Jane Allen: Center Part 28

"Exactly. She taught athletics."

"And she presumed to play with school girls," exclaimed Jane indignantly.

"Yes, but we have our official eye on her," Mrs. Weatherbee said rather hurriedly, for Mrs. Weatherbee. "We would not have allowed her to use her so-called skill against our legitimate players, in fact, when she was disqualified for fouls, in your tryout, she then and there was notified she could not again play in any of the games, or take part in any of the athletic contests. We have no objection to her enjoying all the exercises, that is her right, but she is disqualified as a professional, from all amateur sports."

Jane was too surprised for utterance. That a teacher should stand up in their games and try "to best" a set of whole-hearted young school girls!

"I would not allow this to become public, as such occurrences would have an unwholesome effect on the morale of the school," Mrs.

Weatherbee went on. "But I knew it would filter through. Such sensations always do get abroad-like steam or smoke; we can't control the influence."

"But Blindwood!" Jane now repeated. "Wasn't that where-Helen went to school?"

"Yes," replied the directress, "Helen was a pupil there also."

"Then that accounts--" Jane hesitated. "Why, I wonder, did Helen not recognize Dolorez?"

"They meet very seldom, and Miss Vincez has changed. She may have been a charter customer at her wonderful beauty parlor for as I am informed from Blindwood, Miss Vincez there was a striking blonde."

"Oh, that is it! She has changed her hair!" Jane could not refrain from exclaiming. "And she knows Helen, and knows her real name of course.

Oh, Mrs. Weatherbee, I am sure Dolorez Vincez was responsible for that shock Helen received with the bouquet. Whatever was written on the little card simply shocked Helen out of her senses."

"Precisely," replied Mrs. Weatherbee. "But I have not questioned Helen.

I believe the child is on the verge of a nervous collapse, and however kindly we would go about it, a word might be more than she could stand.

She is so high strung and temperamental. I have even had her excused from many lessons, believing that the best plan. Helen will do all she can to meet her obligations, and there is no reason why she should be driven."

"Oh, Mrs. Weatherbee!" and impulsively Jane threw her arms around the woman who stood as mother to the Wellington girls. "How good, and kind you are!"

"Thank you, my dear. Such grat.i.tude more than repays me. I sometimes fear my necessary intervention may be taken as interference. But when I have done my duty, and all turns out well then-I am glad."

"What can I do to a.s.sist you in this matter, Mrs. Weatherbee?" asked Jane earnestly.

"My dear, all I want you to do is to use your influence privately with the young ladies, to show them the absurdity of subscribing to anything like that so-called course of treatments. You see, the danger is, some of them may actually have given their money, and we cannot force Miss Vincez' friend-whoever she may be-to refund it. However, under any conditions, I shall not allow a single Wellington girl to visit this place-this beauty parlor."

"I will gladly do all I can, Mrs. Weatherbee, to counteract the canva.s.s. I wish I had heard of it sooner. But there has been so much going on lately. And being anxious about our big basketball game, I have been keeping the girls at practice daily."

"Oh, yes, my dear, and that is quite right. I do not want to spoil your pretty head with compliments, but you must know that we all appreciate what you are doing. Your leadership for the juniors has given us perfectly splendid results this far."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weatherbee. But really I am only doing what anyone would do, and I feel rather foolish to be complimented. It is just a case of being in line. Someone has to lead."

"That is a fine spirit to view it in, Jane," Mrs. Weatherbee never used first names-that is, seldom indeed. The occasion must have been one of singular confidence. "But we recall that you did not fall into this place without well-deserved merit," she commented. "This is a big college and we have many fine girls, so that those chosen to lead must have been qualified. However, I want to say a word about our little Helen. She surprised me greatly with her wonderful skill at the violin.

You know when she came to us, she had been sort of lost-that is, her friends had abandoned her."

"Yes, Mrs. Weatherbee," said Jane simply, choking back her interest.

"Well, I have thought since we might have traced them by their letters, which must have been in the possession of the Blindwood faculty. But I was restrained from doing this by the att.i.tude of Helen herself. She fairly begged me not to seek her friends. Strange, I thought."

"I have found her the same with every line I attempted to uncover in her interest," said Jane. "But why she is so fearful of being discovered I cannot guess. Still, she is so sweet, and gentle, and I felt we might surely regard her wishes. After all, we have no dealings with her friends. She has proven her worth and she is our-guest. So I have almost decided, Mrs. Weatherbee, as far as I am concerned, Helen may remain our mysterious orphan. You must have heard the absurd story about my having adopted her."

