Jane Allen, Center

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER XIII--STIRRING THE DEPTHS

  "She won't run!"

  "Of course she will. Who asked her?"

  "I didn't ask her, but I heard her say emphatically that she would not.And you know Jane Allen."

  "But we must have her. And we have to get very busy before the freshmenhave a chance to go over our heads. I have been lobbying ever since thefour thirty, and I have seen all the old girls, and lots of new ones.This is so important, Gloria. You know what a big year we haveplanned."

  "Yes, Judy, I do know. All the more reason why we should have Jane. Butshe can't or won't forget her freshman experience. She declared itshowed a prejudice that would react on the club if we chose her. Thatis why she refuses."

  Gloria Gude and Judith Stearns were in conclave. It was the day beforeclass election and not a single head could be seen anywhere either inor out of college. They ran in pairs, and from that up to tens but nosingles. Everyone was scouting and rooting secretly for her candidate,and not a few sashes were inadvertently exchanged in the wild pulls andgrabs, desperately made to get votes that might be passing by in chapelor through recitation halls. Dozia Dalton had thus acquired MollyLinott's black velvet long ding-dong belt, and Nettie Brocton lost herembroidered Chinese ribbon somewhere going from two ten, to threefifteen.

  "If I get any more souvenirs I shall have to have an auction," Judithremarked, to Gloria. "Someone just pegged a perfectly good powder puffat me to get my attention. Now, who uses that scent?"

  "Oh, Judy, let's be serious. What shall we do if Jane will not run?"

  "Take her," declared Judith, practical for once.

  "But how?"

  "That is for us to decide. We are the executive committee. Let's getunder cover."

  The brisk October morning pinched their cheeks giving glow but notimparting warmth. It was chilly even for college girls--quite cold formere folks.

  "Come over to the wigwam. There we can talk unmolested, as Cleo wouldsay. We must make her editor this year, by the way," digressed Gloria.

  "One thing at a time, especially one election. Now, whom have you seen?Who will lead the Maths?" Judith checked up.

  "Tim Maher. You know she is a dandy. She not only leads but lines 'emup. She won't let a single vote get loose."

  "Yes, Timmy is dependable. But I thought the Seatons rather copped herlate last season? She went a little with Mazie."

  "Oh, yes, but even Mazie is with us now. Marian Seaton has lost a lotof friends. I think I know why."

  "Could I know? It might help with the election."

  "Well, Judy, it is very personal. Haven't you noticed Marian is wearingsome of last year's things?"

  "No, I hadn't. But they surely have scads of money."

  "Oh, yes, but Marian has a very determined father, I believe. However,it is not anything we should feel like injecting into our politics.Jane would never stand for home stuff getting into class work."

  "Oh, no, I had no idea of suggesting it," replied the rather aggrievedJudith. "I have some honor myself, Gloria."

  "Don't get mad, Judy. I know you are all wool and a yard wide, or youwill be after this year's series. But let us keep at the subject. Whomhave we for the second division?"

  "Suppose we try Janet Clark?"

  "Oh, she's too fly-away and pretty. Likely that's her powder puff thatcame kiting. How about Ted Guthrie?"

  "If she isn't too fat to get around, Ted is all right. But have youobserved her circumference? Must have spent her summer at a pure foodshow. Well, say we try Ted Guthrie," and the pencil scrawled over thehalf sheet of notebook paper.

  "Oh, there's Nettie Brocton. Let's call her and ask about theTriangles. Oh, Nettie! Whoo! Whoo!"

  Answering the owl call, Nettie ran across the campus, jumping nimblyover the hedge balls that marked the places where girls were notsupposed to tread. But the reckless late fall weather cancelled suchorders automatically.

  "Nettie, do you know about the Triangles? How are they lining up? ForJane?"

  "Oh, I am so disappointed," and the pretty face submerged its dimples."Someone has been telling about the college the most absurd story aboutJane."

  "Story about Jane!" both girls exclaimed, indignantly.

  "Yes, too ridiculous. Said she has adopted a girl, actually adopted agirl, who is at this college. And that she has brought her here just towait on her. Did you ever hear such trash?"

  A light filtered through Judith's mental reservation. That story mustmean Helen. And the "adoption" must belong to the scholarship clause.How awful it seemed to struggle against class prejudice! Why must somegirls always be snobs?

