"For the sake of old Ireland!" called Leila, pointing. "Now will you
kindly take notice?"
A little shout of laughter burst from the participants in the recent
adventure as they obeyed Leila's exclamatory request. Coming toward them
at a carefully simulated stride was a handsome young man in evening
dress. From his silk opera hat to his patent leather ties he was a most
elegant person. He was not a particularly gallant youth, however, for
his first words on approaching the mirthful group were:
"Don't, for goodness' sake, ask me to take off my hat. How about that
dinner you promised me, Jeremiah?"
"Yes, I _guess_ so. Oh, but you are polite! Greet us with your hat on
and beg for a dinner invitation. My, my! What are the young men of the
present day coming to?" Jerry held up her hands in mock disapproval.
"Anyway, you win. Your costume is a dandy. I never would have known
you."
"What may your name be, young man?" inquired Leila, her eyes dancing.
"You may call me Mr. Harding. I shall not tell you my first name until I
know you better," replied Muriel with an attempt at pompous dignity
which ended in a hearty laugh. Setting her high hat on the back of her
head she thrust her hands in her pockets and beamed on her friends.
"You look for all the world like a debonair young man," Marjorie said
admiringly.
"Thank you. Sorry about my hat. To take it off spoils the masculine
effect. My hair is rolled under to look short. My hat keeps it in place.
But never mind about me. Where have you girls been? I knew what your
costumes were to be, so I watched for you from the minute I got here.
Confess; you wore dominos over them so that I wouldn't know you. A
number of girls did that on purpose to throw their friends off the
track."
"Wrong guess, Muriel. We weren't here at all until about two minutes
before the unmasking." Jerry tried to speak carelessly, but could not
keep an excited note out of her voice.
"You _weren't_? Honestly?" Muriel showed bewildered surprise. "You
weren't in dominos? Then where were you? Something's happened. I can
read that in your faces." She glanced almost challengingly about the
half circle.
"Something happened, all right enough," replied Jerry with grim
emphasis. "Marjorie has been through a real adventure tonight. She's
been hazed by the Sans and rescued by the Lookouts and a few more good
scouts."
CHAPTER XXIV.
AFTER THE FRAY.
Closeted in one of the small rooms off the gymnasium, rescuers and
rescued told their separate tales of what had happened that evening.
Muriel was the only other girl at the private session they held. She
heartily mourned the fact that she had not been with her chums. Even the
glories of parading about in masculine attire faded beside the evening's
adventure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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