Part 10 (1/2)
”Understand, there are to be no tricks played in each other's rooms. You have been making very good progress so far this year and I am sincerely pleased. As many of you will go away on Sat.u.r.day there can be no Christmas festivities, but this may be quite as pleasant.”
”Oh, Mrs. Barrington, it will be just delightful!” cried Phillipa with enthusiasm. ”Thank you a dozen times for thinking of it.”
”You have accepted some invitations from outside and it seems the thing to return them. Every girl will be at her liberty to ask one guest and there are several I wish to invite. I hope you will have a happy time.”
”Oh, we are sure of that.”
”And now I hope your scholars.h.i.+p will be excellent at the winter examinations. It will be the last year for some of you and for your parents' sake I hope you will stand high.”
The leisure of the next two days was spent working out lists.
”Oh,” declared May Gedney, ”I'd like to invite at least four. Ally and Archie Holmes, and the Pridhams. I suppose we can ask a young gentleman?”
”Let us make a list and divide up. Archie Holmes is such a delightful dancer, and Allie is so full of fun, and so many of us were at her birthday party.”
”Do you suppose the smaller fry will invite their friends?”
”I think not, though they may be allowed to come in as spectators.”
”That Nevins girl is a pretty dancer. What lots of fancy things she knows.”
”I don't imagine we will have any high flings,” laughing.
”Well, May, you ask Ally, and Nelly White ask Archie. That's the way we must pair off, and divide up the Pridhams. We must only ask one girl in a family. I'm afraid we won't have boys enough to go round.”
”Then some of the girls will have to play Knights as we do in the practices.”
After much study they presented their list to Mrs. Barrington who thought it very judicious. She said she had several gentlemen to add.
Then there was a time about the frocks. Miss Nevins unpacked two party gowns that had remained in her trunk when it was taken up stairs. A pretty rather simple white cluna silk and a pink satin.
”Oh, the satin is altogether too ornate, too really old,” declared Phillipa.
”But it's so much prettier,” longingly.
”I don't know about that, and I can tell you Mrs. Barrington will hustle it back in the box mighty quick. The party is for the older girls. You will simply be allowed in to look and partake of the treat if you are well behaved little girls.”
Miss Nevins pouted.
Her new winter suit had come home and it was really admirable, making her look like quite a different girl.
”I don't see what that New York dressmaker can be thinking about. She makes a regular guy of her. And since Mrs. Barrington shut down on so much sweet stuff how her complexion has improved. But the morning baths are a terror to her. She is sure she can keep clean on a wash once a week.”
”And girls, every time her mother wrote she enclosed five dollars. She didn't give any account of that for awhile, and Mrs. Barrington was quite affronted when her mother advised her to go to a restaurant now and then to get a good meal. I must say our living here is of the very best.”
There was no dissenting voice.
They were all in a gale about the party. There was always a lawn fete when school closed in June at which the girls invited relatives and friends. Hallowe'en had been devoted to tricks in each other's room, sewing up sheets, sprinkling cayenne pepper and rice, and occasionally putting a toad in the bed if one could be found, or an artificial one would answer the purpose. Mrs. Barrington had made some appeals, but this new plan was a decided success. The girls were gay and eager with delight, and wonder who of the young men of the town would be asked.
Mrs. Barrington called Lilian in her room and spoke of the party, giving her a special invitation.
”It is very kind of you,” the girl answered, ”and I hope you will not think me ungrateful if I decline. I am not used to gayeties of this kind, and”--with a smile--”I have no party dress.”