Fidelia/Chapter 10
SO, in the morning, they met before class as usual, Dave coming from the Delta Alpha house and Alice coming from home. The college, seeing, understood that he had explained, whatever he had had to explain, and that she was satisfied.
Of course many persons talked; and it was particularly easy to spread talk in regard to Fidelia Netley. The college knew that at Minnesota, and at Stanford, she had been a Tau Gamma; and, knowing that Alice Sothron controlled Tau Gamma here, the college said: "Now Alice will never let Fidelia Netley in."
Alice, who had written both to Minnesota and Stanford in the usual form, had a reply from Minneapolis which confirmed Fidelia's statement that the chapter had initiated her five years before; the letter contained the usual pleasant compliments. A letter from the Stanford chapter arrived at the end of the next week:
"In reply to your inquiry about Fidelia Netley, who was initiated by the chapter at the University of Minnesota, and who has told you that she was a member of this chapter for one year, we assure you this is the fact.
"She creditably passed in all her courses here and her leaving the university, at the end of the year, was not due to any difficulty with the university. We know nothing about what Sister Fidelia Netley may have done recently."
Alice took this to Myra in her room at Willard and, after she read it, Myra whistled: "What a slapper! I told you there was much queer; but I never expected Stanford to admit it."
"They haven't," Alice objected.
"Oh, what would they have to say to just slightly suggest it to you? Ship on the legal proof?"
"Of what?"
"Darling, I haven't second sight; I'm sorry; but I can faintly discern the outlines of a pikestaff when it's poked before my face in broad daylight. She's done something. We don't know what and maybe it's true that Stanford doesn't actually know, if she did it after she left; but I bet they've a beautiful idea."
Alice turned from Myra and walked to the window; her hands were clenched and her lips were trembling when she turned back. "My, I've got to have her in!"
"No, you don't!"
"Oh, yes I do. I know!"
"What?" demanded Myra.
"He'll think I kept her out."
"I'll tell Dave I did! I don't care."
"I don't want her out!" Alice cried. "I don't want one thing more unusual or talkable about her. He's on her side, as it is. I've got to be on her side, too. Oh, My, don't you see?"
Myra clasped her, kissed her and was conquered; and the next day, Fidelia Netley was formally affiliated with the local chapter of Tau Gamma.
Naturally, she mentioned so important an event in her diary that night.
"Today Tau Gamma took me in; and it happened at a wonderful time for me. Day before yesterday, you know" [Fidelia often wrote as though she were conversing] "Roy Wheen came right up to me and said, 'Are you related to anybody named Bolton?'
"I kept my head when I heard that name; I don't believe I showed a thing. 'Where of?' I said. He said, 'I don't know. They just came through Mondora. The name was Bolton.'
"'Mondora where?' I said. He said 'Idaho. I made a mistake, I guess.'
"But I don't think he thinks he made a mistake. He was trying me out. He's a queer boy, shy. He wouldn't want to do harm. He'd rather make friends, if he had a chance.
"I was figuring what I could do for him; he's so out of things. He's not in any fraternity and hardly knows a sorority girl to speak to. Now I can send him a card to the Tau Gamma dance. There are bigger affairs at Northwestern but the Tau Gamma formal is the hop of the year."
She sent the card the next day; and Roy Wheen, receiving it, thanked her and asked no more questions. He boasted a little that Fidelia Netley had invited him; but he did not grow bold enough to ask to take her to the dance. Bill Fraser was going to take her, as Bill boasted more than a little.
Of course Dave was taking Alice. They were to "lead"; and for months Alice had been dreaming about it; now she shunned thinking about it at all Fidelia would be there; she would be with bare neck and bare arms in a beautiful dress close about her body; and her hair would be arranged with an ornament and her skin would be so white and pink.
It would be warm, with shaded, colored lights and with music; and David would clasp Fidelia in the dance; and after that night—Alice was sure—David would never be hers again. And she was so sure of this that, conversely, she was sure that until then she would hold him.
She was giving a skating party, a week before the dance; a dozen Tau Gamma girls had come down to her home for the afternoon bringing as many men. The lake had frozen smooth and there was fine skating. By jumping little ridges, you could go as far out as you wanted, mile after mile; but every one was warned not to leave the shore stretch. For a strong wind was working around to the west; and there was always a current under the ice.
Toward dusk, Lan Blake blew a horn to call everybody in for hot coffee and tea. He hurried it a little for several were skating far out and he got nervous about the ice which was cracking loudly.
Some came at once; some stayed out; then everybody but one was in. "It's Fidelia, Alice," said Myra.
Alice had known she was not there. The ice was definitely going out then.
Dave, who had on his skates, spun about and rushed to the break in the ice and jumped it. Alice, who had taken off her skates, ran after him and tried to jump the break but went into the water and was pulled out, ignominiously, and hurried into the house. As they brought her in, she saw Dave jump again and go on. The floating field itself was breaking.
Far out in the dusk, skating, was Fidelia.
The girls made Alice go to her room and, by force, they changed her clothes. When she got outdoors again, everybody but Dave and Fidelia was on the shore edge of the ice. Before them was water as far as the dark let them see; beyond was silence and coldness and night.