Jane Allen, Center

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER XXVI--ANGELS UNAWARES

  The big dance was over. Wellington had entertained the Breslinsroyally, and not even the absence of "real men" effected a barrierbetween the romping college girls and the best of good times. In fact,as the girls were wont to declare, it was a lot more fun without boysat college. Of course boys have their place, and that specifically atdances, but those who have ever enjoyed the privilege of participatingin a girls' dance at a big college, testify to the genuineness of themirth, the joyousness of such an entertainment.

  Basketball games were now being run off from a schedule that filled inevery date from the height of the season to the Christmas vacation.

  As Jane and Judith had predicted early in the term, sports had reachedthe acme of popularity at Wellington, and so well was the spirit andteam work developed, that the usual small talk, and smaller squabbleswere almost entirely obliterated, from the school curriculum--thatfurnished by the students, and not announced in the officialprospectus.

  Marian Seaton and Dolorez Vincez still "teamed up" and were under theever watchful eye of the faculty, but the authoritative bomb had notyet actually exploded, and both girls appeared to hold their places inspite of Mrs. Weatherbee's threat, concerning the proposed beautyparlor offence. But Dolorez played no more basketball.

  Nor had the beauty shop enterprise been abandoned, though just who wasactually responsible for the little cottage now undergoing repair, withthe evident intent of opening up, no one was prepared to announce.

  Jane, true to her promise, had quickly spread the word of disapprovalamong the student body, and in this she was ably supported and promptlyassisted by Judith. It took little effort to convince the girls thatWellington would not permit her pupils to be canvassed in any businessinterest, and possibly, the character of the enterprise, being soclosely allied to rampant vanity, had something to do with the quickreaction to their own disapproval.

  With interest almost mounting to anxiety Jane watched for the localpaper, the _Bugle_, published at the end of each month. She had reasonto fear it would contain some material not given officially by thepress committee of the college. The intimacy of Marian Seaton with thereporter was interpreted by both Judith and Jane as presaging troublein print, and in the time elapsing, that fear of some disclosureconcerning Helen grew in intensity with Jane, and was shared by thereliable and ever considerate Judith.

  One morning early in December Jane received a little note from Helen,who, according to Mrs. Weatherbee's arrangements, was doing her workquietly, and without the possibility of companions well meant thoughperhaps unthinking.

  Helen took her exercise with the others, ate her meals in therefectory, went to a few lectures, but outside of that she was leadingsuch a school life as an artist or a very serious student might beexpected to adhere to. All her rollicking good humored individualitywas suddenly swallowed up in what appeared to her companions asconcentration, but Jane and Judith surmised it was associated with amore serious and less ordinary condition of affairs.

  With uncertain fingers Jane tore open the little note inscribed in thepeculiarly foreign vertical penmanship. She feared it might be a goodbye, or at least the forerunner of a farewell, as Helen for two monthspast seemed to be at Wellington only from moment to moment, ready toleave at a word--the word Jane had so well forestalled up to thepresent. The missive, however, was not an adieu. It ran as follows:

  "My dearest friend:

  "You have been very patient with Helen. Each day I have longed for the pleasure of throwing open to you my anguished heart, but every day comes, and is closed by a night as dark as that before, and still I must wait--wait!

  "The little card tied to my flowers I send with this. The name on it is almost sacred to me, and the sight of that name gave me the shock you witnessed. I felt he must be near, and that soon I would see him, but now I know it was all a cruel hoax, and I the victim of that hateful girl, who has so much wronged me, here at this beautiful school!

  "I must tell you, my friend, that I did not know that other woman (she is more than girl), the black-eyed, black-haired foreigner. But now I know her. She was at Blindwood, and there with her then yellow hair, she taught in the gym. So it was she who perpetrated this outrage--she who thought it smart to see me almost faint with hope from the word written on my flower card.

  "But have patience, my friend, and all will still be well, with your grateful and affectionate

  "Helen."

  The fateful card fell into Jane's lap. On it was written the words:

  "To beloved Helka from Stanislaus."

  She turned over and over the innocent bit of pasteboard. And that wasall--just those two names. What did it mean? Who was Stanislaus?

