Briarwood Girls

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER IX

  ADVENTURE OF THE LAMP

  Late one afternoon, a few days later, five of the Kindred Spiritsgathered in Kathy's room to talk things over, for the excitement overthe recent happenings in the school still ran high. Evelyn, Polly andJoan sat on the bed, Rachel in the window seat, and Kathy on a lowvelvet stool, known as the "Stool of Repentance." A light snow wasfalling outside, making a pleasant contrast with the warmth and comfortwithin.

  The girls were all talking at once, yet, mysteriously, each hearing whatall the others said. In the midst of the Babel the door was pushedquietly open, and Rosalind slipped in, looking ashamed and sorry andconfused all at once; doubtful of her welcome, yet anxious to be back inher old place among them.

  "May I come? I knocked, but you were all talking so hard, you didn'thear me."

  "Of course you may. Here, sit down beside me on the 'stool ofrepentance,'" said Kathy, making room for her.

  "It's the right place for me, I know," said Rosalind meekly. "I've beenhorrid lately, girls, but I'm one of the 'K. S.' still, unless you'veturned me out."

  "We haven't. You deserted us," said Polly the blunt. "But we are glad tosee you back, Rosy," she added, frankly.

  "I'm dreadfully glad to be back, if you've all forgiven me. I've missedyou terribly. I don't exactly know how it happened. But I'm sorry. Whatwere you all talking about when I came in?" asked Rosalind, ascompletely one of the group as if she had never left it.

  "Why, of these odd things that have been happening lately," explainedJoan. "You know, the disappearance of Kathy's ring and necklace,and----"

  "But I found the necklace this morning," interrupted Kathy. "I meant totell you, but you haven't given me a chance."

  "Why, Kathy!" "Where?" "How?" A chorus arose.

  "When I moved my trunk out from the wall to sweep behind it," explainedKathy, "I found a little parcel wrapped in tissue paper. I opened it,thinking I might have dropped something there, and inside was mynecklace, all crushed together into a ball, and the clasp broken. Ifanyone knows anything about it, explanations will be in order."

  The girls, silent in sheer amaze, looked at each other and then atRosalind, who gazed blankly at them in return.

  "I didn't put it there, girls, indeed. I don't know in the least how itgot there--"

  "But do you know anything about it?" asked Kathy.

  "No, I don't. It looks like the one Marcia wore the night of thatparty, but I thought it was hers, and it may have been."

  "She said nothing about it to you?"

  "Not a word. Please believe me, girls."

  "Of course we believe _you_," said Joan, with an emphasis on the lastword.

  "Well, at any rate, the necklace is found, and I am very glad. I willhave it mended, and take better care of it," said Kathy gravely. "Ihaven't found my ring yet, nor has Rachel's pencil case beendiscovered."

  "That is what I came about," said Rosalind, gathering courage. Sheopened the handkerchief which she had held crumpled in her hand, andshowed the two missing articles under discussion, a locket and chain andone or two other small articles. "I found them in my dresser drawer justnow, in a little box. Honestly, I don't know anything about them, or howthey got there."

  "How did it happen that you didn't find them before?" asked Rachel,reclaiming her property.

  "I haven't cleared out my drawer lately, and the box was at the back,under a pile of handkerchiefs and things. The drawer was in an awfulmess, and I was hunting for a collar," confessed Rosalind with ashame-faced grin, for her untidiness was a proverb. "I brought it to youas soon as I found it," she added, and there was truth in her face andvoice. The girls believed her.

  "But what does it mean?" asked Joan. "Don't cry, Rosy, we know youdidn't take them. You are silly enough sometimes, but you wouldn'tsteal."

  The others assented readily. They all knew that, while Rosalind might beled away for a time by folly and vanity, yet her nature was true andsound, and she had a conscience. She knew quite well that she had beenled astray by her love of pleasure, and her penitence was sincere.

  "I can't understand it a bit," she began, when the door was openedagain--abruptly, and Alison appeared--a pale and dismayed Alison withwide frightened eyes.

  "Girls--have you hidden it on purpose, just to frighten me? Please don'ttease me, but tell me it is just a joke. I know you only meant tofrighten me!"

  "Why, Alison, what can you mean? We haven't done a thing," said Kathy,speaking for them all.

  Alison flung herself across the bed, already sufficiently occupied bythree substantial girls. Joan caught her and pulled her into her lap.

  "Here," she said, shaking Alison roughly by the shoulder. "No hysterics,or I'll slap you. Just tell us what is the matter."

  Thus importuned, Alison checked her sobs and raised a tragic face. "Mylamp! I'll never see it again!"

  "Nonsense. How could you never see it again? Tell us. Is it broken?"

  "It's gone!"

  "Gone! Not your beautiful Aladdin lamp, Alison? Why, it _couldn't_ belost. What do you mean?"

  Alison pulled herself together and tried to speak collectedly.

  "I've been down in the library all the afternoon, taking notes for myEnglish; I came up to my room a few minutes ago, and as I looked round Imissed the lamp. You all know where it always stands, on my table. Well,it wasn't there. And I thought--I hoped--that some of you might havehidden it for a joke. If you didn't, then I don't know what to think."

  "What a ridiculous idea," said Polly indignantly. "A fine joke it wouldbe. What do you take us for?"

  "I couldn't think what else could have become of it," said Alison,beginning to cry again. Joan began to comfort her, but Kathy checked thewords on her lips.

  "Listen, Alison. Who was in your room while you were gone?"

  "Only Marcia. I left her studying algebra."

  "And where is she now?"

  "I don't know. She was gone when I came up."

  "And your lamp with her," added Joan. "I have an idea. Wait a minute,all of you."

  She ran across the hall to Alison's room, returning promptly. "Come, allof you, and see."

  The girls followed her, and stood puzzled in the doorway.

  "Where are Marcia's things?" demanded Joan.

  A glance around the room showed it empty of all that had belonged toMarcia. The girls looked at each other. Kathy was the first to speak.

  "We must find Marcia, girls--if she is to be found--and ask her if thelamp was in the room when she left it."

  A hasty but thorough search established the certainty that Marcia wasnot in any of the buildings. Neither, apparently, was the lamp. It wasalmost supper time when the girls came together again to reportfailure.

  "What do you think?" Alison asked.

  Joan, as usual, was the spokeswoman. "It looks to me as if she wanted togo away, and has taken the lamp to sell it in order to get the money forher ticket. She could not sell jewelry, of course, but a handsome lampmight bring a good price. She has looked even more forbidding than usualthe last few days, and I know she hated school. She put back the otherthings she 'borrowed,' and tried to throw the blame on Rosalind byhiding them in her drawer. She knew Rosy was in Kathy's room with us,and she had a clear field. So she carried out her plans, and ran away."

  "Well," said Kathy after a pause. "If Joan is right, we ought to reportMarcia's disappearance at once. If she has really run away from school,Miss Harland will have to know it."