Chapter IX: Caramels and a Cat

WHEN Janet reached her room the night of her adventure in the car, she astonished Teddy by the account of her experiences. Both agreed to keep the whole thing a secret for the sake of Rosalie.

"Although," said Janet, nursing her knees before the heater, "it is almost too good to keep, and if it were any one else than Rosalie, I would simply have to tell it. How Cordelia and Lee would enjoy it! I know I shall laugh when I see Mr. Evans on Tuesday. I shall have to take a seat very far back in the lecture room, if I don't want to disgrace myself."

In spite of this declaration, Janet managed to preserve her dignity, for Mr. Evans's demeanor was such as to win her respect, and she did not care to bring any special attention upon herself. He had a bow and a smile for her when she encountered him in going through the corridors in any of the recitation halls, or when they met upon the street. She liked him, and became more interested in her work under him, astounding her intimates by her newly acquired zeal.

"I couldn't have believed it of you," said Lee Penrose. "You really meant it when you said you would surprise us. I notice that Mr. Evans gives a kindly eye to you when he has cause to address you. Have you met him anywhere outside the lecture room?"

"Why, yes," said Janet frankly. "I was in the car with some friends one day when he got in and I met him then."

"You are a sly boots, Janet Ferguson."

Janet laughed. "I learned in my freshman year that the only way to get over your fear of lions is to walk fearlessly up to them. I used to dread the days when we had to go to Professor Satterthwaite, and now I think he is a dear. I could even tell him so. I find that a little temerity goes a great ways. It is more to be desired than honey in the honeycomb, at times, when one is at college. Look at Lallie Patton; how utterly sweet she is, and yet it all goes for naught. If she would savor her sweetness with a little rashness, she would have far, far better marks."

"True, oh queen. Lallie is as inane as soft boiled rice and white sugar," said Lee. "You couldn't expect any one to be even aware of her existence; she is so absolutely colorless. I doubt if there is a professor in the college who knows her by name though he may have met her in a street car a dozen times, while you—"

"While I, or me—what about me?"

"You have individuality enough for half a dozen. Your likes and dislikes are certainly decided enough."

"Even when it comes to cats," said Janet with a little smile. "I dare maintain that I like them. I'm going to the study, Lee. Come along; we'll find Cordelia and Teddy there."

"Some of those freshmen on the floor above need looking after," remarked Cordelia as they entered the study.

"What have they been doing now?" asked Janet depositing her books on a chair.

"They've been having hilarious times after dark. Their morals need attention," said Cordelia with a shake of the head.

"What special girls are they who have so wrought upon waking hours?" asked Janet sitting down and putting her head in Cordelia's lap.

"Marcia Bodine and Jessie Turner, notoriously, though there are others."

"Hm! They have the rooms directly above ours, haven't they, Teddy?"

Teddy nodded without taking her eyes from her book.

"Good," exclaimed Cordelia; "that makes it easy!"

"Why good, and why easy?"

"Lee and I will pay you a visit this evening and then you will find out. The way some young persons carry on is scan'lous, as Lee says."

"We never carried on in our freshman days, oh no," said Janet sarcastically.

"We never did in just this way. We confined our frivoling strictly to foolishness among ourselves. We were merely playful kittens. We never did this way."

"What way?"

"We never hung out the windows at night and sent notes down, by a string, to boys below, nor did we allow youths to send boxes of candy up to us by the same covert means," said Cordelia, "you know we didn't."

"And I know why."

"Then why?"

"Because we didn't get the chance. Do you suppose you, Cordelia Lodge, or Lee or Fay, or any of us would be above getting hold of a box of candy in any way that she could?"

"Well, we wouldn't encourage any one to send it to us, you know right well; but if it came our way without our seeking it, that would be another thing," said Cordelia; "and that is why," she continued, "I am glad those reprehensible freshmen have a room directly over yours. We will put a stop to their receiving candy while we must go without. We will not go without. Turn down the lights in your room, Janet, and we'll be along about eight o'clock. Keep a strict watch by the window and don't let anything pass by."

Lee and Teddy laughed at Cordelia's solemn and impressive manner. Then the girls turned their attention to grammars and dictionaries to the exclusion of trivialities.

At eight o'clock that evening, Cordelia tapped at Janet's door and entered to find the lights out, Teddy and Janet wrapped in golf capes, and the window open.

"Sh!" warned Janet. "You're just in time. They have sent a note down. We let it go."

