Read Ebook: The Girls of Greycliff by Grove Harriet Pyne

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Ebook has 1411 lines and 54031 words, and 29 pages

"O, yes, and Juliet Howe is your 'Shadow'!"

"But I thought Helen had a different roommate."

"She did, Diane Percy,--they were the 'Imps.' But Diane can not come, at least this first semester. And Eloise's roommate is not coming back. Hence, therefore, consequently, Mamma, old Helen and old Eloise are going to try to get along together if they can. They are feeling badly about it, but are trying not to show it before company."

At this, Eloise took out her handkerchief, and turned her face aside a little as if to wipe away an imaginary tear. Helen thrust her hands into her jacket pocket and assumed an expression of stony woe.

"You mischievous girls!" exclaimed Betty's mother. "I hope that you will have a good time, but don't forget what you are here for."

Nobody of this happy company noticed a sober little face and lonely little figure at the far end of the long stone bench with its quaint carvings. "My, what a pretty mother," she was thinking. "I did not know mothers were like that. My mother had a sweet face, though," and she opened the small bag which she was carrying and drew out a picture. "Where am I, anyhow? I guess I might as well go back. That plump, homey looking girl is from a ranch, though; I guess it's a nice one, not like ours. I suppose it can't be worse here than at home. I'd like to stick it out, but I don't suppose the girls will have anything to do with me. Look at my clothes!--beside of theirs! I knew my skirt was being made all crooked, and this hideous waist,--I wish I never had anything to say about my clothes. Ugly old heavy shoes to match the rest. But then dear old father did not know that they were awful." The little girl sat thoughtfully a little longer, then slipped into the building and to her room. First she tipped the mirror in order to get a full length view of herself. "Yes, I said I wouldn't care for anything if I could only get away. But look at me! Freckles, sandy pig-tails, turn-up nose, collar bones sticking out and red hands. You're just about the limit, you are," said she to her image in the glass. "Well, I'm not going to cry about it, not now, anyhow. It's too near meal time. I'm glad I haven't any roommate yet. I guess Miss Randolph would hate to put any girl like those girls in with me."

Sturdy little soul that she was, this thought was too much. Possibly no more unhappy child had come to Greycliff this year. Dropping into a chair she sobbed aloud, not knowing that her door had come unlatched and stood ajar. Hilary and Lilian, passing, heard her and stopped short.

"Somebody's homesick," said Hilary.

"Shall we go in?" asked Lilian.

"Maybe she wouldn't want us to, but it's heathenish not to pay any attention. You try it all alone, Lil."

"All right." Lilian pushed the door open a little wider and rattled the knob as she did so. "Would you hate to have me come in a minute? I'm awfully sorry for whatever is the matter. We all have our turn at being homesick, though, so I thought I'd see if I couldn't cheer you up. Could I? I'm Lilian North and an 'old girl,' you know, so I'm not homesick this year."

Meanwhile Hilary had waited a few moments, observed the cessation of sobs, heard conversation begin, and with a smile had withdrawn, going to see about baggage and several other matters and finally joining the other girls.

Where a grassy terrace with irregular stone steps helped the ascent to a grove at the side and rear of Greycliff Hall, there was a secluded nook formed by clumps of tall bushes and a group of big-limbed, gnarled trees. Sprawling roots invited to more or less comfortable repose. Two or three rustic seats stood about the path, which was an artistic, winding way of flat stones set in the grass. Here a merry party of girls had been gradually gathering; the seats were moved closer together, and a steamer rug and some cushions were in evidence.

"I fished a cushion or two out of my box," said Cathalina Van Buskirk, neatly aiming one at Hilary, who was sitting on the grass. Hilary caught it, gave it a pat and settled down upon it, her hands clasped over her knees. Evelyn Calvert caught another one. Betty was already curled upon the rug and there Cathalina also sat down. Juliet Howe had recently arrived and was exchanging the summer's experiences with Pauline Tracy, her nearest chum. Isabel Hunt's soft curls were no less curly than they had been, her cheeks no less rosy. If she and Avalon Moore were somewhat younger than the other girls of this group, they were no less at home.

"I'd like to take a snap-shot of you girls,--all talking at once," remarked Isabel, raising her voice that it might be heard above the chatter. "Did you ever see that picture Hilary took last year of Avalon and me? We didn't know she was ready and were arguing about something. There we are in the picture, Avalon looking at me, and I at Avalon, for all the world like the elocution class, or Lilian making 'tones,' jaws dropped and mouths opened. If you want to see it, look at Hilary's album. We couldn't persuade her not to put it in. She has us along with the other specimens, the janitor's lame duck and Micky's parrot."

"Where's Lilian, Hilary?" inquired Betty.

"There she comes," replied Hilary, waving a languid hand, "leading a forlorn hope."

The girls watched Lilian, who was approaching, arm in arm, with a "new girl," a plainly dressed one, apparently younger than Lilian.

"She was crying in her room when Lilian heard her and went to the rescue," Hilary explained in a lower tone to the girls near her, "You know Lilian."

"Yes, and if it hadn't been Lilian, it would have been Hilary," added Isabel.

"I like that, Margaret," said Isabel pleasantly. "No telling how she will describe us, under cover of the conversation."

"I don't believe you need worry," replied Margaret, feeling very shy and awkward in their midst.

