Kitabı oku: «Marjorie Dean, College Senior», sayfa 6
CHAPTER XII – FULL-FLEDGED PROMOTERS
“The very first thing to do, Robin, is to find out whether those properties used for boarding houses are for sale. There is no use in hoping for one little instant that Miss Susanna will ever relent enough to allow us ground on the campus for any new houses.” Marjorie spoke with finality.
“Queer, isn’t it? Hamilton doesn’t even own itself.” A flickering smile touched Robin’s lips.
“Miss Susanna doesn’t consider that she owns the college,” Marjorie explained in defense of her eccentric friend. “Miss Humphrey said Mr. Brooke Hamilton’s will stipulated that she must sanction all building, improvements or important changes on the campus. The college has free right to choose everything else.”
Not even to Robin Page, her dearest Hamilton friend, outside Wayland Hall, had Marjorie ever divulged the fact of her friendship with the last of the Hamiltons. She would have liked to tell Robin, that, only a week previous, she had taken tea with Miss Susanna and heard again the old lady’s repeated statement that never should Hamilton College receive even the ghost of a favor from her.
“I wish we knew Miss Susanna Hamilton,” sighed Robin. “We could then have it out with her on the subject at least.”
Marjorie, feeling like a criminal, said nothing for a little. The two seniors had just come from a walk past the boarding houses, the site of which they hoped to be able to use for the building of the dormitory of their generous dreams.
“About these boarding houses, Robin,” Marjorie began afresh, desirous of leading her friend away from the subject of Miss Susanna. “Anna Towne’s landlady told her that they were in the hands of a real estate agent in the town of Hamilton. His name is Mr. Charles Cutler and his office is on Keene Street. He is the person we must see.”
“Since the girls off the campus wouldn’t accept our offer, we have six thousand, two hundred and ten dollars in our treasury,” announced Robin. “We must keep some of that for our regular beneficiary fund; say two thousand dollars. That gives us a little more than four thousand to pay down on the property.”
“It is only a drop in the bucket,” Marjorie said doubtfully. “I suppose those properties, all together, are worth thirty or forty thousand to the owner. The question of the money is easily solved. Ronny will finance the undertaking for us. She is determined to do it. She would give us the money, but I won’t accept it. I think the Hamilton girls now and to come should take this debt upon themselves and earn the money to pay it by their own efforts.”
“So do I,” nodded Robin. “Think what a good time we had getting up the revue. It was splendid practice for us in many ways. Let the girls who come after us have something to plan and work for. It will be the best thing that can happen to them. Besides, giving plays and entertainments helps to create the right kind of social atmosphere and also brings to light the talents of the students. I am for being independent and earning every cent of this money.”
“It will keep the Nineteen Travelers busy this year and we’ll choose nineteen more to replace us,” Marjorie declared with quiet satisfaction.
The Nineteen Travelers were now a surety. Marjorie had carried out her spoken resolve to Jerry to call together those students outside Wayland Hall who had been closest to the Nine Travelers. The original Nine Travelers had all expressed a desire to enlarge the informal society. It had therefore been regularly organized as a sorority one evening in Leila’s and Vera’s room. The new sorority was now planning to do great things during their senior year at Hamilton.
“Self-denial last year didn’t hurt any of us,” Robin gaily pointed out. “I saved three hundred and two dollars. The other girls saved anywhere from two to three hundred apiece. Think what it means to our treasury now!”
“I saved three hundred and seven dollars. I didn’t miss it. I haven’t a new suit this fall, and I don’t want one. I brought back only two new frocks. Both of them were presents to me from my father. I won’t give up going to Baretti’s. That is my one luxury. I shall save as much as I can this year, too.”
“Wouldn’t it be fine if we could make and save enough money this year to clear the purchase price of these properties?” Robin’s eyes sparkled at the thought.
“We couldn’t unless something positively miraculous came our way.” Marjorie shook her head. “It would take all our spare time and more too. True, we don’t have basket ball to think of now, but on the other hand our subjects are harder. I wish I were as brilliant as Lucy. She had enough credits to be graduated last June, but she needed another year in biology and physics. This year she will have those two subjects and Political Science. That will leave her quite a good deal of time for her own. What do you suppose she intends to do with it?”
“Tell me, for I am a no-good guesser.”