"Yes, that was the first inkling I had of these foolish tales. But it was so very foolish it died by its own hand. However, as you say, my dear, we have only to deal with Helen, and she is beyond reproach, so for the present at least, I quite agree with you. We have no reason to bother about her antecedents. Now run along. And be wise. Don't take too many into your confidence. You may trust Judith. I am sure. I am beginning to think of you as do the girls. I hear them call you the Two Jays."

This playful thrust enlivened Jane and struck a responsive chord in her rather drooping spirits. It would be good to confide in Judy, at least she, Jane thought, was human enough to enjoy the beauty parlor joke with her chum.

And wouldn't Judy just howl!

CHAPTER XXV-TO THE VICTORS

"Whoopee! Red Head! My ankle is as good as new, and I am going to be in the big game. Now let the Breslins beware!"

"Are you sure, Judith, it is entirely well? You know ankles have a way of kinking up unexpectedly," Jane warned.

"To tell the truth, Janey, I have been petting it a bit. I have not been sick since I had the mumps, and it was adorable to have the girls holding my hands, and looking into my eyes. I really think it is a lot nicer to have a 'busted' ankle than two trustworthy pedals. Except, of course, when we have the Breslins to whitewash. Then, I like to take a shot at the fun."

"You are an incorrigible fraud, Judy, but I am glad to have you with us to-day. I may not look it, but I am very human, almost to the point of being stage struck before a crowd. Now, when I jump there in center I rather feel as if I am going up to the gallery, and I want to stay and watch the game, from a point of vantage. But, I'll follow the ball and do my best," with an appropriate sigh.

"We are not worried about your nerves, Jane. You may have a set, but they are beautifully padded-as the health books require. Just look at that" (bending Jane's arm up muscle tight). "Why, I believe you could take up boxing, and make a wonderful record at the biff, bang, biff.

Think I would like that sport myself," and without warning, Judith undertook a "biff, bang, biff" that sent things flying about the room.

"Now sit down like a nice little girl and I will tell you the most delectable news," coaxed Jane. "I have had an interview with the Weatherbee!"

"Oh, lovely! Who's going to be expelled?"

"Not quite that bad. But rather serious, Judy, I won't keep you on tenderhooks. Dolorez Vincez is a professional woman athlete! She taught at Blindwood!"

"She did! She did!" and Judith fairly exhaled surprise. "The detestable thing! To come down on us like that, and try to bamboosle us out of the game! Oh, now I know why I suddenly developed a liking for boxing," and out went the windmill arms again.

"Be serious, Judith! Mrs. Weatherbee advised me to talk to you--"

"Mrs. Weatherbee is a brilliant woman--"

"All right, Judith," with an injured air. "If I must talk through a wall of nonsense, I may as well desist."

"Oh, Janey, dear, I am all ears. I want to know every last word. How did the Weatherbee find her out?"

Jane reviewed the case as she had received the information, and presently the athletic phase being disposed of, she reached the beauty parlor episode. Judith gasped, and all but gagged during the recital of this exciting news. Her exclamations apropos of the possibilities in hair changes knew no bounds, as the freshmen might say, and when it was finally brought out that Dolorez' hair had undergone the operation of a change from black to yellow, and back again via peroxide R.R. Judith turned a well-balanced somersault, to prove there was absolutely nothing further the matter with her ankle.

"I saw one of the pledge cards," Judith recalled, when Jane remarked it was queer so much could have been planned without the facts reaching the ears of herself or Judith. "I saw a typewritten page, and I guessed from the errors that Marian had something to do with it. She cannot type any more than she can knit."

"And here is where you come in Judy. You and I are to do all we can to undo that canva.s.s," referring to the work of Dolorez in soliciting customers for the beauty parlor. "You see, some of the new girls may think it perfectly all right to do as they see fit with their own money, in their own time, and outside of school grounds. They do not know the penalty of commercializing the college. Now, we will have to work quietly, and wisely. We must make it known in some way, that the faculty will not allow any of the girls to frequent that shop. Of course, when the promoters find that out, likely they will pull up stakes and not open up the beauty parlor."

"Then I cannot be made over! Oh, Jane! Be kind! Think what I shall miss. All my life I have dreamed of waking up red headed, and now, just when the possibility creeps to my pillow--"

"Judy Stearns, come into the gym and work that off. I see no other help for such a condition as that you are suffering from. We will never beat the Breslins, while your mind wanders to beauty regions. Come along. I am going to limber you up myself," and thus ended the chums'

conference.