Cloudy Jewel

CHAPTER XXVIII During the next three days there were stirring times, and Leslie, even with a heavy heart, was kept busy. Clive Terrence was ignored as utterly as if he had been a fly on the ceiling, and Leslie managed to keep every minute full. Moreover, her mind was so much occupied with other things that she had not time to realize how fully she was cutting their guest out of sight of her, nor how utterly amazed it made him. He was not accustomed to being ignored by young ladies, even though they were both beautiful and rich. He felt that he was quite ornamental himself, and had plenty of money, too, and he could not brook any such treatment. So he set himself to procure revenge by going hot-foot after the Freshman “vamp”––who, to tell the truth, was much more in his style than Leslie and quite, quite willing––though Leslie, dear child, was too absorbed to know it.

She came home at lunchtime a bit late and called Allison from the table to give him an excited account in a low tone of something that had happened that morning. Julia Cloud, from her vantage point at the head of the table, could see the flash in her eye and the brilliant flush of the soft cheeks as she talked and wondered what new trouble had come to the dear child. Then she noted the sudden stern set of Allison’s jaw and the squaring of shoulder as he listened and questioned. Meanwhile she passed Clive Terrence the muffins and jam, and urged more iced-tea and a hot, stuffed potato, and kept up a pleasant hum of talk so that the excited words should not be heard in the dining-room.

319 “Jane’s had a perfectly terrible time!” had been Leslie’s opening sentence, “and we’ve got to do something about it! Those little cats in the AOU have done the meanest thing you can think of. Jane looked just crushed! They’ve hauled up that old stuff about her father being a forger and urged it as a reason that she shouldn’t be made treasurer in place of Anne Dallas––who is leaving on account of the death of her father and she has to go home and take care of her little sisters––and Jane heard them!”

A low growl of indignation reached Julia Cloud’s ears from Allison, who squared his shoulders into position for immediate action.

“They said–––” went on Leslie in excited whisper. “They said that since we had such a large sum to look out for now that the subscriptions for the sorority house were coming in, we should put in a treasurer of tried and true integrity. Yes, they used just those words, tried and true integrity! Think of it! And our Jane! The idea! The catty little snobs! The jealous little––cats! No, it wasn’t Eugenia Frazer who said it, it was Eunice Brice––but I’m certain she was at the bottom of it, for she sat with her nice smug little painted face as sweet and complacent as an angel, all the time it was going on, and she seconded the motion! Just like that! With a smile, too! She said she fully agreed with what Miss Brice had said. Agreed! H’m! As if every one didn’t know she had started it, and got it all fixed up with enough girls to carry the motion before the rest of us got down from an exam. Yes, they had it thought out as carefully as that! They knew all the sophomore girls would be up in that exam. till almost twelve o’clock, for it’s always as long as the moral law, anything with Professor 320Crabbs––and they counted up and had just enough to a name to carry their motion. They even got Marian Hobbs to cut a class to get there. They hadn’t counted on my getting in in time to hear, I guess, or else they didn’t care. Perhaps they wanted me to hear it all; I’m sure I don’t know. I suppose that must have been it. They thought perhaps I’d tell you and that would stop you from going with Jane. You know Eugenia and Eunice are both crazy about you, especially Eugenia–––!”

An impatient exclamation from Allison reached the dining-room thunderously:

“Where was Jane?” Julia Cloud caught that anxious question, and then Clive, who had evidently heard also, roused himself to ask a question:

“Who is this Jane person they talk so much about? I don’t seem to have seen her! Where is she?”

“She is Miss Bristol,” said Julia Cloud, stiffening just a little at the young fellow’s tone of insolence. “She is in college and very busy, but has been unusually busy since you have been here because she is caring for a little child whose mother has been very ill.”

“Oh!––You mean she’s a sort of sehvant?”––He drawled the question most offensively, and Julia Cloud had a sudden ridiculous impulse to seize his sleek shoulder and shake him. Instead she only smiled and quoted a Bible verse: “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.”