“She is going to be President Matthews’ regular secretary. She talked it over with him one day last week. He made arrangements so that his work would not interfere with her classes. That was really a concession, but he told her he had hoped from the first day she worked for him finally to have her for his secretary. She is so pleased. Her salary is thirty-five dollars a week. We were all glad for her sake,” Marjorie ended with generous enthusiasm.
Robin expressed equal pleasure in Lucy’s rise in fortune. “It is just one more example of how beautifully everything seems to be working out for us all at Hamilton,” she said happily. “During our freshman year our lot was full of snags. One by one they have dropped away. Long before the Sans left college snobbishness was on the wane.”
“Phil and Barbara deserve credit for much of that. I never saw a girl fight harder for democracy than Phil did during her freshie year. She really turned her class inside out and made them over.” Marjorie’s admiration for staunch, independent Phyllis Moore had steadily grown with time.
“I hear Miss Walbert is at Wayland Hall.” Mention of Phil’s energetic stand during her freshman year brought her unworthy opponent to Robin’s thoughts. “Is she as hateful as ever? I never could endure her, and you know, Marvelous Manager, I am fairly good-natured. Phil had an awful time over the way she tried to run the freshies.”
“Your disposition couldn’t be improved upon,” laughed Marjorie. “Yes, she is at the Hall. I seldom see her except at a distance. She isn’t there much to meals.”
“She has a new car; a limousine. It is black, this time. I have seen her driving it or rather driving ‘at it.’ Someone, I forgot who, said Leslie Cairns was visiting an aunt in Hamilton.”
Marjorie showed no surprise. She had already heard of Leslie’s re-appearance. Robin did not continue on the subject of Leslie. Her observation had been impersonal. Shortly afterward she left Robin, the two having agreed to call at the real estate agent’s office on Wednesday of the coming week.
Recounting to Jerry the talk between Robin and herself, Jerry asked abruptly: “Have you girls told anyone you were going to try to get hold of those properties? That is, anyone outside our own crowd?”
“I can’t say it has been kept a secret,” Marjorie returned. “At the time of the show we gave last winter, some of the girls who helped a good deal, like Ethel Laird and Grace Dearborn, may have mentioned it. For instance, Grace sold tickets all over the campus. We were talking at that time about how fine it would be to be able to found a dormitory. Nothing has been said of late outside our crowd, that I recall. Robin and I have only started the ball rolling again. Why did you ask, Jeremiah?”
“I was thinking. If the real estate agent happened to hear you wanted the properties he might raise the price of them to more than they were worth. You don’t care to be stung, do you?”
“Certainly not. The less we have to pay for the site the more money we shall have to put into the building. Besides, we don’t care to be saddled with any larger debt than we can help. We are going to see him next Wednesday. The chances are he won’t have heard anything about it in that short space of time – unless he heard last spring.” Marjorie frowned brief anxiety. Then her face cleared. “Oh, it isn’t at all likely,” she said. “Robin and I are going to put every minute we can spare into the work. Thank goodness, we studied hard enough our first three years! We are sure of getting through this year without having to dig.”
“We’ve had loads of good times, but still we have kept up in all our subjects,” commented Jerry with pardonable pride. “Now, in my sage and profound seniorship I propose to turn philanthropist and promoter with you, Marvelous Manager. By the way, I brought up your mail. It’s over there.” Jerry indicated a small pile of letters on the top of a two-shelved wall book-case.
“Thank you.” Marjorie made a dive for them. “Six; I am lucky today!” She hastily sat down in the nearest chair to enjoy them. Reading each as she opened it, she was slow in coming to the last one of the pile.
“Here’s a note from Professor Leonard!” she exclaimed, mystification written on her pretty features. “He asks me to come to the gymnasium at four-thirty tomorrow afternoon. He doesn’t say anything in the note but that.”
“Basket ball, of course,” guessed Jerry.
“But I didn’t play on the team last year and he knows it. Oh, I think I know. Maybe he would like me to umpire or referee a game. No, it can’t be that, for he dropped basket ball after the Sans made so much trouble. I am sure I can’t guess why he wants to see me.”
“You’ll know after you’ve seen him,” returned Jerry, snickering.
“I have an idea I shall,” retorted Marjorie. “That was a brilliant remark, Jeremiah.”
