CHAPTER XXI--MARGIT'S MYSTERY
To the amazement of the girls of Central High--particularly those sevenwho had been on the early Spring tramp to Fielding and had first seenthe Gypsy girl when she ran away from Queen Grace Varey and the otherRomany folk--Margit Salgo, as she called herself, appeared suddenly inthe class rooms of the school. And, to complete their bewilderment, sheappeared as the attendant of Miss Carrington!
Margit spoke little to any of the other girls. She came to Eve and Bobbyand told them how she had been made to leave the farmhouse by theVareys, who had come after her in the night; but how she had finally gotaway from them, and her connection with Miss Carrington, she would notexplain, although Bobby was very curious.
"Well, doesn't that beat all!" ejaculated Bobby, to Eve Sitz. "And wethought we might be able to help Margit. She seems to have helpedherself, all right."
"I am glad, if she is now in good hands; but I do not understand it,"rejoined Eve.
"Say! there can't be any mistake about her wanting to get to MissCarrington before. Now she's got to Gee Gee, all right. Guess there'snothing to be said by outside parties, eh?"
"Well, we can wonder--eh?"
"Oh, there's no law against it. Take it out in wondering. You can besure that Gee Gee will be as mum as an oyster."
"But where is Queen Grace--and the others?" added Eve.
"That's so," Bobby returned. "If Miss Carrington hasn't settled with theRomanies and given them what they wanted, you can make sure that theywill take a hand in the matter again."
Margit, however, seemed to have cut loose from the Gypsies altogether.When she appeared at Central High with the teacher she was dressed likeany other girl coming from a well-to-do home. Her Gypsy garb had beendiscarded.
Margit sat by herself and she had special lessons. She did not recitewith the other girls, nor did she have much to say to any of them, saveto Eve and Bobby. Even Mother Wit was not very successful in scraping anacquaintance with the Austro-Hungarian.
Indeed, when one of the girls tried to talk with her, Margit answered inGerman; or, if the girl was taking German and could understand thespoken language pretty well, Margit used the outlandish dialect of theRomany folk, and that settled it.
Either she did not wish to make acquaintances, or she had been warned byMiss Carrington not to satisfy the curiosity of the girls of CentralHigh about herself.
Of course nobody dared to question Gee Gee. If Mr. Sharp understood thereason for the new girl's presence he gave no sign--ignored herentirely, in fact. So the girls were vastly excited about Margit Salgo,her presence at Central High, where she came from,and--particularly--what relationship she bore to Gee Gee.
One day the teacher was particularly short-tempered and found reason fortaking Bobby Hargrew to task over some trivial fault.
"I am amazed, Miss Hargrew, that so light-minded a girl as you ever wonyour way into the M. O. R. chapter. I do not see, Miss, but that you arejust as mischievous as ever. Neither time nor place changes you."
She said it very spitefully, and some of the other girls laughed. Butsuddenly Margit popped up and said something vigorously inGerman--speaking so quickly that the other girls did not understand her;but Gee Gee evidently understood.
Her face flamed and she glared at the Gypsy girl in a way that wouldhave quelled any other in the room. But Margit did not wither under herglance. She stared back, her head up and shoulders squared; and it wasplain by her attitude that she defied Gee Gee.
Bobby was as amazed as the others. Margit had taken her part against theteacher. And for the moment it seemed as though there would be a seriousbreach between Gee Gee and her protege.
However, the incident effectually called Gee Gee's attention away fromBobby, and the latter heard nothing more of _her_ fault. But it seemedthat the connection between the teacher and Margit Salgo was not foundedupon _love_. There was some other reason than affection that made GeeGee care for the half-wild Gypsy girl. Some of the others whispered thatGee Gee must have done some awful thing, and Margit knew it and so heldthe teacher in her power. But that, of course, was a silly explanationof the mystery.
It was plain, too, that the teacher would not let Margit out of hersight on the street. They came and went to school together, walking sideby side. At the place where Miss Carrington had boarded so long, nobodyever saw Margit in the yard, but Miss Carrington was with her.
One might have thought the girl a prisoner.
Bobby was hurrying over to Laura's house with her books, one morning,wishing for a little help in one of the problems to be discussed thatday, and she started through the grounds surrounding the Widow Boyce'shouse, from the back street.
Suddenly she saw a man crouching in the shrubbery. Weeks before she hadseen a man spying about the house, and believed him to be one of theGypsies. Now Bobby halted and spied on the Peeping Tom himself.
In a moment she saw that it was the man with the gold rings in his earswhom Eve had told her was Jim Varey, the husband of the Gypsy Queen. Hewas lurking there for no good purpose, that was sure.
Having carried Margit off from Farmer Sitz's house in the middle of thenight, the Gypsies would doubtless attempt to steal the girl away fromGee Gee, as well. The school teacher had evidently not settled with theRomany folk. They had not yet got money through the girl, as Margit hadsaid they hoped to do.
Bobby turned back toward the street, intending to look for a policeman,or for some neighbor; but as she did so she heard wheels grating againstthe curb, and there stood a covered wagon, with two sleek horsesattached, and another Gypsy man driving them.
The man on the seat of the wagon whistled, and Jim Varey raised his handas a signal. Then the latter darted around the corner of the housetoward the front.
These maneuvers were only too plain to Bobby. There was not time tolook for a policeman--and, in any case, an officer was hard to find inthe Hill section of Centerport.
Bobby ran along the hedge, stooping so as not to be seen by the man onthe wagon seat, and came around to the front of the house from thedirection opposite that which Jim Varey had taken.
Just as she reached the front porch there was a wild scream from MissCarrington, and Bobby saw the man leap from the far end of the porchwith Margit in his arms.
Margit did not scream; she only beat the man about the headand--perhaps--left the marks of her nails in his dark face.
It was plain that she was being carried away from Gee Gee against herwill. She had no desire to go back to the Gypsies.
Now, Miss Carrington could not run. She had been brought up in noathletic school, that was sure. She followed the kidnapper clumsilyenough, and he would have gotten well away in the covered wagon with thegirl, had it remained to Gee Gee to intervene.
But Bobby screamed, dropped her books, and went at the fellow as thoughshe were playing football. She "tackled low," seizing with both armsabout the knees, and Jim Varey, screeching and threatening, fell forwardon the sward--and Margit escaped from his arms.
"Oh!" gasped the girl.
"Quick! get into the house!" cried Bobby, bounding to her feet.
Margit whisked past her, and past Miss Carrington, and fled indoors asshe was advised. Jim Varey leaped up and confronted the little girl whohad overturned him. His fists were clenched and he gabbled in the Romanytongue a string of what were evidently threats and vituperation.
"Now, it isn't me you want to carry off," said Bobby, bravely. "Iwouldn't be any good to you. Get away, now, for I see Mr. Sharp comingdown the street."
Which was true enough--although the school principal was still a longway off. Jim Varey seemed to see the wisdom of the girl's remarks,however, for he turned and fled.
The next minute they heard the heavy wagon being driven furiously awayfrom the garden gate, and Bobby turned to find Gee Gee, sitting veryfaint and white, upon the porch steps.