Molly Brown's Junior Days Part 29

After all, was it not good to have a friend, a real tried and devoted friend who had nothing to gain but friends.h.i.+p in return? Yes, Madeleine did talk a great deal. We all have our faults. Judith's was a temper.

She knew that. But Madeleine was good company, nevertheless, much better company than those false friends of Beta Phi days. She was charming and pretty and she had a heart of pure gold. Moreover, she was a lady, if she did talk so much.

Judith loved Madeleine. For the first time in her life she felt the stirrings of a really deep affection for another girl. It had quickened her parched soul like the waters of a freshet flowing through a thirsty land. Madeleine had first gained the respect of the proud, discontented girl by being always good-naturedly firm, and now she had gained her love.

Furthermore, Judith felt for the first time the pleasure of doing something for someone else. It was a matter of infinite secret joy to her that she had been able to help Madeleine with her studies. In a way she had const.i.tuted herself tutor to the little Southern girl; had criticized her themes; given her a boost in the dreaded French Literature and carried her over the blighting period of mid-year examinations. Madeleine had spent Christmas with the Blounts at a boarding house in New York and had given them a taste of Southern conversation, humor and anecdotes that had made that dreary time for them to blossom with new enjoyments.

And now Judith was learning to iron. At first she handled the iron quite awkwardly, but in a few minutes she became interested and the pile of handkerchiefs rapidly decreased.

"Of course, it isn't as if either one of us expects to have to iron handkerchiefs always," went on Madeleine, "but it doesn't hurt us to know how, just the same, and I have always found that doing common things well only made one do uncommon things better. Now, I intend to be a Professor of Mathematics. I don't know where nor how, but those are my intentions. There's no ironing of jabots connected with mathematics, but somehow I feel that ironing jabots well makes me more proficient in mathematics.

"By the way, have you settled on anything to do yet? It's time you began to think about it, unless you decide to take a Post Grad. course and be with me next year. That would be perfectly grand, wouldn't it?"

Madeleine's small pretty hands paused an instant in their busy fluttering over the garments she was sprinkling, and she smiled so sweetly upon Judith that the black-browed young woman felt moved beyond the power of speech and could only smile silently in reply.

Oh, heavens, it was good to have a friend! Madeleine had come at a time when she most needed her; when the whole world was nothing but a black, hideous picture and life was a dreary waste. Not her mother, not Richard, not Cousin Edwin, could take the place of Madeleine.

"You know I always said I wouldn't work for a living, Madeleine," she answered presently, gulping down these new, strange emotions.

"My dear, we all say such things, but it's only talk. And, after all, it's better to work than to be an object of charity. Think of making your own money; having it come in every month--say a hundred dollars, or even more--earned by you? Why, it's glorious. It's better than running across a gold mine by accident or inheriting a fortune, because you have done it yourself. I intend to earn a great deal of money. I shall rise from being a teacher to having a splendid school of my own. It will be the most fas.h.i.+onable school in the South and all the finest families will send their daughters there. And what will you be in my school, Judith? Because you must commence now to work up to that eminence. Will you be part owner with me?"

Judith laughed.

"You're an absurd, adorable, sweet child," she said, and went on ironing busily.

After all, life was not so desperately unpleasant.

There was a knock on the door. Judith put down the iron hastily and retreated to the window. She had not yet reached the point where she was willing for others to see her engaged in this menial work.

"Come in," called Madeleine, without stopping an instant.

To Judith's relief, however, it was Mrs. O'Reilly.

"A note for you, Miss Blount, and the man's waiting for an answer."

Judith tore open the envelope impatiently. It was a bill of two years'

running, amounting to nearly forty dollars, from the stationery and candy shop.

On the bottom she was requested to remit at once.

"Tell the man--anything, Mrs. O'Reilly. I can't see him. That's all."

"Certainly, Miss," said the Irish woman with a good-natured smile.

"These poor young college ladies was in hard luck just like the men sometimes," she thought as she turned away.

Judith sat down and began to think. Richard was having a great struggle to keep her at college, her mother and himself at the boarding house, and her father in a sanitarium. It would really be unkind to burden him with that bill; but what was to be done?

"Is it that old stationery man again?" asked Madeleine, who had inherited a profound contempt for dunning shopkeepers.

"Yes, it is, and I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you put an advertis.e.m.e.nt in the 'Commune'? You have no idea how it will bring in work. And then hang out a s.h.i.+ngle, too. People have got to learn to recognize you as a wage-earning person before they come around and offer you things to do."

"But what can I do? I don't know how to iron well enough to take in laundry, like you."

A voice outside called:

"Is this Miss Madeleine Pet.i.t's room?"

"Come in. Can't you see the name on the door?" answered Madeleine.

"There's only one Pet.i.t at Wellington and I'm the lady."

Millicent Porter now entered.

She looked smaller and more shriveled than ever in a beautiful mink coat and cap and a velvet dress of a rich shade of blue that breathed prosperity in every fold.

"This is the region where signs are out asking for work, isn't it?" she asked in a pleasantly patronizing, unctious voice.

"We don't ask for work. We announce that we do it and the work comes,"

replied Madeleine, eyeing the visitor with a kind of humorous pity.

"Be that as it may," said Miss Porter, "I have some work I want done and I'm looking for a very competent and reliable person to do it."

Judith winced at the word "reliable."

"This isn't a servants' agency, you know, Miss Porter," answered the s.p.u.n.ky Madeleine. "Those words are generally used when one engages a cook or a housemaid. What is the work like?"

"I'm going to give an exhibition of my silver work at the George Was.h.i.+ngton Bazaar. I may sell some of it if I can get the price, and what I want is a skillful and re-- or rather clever----" Madeleine blinked both eyes rapidly at the subst.i.tution--"person to help me get it in order. Most of it is awfully tarnished and it will need a good deal of polis.h.i.+ng."

"How much will you pay a skillful, clever person?" demanded Madeleine, determined to drive a good bargain and shrewdly guessing the kind of person she had to deal with.

"I'll pay ten dollars," answered Millicent glibly.

"What are the pieces like?"

"Oh, there are chains, necklaces, platters and bowls, and a lot of ivory things I have picked up in Europe that must be carefully washed."

"We'll do the work for fifteen dollars," announced Madeleine. "No less."

Judith could hardly preserve a grave countenance while this bargaining was going on between the rich Miss Porter and her funny little Southern friend.

"I think that's too much," declared Millicent.

"Not at all. The work requires care and, as you say, reliability. It might be stolen, you know."

Madeleine snapped her eyes.

"Very well, then," said Millicent in a resigned tone of voice. "It's a great deal to pay, but I suppose I can't do any better. I hear you do everything well, Miss Pet.i.t."