Chapter XVIII: A Stolen Feast

"WE'VE simply got to help the sophs get hold of that supper," said Lee emphatically one day when the four girls were gathered in Cordelia's study. "It's our last chance for any real fun and we must embrace it."

"How did you happen to hear about it?" asked Janet.

"Oh, one of the sophs came to me for advice. She said the freshmen had been boasting that they were too smart for the sophs and that they had not been able to get the better of them in anything this semester, so the sophs are wild. You are always fertile in suggestion, Janet, what would you advise?"

Janet thoughtfully tapped the table with a paper-cutter. "I should think they could appoint certain of the class to keep a watch on the freshmen so as to find out where they are going to order their supper. It will have to be from either Burton's or Fields'. Fields is cheaper, but Burton has the better ices, and the freshmen will not spare expense in matters of eating. You'd better tell the girl to get her class together and place the situation before them."

"If they only knew where they were going to give the supper and when," remarked Teddy.

"They must find out," said Cordelia.

"How?" asked Lee.

"Through the ingenuity of their wits. It will be within the next two weeks, and not a freshman will miss it," Cordelia told her.

"I know one thing we can do without compromising our dignity," said Janet. "Each senior can try to make an engagement with a freshman for one of the evenings of the two weeks. If any one of them declines an invitation, it will probably be for some good reason. She will give the reason frankly if it is not a secret, and if she doesn't, look out for that date."

"She might give a false reason to put us off the track," suggested Lee.

"True; then all reasons must be followed up."

"I shall begin by inviting Nora Tuttle to a spread in our rooms," said Lee. "That will leave eleven evenings to be filled by eleven of the class."

"Each of us will take one," Cordelia said, "and if there are any who refuse to help the sophs, two evenings will have to be taken by the zealous. We'd better devise very different, sorts of invitations, for of all things, we must keep the freshmen from suspecting."

"I know a wedding that is coming off on the evening of the third," said Teddy; "I have cards for it, and I don't believe Carrie Swift ever lost an opportunity of going to a wedding."

"We'll manage," concluded Janet, "but you must tell the sophs to keep their eyes and ears open, Lee."

The girls parted with a fixed determination to help the sophs to play their trick on the freshmen.

"If they hadn't boasted so vaingloriously," said Janet, "I wouldn't have a thing to do with it. But they certainly deserve to be taken down."

"They will be so flattered at these attentions from seniors," said Lee who was in her element.

"You don't think it is a trifle undignified," said Janet.

"Why, no. We are simply helping our sister class, and will do nothing that will bring a blush of shame to the cheek of the most proper one of us," replied Lee.

In consequence of this decision, twelve pleased freshmen found themselves selected for special attention from as many seniors, and eleven eagerly accepted the invitations proffered them.

Janet had picked out a pretty, inoffensive, little lass named Lillie Starr, who was in a fluster of excitement when Janet made a visit to her room. Lillie being fair, blue-eyed, short and plump, greatly admired Janet's dark tresses and eyes, her superior height and elegant slimness, and felt it a supreme honor when Janet asked if she would attend a garden fête with her at Florence Worthington's. The rushing season being over, Lillie felt that Janet could have no object in seeking her out beyond a desire for her company.

"Oh, I'd simply love to go," she cried. "You are too sweet for anything to ask me, Miss Ferguson. When is it to be?"

"On next Friday from five to eight," Janet told her.

The girl's face fell. "Oh, dear," she said, "how unfortunate, I have an engagement for that evening. I'm afraid I can't possibly go."

"Dear me," said Janet, "I'm so sorry. Is it very important?"

Lillie's innocent little face took on the color of a deep pink rose. "Why yes, I'm afraid so," she faltered.

"You couldn't put it off?" said Janet, sweetly. "If it is with one of the girls, perhaps she wouldn't mind. I'm sure I'd fix another date if I could, but you see I can't, and I told Miss Worthington I wanted to bring you."

"Dear me." Lillie looked troubled. An invitation to the Worthingtons' was something that seldom fell to the lot of a freshman. It was considered a very great privilege to be admitted to one of these functions. At sight of the girl's real perplexity, Janet's conscience began to smite her, yet she remembered her sophomores and went obdurately on.

"If it is with one of the girls," she repeated.

"If it were only with one of the girls, I would give it up," declared Lillie, "for I do so much want to go."

