CHAPTER XVII
THE VIGILANTES INITIATE
"Ad, ante, con, de, in, inter,--" recited Virginia. "Priscilla, do youalways remember the difference between gerunds and gerundives nowyou're a Junior?"
"Always remember! Why, I _never_ do! I think it's a point of ignoranceto be proud of. It's depressing to remember so many unvital things.That's one."
Ten minutes' silence, punctuated by Priscilla's sighs over Cicero, andVirginia's whispered prepositions.
"The person who recommended Friday afternoon study hour must have beenvery inhuman."
"She was! 'Twas Greenie! We're studying now in blessed memory of her!"
"I wonder where she is."
"Oh, probably sitting on an Athenian rock-pile, and gazing at theAcropolis! I'm glad it's the Acropolis instead of me! Virginia, Ican't study another second, and it isn't three o'clock for fifteenminutes. You haven't shown me how you've changed the Constitution yet,and we're going to start at three. I don't see but that we both haveto stop studying anyway, whether we choose to or not. We've just abouttime to read it over."
Virginia needed no urging. She closed the Latin Grammar, tore theafghan and pillows from her couch, and burrowed under the bed-clothesuntil she found what she sought--a somewhat rumpled piece of paper.
"This is the original, you know," she said. "I'm keeping it for myMemory Book, and I'll make a copy for yours. I made the new onedifferent as we planned. I took out the 'evil influence' part, becausethere isn't any more need for that, and, of course, the names of thosewe were especially guarding. I don't think Dorothy and Vivian had bestknow about that, do you? It might make them feel a little queer toknow we'd been watching them especially."
"No, we won't say anything about that part. They're going to be one ofus now, and trying for the same thing. We'll keep the real reason forthe founding of the order a secret, known to only the charter members.I'll never cease to be glad you thought of it, now that things havecome out the way they have. Isn't it splendid about Dorothy's grades?Mary said to-day that if Dorothy gets _A's_ in everything all thequarter, the way she has ever since Easter, and every one else keepsup as well, we'll really have a chance of winning the cup fromHathaway."
"Vivian's doing splendidly, too. Miss Wallace read her theme in classto-day and complimented her, and Vivian looked so pleased. She's soquiet lately, and seems sad. I think she feels bad about Imogene.Priscilla, do you really suppose that--?" Virginia's voice wasmysteriously lowered.
"Yes, I do," answered Priscilla in a whisper. "Of course, no one willever know; but I'm sure Imogene didn't know her mother was coming, andwe all know Imogene wasn't sick. Maybe Mary felt she ought to tell; ormaybe Miss Wallace knew more than we thought all along. St. Helen'salways does things quietly; but I'll always think that Imogenewas--expelled!"
"Maybe Vivian knows, and that's why she feels so bad. And, besides,it's lonesome rooming all alone. I'll read you the new Constitution,and then we'll go and get them both. Where shall we go?"
"Let's choose the big rock just back of the Retreat, behind the pines.No one goes there very often, and we can have it for ourmeeting-place. Read on. It's five minutes to three now."
Virginia drew a less rumpled paper from her blouse pocket and read:
"We, the undersigned, on this 10th day of May, do hereby announce that we are the sole members of the Order of Vigilantes, a secret order founded on the 20th day of January last by Priscilla Alden Winthrop and Virginia Webster Hunter. We take our name from the Vigilantes of the West--those brave men, who in the early days of our Western States, bound themselves together in the endeavor to stand for fair play, and to preserve law and order. Like them, we hereby determine and promise to stand at all times for fair play and true friendship; and to help one another in every way we can to live up to the principles of our order. As stated above, we are the only real Vigilantes, though the existence of the order is known to Mary Williams, who is our adviser, when we need assistance."
"Now, we'll sign our names, Priscilla, and I'll take my fountain penso that they can sign on the rock. Come on. It's after three now."
They went into the hall where they met Dorothy, who had agreed to keepthe mysterious appointment with them at three o'clock, and togetherthey went to get Vivian. But no response came to their knocking.
"That's queer. She can't be asleep. She said she'd be ready."
They knocked again--louder this time. Still there was no answer. Thenthey tried the door, and to their surprise found it locked.
"Why, where can she be? You don't suppose she's sick or something, doyou?" asked Priscilla. "She wouldn't lock the door if she went out.Let's go around the porch and look in the windows."
They went into their room, and through the French windows on to theporch, Dorothy following. When they reached Vivian's room, they foundthe curtains lowered, though the windows were not locked. By dint of agood deal of prying, they raised the screens, windows and curtains,and stepped into the room. Then they stood and stared at one anotherin amazement. Vivian's trunk stood, packed, tagged, and locked in themiddle of the floor; her pictures, posters, pennants, and other walldecorations had disappeared, as had the toilet articles from thedresser; only the pillow-laden couch stood as before, though itsafghan and pillows bore tags, on each of which was written, "For anyone who wants it."
