Part 17 (1/2)
”Where was I? I was in bad, I'll say. What? Well, I guess. I got a second summons this A. M. I couldn't side-step it. His high and mightiness had the whole story of the accident from some tattle-tale. He wouldn't give me a chance to say a word hardly. One more break in the speeding line and our cars go home for good. He certainly laid down the law to me. I've a mind to tell you something else.” Leslie paused before the door of her room, hand on the k.n.o.b.
”What is it? You know I never tell tales, Les.” Natalie eyed the other girl reproachfully. ”That's more than you can say of your other pals.”
”You are right about that, Nat,” Leslie conceded. She motioned Natalie into the room and closed the door. ”Laura says she knows who told Doctor Matthews. I'm to meet her tonight. Keep that dark. I don't want a person besides you to know it. I'm to meet her behind that clump of lilac bushes the other side of Baretti's. You know; where that old house was torn down.”
Natalie nodded. She was inwardly jubilant at having thus been given Leslie's confidence. It was quite like old times. ”Have you any idea who told?” she questioned, trying to hide her gratification under an air of calm interest.
”No. I'm positive it wasn't Langly. She gave me her word that she would drop the whole thing. A goody-goody dig like her would not break it.
I'll tell you as soon as I come back. Come here at ten. I shall not be later than ten-fifteen. I intend to put up a 'Busy' sign tonight so as to keep the girls out of here before I start. They know better than to try to get by it, too.”
At precisely twenty minutes to nine that evening Leslie took the ”Busy”
placard from her door and locking it proceeded to the rendezvous. She had put on a long dark motor coat and a black velour sports hat. The instant she had left the Hall's premises behind her she pulled the hat low over her face and broke into a run. An expert tennis player, she was swift and nimble of foot. Only once she paused, stepping behind a thicket of rhododendron bushes until a party of girls returning from town pa.s.sed by. Once off the campus, she kept to the darker side of the road and was soon at the designated spot.
Her brisk run had brought her to the meeting place ahead of time. It was five minutes before the faint sound of a footfall among the fallen leaves rewarded her small stock of patience. Leslie's hand sought the pocket of her coat. A tiny stream of white light outlined the figure now very close to her. Instantly she snapped off the light with a soft e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of satisfaction.
”You should not have turned that light on me,” objected the other dark figure rather pettishly. ”We might be seen from the road.”
”Not a soul pa.s.sing,” Leslie a.s.sured. ”I was not going to take chances of hailing the wrong party.”
”Please remember that I have to be even more careful than you. No one must ever be allowed to suspect that we know each other.” Laura Sayres spoke with cool precision.
”Is that what you came all the way here to tell me?” Leslie gave a short laugh. It announced that she was on the verge of being unpleasant.
”Of course it isn't.” Laura prudently retreated from her lofty stand.
While she enjoyed grumbling, she was too cowardly at heart to venture to do more. ”I couldn't say a word over the 'phone today. I will tell you now and quickly for I have a long walk home and the road is quite lonely in places.”
”Sorry I couldn't bring my car, but I didn't dare,” carelessly apologized Leslie. She divined that Laura was somewhat peeved because she had not.
”Oh, it doesn't matter. Now I don't know just how much this information will be worth to you--” Miss Sayres paused. ”I can only--”
”Give it to me and I'll do the square thing by you.” Leslie frowned in the darkness.
”Oh, I don't mean in money,” weakly defended Miss Sayres. ”I mean that it's circ.u.mstantial. You must form your own opinion from what I tell you.”
”I understand.” Leslie quite understood that despite the secretary's protest she was not above being mercenary. ”Go ahead.”
”Last Tuesday afternoon about five o'clock I was just starting for home from Doctor Matthews' house, when who should come marching up the walk but Miss Dean,” related Laura. ”I wondered what brought her there. As soon as the maid let her in I turned and went back. I had made up my mind to wait around until she came out. I have a key to the front door now. One day when college first opened the doctor sent me over to the house for some papers he needed. No one was at home and I had to go back to Hamilton Hall without them. He had a key made for me right after that. You see I occupy a position of trust. No wonder I have to be careful.”
”I see; but what about Miss Dean?” Leslie promptly switched the secretary back to her original subject.
”I am coming to that. I decided after I got as far as the veranda to let myself into the house. I supposed Miss Dean had come to see the doctor.
The minute I stepped inside I heard voices. The door of the office was open just a little. I did not dare stand in the hall so I slipped into the living room. It is directly opposite the office. I couldn't understand a word Miss Dean said, but I heard the doctor say he was incensed at the behavior of someone, and that they would have to come before the Board. Then he said that if someone, I couldn't find out who, refused to do something or other, she would have to leave college. It remained for him to write her.
”I heard Miss Dean say very plainly: 'It is a case of the innocent having to suffer with the guilty.' They talked a little more, but both lowered their voices. I heard the doctor's chair turn and knew he was going to get up from it. I made the quickest move I ever made and slid out the door. I had left it a little open. Sure enough, in a minute or two Miss Dean came out of the house and went away.”
”I think that's pretty good proof against the foxy little wretch.”
Leslie's voice was thick with wrath. She was still smarting from the morning's humiliation. ”I wish I could tell you how I hate that little sneak. I'll get back at her, believe me.”
”I certainly would, if I were you. Just to be on the safe side I went into the house and stopped at the office door. I said, 'If you have nothing more for me to do I will go now, Doctor Matthews.' I thought perhaps he would ask me to write the letter he had spoken of. Not he. He said: 'No, thank you, Miss Sayres. You need not have waited.' So I had no excuse to stay.”