CHAPTER XXI
AN UNHEEDED WARNING
The next day found Grace rather at a loss how to proceed in the case ofElfreda. From what she had overheard it was evident that Alberta Wicksand Mary Hampton had decided to make Elfreda the victim of somewell-laid plot of their own. What the nature of it was Grace had not theremotest idea. To approach Elfreda was embarrassing to say the least. Towarn her against the two mischievous sophomores without being able tostate anything more definite than what she had overheard at WellingtonHouse was infinitely more embarrassing.
"What time had I best try to see her?" Grace asked herself. She had comefrom Overton Hall with Anne and Miriam late that afternoon and the threegirls had lingered on the steps of Wayne Hall, reluctant to go indoors.Spring was getting ready to fulfill all sorts of tender promises she hadmade to her children. The buds on the trees were bursting into tiny newgreen leaves. The crocuses were in bloom in the yards along CollegeStreet, and the grass on the campus was growing greener every hour. Theroads, too, were obligingly drying, so that adventurous walkers mightvisit their favorite haunts in the country surrounding Overton withoutrunning the risk of wading in the mud.
There was Guest House, the famous colonial tea shop that had been builtand used as an inn during the Revolution. In this quaint historic placeample refreshment was to be found. There one could satisfy one'sappetite with dainty little sandwiches, muffins and jam, tea cakes andtea, fresh milk or buttermilk.
There was also Hunter's Rock that overhung the river, and whose smooth,flat surface made an ideal spot for picnickers. It was five miles fromOverton, but extremely popular with all four classes, and from earlyspring until late fall, it was occupied on Saturday by various gay gipsyparties from the college. Then there were canoes for the venturesome,and staid old rowboats for the cautious, to be hired at a nominal sum,while girlish figures dotted the golf course and the tennis courts.Girls strolled about the campus in the early evenings, or gathered ingroups on the steps of the campus houses. It was the time of year whenspring creeps into one's blood, making one forget everything except theblueness of the sky, the softness of the air and the lure of greenthings growing.
"I must go into the house," sighed Miriam Nesbit. "I have thatappalling trigonometry lesson for to-morrow to prepare from beginning toend. I haven't looked at it yet."
"I peeped at it yesterday," said Anne. "It's the worst one we've had, sofar."
"The end is not yet," reminded Grace.
"Well it will be in sight before long. Our freshman year is almost over,didn't you know it, children!" queried Miriam laughingly.
"It has seemed long in some respects and short in others," reflectedGrace. "I think--" Grace paused. A tall, rather stout girl camehurriedly up the walk. She stalked up the steps and into the housewithout looking to the right or left. Even in that fleeting moment Gracenoted that she seemed rather excited and that she carried in her hand anopen letter. "I wonder if now would be a good time to tackle her,"speculated Grace. Then deciding that, after all, there was nothing to begained without making a venture, Grace walked resolutely to the door."I'll see you later, girls," was her only remark as she passed inside.
Once outside Elfreda's door, Grace did not feel quite so confident.Summoning all her courage, however, she knocked. An impatient voicecalled, "Come in," and Grace accepted the rather ungracious invitationto enter. J. Elfreda sat facing the window intent upon the letter Gracehad seen in her hand. She turned sharply as the door closed, thencatching sight of Grace, sprang to her feet, her face clouded withanger. "How dare you come in here?" she stormed.
"You said 'Come in,' Elfreda," returned Grace quietly.
"Yes, but not to you," raged Elfreda. "Never to you. Leave my roominstantly and don't come back again."
"I won't trouble you long," returned Grace. "I came to put you on yourguard against two young women who are about to make mischief for you. Iam very sorry I did not tell you long ago that Miss Wicks and MissHampton were the originators of the anonymous letter which caused you somuch unhappiness. I suspected as much at the time, and accused them ofwriting it. They neither affirmed nor denied their part in the affair,although they admitted that certain members of the sophomore class wrotethe letter. I threatened to take up the matter with the sophomore classif the two young women persisted in making you unhappy, and this threatevidently influenced them to drop their crusade against you.
"To a certain extent I feel responsible for what has followed, for if Ihad told you this before you would hardly have afterward becomefriendly with them. However, I can do this much. From a conversation Ioverheard the other day I am convinced that Miss Wicks and Miss Hamptonintend to play a practical joke on you on Friday night. I am afraid thatit will not be of the tame variety either, and may cause you trouble.These two girls do not like you, Elfreda, and they have not forgiven younor never will."
"You are awfully anxious to make me think that no one but you and yourfriends ever liked me, aren't you?" sneered Elfreda. "Well, just let metell you something. Those girls may have their faults, but they aren'tstingy and selfish, at all events. This letter here is an invitationto----, well, I shan't tell you what it is, but it's far from being apractical joke, I can assure you."
Grace looked doubtfully at Elfreda, who stood very erect, her head heldhigh with offended dignity. Perhaps, after all, she had been too hasty.Perhaps the two sophomores really intended playing some harmless trick.Then the words, "We are not going to bother with J. Elfreda muchlonger," returned with a force that left Grace no longer in uncertainty.
"Elfreda," she said earnestly, "I wish you would listen to me for once.Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton are not your friends. If you accept theirinvitation for Friday night you will be sorry. Take my advice, and steerclear of them."
"Please mind your own business and get out of my room," commandedElfreda fiercely.
Casting one steady, reproachful look at the angry girl, Grace left theroom in silence. Once outside her own door she clenched her hands andfought back her rising emotion. Tears of humiliation stood in her grayeyes, then winking them back bravely, she drew a long breath and openedher door. Anne, who in the meantime had come upstairs, turnedexpectantly. "What luck?" she questioned.
"None," returned Grace shortly. "She ordered me out of her room."
At this juncture Miriam Nesbit joined them. "What's the latest on thebulletin board?" she inquired, smiling mischievously.
"Don't laugh, Miriam," rebuked Grace. "Things are serious. Elfreda hassome sort of engagement for Friday night with those two girls. Shealmost told me what it was, then changed her mind and invited me to mindmy own business and leave her room. I'm going to try to find outsomething about Friday night and see that she gets fair play. After thatI shall never trouble myself about her," concluded Grace, her voicetrembling slightly.
"Don't feel so hurt at Elfreda's rudeness, Grace," soothed Miriam. "Shedoesn't mean half she says. She'll be sorry some day."
"I wish 'some day' was before Friday," replied Grace mournfully. "Iwonder who else is to take part in this affair?"
"Watch Miss Wicks and Miss Hampton," advised Anne quietly.
"That's sound advice," agreed Grace. "I appoint you and Miriam as secretservice agents. You must unearth the enemy's plans for Friday night."
"What will you do if we should happen to stumble upon them?" askedMiriam curiously.
"I don't know, yet," said Grace slowly. "It will depend entirely on whatthey are. Since we can't prevent Elfreda from going to her fate, we maybe obliged to go along with her. If I were to ask you girls to dropeverything and follow me on Friday night, would you do it?"
Anne and Miriam nodded.
"Then that's settled," was her relieved comment. "I am going to take twoother girls into our confidence. I shall tell Mabel Ashe and FrancesMarlton. They will come to the rescue if I need them. Besides they arejuniors, and if I am not mistaken, upper class support may be verydesirable before we are through with this affair."
"And all thi
s anxiety over J. Elfreda," smiled Miriam. "But to tell youthe truth, girls, I shall be only too glad to fare forth in the cause ofElfreda. I thought her a terrible cross when she first came, but now Iam positively lonesome without her, and I don't care how soon she comesback."