Billie Bradley and Her Classmates: or, The Secret of the Locked Tower

“Just watch me!” cried the boy, and galloped off at a great rate, the sled, with Billie clinging wildly to it, bumping and swaying over the hard and rough road.

Meantime the other boys and girls had been considerably alarmed by Teddy’s and Billie’s abrupt disappearance. At first they had supposed that the two were simply playing a trick on them and would appear when they got good and ready.

But as time passed and nothing happened they became worried, and even began to talk about a search party.

“Though how they could have got lost, I don’t know,” Laura had said to an agitated group. “They certainly know their way about here well enough.”

“Perhaps they got lost on purpose,” said a nasal voice, and Billie’s chums turned indignantly to face the speaker. It was Amanda, of course, and beside her, so close as to have earned her the title of Amanda’s “Shadow,” stood her friend and crony, Eliza Dilks.

Laura was about to retort furiously when Billie’s brother Chet pushed her aside and faced Amanda.

“If you were a boy, I’d know what to do to you for saying a thing like that,” cried the boy, such fury in his face that Amanda was frightened. “But since you’re a girl I’ll just tell you to lay off that line of talk. Billie Bradley is my sister.” As Chet said the last words proudly there was many a girl present who would have been glad to own a brother as loyal as Chet Bradley.

As Amanda muttered something to herself and turned away angrily the boys and girls returned to the discussion of Billie’s and Teddy’s mysterious absence.

“I think,” suggested Paul Martinson, his face looking extremely worried, “that we had better search through the woods thoroughly in case they are lost. Something must have happened to them to keep them away this long.”

He had no sooner made the suggestion than it was carried into effect, and the girls and boys scattered through the woods in search of the two who had disappeared.

They returned in a little while, however, dispirited and more anxious than ever. There was an attempt to go on with the fun in the hope that Teddy and Billie would return in a little while to laugh at their fears, but it was no use. The fun lagged, and finally the girls broke up the party altogether by declaring their intention of going back to the school.

“Billie may be at the Hall now for all we know,” Connie said hopefully, as they started back along the road. “She may have been cold or something and asked Teddy to take her home.”

“Humph,” sniffed Laura, “that sounds a lot like Billie.”

Nevertheless they did hope that, foolish as it sounded, Billie had returned to the Hall before them. But when they reached there and found no sign of either her or Teddy they were puzzled and more worried than ever.

The boys had gone on toward the Academy, and there was not one of them who was not disturbed in his mind. Teddy was as popular at the Academy as Billie was at the Hall, and, besides, Billie was a general favorite with all the lads.

“I’ll wait a little while after I get back,” Chet told them as they tramped back silently, their sleds skidding along behind them, “and then I’ll call up the Hall. If Billie isn’t back by then we’ll have to notify the police – or something.”

And at the Hall her classmates had decided to wait a little while also before they reported Billie’s disappearance to Miss Walters.

Probably nothing serious had happened, they argued, and if Miss Walters were notified Billie might have a lot of explaining to do that otherwise she would be saved.

But as the minutes sped by and still no sign of Billie, they fidgeted and squirmed and could set their minds to nothing.

Then suddenly Connie Danvers rushed into the dormitory, her eyes blazing with wrath.

“What do you suppose?” she cried, while the girls gathered round her. “I met Caroline Brant in the hall just now and she said that Amanda and the ‘Shadow’ were spreading the report that Billie and Teddy ran away on purpose.”

“Oh, the sneak! The wretched little sneak!” cried Laura, making a dash for the door. But she stopped suddenly and ran back to Connie. “Has she gone to Miss Walters with that report?” she asked, her hands working as though she longed to get hold of Amanda.

“I don’t think so,” replied Connie. “She hasn’t had time yet – Laura! where are you going?” for Laura had started for the door again.

“To find Amanda, of course,” Laura cried over her shoulder, as she flung out of the room. “I’ll see that she doesn’t get to Miss Walters with that report.”

“She has the right idea, girls,” said Vi excitedly. “We mustn’t let Amanda say such things about Billie. Why, if Miss Walters heard it, it would be dreadful.”

“Come on then,” said Connie, adding recklessly: “We’ll see that Amanda doesn’t squeal if we have to gag her.”

They found Amanda and her “Shadow” haranguing a group of the younger girls at the end of the hall on the first floor. Billie’s champions, coming upon the group suddenly, overheard the last of Amanda’s speech.

“Of course her friends say that she didn’t do it on purpose,” the girl was saying. “But I know she did, and I’m going straight to Miss Walters and tell her about it.”

Laura started toward the sneak, but she drew back so suddenly as nearly to lose her balance and had to be steadied by the girls behind her.

For a familiar figure, hidden until that moment by the shadows about the great entrance door, suddenly swung into the light and faced Amanda.

“Now, what you have said behind my back,” rang out a clear voice, “you can tell me to my face!”

“It’s Billie,” gasped Laura, in joyful relief. “Say, but she looks good to me.”

“Come on. I have a notion she may need a little help,” said Connie, as she made her way to Billie’s side, causing the freshmen who had been Amanda’s audience to scatter in panic. Laura and Vi and several others followed, but Billie did not seem to notice them.

Her eyes were still upon Amanda. The latter, taken by surprise, at first looked about her for some means of escape. Then, seeing that she was cornered, she straightened up defiantly and the usual sneer overspread her mean features.

“Oh, all right,” she said. “I’m not afraid to tell the truth if you are. Did you and Teddy Jordon have a good time when you ran away to-day?”

“It’s false!” cried Billie furiously. “And I’ll make you take it back!”

“What’s this? What’s this?” interrupted a cool voice behind them, and Billie turned with tears of rage in her eyes to face Miss Arbuckle.

“Miss Arbuckle,” she pleaded tensely, “make her take it back – what she said about me. It isn’t true! Oh, it isn’t true!”

CHAPTER XIII – BILLIE IS CHOSEN

Miss Arbuckle laid a kindly hand on Billie’s shoulder and looked at Amanda inquiringly. The latter was smiling triumphantly. Billie had done what she had hoped she would do. She, Amanda, would tell what in her mean little mind she really thought was the truth, and get Billie in bad with the powers-that-be.

“What is this that you are telling about Beatrice, Amanda?” asked Miss Arbuckle, adding, impatient of Amanda’s grin: “Be quick about it.”

“She and Teddy Jordon ran off together to-day and were gone for about three hours,” she said triumphantly. “Billie just came in.”

Billie’s eyes, black in her white, set face, looked up at Miss Arbuckle steadily.

“I didn’t do it, Miss Arbuckle,” she said, her lip quivering. “I – I couldn’t.”

“I know you couldn’t, Billie Bradley,” said Miss Arbuckle, so unexpectedly that Amanda’s mouth dropped open from sheer surprise. “There must be some mistake.”

“But they were away together for three hours,” Amanda repeated, angry at having this tempting morsel of revenge snatched away from her at the last minute. “I know it.”

“That will do, Amanda,” said Miss Arbuckle sternly. “You have been guilty several times of starting stories about the girls that have had absolutely no foundation in truth. And I warn you that if you are caught again in this mischief it may mean serious trouble for you.

“You say,” she added turning soberly to Billie, “that you and Teddy Jordon did not leave the other boys and girls this morning?”

“Oh, yes, we did,” said Billie, so eager to explain that her words tripped all over themselves. “Only we didn’t do it on purpose.”

Miss Arbuckle looked grave and Amanda’s triumphant leer returned.