any one,
for my brother pitched. We will make you forget it to-night, Doris.”
“I am not feeling well,” said Doris. “I—I don’t know as I can go.”
“Oh, goodness! What nonsense! Of course you will come. Why, we couldn’t
get along without you.”
“Of course you will!” Zona joined in.
Suddenly through Doris’ mind flashed the thought:
“It is my opportunity to show him I don’t care.”
Immediately she said:
“Well, June, if Miss Tartington gives permission I will come.”