CHAPTER XV
THE NIGHT OF THE HARPOCRATES
It was from Heavy Stone that Ruth first learned of an approachingfestival, although her own room-mate was the prime mover in the fete.But of late she and Helen had had little in common outside of studyhours and the classes which they both attended. Since the launching ofthe Sweetbriars Helen had deliberately sought society among the Upedes,and especially among the quartette who dwelt next door to the chums.
"And she is going to have almond cakes. She says she has an old nursenamed Babette who makes the most de-lic-i-ous almond cakes--Is that so,Ruth Fielding?"
Heavy had been enthusiastically discussing this subject with hernearest neighbor on the other side from Ruth, at the dining table. ButRuth had caught the name of "Babette" and knew that Heavy spoke ofHelen Cameron.
"Is what so?" she asked the plump girl.
"Why, it's about your spoon's box from home. I told _you_, you know,to be sure and have the folks send you one; but Helen Cameron's gotahead of you. And whisper!" pursued Jennie Stone, in a lowered tone,"tell her not to invite too many girls to the Night of Harpocrates.Remember!"
Ruth was a bit puzzled at first. Then she remembered that Harpocrateswas the Egyptian god of silence, and that his sign was a rose. Theexpression "sub-rosa" comes from that root, or "under the rose." Itwas evident that there were to be "midnight orgies" when Helen'sgoodies came from home.
One of the quartettes on their corridor had indulged in a fudge partyafter hours already, and Ruth had been invited to be present. But shefound that Helen was not going, so she refused. Besides, she was verydoubtful about the propriety of joining in these forbidden pleasures.All the girls broke that retiring rule more or less--or so it seemed.But Miss Picolet could give such offenders black marks if she wished,and Ruth craved a clean sheet in deportment at the end of the half.
She wondered how and when Helen proposed to hold the "supper sub-rosa";but she would not ask. Not even when the great hamper arrived (beingbrought up from Lumberton by Old Dolliver, who only drove his stageevery other day to Seven Oaks at this time of year) did she ask Helen asingle question. Tony Foyle brought the hamper up to Duet Two in theWest Dormitory and it just fitted into the bottom of Helen's closet.Heavy could not keep away from the door of the room; whenever the doorwas opened and Ruth raised her eyes from the table where she was atwork, there was the broad, pink and white face of the fat girl, hereyes rolling in anticipation of the good things--Mary Cox declaredHeavy fairly "drooled at the mouth!"
The arrival of the hamper was not unnoticed by the sharp eyes of MissPicolet; but advised by the wily Miss Cox, Helen unpacked a certainportion of the good things and, during the afternoon, asked permissionof Miss Scrimp to make tea and invite some of the girls to the duet tosample her goodies. The French teacher was propitiated by the gift ofa particular almond cake, frosted, which Helen carried down to her roomand begged her to accept. Helen could be very nice indeed, if shewished to be; indeed, she had no reason to be otherwise to MissPicolet. And the teacher had reason for liking Helen, as she had shownmuch aptitude for the particular branch of study which Miss Picolettaught.
But although most of the girls In the West Dormitory, and some others,were asked to Helen's tea (at which Ruth likewise did the honors, and"helped pour") there was an undercurrent of joking and innuendo amongcertain of the visitors that showed they had knowledge of furtherhidden goodies which would, at fit and proper season, be divulged.Jennie Stone, gobbling almond cakes and chocolate, said to Ruth:
"If this is a fair sample of what is to be divulged upon the Night ofHarpocrates, I shall fast on that day--now mind!"
When the girls had gone Ruth asked her chum, point-blank, if sheproposed to have a midnight supper.
"A regular debauch!" declared Helen, laughing. "Now, don't be prim andprudish about it, Ruthie. I won't have it in here if you don'twant----"
"Why not?" demanded Ruth, quickly. "Don't think of going to any otherroom."
"Well--I didn't know," stammered her chum. "You being such a sticklerfor the rules, Ruth. You know, if we _should_ get into trouble----"
"Do you think that _I_ would complain?" asked Ruth, proudly. "Don'tyou trust me any more, Helen?"
"Oh, Ruthie! what nonsense!" cried her chum, throwing her arms aboutRuth Fielding's neck. "I know you'd be as true as steel."