  "Who would have spread such a crazy yarn?" asked Gloria.

  "Well, someone who shopped in New York late this summer, I guess. Saidshe saw Jane lots of times, and the little girl carrying her bundles."

  Judith's face fell to zero. After all they had done for Helen, to thinkthe tables had been turned, making Jane the beneficiary!

  "We have to come right out and contradict that," exclaimed Gloria. "Wecould never win with Jane wearing the stigma of--snob."

  "And Jane Allen above all girls! She who has always been so generousand so considerate. Why, I would as soon think of accusing her oftheft, or any crime outright, as to say she would bring a girl hereunder false pretenses."

  None knew better than did Judith how delicate a situation was evolving.To clear Jane would implicate Helen to the extent, at least, ofproclaiming her a scholarship student, and this would be an outrage,just when she was becoming so popular, and when news from herfriends--but Judith could no longer cogitate. She must act! She must dosomething to save the situation.

  "I was with Jane and Helen in New York, and we stopped at MissJordan's. We all had a wonderful time. Now how could anyone make badcapital out of that?" she demanded of the defenseless and innocentGloria.

  "Well, you know the opposition," Gloria reminded the indignant Judith."They are all wizards at that sort of thing. There goes the gong. Wemust away. Nettie, don't do anything till you hear from us. Be at thepalms when three thirty is dismissed," and with a well-practiced dashall three covered the stretch of green and presently sauntered in linewith their classes, quite as calm and unruffled as the remainderappeared. All but Judith. Those who knew her best might easily haveguessed she was "boiling over." That determined, self-restrainedexpression could mean nothing else.

  "What on earth is it, Judy?" whispered Jane.

  "Turned on my ankle," glibly lied Judith, without any such intention.

  "Hurt much?" persisted the troublesome Jane.

  "No, that is--yes. I don't know--maybe nothing," and Judith blushed ather own stupidity. Presently Jane would be suggesting iodine. Breathingexercises over, just as Judith had feared, along came Jane with herwhisper:

  "Iodine!"

  "Oh, yes, war paint!" Judith flung back. "I am all right, Janie, I wasjoking."

  A look of relief was so apparent on Jane's pretty face that Judith waschagrined. But Judith knew too well if she did not put an end to thejoke at once, and that decidedly, Jane would likely be insisting upondoing the rubbing for that ankle. Maybe between periods. Jane was likethat with her sympathy, practical.

  Class in session all eyes seemed focused in the direction of the "TwoJays" as Jane and Judith were dubbed. Jane was quite as determined asher opponents that she would not run for class presidency, and Judithwas just as positive as both factions that Jane would run and also thatshe would win. Little Judy Stearns, as she was telling herself, musthave some sense, and she would get right to operating it that veryafternoon. But how help Jane without hurting Helen?

  The day's work seemed interminable. Everything dragged but worry, andthat leapt.

  In a retrospective interval the memory of the queer fainting spellHelen suffered, just before leaving New York, came to Judith withpositive relevance. What if that had been caused by someone frighteningHelen, and if that someone had sent all that hateful story toWellington?

  Obviously Helen would never h
ave told them if such a thing hadhappened. Would she admit it now?

  That the Polish girl was seriously afraid of some haunting terrorJudith knew instinctively, and it was certain any additional cause forworry would be equivalent to the proverbial last straw. No telling whatmight occur if Helen ever guessed she was the innocent cause of troublefor Jane.

  When class was finally dismissed Judith avoided Jane and sought out her"chiefs." A real round-up of the voting situation must be made with allpossible celerity, and Judith knew it would be no easy matter to rallyher scattering forces, in the face of the delicious gossip that wasslowly but surely filtering through the groups to the detriment ofJane's reputation.

  Minette Brocton was waiting at the palms. She pinched Judith's handsconfidently as the two fell into step for recreation.

  "I think I can trace the story, Judy," she said in a hushed voice. "Andwhether Jane runs or not, we must bury the corpse, or better still,cremate it. But how about little Nell? She seems supersensitive."

  "She is exactly that. But don't you think all--strangers are apt to be?"Judith was on the point of saying "foreigners," when she caughtherself.

