Molly Brown's Freshman Days Part 20

"Prexy has specially requested you to repeat the Flora picture," she announced, breathlessly.

"Is Prexy here?" they demanded, with much excitement.

"She is so," answered Sallie. "She's up in the balcony with Professor Green and Miss Pomeroy."

"Well, what do you think, we've been performing before 'Queen Victoria and other members of the royal family,' like P. T. Barnum, and never knew a thing about it," said a funny snub-nosed senior. "'Daily demonstrations by the delighted mult.i.tude almost taking the form of ovations,'" she proceeded.

"Don't talk so much, Lulu, and help us, for Heaven's sake! Where's Molly Brown of Kentucky?" called the distracted President.

Molly came forth at the summons. Overcome by an extreme fatigue, she had been sitting on a bench in a remote corner of the room behind some stage property.

"Here, little one, take off your shoes and stockings, and get into your Flora costume, quick, by order of Prexy."

In a few minutes, Molly stood poised on the tips of her toes in the gold frame. The lights went down, the bell rang, and the curtains were parted by two freshmen appointed for this duty. For one brief fleeting glance the audience saw the immortal Flora floating on thin air apparently, and then the entire gymnasium was in total darkness.

A wave of conversation and giggling filled the void of blackness, while on the stage the seniors were rus.h.i.+ng around, falling over each other and calling for matches.

"Who's light manager?"

"Where's Lulu?"

"Lulu! Lulu!"

"Where's the switch?"

"Lulu's asleep at the switch," sang a chorus of juniors from the audience.

"I'm not," called Lulu. "I'm here on the job, but the switch doesn't work."

"Telephone to the engineer."

"Light the gas somebody."

But there were no matches, and the only man in the house was in the balcony. However, he managed to grope his way to the steps leading to the platform, where he suddenly struck a match, to the wild joy of the audience. Choruses from various quarters had been calling:

"Don't blow out the gas!"

"Keep it dark!"

And one girl created a laugh by announcing:

"The present picture represents a 'Nocturne' by Whistler."

Then the janitor began lighting gas jets along the wall and finally a lonesome gas jet on the stage faintly illumined the scene of confusion.

The gigantic gilt frame outlined a dark picture of hurrying forms, and huddled in the foreground lay a limp white object, for Botticelli's "Flora" had fainted away.

The confusion increased. The President joined the excited seniors and presently the doctor appeared, fetched by the Professor of English Literature. "Flora" was lifted onto a couch; her own gray cape thrown over her, and opening her eyes in a few minutes, she became Molly Brown of Kentucky. She gazed confusedly at the faces hovering over her in the half light; the doctor at one side, the President at the other; Mary Stewart and Professor Green standing at the foot and a crowd of seniors like a mob in the background.

Suddenly Molly sat up. She brushed her auburn hair from her face and pointed vaguely toward the hall:

"I saw her when she----" she began. Her eye caught Professor Green's, and she fell back on the couch.

"You saw what, my child?" asked the President kindly.

"I reckon I was just dreaming," answered Molly, her Southern accent more marked than ever before.

The President of the senior cla.s.s now hurried up to the President of Wellington University.

"Miss Walker," she exclaimed, her voice trembling with indignation, "we have just found out, or, rather, the engineer has discovered, that some one has cut the electric wires. It was a clean cut, right through. I do think it was an outrage." She was almost sobbing in her righteous anger.

The President's face looked very grave.

"Are you sure of this?" she asked.

"It's true, ma'am," put in the engineer, who had followed close on the heels of the senior.

Without a word, President Walker rose and walked to the centre of the platform. With much subdued merriment the students were leaving the gymnasium in a body. Lifting a small chair standing near, she rapped with it on the floor for order. Instantly, every student faced the platform, and those who had not reached the aisles sat down.

"Young ladies," began the President in her calm, cultivated tones that could strike terror to the heart of any erring student, "I wish to speak a word with you before you leave the gymnasium to-night. Probably most of you are aware by this time that the accident to the electric lighting was really not an accident at all, but the result of a deliberate act by some one in this room. Of course, I realize, that in so large a body of students as we have at Wellington University there must, of necessity, be some black sheep. These we endeavor, by every effort, to regenerate and by mid-years it is usually not a difficult matter to discover those who are in earnest and those who consider Wellington College merely a place of amus.e.m.e.nt. Those who do consider it as such, naturally, do not--er--remain with us after mid-years."

To Molly, sitting on the platform, and to other trembling freshmen in the audience, the President seemed for the moment like a great and stern judge, who had appointed mid-years as the time for a general execution of criminals.

"I consider," went on the speaker in slow and even tones, "idleness a most unfortunate quality, and I am prepared to combat it and to convince any of my girls who show that tendency that good hard work and only good hard work will bring success. A great many girls come here preferring idleness and learn to repent it--before mid-years."

A wave of subdued laughter swept over the audience.

"But," said the President, her voice growing louder and sterner, "young ladies, I am not prepared to combat chicanery and trickery by anything except the most severe measures, and if there is one among you who thinks and believes she can commit such despicable follies as that which has been done to-night, and escape--I would say to her that she is mistaken. I shall not endure such treachery. It shall be rooted out. For the honor and the ill.u.s.trious name of this inst.i.tution, I now ask each one of you to help me, and if there is one among you who knows the culprit and does not report it to me at once, I shall hold that girl as responsible as the real culprit. You may go now, and think well over what I have said."

The President retired and the students filed soberly and quietly from the gymnasium.

"How do you feel now, dear?" asked President Walker, leaning over Molly and taking her hand.

"Much better, thank you," answered Molly, timidly.

"Could you hear what I was saying to the girls?" continued the President, looking at her closely.

"Yes," faltered Molly.

"Think over it, then. And you had better stay in bed a few days until you feel better. Have you prescribed for her, doctor?"

The doctor nodded. He was a bluff, kindly Scotchman.

"A little anaemic and tired out. A good tonic and more sleep will put her to rights."

Mary Stewart had telephoned for a carriage to take Molly home, and Judy, filled with pa.s.sionate devotion when anything was the matter, hurried ahead to turn down the bed, lay out gown and wrapper and make a cup of bouillon out of hot water and a beef juice capsule; and finally a.s.sist her beloved friend--whom she occasionally chastened--to remove her clothes and get into bed.

"I may not have many chances to wait on you, Molly, darling," she exclaimed, when Molly protested at so much devotion. "I may not have a chance after mid-years."