"I thought they might give it up as a bad job and go away, but they
stayed. Then Row-ena started in with a regular tirade about Marjorie and
all of us. I can't repeat what she said word for word. Anyway, she
called us all liars. I don't remember what I said, but it must have been
effective. I certainly handed Row-ena my candid opinion of herself. She
saw she was getting the worst of the argument and declared she wouldn't
stay and be so insulted. She started out of the pavilion, calling Miss
Cairns to come along. The fair Leslie wouldn't budge. She told Row-ena
to go on, that she had something to say to me. That was the first remark
she had made. Then she asked me in her slow, drawling way if I would
listen to something she had to say to me. I said I would not. I had
heard too much as it was. I got up and beat it and left her standing
there. I was so sore I forgot to pay for my ice. I had to send Hal back
with the money. As I started away from the pavilion, I saw Row-ena
getting into a dizzy-looking black and white roadster. I think the car
belonged to Miss Cairns. It looked like her. I suppose she and dear
Row-ena had been out for a ride and simply happened to run across me in
the pavilion.
"Now comes the most interesting part of the story." Jerry glanced from
one to another of her attentive little audience. "Three days afterward
the postman left me a letter. The address was typed, so was the letter.
When I opened it, I soon knew the writer. Here it is." Jerry produced a
letter from a white kid bag she was carrying. "The distinguished writer
of this letter is Leslie Cairns. I brought it along to read to you
because what she has to say includes all of us. It's what I would call
an open declaration of war. Listen to this:
"'Miss Macy:
"'Since you refused to listen to me the other day, I must resort to
pen and ink to make you understand that when I have anything to say
to a person I propose to say it. It isn't a case of what you want.
It is a case of what I want. To begin with, I knew all about you
and your pals before ever you came to Hamilton. My friend, Miss
Farnham, heard that you were to enter Hamilton and warned me
against all of you. I had you looked up, as I have powerful ways
and means of doing this.
"'As your friend, Miss Dean, the lying little hypocrite, had made
my friend, Miss Farnham, so much trouble at high school, I decided
to even her score for her. At first I did not intend to allow you
to enter Hamilton at all. When I say "you" I include those dear
chums of yours. My father could easily have arranged to keep you
out of Hamilton. Then I concluded it would be better to let you
come here and make things lively for you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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