CHAPTER I ALMOST CHRISTMAS
Neither books, papers nor pencils were to be seen in the confused mass ofarticles, piled high, if not dry, in the rooms of the pupils of GlenwoodHall, who were now packing up to leave the boarding school for theChristmas holidays.
"Going home is so very different from leaving home," remarked DorothyDale, as she plunged a knot of unfolded ribbons into the tray of hertrunk. "I'm always ashamed to face my things when I unpack."
"Don't," advised Tavia. "I never look at mine until they have beenscattered on the floor for a few days. Then they all look like a firesale," and she wound her tennis shoes inside a perfectly helplesslingerie waist.
"I don't see why we bring parasols in September to take them back inChristmas snows," went on Dorothy. "I have a mind to give this to Betty,"and she raised the flowery canopy over her head.
"Oh, don't!" begged Tavia. "Listen! That's bad luck!"
"Which?" asked Dorothy, "the parasol or Betty?"
"Neither," replied Tavia. "But the fact that I hear Ned's voice. Also theclatter of Cologne's heavy feet. That means the plunge--our very lastracket."
"I hope you take the racket out of this room," said Dorothy, "for I havesome Christmas cards to get off."
"Let us in!" called a voice on the outer side of the door. "We've gotgood news."
"Only news?" asked Tavia. "We have lots of that ourselves. Make itsomething more substantial."
"Hurry!" begged the voice of Edna Black, otherwise known as Ned Ebony."We'll be caught!"
Tavia brought herself to her feet from the Turkish mat as if she were onsprings. Then she opened the door cautiously.
"What is it?" she demanded. "Is it alive?"
"It was once," replied Edna, "but it isn't now."
The giggling at the door was punctuated with a struggle.
"Oh, let us in!" insisted Cologne, and pushed past Tavia.
"Mercy!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Whatever is this?"
The two newcomers were now in a heap on the floor, or rather were in aheap on a feather bed they had dragged into the room with them. Quick toscent fun, Tavia turned the key in the door.
"The old darling!" she murmured. "Where did the naughty girls get you?"and she attempted to caress the feather tick in which Edna and Colognenestled.
"That's Miss Mingle's feather bed!" declared Dorothy. "Wherever did youget it?"
"Mingling with other things getting packed!" replied Edna, "and I haven'tseen a little bundle of the really fluffy-duffy kind since they sent meto grandma's when I had the measles. Isn't it lovely?"
"No wonder she sleeps well," remarked Tavia, trying to push Cologne offthe heap. "I could take an eternal rest on this."
"But why was it out in the hall?" questioned Dorothy. "I know Miss Minglehas a weak hip and has to sleep on a soft bed, always."
"Her room was being made over, and she wanted to see it all alone beforeshe left. She is going to-morrow," said Edna.
"And to-night?" asked Dorothy.
"She must have a change," declared Edna, innocently, "and we thought anordinary mattress would be--more sanitary."
"You cannot hide her bed in here," objected Dorothy. "You must take itback."
"Take back the bed that thou gavest!" sang Tavia, gaily. "How could Ipart with thee so soon!"
"We did not intend to hide it here, Doro," said Cologne. "We had no ideaof incriminating you. There is a closet in the hall. But just now thereare also tittle-tattles in the hall. We are only biding a-wee."
"Oh, it's leaking!" exclaimed Edna, as she blew a bunch of feathery downat Dorothy. "What shall we do?"
"Get it back as soon as you can," advised Dorothy. "Let me peek out!"
Silence fell as Dorothy cautiously put her head out of the door. "No onein sight," she whispered. "Now is your time."
Quietly the girls gathered themselves up. Tavia took the end of the bedwhere the "leak" was. Out in the hall they paused.
"The old feather be--ed! The de--ar feather be--ed! The rust-covered be--ed that hung in the hall!"
It was Tavia who sang. Then with one jerk she pushed the bed over thebanister!
"Oh!" gasped Edna and Cologne, simultaneously.
"Mercy!" came a cry from below. "Whatever is----"
They heard no more. Inside the room again the girls scampered.
