CHAPTER V
A Question of Discipline
At school Claudia rapidly became one of Lorraine's best allies. She madeno undue fuss, but she could always be depended upon for support. Beinga new girl, she was more ready to take up new ways than were the othermonitresses, who remembered the regime of Lily Anderson, and wereinclined to judge everything by former standards. The chief bone ofcontention was the bar between seniors and juniors. Hitherto it had notbeen etiquette for the upper and lower school to mix more than wasabsolutely necessary; the elder girls had held themselves aloof, andeven in the too numerous guilds and societies had insisted upon seniorand junior branches.
Having broken the ice with the social gathering, at which every onealike showed exhibits, Lorraine began to run all her organizations onmore popular lines. She persuaded a few volunteers to superintend thelittle girls' games; she set aside two special pages for their effortsin the manuscript magazine, and allowed them to vote for their owncaptain in their basket-ball club. These fresh departures did not passwithout opposition. Some of her colleagues hinted broadly that Lorrainewas making a bid for popularity.
"Monitresses should be loyal to the Sixth!" sniffed Vivien. "We don'twant to mix with Dick, Tom and Harry!"
"Don't you?" laughed Patsie, who never could resist a shot at Vivien. "Ishould have thought it was just Dick, Tom and Harry you wanted to mixwith, and you're disgusted because it's only Maud, Gertie and Florrie!Honestly, you'd be far happier in a boys' school. You'd better get yourmother to send you to one!"
"There's such a thing as co-education!" retorted Vivien.
"So there is!" chuckled Patsie.
She chuckled thoughtfully, for Vivien's remark had given her an idea.She confided it to Audrey, who was rather a chum of hers.
"I'm a little fed up with the Duchess," she remarked, "and I want toplay a rag on her. I _must_ play a rag on somebody, for things have been_so_ dull lately, and the school wants livening up. She said somethingabout co-education."
"What's co-education?" asked Audrey vaguely.
"Why, boys and girls going to school together. I believe they do it inAmerica, and at just two or three places in England. I'm going topretend that Miss Kingsley's taken it up, and that some boys are cominghere. Vivien would be so _fearfully_ excited. Oh! and I'll tell youwhat"--Patsie's eyes danced--"the most topping notion's just come to me!Let me whisper it!"
Audrey bent a wavy brown head with a pale pink hair ribbon to receivethe communication, then exploded into ripples of laughter.
"Gracie and Sybil! They've got short hair!" she hinnied. "Oh, it will bean absolute stunt!"
The confederates did not publish their plans beforehand. Patsie was anexperienced joker, and knew that the point would be lost if any hintwere to leak out. It was noticeable, however, that in recreation timeshe paraded round the gymnasium arm-in-arm with Gracie Tatham and SybilSnow, two tall Fifth Form girls. The fact was commented upon by Vivienherself.
"Another of Patsie's sudden friendships!" she remarked. "She doesn'tgenerally have two going at the same time. What's come to her?"
"She's weighed down by her responsibility as a monitress, and is tryingto spread culture through the school," explained Audrey, with a gravemouth, but an irrepressible twinkle in her eyes.
"Culture! Great Minerva! I'm sorry for the school if it takes Patsie asa model!"
Vivien, like most of us, was a mixture of faults and virtues. One ofher strong points was punctuality, and on this Patsie counted. She wasnearly always one of the first to enter the cloak-room in the mornings.She liked to look over her lessons and set her books in order. On thefollowing Thursday she turned up as usual at about a quarter to nine,and found, to her surprise, that Patsie and Audrey had already taken offtheir hats, and were tidying their hair in front of the mirror.
"_You_ here! Wonders will never cease! What's brought you out so early?Dear me, there's a large amount of titivating going on! Is all that forMiss Turner's benefit?"
Patsie deliberately fluffed out her hair, twisted a kiss-curl round herfinger, and readjusted her slide before she answered:
"Haven't you heard the news?" she said abstractedly, pushing asideAudrey, who was trying to edge her from the mirror.
"What news?"
"Miss Kingsley's trying a new venture. I think you'll get a surprisewhen you go into our class-room!"
