Part 28 (2/2)
”Well, aren't you rational, I should like to know?” asked Rachel.
”I shouldn't be if I were engaged,” retorted Marion; ”but guess now; every one but Florence, for I think she would guess right.”
”Oh, tell us, Flo, do,” urged Sarah; ”Marion will keep it all night.”
”No, I won't,” cried Marion; ”it's _Miss Christine_.”
”Miss Christine!” shouted every girl, jumping to her feet in astonishment,--”to whom?”
”Why, M. Beranger, of course,” said Florence; ”who else could it be?”
”Why, I never thought of such a thing,” said Rachel.
”Well, I don't know where your eyes have been,” said Marion; ”for I've suspected it a long time, and so has Florence.”
”Oh, I thought he liked her, and she him; but I never thought of _that_.”
”Well, I think it is perfectly horrid!” declared Sarah.
”Why, Sallie, what do you mean?” said Marion; ”I think it's splendid.”
”Oh, of course, it's all very nice for you girls who are going away at the end of the term; but here I've got to stay another year, and I shall _die_ without Miss Christine!”
”But you'll have her just the same,” said Marion; ”they're going to live here for a year at least; it almost makes me want to come back again.”
”Going to live here?” cried Sarah, clasping her hands with delight; ”then I _do_ think it's perfectly magnificent!”
”Tell us all about it, Marion,” asked Mattie; ”how did you know it?”
”Miss Christine told me herself. You ought to have seen how pretty she looked! She blushed like any girl, and I just threw my arms round her and gave her a good hug. She told me I might tell the girls who were going to leave this term; but she didn't want the others to know it at present, and here I've been, and let the cat out of the bag; for I didn't see Sallie when I came in, and never dreamed she was here.
Sallie, if you lisp a word of it, I'll have you shut up, and kept on bread and water for a week, and you shan't go to the wedding.”
”Is she going to be married during school?”
”I shouldn't wonder; but I couldn't get it out of her when. Now, girls, we must give her a handsome present.”
”It ought to be from the whole school,” suggested Florence.
”Yes, so I think; but don't you think it would be nice if we six girls, who have been here four years together, should all work her something?
My idea is to make an ottoman: one work the middle, four the corners, and the other fill it up; what do you say?”
”A capital idea!” said Mattie; ”and I choose the filling up, for that's the only part I like to do.”
”You're welcome to it,” said Marion, ”for we all hate it.”
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