When at four-thirty on the following afternoon Marjorie sought the physical culture director in the gymnasium, she was somewhat taken aback by the concise request: “I would like to make you chairman of the senior sports committee, Miss Dean. I have been urged to resume charge of college sports by President Matthews. You may recall why I refused to act as the director of them two years ago. Well, things have changed here since then. A certain pernicious element has been removed. I am going to try again, simply to please the doctor. Will you help me? I have in mind for that committee, you as chairman, Miss Page, Miss Harding and Miss Hunter. The four of you can arrange a series of basket ball games. In the spring we will have tennis. Miss Hunter is an expert player. I want her chiefly on account of her tennis prowess. It will not take up much of your time. You would probably attend the games held here, at any rate. Think it over and let me know by tomorrow. I wish to make a start as soon as possible.”
Marjorie listened to the director in silent consternation. She did not wish to serve on any such committee. It would interfere, to some extent, in her new plans. On the other hand, she wished very much to help Professor Leonard. He had made a concession in again resuming directorship of college sports. Could she do less than aid him? She aspired to serve her Alma Mater in the best way. Perhaps this work was as important as building a dormitory. Professor Leonard had said, “Think it over.” Marjorie had already decided.
“I won’t wait until tomorrow, Professor Leonard, to decide. I will accept the honor now. If you wish, I will see the other girls. I think you can count on them.”
“Thank you, Miss Dean. I was sure you wouldn’t fail me.” The professor’s hand went out impulsively.
Marjorie reflected with a twinge of remorse as she returned the handshake that she had come very near to failing him.
“You will help me greatly by seeing your friends. I wish you four would meet me here day after tomorrow at this time. We will then discuss our plans for the season.”
“I’ll simply have to make room for committee duties on my programme somehow,” she thought, as she left the gymnasium and cut across the campus, headed for Silverton Hall. “Robin is in as deeply as I. Still, I know she wouldn’t have refused, under the same circumstances. If I had dreamed, ever since my freshman year, of such an honor, I’d never have attained it. Just because I have about twice as much on hand as I can look after, along comes something else. It’s what I should call an embarrassment of riches.”
CHAPTER XIII – ON THE CREST OF HOPE
While Marjorie was sighing a little over the multiplicity of responsibilities which had fallen to her lot, Elizabeth Walbert was also a person with several irons in the fire. She had promised Leslie Cairns that she would glean valuable information concerning the students’ beneficiary fund. She had sworn to be even with Augusta Forbes. She had determined to keep in favor with Alida Burton and Lola Elster.
Leslie being by far the most important person on her horizon, Elizabeth strained a point to gather the information Leslie desired. The day after her talk with the ex-student she set out for Acasia House the moment classes were over for the day. Marian Foster, the freshman she had mentioned, was not unlike Elizabeth in disposition. She was an arrant social climber and ranked money and lavish expenditure of it above everything. Introduced to Elizabeth on the campus, by another freshman, she had treated the junior with marked respect. This had pleased Elizabeth, who had grown more unpopular at Hamilton with each year she returned. She had promptly singled out Marian as an object of her patronizing attentions. These had consisted in a luncheon or two. several drives and one dinner at the Colonial.
Ethel Laird, in her sweet, gracious fashion, had also been kind to Marian, who had been very lonely on first arrival at Acasia House. Thus she stood between two influences. She had been shrewd enough to hide her true character from Ethel, whose popularity as a senior she had quickly discovered. Privately she decided to play two parts. To Ethel she would be merely the friendly, appreciative freshie. It was Elizabeth’s favor she really desired.
On this particular afternoon she welcomed Elizabeth with delight. She was even more pleased when the latter proposed a ride and a dinner at the Lotus. The invitation, which she quickly accepted, put her in a beatific state of mind which bred confidence. She was therefore very willing, as the new car, not the blue and buff “ice wagon,” bowled along the wide highway, to chatter of affairs at Acasia House. Long before the ride was over and the two girls anchored at the Lotus, Elizabeth had heard that which brought a triumphant light to her insincere blue eyes.
“And you say you heard this yourself?” Elizabeth suavely questioned. “You are sure that is true about that dormitory rumor? So many stories start on the campus that aren’t true at all. A girl will start what she calls a ‘blind alley’ sometimes, just to tease the freshies. They will grow awfully excited over it. Then the laugh is on them.”
