Jane Allen, Junior Part 14

This resolve met with hearty approval, for it was seconded from many quarters until open revolt or general mutiny seemed imminent.

The firemen were driving out with the jog trot of a false alarm, and ghosts or no ghosts, Jane, Dozia and Miss Gifford, each and all realized that those frightened children must be persuaded to go indoors. Their bare feet alone made the matter imperative, if bath robes did somewhat lessen the danger from a cold night's exposure.

The sudden tingling of the telephone shot another bolt of terror through them.

"There, that's the hall," said Miss Gifford. "At least make it possible for me to report you are all safe in Lenox."

Jane and Dozia wound arms around a few leaders and this with the matron's appeal firmly broke their deadlock and a thin stream of frowzy heads and pretty boudoir robes dripped into the old walnut hall.

Miss Gifford used the telephone at the foot of the circular staircase. She was giving a very tactfully worded account of the incident to the president, and it was very evident the whole occurrence would be conspiciously free of sensation if the matron's verbal report were embodied in official records.

A long drawn out and happily intoned reply floated from Miss Gifford's lips as she half turned from the telephone and surveyed Jane and Dozia.

"Oh, yes indeed, they are both here, perfectly safe," she announced, "and I don't know what I should have done without their a.s.sistance."

So the raiders had been "found missing" at Madison Hall!

CHAPTER XIII

THE AFTERMATH

There was another panic over in Madison," explained Miss Gifford, after leaving the telephone; "when Miss Allen and Miss Dalton were found missing it is a wonder someone over there didn't send out a second fire alarm. Miss Fairlie was much relieved to know her charges were safe and sound here, and I obtained a leave of absence for you for the remainder of the night," she finished. The very much perturbed matron had no idea of being left alone with a flock of obstreperous freshmen.

"Lovely!" exclaimed Jane, dancing around with a group of barefoot girls who threatened to turn the occasion into a Greek playlet.

"Scrumbunctious!" sang out the ballet de chambre, dancing in wild glee now that danger of ghosts and firemen had actually pa.s.sed.

"But girls," spoke Dozia, "did you notice the little fat fireman who held that big hose nozzle? I do verily believe he was so disappointed he wanted to hit someone. Just see where his old hose sc.r.a.ped my best silken hose. I don't mean that for a parody, but honestly, girls, these were the last and final gift from mater. She has condemned me to wear ordinary lisle hereafter, and just look at that--stock!"

"Only dry dust, it will brush off," soothed Jane. "But I say, girls, how about beds!"

"Beds!" shrieked a chorus.

"Not a bed!" spoke Nellie Saunders for her entire cla.s.s. "We wouldn't mind cuddling up here on blankets and cushions, but I for one shall not mount those spooky stairs, this night."

"Silly child," scolded Dozia, her own eyes heavy with the ordinary common garden variety of sleep. "Would you expect company to do all the lugging? Who's to set up the billet?" "Volunteers?" called Jane, and from somewhere not before observed stepped out little Sarah Rowland.

"I shall be glad to help," she said timidly, and instantly a volley of eyes challenged her.

"Oh, Sally!" exclaimed Dolly Lloyd. "Don't you dare! The spooks would just eat you up. You look exactly like a cream puff."

Laughter of the most chummy sort followed this, and it was evident Sally, in her cream and white striped robe with her yellow hair flowing over her shoulders, was a popular girl with her companions.

Jane noticed, however, that her face, usually prettily flushed with pink, was now deadly white, and also that the child's eyes shifted in a peculiarly nervous manner.

"It's lovely of you, Sally, and we'll just set a good example while Miss Gifford is searching for that miscreant fire. Come along and get the swaddling clothes for these babes. Aren't they an unruly lot?" and she tossed off her blue cape preparatory for the lugging of couch quilts, pillows and whatever else might seem useful.

Sally tripped up the stairs and Jane was after her.

"Do they really mean to sleep in the recreation room?" asked the freshman, waiting at a landing for Jane.

"Land knows," replied Jane, "but I thought we had best humor them at least past the pneumonia point. I am thankful they did not all break away over the campus to some other building. We will probably shame them into going back to bed when they see how much trouble they are giving. Where might we find the bed clothes storeroom?"

"Just here to your left. But wait until I switch that light." She reached a b.u.t.ton and gave the side light its current. Then she stepped back to Jane.

"Miss Allen," she began in more subdued voice, "I just wanted to tell you it was I who rang--the fire bell!"

"Oh, did you?" said Jane lightly, following the hushed tone of voice, "but where did you think the fire was?"

"I knew there was no fire," she confessed, "but I had to do it to cover those other noises."

Jane was mystified, but she realized by Sarah's manner that a complete explanation was not possible just then. Here and there a step or a voice threatened the s.n.a.t.c.hed confidence.

"Did you hear that scream?" whispered Jane.

"Yes, and I--had my room changed to over at the foot of the attic stairs just yesterday, but--but--oh, Miss Allen, it is too dreadful!" she gasped, dropping into a window seat and bursting into tears.

"Don't, dear! Don't, Sally!" begged Jane. "You are all unnerved.

Tomorrow you can tell me your fears, if you wish," Jane qualified.

"But now let us get back to the girls. They will think something dreadful HAS happened to us."

"But I can't tell you, Miss Allen. If I did I should have to leave dear old Wellington and this--opportunity means so much to me," and again she sobbed convulsively, while Jane put an affectionate arm around the little stranger.

Clapping of hands and calling out foolish warnings from below checked Jane's flow of sympathy, and presently she stumbled back to the recreation room propelling a mountain of blankets and comfortables.

"There. Just see what you have done," she charged the students who were instantly struggling for the blankets to the extent of practically disrobing the accommodating Jane. "Leave me my blouse, please do. It's the only real Jersey I possess. But aren't you ashamed to treat juniors this way?"

"Dreadfully!" drawled a girl already rolled like a coc.o.o.n in a pretty blue "wooley" and coiling up on a rug in the farthest corner.

"Jane Alien, you're a perfect lamb, and I hope you'll stay with us forever."

"I am sure I have a congestive chill," chattered a fraud of a girl who almost upset Jane in the blanket rush. "Give me the pink one.

It's my color," and another tug freed "the pink one" from its company of neatly folded coverlets.

"It is a shame," confessed someone else. "Come on upstairs, girls.

Let's defy the ghosts. I have always heard they shun a crowd.

Where's the crowd? Let's make them shun us."

"Second the motion and hurrah!" added Nellie Saunders. "Also we should put a price on that ghost's head--offer a reward for the capture. I'm willing to chip in, although as usual I'm a little short this week."

Dozia had been going over the house with Miss Gifford and just then both returned to the recreation room.

"Does anyone know where Miss Duncan is--Miss Shirley Duncan?" asked the matron, keeping her pencil at that name on her report pad.

Jane started involuntarily at the question. She had been secretly wondering where the rebellious Shirley was during all the excitement.