THE QUEEN AND HER SECRET SOCIETY

Mrs. Tennant had not been out more than a minute or two before David and Ben came in. Kathleen saw them from the window; she tapped on the window with her knuckles, nodded to them, kissed her hand, and looked radiant with delight. Some boys at the opposite side of the street saw her and burst out laughing. David’s face grew red.

“I wish the little Irish girl wouldn’t make us figures of fun,” said Ben, speaking in an annoyed tone.

The next instant David had opened the door with his latchkey, and Kathleen was waiting for them in the hall.

“Sausages,” she said, bringing out the word with great gusto, “and shrimps, and water-cress, and sardines, besides bread-and-butter galore, and nice hot tea. Maria is making fresh tea now in the kitchen. Come along in-do; you must be ravenous.”

The boys stared at her. Ben forgot his anger; he was schoolboy enough to thoroughly enjoy the delicious meal which Kathleen had prepared.

When it came to an end David jumped up impatiently.

“Where are you going, Dave?” asked Kathleen in an interested voice. She wanted him to help her. She had hoped that he and she would go away to the old loft together, and talk as they had done the night before. But David was firm.

“I am going to the church,” he said, “to practice on the organ. I only get the chance three times a week, and I must not neglect it.”

“David hopes to be no end of a swell some day,” remarked Ben. “He thinks he can make the instrument speak.”

“And so can I,” said Kathleen. “May I come with you, Dave?”

“Some day,” he replied, looking at her kindly, “but not to-day. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

David did not notice her disappointed face; he went out immediately, without even going upstairs first. Ben and Kathleen were now alone. Kathleen looked at him attentively.

“I wonder-” she said slowly.

“What are you staring at me for?” said Ben.

“I have been wondering what sort you are. I have got cousins at home, and they do anything in the world I like. I wonder if you would.”

Ben had been very cross with Kathleen when she had knocked to him and David from the dining-room window, but he was not cross now. He was only thirteen, and up to the present no pretty girl had ever taken the slightest notice of him. He was a plain, sandy-haired boy, with a freckled face, a wide mouth, and good-humored blue eyes.

“You make me laugh whenever I look at you,” was Kathleen’s next candid remark.

“I didn’t know that I was so comical,” was his answer.

“Perhaps you don’t like it.”

“I can’t say I do.”

“Well, this is the Palace of Home Truths,” said Kathleen, laughing. “I asked your darling, saintly sister just now which was the most wicked-to tell a polite lie, or a frightfully rude home truth. She said that a polite lie was an awful sin, so in this house I must cleave to the home truths. I could tell you, you know, that you have quite a fascinating smile, and a very taking voice, and a delightful and polished manner; but I prefer to tell you that you are comical, which means that I feel inclined to burst out laughing whenever I look at you.”

“Thank you,” said Ben, who could be very sulky when he liked. “Then I will take my objectionable presence out of your sight. I have got my lessons to do.”

Kathleen raised her brows and gave a slow smile. Ben got as far as the door.

“Benny,” she said then in a most seductive whisper.

He turned.

“I am so glad you are in.”

“I should not have thought so.”

“But I am. It is awfully lonely for a girl like me, who has got dozens of cousins at home, and uncles and aunts and all the rest of the goodly fry, to be stranded. I like David. I am quite smitten with David; and I like you, too. You can be a great friend of mine.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” said Ben.

He thought it would be very good fun to tell the other fellows about the charming Irish girl who liked him so much.

“I wonder if you’d help me, Ben.”

“What can I do?” asked Ben.

“Sit down, and let’s be cozy. I will sit in the tired one’s chair, and you can sit on that little stool at my feet. Now isn’t that nice?”

“Who do you mean by the tired one?”

“Your mother, silly boy, of course.”

“It is a very ridiculous name to call her.”

“It belongs to the Palace of Home Truths. Your mother is tired, and you-you lazy omadhauns-

“Well, go on,” said Ben. “I see by your manner that you want me to do something. I suppose it’s something a little bit-a little bit not quite good.”

“It is perfectly good. I’ll love you ever so much if you will do it.”

“What is it?”

“I am going out this evening. I may not be in until late. If the others are in bed, will you come and unlock the door for me when I throw gravel up at your window? You must tell me which is your window.”

“I sleep in the north attic. It doesn’t look out on to the street; and I can’t-I can’t possibly do it.”

“You can come down and wait for me in the hall.”

“How can I?”

“When the tired one goes to bed, you can come down. She goes to bed at ten, I know, and I shall not be in until about half-past ten. I don’t want Dave to know-well, because I don’t. I don’t want Alice to know, because I dislike Alice very much.”

“Really, Kathleen, you ought not to speak like that.”