"Of course some boys' schools have really had to be given up for lack ofmasters, so what else can be done while the war's on?" added Audrey.
"What d'you mean?"
"I won't exactly tell you, but I can give you a hint. Look over there!"and Patsie nodded in the direction of the window.
Hanging on hooks were two boys' overcoats and caps. Vivien gazed at themas if thunderstruck.
"Not co-education!" she gasped.
"I don't know what you call it," said Audrey, "but I think it will berather a stunt. Come along, Patsie, and have first innings!"
As the chums ran from the room, Vivien hurriedly buttoned her shoes andtore after them.
"Where are they?" she asked excitedly, catching Audrey by the arm,"What are their names?"
"I don't know any more than yourself yet."
"We'll soon find out," volunteered Patsie flinging open the door of theSixth Form room.
An unusual spectacle certainly greeted them: unusual at any rate in aladies' school. Sitting on the desks with their backs to the door weretwo masculine figures, engaged in the pleasing occupation of peltingeach other with exercise-books.
Apparently they did not hear the girls' entrance, for they continuedtheir conversation.
"Rather a blossomy stunt to be here!"
"Great Judkins, yes! Guess we'll make things hum! I'm nuts on thegirls!"
"Hope they're a decent-looking set!"
"Oh, right enough on the whole! But, old chap, let me tell you there'sone--her name's Vivien----"
Here, to prevent awkward revelations, Vivien interrupted with ajudicious cough. The long, trouser-clad legs slid from the desks, andthe two manly voices ejaculated:
"Hallo! Our new school mates! How d'ye do?"
"Charmed to meet you, I'm sure!"
Quite in a flutter, Vivien advanced, looked, gasped, and spluttered out:
"Gracie and Sybil; you wretches!"
The masculine figures, unmindful of manners, collapsed on to the nearestseats, and sobbed with laughter.
"Took you in this time, old sport! Don't we make killing boys? Ibelieve you were just gone on us both! Oh, how it hurts to laugh! I feelweak!"
"I think you're a pair of idiots!" retorted Vivien. "I don't seeanything funny in it."
"_We_ do, though!" cackled Patsie. "Oh, Vivien, you looked so interestedand excited! It gave me spasms! There, don't get ratty over it! Braceup!"
"It was a jinky joke!" burbled Audrey. "I say, you two, you'd betterscoot quick and do some lightning changing! If Miss Janet comes inthere'll be squalls! She's not quite ready yet for co-education here.Stick on your waterproofs again! There, bolt before you're caught!"
"A nice monitress _you_ are, Patsie Sullivan!" exploded the outragedVivien. "Where's our authority to go to, I should like to know, if youand Audrey put Fifth Form girls up to such tricks? I wonder youcondescend to it! If _I_ were head girl, I can tell you I'd havesomething to say to you! But with these new slack ways there'll be norespect for us left. The school's going to the dogs, in my opinion!"
Patsie and Audrey beat a hurried retreat, for they knew that there wasa certain amount of justice in Vivien's remarks. Their escapade, areport of which would, of course, be circulated through the school,would in no way enhance the authority of the Sixth. They hoped Lorrainewould not hear about it, though it seemed inevitable that it must cometo her ears. As a matter of fact, Lorraine learnt the whole story beforeshe had taken off her boots. She made little comment, but went intoclass with a cloud on her face.
The head girl was going through the difficult experience, shared by allwho are suddenly placed in autho
rity, of trying to hold the reins so asto satisfy everybody. To keep slackers up to the mark without gainingfor herself the unenviable reputation of "a Tartar", to be pleasant withthe juniors without loss of dignity, to preserve old standards whileadopting new ones, called for all the tact she possessed. She often felther cousin a great impediment. Vivien was one of those people who loveto give good advice, and to say what they would do in certaincircumstances, urging on others drastic measures which they wouldprobably never enforce themselves if they happened to be in authority.Sometimes, however, the objections were just, and this was a case inpoint. The matter floated in Lorraine's mind all the morning, as a kindof background to English literature and mathematics. She called amonitresses' meeting for four o'clock that very day.
When afternoon school was over, and Miss Janet, with the big volume ofMilton, had taken her departure, Lorraine assembled her committee,intercepting Patsie and Audrey, who were trying to sneak from the room.