Clive eyed her with a puzzled expression:

“I don’t getcha!” he answered finally, but Julia Cloud made no further comment than to pass him a second cup of coffee. She could hear the soft excited whispers still going on in the living-room and she 321longed to fly in there and leave this ill-bred guest to his own devices, for she knew something must have happened to trouble her children, and that if this intruder were not present she would be at once taken into their confidence. Still she had to sit and smile and keep him from hearing them.

Leslie was talking more softly now, with cautious looks toward the dining-room.

“Jane had finished her exam. and hurried down because she thought there would be a lot of business and she wanted Emily Reeder to be put in treasurer and was trying to work it, and hadn’t an idea Alice and I were working it to put her in. We didn’t think she would get there and meant to have it all finished before she came, but someone turned around and gave a queer little cough just as Eunice finished her nasty speech, and we all turned quickly and there in the open door stood Jane, as white as a sheet, with her great, big blue eyes looking black as coals and such suffering I never saw in a human face––and she just stood and looked at them all, a hurt, loving, searching look, as if she was reading their souls, and no one spoke nor moved, only Eunice, who got very red, and Eugenia, who straightened up and got haughty and hateful, looking as if she was glad Jane heard it all. She had a kind of glitter in her eyes, like triumph––and it was very still for a whole minute, and then Jane put out her hands in a little, quick, pleading motion and turned away quickly and was gone–––”

“And what did you do?” Allison’s tone had hope, threat, condemnation and praise all held in abeyance on her answer.

Leslie drew herself up eagerly, her eyes shining.

“I–––? Oh––I wanted to run after her and 322comfort her, but I had something else to do. I jumped up and offered my resignation to the AOU, and said I wished to withdraw my subscription to the Sorority House, that I couldn’t have anything to do with a bunch of girls that would stand for a thing as contemptible and mean as that.”

“Of course!” said Allison with a proud look at his sister.

“And Phoebe Kemp jumped up and withdrew hers until they all apologized to Jane, and then Alice Lowe said she’d have to withdraw hers, too––she’s given the highest amount subscribed, you know; she has slews of money all in her own right, because she’s of age, you know––and then the girls began to get scared and Elsie Dare got right up and said she thought there had been some kind of a mistake––a blunder––they mustn’t get excited––they must begin all over, and somebody must go after Jane and bring her back and explain––as if there was any way to explain a bold, bare insult like that!––and they sent a committee after her. They wanted me to go, but I declined to go in their name. I said I had handed in my resignation and I wasn’t one of them any more, and they might send somebody who would better represent them, and they said they hadn’t accepted my resignation and a lot of stuff, but they sent off a committee to find Jane, and they tried to think up something quickly to say to her, and they got Eunice Brice to crying and made Eugenia real mad so the powder came off her nose from rubbing it so much, and I came away. I’ve been hunting for Jane for half an hour, but I can’t find her in any of the places she always is, and I thought I better come and tell you–––”

“That’s right. I’ll find her–––” Allison made 323one step to the hat-rack and took his hat, then raising his voice: “Cloudy, I’ve been called away on business suddenly. Don’t bother keeping anything for me, I’ve had all I want–––” and he was gone.

Julia Cloud gave a glance at Allison’s plate and saw that he had scarcely touched his lunch, and she sighed as she heard Leslie run quickly up the stairs and shut the door of her own room. Was Leslie going to spend the afternoon in weeping?

But Leslie was down again in a moment and standing in the doorway, her curls tumbled, her eyes bright and anxious, an indignant little set of lips and chin giving her a worried expression.

“Jewel, dear, I’ve got to go; there’s something important on––I’ll tell you about it all when I get back. No, please, I couldn’t eat now. You get Cherry to save me some strawberry shortcake.” And she was off like a breeze and out of sight.

“Wait a minute, Leslie, I’ll go up with you,” called Clive with his mouth full of shortcake and cream, but Leslie was already whirling down the street like the wind. Allison had taken the car, so there was nothing left for Clive to do but finish his shortcake and think up some form of amusement with the Freshman vamp for the afternoon.

