Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School

  CHAPTER IX

  THE JUDGE'S HOUSE PARTY

  "There is nothing like congenial company when one travels," remarkedHippy Wingate, favoring his friends with a patronizing smile. "Now, whenI came home from college I was obliged to consort with such grouches asDavid Nesbit and Reddy Brooks, who made me keep quiet when I wished tospeak, and speak when I fain would have slept. But, observe thedifference, all these fresh and charming damsels--"

  "Charming we are, beyond a doubt," interrupted Nora O'Malley, "butfresh--never. The only fresh person aboard is named Wingate."

  "If you two are going to disagree we'll bundle you both into the baggagecar and let you fight it out," warned David. "Hippy ought to be exiledto that particular spot for having reviled Reddy and me."

  "Keep quiet, Nora," said Hippy in a stage whisper. "We are in the handsof desperadoes."

  It was a merry party who were speeding along their way to the statecapital, for a wonderful visit was to be paid and the Phi Sigma Tau andtheir friends were to pay it. In short, Judge Putnam had invited them tospend Christmas at his beautiful home in the capital city, and for eighthappy days they were to be his guests.

  It was in reality Grace's party. The judge had written her, asking herto select as many guests as she chose. She had also received a prettilyworded note from his sister, who had chaperoned them the previous summerin the Adirondacks, and who had taken charge of the judge's home in thecapital for years.

  Grace had at once invited the Phi Sigma Tau, and dispatched specialdelivery letters to Hippy, David and Reddy, not forgetting Tom Gray andArnold Evans.

  In order to make an even number of boys and girls, Grace had invitedJames Gardiner, an Oakdale boy, and last of all, very reluctantly, hadsent a note to Mr. Henry Hammond.

  This she had done solely to appease Marian Barber's wounded pride. For aweek after the day that Marian had rushed angrily out of Grace's house,she had refused to go near her sorority. But one afternoon the sixgirls, headed by Grace, waylaid her as she was leaving the school andafter much coaxing Marian allowed herself to be brought to a morereasonable frame of mind.

  Then Grace, who honestly regretted having hurt Marian's feelings, hadmade an extra effort to treat Mr. Hammond cordially when they chanced tomeet, and her friends had followed her example.

  In spite of their feeling of dislike for him, they were forced toacknowledge that he seemed well-bred, was a young man of apparently goodhabits and that Oakdale people were rapidly taking him up. Graceprivately thought Marian entirely too young to receive the attentions ofa man so much older than herself, but Marian's father and motherpermitted it, therefore Grace felt that she had no right to judge orobject.

  The longest journey seems brief when beguiled by gay companions, and thetime slipped by like magic. It was with genuine surprise that the littleparty heard their station called. There was a great scurrying about fortheir various belongings, and well laden with suit cases and travelingbags the party hustled out of the train and were met on the platform bythe judge's chauffeur, who conducted them to two waiting automobiles.

  Off they whirled and in an incredibly short time the two machines drewup before the judge's stately home, where lights gleamed from everywindow. The guests alighted with much laughter and noise, and in atwinkling the massive front door opened and Judge Putnam appeared.

  "Welcome, welcome!" he cried. "Now I am sure to have a Merry Christmas.I don't see how your fathers and mothers could spare you, and I owe thema debt of gratitude. Come in, come in. Here, Mary, are your childrenagain."

  The judge's sister came forward and greeted the young people warmly,kissing each girl in turn and shaking hands with the boys. Mr. Hammondand James Gardiner were duly presented to the judge and his sister, andthen the boys were shown to their rooms by one of the servants, whileMiss Putnam herself conducted the girls to theirs.

  "We usually dine between seven and seven-thirty, my dears," said MissPutnam, as they ascended. "I will send my maid, Annette, to you. Willyou have separate rooms, or do you wish to do as you did last summer?"

  "Oh, let two of us room together," said Grace eagerly. "But still, thatisn't fair, for it will leave an odd one. You know we had Mabel with uslast summer."

  "Dear little Mabel," said Miss Putnam. "I am sure you must miss hergreatly. Her finding of her mother was very wonderful. I received aletter from her last week. She says she is very happy, but that shemisses her Oakdale friends, particularly Jessica."