“This wasn’t a rumor,” protested Marian. “It was gospel truth. I was in Miss Laird’s room when these two seniors came to see her. I wouldn’t have stayed after they came, but she seemed to wish me to. They asked her to attend a meeting at Wayland Hall. Then they talked about hoping they could buy this property where the boarding houses stand. It was so interesting to hear them. Miss Dean is beautiful, isn’t she? Miss Page is awfully cute, too.”
“I don’t know either of them,” evaded Elizabeth. “I have heard they were clever in a diggy way. Do tell me more of what they said. I am interested in this dormitory idea. I shall contribute five hundred dollars at least, maybe more, to help build it. It won’t mean that much to me.” She snapped her fingers grandly. She flattered herself into believing that Leslie could not have acted more cleverly.
As Marian was limited to twenty-five dollars a month spending money, Elizabeth’s affluence impressed her deeply. She outdid herself in trying to please the crafty junior. Nor could she guess that her every word was being stored up in Elizabeth’s mind. Later, in the privacy of the junior’s room, it would be transferred to paper. She would not be able to see Leslie for two or three days, so she resorted to notes, fearful lest she might forget a part of what she had heard.
On the same Wednesday on which Marjorie and Robin called at the office of Charles Cutler, the real estate agent, Elizabeth met Leslie Cairns at the Lotus. Neither pair crossed each other’s paths. The information Elizabeth gave Leslie caused her to laugh often in her silent hob-goblin fashion. Elizabeth marked this with a little uneasiness.
“Why does what I am telling you strike you as so funny, Leslie?” she inquired suspiciously.
“Because it does,” was Leslie’s cool response. “I can just imagine those infants taking a job like that boarding house proposition on their shoulders. I am willing to contribute to it, but I am afraid they will fall down on it. That’s all.”
Marjorie and Robin, however, were floating on the top wave of hope as they talked with the agent, a tall, spare man with honest blue eyes and gentle manners.
“I do not know what the owner of these properties wants for them,” he said. “Five years ago he offered them for twenty-eight thousand dollars. There are seven houses in the block which you girls wish to buy. That was at the rate of four thousand apiece. Real estate has increased in value since then, but not much in this section. He might ask thirty-five thousand, but not more than that. You could sell the houses for old lumber. They would have to be torn down. That would net you something. It would be a relief to see the last of them. I always thought that whole row so unsightly in contrast to the beauty of the campus. Pity the others will have to stand. If you will call one week from today I can let you know the owner’s price. I expect him here within a few days.”
“Isn’t that great news?” exulted Robin, when they had left the office. “Thirty-five thousand is five thousand less than we figured. But, oh, my goodness, what a job we have undertaken! If we buy those properties, not a thing can be done about tearing them down until college closes. The off-the-campus girls must have a place to live. Then there’s next fall to think of. The dormitory wouldn’t be built so soon. It will take all summer to tear down the houses.”
“‘Sufficient unto the day’,” quoted Marjorie optimistically. “We will have to solve all those problems as we come to them. We could arrange for places for such students as couldn’t find accommodations in the campus houses to live in the town of Hamilton. We would have to make arrangements then with the jitney men to carry them back and forth, morning and night. There would have to be a luncheon provided for them near the campus. Signor Baretti might do that at a special price. This is only tentative. Still it shows that where there’s a will there’s a way.”
“You deserve your name of Marvelous Manager. Jerry made no mistake when she gave it to you,” declared Robin admiringly. “Honestly, Marjorie, I can’t tell you when I have felt so happy! It is so wonderful, this plan of ours! I was half afraid that Mr. Cutler would say, first thing, ‘No, the owner doesn’t care to sell.’ Now we are fairly sure of getting what we want. The minute we hear we can have it, I am going to give a party in my room to the Nineteen Travelers. A year ago I would have given it at Baretti’s. Not now. I have to practice economy. I’m a promoter of large enterprises.”
CHAPTER XIV – WARY FISH
Following on the heels of exultation, however, came disappointment. On the day before that set for their call at Mr. Cutler’s office, Marjorie received a line from him stating that the owner of the properties was in Chicago and would not return until after Thanksgiving. Immediately he returned, she would be apprised of the fact.
“There’s no use in being disappointed about it,” she said bravely to Jerry. “We have the first chance to buy the properties. I shall not think much about it until nearer the time. The freshies are going to play their first game against the sophs one week from Saturday. I may as well turn my attention to my committee duties. Ahem!”
