Part 23 (1/2)
When the crowd had shown their appreciation, The Fox said:
”We're going to pick up an Infant at Maxwell. Heard about her?”
”No. Who is she?” asked Helen. ”Not that Infants interest me much now.
We can let the juniors take them in hand. Remember, girls, we are full-fledged seniors this year.”
”You'll have an interest in this new girl,” said Miss c.o.x, with a.s.surance.
”Why?”
”She is Nettie Parsons. You know her father is the big sugar man. He has oodles of money!”
”Lot's of sugar, eh?” chuckled Heavy. ”Hope she'll bring some to school with her. I have a sweet tooth, I hope you know.”
”A tooth! a whole set of sweet teeth, you mean!” cried Ruth.
”I only hope she is nice. I don't care how much money she has,” said Helen, smiling. ”We won't hold her wealth up against her, if she's the right sort.”
”Oh, I'm not fooling,” said The Fox, rather sharply, for she had a short temper, ”to match her red hair,” as Heavy said. ”She'll probably bring trunks full of nice dresses to school and loads of jewelry----”
”Won't that be silly? For Mrs. Tellingham won't let her wear them.”
”Only on state and date occasions,” put in Mercy.
”At any rate, her folks have splendid things. Why! don't you remember about her aunt losing that be-a-utiful necklace last spring?”
”Necklace?” repeated Ruth. ”What sort of a necklace?”
”One of the finest pearl collars in the world, they say. Worth maybe fifty thousand dollars. Wonderful!”
”A pearl necklace?” queried the girl from the Red Mill, her interest growing.
”Yes, indeed.”
”How careless of her!” said Heavy, with a yawn.
”Silly!” exclaimed The Fox. ”It was stolen, of course.”
”By whom?” demanded Ruth.
”Why, if the police knew that, they'd get back the necklace, wouldn't they?” demanded Mary c.o.x, with scorn.
”But I didn't know--they might suspect?” suggested Ruth, meekly.
”They do. Gypsies.”
”Gypsies!” cried Ruth and Helen together. And then the latter began: ”Oh, girls! listen to what happened to Ruth and me only a week ago!”
”Wait a bit, dear,” broke in Ruth. ”Let us know a little more about the lost necklace. Why do they think the Gypsies took it?”
”I'll tell you,” said The Fox. ”You see, this aunt of Nettie's is very, very rich. She comes from California, and she was on to visit the Parsons last spring.