“The meeting is dismissed,” she said wearily, and in five minutes the big room was emptied.
CHAPTER XIV
A TURN IN THE TIDE
For two weeks after this excitement, things ran rather steadily at Glenwood. The pupils had been given their work to do, and after vacation it was not so easy to get minds back to study and to discipline.
The Glenwood Gleaner apologized in its next issue for the trashy report of Dorothy’s lunch-counter experience, and attributed the error to a new reporter, who had gotten in conversation with some of the “new pupils,” the combination resulting in what seemed to the reporter to be a “good story.” But he was not acquainted with the exclusiveness of the territory where the paper circulated.
One matter remained unexplained. How did the paper get Dorothy’s picture off Tavia’s dresser? On this question the paper and its editor had nothing to say.
In spite of the shock that the reading of the article caused Dorothy, when she recovered her poise she was almost relieved that it was all about herself, and had nothing to do with her father’s business. It was this last which caused her the most severe anxiety.
But now two letters had come from home. Each was from Major Dale, Dorothy’s father, and each was in a cheerful strain, one even inclosing a five dollar note for “some extras she might need.” So that Dorothy was now comparatively happy. Her old-time smile had come back to her, and she was willing, and ready, to take part in all the school affairs, whether in the regular, or improvised course.
To-day there was only half the usual amount of study to be finished, and, of course, in the other part of the day, there were to be so many things done that each girl planned about what would normally fit into a week’s time. Tavia, Cologne and Ned had much whispering to do, and they did not seem to want Dorothy to guess its purport.
The village post-office was not far from the school, but, as the mail was always delivered at the hall, the girls only went over there for recreation and post cards. On this half-holiday, however, it seemed that Tavia had much business at the post-office. She had been down twice, once for each mail, and besides this she made a trip somewhere else to parts unknown to Dorothy.