“Walk over with me, won’t you?” Marcia Bates begged Dolly and Bessie. “Oh, I’m so ashamed! I never thought Gladys would act like that!”
“It isn’t your fault, Marcia,” said Dolly. “Don’t be silly about it. And, do you know, I’m not angry a bit! Just at first I thought I was going to be furious. But–well, somehow I can’t help admiring Gladys! I like her better than I ever did before, I really do believe!”
“Oh, I do!” said Bessie, her eyes glowing. “Wasn’t she splendid? Of course, she’s all wrong, but she had to be plucky to stand up there like that, when she knew everyone was against her!”
“But she had no right to insult all you girls, Bessie.”
“I don’t believe she meant to insult us a bit,” said Dolly. “I don’t think she thought much about us. It’s just that she has always been brought up to feel a certain way about things, and she couldn’t change all at once. A whole lot of girls, while they believed just what she did, and hated the whole idea just as much, would never have dared to say so, when they knew no one agreed with them.”
“Yes, it’s just as Miss Eleanor said,” said Bessie, “She’s not a hypocrite, no matter what her other faults are. She’s not afraid to say just what she thinks–and that’s pretty fine, after all.”
“I wish she could hear you,” said Marcia, indignantly. “Oh, it’s splendid of you, but I can’t feel that way, and there’s no use pretending. I suppose the real reason I’m so angry is that I’m really very fond of Gladys, and I hate to see her acting this way. She’s making a perfect fool of herself, I think.”
“But just think of how splendid it will be when she sees she is wrong, Marcia,” said Bessie. “Because you want to remember if she’s plucky enough to hold out against all her friends this way she will be plucky enough to own up when she sees the truth, too.”
“Yes, and she’ll be a convert worth making, too,” said Dolly. “There’s just one thing I’m thinking of, Marcia. Will she stay here? Don’t you suppose she’ll go home right away? I know I would. I wouldn’t want to stay around this beach after what happened at the Council Fire to-night.”
They never heard Marcia’s answer to that question, for in the darkness, Gladys herself, shaking with anger, rose and confronted them.