"Oh, then," Janet smiled knowingly, "it is with a young man. Of course, my dear, I couldn't expect you to break such an engagement. I hope you have been able to get a real nice chaperon who will be neither too strict nor too lenient."

"Oh, Miss Ferguson," Lillie protested, "it isn't with any young man. I'd rather go with you than with anybody I know. I really would. Just think, why you are a senior and president of your class and you are so perfectly fine."

"Am I?" Janet laughed. "I'm not all you imagine, my child, but if your engagement isn't with a girl, nor yet with a young man, it is very mysterious. Oh, no, no," as Lillie looked as if she might give too broad a hint, "don't tell me. I shall feel dreadfully if you do; as if I were guilty of a vulgar curiosity. I am exceedingly sorry that you must refuse me, but if you have this mysterious engagement there is nothing to do but to ask some one else. I hoped you would let me give you this little treat, but I haven't a doubt but you will have a fine time wherever you may be going."

Poor Lillie's distress increased. "I've a good mind to give it up," she said. "I would in a minute if I hadn't promised. It wouldn't be exactly—exactly loyal you know; the girls would—"

"Not another word," said Janet, lifting her hand. "I feel ashamed now for having urged you."

Then feeling that she had made capital of the girl's unsuspicious eagerness, her tenderheartedness made her say: "Never mind, lassie, perhaps some other nice something will come along later. If it does I'll save it for you, shall I?"

This friendliness completely won Lillie. "Oh, how dear you are, Miss Ferguson. I'm so much obliged to you. Please don't think it is because I don't want to go. If it were anything else than this certain thing, I'd tell you. You do believe me and you do understand, don't you?"

"I understand perfectly," Janet told her. "I certainly hope you will enjoy your evening."

And then she took her leave, half regretting the part she had played.

"For diplomacy commend me to Janet Ferguson," said Cordelia when Janet told her story.

"I did feel mean to deceive that poor child," said Janet with a contrite look.

"There you go with your overstrained sympathies," said Lee. "I think you were the cleverest thing to pick out that silly little creature. Why, she gave herself away without half trying. If I had been she, I would have accepted and would have sent you a piteous note at the last moment pleading illness."

"We can't all use your Machiavellian methods," said Teddy, a trifle severely. "We haven't any of us forgotten your sophomore year when you went around for a week with your face tied up after some such performance."

Lee laughed. "Yes, and what a time I had keeping that wad of paper in my cheek to make it look swollen. I think as a class we were far ahead of the present one, and I don't wonder they come to us for pointers. You certainly have shown astuteness, Janet."

"I'll make it up to that young one in some Way," Janet declared. "I can't bear to feel that her confidence is misplaced."

"Of course you'll do some Quixotic thing," Lee replied. "However, that is not our affair. Friday evening it certainly must be. Now the next thing is to find out the where, since we have found out the when. I must hie me to the sophs at once with this piece of news. How they will adore you, Janet. I've a mind not to tell them anything more than that we know it is to be Friday evening. You didn't happen to get the hour exactly?"

"I think we can approximate it, for I told my young miss that the fête would be from five to eight and she seemed to think that if she were to go early, she would not get back in time; and if she were to wait till late, she would not be able to get away soon enough, so we can presuppose that it will be about six o'clock."

"More cleverness on the part of Janet. I certainly shall not have you getting all the credit."

"There is no reason why I should. I am not particularly proud of playing the part of detective. I'd rather no one but ourselves should know."

"Your will is law, oh princess. I'll not tell." And Lee dashed out.

In about an hour, she came dashing back again.

"Such fun," she said, flinging herself upon the divan.

"Do tell us," said Teddy interestedly.

Lee punched a pillow into a more satisfactory position, and began: "Well, I went from here straight to Madge Ostrom's room. She certainly is a bright girl, and was perfectly delighted to have my information. So she and I went to Burton's."

"Then they knew it was Burton's," interrupted Cordelia.

"No, they didn't. They only suspected and Madge simply put up a bluff. She said if they denied all knowledge of it at Burton's, she would apologize for the mistake and go to Fields'."

"Wasn't she afraid they'd know she wasn't a freshman?"

"No, of course not. They can't remember all the girls in this institution."

"I should think the freshmen would have taken the precaution to warn them to take no orders from any but certain individuals," said Janet.

