Jane Allen, Center

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER XIV--BAFFLING STRATEGY

  "Shh! Ssh! Careful!"

  "Keep back, Ted. They'll see your feet!"

  "No bigger than yours!"

  "Hush there, you two rowdies. Do you want to have us all captured?"

  "Larry is pinching me!"

  "Never saw such babies. We will run you all home, if you don't behave.I wish I had the other line to lead. They would--obey."

  "Hush, kids. We'll be expelled. But isn't it too funny?"

  "Might be for you, but I'm choked. If I don't get this mask off soonI'll collapse and you'll have a real funeral."

  Titters and gasps, muffled giggles and escaping "S-sish!" like a steamvalve leaking noise, the sophs and their co-workers among the freshmenwere crowding around Oak Hall for the all-absorbing election. As usualon this occasion the freshies were in a panic of fun. They knew nothingof the agony of being captured by the juniors, and the masked line withthe perfect disguise of gym uniform, and the head winders, found moreways of giving expression to forbidden mirth than even their gigglingreputation credited them with. "The Babes," ever fractious, were simplyexasperating to-night, and Judith, with her scouts, more than oncethreatened to drive them home to bed at the very next whimper.

  Directly back of Oak Hall the plotters plotted. They were to assemblethere, rush into the hall at a given signal, and put the election overbefore the other contingent gained their bearings.

  "All counted?" whispered Judith.

  "Yes," replied Dozia Dalton, "and some to spare."

  "Sure they're ours?" cautioned Judith again.

  "They had the grip," replied Dozia.

  "And the pass word?"

  "I didn't try it."

  "We have to--spies could defeat us."

  "All right. Wait," and the fearless Dozia crept through the line ofmasked figures until she reached number forty-eight. Here she halted.

  "Grip?" she whispered, and the figure gripped.

  "Password?" she ordered again, but no word came.

  "Give the password," she hissed into the ear--this time very distinctly.But only a mumble came from the now shifting mask.

  "Step out!" ordered Dozia, and the girl in place "forty-eight"instantly ducked the line and ran toward the lake, Dozia close at herheels.

  "You may as well stop!" called the soph. "We will get you if we have toput off this election to do it."

  But the figure only yanked its bloomers higher above knees, giving morefreedom for action, and clearing every sort of woody obstacle, dashedon. Dozia gave a muffled "Coo-ee." She required help to overtake thespy. And the chimes were striking seven--the hour of attack! A runnerknown by her stout stick and shorter skirt answered the coo-ee callimmediately. When within hearing Dozia ordered:

  "Go ahead! Don't mind me! I will take care of Forty-Eight," and back tothe now moving line the runner made her way to relay Dozia's answer.

  "Now!" signalled Judith. "One, two, three! Go!"

  The rush that followed this order did full credit to the wild occasion.Scrambling, pushing, urging, shoving, all fighting to gain entrance toOak Hall, and there to hold the fort against the opposition, the massof determined girls forced their way on.

  Those who actually fell by the wayside were automatically picked up,and carried on with the tide, so that once the hall was reached it tookbut a few seconds to surround the ballot boxes, secure the officialblackboard, and begin the election before the other side had recoveredfrom its shock of surprise, caused by the commotion.

  Judith was chairman of candidates. It was her duty to report onnominations. Edith Lee and Minette Brockton were clerks of election;Dorothy Blyden and Grazia St Clair, inspectors. Judith jumped to theplatform over the foot lights (unlighted to-night) and reached therostrum without the slightest hint of formality. Forthwith she shouted:

  "We are here to elect the class president for '20. We have a candidateunanimously chosen. I shall give the name to the clerk."

  She then passed to Edith Lee a slip of paper. From this Edith promptlyread:

  "Jane Allen, '20."

  There was a roar of applause, and then followed a mumble of objection.The applause attempted to drown the call for an opportunity to beheard.

  "Madam Chairman! Madam Chairman! Mrs. Chair! The chair! Hear! Hear!"

  "Prepare your ballots!" came the order from the chair, ignoring thecall from the floor.

  There was no need to give this last call, for scarcely Judith utteredthe word "prepare" than the girls, all primed for the cue, made anotherrush for the ballot box.

  By this time the other side had "gained consciousness," as Minetteexpressed it, and were massing to form a blockade. To reach the ballotbox, deposit the votes every one of which was correctly signed, then toseize the box, count the votes and announce the winner would constitutea legal election. And some work!

  In spite of the scramble and seeming disorder, every turn of theproceeding was carried out according to parliamentary rules--all but onedetail: the candidate had not accepted the nomination.

  "Where is she? Where is Jane Allen? Jane, dig in!" came shout aftershout, as the girls pressed their way to the little box, therein todeposit the fateful slip of yellow paper. But Jane did not appear.

  Nevertheless the voting went on, wildly, madly.

  Groups of the opposition surrounded groups of the less experiencedgirls--those among the freshmen, but captives were quickly released bythe forceful breaking in of the sophs. The call for Jane grew wilderand more persistent.

  "Is she hiding?" someone asked.

  "Jane Allen hide!" came back the indignant denial. "You don't know yourcandidate."

  "Where is she? Produce her, or we shall challenge the election!" Thislast threat came from the gallery, and was known to have been utteredin a faculty voice. Now Jane must really be produced.

  "Quick! Get the boxes. They are all in," gasped the panting Judith."Jump into the side room and get counting before the others can lineup, and we will go for Jane. We will not come back without her."

  "Fraud! Fraud! Stuffed boxes! Unparliamentary! Against the rules!Where's your candidate?" came the repeated and reiterated shouts untileven the lustiest among them cracked her voice and fell back on groans.

  "They can't do it," insisted a cry for the opposition.

  "Yes, we can. We will have our candidate here on time to accept," cameback the equally determined rejoinder.

  "Clear the floor. Balloting is over for the count. Polls closed! Time'sup, clear the floor for counting!" came the well-known official voicefrom the gallery.

  "Shame! Outrage! Fraud!" muttered the vanquished horde, but Judith andGrazia were scouring for Jane.

  Without the presence of the candidate she could not be legally elected.

  But where on earth was the invisible and elusive Jane!