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Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School

<h3>THE SOPHOMORE BALL</h3> There was an undercurrent of excitement in the air on the day of the sophomore ball. The sophomores themselves were full of secrets, whispering around in groups, their faces grave with self-important expressions. This was to be their annual Initiation Ball, and many new members, after receiving initiation into the various sophomore societies, were to be invited to the gymnasium, which had been turned over to the class for the evening. There was no end to the fun of these balls, according to feminine gossip, for no male was ever admitted and only three invitations were issued to girls of other classes. It was, in fact, to be nothing but fun and frolic, and every costume had been planned weeks ahead. One teacher was asked to be present to keep order in case of intrusion, for the gymnasium door, on that famous night, was always besieged by youths from the Boys' High School, who roared and jeered as each cloaked and masked figure rushed under the archway and disappeared. The freshmen, all through the day, were unusually quiet. They kept to themselves and had little to say. Miriam and her three particular friends were carefully avoided by their classmates. Miriam, herself, felt the snub at once. Had she, after all, made a mistake, and was she losing ground in the class? But her vanity was like a life buoy to her sinking hopes. She refused to see that the other girls regarded her with growing dislike. When school was over, that afternoon, six girls strolled down the High School walk arm in arm. They were Grace and her three chums and two other girls who were popular in the freshman class. Anne's small figure seemed almost dwarfed next to Grace, who towered half a foot above her. Ever since Anne's trying scene with her father, Grace had been doubly tender and kind to her, until the young girl seemed to expand under the happy influence. "Well, girlies, dear, we are the chosen six. I hope we shall be a credit to the class." "Don't talk so loudly, Nora. I feel as if we were surrounded by spies to-day. Everybody has been so mysterious and queer." "One thing is practically certain," whispered Grace: "I believe it was Miriam who told the sophomores about the Omnibus House. Why else did they invite her to their ball?" "We can never prove it, though," said one of the others, "unless we get her up a tree some day and make her admit it." "Remember, Anne," cautioned Grace, when they came to the cross street leading to the Pierson cottage, "eight o'clock sharp at my house! And don't bother about things. We shall have more than enough among us." At half-past eight that night the sound of a stringed orchestra floated out on the breeze as the door of the gymnasium swung back and forth to admit disguised sophomores, who each whispered the countersign to the doorkeeper, after running the gauntlet of the waiting crowd, and slipped in. The music was furnished by a troupe of women players especially engaged to play in this Adamless Eden. What would not the crowd of waiting boys have given for one glimpse of the ball room, where ballet girls, clowns and courtiers, Egyptian snake charmers, Mephistopholeses and Marguerites, priests and priestesses of the Orient, all whirled madly together? Every door had been locked and bolted and every downstairs window securely closed. Ventilation was obtained through the half-open windows opening on the upper gallery, which ran around the four sides of the gymnasium. The doors to this gallery had also been locked and the only way to reach it was by steps leading up from the gymnasium. Six masked and hooded figures swung down High School Street together, talking and laughing in low voices. The smallest of the six appeared to stumble over her feet, and once tumbled in the road. Her friends gayly helped her up, when it was disclosed that she wore a pair of boy's shoes much too large for her. "If we don't break our necks stumbling over these brogans," whispered the tallest girl, "we'll be lucky." As a matter of fact, each one of the six maskers was wearing a pair of men's shoes. "I stuffed my toes with cotton," laughed another, "but even now they are hard to manage." Just then a motor cycle shot past them, slowed down and stopped altogether. The rider rested it against a tree and came back. "I recognized you by your big feet," he said in a whisper. "Grace, here's the duplicate key to the laboratory. I had some trouble getting it, but no one knows, and you'll be safe enough. I'll let myself in with the other duplicate key and lock the door. They will be sure to try it at intervals. If you get into any trouble, early in the evening, make a dash for the steps and blow your horn loud. Now, that's all, I think. I'll be hidden in the laboratory until my turn comes. Good-bye and good luck!" In another instant he was off on his motor cycle. Six figures, well disguised in dominoes of as many hues, presently appeared on the ball room floor, just in time for the grand march. It was a pity no one, except the lone teacher, was permitted to look at the brilliant picture. But such was the tradition of the class. After the march, ten ballet girls in tarlatan skirts, their faces concealed by little black satin masks, gave a performance. Following this, a Spanish dancer, whom the six dominoes recognized at once as the treacherous Miriam Nesbit, gave an exhibition of her skill. "I'm going to have some fun with her," whispered the blue domino to the red one. "Just follow me and see." The last speaker joined the dancer as the music struck up a waltz. "That was a good day's work you did for our class, not long ago," she whispered as they danced off together. "What do you mean?" asked the Spanish dancer. "I mean the Black Monks of Asia. Now, do you understand?" "But I thought it was not to be told," exclaimed the dancer, flushing under her mask. "Only to the committee so that you might be rewarded with an invitation," whispered the domino, as she