Part 18 (1/2)

Being part of the surprise for the guests she couldn't very well go out and risk being seen; she just had to stay in the room and wait for someone from our floor to come along. For a long while n.o.body came, and then, when she was about ready to give up, she did hear footsteps coming down the corridor. It was dark by that time and she couldn't see who it was, but she pounced out like a cat on a mouse and dragged the girl into her room.

”Paint a blue band on my neck, quick!” she commanded, thrusting out the paint box and switching on the light.

Then she saw who it was. It was Sally Prindle. Hinpoha was a little taken aback, but she had about exhausted her patience waiting for someone to come by and help her.

”Will you, please?” she pleaded, holding out the paints enticingly.

”What is it?” asked Sally dully, looking at Hinpoha in that crazy costume as if she thought she was not in her right mind.

Hinpoha explained the urgent and immediate need of a blue band of a certain shade on her neck.

”But I never painted anything before,” objected Sally.

”You'll never learn any younger,” said Hinpoha, jubilant that Sally hadn't walked out with her nose in the air. ”Here, take the brush, I'll show you what to mix; see, this and this and this.”

Under Hinpoha's direction Sally painted the blue band and then regarded her handiwork with critical eyes.

”Thanks, that's fine,” said Hinpoha, holding out her hand for the paints.

”It needs something more,” said Sally slowly, squinting at Hinpoha's neck. ”Do you mind if I use any more paint?”

”Go as far as you like,” said Hinpoha, surprised into flippancy, ”let your conscience be your guide!”

Sally made swift dabs at the little color squares, her face all puckered up in a deep frown of concentration.

”Now, how do you like it?” she asked anxiously, after a few minutes, leading Hinpoha to the mirror.

Hinpoha says she screamed right out when she looked, she was so surprised and delighted. For on the front of the band Sally had painted the most wonderful ornament. It was an enormous ruby, set in a gold frame, the design of which simply took your breath away. How she ever did it with the colors in Hinpoha's box is beyond us.

”Oh, wonderful!” raved Hinpoha, hugging Sally in her extravagant way. ”I can't wait until the girls see it. Won't I make a sensation, though! Come to the party, won't you please, Sally? We'd love to have you.”

Sally shook her head and prepared to depart. ”I have to go,” she said with a return to her old brusque manner. ”I have another engagement.”

But Hinpoha saw the wistful look that came into her face and she knew that Sally's ”other engagement” was waiting on table in the boarding house where she lived.

Hinpoha's painted jewelry created a sensation all right. Cries of admiration rose on every side, and the fact that the stony-faced Sally Prindle had done it only added to the sensation. Who would ever have suspected that the most inartistic-looking girl in the whole college had such a talent up her sleeve?

Two days later there was another excited meeting of the LAST OF THE WINNEBAGOS.

”Our fortune's made!” shrieked Agony joyfully, dancing around the room and waving a j.a.panese umbrella over her head.

”Why? How?” we all cried.

”The fad! The fad!” shouted Agony.

”What fad?” I asked. ”Do stop capering, Agony, and put down that umbrella before you break the lamp shade. We've smashed three already this year.”

”Don't you see,” continued Agony, breathless, dropping down on the bed and fanning herself with the handle of the umbrella. ”Hinpoha's started a fad with that painted jewelry--blessings on that fool notion of hers of painting a band on her neck, anyway! Half a dozen girls came to cla.s.ses this morning with bands painted on their necks and ornaments in front that they'd gotten Sally to paint for them. In another day the whole college will be after her to paint ornaments on their necks. Don't you see what I mean? We've got to join forces with Sally, set up in business for the Benefit of the Red Cross--and the cup is ours. Whoop-la! Oh, girls, don't you _see_!”

We saw, all right. Inside of two minutes Sally was voted a member of the LAST OF THE WINNEBAGOS and in a few hours business was in full swing.