CHAPTER VI
THE SOPHOMORE BALL
There was an undercurrent of excitement in the air on the day of thesophomore ball.
The sophomores themselves were full of secrets, whispering around ingroups, their faces grave with self-important expressions. This was tobe their annual Initiation Ball, and many new members, after receivinginitiation into the various sophomore societies, were to be invited tothe gymnasium, which had been turned over to the class for the evening.
There was no end to the fun of these balls, according to femininegossip, for no male was ever admitted and only three invitations wereissued to girls of other classes. It was, in fact, to be nothing but funand frolic, and every costume had been planned weeks ahead.
One teacher was asked to be present to keep order in case of intrusion,for the gymnasium door, on that famous night, was always besieged byyouths from the Boys' High School, who roared and jeered as each cloakedand masked figure rushed under the archway and disappeared.
The freshmen, all through the day, were unusually quiet. They kept tothemselves and had little to say. Miriam and her three particularfriends were carefully avoided by their classmates. Miriam, herself,felt the snub at once. Had she, after all, made a mistake, and was shelosing ground in the class? But her vanity was like a life buoy to hersinking hopes. She refused to see that the other girls regarded her withgrowing dislike.
When school was over, that afternoon, six girls strolled down the HighSchool walk arm in arm. They were Grace and her three chums and twoother girls who were popular in the freshman class.
Anne's small figure seemed almost dwarfed next to Grace, who toweredhalf a foot above her. Ever since Anne's trying scene with her father,Grace had been doubly tender and kind to her, until the young girlseemed to expand under the happy influence.
"Well, girlies, dear, we are the chosen six. I hope we shall be a creditto the class."
"Don't talk so loudly, Nora. I feel as if we were surrounded by spiesto-day. Everybody has been so mysterious and queer."
"One thing is practically certain," whispered Grace: "I believe it wasMiriam who told the sophomores about the Omnibus House. Why else didthey invite her to their ball?"
"We can never prove it, though," said one of the others, "unless we gether up a tree some day and make her admit it."
"Remember, Anne," cautioned Grace, when they came to the cross streetleading to the Pierson cottage, "eight o'clock sharp at my house! Anddon't bother about things. We shall have more than enough among us."
At half-past eight that night the sound of a stringed orchestra floatedout on the breeze as the door of the gymnasium swung back and forth toadmit disguised sophomores, who each whispered the countersign to thedoorkeeper, after running the gauntlet of the waiting crowd, and slippedin.
The music was furnished by a troupe of women players especially engagedto play in this Adamless Eden. What would not the crowd of waiting boyshave given for one glimpse of the ball room, where ballet girls, clownsand courtiers, Egyptian snake charmers, Mephistopholeses andMarguerites, priests and priestesses of the Orient, all whirled madlytogether?
Every door had been locked and bolted and every downstairs windowsecurely closed. Ventilation was obtained through the half-open windowsopening on the upper gallery, which ran around the four sides of thegymnasium. The doors to this gallery had also been locked and the onlyway to reach it was by steps leading up from the gymnasium.
Six masked and hooded figures swung down High School Street together,talking and laughing in low voices. The smallest of the six appeared tostumble over her feet, and once tumbled in the road. Her friends gaylyhelped her up, when it was disclosed that she wore a pair of boy's shoesmuch too large for her.
"If we don't break our necks stumbling over these brogans," whisperedthe tallest girl, "we'll be lucky."
As a matter of fact, each one of the six maskers was wearing a pair ofmen's shoes.
"I stuffed my toes with cotton," laughed another, "but even now they arehard to manage."
Just then a motor cycle shot past them, slowed down and stoppedaltogether.
The rider rested it against a tree and came back.
"I recognized you by your big feet," he said in a whisper. "Grace,here's the duplicate key to the laboratory. I had some trouble gettingit, but no one knows, and you'll be safe enough. I'll let myself in withthe other duplicate key and lock the door. They will be sure to try itat intervals. If you get into any trouble, early in the evening, make adash for the steps and blow your horn loud. Now, that's all, I think.I'll be hidden in the laboratory until my turn comes. Good-bye and goodluck!"
In another instant he was off on his motor cycle.
Six figures, well disguised in dominoes of as many hues, presentlyappeared on the ball room floor, just in time for the grand march. Itwas a pity no one, except the lone teacher, was permitted to look at thebrilliant picture. But such was the tradition of the class. After themarch, ten ballet girls in tarlatan skirts, their faces concealed bylittle black satin masks, gave a performance. Following this, a Spanishdancer, whom the six dominoes recognized at once as the treacherousMiriam Nesbit, gave an exhibition of her skill.
"I'm going to have some fun with her," whispered the blue domino to thered one. "Just follow me and see."
The last speaker joined the dancer as the music struck up a waltz.
"That was a good day's work you did for our class, not long ago," shewhispered as they danced off together.
"What do you mean?" asked the Spanish dancer.
"I mean the Black Monks of Asia. Now, do you understand?"
"But I thought it was not to be told," exclaimed the dancer, flushingunder her mask.
"Only to the committee so that you might be rewarded with aninvitation," whispered the domino, as she slipped away.
