She paused and bit her lip.
“To prove that you were—a—thief.”
There was a long silence. Nothing could be heard but the ticking of the little French clock on the mantel. Miss Gray had started and flushed crimson. She was only just now realizing what this confession must mean to the two girls.
“I asked Fannie Alta to help me because she was the only outsider in the class, but I never dreamed that she was a real thief, herself. She found out what it was I wanted her to do almost before I had half breathed it to myself, only she was afraid of Billie and put it on Mary. It was my twenty dollars she used, but we found the scheme didn’t work. Anyhow, she told it all over school and went so much farther than I had intended that I soon found myself too deeply involved to get out. She and her mother owned me, body and soul. I had to take Fannie with me everywhere I went, even to Mrs. St. Clair’s. I had to give her my clothes, and explain to mamma that she was my best friend. Her mother made me carry letters and messages back and forth. Once I had to go by myself all the way to Boulder Lane after dusk and meet a horrible creature who had only one eye and one arm. He gave me a letter for Mme. Alta. Another time I was to meet one of them, a man who helped him, up in the Sophomore class room of the High School. I didn’t go, because there was such a mist.”
Billie and Mary exchanged glances.
“He was the man who robbed us of the fifty dollars,” said Billie.
“Then whose fifty dollars was it I got?” demanded Miss Gray.
“My monthly allowance,” replied Billie.
“Foolish, foolish girls,” said the Principal. “But it was my own fault. I blame no one else, and perhaps I wouldn’t have believed the story just at that time.”
“Then,” continued Belle, “the most dreadful thing of all happened. These people were always in need of money. Everything they had seemed to go to some object. The one-eyed man, who was Fannie’s stepfather, was to get some high position in South America. She used to tell me what she was going to do when he was made Vice President, or something. When we went to the St. Clair’s, Fannie was almost unbearable. She made me give her my dress and I had to wear hers, and she insulted me at every turn. But I didn’t find out until after the party that her stepfather had been there dressed as a ghost. He wanted to rob Mrs. St. Clair. It was Fannie who took the necklace. She was to go back later and give it to him, so that if her bag was searched the next morning, when the necklace was missed, it wouldn’t be found. But she made me go back instead, after every one else was asleep, I supposed. It was terrible, when I found myself alone in the attic, with the necklace hidden under my wrapper. No one was there. The man must have been frightened and run away. Then I heard all of you come and I threw a sheet over me and hid in a far corner.”