Part 41

"Well, who did, then?" demanded Alexia, quite angry to have Polly defeated.

"Why, Cathie did," said Polly, smiling over at her.

"What, that old--" then Alexia pulled herself up; but it was too late.

A dull red mounted to Cathie's sallow cheek, that hadn't changed color during all the two races. She drew a long breath, then got up slowly to her feet.

"I'm going to play bean-bags," announced Polly briskly. "Come on, girls. See who'll get to the house first."

"I'm going home," said Cathie, hurrying up to wedge herself into the group, and speaking to Polly. "Good-bye."

"No," said Polly, "we're going to play bean-bags. Come on, Cathie." She tried to draw Cathie's hand within her arm, but the girl pulled herself away. "I must go home--" and she started off.

"Cathie--Cathie, wait," but again Cathie beat her on a swift run down the avenue.

Alexia stuffed her fingers, regardless of arm in the sling, or anything, into her mouth, and rolled over in dreadful distress, face downward on the grass. The other girls stood in a frightened little knot, just where they were, without moving, as Polly came slowly back down the avenue. She was quite white now. "Oh dear!" groaned Philena, "look at Polly!"

Alexia heard it, and stuffed her fingers worse than ever into her mouth to keep herself from screaming outright, and wriggled dreadfully. But no one paid any attention to her. She knew that Polly had joined the girls now; she could hear them talking, and Polly was saying, in a sad little voice, "Yes, I'm afraid she won't ever come with us again."

"She must, she shall!" howled Alexia, rolling over, and sitting up straight. "Oh Polly, she shall!" and she wrung her long hands as well as she could for the arm in the sling.

"Oh, no, I am afraid not, Alexia," and her head drooped; no one would have thought for a moment that it was Polly Pepper speaking.

And then Amy Garrett said the very worst thing possible: "And just think of that picnic!" And after that remark, the whole knot of girls was plunged into the depths of gloom.

Jasper, running down the avenue with Pickering Dodge at his heels, found them so, and was transfixed with astonishment. "Well, I declare!" He burst into a merry laugh.

"You look like a lot of wax figures," said Pickering pleasantly; "just about as interesting." Then they saw Polly Pepper's face.

"Oh, what is it?" cried Jasper, starting forward.

Polly tried to speak cheerfully, but the lump in her throat wouldn't let her say a word.

"If you boys must know," said Alexia, flouncing up to her feet, "I've been bad and perfectly horrid to that Harrison girl; and I've upset everything; and--and--do go right straight away, both of you, and not stand there staring. I don't think it's very polite."

"Oh Polly," cried Jasper, gaining her side, "can't we help?" He was dreadfully distressed. "Do let us."

Polly shook her head. "No, Jasper, there isn't anything you can do," she said brokenly.

Pickering thrust his hands in his pockets, and whistled softly. "Girls always get into such rows," he observed.

"Well, I guess we don't get into worse ones than you boys do, nor half as bad," cried Alexia crossly, perfectly wild to quarrel with somebody. "And, besides, this isn't the other girls' fault. It's all my fight from beginning to end."

"Then you ought to be perfectly ashamed of yourself, Alexia," declared Pickering, not intending to mince matters in the slightest.

"Well, I am," said Alexia, "just as ashamed as I can be. Oh dear me! I wish I could cry. But I'm too bad to cry. Polly Pepper, I'm going to run after that horrible Harrison girl. Oh misery! I wish she never had come to the Salisbury School." Alexia made a mad rush down the avenue.

"Don't, Alexia, you'll hurt your arm," warned Polly.

"I don't care--I hope I shall," cried Alexia recklessly.

"It's no use to try to stop her," said Jasper, "so let us go up to the house, Polly."

So they started dismally enough, the girls, all except Polly, going over in sorry fashion how Cathie Harrison would probably make a fuss about the little affair--she was doubtless on her way to Miss Salisbury's now--and then perhaps there wouldn't be any picnic at all on the morrow. At this, Philena stopped short. "Girls, that would be too dreadful," she gasped, "for anything!"