CHAPTER IX
Reprisals
It was immediately after this that Peachy, who was always doingimprudent things and running risks, went a little too far and caught asevere chill. She was moved into the sanatorium, a room at the top ofthe house, and spent three quite happy days in bed, reading books andmagazines, and drinking hot lemonade, which was Miss Rodgers' favoriteremedy for a cold. When she was certified as free from any infection, afew of her special chums were allowed to visit her. She petitionedspecially for Jess, Delia, and Irene. They found her propped up withpillows, and looking very charming in a pale pink dressing-jacket andher hair tied back with a broad ribbon.
"Thanks very much. I'm sitting up and taking nourishment," she grinned,in reply to their commiserations. "I'm going to have some more funbefore I pop off! Joking apart, I've had the time of my life here. It'sbeen blissful just reading and resting, with a big jug of lemonade at myelbow."
"We've been talking about you downstairs. Didn't your ears burn?" askedJess.
"Not more than usual. What were you saying about poor little me?"
"We had a special meeting of the Camellia Buds, and passed a vote ofsympathy, for one thing. I suppose I ought to 'convey' it to you in theorthodox fashion."
"Highly gratified, I'm sure," chirped Peachy. "How do I return thanks,please? I can't get up in bed and bow. What next?"
"Well, the next is that nobody can think of anything original for theTransition to do at the carnival, and everybody said 'Ask Peachy,' sowe've come to you for a suggestion."
"Whew! That's a big order," groaned the invalid. "We've had almost everykind of stunt that's practically possible. What are the seniors gettingup this time?"
"Something musical, to judge from the practicing we hear. It sounds likeoperetta. And the juniors are having a fairy play. Miss Morgan isteaching them. What we want is something utterly and entirelydifferent."
"Exactly!" agreed Peachy, taking a drink of lemonade.
"If you don't have a brain-throb we shall have to descend to an ordinaryconcert."
"Or a scene from Shakespeare."
"Or a _tableau vivant_."
"And those have been done simply dozens of times."
"I know," frowned Peachy. "We had 'The Trial Scene' from _The Merchantof Venice_ ourselves last carnival. We couldn't give the same stuntagain. Oh, don't bother me! Let me think. How can I get ideas whenyou're all talking at once?"
Peachy put her fingers in her ears and buried her head temporarily inthe pillow, from which she appeared to draw inspiration, for in a fewmoments she sprang up with a bounce of rapture.
"Got it!" she announced cheerily. "Let's do a toy-shop. You shall all bedressed up as toy animals and be wound up to work. Oh, I see ever suchpossibilities. The seniors never had _that_ at any rate."
"Good!"
"It sounds prime!"
"What a mascot you are."
"Don't breathe a word outside the form," warned Peachy. "I'll plan itall out and we'll have a rehearsal when I'm downstairs again. I guesswe'll give them a surprise. Hand me my writing-pad, somebody, and apencil. I want to get busy sketching costumes. I can see the whole thingin my mind's eye and it ought to be great."
Every year in the month of March the pupils at the Villa Camelliacelebrated a carnival of their own. It coincided with a local festivalat Fossato, on which occasion the inhabitants were wont to make merry,dressing themselves in fantastic costumes, parading the streets, andletting off fireworks. Originally the girls had been taken to see thegay doings, but the town was often so rough that Miss Rodgers haddecided it was an unsuitable entertainment for young ladies, and, toprevent disappointment, made the happy suggestion that they should keepthe festival in their own grounds. So each spring the three divisions ofthe school vied with one another in producing some fresh surprise, andhad a very interesting and amusing afternoon in the garden or gymnasium,and were too busily occupied to feel any regret at being deprived of thesight of what was going on in Fossato.
Canon and Mrs. Clark and a few of Miss Rodgers' and Miss Morley'sfriends, who lived in the neighborhood, were generally invited to swellthe audience of teachers. The juniors were given a little assistance bytheir form mistresses, but the seniors and the Transition managed theirown affairs. Now it was a most unfortunate circumstance that at presentthe two sororities in the Transition were in direct opposition. Eachwas, of course, aware of the other's existence, but each society keptits own secrets. The Camellia Buds did not even know the name of theirrival, though they could guess at its list of members. Peachy, recoveredfrom her cold, came downstairs bubbling over with plans for a duecelebration of the festival. She submitted them gleefully to theassembled girls, after French class. Much to her surprise about half ofthe form demurred.
"We're going to do something of our own," announced Bertha airily. "Wedon't want your stunt."
"Of our own? What d'you mean?" asked Peachy, her gray eyes snapping.
"I mean what I say. Some of us have arranged a little privateperformance--we're going to keep it to ourselves."
"And leave out the rest of us?"
"You can have one of your own."
"Well, I like that!" flamed Peachy. "You're dividing the form into twostunts. We've never done that before. Besides, who sent up a messageasking me to think of something fresh and original? I certainlyunderstood it was from _all_ of you."
Peachy, in huge indignation, glared into several conscious and guiltyfaces, while her allies backed up her arguments by cries of "Shame!"Bertha turned rather red but bluffed the matter out.