"Well they didn't do that, for I suppose they thought it had been kept a dead secret. Well, Madge's plan worked beautifully. Says Madge: 'I'd like to make a little inquiry into the order that was given for Friday evening, at the college you know, for the freshman class.'

"'Yes,' says Madam Burton, as pleasant as pie.

"'Will you look on your books and see if it was ordered for five or six o'clock?' says Madge.

"Madam looked and told her the order was for six. 'That was what we were afraid,' said Madge. 'We think it had better come at five or earlier to—" Then she turned to me. 'Where did we decide to have it sent?' she asked.

"'To Irving Hall, Room 12,' said madam reading from her book.

"'Of course. How stupid of me,' said Madge. 'That comes of so many having a finger in the pie. Please send it before five to that address, madam.' So she promised to send it promptly.

"Now the only fear is that the freshmen will find out that the change has been made, but Madge is going to watch her chance to go in there again Friday afternoon and see if it is all right. I don't think the freshmen have a suspicion that we have an inkling of what is going on. How I should like to be in the thick of it when the time comes, but I suppose I don't dare; that's the trouble of being a senior."

"Of course you don't dare. I think you've done quite enough as it is," said Janet reprovingly. "I'd hate to have it known that any of us were mixed up in the under classmen's squabbles."

"I think you're right," Cordelia agreed. "We've done all that could be expected of us, and now we can wash our hands of the affair. Going to the fête, Janet?"

"Yes, with Teddy and without Miss Starr."

"At any rate you can't call it an ill-starred enterprise," said Lee, who could never resist pun-making.

The girls groaned and Lee laughed gleefully.

Promptly at half-past four on Friday afternoon, two sophomores were at the rear entrance of Irving Hall. The rest of the class had gained an entrance into Room 12 and were quietly waiting there. As Burton's wagon drove up, the sentry sophs directed them to Room 12 and the various baskets, trays and freezers were borne in to where, the now triumphant, girls were ready to receive them. At this hour, most of the freshmen were busy at basketball, tennis, or were required to be at the gymnasium, so there was little danger of their appearing so early.

When the sophomores had locked the door after the departing carriers, they hastily made ready the feast and fell to with a relish, soon leaving little to suggest that a banquet had been served.

Lee was sauntering through the corridor arm in arm with Cordelia at the moment when the advance guard of freshmen arrived.

"Why, the door is locked," exclaimed one of them to the other.

"Of course; you don't suppose they would be so silly as to leave it open for the sophs," was the reply.

"I hear dishes rattling," said the first. "Some one must have come to make the preparations. I thought we were early enough."

"You didn't see any sophs on watch, did you?" said the second girl looking around anxiously.

"I haven't seen a soph this last hour," replied the first. She rattled the knob of the door gently and a voice cried: "Who is there?"

"Fan Armistead and Kate Bradley."

"Just wait a minute," came from the inside.

"It's all right," said Fan. "They are getting things ready."

Presently more freshmen strolled up and these began to grow impatient.

"They've no right to keep us out," was the complaint.

"Bang on the door, Fan." And this Fan did.

"How many are there out there?" was asked by some one in the room.

"Oh, a dozen or more."

"Well, wait a little longer. We're afraid of a rush from the other class."

Lee and Cordelia did not pause in their walk but Lee could not forbear a giggle which brought a dozen pairs of eyes upon her.

"There is something queer," said one of the freshmen in a low tone; "there are two of the seniors on the watch. We'd better be prepared for a rush, girls."

And the under classmen bunched themselves together more closely. And now the numbers increased till nearly the whole class stood without, then Fan called,—

"You can let us in, now, girls. We're about all here and no sophs about."

A pause and then the door was flung wide open to disclose to the astonished freshmen a group of sated sophomores gloating over the few sparse remains of a feast for which the freshmen had paid.

"Who says we haven't brains enough to outwit 1906?" cried Madge Ostrom.

"Where is thy feast, oh Barmecide?" cried another.

"What's the matter with 1905?" shouted a voice above the rest and the answer came: "She's all right!"

"It was their last chance of the year," said Lee to a discomfited freshman who stopped her to pour out her grievance as she left the hall. "I'd almost be willing to pay for the supper for the sake of seeing the fun." This, however, was small satisfaction to the disappointed freshman.