"Look here, you've _got_ to stop!" she assured them.
"I've to call at the dressmaker's; I've brought my bicycle on purpose!"objected Audrey.
"Then the dressmaker will have to wait ten minutes."
"And I'm due at the dentist's," declared Patsie.
"The dentist can wait too! It's most important for us all to be at thismeeting. I can't possibly let any one off it."
Rather sulkily, Audrey and Patsie went back to their desks. Possiblythey might have rebelled, but public opinion was plainly against them.Vivien was looking virtuous, and Dorothy made some pointed remarks aboutduty before pleasure.
"If you think going to the dentist's and having that horrible drillwhirling round and round inside your tooth is a pleasure, I wish you'dgo instead of me," retorted Patsie, flinging her books back into herdesk and banging the lid hard. "You'd be only too welcome to take myplace."
"Don't be shrill, child. Business is business, and the sooner we get itover the better. I want to go home myself."
"I won't keep you all more than a few minutes," interposed Lorraine."What I want to say is this, that though I have openly rather held abrief for the juniors in some ways, I don't mean our authority over themto be in the least lessened. Please don't misunderstand me about it. Wemust thoroughly uphold our dignity as monitresses," (turning areproachful eye on Patsie and Audrey) "and enforce the rules as much asever."
"Hear! hear! It doesn't do to grow slack," said Vivien pointedly.
"We're certainly not going to grow slack. I put it to every monitressto make it a point of honour to keep up discipline. There must be notruckling even with Fifth Form girls. Rules are rules!"
"Right you are, O Queen!"
"We'll be a regular set of dragons!"
"No giving in on our part!"
"Those juniors have been trying it on lately!"
"They're the limit sometimes!"
"Well, I'm glad we're all agreed," remarked Lorraine. "Whatever happens,we must support one another. I need not keep you any longer now. Patsiewants to get away to her dentist."
"Ugh! I don't feel in such a hurry to go and be tortured when it comesto the point," shuddered Patsie.
"But I'm keen on the dressmaker. She's making me the sweetest coat-frockyou ever saw--in brown velveteen with braid trimming!" purred Audrey.
Having decided to keep a tight hand over the turbulent juniors, themonitresses proceeded to live up to their resolution. They inspected thecloak-room, sternly repressed giggling and talking on the stairs, andinsisted upon an orderly queue for the issue of library books. EvenPatsie turned the twinkle in her eye into a glance of reproof. The lowerforms, who had certainly been trying how far they could go, weredisposed to rebel, and gave trouble on one or two occasions, but theslightest attempt at mutiny was met with instant firmness.
"Don't let them master you for a minute," counselled Lorraine. "Ifanything very flagrant happens, report to me, and we'll deal with it inCommittee."
It was only a few days after this, at twenty minutes past two by the bigclock in the hall, that Vivien turned into the Sixth Form room, wheremost of her fellow-monitresses were assembled. Her cheeks were scarlet,and her eyes flashed sparks.
"I've been having _such_ a row with those wretched kids!" she exploded."What do you think a lot of them were doing? Why, they'd actually goneinto the gym., where everything had been placed ready for senior drill,and were racketing about with the clubs and dumb-bells. The second theysaw me they bolted, and made a dash through the far door and out intothe garden, leaving clubs and dumb-bells lying just anywhere. You neversaw such a mess as the gym. was in! I had to send Effie Swan and TheresaDawson to put things in order again. Then I went round to thecloak-room, and asked every single girl if she had been in the gym. Someof them owned up quite frankly, but one told me a deliberate lie."
"A lie! Good gracious! Are you perfectly certain?"
"Absolutely sure. Couldn't be mistaken. I saw her myself in the gym. Shewas the very last to run out."
"The mean little sneak! Lying is the absolute limit!" frowned Lorraine."We can't stand that kind of thing--we shall just have to make anexample of her. Which kiddie was it?"
"I'm frightfully sorry to have to say it--but it was Monica."
There was dead silence for a moment. Lorraine's face was grim.
"Are you perfectly sure, Vivien?" asked Claudia.
