CHAPTER XXII
THE HARPIST ONCE MORE
Over all, Ruth wore a woolen sweater--one of those stretchy, clingingcoats with great pearl buttons that was just the thing for a skatingfrolic. It had been her one reckless purchase since being atBriarwood, she and Helen having gone down into Lumberton on Saturdayand purchased coats. While Ruth and Tom were yet some yards from theopen water the girl began to unbutton this.
"Careful, Tom!" she gasped. "Not too near--wait!"
"It's thick 'way to the edge," he returned, pantingly.
"No, it isn't. That's why Mary Cox went in. I saw the ice break underher when she tried to turn and escape."
Thus warned, Tom dug the heel of his right skate into the ice as abrake, and they slowed down.
Ruth let go of his hand and wriggled out of her coat in a moment. Thenshe dropped to her knees and slid along the ice, while Tom flunghimself forward and traveled just as though he were sliding down hill.
"Take this, Tom!" cried Ruth, and tossed the coat to him. "We'll makea chain--I'll hold your feet. Not too near!"
"Hold on, Bobbins!" yelled young Cameron. "We'll have you out in aminute!"
Mary Cox had screamed very loudly at first; and she struggled with herfellow victim, too. Bob Steele was trying to hold her up, but finallyhe was obliged to let her go, and she went under water with a gurglingcry.
"Grab her again, Bobbins!" called Tom, flinging Ruth's coat ahead ofhim, but holding firmly to it himself by the two sleeves.
"I've got her!" gasped Bob Steele, his teeth chattering, and up The Foxcame again, her hair all dripping, and her face very pale.
"Good!" said Tom. "She's swallowed enough water to keep her still fora while--what? Come on, now, old boy! Don't wait! Catch hold!"
As Ruth had warned him, the edge of the ice was fragile. He dared notpush himself out too far with the sharp toes of his skates. He dugthem into the ice now hard, and made another cast with the coat.
His chum caught it. Tom drew them slowly toward the edge of the ice.Ruth pulled back as hard as she could, and together they managed towork their bodies at least two yards farther from the open water. Theice stopped cracking under Tom's breast.
There was the ring of skates and shouting of voices in their ears, andRuth, raising herself slightly, looked around and screamed to the crowdto keep back. Indeed, the first of Tom's school friends would haveskated right down upon them had they not thus been warned.
"Keep back!" Ruth cried. "We can get them out. Don't come nearer!"
Tom seconded her warning, too. But mainly he gave himself up to thework of aiding the two in the water. Bob Steele lifted the girl up--hewas a strong swimmer even in that icy bath--and did it with one hand,too, for he clung to Ruth's coat with the other.
Mary Cox began to struggle again. Fortunately Bob had her half uponthe ice. Tom reached forward and seized her shoulder. He dragged backwith all his strength. The ice crashed in again; but Mary did not fallback, for Tom jerked her heavily forward.
"Now we've got her!" called Tom.
And they really had. Mary Cox was drawn completely out of the water.Mr. Hargreaves, meanwhile, had flown to the rescue with two of thebigger boys. They got down on the ice, forming a second living chain,and hitching forward, the tutor seized the half-conscious girl's hand.The others drew back and dragged Mr. Hargreaves, with the girl, to firmice.
Meanwhile Tom, with Ruth to help him, struggled manfully to get BobSteele out. That youngster was by no means helpless, and theyaccomplished the rescue smartly.
"And that's thanks to you, Ruthie!" declared Tom, when the tutor andMiss Reynolds had hurried the half-drowned girl and young Steele off tothe _Minnetonka_. "I'd never have gotten him but for you--and look atyour coat!"
"It will dry," laughed the girl from the Red Mill. "Let's hurry afterthem, Tom. You're wet a good deal, too--and I shall miss my coat,being so heated. Come on!"
But she could not escape the congratulations of the girls and boys whenthey reached the steamboat. Even Mary Cox's closest friends gatheredaround Ruth to thank her. Nobody could gainsay the fact that Ruth hadbeen of great help in the recovery of Mary and Bob from the lake.
But Helen! had the other girls--and Miss Reynolds--not been in thelittle cabin of the boat which had been given up to the femininemembers of the party, she would have broken down and cried on Ruth'sshoulder. To think that she had been guilty of neglecting her chum!
"I believe I have been bewitched, Ruthie," she whispered. "Tom, Iknow, is on the verge of scolding me. What did you say to him?"
"Nothing that need trouble you in the least, you may be sure, Helen,"said Ruth. "But, my dear, if it has taken such a thing as_this_--which is not a thing to go into heroics over--to remind youthat I might possibly be hurt by your treatment, I am very sorryindeed."
"Why, Ruth!" Helen gasped. "You don't forgive me?"
