“Yes.” Laura’s prompt acceptance made Stephanie open her eyes.
“I’ll write you a speech. You’ll have to learn it by heart and practice it,” Mildred told the stout freshman. “It ought to be something like this: ‘My dear Miss Ogden, it has long been the custom of a selected committee of seniors, secretly appointed each year by a certain person to deal privately with such matters as may rise to interfere with the welfare of the students of Hamilton.’ How is that?” she appealed, laughing.
“Fine,” exulted Stephanie.
An accompanying murmur of approval arose. Laura alone kept silence.
“What do you think of it, Laura?” Stephanie was aware of Laura’s muteness.
“It will answer the purpose. When will the party come off, where are the dominos to come from?”
“We’ll buy the cloth and make them. We can run them up by hand tomorrow night. I’ll make yours for you while you’re learning your part. I’ll write the speech this very night. This is Tuesday. We can try our little stunt on Thursday, provided no one else is going to use the room on Thursday night. I’ll find that out tomorrow morning. The sooner it happens, the sooner we’ll see the last of Jewel Marie Ogden.”
CHAPTER XXI
ALL IN THE NAME OF WELFARE
“Suppose she shouldn’t come?” Behind the gray of her mask Joyce Rawlston gave a faint giggle.