Part 28 (1/2)
”You insist that you saw Dorothy Dale and Octavia Travers alight from a police patrol wagon?” asked Miss Crane severely.
”I do!” answered Viola, as solemnly as if taking an oath.
”And that you were told they had been arrested for some theft? Garden stuff, I believe?”
”I heard Nat White, Dorothy Dale's own cousin, say so,” again declared Viola.
”And you had reason to believe he was in earnest?”
”Every reason to believe and know so.”
Miss Crane stopped. She had expected Viola to break down on this cross-examination, but evidently her story was not to be shaken.
”Is that all?” asked the girl with a show of hauteur.
”No,” said Miss Crane. ”I would like you to tell me the whole story.”
”And if I refuse?”
”You surely would not risk dismissal?”
”No risk at all, my dear Miss Crane, I court it,” and all the Spanish fire of Viola's nature flashed and flamed with her words.
”Viola! Do you know what you are saying?”
”Perfectly. Have you finished with the 'third degree?'”
”Refrain from slang, if you please. I never countenance such expressions.”
Viola only smiled. Evidently Miss Crane had reached ”the end of her rope.”
”And you will make no explanation of why you told such a story to the girls of Glenwood?” and the calm voice of the teacher rang out clearly now. ”No other reason to give for depriving one of the sweetest and best of these girls of her happy place among her companions? And that same girl refuses to tell her own story, because of a promise! She must bear all the shame, all the suspicion, all the wrong silently, when everybody knows she is s.h.i.+elding someone. Viola Green, to whom did Dorothy Dale make that promise?”
”How should I know?” replied the other with curled lip.
”Who, then, is Dorothy Dale s.h.i.+elding?”
”s.h.i.+elding? Why, probably her dear friend, Tavia Travers. I don't know, of course. I am merely trying to help you out!”
That shot blazed home--it staggered Miss Crane. She had never thought of Octavia! And she was so close a friend of Dorothy's--besides being over reckless! It might be that Dorothy was s.h.i.+elding Tavia and that she would not and could not break a promise made to the absent member of Glenwood school.
Miss Crane was silent. She sat there gazing at Viola. Her pink and white cheeks a.s.sumed a red tinge.
Viola was victorious again. She had only made a suggestion and that suggestion had done all the rest.
”I will talk to Mrs. Pangborn,” said Miss Crane finally, and she arose and quietly left the room.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE REAL STORY