“Suppose we hadn’t come in and found you here,” put in Eleanor. “Wouldn’t you have taken them away?”
“I—I presume so,” said the Blunderbuss.
“So you are the person who has been stealing jewelry from the campus houses all through this year.” Betty’s voice grew harder as she remembered the injustice she had so nearly done Georgia and Miss Harrison’s self-righteous attack on Eleanor in that dreadful class-meeting.
The Blunderbuss accepted the statement without comment. “They could have had the things back if they’d asked for them,” she said. “I couldn’t very well give them back if they didn’t ask.”
“Will you give them back now?” asked Betty, astonishment at the girl’s strange behavior gaining on her indignation.
The Blunderbuss nodded vigorously. “Certainly I will. I’ll bring them all here to-night. I don’t want them for anything. I never wanted them. I’m sure I don’t know why I took them. Oh, there’s just one thing,” she added hastily, “that I can’t bring. It isn’t with the rest. But I’ve got everything else all safe and I’ll come right after dinner. Good-bye.”
THE GIRLS WATCHED HER IN BEWILDERMENT
The girls watched her go in a daze of bewilderment. Just outside the door she evidently bumped into some one, and her clattering laugh and loud, “Goodness, how you scared me!” sounded as light-hearted and unconcerned as possible.