  "She is coming east for commencement," said Jessica with a wistfulsmile. "No one knows how much I miss her."

  "Let us settle the question of rooms at once," interposed Grace, whoknew that whenever the conversation turned to Mabel, Jessica invariablywas attacked with the blues. "Who is willing to room alone?"

  "I am," replied Miriam Nesbit, "only I stipulate that I be allowed topay nocturnal visits to the rest of you whenever I get too bored with myown society."

  "Very well, then," replied Grace. "How shall we arrange it?"

  "You and Anne take one room, then," said Nora rather impatiently,"Jessica and I another and that leaves Marian and Eva together. Do hurryup about it, for I want to get the soot off my face, and the cinders outof my eyes."

  The question of roommates being thus settled, the girls trooped into therooms assigned them and began to dress for dinner. The matter of gownshad been discussed by the girls when the judge's invitation had firstarrived. As they were to remain for a week, they would need trunks, butfor the first dinner, in case the trunks did not arrive on time, it hadbeen agreed that they each carry one simple gown in their suit cases.

  Grace and Anne had both chosen white, Jessica a dainty floweredorgandie, and Nora a pale pink dimity. Eva Allen also had selectedwhite. Marian Barber alone refused to give her friends any satisfactionas to what she intended to wear. "Wait and see," she had answered. "Iwant my gown to be a complete surprise to all of you."

  "How funny Marian acted about her gown," remarked Grace to Anne, as shefastened the last button on the latter's waist. The maid sent by MissPutnam had offered her services, but the girls, wishing to be alone, hadnot required them.

  "Yes," responded Anne. "I don't understand her at all of late. She haschanged a great deal, and I believe it is due to the influence of thathorrid Henry Hammond. I simply can't like that man."

  "Nor I," said Grace. "It requires an effort on my part to be civil tohim. I think, too, that the boys are not favorably impressed with him,although they are too polite to say so."

  "I believe in first impressions," remarked Anne. "I think that ninetimes out of ten they are correct. I may be doing the man an injustice,but I can't help it. Every time that I talk with him I feel that he isplaying a part, that underneath his polish he has a cruel, relentlessnature."

  "Are you girls ready!" called Nora's voice just outside their door.

  "In a minute," answered Grace, and with a last glance at the mirror sheand Anne stepped into the hall, where Nora, Jessica and Eva Allen stoodwaiting.

  "Where's Marian?" asked Grace, noticing her absence.

  "Don't ask me," said Eva, in a tone bordering on disgust. "She won't beout for some time."

  "Shall we wait for her?" inquired Anne.

  "No," replied Eva shortly. "Let us go, and don't ask me anything abouther. When she does finally appear you'll understand."

  "This sounds very mysterious," said Miriam Nesbit, who in a white dottedSwiss, with a sprig of holly in her black braids, looked particularlyhandsome. "Come on, girls, shall we go down?"

  The six girls descended to the drawing room, looking the veryincarnation of youth and charming girlhood, and the judge's eyesbrightened at sight of them.

  "A rosebud garden of girls," he cried gallantly, "but I seem to misssome one. Where is the seventh rosebud?"

  "Marian will be here directly," said Grace, as they gathered about thebig fireplace until dinner should be announced.

  But ten minutes went by, and Marian still lingered.

  "Dinner is served," anno
unced the old butler.

  The girls exchanged furtive glances, the judge looked ratheruncomfortable, while Mr. Henry Hammond frowned openly.

  Then there was another ten minutes' wait, that the girls tried to coverwith conversation. Then--a rustle of silken skirts and a figure appearedin the archway that caused those assembled to stare in sheer amazement.

  Was this fashionably attired person plain every-day Marian Barber? Herhair was drawn high upon her head, and topped with a huge cluster offalse puffs, which made her look several years older than she hadappeared in the afternoon, while her gown of blue satin was cut rathertoo low for a young girl, and had mere excuses in the way of sleeves. Tocap the climax, however, it had a real train that persisted in gettingin her way every time she attempted to move.

  For a full minute no one spoke. Grace had an almost irrepressible desireto laugh aloud, as she caught the varied expressions on the faces of herfriends. Mr. Hammond alone appeared unmoved. Grace fancied that she evendetected a gleam of approval in his eyes as he glanced toward Marian.