"We changed our minds. We can't always do everything all in a lump. As Isaid before, we've got our own stunt, and you Camellia Buds can haveyours."
Camellia Buds! If Bertha had dropped a bomb in the classroom she couldnot have caused greater consternation among the opposition. So the rivalsociety knew the name of their sorority. A suppressed "O-o-h!" arosehere and there. Evidently much enjoying their confusion Bertha and herconfederates retired, leaving the poor Camellia Buds to hold anindignation meeting. Everybody talked at once.
"How did they find out?"
"Has anybody sneaked?"
"It's the absolute limit!"
"I couldn't have believed it!"
"It gives me spasms!"
"Of all mean things!"
"It makes me tingle!"
Then Jess, who was practical, made a suggestion.
"I vote we take an oath of every member that she hasn't betrayed us."
"'O wise young judge!'" quoted Agnes. "That's the best thing anybody'ssaid yet. Let's stand round in a row and swear 'Honest Injun.'"
If the Camellia Buds sustained doubts of one another's integrity thesewere absolutely dispelled by the fervency with which each pleaded herinnocence.
"Somebody must have been eavesdropping at one of our meetings, Isuppose," sighed Agnes gloomily. "It's horrid to think they know oursecrets and we don't know theirs. I'd give worlds to get even."
"Where do they meet?" asked Delia. "I've never been able to find out."
"They're very clever in hiding themselves."
"Yes, I expect they keep watch, and scoot whenever they see one of us."
"That's it, of course," said Irene. "Well, what we've got to do is tocatch them off their guard. I vote we get the kids to help us. Theydetest Bertha and Mabel. They'd just adore to track them for us. Weneedn't exactly tell them why."
"Good for you, Renie Beverley. Those kids will do a turn for theirfairy godmothers. We'll call another candy party and put them on thescout. I've a box of peppermint creams that will just go round. Oneapiece ought to be enough for them to-day."
The juniors were fond of peppermints, and even a limited candy party wasin their opinion better than none at all. They had never received sweetsof any description from Bertha or Mabel; indeed they regarded them asarch-enemies. The idea of keeping a watch over their movements appealedto them.
"We'll shadow them, you bet!" grinned little Jean Hammond. "There isn'tmuc
h going on in the school that we don't know."
"I'm afraid there isn't. You're rather imps. But you'll be doing a gooddeed if you find this out for us. The first who brings news shall havetwo chocolates."
The Camellia Buds felt no more compunction in employing the juniors onthis quest than a government that organizes a secret service department.The enemy had betrayed them shamelessly and deserved reprisals. It wasDesiree after all who won the chocolates. She haunted house and gardenwith the persistency of a small ghost, and at last proudly made theannouncement:
"They've called a meeting by the big Greek jar to-day at five. I heardRuth tell Callie. What are you going to do about it?"
That was exactly the question which puzzled the Camellia Buds. It wasone thing to obtain information and quite another to act upon it. Ifthey went and interrupted the rival meeting they would have thesatisfaction of routing the enemy but would be none the wiser. It wasPeachy's diplomacy that pointed out a way.
"The Greek vase!" she said meditatively. "Yes, it's enormously big and Ithink I can manage it. Now, my dearies, don't you want to be realphilanthropic this afternoon and give up your turns at the tennis courtsto other folks? Why? Because I've a little scheme on hand. I want tokeep those girls well away from the lemon pergola until it's time fortheir precious meeting. Then they'll run up all unsuspecting, poorinnocents, and find----"
"What will they find?"
"'A chiel amang them takin' notes!'" chuckled Peachy. "In other wordsyours truly will be hiding inside the big jar."
"Peachy! You can't!"
"Can't I? Great Scott! Do you think I'm going to let this beat me? Youcan just bet your last nickel I shall. Renie and Jess shall help to hideme, and the rest of you must watch the coast's clear till I'm safelyinside. I tell you I'm crazy to try it. It'll be the frolic of my life."
There was certainly no plan too madcap for Peachy to undertake. Sherevelled in anything venturesome or bizarre. The Camellia Buds did asshe decreed, and resigned the courts that afternoon to Bertha, Mabel,Elsie, Ruth, Rosamonde, Winnie, Monica, and Callie, who fell readilyinto the trap prepared for them. Leaving this double set busy at tennisthey fled to the opposite end of the garden.
The lemon pergola was a sheltered walk that led down a flight of marblesteps to a small fountain. There was a shady nook here with bushes ofbamboo, and a tree with a sweet flower like honeysuckle, and little redroses, and a border of Parma violets, and a seat made of bright greentiles--altogether a very retired and pleasant and suitable spot in whichto hold a committee meeting. Exactly behind the seat stood an enormousjar of terra-cotta, colored red, and decorated with Greek figures inblack silhouette, rather blurred and rubbed off, but stilldistinguishable. No doubt its original use had been to store water,wine, or olive-oil, but nowadays it was merely an ornament to thegarden. A plant pot full of scarlet geraniums rested on its head, and anarbutula twined up the sides.
