Hist! St! Meow! Meow!
Beware the Cat Brigade!
With further evolutions, at the direction of the witch, and repeating the last lines softly, the Cat Brigade marched out followed by applause and laughter. The freshmen had put over their little play quite effectively and Shirley drew a long breath of relief. The last “stunt” was over. The rest was in the hands of a sub-committee, who had the management of the refreshments. The fun of fortune telling and the other customary Hallowe’en features could go on without further supervision. Shirley hurried out to get into her own costume, for the freshman witch had another one which she wanted to wear. Like Madge, she preferred to be beautiful rather than funny.
Again Shirley saw the costume which was so like hers, except for the cats, painted by some other artistic hand. The cat upon the back was directly on the black robe and was such a funny, big yellow cat that Shirley drew nearer to see it. But the girl who wore it was getting out into the hall as quickly as possible through the crowd of girls, not noticing at all the “ghost” which followed her.
Shirley heard a shepherdess who accompanied the “Yellow Cat” witch arguing with her in a low voice. “Why should you care, Sid?”
“Caroline knew that they were going to do that stunt! She suggested this to me on purpose! Perhaps I’ll come back, if I can find all of that Turkish costume; but I’m afraid that it isn’t with that stuff that I left here last year, and besides, I’ll have to go all through that big box! I’m sure that I took the red sash home!”
“That’s all right, Sid! I have——”
Shirley heard no more, for she, too was trying to get past a group of girls who blocked the way and wanted to hear no more. How odd it was. How had Sidney happened to make such a costume? Perhaps it was easier, for the robe may have been the Double Three domino of last year. But Caroline’s suggesting it! Shirley could not understand.
The cat costume did not return. No Turkish costume mingled with the rest, for Shirley, returning in the cat costume, noticed particularly. It troubled her, though she thought that she was silly indeed, to take so much interest in a girl who cared nothing for her. The freshmen kitty-cats, all alike, were enjoying themselves immensely and performed amusing antics occasionally around their witch, Shirley now. She had no fear of being discovered, for naturally enough every one supposed her to be a freshman.
As a prize was offered for the most striking and original costume, the judges came to Shirley to notify her that her costume was being favorably considered on account of the cleverly painted cats. This was before the masks were removed. “Where is that costume like yours, with the big yellow cat on the back?” one of the girls asked Shirley. “Did you do them together?”