"If you saw her, there's no more to be said," declared Lorraineemphatically. "Monica must report herself here after four o'clock, andwe'll deal with the case as it deserves. Nellie, will you please takeher this message," rapidly scribbling the summons on a piece ofexercise-paper, "and tell her she's to come before going to thecloak-room. Dorothy, would you mind fetching me the Guilds Register? I'mgoing to cross off Monica's name. We can't have a liar in any of thesocieties."
"Oh, Lorraine, stop! Don't condemn her unheard!" pleaded Claudia. "Shemay have some excuse to offer."
"Qui s'excuse s'accuse!" returned Lorraine bitterly. "I'm afraid it'sonly too plain."
"But _do_ let me try to find out! Don't be in such a dreadful hurry!Wait a bit!"
"What's the use of waiting? It had better be done now!"
And Lorraine, with a firm hand, drew a thick ink line through the nameof Monica Forrester.
All through afternoon school Lorraine's head was in a whirl. The factthat Monica was her sister made her the more ready to punish herseverely. No one should say that she showed favour to her own family.After the crusade she had made for discipline, it was necessary to bestern. And yet--Monica! She could not credit the child with telling alie. Naughty and wilful she had often been, but deceitful and untruthfulnever. It was indeed a hard blow to be obliged to convict her of suchsneaking behaviour. Yet duty was duty, and Lorraine set her teeth. Justbefore four o'clock Claudia asked permission from the mistress to leavea few minutes earlier, and made her exit while Patsie was collecting theessay books. Lorraine looked at her reproachfully, but of course couldmake no comment before Miss Turner. Directly the latter had taken herdeparture, there came a timid tap at the door, and Monica entered, awhite-faced little figure with big puzzled eyes.
"You sent for me?" she faltered.
"Yes, I did send for you," replied Lorraine grimly. "I want to ask you,before all the monitresses, whether you were in the gym. this afternoon.Give a straight answer, Monica!"
"I've told Vivien I wasn't."
"Do you stick to that?"
"Yes."
"But Vivien saw you!"
"So she says. Can't _you_ believe me, Lorraine?"
Monica's grey eyes were fixed full on her sister's face. There was aquiver in her voice. Lorraine steeled her heart and looked away.
"The word of a monitress is sufficient. I have been obliged to strikeyour name off the Guilds Register, Monica. For this term, at any rate,you won't have the privilege of belonging to any of the societies. Iwant you juniors to understand once and for all that you can't breakrules and tell untruths. If you'd only confess!"
LORRAINE]
; "I can't confess what I've not done!"
"But it's been proved against you, so it's no use persisting in denyingit. I----"
"Stop a moment, Lorraine!" cried Claudia, bursting suddenly into theroom. "It's quite a mistake! It wasn't Monica, after all! I randownstairs and caught those juniors as they came out. I watched theirbacks, and Irene Holt has just the same blue serge and buttons asMonica, and the same coloured hair ribbon. They aren't alike in front,but their back views are absolute twins. I took Irene by the shoulders,and told her I _knew_ she was guilty, and letting the blame fall onMonica, and she threw up the sponge at once, literally howled, andacknowledged it was she who had been in the gym. I told her to go andwait in her own form room, and she's sitting there, boo-hooing for allshe's worth."
"Irene! The little sneak! I'm awfully sorry, Monica!" apologized Vivien.
Lorraine's face cleared like sunlight bursting through a cloud. Herrelief at the turn events had taken was intense.
"Shall I bring up the wretched kid?" asked Claudia.
"Oh, do please forgive her!" pleaded Monica. "She's such a scaredrabbit! She never knows what she's saying!"
"Well, I call that sporting of you!" said Vivien, smacking Monicaheartily on the back. "I vote we just say no more about the wholebusiness. Let Irene scoot off and mop her eyes at home. She's beenpunished enough, I dare say."
"Right you are!" agreed the others readily.
"I'll tell her she may go, then," said Claudia. "Lorraine, for goodness'sake take a penknife and scratch out that score you made throughMonica's name in the Guilds Register. I told you to wait, but you werein such a precious hurry to execute vengeance."
"I'll be only too glad to restore the honour of the family," smiledLorraine.
The Head Girl at the Gables Page 6