"She has recognized your optimism already Lilian," said Helen, while Margaret thought, "What big words that Southern girl uses." She had heard the conversation which took place earlier, and recognized Helen. Lilian went on chatting to her for a little while, telling her about Hilary Lancaster, who was the daughter of a minister and her closest friend; of Evelyn, who was Southern, too, and wonderful in dialect stories; of several of the other girls, till Isabel took a hand in entertaining, and drew her into conversation with Avalon. That these girls should take pains to keep her from being unhappy had a great effect upon the girl from the far West, who had at first felt that companionship with these fortunate girls would be an impossibility. Had she only known that intimacy with this charming circle of girls depended entirely upon herself, she might have been discouraged. But in spite of her unprepossessing appearance now, Margaret had resources within, which school was to develop.

What a reunion was there after dinner again, when in groups large or small the girls wandered about the grounds or took a turn down at the beach. Betty's heart had a wrench when the taxi took away her mother, but it helped much to have a jolly circle of girls with ever so much news to exchange, or plans to make for the new year at school. Rules were "off," or at least not "on," except to require safe bounds after dark. It was moonlight and starlight, clear, bright and warm, yet with that cool lake breeze lifting the stray locks about girlish heads. Pretty, light summer dresses moved about on the lawn in front of Greycliff Hall. The spray from the fountain blew in the faces of those who wandered too near. Within the building, the piano of the reception halls or parlors furnished gay music, and the colors of the rainbow showed in the pendants of the old glass chandeliers.

"Just think," said Lilian to the girls as they gathered in their half straightened suite, "another year, and we are senior academy girls now! We must make all sorts of plans tomorrow for our work and the societies and everything."

BEGINNINGS.

The next day was full of all sorts of things. With the same general program, it is astonishing how different the school years are. There are new teachers, a new angle from which everything is viewed. There is a new course to be adjusted and there are the new books with their fresh covers and crisp pages of knowledge not yet understood. Lilian was stacking hers on a corner of the table. She was still full of that tensity and suppressed excitement which the busy day and many interests, with the companionship of other girls, had giver her.

"Why, Lilian, this from you?" said Hilary.

"Never mind, he thinks I'm just as funny. He has a real mop of black hair, and closes his eyes and sways when he plays himself,--and glares fiercely when your bow scrapes or you get ever so little off the tone. He tried me out this morning. I played scales for him. I know how to torture him if he gets too cross,--just miss getting it right. Really, though, I'm just dying to go in for nothing but music, but Father won't hear to it. I want voice and piano, violin, harmony, counterpoint, everything. They are going to let me take one stingy little lesson a week in voice and one in violin."

"Mercy, child, how could you do more with your other work?"

"I suppose it is a sensible thing, but you know I'm a little ahead on the regular course, and wouldn't have the full number of hours."

"Where do you practice your violin?" asked Helen soberly, but as Lilian flashed her an understanding smile she laughed, and the other girls leaned forward in pretended anxiety.

"Over in the 'annex,' Dixie; don't worry, no squeaks and squawks around here."

"Have you seen Dr. Norris?" asked Cathalina.

"Who is he?" asked Lilian and Betty together.

"He is Patty's lover! But keep it a dead secret. I don't believe the faculty knows it. Perhaps they wouldn't have let him come."

"Maybe they do know it. How did you find it out?"

"Everybody else will know it that way, then."

"No, I don't mean that they acted like lovers, but I could see that they are well acquainted, and I remember several things that happened last year. Don't you remember, Betty, that time when we were with her and she had a letter 'from a dear friend,' she said, and was blushing over it? And she spoke of a 'Mr. Norris' who was in school with her and was getting his doctor's degree. Then I'm sure that it was this man's face in the photograph that she had out on her bureau and wouldn't tell when we teased her to tell. I wondered why his face seemed so familiar, and then it came to me that it was the man of the photograph. He looks older, though. Probably that was the picture he gave her when they were in college."

"She wears a ring this fall, did you notice it?" asked Betty.

"Yes; I noticed it at dinner last night. It sparkled very prettily and I thought that Patty was a little--well--conscious that she had it on. Several of the girls called each other's attention to it, I saw. But suppose we say nothing about it."

"Patty will manage it. I suppose he has to get money enough to get married on. Do they pay good salaries here?"

"I don't know, Helen," answered Hilary, "but he has to get experience somewhere first."

"He'll get it here, all right," said Juliet.

"Why, Juliet, this is a fine school!" exclaimed Cathalina.

"Nobody knows that better than I, but I wouldn't teach anybody chemistry, physics and the things he has, let alone a lot of girls in a girls' school. Won't it be a disappointment to the collegiates when they find that he is 'taken'?"

"I hadn't thought of that," said Cathalina. "Do you suppose any of them will fall in love with him?"

"Don't worry, Cathalina. It won't be our fault if they do. It's up to Patty to look out for that."

"I suppose you are all happy to find that Dr. Carver's back," and Betty executed a little toe dance in celebration.

"One Caesar section, but I could not get into that."

"I am lucky, Isabel, but I'm sorry you did not get into it too. However, I'm doubling on my Latin to catch up, and have the dear Doctor, too, in Cicero. It will be a fight. She will try to catch me up, and I shall try not to be caught. I expect to spend most of my time, girls, with the old Romans. But I will have to acknowledge that when she talks she can make it interesting."

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