Part 17 (1/2)

Lucy's secretarys.h.i.+p for Doctor Matthews lasted only three days. During that short s.p.a.ce of time she found out nothing special, bearing on the wrong to Miss Remson which she longed to right. She learned to like the president of Hamilton College better than ever, and wished she might work for him longer. The only item of interest she came across was at his residence. In the secretary's desk there she discovered the New York address of Leslie Cairns in a small red leather address book. To her a.n.a.lytical mind this was proof enough of an acquaintance between the two.

She had not expected to do anything of moment toward helping Miss Remson during those three days. Still she could not help confessing to Marjorie that she was a wee bit disappointed at not having learned a single thing.

”Never mind, Luciferous,” Marjorie had consoled. ”You had the will to help Miss Remson if you did not have the opportunity. It may all come to light when you least expect it. That's the way such things often happen.”

While Lucy had deplored her inability to obtain the desired information she legitimately sought, the Sans loudly deplored among themselves her temporary appointment as secretary. Coupled with it a story had reached the ears of Natalie Weyman and Joan Myers which caused them to flee to Leslie Cairns in a hurry. It had to do with the hazing party the previous February. Joan had been slyly taxed with it first. Pretending innocence, she had made an excuse to leave the senior who had intimated it to her without having betrayed herself in any particular.

Several days afterward she and Natalie Weyman had gone through almost the same experience with two juniors who had appeared to treat the affair as a huge joke. The girl who had first hinted it to Joan had been rather horrified over what she had evidently heard.

”I think it is high time we called Dulcie Vale to account!” Natalie exclaimed stormily, as she finished the recital of what she and Joan had just heard.

The two had burst in upon Leslie, regardless of the ”Busy” sign which now ornamented her door a good deal of the time when she was in her room.

”Calm down, Nat. You are so mad you are fairly shouting. Take seats and have some candy, both of you.” Leslie lazily pushed a huge box of nut chocolates across the table within easy reach of her excited callers.

”Um-m! Glaucaire's best!” Natalie forgot her wrath and helped herself to sweets.

”I had made up my mind before you two burst in with your tale of woe that Dulcie had escaped long enough. I have heard things, too, and just lately. Dulcie is not the only one. She talked to Bess. Bess Walbert is as busy a little news circulator as you'd care to find.”

”What did I tell you?” Natalie cried out in triumph.

”You were right, Nat. I give you credit for reading her correctly. I haven't seen her since the first of the week. When I do--” Leslie nodded her head, looking thoroughly disagreeable. Elizabeth Walbert was in for a very stormy interview with her.

”When will you call the meeting, Les?” anxiously inquired Joan. ”Don't put it off. No telling how much more mischief Dulcie may do if she isn't curbed promptly.”

”Tomorrow night,” Leslie named. ”See as many of the Sans as you can between now and the ten-thirty bell. Don't go near Loretta Kelly's and Della Byron's room. Dulcie goes there a good deal lately. Della is coming to see me this evening after dinner. I'll tell her then. Let me know before the last bell tonight how many of the girls are on, Nat.

Will you?”

”Surely, Leslie dear.” Natalie had simmered down to affability. She was very proud of Leslie's confidence in her.

Left alone, Leslie settled back in her chair very much as her father might have done on the eve of a pitched battle on the stock exchange.

Her eyes roved about her room as she planned where the culprit should stand, where she wished the Sans to group themselves, and where her place as conductor of the arraignment should be.

A half smile flitted across her face as she remembered the last high tribunal she had conducted. This time the culprit was a real one. It had been hard to trump up charges against ”Bean.” There would be no masks worn save the mask of deceit which she would ruthlessly strip from Dulcie, showing her in her true colors. After she was ”all through” with Dulcie she would read the riot act to Bess Walbert. She wished to wait, however, until the soph.o.m.ore unsuspectingly came to her for a favor.

Then she would be shown a side of Leslie she had not dreamed existed.

At twenty minutes after ten Natalie came to Leslie's room with the welcome news that ”every last Sans” except Loretta and Della had been told and would be on hand promptly at eight o'clock the next evening.

”I saw Loretta and Della,” Leslie informed her chum. ”They are wild.

They heard that Dulc told two juniors about my renting that house for six months so we could use it when we hazed Bean. That's a nice report to have in circulation on the campus, now isn't it? Does that sound like Dulc, or doesn't it?”

”Dulcie told that, undoubtedly. There were not more than six or seven of us who knew the terms on which you rented that house. Dulc knew. You always let her into extra private matters because she was one of the old guard. You and she were not so edgeways toward each other until after the night of the masquerade.”

”We never agreed on a single thing. Away back at prep school Dulc and I were always squabbling. In her heart she has never really liked me.

Since the masquerade she has cordially hated me. That's about my feeling toward her. I want her out of the Sans. She is a disgrace to them. I expected Nell Ray would fight for her, but she gave in as nicely as you please.”

”The girls are all down on her for telling tales,” returned Natalie. ”I wonder if she thinks they don't know the way she has gossiped about them?”

”She will know it tomorrow night,” a.s.serted Leslie shortly.