“Well, I do, and I can’t help myself. Will you do what I want? Here, do you think you’d like this in your possession?”

As Kathleen spoke she held out a golden sovereign in the palm of her little hand.

“I don’t want to be bribed.”

“It isn’t bribery really; it is paying you for giving me a great convenience. I must go out on important business. I want to help those who are down-trodden and distressed. Will you do what I want, Ben-will you, dear Ben? You know I like you so much. Will you-will you?”

Of course, Ben fought against Kathleen’s rather wicked suggestion; of course in the end he yielded. When he finally got up to his attic to thumb over his well-worn lesson-books he had Kathleen’s golden sovereign in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it; he turned it round and round and examined it all over. He rubbed it lovingly against his freckled cheek, held it until it got warm in the palm of his hand, and then put it back in his pocket and jingled it against a couple of pennies which were its only companions.

“A whole sovereign,” he said to himself-“a whole sovereign, and I never had so much as five shillings of my own in the whole course of my life. Well, she is a little witch. I suppose Dave would beat me black and blue for doing a thing of this sort. But how could I-how could I withstand her?”

Supper at the Tennants’ generally consisted of cold pudding, cold meat, bread-and-butter, and a little jam when there happened to be any in the house. It was not a particularly tempting meal, and those who ate it required to have good, vigorous appetites. Kathleen, although she had been brought up in a considerable amount of wasteful splendor, was indifferent to what she ate. She soon jumped up and walked across the little passage into the drawing-room. Ben, looking very red and shamefaced, would not meet her eyes. Ben’s face annoyed Kathleen. It did not occur to her for a minute that he would not be faithful to her, but she was afraid that others might notice his extraordinary and perturbed expression. Once, too, he jingled the sovereign in his pocket; she heard him, and wondered why David did not ask him where he had got the money. But no remark was made, and the meal came safely to an end. Kathleen took up the first book she could find and pretended to read.

“I shall feign sleepiness at a quarter to nine,” she said to herself, “and go upstairs. I shall be awfully polite and sweet to dear Alice. She never comes to bed before ten, so I shall be quite safe getting out of the house. I can drop from the window, but I should prefer going by the back door; and I don’t think Maria will betray me.”

Just then Alice strolled into the room. She looked rather nice; she wore a very pretty pink muslin blouse, which suited her well. Her hair was neatly arranged; her face was calm. She stood before Kathleen.

“I wish-” she said suddenly.

Kathleen raised her head.

“And I wish you wouldn’t stand between me and the lamp. Don’t you see that I am reading?”

“I want you to stop reading. I have something to say.”

“Indeed!”

Kathleen longed to be very rude, but she thought of her delightful plan so close at hand, and refrained.

“I must humor her if I can by any possibility keep my temper,” was her thought. Then aloud: “What is it you want? I hope you will be very quick, for I am rather sleepy and intend to go to bed soon.”

“I hope you won’t do it again, that’s all.”

“Do what again?” asked Kathleen.

“Spend your money on buying food for us. We are not so poor as all that. My mother is paid by your father to give you your meals; your father doesn’t expect you to buy them over again.”

“Dad always likes me to do what I wish,” replied Kathleen calmly.

“Well, don’t do it again. It’s extremely displeasing both to David and me.”

Kathleen laughed.

“Dave gobbled up his sausage and his sardines,” she said.

“Don’t do it again, that’s all.”

Kathleen nodded her head, and again buried herself in her book.

“And there is another thing,” continued Alice, dropping into a chair by Kathleen’s side. “You are very low down in the school. Two of the mistresses spoke to me about you to-day. They don’t like to see a great overgrown girl like you in a class with little children; it does neither you nor the school credit. They fear that during this term you may be forced to continue in your present low position; but they earnestly hope that you will work very hard, so as to be removed into a higher form. You ought, after Christmas, to get into a class at least two removes higher up in the school. That is what I came to say. I suppose you have a certain sense of honor, and you don’t want your father’s money to be thrown away.”

“Bedad, then! he has plenty of money, and I don’t much care,” replied Kathleen.

She lay back in her chair and whistled “Garry Owen” in a most insolent manner.

“If you have really made up your mind not to improve yourself in the very least, mother had better write to Squire O’Hara and suggest that you don’t come back after Christmas.”

“And Squire O’Hara will decide that point for himself,” replied Kathleen. “There are other houses where I can be entertained and fussed over, and regarded as I ought to be regarded, besides the home of Alice Tennant. The fact is this, Alice: you aggravate me; you don’t understand me; I am at my worst in your presence. Perhaps I am a bit wild sometimes, but your way would never drive me to work or anything else. I have no real dislike to learning, and if another girl spoke to me as you have done I might be very glad.”