"Of course you would have to do that," Cordelia told her. "You couldn't intercept a note, much as you might discountenance the sending of it, but one can waylay supplies. How many youths are down there, Janet?"

"Three, I believe."

"I looked out of our window before I came in," said Lee, "and there were heads out all along, above and below. I hope that there is no one under this room who has it borne in upon her to discipline the erring freshmen."

"No, there is no one there," Cordelia told her. "I took care to see to that. Irene Thayer and Madge Kittredge have that room, and I gave them tickets to an organ recital to-night. They were so pleased by my little attention, and said they doted on organ recitals, so they would be sure to go. Peep out, Janet, and tell us what you see."

Janet obeyed, but drew in her head almost immediately. "They are gathered together in a group and seem to be discussing something. I think they are tying something on the string, but I can't be sure."

"Be ready for it," said Cordelia. "Be sure you don't miss it, whatever it is."

Janet stood in readiness and presently saw the string begin to move. The girls above were drawing up their prize slowly. In a moment, a square white package appeared. Janet grabbed it and drew it in.

"Ah-h," came in disgusted tones from above, but a laugh went up from below.

Unfastening the string, Janet flung it out again and saw it hurriedly drawn up. She opened the box and tested its contents.

"Caramels, girls, and very good ones. Help yourselves." She passed the box around.

"I think," said Cordelia, "that we may as well watch the sequence of events. The youths may not be discouraged. Let us wait for further developments. Two boxes of candy are better than one, if one should prove to be only yellow-jack. They will probably think that we are not astute enough to believe they will send up a second box, but I think they will not want to disappoint those abandoned little freshmen. Remember we are acting in behalf of the powers that be. It is against all rules to hold clandestine correspondence with the gilded youth of the city."

"Why gilded youth, in this instance, Cordelia?" asked Janet.

"Because only gilded youth could afford to buy enough candy to satisfy the appetite of a freshman. Let's shut the window, and regale ourselves while we wait to see what is coming next."

They fell to and were not long in making way with the box of caramels, as what four girls cannot do in a short space of time?

"The moving finger writes," whispered Janet. "I see a little white messenger floating down upon the end of the string."

"Let it go on its mission," said Cordelia. "I really don't care for any more candy, but the rules of the college must be regarded, and we must do all that we can to prevent those misguided young women from placing themselves under the ban of the faculty's displeasure. If they only knew how we are sacrificing ourselves in their interest, they would surely show proper gratitude. I suppose every one of us will waken with a headache and a metallic taste in her mouth after those caramels."

"Answer for yourself, Cordelia," said Lee. "It takes more than one box of caramels to give me a headache, and I have eaten no more than quarter of that amount this evening."

After what seemed a very long time, the string began to move again; this time very slowly as if something weighty were fastened to it. Janet cautiously opened the window and in a few minutes, a box three times the size of the first one, appeared. It took but an instant to secure it. There was a mocking laugh from above and subdued cheers and cat-calls from below.

"It doesn't feel solid like candy," said Janet. "It has a queer feeling."

"Don't open it in the dark then," said Edna. "You don't know what trick they may be playing us."

"Suppose you don't open it at all," suggested Lee.

"Not open it at all? I never in the world could let it go again. What would you suggest my doing with it, if I don't open it?"

"Oh, just tie it on the string again and let it down."

"No, don't, Janet," interposed Cordelia. "That would be holding direct communication with the forbidden sex. Our object is to prevent that very thing. Let us see what it is. We want to know the joke, whatever it is."

Janet turned up the light and went over to the divan where she cautiously began to open the box. It was securely tied. "There's something moving inside," she cried excitedly. "I can't stop to untie it. Get me a knife or a pair of scissors, somebody, quick."

"No, no," cried Edna; "it might be a snake."

"Or a mouse," said Lee.

"Or a rat," suggested Cordelia.

"Then get out of the way," said Janet calmly, beginning to snip the cords. Lee and Edna skurried into the next room, but Cordelia stood her ground. Janet lifted off the cover of the box to disclose a blinking, winking little kitten that had been quite content to curl up in the shelter of the box, but that thus suddenly disturbed, looked up into Janet's face, opened its little pink mouth, and gave utterance to a very small but plaintive mew.

"You darling!" cried Janet, picking up the small creature and snuggling it in her neck. "I'd like to keep you, baby kitty. Oh, for a smitchin of milk."

"I know who has some," said Lee, who, with Edna, had returned as soon as it was discovered that no terrifying creature was contained in the box. "Grace Breitner gets a jar of milk every day. She drinks it at night. The doctor said she must. She will spare a little, I know."