"_She_ did confess it, and every freshman in the class shall know itto-morrow!" the emissary exclaimed privately to her friend, the reddomino.
"In spite of what her brother is doing for us to-night?" returned thered domino.
"You are quite right, child. I never thought of that. Perhaps that isthe very reason he is helping us get even to-night."
"I think it is," added the other, quietly.
"Girls, we must hurry up and begin," whispered another of the sixdominoes. "They are all going to unmask at half-past ten."
So the unrecognized intruders slipped away, stationing themselves aboutthe room.
Pretty soon a rumor began to spread among the dancers that there wereyoung men present. No one knew exactly how it started, but it grew andspread with such persistency that it finally reached the ears of thechaperon.
"Some of the girls saw their feet," said her informant, "and not onlytheir feet but their trousers, too."
The teacher rose and rapped sharply for order.
"Young ladies," she called in a loud voice, "I am sorry to disturb thedancers, but we have every reason to believe there are some men in theroom. Since it is not yet time for you to unmask, it will be simple tofind out who does not belong here by having you file past me. I willlift each mask myself."
The dancers accordingly arranged themselves in a long line and walkedsingle file past the teacher. She saw only girl's faces, however, as shepeeped under the masks, and the dance proceeded.
The next disturbance came when the maskers had all taken their stand atone end of the room at the request of the six dominoes, who managed towhisper to each sophomore that there was presently to be a surprise.
An expectant hush fell over the company as the six dominoes filed out ofa side room and stood, for a moment, in full view of the sophomores.Then the six deliberately lifted their dominoes, disclosing trouser legsand men's shoes. Instantly the place was in pandemonium; yet before thesophomores could rush upon the intruders six long horns were blown inunison, and immediately the lights went out. In the darkness the sixdominoes made for the stairs, rushed along the gallery, and wereadmitted to the laboratory by the duplicate key. But, just b
efore theblue domino disappeared, she called out in a loud voice from thegallery:
"The freshmen are avenged!"
When the doors were safely closed the lights were turned on again,disclosing the sophomores blinking foolishly at each other after thesudden startling change from darkness to light.
"They are in the laboratory!" cried one. "Let's cut off their escape!"
The angry sophomores made a rush for the door.
"Hurry girls!" urged David, who had just returned to the laboratoryafter manipulating the lights. "They'll catch us before we know it."
But the young fugitives were too late. Just then there was the sound ofmany feet running up the stairs from the other door.
"How about one of the gallery doors?" asked Grace.
"They are all locked," answered David. "There only remain the skylighttrap-door and the roof. Do you think you could manage it if I helpedyou?"
"Of course; we could manage anything," protested the freshmen girls.
It was an easy matter to climb up the ladder, and clamber through thetrap-door on to the roof.
"We're just in time," whispered David. "They have found the right key tothe gallery door, and they'll be coming in both ways. Crawl carefullynow, girls, for heaven's sake, and don't slip!"
The seven young people began slowly to draw themselves along thegymnasium roof on their hands and knees. Fortunately, it was not a verysloping roof, and their only danger lay in their movements being heardfrom below. Meanwhile the gymnasium had emptied itself, and parties ofenraged sophomores were engaged in searching the adjoining class roomsand passages.
"Let's surround the building on the outside," cried one of the classleaders. "They can't escape, then, by any of the fire escapes, and weare sure to catch them!"
In a few moments, David peeping over the edge of the roof, saw figuresstationed at every possible exit, waiting patiently.
"Lie low," he whispered, "and crawl on your stomachs, or you're surelycaught."
Soon after the seven had reached the end of the hundred feet ofgymnasium, where their flight was stopped short by a blank wall wherethe gymnasium joined the High School building.
"Here's a pretty pass," whispered David. "I forgot about this old schoolwall. The only thing to do, now, is to hide behind this chimney and waitfor the row to quiet down."
There they lay, as flat as possible, listening with bated breath to thesophomores below. Presently there was a sound of footsteps on thegymnasium roof and they heard Miriam's voice saying:
"They must have escaped through the trap-door in the laboratory and comealong here. Wait a minute, girls, and I'll see."
"O Grace, we're caught!" groaned Jessica. "What shall we do?"
"No we aren't yet," answered Grace. "Especially if she is coming alone,and that is what I am praying for."
"I'll come with you, Miriam," called the voice of the sophomore leader.
"Why don't you take the other side?" proposed Miriam. "And I'll goaround and meet you."
"Very well," came the answer.
The freshmen clutched each other and waited.
Miriam ran lightly along the roof, and came upon the seven prostratefigures so suddenly that she almost lost her balance.
"Don't speak," said Grace, in a distinct whisper, "and don't give usaway. If you do, you will regret it. Remember the blue domino whowaltzed with you!"
She hoped Miriam would understand what she meant and so save her fromfurther explanation. In this Grace was right. Miriam was trapped atlast. She deliberately turned and walked away without a word.
"Come on, girls," they heard her call to the others, "let's waste nomore time on them." When all was quiet the seven intriguers slipped downthe fire escape and disappeared in the darkness--safely escapingdiscovery.