Laura pushed Rhoda ahead. The candidate for initiation,
even if she could see a little from under the bandage,
had at best a very uncertain idea of where she was,
or where she was going. Besides, with one’s
eyes practically blinded, it is very difficult indeed
to walk a chalk line, even on the floor. And
this plank that was far from steady was only about
a foot in width.
“Oh!” ejaculated Rhoda, one foot before
the other and her arms waving for a balance.
The parasol did not help much.
“Oh! oh! oh!” was the prolonged wail from
the crowd below.
“You—think—you’re—so—smart!”
Again the Western girl teetered back and forth.
Laura gave her another slight push. Rhoda took
one more step, and let the parasol fall.
“Good!” encouraged Nan.
“Treason!” croaked Laura, observing Nan’s
encouragement of the candidate.
“Have a care, sawney,” declared Amelia
Boggs sternly. “A false step and you are
lost! The ravening sea is below you. Feel
the spray dashing in your face!”
Quick as a flash the girl with the dipper filled her
palm with water and threw it upward. It spattered
into Rhoda’s face and she jerked back her head.
The motion destroyed the balance she had gained.
She uttered a stifled ejaculation and wavered again.
Laura stretched out a hand and wickedly nudged the
victim.
“Oh, don’t!” yelled Nan, and she
leaped down upon the mattresses.
Rhoda completely lost her equilibrium. She uttered
another scream and stepped out into space.
“Man overboard!” shouted Laura.
And as Rhoda fell the girl with the dipper flung its
contents over the flying figure of the new girl.
RHODA IS UNPOPULAR
The blindfolded Rhoda came down so awkwardly that
Nan feared she would be hurt. The girl from Tillbury
screamed a warning—which was useless.
But in that exciting moment Nan noted something that
afterward gave her a sidelight upon Rhoda Hammond’s
character. As the Western girl felt herself going
she snatched off the blindfolding towel.
Self-possession! Rhoda owned that attribute,
largely developed. She was cool, if angry.
When she landed on the padded platform, she fell on
her knees, and the fall must have jarred her.
But she was up in a flash, and the girl with the dipper,
Minnie Wolff, found herself in the muscular grasp
of Rhoda’s arms.
“There, now, I’ve had enough of this foolishness!”
snapped the Western girl, limping toward the platform
steps. “I’ve wrenched my knee, and
I should hope you’d be satisfied. I want
nothing more to do with your baby plays! I came
to Lakeview Hall to study and learn something—”
“Oh, you are going to learn something all right,”
drawled Laura, interrupting Rhoda’s angry speech.
“But I can see it is going to take you some
time, Miss Rhoda Hammond. You are going to have
a nice time here!”