“What do you mean?” said poor Alice. “I really and truly, Kathleen, do want to help you. You and I could work every evening together; I could, and would, see you through your lessons. Thus you would very quickly get to the head of your class, and get your removes without trouble at Christmas.”

“I suppose you mean to be kind,” said Kathleen. “I will think it over. Let me alone now.”

She gave a portentous yawn. Ben heard her, came and sat down on an ottoman not far off, and began kicking his legs.

“Benny,” said his sister, “if you have done your lessons, you had better go to bed.”

“I don’t want to go so early. You always treat me as if I were a baby.”

“Well, please yourself. I am going upstairs to fetch my books. I have a good hour and a half of hard work to get through before bedtime.”

The moment Kathleen and Ben were alone, Ben rushed up to her side and began to whisper.

“It is all as right as possible,” he said. “I am going up to bed as usual, and when mother and Alice and Dave are safe in their rooms I’ll slip down again. I’ll be in the hall. Don’t ring when you come back; just walk up the steps and scratch against the door with your knuckles, and I’ll hear you and let you in in a trice. I am awfully pleased about that sovereign; it will make me one of the greatest toffs in the school. I’ll have more money than any of the other fellows. I’m so excited I can scarcely think of anything else. I know I’m doing wrong, but you did offer me such a tremendous temptation. Now I hear Alice’s step. It will be all right, Kathleen; don’t you fear.”

Kathleen smiled to herself. The rest of her programme was carried out to a nicety. At a quarter to nine she complained of fatigue, bade Mrs. Tennant an affectionate good-night, nodded to Alice, and left the room.

“Be sure you don’t lock the door,” called Alice after her. “I sha’n’t be up for quite an hour, and you will be sound asleep by that time.”

“I won’t lock it,” replied Kathleen gently.

When Kathleen had gone upstairs, Mrs. Tennant turned and spoke to her daughter.

“You know, Alice,” she said, “the child is very lovable and kind-hearted-a little barbarian in some senses of the word, but a fine nature-of that I am certain.”

“I am so busy to-night, mother,” replied Alice. “Can’t we defer talking of the charms of Kathleen’s character until after I have done my lessons?”

“Of course, dear,” said her mother.

She drew her basket of mending towards her, put stitch after stitch into the shabby garments, and thought all the time of Kathleen with her bright face and beautiful, merry eyes.

Meanwhile that young lady, having arranged a bolster in her bed to look as like a human being as possible, put on her hat and jacket and ran downstairs. There was no one in the hall, and she was absolutely daring enough to go out by that door. Mrs. Tennant raised her head when she heard the door gently shut.

“Can that be the post?” she said; but as no one replied, she forgot the circumstance and went on with her mending.

A few doors down the street Susy Hopkins was waiting for Kathleen.

“Oh, there you are!” she said. “We are so excited! There will be about eight of us waiting for you in the old quarry. You are good to come. You don’t know what this means in our lives. You are good-you are wonderfully good.”

“Where’s the quarry?” asked Kathleen. “You have chosen such a funny place. I should not have imagined that a quarry-a dear, romantic quarry-could be found anywhere in this neighborhood.”

“Yes, but there is, and a good big one, too. It is about half a mile away, just at the back of Colliers’ Buildings. It is the safest place you can possibly imagine, for no one will ever look for us there. Now do be quick; we will find the others before us. You can’t think how excited we are.”

“Oh, I’m willing to be quick,” replied Kathleen. “I am doing all this for you, you know, because I am sorry for the foundationers, and think it so very ridiculous that there should be distinctions made. Why, you are quite as good as the others. They are none of them much to boast of.”

“What fun this is!” cried Susy again. “I assure you the paying girls think no end of themselves. They are under the supposition that there never were such fine ladies to be found in the land before. Oh, we will take it out of them, sha’n’t we?”

Kathleen made no reply. Presently they reached the opening that led into the quarry. They had to go down a narrow sloping path, and then by a doorway cut in the solid rock. After they had passed through they found themselves in a large circular cavern open to the sky. There was no moon and the night was dark; but one girl had brought a lantern. She opened it and placed it on the ground; a bright shaft of light now fell on several young figures all huddled together. Susy gave a sharp whistle; the girls started to their feet.

“Here we are, girls. See, this is our queen,” and she presented Kathleen to the assembled girls.

“Does the queen mind our looking at her face in turns?” said Kate Rourke. “I have not specially noticed you before,” she continued, “but after we have each had a good stare we will know what sort of girl you are.”

