“Victor La Salle.”
Marjorie stared at the note, divided between appreciation and dismay. It was a delightful note, but it was also most inopportune. In the face of it, she could not now advocate Jerry’s plan. Sudden remembrance of her petition for a sign rushed over her. It had been granted. This, then, was the sign. It had served to remind her where her duty lay. All she could do was to accept it. It would not be easy. Jerry was up in arms. It would be difficult to win her over, especially after she had been informed of Lucy’s unreasonable stand. Now it remained to Marjorie to do one of two things. She could go to Mr. La Salle and shatter his faith in her, or she could insist that Mignon must be allowed to escape punishment for her offenses against the Golden Rule. She painfully decided that for her father’s sake, Mignon should be allowed to remain in the club. Having come to this decision she soberly gathered up her roses and carried them and the letter downstairs to show both to her captain. To the latter she confided nothing of her latest problem. She had reserved the story to tell at some more fitting moment.
School over for the afternoon, the three Lookouts, who were presently to hold a private session at the Deans, strolled down the street with their chums, keeping a discreet silence regarding their intention. Muriel and Irma soon left them to take their turn at the nursery. Susan, Harriet and Veronica Browning eventually reached their parting of the ways, leaving the trio together.
“Now, Marjorie, tell us everything,” was Jerry’s instant command as they swung three abreast down the street.
Obediently Marjorie gave a faithful account of her interview with Lucy Warner. “I haven’t the least idea why Lucy is angry,” she confessed. “I don’t know whether she is cross with me, or with the Lookouts.”
“I can set you right about that,” declared Jerry grimly. “Mignon told Esther Lind this morning that Lucy told her that she intended to have nothing more to do with you. That eliminates the rest of us. You’re it, Marjorie. Now you see what sort of girl Mignon is. When I asked her why Lucy wasn’t at the Campfire on Saturday night she pretended to be very innocent. It seems that she can’t keep her troubles to herself. She has to tell someone. After she told she asked Esther to promise that she wouldn’t mention it to anyone. Esther wouldn’t promise. She came straight to me with it. She thinks, as I do, that we ought to ask Mignon to resign from the club.”
“Haven’t you the least idea why Lucy is down on you, Marjorie?” was Constance’s thoughtful question.
“No.” Marjorie shook a despondent head. “I’ve never said or done anything to hurt her feelings.”
“The club meets on Thursday night at my house,” announced Jerry briskly. “What I propose to do is to call an informal meeting there to-morrow night, minus Mignon. We can state our grievances and have Irma set them down on paper. Then she can read them out. If everyone approves of them, we’ll have Irma copy them and write a letter to Mignon asking for her resignation. We’ll sign the letter, enclose the list of grievances and mail it to her. That’s really the best way to do. It will save a lot of fuss.”
“I think that would be most cruel and unkind, Jerry,” Marjorie burst forth in shocked criticism.