CHAPTER XX
THE MUSICAL
It was the morning of the musical and the day before Commencement.Lessons were over for the year, and all the girls were in a high stateof holiday excitement.
Connie's name was on the program twice, the first time for a two pianopiece with Nora Peters, and the second for a very difficult sonata byherself. The professor had promised that if she were encored, she mightplay one of her own compositions. So Connie, full of thrills, practicednight and day.
Angela, left to herself, joined forces with Betty and together withPolly and Lois they were always at the service of the Senior class. Theywere kept pretty busy, running errands and doing the dozen and onethings that were to be done before the musical.
Just now they were sitting on the floor of the assembly room platform,waiting for orders. The Seniors had their hands full with thedecorations and were transforming the dignified old room into a bower ofgreens and dogwood.
Madelaine Ames approached Louise with a very worried expression on herusually smiling face.
"We haven't half enough branches," she complained. "We need loads moredogwood. Can't Polly and Lois get some for us?"
"Hush!" cautioned Louise, for they were within ear-shot of the fourgirls. "Don't you realize that their hands mustn't be all scratched up?Ask Bet and Angela."
Madelaine crossed the platform to where the four sat in mystifiedsilence, for they had overheard every word of the conversation betweenthe two older girls.
"Betty," she called, "will you and Angela get us some more big branchesof dogwood or apple blossoms? Those stupid Sofs brought in only littletwigs. Take one of the stable boys with you to do the heavy work foryou. You know about the size we want."
"Of course we will," answered Betty, "and we'll bring you the trees backif you want them," she called as they disappeared. On their way to thestables Angela said:
"I'd like to know what Lo and Poll are having their hands saved for."
As she said it, Polly and Lois, still on the platform, were wonderingthe same thing.
"Can't we do something for you?" Lois asked presently, trying to lookunconscious.
"Yes, if you will," Louise answered. "I'm worried to death about myCommencement dress; it hasn't come yet. Will you go down to theexpress-room and see if there's a package for me?"
"If there is, hadn't we better open it and shake the wrinkles out ofyour dress?" suggested Polly.
"Do, please, and I'll love you even more than I do now," promisedLouise.
The box had arrived, and as the two girls untied it and took out thecountless wads of tissue-paper, they discussed the subject uppermost intheir minds.
"What did Louise mean about our hands, Lo?" Polly demanded.
"Perhaps it's something to do with the musical," answered Lois, slowlysmoothing out the creamy white sleeve.
"They'd hardly be so particular about that," mused Polly, "and yet itcouldn't be anything to do with Commencement."
"N-no." Lois hesitated as she crumpled up a piece of tissue-paper into atight ball. "Still, I can't help thinking that no one has been chosen tocarry the ribbons on Commencement."
"But we couldn't do that," Polly objected. "We're Freshmen and you knowyou told me they always choose two girls from their sister class."
"They always have, but everything is so upside down this year thatnothing would surprise me. The Sofs are cross because the Seniors didn'treturn their party."
"Don't let's think about it. Goodness, I feel just the way I did beforethe sub team was chosen."
"All right. I guess we'd better go and tell Louise that her dress ishere."
"I do wish we hadn't overheard anything about our hands, though, for,try as I will, I can't get it out of my head," Polly remarked as theywere on their way back to the Assembly Hall.
"Cheer up, we'll soon know," Lois reminded her. As they entered the roomshe called:
"It's here, Louise, and it's a perfect darling. It's all foamy lace andribbons and looks just like soda-water."
"Thank you so much," Louise said. "I'm ever so much obliged."
"By the way, as we came over the Bridge of Sighs, we saw the florist'scart in the driveway. Don't you want us to bring up the flowers?" Pollyinquired.
"Oh, please do, and fix them in these," Louise replied, pointing tothree large glass vases.
The arrangement of the big American beauties which were to decorate theplatform occupied the girls until luncheon time.
