Part 15 (1/2)

”I am glad you can say that, Mignon.” Marjorie's hand went out instantly. ”Now let us forget all about the disagreeable part. It has been hard for all of us. There is just one thing more I'd like to say.

If after you have tried to like Veronica you find that you can't, then no one will be to blame. We cannot expect others always to see our friends as we see them. You have a perfect right to like or dislike anyone you please. All I ask is--”

”I _will_ try to like her for your sake, Marjorie,” Mignon interrupted with deceitful sweetness. Immediately changing the subject, she began to regale Marjorie with an account of a near accident she had had that day while driving her runabout.

”I think we'd better go,” Jerry announced sharply. She had had quite enough of Mignon and was not impressed by the erring one's miraculous repentance. She doubted its sincerity, and she could hardly refrain from saying so. She had sat silent and uncompromising during the scene, making no move toward offering a rehabilitating hand. Mignon's swift change of the subject disgusted her even more. She understood the reason for it if Marjorie did not.

Mignon sent a covert glance toward this stony-faced third party whom she feared. She knew that Jerry was quite out of sympathy with her. She longed to say something particularly cutting to the stout girl but caution warned her to silence.

”Yes, we must go.” Marjorie still stood beside the settee that held Mignon. Now she turned to the latter who had made no move to rise and again held out her hand. ”Good night, Mignon,” she said. ”Don't forget the club meeting to-morrow evening.”

Reluctantly Mignon rose to perform the parting civilities which courtesy demanded.

”Good night, Mignon.” Jerry was already half way to the door when she spoke.

”Good night.” Mignon cast a spiteful look toward the stout girl.

Following her callers into the hall, she saw them to the door with little enthusiasm. She was longing for them to go and could scarcely forbear slamming the unoffending portal in their faces. Closing it behind them with spiteful force, she clenched her hands in an excess of pa.s.sionate fury. ”Idiots!” she raged. ”How dared they come here and humiliate me? They'll be sorry! Just wait!”

Half way down the walk the reform committee heard the slam of the door.

”Hear that?” asked Jerry savagely. ”That's the real Mignon. Look out for her. You made a mistake when you said what you did about her being free to like or dislike Ronny. You gave her a chance to hit back.”

”But I said afterward that all I asked of her was--” Marjorie stopped.

”Why, Jerry, I _didn't_ say the most important part of my sentence.

Mignon interrupted me. Then she began talking about her runabout and I didn't finish it. I thought she changed the subject because she was dreadfully embarra.s.sed.”

”Of course, she interrupted you.” Jerry grew increasingly scornful. ”She knew you'd said just enough to be useful to her. She hasn't any intention of trying to like Ronny. She'll treat her just the same as ever. If you say anything about it to her again, she will laugh and quote your own words to you. We might better have stayed at home for all the good we've done.”

”Don't borrow trouble, Jeremiah.” Marjorie linked an affectionate arm in Jerry's. ”I think we've done a little good to-night. Mignon will be careful what she says or does for a while. She doesn't care to resign from the club, else she would have said so to-night. She wants to be in the revue, too. Telling her what Laurie said sounded rather like threatening her, but I had to do it.”

”There is no cure for Mignon,” stated Jerry shortly, ”and this is the last time I'll help play doctor. There's just one consolation, though.

Give her enough rope and she'll hang herself.”

CHAPTER XV-THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PLAN

The Lookouts met the next evening at Muriel Harding's home, and the Campfire project was received with acclamation. Nearly everyone present had a suggestion to tender that would go toward making the affair a success. The decision regarding the number of booths and what each should offer for sale had been left to the Lookouts. After much discussion they agreed upon a number of attractions which were calculated to meet the approval of the residents of Sanford. Not wis.h.i.+ng to solicit donations from those on whose attendance they counted, it was difficult to plan features that would yield the largest profit for the smallest outlay of money. Unsolicited donations would be thankfully received. As a matter of fact the mothers and fathers of the members had already offered their help.

One booth would be devoted to the sale of homemade candy, which the mothers of the Lookouts had agreed to contribute. Another would offer hand-painted postcards, pledged by the artistic element of the club.

There was also to be a gypsy fortune-teller, a fish pond, a lemonade stand, an ice cream and cake booth, fruit and flower booth, a huge pumpkin on which guesses were to be sold regarding the exact number of seeds it contained, and various other artful attractions which would cost little and yield much profit. It was also deemed advisable to ask the members of the senior cla.s.s to help at the various booths.

The Sanford Guards had held a meeting on the preceding evening and Hal had informed Jerry of their willingness to take half of the work of preparation on their shoulders. Besides Laurie's revue, they would offer a funny side show, a shooting gallery, a patriotic booth, as well as furnis.h.i.+ng nightly an exhibition of military maneuvers. Jerry duly reported this to the Lookouts, who were well-satisfied. Thanksgiving fell on the twenty-seventh of November. As it was the evening of the fourth on which the meeting was held, the need for swift action became imminent.

”We'll have to hustle if we are going to do all we've planned to do in the next three weeks,” was Jerry's unofficial reminder. ”We have to go to school, you know, and we can't neglect the day nursery. We'll have to buy some of the postcards. You girls can never turn out enough in three weeks to supply the demand. The candy and cakes our mothers will take care of, thank goodness. Still, we ought to buy a certain amount of boxed candy. The boys will see to the tents and the counters and such things. Hal says that the military tents the Guards use aren't large enough. Most of the boys have larger ones of their own that they use to go camping. They will be best for booths. It's a good thing the Armory is such a whale-I mean, such a large place.”

”We can't afford to waste a minute,” nodded Muriel Harding. ”It's a good thing, too, that we are out of basket ball this year. I am glad of it.

Last year killed my ambition to play.”

”Miss Davis is having her own troubles in making up the teams,” informed Daisy Griggs. ”The sophs who played on Rowena Farnham's team last year all refused to try for the junior team. Nellie Simmons told a girl that she wouldn't play basket ball again for a hundred dollars. I guess the scolding Miss Archer gave them last year was a little too much for them.”

”I am very sorry there is no senior team,” declared Mignon with a defiant toss of her head. ”Basket ball is about the only thing worth while in Sanford High. I think it is very sweet in Miss Davis to try so hard to keep it alive after what she had to endure last year.”