“It’s working fine,” she confided to the Winnebagos the next day. “Cora was tickled to pieces because I wanted to go with her. She agreed to meet me on the corner, as I suggested, and we’re both going to wear green veils so we won’t be recognized so easily. Hoop la!” and she did a double shuffle with her toes turned in down the aisle of the empty class room where the girls had gathered.
On Friday night the Winnebagos met early in the House of the Open Door. Mrs. Evans, Gladys’ mother, was acting as leader tonight in the absence of Nyoda. She had been let into the secret about Cora and under the circumstances thought that their action was right. Cora lived with an old uncle, who was stone deaf and didn’t care a rap what she did, so there was no use talking to her folks about it. Several girl friends of the Winnebagos were present, all having raptures over the decorations of the Lodge, and watching with interest the waving curtain in the corner, behind which Sahwah was making herself up as a Topsy for their entertainment later on. Gladys was making sandwiches in another corner and lamenting because the bread knife was broken half off, and was accusing Sahwah of prying bricks apart with it, when stealthy footsteps sounded on the walk below, together with the noise of the door being pushed back quietly. Gladys heard it and started nervously. She was beginning to feel rather embarrassed at the thought of meeting Cora Burton, and wondered just how it would come out, anyway. She wished it were safely over.
Katherine and her prisoner seemed a long time in reaching the foot of the ladder. Did Cora suspect something, perhaps, and was refusing to mount? Gladys strained her ears to listen and thought she heard a smothered giggle from below, but she could not be sure. The next minute the lights flashed below and the patent signal knock of the Sandwiches sounded on the wall.
“Here come the boys!” cried Hinpoha, hastening to answer the signal with a series of mystic thumps on the wall with the poker.
Then the Captain’s voice sounded at the foot of the ladder. “How many of you are up there?”
“Five,” answered Hinpoha, “and three guests.”
“Is Miss Kent there?”
“No.”
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to have a show. Want to come up?”