Part 12 (2/2)
”You'll keep it dark?” she asked, realizing that wholesale neatness would arouse Miss Watson's suspicions and that the game would be up.
”Certainly,” said Judith a little stiffly, wondering that Genevieve would ask her--Nancy wouldn't have, nor Josephine; but then neither would Nancy have taken advantage of Miss Watson's short sight in order to present each week the same set of underwear kept especially for the purpose.
”Yes; certainly she's clever, but she's got queer ideas about some things,” thought Judith as Genevieve began again on the meanness of the person who wrote the anonymous letter.
”I'd give anything I've got,” was Genevieve's parting word, ”if I could find out who did it.”
”So would I,” was Judith's thought as she dressed for a walk. ”We've just _got_ to find out, for Sally May and Catherine look perfectly wretched--as if Sally May _would_; but some of them believe it. _How_ Genevieve can act! She just hoodwinked Miss Watson completely; looked like a good little prig who'd done everything she ought to do--and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. I guess she'll go on the stage when she leaves school--it would be interesting to have people applauding. I believe she was glad I was there to see her do it--and I believe--she was glad the girls were round to sympathize when she got the letter--”
Perhaps it was because of her determination to help Sally May and Catherine, perhaps because of the little scene she had just witnessed, or perhaps for no particular reason at all, suddenly a new, and at first glance a crazy, idea popped into her mind.
What if Genevieve enjoyed an audience so much that she wrote the anonymous letter herself!
”Well that _is_ a silly idea--think how she cried and cried--yes, but she had Cathy sympathizing with her--”
Judith started out to find Nancy to share her idea, but before she found her she decided she'd say nothing about it--it was too far-fetched.
Nevertheless, she determined to keep an eye on Miss Genevieve.
Next morning, according to the prefects' plans, Patricia and Catherine haunted the front corridor. Patricia even took up a post just inside the sitting-room door and watched through the crack, but the corridor was deserted all morning. Helen and Esther took the afternoon watch and had no better luck.
Esther saw the mistress distribute the evening mail, putting several letters into pigeon-hole ”S,” which had been empty until now, and then came a rush of fifty girls crowding round the box. Esther reported afterwards to Eleanor that whoever did it managed very quickly, for she was watching all the time. Genevieve put up her hand, drew out of pigeon-hole ”S” another printed letter, and with a faint cry collapsed in a dead faint. At least so her condition was described to those few who were not privileged to be present. Ambulance cla.s.ses had not been held in vain at York Hill, and in less time than it takes to tell Genevieve found herself on the sofa in the housekeeper's room, where she proceeded to indulge in an old-fas.h.i.+oned fit of hysterics.
Judith, who had helped carry her in, wanted to stay and see, if possible, whether Genevieve were shamming, but Mrs. Bronson shooed them all out saying that Genevieve must have an hour's rest and then she could go to the Infirmary.
Judith returned to the corridor where she found excited groups discussing this third terrible letter. Some of the girls talked with lowered voices and several looked almost as white as Genevieve had, and when our heroine entered the ”Jolly Susan,” it was as little like its name as possible. Sally May was sobbing audibly and Nancy was trying in vain to comfort her.
”Horrid things! I hate them all. Why should they think I would do such a nasty trick?” she heard between the sobs.
Josephine appeared in Judith's doorway.
”It's a shame, isn't it?” she whispered. ”I would like to knock their silly heads together. I don't wonder Sally's mad, and I believe that Catherine is crying, too.”
Judith was horrified.
”Catherine crying! Why in the world should she cry?”
”Well, you know,” said Josephine, ”it's rotten for her, and probably she believes that Miss Marlowe thinks she has been silly, too. I don't know for sure, but she wouldn't let Eleanor in a few minutes ago, and her voice sounded shaky.”
This was awful! A prefect weeping!
Two days pa.s.sed without any further development and Eleanor was beginning to hope that the nine days' wonder was at an end. On Wednesday evening, however, Judith heard Genevieve's protest when Catherine hurried off to a gymnasium cla.s.s, after a vain effort to get rid of a now increasingly unwelcome visitor.
”You don't have to go yet, Cathy. It's five minutes before the bell will ring. Do stay and talk to me; I'm awfully miserable.”
But Catherine was evidently exasperated and held the door open for Genevieve, who had no choice but to go too.
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