"Why, why, she's gone!" gasped Virginia, the first to speak. "Oh, wemust stop her! What shall we do? Somebody think--quick!"
But in their sudden and complete surprise, thinking quickly was anutter impossibility. They probably would have remained staring at oneanother while precious time was hastening on, had not Priscilla'seyes, roving distractedly about the dismantled room, fallen upon anenvelope on the top of the closed and locked desk.
"It's for you, Virginia," she cried, passing the envelope to herroom-mate. "Oh, read it, quick!"
Virginia lost no time in tearing open the envelope and unfolding thepaper within.
'Dear Virginia,' she read in a trembling voice to those who listened, 'I know you'll all think I'm sillier than ever, but I can't stand being miserable any longer. You've all been good to me, especially you, and I'll never, _never_, _never_ forget it, so long as I live! You're the best friend I ever had. (A sob from Dorothy.) But it is very hard to hate yourself every minute; and, besides, I can't forget what Imogene said to me when she went away. So I'm going home, and maybe next year when people have forgotten my silliness, Miss King will let me come back. Perhaps, I'll be different then, but I can't promise; and maybe, after all, she won't let me come back, when she knows I've run away.
"Vivian.
"'P. S. Please tell Miss Wallace I'm sorry I deceived her by telling her I had a headache, and asking if I could study in the woods. I did have a headache; and there wasn't any other way I could get the train without somebody finding out.'--V. E. W.'"
Still they stood in poor, discouraged Vivian's deserted room, andlooked at one another. Virginia's face was sad from sympathy,Priscilla looked puzzled and thoughtful, Dorothy was crying.
"Oh, it's my fault," she sobbed. "I ought to have gone away along withImogene! I haven't been a friend to Vivian, and now I'll never have achance!"
"Yes, you will, too," cried Priscilla, coming out of her reverie,"because she can't take the train after all. There isn't any threeo'clock. It's been taken off. Miss Wallace told me so yesterday, whenshe was thinking of going away for over Sunday. The next one doesn'tgo till five, and if Vivian's anywhere around, we'll find her andbring her back. Let's not say a word to any one, but just hunt till wefind her. The door's locked and we can draw the curtains, and no onewill ever know."
Without wasting any precious moments they hurried out the way they hadentered, drawing the curtains before closing the windows and screens,ran down-stairs and across the campus to the road, running thegauntlet of all who called to them by maint
aining a discreet andsomewhat exclusive silence. At the top of the hill, Priscilla reviewedher forces.
"Let's each take a different direction. She's around the woodssomewhere, because she wouldn't dare stay around Hillcrest for fear ofmeeting the girls, and there aren't any woods the other side of thevillage. I'll go north of the campus, and Dorothy, you take theRetreat woods, and Virginia, you cross the road by the gates, and gothrough those pastures there, and you might look by the birch tree,though she's not likely to be there. And let's all remember that ifany girl tries to join us, we're to treat her abominably, so she'llknow she isn't wanted. It's mean, but there's no other way to do,because Vivian'll never come back if she thinks any one else knows.Whoever finds her first, will give three loud calls in quicksuccession; and if by any chance we don't any of us find her, we'reall to meet at the station for the five o'clock. But I know we'll besuccessful."
They started, each in the direction signified; and while they hurriedthrough the woods, thinking only of Vivian, and of how if they everfound her, they would make her so happy she would forget all that hadpassed, the object of their thought and search crouched on the top ofthe big rock back of the Retreat, and hoped that the surrounding treeshid her quite from sight.
When the station agent half an hour ago had told her there was notrain before five o'clock, her heart had sunk. What should she do? Shecould not linger around Hillcrest, for she was sure of meeting some ofthe girls. There was no place in which to hide near the village; andto walk to the nearest town ten miles away and take the train fromthere was out of the question. There seemed nothing to do but toretrace her steps toward St. Helen's, and hide in the woods until timefor the next train. Then she must trust to luck, and run the risk ofmeeting the girls. Meanwhile, there was no time to lose. It wasfifteen minutes to three already, and in half an hour the girls wouldbe through with study hour and out-of-doors.
She hurried, up the village street, and out upon the country road,still in her sweater and little school hat. Her mother would doubtlessbe surprised to see her dressed that way, she thought to herself asshe ran. She would wire her from Springfield. Yes, she would besurprised, but when she had heard the whole story, she would pityVivian and welcome her home. And her father would probably laugh ather, call her a silly little girl, and then engage a tutor for her. Itwould not be easy to tell them, and might be very hard to make themunderstand; but she could bear that more easily than to stay at St.Helen's with the remembrance of Imogene's words in her ears.
Out of breath, she sat down by the roadside to rest for a few minutes.No, she could never forget Imogene's words! She saw her dressed readyto go, remembered how she had risen to kiss her, and how, instead ofkissing her, Imogene had said, "Of course, you realize, Vivian, if youhadn't been such a little fool, and Dorothy such a coward, I wouldn'tbe going away like this!"
