_Chapter III_ THE WIND ROARS
Janet was home in plenty of time to dress in leisure for the skatingparty. Her mother looked in once to make sure that she had plenty of warmclothes on.
"I'm glad you're wearing that old tweed outfit. It's warm and at the sametime nice looking."
"Even though it's old, mother?"
"Even though it's old. Tweed always looks nice and that's an especiallypretty shade of brown. It goes so well with your hair. Wear your scarletberet and don't forget the boots."
"I won't," promised Janet as her mother started downstairs again.
The Hardy home was pleasant, even though decidedly old-fashioned. Therewas a broad porch completely across the front of the house. The houseitself was L-shaped, the base of the L having been added after theoriginal structure was built. The exterior was shingled and creepingvines softened the sharper angles.
Janet's room had a south exposure with two dormer windows that added tothe many angles of the low-ceilinged rambling room. The wall paper waspink and white with gay farm scenes interspersed. Crisp chintz curtainswere at the windows and a gay curtain hid the large, old-fashionedwardrobe at one end of the room in which she kept her clothes.
Her dressing table was between the dormers with a rose-colored shade onthe electric light.
The bed, a walnut four poster, was against the wall nearest the hall. Agay, pink-tufted spread covered it. At one side was a small walnut standwith a shaded reading lamp.
Hooked rugs, reflecting the cheery tone of the room in their variedcolors, covered the dark, polished floor.
Over in the far corner, where the roof sloped sharply, Janet had built abook case and stained it brown. It was filled with books, arranged innone too perfect order, showing the interest she had in them.
But Janet had little time now to relax in the charm of her room. Partingthe curtain of the wardrobe she found her tweed suit far to the back. Herboots were back there too, but they had been well oiled and were pliable.
From a walnut chest of drawers which stood beside the wardrobe Janet drewwoolen socks for it was an 18-mile ride to Youde's and they probablywouldn't be home until late.
Janet dressed sensibly, woolen hose, heavy tweed skirt, a blue, shaggywool sweater and her tweed coat. The crimson beret would be warm enough.
She glanced at the clock. She had spent more time than she hadanticipated, it was after 4:30 and Whet's drug store where they were tomeet the bus was a good six blocks away.
Janet hurried downstairs.
"I've a cup of tea and some cookies all ready," her mother called.
It would be after six o'clock before they ate and Janet drank the teawith relish. The cookies, crisp and filled with raisins, were deliciousand she put several in the pockets of her coat.
"I put your old fur coat in the hall," said Mrs. Hardy. "Your scarf'sthere, too."
"Thanks mother. I'm certainly going to be too warm."
Her mother went to the window. It was nearly dark and the snow stillswirled down in dry, feathery clouds.
"I almost wish you weren't going," she said, "but there doesn't seem tobe any wind."
"Oh, we'll be all right, mother. The bus is large and if the weathershould get bad we could stay at Youde's until it clears. Remember MissBruder is chaperon and she's extremely sensible."
"She needs to be with your crowd on her hands," smiled her mother,following Janet into the hall.
Janet slipped into her old coat. It wasn't much to look at but it waswarm and serviceable, one of those bunglesome coonskins that were sopopular with college students at one time. She twisted her scarf aroundher neck, gave her mother a quick hug and kiss, and strode out of thehouse.
Janet kicked along through the dry snow, walking rapidly until shereached Helen Thorne's home. There were no lights in the southeast roomand Janet knew that Helen must be dressed for that was Helen's room.
She whistled sharply, a long and a short, that penetrated the quick ofthe twilight.
The porch light flashed on and Helen, sticking her head out, yelled, "I'mcoming."
Helen hurried down the walk, wriggling into a suede jacket.
"Think that will be warm enough?" asked Janet, who felt very much bundledup in her coonskin.
"I've got my corduroy jacket underneath and a sweater under that. I'mpractically sealed up against the cold, but I'll run back and get my oldcoonskin."
They swung along rapidly toward Whet's scuffing through the dry snow.
"I like this," said Helen, breathing deeply. "The snow's grand and itisn't too cold. Wonder if they'll have any heat at Youde's?"
"Oh, the dining room will be warm, but there's only a fireplace out inthe room where we skate. Wraps will probably feel good there until we getwell warmed up from skating."
