“Come on at once then, let us go and offer our congratulations to Winifred while we have our courage screwed to the sticking point. For my part I would rather do my duty and remember my manners without delay.”
And Jean opened the door, believing that all her friends would follow her. Once in the hall, however, she soon discovered that Olive was missing and going back called out softly: “Come on, Olive, and help us congratulate the winner. You wouldn’t have us show an ugly spirit now, would you?”
But Olive quietly shook her head. And as Jean was by no means sure how Winifred might receive any attention from Olive, she forbore to insist on her accompanying them. Should Winifred be disagreeable under the present circumstances Jean was not perfectly sure of being able to keep cool; and of all things she must not show temper at the present moment. Besides, her few minutes’ conversation with Olive, before the coming of the girls to announce her defeat, had evidently borne good fruit, for Olive did not appear particularly distressed at the result of the election. After a first moment of breaking down she had entirely regained her self-control. Truly Jean was delighted at seeing her so sensible.
One, two, three minutes passed after the other girls’ departure and an entire silence reigned in the room, Olive standing perfectly still. Had Jean been pleased because she had accepted her failure so sensibly? Sensibly! why Olive had not spoken simply because she could not trust herself to speak. She had not cried, because in the first moments of humiliation and regret, there are but few people who can at once summon tears. Of course, Olive was taking the affair too seriously and Jean’s view was the only reasonable one, but she had not been defeated herself, she had stood in the way of her friend’s victory and this last blow had come to her after months of coldness and neglect on the part of her classmates, which she had borne bravely and in silence. Now Olive was through with courage and with silence.
At last she seemed to have made up her mind to some action, for the relief of tears came. Going into her own room, Olive flung herself face downward on the bed, giving herself up to the luxury of this weakness. When she arose her face wore a look of unusual determination. Whatever her fight, it was ended now. First she walked over to her bureau and there unlocking a small iron safe took out a sandalwood box, a box which all who have followed her history, know to be the single possession she had rescued from the Indian woman before running away from her for the last time.
The girl carried her few treasures to her desk and before beginning the letter she plainly intended writing, she picked them up one by one, looking at them closely, the silver cross and chain worn on the evening of the dance, the small book only a few inches in size, and the watch with the picture of a woman’s face in it, the picture that Ruth and the ranch girls had always believed to look like Olive.
At the face she looked longest, but after a few moments this also was laid aside for the work she had in mind.
“DEAR RUTH” (her letter read):
“I write to tell you that I am not willing to remain longer as a student at Primrose Hall. I am sorry to trouble you with this news and if Jack is too ill to be worried, please do not mention this to her. I have tried very hard to bear my difficulties here and truly I would have gone on without complaining, for I can live without the friendship of other girls so long as you and the ranch girls care for me, but what I cannot bear is to be a drawback to Jean and Frieda and to stand in their way as I do here. I do not know what to ask you to do with me, for I cannot go back to live among the Indians until I know more than I do now and am able to teach them. Can I not go to some little school where the girls will not care so much about my past? But if you are not willing for me to do this, and I know how little I am worthy of all you and the ranch girls have done for me, you must not mind if I find some work to do, so that I can make my living. For no matter what happens, I can remain no longer at Primrose Hall.
“With all love, OLIVE.”