  Pondering still on the new mystery Jane recalled that a boy had beenmentioned in connection with the mysterious fainting spell Helensuffered, just before leaving Miss Jordan's apartment in New York. Janeherself had seen someone in the lower hall, as she went out that daywith Judith, and in innocent prattle, one of the freshmen had chargedJane with having a boy caller while in New York. Now, all this wasrecalled by the sinister act of Marian Seaton and Dolorez Vincez, whomaliciously put those two names together on that fatal card presentedto Helen after her triumph.

  The card and Helen's letter still lay in Jane's lap when a tap with itsthree trills, Judith's code, touched the door. Not waiting for aresponse Judith was in the room, almost before Jane had a chance to putthe mystery safely under cover.

  "Jane, Redhead, Bricktop, and Carroty, et al," cried Judith. "Stop,Look and Listen! We are going to have a big public concert and we aregoing to have it in Martineau Hall. Now, who says Wellington is out ofdate, and a back number?"

  "Whoever has dared to say such a thing?" recharged Jane. "I am sure Ihave never heard of any such accusation. But why the excitement? Whatis the answer?"

  "Don't you know? It's to be a big public benefit. And we are to selltickets by mail, to all the home folks, and I can send a whole strip tomy cowboy, one Fedario----"

  "Oh, do be sensible, Judy. I can't see any good reason for being crazyover a mere concert."

  "That's because you don't know the real joy of going crazy. I have beenwhoopeeing all over the place, and everyone but you whoopeed with me.Now, you get the dipper out, and threaten me with a cold plunge. Don't,Jane dear. Go ahead, come on, be crazy with me," and she all butsmothered the defenceless Jane in her own good sofa pillows.

  "All right," agreed Jane. "Consider me crazy. Now proceed."

  "You are on the committee to get the talent. That may mean a trip toNew York. I know why you got that."

  "Why?"

  "Well, Drusilla said, and you know what a wizard Dru is--she said thefaculty knew that if a Wellington check should go to protest on thehigh 'C' of some prima donna, that Henry Allen, per Redhead Jane, wouldmake it all right at the bank."

  It took a moment for that statement to filter through Jane's brain.Then she laughed.

  "Oh, nonsense, Judy! You know perfectly well there are plenty of girlshere richer than I am."

  "Oh, yes, that is quite true, little one. But no girl is more generous,and this affair is to be one grand clean up of every old debt everwished on our Alma Mater. Even the protested butcher bill I hear is tobe paid up after the concert, and we are to go on chops again. Cheers!"

  "Joking aside, it will be nice to have a real affair," assented Jane,"and I am sure we can get a wonderful array of talent. But why shouldyou think I may be asked to interview the talent?"

  "Well, the Weatherbee is going to town, and she couldn't go alone. Someone might steal her, and she insinuated she might take Miss Allen. Itappears there is one star she must see by hand. So I predict, luckyone, you will duck that much discussed and disgusting forensic. WhilstI pine, and tar, and tarry: being the only friend of Jane Allen," andJudith made an absurd attempt to sob, with the disastrous result of agag, and choking fit, upsetting, fo
r the moment, coherent speech.

  Jane wanted to tell her chum of Helen's letter, but hesitated, theexuberant spirits fizzing and bubbling over the proposed concert,reminded Jane, that Judith was first a girl, second the confidant. Itwould be rash to impose upon her at that moment, the serious portend ofHelen's affairs.

  "And have you heard about the beauty parlor?" further effused Judith.

  "What's new?"

  "Dolorez is packing, ready to check out."

  "You mean she is leaving college?"

  "College is leaving her, she has been requested to avaunt."

  "Oh, what do you mean, Judy? Has Dolorez been expelled?"

  "Well, it was this way," and the tantalizing girl propped her head morecompactly with an extra cushion. "It seems she went right on with thescheme, in the very face of all protests. The people she had interestedrefused to withdraw, on so simple a difficulty as a Wellington blockadeor boycott--take your choice. Then, when Dolorez kept going out, andcoming in, and lugging furniture from the village, and pinning upimpossible curtains with Wellington hammer and tacks, Mrs. Weatherbeejust called her before President Blakesly and Dean Rutledge. They hadan interesting session in Warburton Hall, Dol shed a few tears of sheerrage, then crumbled up in a tailor-made heap--and cried 'Kamerad!'"

