The Mystery of Arnold Hall

by Helen M. Persons

  CHAPTER VI A MEDDLER

  "Yes, this is Mrs. Vincent talking. What? I'm very sorry. The girls werehaving a little party, and didn't realize, I'm afraid, how much noisethey were making. What did you say, please? Oh, we--ll, I'll see whatthey think about it. Of course, you realize that they are not children tobe ordered about."

  "She didn't think so a minute ago," giggled Anne under her breath toPatricia.

  "All right. Goodbye."

  Mrs. Vincent hung up the receiver and turned to face the girls.

  "We're in a nice fix now!" she snapped. "Mrs. Brock, who lives back ofus, has been greatly disturbed by the noise you have been making all theevening, and feels that an apology is due her--"

  "What utter nonsense!" cried Anne.

  "She must be cuckoo!" exclaimed Clarice hotly.

  The rest of the girls stood looking at one another in astonishment, whileRhoda turned her back quickly and bent her head low over the open BlackBook.

  "Well, what are you going to do about it?" continued Mrs. Vincent.

  "Just nothing at all," replied Jane; "her demand is absurd."

  "Of course it is unreasonable; but the trouble is," pursued Mrs. Vincent,flushing, "she says unless a couple of you go over and present an apologyfor the crowd, she will lodge a complaint at the office."

  "Now I _know_ she is crazy," snapped Lucile.

  "Naturally," went on Mrs. Vincent, "a question of my incompetence, or ofmy inability to manage you properly, will arise if such a complaint islodged. Of course, you must do as you wish. I'm simply laying the wholematter frankly before you."

  Mrs. Vincent turned abruptly and disappeared into her own room.

  "This is a pretty mess!" scolded Katharine.

  "It's mostly your fault!" cried Hazel, looking angrily at Clarice.

  "How is it, I'd like to know!" demanded the girl, flushing a dull red,but gazing defiantly at her accuser.

  "You did most of the yelling and rough-housing," retorted Francespromptly.

  "I didn't pile into Ruth's bed; I didn't sit beside the back door,singing; I--"

  "No," interrupted Jane soothingly, "I think we all did our share; but--"

  "What's the use of trying to place the blame now?" asked Patriciasuddenly. "The question is how to fix things up."

  "We can't let Dolly down, I suppose," said Mary slowly. "She _is_incompetent, and awfully silly at times; but, after all, she is ourchaperon and we owe loyalty to her. She might lose her position as theresult of the complaint, and we'd hate to be party to taking a job fromanyone."

  "Since you all feel that I'm mostly to blame," broke in Clarice, "I'll goover to Big House and apologize."

  Almost before she had time to think, Patricia heard herself saying: "AndI'll go with you."

  "You're a couple of good sports!" cried Jane heartily.

  "Is it too late to go now?" asked Patricia, looking at the clock.

  "Nearly ten. Better ask Dolly," advised Anne.

  Patricia went to the chaperon's door, knocked, and when Mrs. Vincentopened it, stated quietly: "Clarice and I are going over to apologize toMrs. Brock. Shall we go now, or wait until morning?"

  "It really doesn't matter, I suppose; whichever time you prefer," repliedMrs. Vincent slowly, looking past Patricia to Clarice, who stood leaningagainst the Black Book table. The girl's black eyes met hers, and a long,meaning look passed between them.

  "We'll go now, then, and get it over with," decided Patricia. "Come on,Clarice."

  The two went out of the front door and the rest of the girls gathered inJane's room to await results.

  "What a day!" sighed Ruth. "I'll never get up so early again. It bringsbad luck. What with the moss adventure this morning, and now this."

  "How did Professor Yates act in class?" asked Hazel, as the rest smiledover the story of the moss, which they had heard earlier in the day.

  "Just as usual, except perhaps a little more sarcastic," began Jane.

  "And more generous with puzzling questions, especially to Pats," broke inAnne.

  "Funny they can't get along together," mused Mary. "Pat is such a peachof a girl."

  "There's no rhyme or reason in anything Yates does," declared Hazelbluntly.

  "Pat _is_ a peach," agreed Anne fervently, "and I think we're mightylucky to get her in our Gang."

  "So say we all of us!" chanted Frances softly.

  "It seems awfully queer to me, though," put in Lucile, "for a girl toleave a college voluntarily after a year there, and come away up herewhere she knows no one, to finish her course."