For reply Kathleen herself lifted the lantern and flung the full light upon her radiant and lovely face and figure. The intense light made her golden hair shine, and brought out the delicate perfection of each feature; the merry eyes framed in their dark lashes, the gleaming white teeth, the rosy lips were all apparent. But beyond the mere beauty of feature Kathleen had to a remarkable degree the far more fascinating beauty of expression: her face was capable of almost every shade of emotion, being sorrowful and pathetic one moment, and brimful of irrepressible mirth and roguery the next.

There was a silence amongst the girls until Mary Rand shouted:

“Hip! hip! hurrah!”

The whole eight immediately broke into a ringing cheer.

“Welcome, Queen Kathleen,” they said-“welcome;” and they held out their hands and clasped the hands of the Irish girl.

“I am glad,” said Kathleen.

“What about?” said Clara Sawyer.

“Why, you have crowned me queen yourselves. Now I can do what I like with you all.”

“You certainly can,” said Susy Hopkins.-“We are devoted to our queen, aren’t we, girls?”

“We have fallen in love with her on the spot,” said Rosy Myers.

“I never saw any one quite so lovely before as the queen,” said Mary Rand.

“It isn’t only that she’s lovely, she is so genteel,” said Susy Hopkins.

“Aristocratic!” cried Kate.-“Hannah Johnson, you haven’t given your opinion yet.-And, Ruth Craven, you haven’t given yours.”

“I reserve my opinion,” said Ruth.

“And I say there’s a great deal of humbug and balder-dash in the world,” said Hannah Johnson.

Ruth’s remark was unexpected, but the girls pooh-poohed Hannah’s. Who was Hannah Johnson that she dared to speak so rudely to one so charming and beautiful as Kathleen O’Hara? There was a disconcerting pause, and then Kathleen said:

“Hannah, doubtless you are right. There is plenty of humbug in the world; but I don’t think I am one. Now the question is: Shall I be on the side of the foundationers, or shall I be on the side of the paying girls in the Great Shirley School?”

“Indeed, darling,” said Rosy Myers, “you shall be on our side. Those horrid, stuck-up paying girls don’t want you; and we do. Nothing will induce us to give you up. It is a chance to get a girl like you, so lovely and so sweet and so rich, to be one of us.”

“Well, I think I can give you a good time, and I can show those others with their snobbish ways-

“Hear, hear!” cried the excited girls.

“I can show the others what I think of them. They won’t snub me, but perhaps I shall snub them. Well, girls, as we have decided to band together, we must draw up rules; and when they are drawn up we must obey them. I, of course, will be your head; as you have made me queen, that is the natural thing to expect.”

“Of course,” said Susy.

Kathleen clapped her hands.

“This is going to be a real good secret society,” she said. “What fun it all will be!”

The girls laughed, and clustered with more and more friendliness round Kathleen.

“You are our queen,” said Kate. “There are eight of us here, and we all swear allegiance to you.-Don’t we, girls?”

“Certainly,” said Susy.

“Unquestionably,” remarked Mary.

“With all my heart,” said Rose.

“And mine,” echoed Clara.

“And mine,” said Kate.

“I will join the others, although I don’t approve,” said Hannah Johnson, with a somewhat unwilling nod.

“And I am neutral. I don’t think I ought to join at all,” said Ruth.

“Oh, yes, you will, Ruth. I want you to be my Prime Minister, I want you to be with me in all things.”

“I don’t know that I can.”

“And why should she be your Prime Minister?” said Kate in an ugly voice. “She’s no better than the others, and she’s very new. Some of us have been at the school for some time. Ruth Craven has only just joined.

“The queen must have her way,” said Kathleen, stamping her foot. “The queen must have her way in all particulars, and she wishes to elect Ruth Craven as her Prime Minister-that is, if Ruth will consent.”

They were headstrong and big girls, most of them older than Kathleen, but they submitted, for her ways were masterful and her tone full of delicate sympathy.

“I will think it over and let you know,” said Ruth. “Of course, I shall not betray you; but you must please understand that I have friends amongst the paying girls of the school. Cassandra Weldon is my friend, and there are others. I will not join nor advocate any plan that annoys or worries them.”

The girls looked dubious, and one or two began to speak in discontented voices.

“We must meet again in a couple of days,” said Kathleen finally. “By then I shall have drawn up the rules. We can’t always meet at night, but we will when it is possible, for this place is so romantic, and so correct for a secret society. Those who are present to-night will be in my Cabinet. I should like if possible to have all the foundation girls on my side, but that must be decided at our next meeting. I am willing to purchase a badge for each girl who joins me; it will be made of silver, and can be worn beneath the dress in the form of a locket.”

“Oh, lovely, delicious! There never was such a queen,” cried Susy Hopkins.

The little meeting broke up amidst universal applause.