"I did not think the suggestion could have come from your own heart,Helen," declared Ruth.
So the second night thereafter was set for the "sub-rosa supper."Slily the chums borrowed such plates and cups as the other girls hadhidden away. Not a few quartette rooms possessed tea-sets, they beingthe joint possession of the occupants of that particular study. Atretiring bell on this eventful night all things were ready, including aspirit lamp on which to make chocolate, hidden away in Helen Cameron'sshirt-waist box.
Ruth and Helen went to bed after removing their frocks and shoes onlyand waited to hear the "cheep, cheep" of Miss Scrimp's squeaky shoes asshe passed up through the house, turning down the hall lights, and thenwent down again. The hour for the girls to gather was set forhalf-past ten. First of all, however, The Fox was to go down andlisten at Miss Picolet's door to make sure that she had gone to bed.Then Miss Cox was to tap softly but distinctly at the door of eachinvited guest as she came back to their corridor.
Meanwhile Helen and Ruth popped out of bed (it had been hard to liethere for more than an hour, waiting) and began to lay out the things.The bedspreads were laid back over the foot of each bed and the feastwas laid out upon the bed-clothes. Mary Cox warned them to have thespreads ready to smooth up over the contraband goodies, should theFrench teacher get wind of the orgy.
"Forewarned is forearmed," urged Mary Cox. "We know what old Picolet_is_!"
"But 'four-armed' doesn't always mean 'fore-handed'," chuckled JennieStone.
"Nor quadrumanous!" snapped the Fox. "If _you_ had four hands, Heavy,there would be little chance for any of the rest of us at Helen'sparty. My goodness me! how you _would_ mow the good things away if youhad four hands instead of two."
"It isn't that I'm really piggish," complained Miss Stone. "It'sbecause I need more nourishment; there is so much of me, you know,Mary."
"And if you hadn't been stuffing yourself like a Strasburg goose allyour life, there wouldn't be so much of you. Ha! it's the old story ofthe hen and the egg--which was here first? If you didn't eat so muchyou wouldn't be so big, and if you weren't so big you wouldn't eat somuch."
All this, however, was said after the girls had begun to gather inNumber 2 duet, and Belle Tingley, who had drawn the unlucky shorttoothpick, was banished to the corridor to keep watch--but with a greatplateful of goodies and the "golden goblet" used in the hazingexercises, filled to the brim with hot chocolate.
"Though, if Miss Picolet is awake she'll smell the brew and will be uphere instanter," declared the Fox, crossly, as Belle insisted in havingher share of the drinkables as well as eatables.
Miss Picolet was forgotten in the fun and the feasting, however. Therewere twenty girls in the room, and they had to sit on the floor in tworows while Ruth and Helen passed out the good things. And my! theywere good! Lovely chicken salad mayonnaise, served on a fresh lettuceleaf (the lettuce being smuggled in that very day in the chums' washbasket)--a little dab to each girl. There were little pieces ofgherkins and capers in the mayonnaise, and Heavy reveled in this dish.The most delicious slices of pink ham between soft crackers--and othersandwiches of anchovy paste and minced sardines. _These_ were the"solids."
Cakes, sweet crackers, Babette's cookies and lady-fingers were heapedon other plates, ready to serve.
"My!" exclaimed Lluella Fairfax, "isn't that lay-out enough to punishour poor digestive organs for a month? The last time we were caughtand brought up before Mrs. Tellingham she warned us that sweetcake andpickles were as immoral as yellow-covered novels!"
"And she proved it, too," laughed the Fox. "She declared that a girl,or woman withou
t a good digestion could not really fill her rightfulplace in the world and accomplish that which we are each supposed todo. Oh, the Madam always proves her point."
"And I _was_ sick for a week afterward," sighed Lluella. "And had totake _such_ a dose!"
At that moment, without the least forewarning, there came a smart rapon the door. The sound smote the company of whispering, laughing girlsinto a company of frightened, trembling culprits. They hardly daredbreathe, and when the commanding rap came for a second time neitherRuth nor Helen had strength enough in their limbs to go to the door.
Ruth Fielding at Briarwood Hall; or, Solving the Campus Mystery Page 15