CHAPTER III
JOHNNY DOYLE
Franklin Sharp, principal of Central High, had something particular tosay that morning at Assembly. At eight-thirty o'clock the gongs rangin each room and the classes marched to the hall as usual. But therewas an unusual amount of excitement, especially on the girls' side ofthe great hall.
The news Bobby Hargrew had brought to Nellie Agnew had spread over theHill long before schooltime. Bobby, running from house to house, hadscattered the news like burning brands; and wherever she dropped aspark a flame of excitement had sprung up and spread.
And how many of the girls had whispered the same thing! What HesterGrimes had said the previous afternoon had been heard by a dozengirls; a hundred had learned of it before the gymnasium had clearedthat afternoon; now the whole school--on the girls' side, at least--knewthat Hester had declared her hatred of the girls of Central Highbefore the damage was done in the gymnasium.
This gossip could not fail to have flown to Principal Sharp's ears. Hewas eminently a just man; but he seldom interfered in the girls'affairs, preferring to let his assistant, Miss Grace G. Carrington(otherwise "Gee Gee" among the more thoughtless of her pupils) governthe young ladies. But what the principal said on this occasion seemedto point to the fact that he had taken cognizance of the wildsupposition and gossip that was going the round of the girl's classes.
"A cruel and expensive trick has been perpetrated by someirresponsible person with pronounced criminal instincts," declared Mr.Sharp, seriously. "This is not the outburst of some soul prone topractical joking, so-called; nor is it the mere impish mischievousnessof a spirit with a grudge against its fellows. The infamous actions ofthe person, or persons, in the girls' gymnasium last night showdegeneracy and a monkeyish wickedness that can be condoned in noparticular.
"We can declare with confidence that no pupil of Central High couldhave accomplished the wicked work of last night. It would have beenbeyond the physical powers of any of our young ladies to have brokeninto the building; and we are equally confident that no younggentleman on our roster is at that early stage of evolution in whichhe would consider such work at all amusing.
"Of course, there will be an investigation made--not alone by theschool authorities, but by the police. The matter is too serious toignore. The damage done amounts to several hundreds of dollars. Andthe mystery of how the culprit or culprits entered the building, withthe doors and windows locked and Jackway asleep in his bed in thedoctor's office, must likewise be explained.
"Meanwhile, young ladies and gentlemen, let no wild romances orunsubstantiated rumors shake your minds. We none of us know how thecriminal entered the gymnasium, or who he is. Let the matter restthere until the investigation is completed and the actual wrong-doerbrought to book. I hope I make myself clear? That is all. You aredismissed to classes."
But, to himself, perhaps the principal said: "Meanwhile I will go outand stop the water from running down hill!" For the gossip having oncebegun to grow, there was no stopping it. Some of the girls had alreadybegun to look askance at Hester when they passed her. Otherswhispered, and wondered, and surmised--and the wonder grew like thestory of the man who ate the three black crows.
Hester, however, did not realize what all this meant. She was stillangry with Nellie, and Bobby, and the others whom she considered hadcrossed her the previous afternoon. And especially was she angry withMrs. Case, the physical instructor.
"I don't much care if the stuff in the gymnasium _was_ all cut up,"she declared, to her single confidant, Lily Pendleton.
"Oh, Hester! Don't let them hear you say it!" cried her chum, who hadheard some of the whispers against Hester, but had not dared repeatthem to her chum for fear of an outbreak of the latter's unfortunatetemper.
"What do I care for 'em?" returned Hester, and went off by herself.
Hester Grimes was not entirely happy. She would not admit it in herown soul, but she was lonely. Even Lily was not always at her beck andcall as she once had been. To tell the truth, Lily Pendleton seemedsuddenly to have "a terrible crush" on Prettyman Sweet.
"And goodness only knows what she sees in that freak to want to walkwith him," muttered Hester, in retrospection.
Lily and Purt were pupils in the same dancing class and just atpresent dancing was "all the rage." Hester did not care fordancing--not even for the folk dancing that Mrs. Case taught the girlsof Central High. She liked more vigorous exercises. She played a sharpgame of tennis, played hockey well, was a good walker and runner, andliked basketball as well as she liked anything.
"And here these Miss Smarties and Mrs. Case want to put me off theteam," thought Hester Grimes, walking down toward the athletic fieldand the gym. building after school that day.
There was little to go to the gym. for just now, with the fixtures cutup and broken. But Hester felt a curiosity to see the wreck. And therewere other girls from Central High who seemed to feel the same. Somewere ahead of her and some came after. They exclaimed and murmured andwere angry or excited, as the case might be; but Hester mooned aboutin silence, and the only soul she spoke to in the building was BillJackway.
The latter looked very much worried. He was a steady, quiet,red-haired man, with pale blue eyes and a wandering expression ofcountenance at most times. But he was a good and careful worker andkept the athletic field in good shape and the gym. well swept anddusted.
Jackway had never been married; but his sister had married a man namedDoyle and was now a widow with two children. When Jackway got an houror two off from the gym. he went to see his sister, and played withthe baby, Johnny. Johnny, who was a sturdy little fellow of three, hadbeen brought to-day to see his uncle by his gangling big brother, RufeDoyle. Rufe was a second edition of his uncle, Bill Jackway, withoutBill's modicum of sense. A glance at Rufe told the pitiful story. Ashis Irish father had said, Rufe was "an innocent." But he loved BabyJohnny and took great care of him.
"Johnny's growing like a weed, Rufie," said Hester, kindly enough, asshe pinched the little fellow's cheek softly. "You take such good careof him."
Rufe threw back his head, opened his mouth wide, and roared hisdelight at this compliment.
"Yes, ma'am!" he chuckled, when his paroxysm was over. "Johnny ain'tmuch out of my sight when he's awake. Is he, Uncle Bill?"
"No, Rufus," replied Jackway, sadly.
"I'm pretty smart to take care of Johnny so well--ain't I, Uncle Bill?"demanded the weak-minded boy again.
"You are smart enough when you want to be, Rufus," muttered Jackway,evidently in no very social mood.
"You're worried about what happened last night, aren't you?" demandedHester, sharply.
"Yes, ma'am; I be," admitted the watchman.
"You needn't be. They'll never blame you," returned Hester, brusquely,and went out.
She wandered into the park at the foot of Whiffle Street and sat down.Here Rufus Doyle followed her with Baby Johnny. There had been heavyrains for the past week--until the day before. The gutters had run fulland the park squad of "white wings" were raking the beaten leaves intowindrows and flushing the sand and debris into the sewers. One basincover had been laid back and left an open trap for unwary feet.
Rufus Doyle was trying to coax a gray squirrel near for Johnny toadmire. But Johnny was not particularly interested in bunny. Hestersaw the toddler near the open hatch of the sewer basin one moment; thenext he had disappeared, and it seemed to her as though a faint cryrang in her ears.
She leaped up from the bench.
"Johnny!" she called.
Rufus was still engaged with the squirrel. Nobody seemed to havenoticed the disappearance of the baby. Hester dashed to the open basinand peered down into the swirling brown water.