So they had really sent Imogene away--_expelled_ her! And Imogene hadsaid that she was to blame, had gone without kissing her, had neverwritten her in all that long week! No, it was all too much to beborne! Besides, it did not matter how good the girls had been to hersince the evening when Virginia had rescued her from the carrying outof her foolish plan, she felt sure that in their hearts they despisedher for having been so weak and so easily influenced. And now shecould never show them that she meant to be different! Even Virginiaand Priscilla whom she so dearly loved would never know! But she sawno other way.
Rising, she hurried on. The school clock struck three. She dashedthrough the gates and into the woods by the Retreat. In a few minutesthe girls would be passing along the road, and she was in danger ofbeing seen. Looking around for a hiding-place, she espied the big rockback of the Retreat, the very rock which the Vigilantes had chosen fortheir initiation ceremonies. A great pine which grew close by overhungit with wide-spreading, feathery branches. Vivian hastily climbed uponthe rock, and, crawling in among the pine branches, was quiteconcealed from the sight of all except the most careful observer.
It was but a few moments before she heard voices--on the meadow, in theroad, even in the very woods about her. Study hour was over, and thegirls were free. Well, if by any chance they drew near her place ofconcealment, she could take her Caesar from her pocket and begin tostudy. That would tend to dispel suspicion. How jolly and merry theysounded! She could hear Bess Shepard's laugh, and some lusty shouts,which, of course, came from the Blackmore twins. She had had lovelytimes at St. Helen's. Of course even now, she might--but no, it was toolate! Without doubt, by now some one had discovered her room, andeverybody would know!
A loud crackling of twigs sounded to the right. Some one was coming inher direction--yes, some one in a red sweater, for she coulddistinguish that color through the thicket. She crouched lower underthe pine branches. Then, seeing that it was of no use to hide, for thesweater was unmistakably coming through the bushes, she sat up-rightwith a beating heart and drew Caesar from her pocket--just as Dorothybroke through the last blackberry bush and saw her on the rock. Andthough she tried her utmost to gaze at Caesar, she just couldn't helpseeing the joy and gladness that swept over Dorothy's anxious face.
"Oh, Vivian!" she cried. "Oh, Vivian! I've found you, and I'm so glad!And you're going to forgive me, and give me another chance to be yourfriend, aren't you? Oh, say you're not going away!"
In another moment Dorothy was on the rock beside her, and poor Caesarhad fallen into a rose-bush, where he lay forgotten. The five o'clocktrain was forgotten, too; for as Vivian sat there with Dorothy's armsaround her, she knew she wouldn't do anything else in the world but goback and begin all over again.
"My!" said Dorothy, after they had talked everything over for thethird time at least. "My! I forgot to give the signal, and Priscillaand Virginia are very likely half-dead from fright by now!"
She gave the three short calls agreed upon, which were immediatelyanswered; and in less than five minutes the two Vigilantes, very muchalive and very, very happy, were also sitting on the very rock chosenbut two hours before. Then, after all the crooked things had been madestraight, after the world seemed beautiful again, and friendshipsweeter than before--then, with the ceremony befitting its importance,the Vigilante Order was explained in full to the chosen initiates, andits purpose made plain. With serious faces they signed their names,
Vivian Evelyn Winters Dorothy Richards
below the signatures of the charter members.
"Everything's over now," said the real originator of the order with ahappy little sigh, as she folded the Constitution and placed it in herpocket. "Everything's over, and in another way, everything nicest isjust beginning. There's certainly strength in numbers, and we'll allhelp one another to be real Vigilantes."
"We ought to have a watchword," proposed Priscilla. "I was thinking ofone when I heard Dorothy call. Do you think 'Ever Vigilant' is anygood?"
They all thought it just the thing.
"And I've been, wondering just this minute," said Dorothy, "aboutsomething else; but I'm a new member, and if you don't like my plan, Ihope you'll say so. I was thinking about having an emblem. Most ordersdo, you know. Don't you think it-would be rather nice to have thehepatica, and have it stand for what Miss King said--sending ourrootlets into good soil? You see, I thought of it because--well,because I've felt so ashamed of--of the way my rootlets have beengrowing, and lately I've--I've been trying--" She hesitated,embarrassed.
Virginia had listened, her eyes growing brighter every moment.
"I think it's a perfectly lovely idea, Dorothy," she said, whilePriscilla and Vivian nodded their approval. "And I've a secret justborn--a lovely, lovely one--and it's going to happen before very long!It just came with your thought of the hepatica!"
The others were properly mystified, but the owner of the secret woulddivulge nothing; and half an hour later, Caesar, having been rescuedfrom the rose-bush, the four Vigilantes went home to help Vivianunpack.
The Girl from the Big Horn Country Page 17