Allison, meantime, had made a straight dash for the college and sent a message up to Jane that he must see her at once on very important business. After what seemed to him an endless wait, word came down that Jane was not in her room and her roommate knew nothing of her whereabouts. Allison made a wild dive for his car and drove to every one of the places where Jane sometimes went to help out with the children when their mothers were particularly busy, but no Jane 324materialized. He drove madly back to the college, forgetting his usual cool philosophy of life and fancying all sorts of terrible things that might have happened to Jane. He swept past Eugenia Frazer without even seeing her and brought up in front of the office once more, intending to send up and see if Jane had yet returned, but on the steps stood Leslie waiting for him.

“She’s gone to the woods up above the old quarry!” she said anxiously. “I’ve just found out. Benny, the kitchen boy, told me. He says he saw her go out between Chemistry Hall and the Boys’ Gym. about an hour ago. She must have gone right after she left the meeting. Nobody seems to have seen her since. Nobody but Benny knows anything about her going to the woods and I gave him some money and told him not to say anything about it if anyone asked. I was just going to hunt her–––”

“That’s all right, kid! You take the car and follow up the road. I’ll go through the woods and look for her–––!” said Allison, springing out.

“You will be careful, won’t you? You know that quarry is terribly deep–––”

“I know!” said Allison, his tone showing his own anxiety. “And Jane hasn’t scrambled around here as much as we have; she hasn’t had the time. And there is so much undergrowth close up to the edge, one could come on it unaware––especially if one was excited, and not paying attention–––! I better beat it! Jump in and drive me around college and I’ll get off at the gym.”

Leslie sprang in and Allison stood on the running-board. His sister cast a wistful glance at him as she started the car.

“Allison––I think maybe you needn’t worry–––” 325she said softly. “You know Jane is––real! She isn’t weak like some people. She won’t go all to pieces like––well, like I would. God means something to her, you know.”

“I know!” said Allison gravely, gently. “Thank you, kid! Well. I get off here. Meet me at the top of the second hill in half an hour, and hang around there for a bit. I may whistle, see? So long.”

He dashed off between the buildings and disappeared between the trees in the edge of the woods. Leslie whirled off down the drive to the street. As she passed the big stone gateway, ivy garlanded and sweet with climbing roses, three seniors turned into the drive, and the foremost of the three was Howard Letchworth. Her heart leaped up with joy that here was someone who would understand and sympathize, and she put her foot to the brake to slow down with a light of welcome in her eyes, but before she could stop he had lifted his hat and passed on with the others as if he were just anyone. Of course he had not seen her intention, did not realize that she wanted to speak with him, yet it hurt her. A week or two before she would have called after him, or even backed the car to catch him, but now something froze within her and with her heart beating wildly, and tears scorching her eyes, she put on speed and whirled away up the hill. It seemed to her that all her lovely world was breaking into pieces under her feet. If it had not been that she was worried about Jane, she would have been tempted to abandon everything and rush off in some wild way by herself, anywhere to be alone and face the ache in her heart. It was such a torrent of deep-mingled feelings, hurt pride and anger, humiliation, and pain––all these words rushed through her mind, but 326there was something else besides, something that ought to have been beautiful and wonderful, and was only shame and pain, and she had not yet come to the point where she was willing to call that something by name. She knew that soon she must face the truth and have it out with herself, and so her cheeks flamed and paled, and the tears scorched and hurt in her eyes and throat, and she tried to put it all away and think about Jane, poor hurt Jane. Jane gone into the woods to have it but with herself. But Jane was strong and Jane trusted in God. Her God was strong, too! Jane would come through only the sweeter. But what would become of her––little, fiery, tempestuous Leslie, who always did the wrong thing first and was sorry afterwards, and who forgot God when she needed Him most? These thoughts flitted like visions through her brain while she put on all speed and tore away up the hill at a much faster rate than she had any business to do. But the road was clear ahead of her and there was some relief in flying along through space this way. It seemed to clear the mists from her brain, and cool down her throbbing pulses. Yet just when she would think she had control of her thoughts, that stern, distant expression on Howard’s face would come between her and the afternoon brightness, and back would roll the trouble with renewed vigor. What a world this was anyway and why did people have to live? Just trouble, trouble, trouble, everywhere! And who would have thought there would come trouble between her and Howard, such good friends as they had been now almost two years––two wonderful years! And again her weary brain would beat over the question, what had been the matter? What made Howard act that way? Surely nothing she could have done.

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