Molly Brown's Freshman Days Part 26

CHAPTER XVII.

A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE.

Just about this time a new figure appeared at Wellington College. She was known as "inspector of dormitories," and her office was mainly sanitary, and did not infringe on the duties of the matrons. The new inspector lodged at Queen's, since there was an empty room in that establishment, and her name was Miss Steel.

"If she had had her choice of all the names in the English language, she could not have chosen a more suitable one," remarked Judy who had taken a violent dislike to Miss Steel from the first.

She was indeed a steel-like person, steely eyes, steel-gray hair, pale, thin lips, and at her belt metallic chains from which jangled notebook and pencil. When she spoke, which was rarely, her voice was sharp and incisive, and cut the air like a knife. But her most objectionable quality, the girls thought, was that she never made any sound when she walked, the reason being that she had rubber heels on her shoes.

The first real encounter the girls had with Miss Steel was at a Thanksgiving Eve spread given by the combined G. F. Society, most of the members having received bountiful Thanksgiving boxes from home.

Nance's neglected and lonely father had sent her a five-pound box of candy in lieu of the usual box, which takes a woman to plan and pack, and Judy's devoted parents, always on the fly, had shipped her a box of fruit. All the others had received regular boxes full of Thanksgiving cheer, and the feast was to be a grand one. Each member invited guests, and by general vote extra ones were asked: Frances Andrews, who declined because she was going away, and two freshmen who lived in the village, and were working their way through college.

Judith Blount was to be there by invitation of pretty Jessie Lynch, and Molly had invited Mary Stewart.

Most of the girls wore fancy costumes, and Molly's and Nance's large room was the scene of an extravaganza. The feast was piled on four study tables placed in an unbroken row and covered with a white cloth.

Jessie had worn her famous ballet costume, and was as pretty as a little captive sprite. Judith was in a gorgeous Turkish dress consisting of full yellow silk trousers, a tunic of transparent net and embroidered Turkish slippers. Nance wore her Scotch costume, and at the last minute Molly, who had been too busy even to think of a costume all day, dressed herself up charmingly like a Tyrolean peasant in what she could collect from the other girls.

A great many of the guests had arrived and the room was filled when a chambermaid appeared in the doorway with a tray of cards.

"Some gentlemen to call, Miss," she said, endeavoring not to smile at a Little Boy Blue and a Little Lord Fauntleroy, who were waltzing together.

There were four cards on the tray: "Mr. Edwin Green," "Mr. George Theodore Green," "Andrew McLean, 2d," and "Mr. Lawrence Upton."

"Well, of all the strange times to pay a call," exclaimed Molly. "Will you say that we are very sorry, but we must be excused this evening,"

she said to the maid.

The servant bowed and slipped away, while all the girls in the room pounced on the cards.

"Well, I never! Four beaux, and one of them a professor!" cried Jessie, showing the cards to Judith.

"Miss Brown could hardly claim Cousin Edwin as a beau," said Judith, her black eyes snapping. "His younger brother, George, often drags him into things, and poor Cousin Edwin consents to go because George is so timid, but as for paying a social call on a freshman, even the most self-confident freshman could hardly regard a visit from him as that."

"I don't regard it as that," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Molly.

She was not accustomed to sharp-tongued people, and it was really difficult for her to deal with them properly, as Judy could, and Nance, too. But she forced herself to remember that Judith was a guest in her room, and was about to partake of some of her good Kentucky fare. She turned away without saying another word, and fortunately the maid came back just then and relieved the strained situation.

"The gentlemen say they must see you, ma'am," she said; "and if you won't come down to them, they'll just come upstairs."

"What?" cried a chorus of girls.

Suddenly there was a wild scramble on the stairs; shouts of laughter, a sound of heavy boots thumping along the hall, and four tall young men burst into the room. There were shrieks from disappearing Boy Blues and Fauntleroys, who endeavored to cover their extremities with sofa cushions, the captive sprite rushed into a closet and a wild scene of disorder and pandemonium followed.

"Don't be frightened, ladies," said the tallest young man, who wore correct evening clothes, from his opera hat and pearl studs to his pointed patent leather pumps. His hair was light and curly, and he had a long yellow mustache, like Lord Dundreary's.

"Ladies! ladies! why all this excitement?" called another of the quartette, dressed in full black and white checked trousers, a short tan overcoat, a red tie and a brown derby.

The third young man wore a smoking jacket and white duck trousers, and the fourth was dressed in an English golf suit and visored cap.

"Oh, you villains!" cried Jessica, popping her head out of the closet.

"You have frightened us almost to death. Do you think I wouldn't know you, Margaret Wakefield, even in that sporting suit. Come over here and show yourself!"

The bogus gentlemen were indeed three of the evening's hostesses and one of the guests. Mary Stewart wore the evening clothes, borrowed from her brother for a senior play to take place shortly. Judy had on the golf suit, Sallie Marks the dinner coat and Margaret the rakish sporting costume.

"But where did you get the cards?" asked Judith, ashamed of herself, now that the visitors' real ident.i.ty was disclosed.

"I wrote to Dodo and asked him for them," answered Judy, giving her a look, as much as to say, "What affair is it of yours?"

After the banquet was commenced and the fun waxed fast and furious, there was a cakewalk at the last, with a box of "cloud-bursts" as the prize, the eight hostesses taking turns as judges.

"After this wild orgy, I think we'd better be leaving," said Mary Stewart. "It's getting cold and late, but we've had a glorious time.

Will you permit a gentleman to kiss you on the cheek, Molly?"

"That I will," answered Molly, "and proud of the honor."

Slipping on a skirt and a long ulster, Mary took her departure with Judith and the other girls, who did not have rooms at Queen's, and pretty soon the party had disbanded.

"I'll stay and help you gather up the loaves and fishes," Judy announced. "It'll soon be ten, but we can hang a dressing gown over the transom and draw the blinds and no one will know the difference just this once," she added, proceeding to carry out her ideas of deception.

"I'm still hungry," observed Nance. "I had to wait on so many people I didn't have a chance to eat any supper myself."

"So am I famished," said Molly; "but I was ashamed to confess it."

"I'd like a cup of hot tea," observed Judy, who had waited on n.o.body but herself.

"When Mrs. Markham comes around," cautioned Nance, "in case she knocks on the door, one of us be ready to put out the light. Judy, you slip into the closet. She's been known to come in, you know, after one of these jamborees."

"Mrs. Markham's away," answered Judy. "'Steel beads' is taking her place until after Thanksgiving."

The girls munched their sandwiches and talked in low voices. Suddenly there was a sharp rap on the door. Instantly the light went out and there was dead silence. Judy, crawling on all fours toward the closet, was about to conceal herself behind protecting skirts, when the rap was repeated.

"Well, what is it?" called Nance, the boldest among them, "the light is out."

There was no answer and the rap was not repeated.

The girls waited a few moments, and then cautiously lighting a student's lamp with a green shade, proceeded with their supper. Judy looked at her watch. It was a quarter of eleven.

Again they were interrupted. This time by some pebbles thrown against the window.

Molly raised the sash softly and gazed down into the darkness below.

"What is it?" she called.

"It's Margaret," answered a voice from the yard. "For the love of heaven, can't you let me in? I'll explain afterward. I wouldn't mind ringing up Mrs. Markham, but I'm afraid of that Steel woman."

"Wait a minute," answered Molly, and closing the window, she turned to consult with the others.

"There's nothing to be done but to go down," they decided, and Molly insisted on being the sacrificial lamb. Judy made her slip on her nightgown over her dress, and her dressing gown over that, in order to appear in the proper guise in case anything happened.