The result of the trick was more far-reaching to Janet than she could foresee, as after having paid her debt of contrition to Lillie Starr, that young woman attached herself so ardently to the senior as to give Janet some trouble. Yet she was too conscious of her treachery to the girl to repel her advances and finally grew to accept her innocent admiration with a patience that brought down jeers from Lee.

"How you can let that foolish little snip follow you about and hang on your neck in the way she does is more than I can see," said Lee.

"I must," Janet told her. "I don't dare to tell her that I did not select her from the whole class because of her attractions as an individual, but because of her gullible qualities, and I must pay the penalty of my indiscretion and deceit."

"Deceit, nonsense! As if any girl would be so namby-pamby as to bear a grudge in a matter of that kind. Why, it was perfectly legitimate under the circumstances, and no more than the rest of us did. The freshmen shouldn't have been so boastful if they wanted to keep the sophomores from showing their spirit."

"I can't help it; it weighs on my conscience," said Janet, "and some day in a moment of remorse, I shall tell her the whole truth and allow her to despise me all she wants to."

"She won't; I can tell you that. She will admire you for your cleverness and will comfort herself by remembering that you have encouraged her devoted attentions ever since, so she will believe you are fond of her in spite of anything you may say."

"Well, I am fond of her," Janet confessed. "She is frank and innocent and well-meaning."

"Deliver me from well-meaning innocents," said Lee. "I can't stand stupidity."

"Oh, Lillie isn't stupid," said Janet. "She is simply unsuspicious and has the saving grace of a sense of humor."

But Lee would not believe in Lillie's claims and Janet dropped the subject. Later on came an hour when she did make her confession to the younger girl.

"I can't bear to have you say such things to me," she said impatiently when Lillie had offered her a compliment upon her nobility of character. "I'm not noble and I have treated you abominably."

"Treated me?" Lillie's eyes opened wide. "You've been perfectly lovely to me. You've been kinder than any one in the college, and I am very proud of it."

"You needn't be," returned Janet, gloomily; "I have deceived you."

"Do you mean you don't really like me?" asked Lillie, anxiously.

"Oh, I like you. I am fond of you, but I first sought you out because I knew you were likely to be unsuspecting and I had promised to do my share in finding out about that class supper that the sophs stole." Then she told the whole story.

The girl was silent for some moments after Janet had concluded her confession; then the smiles began to dimple around her mouth and finally she burst out into a laugh.

"I ought to be furious," she said, "but I'm not, for it is so funny, and after all, Janet, it is a sort of relief to discover that you are like other girls."

"Heavens!" exclaimed Janet. "Did you suppose I was a creature of finer mould? I am not near so nice as other girls. I should think that I had proved that."

"Yet, you are much nicer," Lillie decided, "for I do not know another one who would have been honest enough to tell me this when there was no reason in the world why she should except that she was too true to keep it to herself."

"Then you do forgive me for making you a cat's paw?"

"Yes, on one condition: that you will go home with me to spend the Easter holidays. I have been dying to ask you, and have been afraid, so now I have a new claim on you, I am going to make the most of it."

Janet hesitated, but saw that she was in for it and in the end, she gave a reluctant consent. She announced her intention to the amused group she found in Cordelia's room that afternoon.

"Poor, poor Janet," said Teddy with mock sympathy. "What an ordeal. Have you any idea of what you are getting into?"

"No, I haven't, but I'd go if her parents were ragpickers."

"I shall be wild to hear your report," said Lee. "Promise to keep back nothing."

"I'll promise no such thing," said Janet. "It's my affair, I'll have you to know," and she refused to mention the subject to her intimates again.

The visit was made and Janet returned from it in such good spirits that the others were consumed with curiosity.

"Did you have a good time?" asked Lee at the first opportunity.

"Fine," returned Janet.

"Are they nice people?"

"Lovely."

"Did you meet any of their friends?"

"Yes."

"Did you like them? Were they nice?"

"The very best in the place."

"Oh, Janet, you are the most unsatisfactory person when you choose to be. Tell me about it." Lee was fairly put out.

"I have told you. I had a fine time. The Starrs are lovely people. Their friends are the best families in the place. What more do you want to know?"

"I want to know what you did."

"I ate and slept and drove and walked and enjoyed myself generally. In fact, I scarce ever had a more delightful holiday."

Lee looked at her with an injured expression upon her face, but seeing that she would get nothing further from so non-committal a person, she left her without another word, and Janet laughed softly to herself as she heard her departing footsteps.