Part 7 (1/2)
”What on earth?” cried Hinpoha in bewilderment.
”It's the Alley Initiation!” exclaimed Sahwah. ”I heard someone asking when it was going to be. Mary Sylvester and Jo Severance and several more of the old girls were talking about it while they were in the water today. It seems that the girls who have lived in the Alley before always hold an initiation for the new girls before they let them in on their larks.”
”I wonder what they're going to do to us,” mused Hinpoha. ”That advice to bring your bathing suit sounds suspicious to me.”
”Do you suppose they're going to throw us into the river?” asked Agony.
”Nonsense,” replied Sahwah. ”Half the new girls in the Alley can't swim.
Dr. Grayson wouldn't allow it, anyway. He made a girl come out of the water during swimming hour this morning for trying to duck another girl.
They'll just make us ridiculous, that's all.”
”Well, whatever they ask us to do, let's not make a fuss,” said Hinpoha.
”Here comes Miss Judy. Put that letter out of sight and act perfectly unconcerned.”
Sahwah whipped the envelope into her suitcase and flung herself down on her bed; the others followed her example; and when a moment later Miss Judy stepped into the tent and looked quizzically at the trio she found them apparently wrapped in placid slumber.
Shortly before seven that evening, when the Avenue girls were dancing in the bungalow, Sahwah and Hinpoha and Agony quietly detached themselves from the group and slipped down to the dock to find Katherine and Oh-Pshaw and Jean Lawrence already down there, swinging their feet over the end of the pier and waiting for something to happen. Down the hillside other forms were stealing; Migwan, and Gladys, and Bengal Virden, followed by Tiny Armstrong, until practically all the inhabitants of the Alley were gathered upon the dock. Miss Judy was leaning over the edge of the pier untying the launch.
The neophytes watched intently every move that the old girls made, and were somewhat rea.s.sured when they saw that they had brought their bathing suits, too.
”Are all a.s.sembled?” asked Miss Judy, straightening up and looking over her shoulder inquiringly.
”Not yet,” answered Mary Sylvester, taking an inventory of girls present.
”Who isn't here yet?”
”Carmen Chadwick and the Lone Wolf. Oh, they're coming now, so is Miss Amesbury.”
Migwan felt a little fl.u.s.tered as Miss Amesbury came smiling into their midst. She didn't in the least mind being initiated, but she did rather hate to have Miss Amesbury see her made ridiculous. She would much rather not have her looking on.
Carmen Chadwick looked quite pale and scared as she joined the group on the dock, and took hold of Katherine's arm as if to seek her protection.
”All ready now?” asked Miss Judy.
”Ay, ay, skipper,” replied Tiny Armstrong.
”Man the boat!” commanded Miss Judy.
The girls got into the launch and Miss Judy started the engine. They rode a short distance up the river to the Whaleback, a small island shaped, as its name indicated, like a whale's back. It was quite flat, only slightly elevated above the surface of the water. On one side it had rather a wide beach covered with stones and littered with driftwood; behind this beach rose a dense growth of pines that extended down to the very edge of the water on the other side of the island.
The initiation party disembarked upon the beach. A huge fire was laid ready and Miss Judy lit it, then she requested the new girls to sit down in a place which she designated at one side of it, while the old girls seated themselves in a row opposite. Sahwah took note that the new girls were in the full glare of the firelight, while the old ones sat in the shadow.
Miss Judy opened the ceremonies. Stepping into the light, she addressed the neophytes. ”Since the dwellers in the Alley live together in such intimate companions.h.i.+p it is necessary that all be properly introduced to each other, so that we shall never mistake our own. We shall now proceed with the introductions. As soon as a new girl or councilor recognizes herself in the pictures we shall proceed to draw, let her come forward and bow to the ground three times in acknowledgment, uttering the words, 'Behold, it is I! who else _could_ it be?'”
She poked up the fire to a brighter blaze and then sat down beside Tiny Armstrong on the end of a log. As she seated herself Jo Severance rose and came forward demurely. Jo was an accomplished elocutionist, and a born mimic. a.s.suming a timid, shrinking demeanor, and speaking in a high, shrill voice, she piped,
”Mother, may I go out to swim?”