  "Her aunt and cousin are here," spoke up Anne, loyally.

  "Don't see them making much fuss over her!" retorted Lucile. "Ted's beenhere only two or three times to see her."

  "Ted is a very busy boy." Anne spoke up promptly. "He's in Forestry, andthat takes him out a lot this year."

  "Come to think of it," commented Ruth, "I haven't seen him much at theFrat House."

  "You should know what goes on there," laughed Katharine, teasingly. "Suchluck as you and Jane have--a room right next to--"

  "Clarice's room is even better--or worse," said Jane; "for hers isopposite the men's living room."

  "Why worse?" demanded Frances.

  "I'll change rooms with you some night, and let you listen to theirblamed radio until the wee small hours, and then again early in themorning, before anybody is up."

  "Speaking of Clarice," broke in Lucile, "I think there's somethingbetween her and Dolly."

  "What do you mean?" asked Betty quickly.

  "Some secret, or understanding, or favoritism, or something," repliedLucile. "Did none of you see the look they exchanged when Pats told Dollythey'd go?"

  "I did," answered Anne thoughtfully; "it all but talked."

  "There's some reason why Clarice was moved down here this year, and I'llbet Dolly was at the root of it," declared Lucile, emphasizing her wordsby pounding on the foot of the bed beside which she sat.

  "By the way, Lu," broke in Hazel shyly, "how's your blond friend? Seenhim lately?"

  "_My_ blond friend is good!" jeered Lucile.

  "Who is he? Who is he?" demanded Mary and Betty in unison. "Why haven'twe ever seen him?"

  "My darlings," said Lucile mockingly, "just because on the day we cameback, a good-looking, yellow-haired youth stopped me at the top of thehill to ask where Arnold Hall was, these silly girls imagined I had adate with him."

  "Why should a fellow want Arnold Hall?" demanded Katharine in surprisedtones.

  "Maybe he has a sweetie here," proposed Hazel mischievously, looking atLucile.

  "That's an idea," replied Lucile, flatly ignoring Hazel's insinuations;"maybe it's--Patricia!"

  "Oh, no," contradicted Anne; "she never saw him before the day we camedown." Too late she realized what she had admitted.

  "Came down! Oh, then he was on _your_ train. Ah, ha! Now we're getting atsomething!" exulted Lucile.

  Poor Anne's fair complexion changed to a bright pink, as she struggled tomake her words sound casual.

  "He sat across from us, and we happened to notice him because he was sogood-looking. We haven't seen him for a long time."

  "I have," spoke up Jane; "and you'd never guess where."

  "Then tell us," said Frances.

  "Last night, I was coming from the library, and because it was ratherlate, I took a chance on cutting through the yard back of here. As I gotto the step up into this yard, I heard the sound of a typewriter in BigHouse. It surprised me; for I understand Mrs. Brock is quite elderly. Iglanced carelessly up at the lighted windows, and there in a second floorroom facing this way, sat our unknown blond friend."

  "Maybe he's her son," proposed Katharine.

  "Son, nothing! Grandson more likely," contradicted Hazel. "Maybe thegirls will meet him. Why didn't more of us go?"

  Jane laughed. "You all had a chance, but you didn't make the most of it."

  At this moment the front door
opened quietly, closed again, footstepswere heard coming along the hall, and Patricia and Clarice entered.

  "Tell us just everything," ordered Anne, making places on Jane's bed forthe newcomers.

  "Well," began Patricia slowly, "a maid led us into the living room, whichis that room in front where the big bay window is; and there, before thefire, sat a tiny, white-haired old lady with the keenest brown eyes Ihave ever seen."

  "They bored right through one," contributed Clarice.

  "She never said a word to us, only looked up, and then tried to quiet herwhite Spitz which began to bark his head off at us."

  "I should think she'd be used to noise, if she has one of those,"observed Hazel; "they sho' do bark."

  Just then Mrs. Vincent slipped into the room, and, sitting down besideClarice, slid an arm around her, while the girls exchanged significantglances.

  "When Mrs. Brock got the dog quieted down," continued Patricia, "I saidthat we had come to represent the girls on our floor, and apologize forthe excessive noise tonight; that we had not intended to annoy anyone,and had not even thought of it as a possibility; we were only having alittle party among ourselves."

  "'Drinking party, I suppose!' she snapped, looking us over from head tofoot, for she hadn't asked us to sit down."