  "Judy, has Dolorez gone?"

  "She hasn't kissed me good bye yet, and I do hope she will not fail toavail herself of the privilege. But I fancy she is about on the wing bynow. I saw old Peter with his ground plane, and I think I knew thetrunk."

  "I wanted to appeal to Dolorez not to--injure Helen, Judith." Jane saidin her most sober tone, emphasized with the serious title Judithinstead of Judy. "I have felt she must have enough kindness somewhereto listen to reason, and you know, she is the only one here who knewHelen at Blindwood. Out there perhaps, our little girl had not senseenough to be as conservative as she is now, and it is quite possibleDolorez knows more about the troubles than do you or I."

  "I wouldn't wonder, Jane," replied Judith, also assuming a serioustone. "I have heard so many remarks the origin of which I have laid atDolorez' door. That nonsense about a boy calling in New York was purelyher mental output, the brand being plainly marked with her particularidentification code. But how is our little Helen? Haven't seen her in arock of ages."

  "She is better alone, and doing wonderful work at her studies and hermusic. I had a note from her just now. She says we must be patient andsoon she will be able to--emerge from her shadow. She sends her love,etc."

  "The dear!" and Judith's eyes melted with a sentiment as sincere asthat now engulfing the gray orbs of Jane. "Whoever would have thoughtwe would have this struggle to keep her in her well-earned place inWellington? Isn't it true, Janey dear, that trouble begets trouble?"

  "It seems too true to be pleasant just now," replied Jane. "But, Judy,we have come through. We have given Helen a chance here she could neverhave otherwise obtained. And she has been so worth while."

  "We have given it to her! You mean you have done so! Ages ago I shouldhave scared the poor child off with my foolish questioning, andsomehow, that remarkable redhead of yours knew better. I believe redhair only grows in gray matter."

  "All the same, Judy dear, I should have been helpless without you. Ibelieve Heaven makes girls in pairs."

  "Then I insist you were the pattern, and they liked it so well afterthey had a chance to look you over, that they gave me some of the sameeffect. There, wouldn't our theology shock the Theo. Faculty? But Iknow one thing, girl, I am perfectly sure Heaven loves girls who lovethemselves."

  "Back to earth, my dear," commanded Jane. "Has our basketball secretaryfixed up the new schedule? Aren't we making a fine record this year?"

  "Oh, we started out to do that, to the last question; and to the first,yes, Constance has fixed up the schedule, she announced it at thepractice from which you were excused. But, Jane, I had the darlingestletter from one of the Breslins, Marie Condon. She insists you have asystem, and wants a line on it. She said Katherine, who fumbled in thebig game and gave you the ball, never was known to do anything likethat before. Now, Jane, did you actually and truly hypnotize her?"

  "Silly, I merely used the regular strategy. She did keep her gaze fixedon me instead of the ball----"

  "Oh, well, your beauty did the trick then. It's all the same," finishedthe effervescent Judith. "I have known your eyes to do that to littleme, and I never could stand up under your old-time ingrown smile."

  "Judy, I have sent sweet little Mrs. Meeker all the six samples, and Iwant to compliment you on yours. It was very prettily done, and Iwouldn't wonder if some very nice soldier, or his girl, would write youa little letter of thanks. I took pains to mark each sampler with thename and address of the Mirabelle Dictu who finished it. Helen did two.Dickey couldn't finish hers."

  "Oh, that's lovely, Janie. I am so glad to have had just one more pieceof war work to my credit. We begin to miss the dreadful war. And I amsure Mrs. Meeker will be overjoyed to get her pretty beaded pieces allso nicely finished. That was another of your inspirations, Jane."

  "Judy, I will not stand for any more compliments. They make me feel soself conscious. You surely don't want a perfect angel for a chum, doyou?"

  "Couldn't do a thing with a perfect angel but shoo her back to heaven.No, sister-chum, we are all very human, but I think rather prettilyso," and she stood before the small mirror over Jane's dresser, framingher face with a satisfied smile, no one could have blamed her for.

  "Away away! Je-u-ty--calls," mocked Jane, paraphrasing "Duty" to offsetbeauty. "Take thyself hence, and dig in. We are having a lovely time,but even a good time has its limitations--at Wellington."