Peachy climbed up the bank behind, and with the help of Jess removedthe pot of scarlet geraniums; then very cautiously and carefully she letherself down inside the jar. It was just big enough to contain her, andshe lay concealed like one of the forty thieves in the story of _AliBaba_. She had one advantage, however, over the famous brigands. Therewas a little round hole broken in the front of the jar, and by puttingher eye to this she had an excellent view of her surroundings.
"Are you all right?" asked Irene anxiously.
"Fixed splendidly, thanks. Stick that flower-pot back on the top andnobody'll ever guess I'm inside. Now scoot, quick, for it won't do forthem to see you haunting round. The place must look absolutely innocentwhen they arrive."
"We won't go too far. Shout for us if you get so you can't bear it anylonger," said Jess, putting the geraniums on like a stopper, anddragging Irene away.
Peachy's position was certainly not one of comfort, squatting at thebottom of the great jar, and she was relieved that she had not long towait before the rival sorority arrived to hold its meeting. The girlscame scurrying, flushed after their games of tennis, and flungthemselves down, some on the marble steps and some on the tiled seat.Bertha, as the Camellia Buds had suspected, was evidently the highpriestess, and opened the ceremony without delay.
"Members of the Starry Circle," she began hurriedly, "repeat your oath."
"We vow to be loyal to one another and to our President, and never toreveal the secrets of our society," recited seven voices in reply.
("Aha!" chuckled Peachy to herself, in the depths of the gigantic jar."Got the name of your precious sorority slap-bang off!")
"We've met together this afternoon," continued Bertha, "to settlefinally what parts we're going to take at the carnival. Ruth, just lookround, please, and be _sure_ none of those wretched Camellia Buds isanywhere about."
Bertha paused, while Ruth made a tour among the bushes, and seemedslightly puzzled when the latter reported:
"Coast clear."
"It's a funny thing," commented the President, "but I declare I cansmell that particular strong lily-of-the-valley scent that Peachy is sofond of. I suppose it's only fancy?"
"I can smell it too," confirmed Elsie, sniffing the air.
"Are there any lilies-of-the-valley out anywhere near?" asked Mabel.
"No, it's too early for them."
"Then somebody else must have the same scent, or have picked up Peachy's_mouchoir_ by mistake."
A general examination of handkerchiefs followed, but each girldisclaimed all responsibility for the delicate odor.
"Queer! I can't understand it. However, let's get to business. Ourwaxworks are absolutely going to take the shine out of their stupid oldtoy-shop. The only trouble is how we're going to get hold of the rightcostumes. There's Queen Elizabeth now--I can manage her skirt, but Iwant something for her farthingale. What can we raise?"
"Peachy has a lovely flowered silk dressing-gown," remarked Mabel. "Itwould be just the thing."
"Suppose she uses it herself though."
"I won't give her a chance. I'll take it out of her cubicle the nightbefore and hide it."
"O-o-h! You will! Will you?" exploded a voice from the interior of theGreek jar. "We'll just see about that."
The fact was that Peachy's crouching position had grown intolerable. Shewas bound to move and reveal herself, and her indignation at Mabel'scool suggestion flamed forth through the peep-hole.
The Circle sprang up in much alarm, and some of them squealed as the potof geraniums fell with a crash from the top of the big jar, and Peachy'spink face and fluffy hair appeared instead. Her flashing gray eyescertainly held no love light in them.
"You mean things!" raged Peachy. "Call yourselves stars, do you? I can'tsee anything very star-like about you. Have your old waxworks if youlike, but I can tell you beforehand you won't take the shine out of_us_. You've copied my idea shamelessly, and if you're going to stealour properties too--yes, you may well scoot. Don't ever dare to showyour faces to me again."
For the members of the Starry Circle had broken up their meeting, andwere running away down the lemon pergola in the direction of the house,immensely upset to find there had been a secret listener in their midst.Once they were out of sight Peachy cooeed for Jess and Irene, whoappeared bursting with laughter and demanding details, having witnessedthe rout of the enemy from a distance.
"I'll tell you presently if you'll help me climb out of this wretchedthing," said Peachy, who found it a far more difficult matter toextricate herself from the jar than it had been to drop into it. "How'mI going to manage? Oh, don't pull my arms so, you hurt!"
It was indeed somewhat of a problem, and Peachy was beginning to feelseriously alarmed, when, fortunately, one of the gardeners came to therescue, and tilted the jar over so as to allow her to crawl out.
"I feel like a released Slave of the Lamp, or a freed dryad, orsomething fairy-taley or mythological," she declared. "It was worth it,though, to see those girls' faces. Thank you, Giovanni! I'm ever so muchobliged. Sorry if I've spoilt your bed of violets. Is that Delia c
allingus? Coming, dearie. Where are the rest of the Camellia Buds? I may aswell tell my story to the whole bunch of you together. Then you'll seethe sort of thing we're up against. They've taken our idea, and they'retrying to beat us on our own ground. That's what it's all about."