Out of the haze ahead emerged the blob of light that marked theneighborhood drug store. As they approached they could see two or threestanding near the front door of the store.
Ed Rickey, captain of the football team, jerked open the door.
"Greetings, wanderers of the storm. Enter and be of good cheer."
They stamped the snow off their boots and stepped inside. Cora Dean andMargie Blake were there. Boon companions, they were seldom apart.
"Hello," said Margie, but there was no warmth in the greeting.
"Hello," replied Janet.
"You must think you're going to the north pole," put in Cora, as shelooked Janet and Helen over coolly.
"Well, not quite that far, but we believe in being sensible and warm,"replied Helen, and Cora's face flamed, for both she and Margie, alwaystrying to make an impression, were dressed in fashionable riding breechesof serge. They were pleasing to look at, but hardly the thing for comforton a night when the temperature might drop almost to zero. Instead ofcoats they wore zipper sweaters of angora wool. Their boots werefashionable, but light, and would be of little use in withstanding anysevere cold.
"Here comes the bus," said Ed Rickey, who was bundled up in nondescriptclothes.
"All out that's going to Youde's," he bellowed, imitating a train caller.
The bus ground to a stop in front of the store and the girls followed Edacross the curb. Jim Barron opened the door. The windows of the bus wereheavily frosted for a heater was going full blast but the driver, amiddle aged man, had a windshield wiper cutting a swath through the frostthat formed on the glass in front of him.
Miss Bruder spoke as they came in.
"Everyone's here," announced Jim. "Find your seats. Next stop atYoude's."
There was plenty of room in the bus for the vehicle had a capacity ofthirty and there were only eighteen in addition to the driver. Most ofthem found seats well to the fore where they could feel the blast of warmair from the heater.
Clarion was a sprawling city of 19,000, but in less than ten minutes theyhad left the street lights behind and were rolling along a smoothly pavedhighway.
It was impossible to see out for the windows were frosted solid, but itwas a merry crowd nevertheless. Ed Rickey, who had a fine bass voice,started in with a school song and the others soon joined him.
Six miles outside Clarion they turned off the main road and swung overtoward the hills which flanked the Wapsie river for it was along thebanks of the Wapsie that Youde's Inn was located.
Their progress was slowed here for the road had not been cleared by asnowplow. But the snow was less than five inches deep and the powerfulbus forged ahead steadily.
Almost before they knew it they were over the last hill and dropping downinto the river valley. As the bus turned into the inn, floodlights in theyard were snapped on. A dog, barking eagerly, leaped forward to greetthem.
Ed and Jim were out of the bus first, assisting the others down. WithMiss Bruder in the lead, they trooped toward the rambling, one story inn.
Eli Youde, a coonskin cap on his head, was at the door. Behind him stoodhis wife, a buxom, motherly soul of forty-five.
"Supper's on the table now," said Mrs. Youde as she greeted them. "Thegirls can take off their things in the room at the right; the boys go tothe left."
There were nine boys and eight girls in the honors English class, butwith Miss Bruder it made an even number and she was so young and full offun that she always seemed like one of them.
Cora and Margie stopped before an old fashioned dresser to powder theirnoses and pat their hair into shape, but at a skating party these thingswere irrelevant to Janet and Helen and they hastened out to join thegroup in the dining room.
One long table had been set. There were no place cards and the first toarrive took the choice seats, which were near a glowing soft-coal burner.
Mrs. Youde, assisted by her husband, brought in steaming bowls of oysterstew. Three large bowls of crisp, white crackers were on the table, buthuge inroads in them were soon made. Conversation died away as the stewwas ladled down hungry throats.
Before the bowls of stew had vanished, Mrs. Youde brought in two heapingplatters of thick sandwiches. Janet found at least three varieties andwas afraid to ask Helen how many she discovered.
"This is ruining my weight, but I'm having a fine time," said Janetbetween bites and Helen nodded.
After the sandwiches came pumpkin pie, great thick wedges of it with amound of whipped cream on top and a slab of yellow cheese at one side.
Ed Rickey yelled for help and when no one volunteered to jounce him upand down to make room for the pie, he managed to get to his feet and trotaround the table several times.