"Right on the very head of Miss Mingle!" whispered Edna, horror-stricken."Now we are in for it!"
"But she needed it," said Tavia, in her absurd way of turning a joke intokindness. "I was afraid she wouldn't find it."
"Better be afraid she does not find you," said Dorothy. "Miss Mingle is adear, but she won't like leaky feather beds dropped on her."
"Well, I suppose we will all have to stand for it," sighed Edna, "thoughland knows we never intended to decapitate the little music teacher. Andshe has a weak spine! Tavia Travers, how could you?"
"You saw how simple it was," replied Tavia, purposely misunderstandingthe other. "But do you suppose we have killed her? I don't hear a sound!"
"Sounds are always smothered in feathers," said Cologne. "Dorothy, can'tyou get the story ready? How did the accident happen?"
"Too busy," answered Dorothy. "Besides, I warned you."
"Now, Doro! And this the last day!"
"Oh, please!" chimed in the others.
"I absolutely refuse to fix it up," declared Dorothy. "I begged you torelent, and now----"
"Hush! It came to! I hear it coming further to!" exclaimed Cologne."Doro, hide me!"
A rush in the outer hall described the approach of more than one girl. Infact there must have been at least five in the dash that banged the doorof Number Nineteen.
"Come on!"
"Hide!"
"Face it!"
"Feathers!"
"Mingle!"
Some of the words were evidently intended to mean more. Snow wasscattered about from out of door things, rubbers were thrust off hastily,and the girls, delighted with the prospect of a real row, were radiantwith a mental steam that threatened every human safety valve.
"Girls, do be quiet!" begged Dorothy, "and tell us what happened to thatfeather bed."
"Nothing," replied Nita, "it happened to Mingle. She is just now busytrying to get the quills out of her throat with a bottle brush. Bettysuggested the brush."
"And the hall looks like a feather foundry," imparted Genevieve. "Mrs.Pangborn is looking for someone's scalp."
"There! I hear the court martial summons!" exclaimed Edna. "Tavia! Youdid it."
The footfall in the hall this time was decided and not clattery. Itbetokened the coming of a teacher.
A tap at the door came next. Dorothy scrambled over the excited girls,and finally reached the portal.
"The principal would like to have the young ladies from this room reportin the office at once," said the strident voice of Miss Higley, theEnglish teacher. "She is very much annoyed at the misconduct thatappeared to come from Room Nineteen."
"Yes," faltered Dorothy, for no one else seemed to know how to find hertongue. "There was--an accident. The girls will go to the office."
After the teacher left the girls gave full vent to their chokingsensations. Tavia rolled off the couch, Edna covered her own head inDorothy's best sofa cushion, Cologne drank a glass of water that Taviaintended to drink, and altogether things were brisk in Number Nineteen.
"We might as well have it over with," Edna said, patting the sofa cushioninto shape. "I'll confess to the finding of the plaguey thing."
"Come on then," ordered Dorothy, and the others meekly followed her intothe hall.
They were but one flight up, and as they looked over the banister theysaw below Miss Mingle, Mrs. Pangborn and several others.
"Oh!" gasped Tavia, "they are sprouting pin feathers!"
"Young ladies!" cried Mrs. Pangborn. "What does this mean?"
They trooped down. But before they reached the actual scene of thebefeathered hall, a
messenger was standing beside Miss Mingle, and themusic teacher was reading a telegram.
"I must leave at once!" she said. "Please, Mrs. Pangborn, excuse theyoung ladies! Come with me to the office! I must arrange everything atonce! I have to get the evening train!"
"You must go at once?" queried the head of the school, in some surprise.
"Yes! yes! instantly! Oh, this is awful!" groaned the music teacher."Come, please do!" And she hurried off, and Mrs. Pangborn went after her.
"Just luck!" whispered Tavia, as she scampered after the others, whoquickly hurried to more comfortable quarters. "But what do you supposeails Mingle?"
"Maybe someone proposed to her," suggested Edna, "and she was afraid hemight relent."
But little did Dorothy and her chums think how important the message tothe teacher would prove to be to themselves, before the close of theChristmas holidays.
Dorothy Dale in the City Page 2