  "Yes, I have always noticed that," Minette replied. "But I overheardsomething at luncheon that gave me a clue. Did you ever meet a boy, asort of foreigner while you were in New York?"

  "A boy--a foreigner!" Judith searched her memory. "Of course we likelymet many such. You don't mean call boys, bell boys, or check boys, doyou?"

  "Oh, no, certainty not. I knew you met battalions of them. I mean someone who called on--Helen?"

  "Oh, mercy no!" Judith almost gasped. "Helen would not see anyone. Sheacted like a frightened little mouse."

  "Then did she get many--letters?"

  "Never one that I saw," promptly replied the surprised Judith.

  "Well, it is something about a boy, and a letter, and of course he hadto be foreign to match up. But I know it is all plain rubbish. And Iwill do all in my power to run it down. Meanwhile we have to have anelection," and the soft brown eyes looked wistfully into Judith'sdarker orbs.

  "Worse luck," replied Judith. "But since we must have it, we must electour candidate. I never felt quite so helpless. It is plain I do dependa lot on Janie."

  "We all do, but this is an excellent opportunity to try out our ownmettle. If I could only come right out and ask----"

  "Whom?" insisted Judith with much vehemence.

  "Marian Seaton, of course."

  "Then, why not!"

  "Because I have no defence prepared. I would not know what to say tooffset her accusations. You know how horribly sneering and insinuatingshe is, if she would only say something intelligent one might reply,but she just smirks, and sneers, and curls those painted lips."

  "Oh, easy, Nettie, don't slam Marian. She is real, at corners, youknow, even if the corners are anything but square, still I am willingto admit Marian is insidious," Judith qualified.

  "The smirking snob," Minette declared, losing her temper. "I have nopatience with a girl in the juniors who acts like a freshling cad. Itisn't as if she had not already had the benefit of two hard years'training."

  "And enough hard knocks to make the training effective," corroboratedJudith. "I know all that, Nettie. But it is just the peculiarsituation. Difficult problems require skilful handling, and this is ahard knot. I may as well tell you, Nettie, something about the wholething, so we will be able to work intelligently," Judith suddenlydecided.

  "Seems to me every one is holding conference with every one else,"remarked Minette, seeking out a safe place in which to continue theirtalk. "I wonder how they will ever get together for the line up?"

  "I have tried to take care of that for our party," Judith answered. "Wehave arranged to meet directly after supper on the South Slope. When wecall the roll and give the handshake, we will know if we have any spiesamong us. Then, when all is fixed, we will take the hall by storm andput our ticket through before the freshmen know what is going on. Ofcourse, they may have a plan better than ours and may swamp us," Judithfinished, a little dubiously.

  "Oh, there is Jane! She is looking for us. What shall we do now? We cannever plan with her listening," exclaimed Minette, regretfully.

  "Got to postpone it a little," Judith said hurriedly. "Hello, Janie.What's the war cry?"

  "Judy, dear, I hate to be so emphatic, but I really can't let you go onwith this electioneering for me. I will not run." Jane struck a rigidpose and spoke with unmistakable emphasis.

  "But why?" gasped Minette, before Judith could speak.

  "It is too long a story to tell in a moment," Jane replied veryseriously, "but you must believe me, when I say, I cannot run."

  Judith bit her red lips until her wonderful teeth threatened to takeroot outside of their limits. She was saying yes, just as emphaticallyas Jane was saying no. The two heads were all but wagging, and eachwigwagged a very different meaning.

  "You still feel all that old stuff about being a Westerner and havinghad squabbles during your fresh year," blurted Judith. "You know,perfectly well, Jane Allen, all the whole college admires you, and youwon't let us have our way. Now, do you call that fair play?"

  "Well, Judith, I have to think of--other things. You may imagine everyone likes me, but I have a perfectly good pair of working ears and Ihave not wadded them up for the last few days. From what I haveunwillingly heard, I can judge of what I didn't hear," and Jane smiledthat old-time determined Allen smile, the pride of her father. Could hehave seen her now he would have openly rejoiced. Jane assumed adistinctive attitude. It proclaimed "No Compromise."

  "Perhaps, if I skip along, you two may fight it out in comfort,"suggested Minette. "I'll away--and--see--some--folks," she finishedenigmatically. But Judith had the interpretive key.