  "I'll bet she knows how many buttons are on my blouse, and even where onebuttonhole is torn," observed Clarice.

  "'We had only orangeade,' I replied, as good-naturedly as I could; for itcertainly was annoying to be addressed in the tones she used," went onPatricia.

  "'Are you sure of that?' she demanded, fixing her brown eyes on me, likecrabs. 'I distinctly heard some one singing a song about wanting adrink.'"

  A burst of laughter from the girls interrupted Patricia's story, whileJane ruffled Hazel's curls.

  "Then _I_ took a hand," announced Clarice.

  "'You did,' I told her, 'and we had several; but they were all made oforanges, just as Patricia has told you. We may be noisy, but we're notliars!'"

  "What did she say?" asked Jane eagerly.

  "Nothing; she just glared at me, and turned back to Pat," repliedClarice.

  "'Aside from the personal annoyance,' she went on," continued Patricia,"'I consider it highly detrimental to the reputation of college women tohave such yelling and noise emanating from a supposedly respectabledormitory.' Before we could answer, fortunately, perhaps, for I didn'tknow what to say next," went on Patricia, "she pressed a bell near herchair, and almost immediately we heard footsteps on the stairs, the heavyportieres between the living room and the hall were pushed aside, andthere stood--"

  "The good-looking young blond!" finished Hazel, excitedly clasping andunclasping her hands.

  "Why, how did you know?" demanded Patricia in surprise.

  "I saw him over there in the window last night, and the girls were justsaying that perhaps you would meet him," replied Jane. "But please goon."

  "'Norman Young, my secretary,' said the old lady, looking inquiringly atus. Clarice supplied our names, and the youth bowed gravely. 'Norman,'she asked, 'did you type the letter I dictated earlier this evening?'

  "'Not yet, Mrs. Brock,' he said.

  "'You need not write it. That's all,' she added curtly, as the young manlingered a moment, eyeing Clarice. As soon as he had disappeared, sheturned to us again. 'You may go too,' she announced abruptly; 'and don'tlet me hear such a rumpus over there again.' Then Clarice spoke up. 'Mrs.Brock, we told you we were sorry, and we are; but we can't promise neverto make another sound, when we have parties, or at any other time. Thereare forty-five girls in the house, and it's unreasonable to expect us tobe as quiet as deaf-mutes.' Before she could get her breath to annihilateClarice, which I thought she would do, I broke in and said that perhapsshe'd like us and understand college life better if she came over toArnold Hall some time and got acquainted with the girls and see how welive.

  "'Maybe I should,' she replied slowly, and really her face changed sothat I thought she was going to smile."

  "Now you have _done_ it, Pats," groaned Anne.

  "Whatever possessed you to say that?" complained Betty.

  "Who in creation _is_ she, that she thinks she can take such a hand inour affairs?" demanded Katharine hotly.

  "Well, I felt sorry for her," contended Patricia stoutly. "She's old, andall alone in that big house--"

  "Oh, no, Pats, not alone; think of that attractive youth," protestedHazel.

  "And I think she's longing for human contacts," continued Patricia.

  "She seems to be," remarked Lucile sarcastically.

  "And that's why she is annoyed by our fun, kind of an outsider envyingthose who are on the inside; like a kid who's not invited to a party, andso wants to break it up," concluded Patricia.

  "Sentimental Pat!" scoffed Lucile.

  "I'm sorry you are all annoyed about it," said Patricia, flushing, "but Isuddenly felt so sorry for her that I spoke before I thought. I neverdreamed you'd object to her. Probably she won't come, anyhow."

  "I think," said Jane emphatically, "that you handled the matter in thebest possible way. What would we gain by fighting with her? Putting asideof any question of kindness, it's much wiser for us to be friendly withher, if she will let us."

  "I agree with you, Jane," said Mrs. Vincent, speaking for the first time,and getting up to go back to her own room. "Now get to bed as quickly aspossible," she added, as the clock struck eleven.

  There were three people in the college colony who were wakeful thatnight: Patricia tossed from side to side, as she kept going over in hermind the inexorable circumstances which continued to involve her instrange situations with Norman Young. Directly above her, on the thirdfloor, Rhoda the maid was shedding tears as she worried over the affairsof one near and dear to her. In his room across the two back yards,Norman Young alternately pondered over Clarice's pretty face and thesolving of a problem which involved some cleverness on his part.