slipped away. "She did confess it, and every freshman in the class shall know it to-morrow!" the emissary exclaimed privately to her friend, the red domino. "In spite of what her brother is doing for us to-night?" returned the red domino. "You are quite right, child. I never thought of that. Perhaps that is the very reason he is helping us get even to-night." "I think it is," added the other, quietly. "Girls, we must hurry up and begin," whispered another of the six dominoes. "They are all going to unmask at half-past ten." So the unrecognized intruders slipped away, stationing themselves about the room. Pretty soon a rumor began to spread among the dancers that there were young men present. No one knew exactly how it started, but it grew and spread with such persistency that it finally reached the ears of the chaperon. "Some of the girls saw their feet," said her informant, "and not only their feet but their trousers, too." The teacher rose and rapped sharply for order. "Young ladies," she called in a loud voice, "I am sorry to disturb the dancers, but we have every reason to believe there are some men in the room. Since it is not yet time for you to unmask, it will be simple to find out who does not belong here by having you file past me. I will lift each mask myself." The dancers accordingly arranged themselves in a long line and walked single file past the teacher. She saw only girl's faces, however, as she peeped under the masks, and the dance proceeded. The next disturbance came when the maskers had all taken their stand at one end of the room at the request of the six dominoes, who managed to whisper to each sophomore that there was presently to be a surprise. An expectant hush fell over the company as the six dominoes filed out of a side room and stood, for a moment, in full view of the sophomores. Then the six deliberately lifted their dominoes, disclosing trouser legs and men's shoes. Instantly the place was in pandemonium; yet before the sophomores could rush upon the intruders six long horns were blown in unison, and immediately the lights went out. In the darkness the six dominoes made for the stairs, rushed along the gallery, and were admitted to the laboratory by the duplicate key. But, just before the blue domino disappeared, she called out in a loud voice from the gallery: "The freshmen are avenged!" When the doors were safely closed the lights were turned on again, disclosing the sophomores blinking foolishly at each other after the sudden startling change from darkness to light. "They are in the laboratory!" cried one. "Let's cut off their escape!" The angry sophomores made a rush for the door. "Hurry girls!" urged David, who had just returned to the laboratory after manipulating the lights. "They'll catch us before we know it." But the young fugitives were too late. Just then there was the sound of many feet running up the stairs from the other door. "How about one of the gallery doors?" asked Grace. "They are all locked," answered David. "There only remain the skylight trap-door and the roof. Do you think you could manage it if I helped you?" "Of course; we could manage anything," protested the freshmen girls. It was an easy matter to climb up the ladder, and clamber through the trap-door on to the roof. "We're just in time," whispered David. "They have found the right key to the gallery door, and they'll be coming in both ways. Crawl carefully now, girls, for heaven's sake, and don't slip!" The seven young people began slowly to draw themselves along the gymnasium roof on their hands and knees. Fortunately, it was not a very sloping roof, and their only danger lay in their movements being heard from below. Meanwhile the gymnasium had emptied itself, and parties of enraged sophomores were engaged in searching the adjoining class rooms and passages. "Let's surround the building on the outside," cried one of the class leaders. "They can't escape, then, by any of the fire escapes, and we are sure to catch them!" In a few moments, David peeping over the edge of the roof, saw figures stationed at every possible exit, waiting patiently. "Lie low," he whispered, "and crawl on your stomachs, or you're surely caught." Soon after the seven had reached the end of the hundred feet of gymnasium, where their flight was stopped short by a blank wall where the gymnasium joined the High School building. "Here's a pretty pass," whispered David. "I forgot about this old school wall. The only thing to do, now, is to hide behind this chimney and wait for the row to quiet down." There they lay, as flat as possible, listening with bated breath to the sophomores below. Presently there was a sound of footsteps on the gymnasium roof and they heard Miriam's voice saying: "They must have escaped through the trap-door in the laboratory and come along here. Wait a minute, girls, and I'll see." "O Grace, we're caught!" groaned Jessica. "What shall we do?" "No we aren't yet," answered Grace. "Especially if she is coming alone, and that is what I am praying for." "I'll come with you, Miriam," called the voice of the sophomore leader. "Why don't you take the other side?" proposed Miriam. "And I'll go around and meet you." "Very well," came the answer. The freshmen clutched each other and waited. Miriam ran lightly along the roof, and came upon the seven prostrate figures so suddenly that she almost lost her balance. "Don't speak," said Grace, in a distinct whisper, "and don't give us away. If you do, you will regret it. Remember the blue domino who waltzed with you!" She hoped Miriam would understand what she meant and so save her from further explanation. In this Grace was right. Miriam was trapped at last. She deliberately turned and walked away without a word. "Come on, girls," they heard her call to the others, "let's waste no more time on them." When all was quiet the seven intriguers slipped down the fire escape and disappeared in the darkness—safely escaping discovery. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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