"Do ask her if she will," said Janet. "There's a good child, Lee."

And Lee sped away, returning with the desired milk and with Grace.

"There, kitten," said Lee, "see what the good lady has brought you. It's right cold, Janet. I'll warm it a little."

"Isn't it a dear," said Janet, stroking the soft gray fur of the little cat, and watching it admiringly as it delicately lapped the warm milk and then in a mature way began to wash its face. "Let's adopt it into the class, girls, for a mascot. Mike will take care of it if we pay him a little. He can take some milk for it, and he is so kindhearted that he will be sure to treat it well. We can borrow it then, whenever any one of us gets homesick and wants something cozy and homelike to comfort her."

"That's just what we can do," cried the other girls. "Brilliant thought, Janet."

"Come here, Mascot," said Lee. "Let me look into your innocent blue eyes. I shall borrow you whenever I feel myself weakening in my work, and I shall trust to you to bring me good luck. What are you going to do with it to-night, Janet?"

"Oh, I'll keep it right here, and let it sleep on the foot of my bed. I'll take it to Mike in the morning, and I know it will be all right."

The next morning as she was carrying the kitten to Mike's quarters she met Jessie Turner in the corridor.

"Where did you get your kitten?" asked Jessie with an air of innocence.

"It came in on the night express," said Janet. "Isn't it a darling? I just adore kittens," she added enthusiastically.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Take it down to Mike to keep for the sophomore class. We are going to make it our mascot. It will be a real joy to have a kitten to borrow once in a while. I am so much obliged to whoever sent it, for it was a lovely surprise, you know. By the way, I wish you would thank your friends for the excellent caramels they sent us; we enjoyed them so very much."

Jessie gave rather a sickly smile. "I know one thing," she said. "Next year we shall be more careful in selecting our room."

"So I would be," returned Janet suavely. "One has such a lot to learn about everything the first year. One very important thing is to correct wrong impressions about rules. It is an awful thing to be brought up before the faculty for misdemeanors, I have heard. I'd advise you to remember that."

With which parting piece of advice, she nodded to Jessie and continued her way to the lower floor, leaving the freshman scared and abashed.

Mike readily consented to take charge of the kitten, and scarcely a day passed but it was borrowed by one sophomore or another, so that its lines fell in pleasant places.

It was a long time, however, before Janet heard the last of the joke, for the freshmen, for weeks, made it a point of waylaying her in the halls and saying: "Miss Ferguson, I hear you have a kitten. How did you come by it?"

But Janet was finally a match for them, for she would forestall them by saying: "I hear you freshmen are very fond of caramels; why don't you get some of your friends to send you some?"

And so at last, the subject of cats and caramels was dropped. In some way the "gilded youth" were warned not to trust their offerings to so uncertain a means of transport as a string let down from a window, for not only did wily sophs lie in wait for them, but there was an added danger of discovery by persons less ready to keep their counsel than these same sophs.

However, Janet concluded, after this experience, that life would be a little more independent if she could give up dormitory life another year. And one day late in the semester, as she sat with Mascot curled up in her lap, she remarked to Edna: "Next year I mean to give up Hopper Hall, and go to a private house. Will you join me, Ted?"

"Why, of course, if you like; or rather, if papa and mamma agree. They think I am better off here than anywhere else."

"I think it is the best place, too, for the first two years, but see how the freshmen crowd in, and next year there will be fewer of our friends than are here now. I think when we become juniors we might venture out into a lodging or a boarding house. I think we ought to have all the experiences that are coming to us. Now, suppose instead of these two rooms, we could each have a bedroom and a common sitting room with an open fireplace; think how fascinating it would be."

"We'd miss Cordelia and Lee, and all the junketings that go on here," returned Edna doubtfully.

"We would, in a measure, but there are only Cordelia and Lee, and two or three more whom we would care for specially. Maybe we could get into a house where there would be room for our special crowd, and then there would be no end of good times. I mean to keep my eyes open for such a place, and I'll sound the other girls on the subject. Some of the seniors have lovely rooms outside, and they will be giving them up another year. I feel that I need an open fireplace more than anything in life; it is so conducive to thoughtfulness."

"Life isn't entirely made up of open fireplaces," said Edna, bending forward to tickle Mascot's ear.

"We could take Mascot with us," said Janet. "Think how he would enjoy an open fire."

"That settles it," said Edna, rising to open the door to a caller.