"I am not at all sure, Helen, that you either need or want myforgiveness," returned Ruth. "You have done nothing yourself for whichyou need to ask it--er, at least, very little; but your friends haveinsulted and been unkind to me. I do not think that I could havecalled girls _my_ friends who had treated you so, Helen."
Miss Cox had retired to a small stateroom belonging to one of theofficers of the boat, while her clothing was dried by the coloredstewardess. Bob Steele, however, borrowed some old clothes of some ofthe crew, and appeared when the lunch was ready in those nondescriptgarments, greatly adding to the enjoyment of the occasion.
"Well, sonny, your croup _will_ bother you sure enough, after thatdip," declared his sister. "Come! let sister tuck your bib in like anice boy. And _don't_ gobble!"
Bob was such a big fellow--his face was so pink, and his hair soyellow--that Madge's way of talking to him made him seem highly comic.The fellows from Seven Oaks shouted with laughter, and the girlsgiggled. Mr. Hargreaves and Miss Reynolds, both relieved beyondexpression by the happy conclusion of what might have been a veryserious accident, did not quell the fun; and fifty or sixty youngpeople never had such a good time before in the saloon of the lakesteamer, _Minnetonka_.
Suddenly music began somewhere about the boat and the young folk beganto get restive. Some ran for their skates again, for the idea was toremain near the steamer for a while and listen to the music beforegoing back to shore. The music was a piano, guitar, violin, and harp,and when Ruth heard it and recognized the latter instrument she wassuddenly reminded of Miss Picolet and the strange harpist who (shefirmly believed) had caused the startling sound at the fountain.
"Let's go and see who's playing," she whispered to Helen, who had clungclose to her ever since they had come aboard the steamboat. And as Tomwas on the other side of his sister, he went with them into the forwardpart of the boat.
"Well, what do you know about _that_?" demanded Tom, almost before thegirls were in the forward cabin. "Isn't that the big man with the redwaistcoat that frightened that little woman on the _Lanawaxa_? Youknow, you pointed them out to me on the dock at Portageton, Helen?Isn't that him at the harp?"
"Oh! it is, indeed!" ejaculated his sister. "What a horrid man he is!Let's come away."
But Ruth was deeply interested in the harpist. She wondered whatknowledge of, or what connection he had with, the little Frenchteacher, Miss Picolet. And she wondered, too, if her suspicionsregarding the mystery of the campus--the sounding of the harpstring inthe dead of night--were borne out by the facts?
Had this coarse fellow, with his pudgy hands, his corpulency, hisdrooping black mustache, some hold upon Miss Picolet? Had he followedher to Briarwood Hall, and had he made her meet him behind the fountainjust at that hour when the Upedes were engaged in hazing Helen andherself? These thoughts arose in her mind again as Ruth gazedapprehensively at the ugly-looking harpist.
Helen pulled her sleeve and Ruth was turning away when she saw that thelittle, piglike eyes of the harpist were turned upon them. He smiledin his sly way and actually nodded at them.
"He isn't any handsome object, that's a fact," muttered Tom. "And thecheek of him--nodding to you two girls!"
After the excitement of the accident on the lake our friends did notfeel much like skating until it came time to go back to the landing.Mr. Hargreaves was out on the ice with those students of the twoschools who preferred to skate; but Miss Reynolds remained in thecabin. Mary Cox had had her lunch in the little stateroom, wrapped inblankets and in the company of an oil-stove, for heat's sake. Now shecame out, re-dressed in her own clothes, which were somewhat mussed andshrunken in appearance.
Helen ran to her at once to congratulate Mary on her escape. "Andwasn't it lucky Tom and Ruth were so near you?" she cried. "And dearold Ruthie! she's quite a heroine; isn't she? And you must meet Tom."
"I shall be glad to meet and thank your brother, Helen," said The Fox,rather crossly. "But I don't see what need there is to make a fussover Fielding. Your brother and Mr. Hargreaves pulled Mr. Steele andme out or the lake."
Helen stepped back and her pretty face flushed. She had begun to seeMary Cox in her true light. Certainly she was in no mood just then tohear her chum disparaged. She looked around for Tom and Ruth; theformer was talking quietly with Miss Reynolds, but Ruth had slippedaway when The Fox came into the cabin.
Mary Cox walked unperturbed to the teacher and Tom and put out her handto the youth, thanking him very nicely for what he had done.
"Oh, you mustn't thank me more than the rest of them," urged Tom. "Atleast, I did no more than Ruthie. By the way, where _is_ Ruthie?"
But Ruth Fielding had disappeared, and they did not see her again untilthe call was given for the start home. Then she appeared from theforward part of the boat, very pale and silent, and all the way to theshore, skating between Tom and Helen, she had scarcely a word to say.
Ruth Fielding at Briarwood Hall; or, Solving the Campus Mystery Page 22