a sense of suppressed excitement greeted dorothy as she entered the classroom. edna and molly managed to greet her personally with a pleasant little nod, and even miss higley raised her eyes to say good morning.
certainly dorothy felt heroic—and she had good reason. having suffered so long from a mysterious insult, she now had fortified herself against its stigma.
at the same time she was conscious of an awful weight hanging over her head—like the gloom of those who suffer without hope.
"she just looks like a sweet nun," whispered ned to amy.
"doesn't she," agreed amy. "i wish we could make her smile."
but dorothy buried herself in her studies, with a determination born of perfect self-control.
the morning wore into mid-day, then the recreation hour brought relaxation from all mental effort. a number of the girls who had been at first conspicuous figures in the rebs made a particular effort to speak to dorothy. she met their advances pleasantly, but with some hesitancy—they might only mean to make an opportunity for further trouble, dorothy thought.
"see here!" called edna, running along the walk after dorothy. "have you taken the black veil? not that such a vocation is to be made light of," seeing a frown come over dorothy's face, "but you know we cannot spare you just yet. you may be the dear little nun of glenwood, but you will have to keep up with the glens and the nicks. we are planning a reunion, you know."
"yes, and we are going to give a play on our own account," said molly, coming up at that moment. "mrs. pangborn has granted permission and we are about to select the operetta—it will be a musical affair this time."
"that ought to be lovely," responded dorothy. "there are so many fine players among the girls."
"yes, and you can sing," declared molly. "we are counting on you for our prima donna."
"oh, and we might have viola accompany her on the violin! wouldn't that be divine!" enthused a girl from portland.
a hush followed this suggestion. it was the awkward kind that actually sounds louder than a yell of surprise.
"what is it?" asked rose-mary, joining the group and giving dorothy a hug "on the half shell," which in the parlance of schoolgirls means a spontaneous fling of the arms around the one on the defensive.
"cologne will be sure to suggest something from english lit." predicted molly. "she being a star in that line herself thinks the stuff equally pie for all of us. we might try french—i said 'try,' ned ebony; you need not strangle yourself with that gasp!"
"came near it," admitted the one with her mouth open. "fancy us doing french!"
"then suppose we go back to the woods—try red riding hood?"
"fine and dandy!" exclaimed nita brant. "i'll be the wolf."
"because he was the only party who got in on the eating," remarked edna. "let me be the squire—and don't all speak at once for the grandmother's fate."
"think it over girls; think it over!" advised nita. "back to the woods might not suit some of our rural friends. for my part i prefer—ahem! something tragic!"
"beat red riding hood for tragedy then," challenged one of the group. "of all the atrocities—"
"and desperate deals—"
"to say nothing of the grandmother's night cap going in the mix up—"
and so they laughed it all off, and marveled that the mere mention of the old story should awaken such comment.
dorothy seemed to enjoy the innocent sallies. it was pleasant to be with the jolly crowd again, and to feel something akin to the old happiness.
"what happened to fiddle?" asked amy brook. "i thought she would come back to class when her pout wore off."
"pout?" repeated dorothy. "i met her in the hall and she seemed to be in great distress."
"shouldn't wonder," remarked nita. "any one who crosses swords with miss higley is bound to come to grief sooner or later. if i had been fiddle i should have apologized at once—easiest way out of it with higley."
dorothy was confused. she had no idea of the scene that had taken place in the schoolroom that morning between miss higley and viola. but as it was impossible for her to keep up with the run of school events lately, she ventured no more questions.
"when's chrissy coming back?" asked edna. "i'm almost dead without her. haven't had a single scrap since she went. and i've got the greatest lot corked up ready to explode from spontaneous combustion."
"i hope she'll be back before the end of this term," answered dorothy. "i heard to-day her mother is entirely recovered."
"good for the mother! also more power to her. i think i'll crawl up the skylight and do perfectly reckless stunts on the roof when chrissy returns just to celebrate," and suiting her words with the jubilant mood the girl waltzed away down the path, making queer "jabs" at the inoffensive air that was doing its best to make life bright and pleasant for the girls at glenwood.