  "Shall we dine!" asked the judge, offering his arm to Grace, while TomGray escorted Miss Putnam, the other young men following with theirfriends.

  The dinner passed off smoothly, although there was a curious constraintfell upon the young people that nothing could dispel.

  Marian's gown had indeed proved a surprise to her young friends, andthey could not shake off a certain sense of mortification at her lack ofgood taste.

  "How could Marian Barber be so ridiculous, and why did her mother everallow her to dress herself like that?" thought Grace as she glanced atMarian, who was simpering at some remark that Mr. Henry Hammond wasmaking to her in a voice too low for the others to hear.

  Then Grace suddenly remembered that Marian's mother had left Oakdalethree weeks before on a three months' visit to a sister in a distantcity.

  "That deceitful old Henry Hammond is at the bottom of this," Gracedecided. "He has probably put those ideas of dressing up into Marian'shead. She needs some one to look after her. I'll ask mother if she canstay with me until her mother returns, that is if I can persuade her tocome."

  "Come out of your brown study, Grace," called Hippy. "I want you tosettle an argument that has arisen between Miss O'Malley and myself.Never before have we had an argument. Timid, gentle creature that sheis, she has always deferred to my superior intellect, but now--"

  "Yes," retorted Nora scornfully, "now, he has been routed withslaughter, and so he has to call upon other people to rescue him fromthe fruits of his own folly."

  "I am not asking aid," averred Hippy with dignity. "I plead for simplejustice."

  "Simple, indeed," interrupted David with a twinkle in his eye.

  "I see very plainly," announced Hippy, "that I shall have to drop thisO'Malley affair and defend myself against later unkind attacks. Butfirst I shall eat my dessert, then I shall have greater strength torenew the fray."

  "Then my services as a settler of arguments are not required," laughedGrace.

  "Postponed, merely postponed," assured Hippy, and devoted himselfassiduously to his dessert, refusing to be beguiled into furtherconversation.

  Dinner over, the entire party repaired once more to the drawing room,where the young people performed for the judge's especial benefit thestunts for which they were already famous.

  Much to Grace's annoyance, Henry Hammond attached himself to her, andtry as she might she could not entirely rid herself of his attentionswithout absolute rudeness. Tom Gray looked a trifle surprised at this,and Marian Barber seemed openly displeased. Grace felt thoroughly out ofpatience, when toward the close of the evening, he approached her as shestood looking at a Japanese curio, and said:

  "I wish to thank you, Miss Harlowe, for inviting me to become a memberof this house party. I appreciate your invitation more than I can say."

  "I hope you will enjoy yourself, Mr. Hammond," replied Grace rathercoldly.

  "There is little doubt of that," was the ready answer. "How well Marianis looking to-night. I am surprised at the difference a really grown-upgown makes in her."

  Grace glanced at Marian, who in her eyes looked anything but well.

  "Mr. Hammond," she said slowly, looking straight at him. "I do not inthe least agree with you. Marian is not yet eighteen, and to-night shelooks like anything but the school-girl that she did this afternoon. Ifher mother were at home I am sure that she would never allow Marian tohave such a gown made, and I cannot fully understand what mischievousinfluence prompted her to make herself appear so utterly ridiculousto-night."

  "Miss Harlowe," said the young man, his face darkening ominously, "yourtone is decidedly offensive. Do I understand you to insinuate that Ihave in any way influenced Miss Barber as to her manner of dress?"

  "I insinuate nothing," replied Grace, rather contemptuously. "If thecoat fits you wear it."

  "Miss Harlowe," answered the young man almost savagely, "I cannotunderstand why, after having included me in this house party, youdeliberately insult me; but I advise you to be more careful in thefuture as to your remarks or I shall be tempted to forget the courtesydue a young woman, and repay you in your own coin."

  "Mr. Hammond," replied Grace with cold scorn, "I acknowledge that mylast remark to you was exceedingly rude, but nothing can palliate theoffense of your reply. As a matter of interest, let me state that I amnot in the least alarmed at your threat, for only a coward would everattempt to bully a girl."

  With these words Grace moved quickly away, leaving Mr. Henry Hammond todigest her answer as best he might.