“You never do.”
“Yes, often, but I found it didn’t pay to give up to them. Come, tell me all the trouble, and when it’s all told you may find there’s very little of it.”
“I wish I could think so. I’ll tell you, Mary, and then I’ll go and see Dr. Morgan. I’m to report immediately to her.”
She proceeded with her tale of woe. And although her listener was sympathetic, she laughed heartily during the recital.
CHAPTER VIII.
MIDNIGHT CONFIDENCES.
On going to the office, Elizabeth found that Dr. Morgan had been called unexpectedly to the city, and would not return for several days. She was disappointed, as she much preferred having the thing over and done with than hanging fire for several days. The girls crowded about her, expressing both admiration and criticism and offering advice until Elizabeth did not know whether she was a culprit or a heroine. The maddening part of it was that she must wait three days to find out. Her own opinion in regard to being “policed” into honesty had not changed. She felt confident of the support of her father in the position she had taken. She knew how, from the bottom of his heart, he abhorred any questioning of one’s honor. The more she listened to the talk of the other girls, the more indignant she was at the insult.
She was not one to give expression to her feeling in words only. After her remarks to Dr. Kitchell, the other girls did most of the talking while she listened, turning the matter over in her mind. She had her father’s way of straightening matters out. “If a thing is wrong, make it right—if you can,” she had often heard him say to Joe Ratowsky. Her four months at Exeter had taught her there were people of words and people of action. It was of the last-named class she selected her helpers. Landis was not to be considered. It is doubtful if she could have given a reason for the feeling that she would be of no assistance in a reform movement. It was merely intuition and could not be put into words. Min, too, who was but the shadow of Landis, was to be barred. There was enough to begin with—Anna Cresswell, Nancy Eckdahl, Mary Wilson, Mame Welch, Nora O’Day, strange to say, and herself.