“You are a person of some importance, aren’t you?” Jerry struck an attitude before Marjorie of mock respect. “Who’s going to win, freshies or sophs?”
“Freshies, I believe. L’enfant terrible is a fine player. She is so clever. For a girl of her height and weight she moves like lightning. One might think she was rough to watch her. She isn’t. She plays a close game, but a clean one. Those two freshmen who go around with Miss Walbert are good players, too. I am glad Miss Forbes was picked for center. She is a fine girl, Jerry, even though she doesn’t like me,” Marjorie praised with a tolerant smile.
“She is not so worse,” Jerry reluctantly conceded. “I don’t mind her turning up her already turned-up nose at me. I am not stuck on myself. I object to her not appreciating you.”
“So long as I have the fond regard of Jeremiah I can stand a few cold breezes.” Marjorie reached across the width of the table and administered a fond pat to Jerry’s plump hand.
“There’s worse’n me, lady,” croaked Jerry in her tramp voice, which made them both laugh.
It having been decided by the Nineteen Travelers not to undertake the giving of an entertainment until after Thanksgiving, Marjorie had a fair amount of time to give to basket ball. Professor Leonard had asked her and her three assistants on committee to drop in at the gymnasium occasionally during practice. “It will give you a line on the teams. I am anxious for fair play and no favors. I want the morale of these teams kept up. I recall a time when it was sadly lacking.”
The instructor was brutally candid in referring to the underhanded methods of the departed Sans. He would never get over his utter loathing for their lack of principle.
As for Augusta Forbes, energetic center on her team, her unreasoning dislike for Marjorie and Jerry had not abated. She was greatly displeased to find Marjorie at the head of the sports committee. She talked loudly in the privacy of her room about not expecting a square deal from the “wonderful” committee. She attributed her position on the freshman team entirely to Professor Leonard’s superior judgment. As a matter of fact, the committee had had the deciding word. Contrary to usual custom, the players received notices of their election to the teams the following day instead of on the floor. This gave the director and his committee an opportunity to talk matters over before deciding.
Unlike the rest of her Bertram chums, Gussie had put in a more or less stormy fall on the campus. She was not specially tactful and often gave unnecessary offense. She had a habit of blurting out the truth regardless of whose feelings might suffer. Yet she was quick to praise when something pleased her, and generous to a fault.
Unfortunately, she had made the one mistake of briefly cultivating Elizabeth Walbert. The after effects of that mistake still lingered to disturb her peace of mind. In keeping with her spiteful resolve, Elizabeth had not lost an opportunity to ridicule or annoy Gussie. Her influence among the half dozen freshmen at the Hall with whom she consorted was great enough to incite them to mischief against tall, babyish Gussie.
One evening she returned from dinner to find all her framed pictures turned toward the wall, her bed dismantled, the sheets and covers tied in hard knots, her text books lodged in the wastebasket. Another rainy evening she returned from the dining room to open windows. The rain was beating in the room and no amount of pressure would close them. Wrathful examination discovered nails as the opposing force – cleverly driven in the sashes so as almost to escape notice. On still another occasion, she was decidedly startled to come upon a masked, black-garbed figure stretched on her couch bed. It turned out to be a dummy made of her clothing and attired in an old black domino; one of the very dominos worn by the Sans on the night they had hazed Marjorie. Elizabeth Walbert had found it tucked away on a top closet shelf of her room, where it had escaped the notice of the maid during the summer house cleaning.
Such practical jokes, to Elizabeth’s mind, amounted to nothing. She yearned to do something really malicious. Ridicule of Gussie appeared to do her little damage. What the “baby elephant” needed was a good scare. With this in mind, she sought the help of Lola Elster and Alida Burton. Gussie had scoffed openly at Lola’s mannish attire and bold manner. She had been treated by both seniors with a haughty disdain which she deeply resented. Therefore she had not hesitated to express to other freshmen a frankly unflattering opinion of Lola and Alida. During her brief stretch of friendship with Elizabeth, Gussie had repeated it to the junior.
It was on a rainy evening in late October that Elizabeth laid her grievance before the two seniors. She had hardly stepped over their threshold when she burst forth with: “I came to have a talk with you about that horrid Miss Forbes. I won’t endure any more insults from her. Will you two help me teach her a lesson?”
“How?” inquired Alida, laying down her text book and staring interestedly.