"I'm never going to be able to bend down and put on a skate," groaned JimBarron, who had begged a second piece of pie and was now looking ruefullyat the last crisp crust. He wanted it, but he didn't quite dare and witha sheepish look he pushed the plate away from him.
"Perhaps we'd better sit around a few minutes before we start skating,"suggested Miss Bruder. The suggestion was welcomed and while Mr. Youdecarried armfuls of woods into the skating rink to fill the fireplace theytold stories around the roaring fire in the heater.
"I feel better," announced Jim a few minutes later. "In fact, I'll becourteous enough to help any of you weak damsels get your skates on.Let's go."
With Jim in the lead, they trooped into the skating rink. The fireplace,along one wall and halfway down the rink, was roaring lustily as Mr.Youde piled it with fresh fuel.
The skates were in boxes, numbered for size, and ranged in rows along thewalls. Jim, Ed and one of the other boys did the fitting while the girlssat on a long bench.
"Here's a pair that ought to be long enough for you," grinned Jim as heplaced a skate under Janet's right foot.
"Oh, I don't know that I'm such a clodhopper," smiled Janet. "Anyway,I'll bet I can beat you around the rink the first time."
"It's a go," replied Jim, fastening the other skate. "Wait until I getthe wheels under my hoofs."
Janet stood up and tried the skates. Jim had found an excellent pair forher. They felt true and speedy. She tried a preliminary whirl. Herbalance was good.
Jim shot out onto the floor, tried to make a sharp turn, lost hisbalance, and sat down with a thud that shook the room.
"First down," yelled Ed Rickey, who hastened to Jim's aid and entangledhimself over Jim's outstretched legs. Ed also went down and shouts ofmerriment echoed through the room.
"Ready Jim?" asked Janet when the husky senior was back on his feet.
"Just as ready now as later," he replied and they shot away, Janet's feetmoving swiftly as she got up speed.
Jim had the longer legs, the more powerful strokes, but Janet was fastand light. That might overcome the advantage of her heavier rival.
"Go on, Janet, go on!" she heard Helen shouting as they took the firstturn.
Jim was still ahead, but he was going too fast for a safe turn and heskidded sharply and lost speed at the next turn while Janet, her feet atwinkle of motion, shot ahead. Jim yelled in protest, but Janet only wentthe faster and flashed by the finish at least two yards ahead of thepuffing Jim.
From then on the rink buzzed with the roll of the skates as in couplesand singly they sped around the room.
Ed Rickey was a wizard on skates and after the first rush of skating,when some of them were content to sit on the benches near the fireplace,he gave a demonstration of fancy skating.
Janet had never imagined Ed had that grace and sense of rhythm but thebig fellow was remarkably light on his feet.
Then they were back on the floor again, this time in a series of racesJim Barron had planned, some of them rolling peanuts the length of therink and back and others skating around backwards in tandem races.
In spite of the roaring fire, the room was cold and Janet felt the chillcreep through her bones. She stopped skating and edged over close to thefireplace just as the bus driver came in and spoke to Eli Youde. Theinnkeeper departed at once with the driver and Janet heard the bang of anouter door as though it had been caught by the wind and closed violently.But there had been no wind when they came down into the valley to theinn.
If the wind had come up, the snow might drift badly. She put that thoughtout of her mind, and rejoined the skaters.
It was less than five minutes later when the innkeeper and the bus driverreturned, striding down the center of the rink. Mr. Youde held up onehand and the skaters gathered around him.
"Wind's coming up and the snow's starting to drift. May be bad in anotherhour or two. If you want to get home before midnight you'd better startnow for it will be slow going up in the hills."
"We'll start at once," decided Miss Bruder. "Get your wraps, everybody."
Janet, some unknown fear tugging at her heart, hung back and spoke to Mr.Youde.
"Is it perfectly safe to start the trip back?" she asked.
"I guess so. That's a powerful bus. But you'd better start now before thewind gets bad. This snow is going to drift like fury before morning. Iexpect we'll be blockaded for a couple of days."
Janet rejoined the girls in the room where they had left their coats. Ahorn sounded outside and they hastened to don their wraps. Thefloodlights in the yard flashed on and the group, bidding the Youdescheery goodnights, hastened out to the bus.
Janet Hardy in Hollywood Page 3
