Hidden in a Whisper Read Online Free PDF

and hide it under Gwen’s pillow.”
    â€œBut it’s my only brush,” Faith protested.
    â€œYou shall have it back before an hour’s time,” Ivy countered, snatching the thing from her roommate’s hand. “You’ll see. Just go along with me in this, and I’ll remember you fondly when I’m the head waitress.”
    Faith smiled. “Truly?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” Ivy replied. “You shall be second only to me.”
    â€œOh, how wonderful!”
    Ivy smiled. “Yes,” she murmured.
    Going to the door, Ivy opened it just a crack and listened. Faith watched her and looked about to speak, but Ivy put her finger to her lips. She couldn’t believe how dim-witted the girl really was. But then, a smart girl might not have agreed so willingly to Ivy’s schemes. Sometimes a person simply had to utilize whatever was at hand in order to accomplish what they desired.
    â€œOh bother!” Ivy said, leaning back against the wall. “Gwen and several other girls are talking at the other end of the hall.”
    With their room positioned at one end of the hall and Gwen’s room directly across from theirs, Ivy had only worried about the fact that Rachel’s office and suite were positioned between the two rooms capping the hallway that served as one of two entrances into the Harvey Girls’dormitory. Now, with the girls gathered to chat at the other end, Ivy knew she would have no chance to slip into the hallway without being seen.
    She tried to think about what she should do, but anger was overrunning rational thought. She simply had to put herself into a position of control. Her entire life had been mastered by others, but no more. The past might stand as witness to her previous mistakes—even regrets—but she wouldn’t allow it to rule over her. She had made mistakes, but then, everyone did. No, she wouldn’t remember the past or bathe herself in sorrows from her losses. She had suffered enough at the hands of those around her. First by her aunt deciding to stay in Morita to find a way to make the town prosper, then at the hands of the Harvey establishment and their personnel.
    She peeked again and, seeing things basically the same, sighed and started to close the door.
    â€œWhy not just give the thing a quiet shove?” Faith asked. “Just nudge it into the hall and maybe Gwen will pick it up.”
    Ivy stared at the slightly older girl. “That’s a positively brilliant idea.”
    Faith’s face lit up. “Truly! Do you think so?”
    Ivy nodded and opened the door enough to slide the hairbrush across the highly polished hall floor. “Perfect!” she exclaimed in a hushed whisper. She waited to see if anyone down the hall noticed her action and when nothing was said, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Now we wait a few moments and see if Gwen picks up the brush when she comes to her room. And if she does, then you must kick up a storm and holler your head off about your missing brush. Make it look good, or Miss Taylor will never believe you.”
    Faith, still standing on her laurels of having thought up the idea of sliding the brush into the hall, nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll do it.”
    Ivy grinned. This was going to be simple. She narrowed the door opening to a crack and waited.
    In a few moments, Gwen appeared outside her room. At first Ivy didn’t think she would see the brush in the dimly lit hall, but then, just before she opened her door, Gwen glanced down and noticed the object lying at her feet.
    She reached down and picked it up and while she stood observing it, Ivy clued Faith to begin her rantings.
    â€œMy brush! My brush!” Faith squealed.
    Ivy threw open the door and loudly protested that someone had stolen Faith’s hairbrush. The commotion instantly brought Rachel and several of the other Harvey Girls to see what was going on. Gwen stood speechless in the