Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch | Page 6

crooked."
"Just the same, I have anarchistic tendencies. I feel 'em," declared the
red-haired girl.
"That is not anarchism you feel," scoffed Bess. "If I had eaten what you
did for supper--"
"Oh, say not so!" begged Laura. "Don't tell me that all this disturbance
within me is from merely what I ate. Why, I feel that I might lead an
assault on Cupp's office, take her by force, and immure her in--"
"The old secret passage to the boathouse," put in Nan.
"Oh, goodness--gracious--Agnes!" said Amelia, looking at one of her

watches, "if we are going to do anything to that wild Western mustang
to-night--"
"Hush! Have no fear," interrupted Laura. "There is time enough."
"Procrastination should know that," giggled Bess, "with all the watches
and clocks she owns."
"While we gab here," went on Amelia, "curfew time approaches."
Laura struck an attitude. "Listen, girls!" she cried. "'Curfew shall not
ring to-night!'"
"Now, don't begin reciting old chestnuts like that," sniffed Bess.
"It is an announcement of revolt, not a recitation, I'd have you know,"
declared the red-haired girl.
"What do you mean, Laura?" Nan asked, suddenly seeing that Laura
really had some meaning underneath her raillery.
"Hush, children!" crooned the red-haired girl. "What is our greatest
trial--our most implacable enemy--in this fair Garden of Eves? Tell
me!"
"Mrs. Cupp," sighed Nan.
"Nay, nay! She is but the slave of the lamp," responded Laura, still in
flowery fashion. "The bete noire of the girls of Lakeview Hall is the
half-past nine o'clock curfew. And I vow it shall not ring to-night!"
"Why won't it?" asked Nan, finally grown suspicious.
"Because," hissed Laura, her eyes dancing, "I climbed up into the tower
this forenoon and unhooked and hid the bell-clapper. They won't find it
for one while, now you mark my word!"
"Oh, Laura!" gasped Nan; but then she, too, had to join in the peal of
laughter that the other girls in Room Seven, Corridor Four, emitted.

"What a joke!" exclaimed Bess.
"It's one of those jokes best kept secret," advised Amelia Boggs, who,
after all, possessed a fund of caution. "Mrs. Cupp will be desperately
moved when she finds it out."
"At least," Nan agreed, "Laura is right. Curfew will not ring to-night.
But Mrs. Cupp will find some other way of making it known that
retiring hour has arrived. We'd best get to work if we are going to have
a procession of the sawneys."
"Girls," suddenly asked Bess, "who ever started that lumberman's slang
of 'sawney' for 'greenhorn' up in this hall of acquired good English?"
"Oh, come, Bess!" groaned Amelia, "the term hasn't really opened yet.
Don't make us delve into the past for the roots of our language. It's us
for the procession now!"
Nan Sherwood entered into the plan for the evening's hazing of
newcomers for a special reason. She had liked the girl from the West,
Rhoda Hammond, at first sight. Not for her beautiful clothing, but for
something Nan had seen in her countenance.
The former purposed to take an active part in whatever was done to the
newcomer because she believed she could influence the more
thoughtless girls to the extent that nothing very harsh would be done to
Rhoda.
"I'll stir up the animals," cried Bess, hopping off her bed, where she had
been perching. "We want a big crowd to help worry that Hammond
girl."
She was gone in a flash to get together the other girls of Corridor Four.
Laura yawned:
"I wonder if we'll be able to worry that wild Western young person
much, after all?" she said. "She looked to me like a cool sort of
person."

"I don't know," said Amelia. "I think she's stuck up."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," cried Nan.
"She's dressed to kill, just the same. I'd like to take her for a good long
tramp in that outfit she came in."
"Procrastination means this Riotous Rhoda has got too much
money--like Linda Riggs," put in Laura.
"I wonder if that Rose Ranch she comes from is a nice place," said Nan.
"Just think! A real cattle ranch!"
"Pooh!" said Amelia. "My uncle owns a dairy farm. What's the
difference whether you have muley cows or long-horned Texas steers?"
Laura was still chuckling at this when Bess returned with several girls
who crowded into the room behind her. There was a busy time for a
few minutes as the girls dressed Amelia in an old pillow-slip with
eye-holes burned in it, and placed in her hand the staff of a broom, over
the brush-end of which was drawn another bag, on which, in charcoal,
Grace Mason deftly drew a very wise looking owl in outline.
Thus arrayed, Amelia was to lead the procession and be Mistress of
Ceremonies. They were about to start