After a week had passed and the three had learned nothing new regarding the circulation of their misdeeds about the campus, Leslie called a meeting of the club in her room while Dulcie was absent from the Hall. Indignation ran high at the revelation. The verdict was, “Drop her from the club.” Notwithstanding the possibility pointed out by Leslie that she might turn on them and betray them to headquarters, her associates were keen for dropping her.
“What harm can she do us?” argued Margaret Wayne. “She can’t give us away to Doctor Matthews without cooking her own goose. That’s our only danger from her. It’s our word against hers. Any stories she has told on the campus will never go further than among the students. It is too bad! Dulcie should have known better than to be so utterly treacherous. She deserves to be dropped. We could never trust her again.”
“That’s what I think,” concurred Joan Myers. “Even if her tales did bring about a private inquiry, it is our word against hers. We have really walked with a sword over our heads since last Saint Valentine’s night. It has never fallen. I say, simply fire Dulcie from the Sans, and be done with it. Let it be a lesson to the rest of us to be discreet.”
“When is the deed to be done?” Adelaide Forman inquired.
“I don’t know yet. I want you girls to see what you can glean on the campus. I must have every scrap of evidence against her that I can get,” Leslie announced. “We may not be able to spring it on her for a week or two. When we do, the meeting will be in this room. I’ll hang a heavy curtain over the door so we won’t be heard. If she gets very angry she will raise her voice to a positive shriek.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to hold that meeting outside the Hall? Dulcie will raise an awful fuss. If she hadn’t told something I made her swear she wouldn’t tell, I would not hear to having her treated that way. I am down on her for that very reason. Otherwise I would feel very sorry for her,” explained Eleanor Ray.
“I am not on good terms with her. She made trouble between Evangeline and me last week. We only straightened it up today.” Joan volunteered this information. “Leslie’s room is the best place for the meeting. It is situated so that Dulcie won’t be heard if she cries or flies into a temper.”
While among the Sans there was not one girl who had not stooped to dishonorable acts since her entrance into Hamilton College, the fact of Dulcie’s defection seemed monstrous indeed.
“Be careful what you say to Bess Walbert,” Natalie took the liberty of saying. “How much does she know about what we shall do with Dulc? What did you tell her about it?”
“I said I had heard other things Dulcie had been saying; that she was due to hear from me for gossiping. That such yarns must be stopped. I warned her to keep to herself whatever Dulc had told her. She promised silence. I don’t know.” Leslie shrugged dubiously. “Take a leaf from Nat’s book, girls, and keep mum to Bess. She may try to pump you. She’s crazy to know what I am going to say to Dulc and when the fuss is to come off.”