“That’s what I must think out. She has said rude, cutting things about all of us. This afternoon I met her and a gang of girls coming across the campus. The minute she spied me she said something to the rest of them. The whole crowd turned and walked away around me; just as though they couldn’t bear to come near me, even in passing. I felt so humiliated. That is only a very small item compared to some of the hateful things she has said about me. And why? Simply because I didn’t stay near her every minute at the frolic.”
“Yes, Bess; we have heard all that lingo before,” Lola said with a touch of insolent indifference. “We know your trials with the ‘baby elephant.’ What do you expect us to do about it? We simply ignore her. You do the same and she will let you alone.”
“I’ll do more than that. I think,” Elizabeth lowered her voice, “she ought to be hazed.”
“No sir-ee!” Lola’s lips set tightly after the totally disapproving ejaculation. “Don’t you ever mention hazing in this room. You must be crazy. Why were the Sans expelled? For hazing Miss Dean. You know that. Do you imagine for a second that Alida and I, in our senior year, would take the chances Les Cairns did?”
“I wouldn’t haze anyone,” declared Alida emphatically.
“Wise child; neither would I.” Lola fixed half scornful eyes on Elizabeth. “What ever made you light upon such a foolhardy idea? Where and how would you haze her?”
“I don’t know yet what I would do,” pouted Elizabeth. “There are lots of ways of hazing a person. The girls have done a few little things to her room, as it is. Nothing was said to them about it.” She related with relish the tricks that had been played on Gussie.
“All that’s hazing,” flatly maintained Lola. “This freshie must be pretty white or she would have reported it to Remson. You say nothing’s been said. That means she can keep her affairs to herself.”
“Hm-m!” Elizabeth made a pettish gesture. “You are queer. One minute you talk against this hateful creature, the next you praise her. It’s a clear case of blow hot, blow cold with you, Lola.”
“If you don’t like my ways, you had best stay away from me.” Lola half closed her eyes. Her expression was one of utter boredom.
Elizabeth made no answer to this. She was not ready to stay away from Lola.
“Let me tell you something, Bess.” Alida now took the floor, shaking a warning finger at their caller. “Don’t come to us with any scheme for getting even with someone you don’t like. We are not going in for revenge this season. If a really clever scout like Leslie Cairns couldn’t get away with it, neither you nor I could. That is certain.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I can’t say I think Leslie was so very clever. She bore the reputation of being a wonder worker, but she made plenty of flivvers. I could have engineered that hazing of Miss Dean and carried it through successfully. She made an awful mess of it.”
“I never heard the rights of that affair, so I can’t pass opinion on what you just said.” Lola’s tones were dry to displeasure. She knew enough concerning their caller’s proclivity toward malicious gossiping to weigh well her words. “I prefer to drop the subject entirely, Bess. It does not interest me. Get it straight, once and for all, Alida and I know when we are well off. We aren’t contemplating any changes in our programme, least of all foolish changes.”
“Very well.” The reply bristled with offended vanity. It was gall to the conscienceless junior to be thus baldly snubbed. “You girls are very magnanimous. Perhaps you haven’t heard much that Miss Forbes has said against both of you. I assure you it has been considerable.”
“Let her rave.” Lola shrewdly ignored the bait thrown out by Elizabeth.
“How does it happen that you always hear more of such gossip than any other girl on the campus whom we know?” demanded Alida a trifle sharply.
“I don’t.” The red poured into Elizabeth’s cheeks at this thrust. “You two stick together all the time. That’s why you are not in touch with campus gossip, as you call it.”
“I see as much of this lovely aggregation as I care to,” Lola yawned. “Forget it, Bess. You can’t stir us into action with that kind of bluff. You are looking for trouble. You thought it would be nice to have us help you hunt it. Nay, nay, my child! It simply isn’t being done in our circle.”
“I might have known better than come to you. I – ”
“First sensible thing you’ve said since you came in here,” murmured Lola.
“You are simply hateful, Lola Elster! Good night!” Elizabeth rose with an angry flop and made for the door.
“Oh, good night,” called Lola tantalizingly after her, as she banged the door. Lola turned to Alida, laughing. “That settles her. How she does hate to have her bluff called! Little she cares what that Forbes kid says against us. She only thinks of herself. If we were silly enough to help her in her schemes, we’d get the worst of it in the long run. If trouble came she’d slide from under and leave us to bear the brunt of it.”