A few minutes before the bell rang, Angela and Betty returned, ladendown with dogwood and apple blossoms. When they had deposited theirburden and were standing with Polly and Lois, three of the Seniorsjoined them. Mary Reeves was one of them, and as she put her arm onBetty's shoulder she said:
"We certainly can't thank you girls enough for all you've done, butinstead of giving you a rest, we are going to ask for more. Will you beushers for us this afternoon and see about bringing in the flowers tothe girls who are to take part in the musical? All the boxes will be putin the history-room and the cards will be on them."
"All you will have to do," continued Florence Guile, "is to bring themin and give them to the girls they're for, after they have finishedtheir stunt. Will you do it for us?" she asked, smiling.
"Certainly we will," Betty replied.
"Don't try to pretend it's a favor to you," laughed Lois. "You know wejust love to do it."
"I know you are all ducks, and I don't know what we would have donewithout you," Florence told them just as the luncheon bell rang.
When the girls had taken their seats at the table, Polly whispered toLois:
"You see, it's all explained. It was for the musical."
"You are all wrong," contradicted Betty, who had overheard the whisper."It's still a mystery; you forget Angela and I are going to help thisafternoon, too, and I didn't notice anybody getting excited over _our_hands."
"I never thought of that. I guess you're right, Bet," Lois agreed, andshe and Polly exchanged puzzled glances mixed with a new hope.
The next couple of hours were full to overflowing. The corridors werecrowded with fluffy beribboned girls all talking at once.
"Some one button me up!"
"Who took my shoe horn?"
"Tie my hair ribbon for me, please!"
"I can't find my only pair of silk stockings!" and other such demands.
About half past three the first carriages from the station that werebringing the visitors began to arrive. Every one was doing a favor forsome one else, or greeting friends and relatives. Such happy excitementprevailed everywhere that the school resembled a cage of flutteringbutterflies.
At four o'clock the recital began. Seddon Hall was renowned for itsmusic. Some of the girls played remarkably well, and there were a numberof beautiful voices.
Connie had to give not only one encore, but two, and it was her owncomposition that called forth the heartiest applause.
Polly, Lois, Angela and Betty were kept busy bringing in big bunches ofviolets, roses and lilies-of-the-valley. After Edith Thornton had sungtwo funny little Irish songs and the audience had stopped theirenthusiastic applause, Louise Preston rose to give the farewell addressin the name of the Seniors.
With clear well-chosen words she told of her class's love for SeddonHall, its influence for good on all who entered it, the ever-readysympathy of its dearly loved superior, Mrs. Baird, and ended with theregret they all felt at leaving. It was a triumph of beautiful thoughtstold in beautiful English.
After the thunders of applause there was hardly a dry eye in the room,and Polly and Lois were crying quite shamelessly, as they brought in themany bouquets to their Senior president.
Suddenly every one began to talk, praise, and congratulations were inthe air. The musical was over. The visitors left for the hotel in thevillage, where they were to spend the night so as to be on hand forCommencement. The girls returned to their corridors to change theirfluffy dresses for more comfortable ones and then to wander about thehall, discussing the re
cital and waiting for the bell.
After dinner they walked about the grounds in small groups, singingschool songs and farewells to the Seniors. When they came in they spentthe rest of the evening visiting from room to room and packing trunks.
The Seniors had built a bonfire on the side of the gym farthest awayfrom the school. As the twilight deepened, their shadows lengthened asthey sat around the blaze, and their thoughts turned back to the past.They were burning their old notebooks and papers.
"Well, it's all over," sighed Madelaine Ames, throwing her historyexamination into the fire. "But what a year it's been!"
"We've beaten last year's class average in marks," announced a voicefrom the shadow. "The Spartan told me so."
"Disagreeable, funny old Spartan! I'll even miss her," murmured some oneelse.
"We've been popular, too, I think," mused another voice.
"Louise's name will be on the cup twice as basket-ball captain." It wasMary Reeves speaking. "And no one will ever say Field Day wasn't thefinest game in years."
There was silence for a few minutes and then Madelaine said:
"Wonder what the next class will be like?"
Florence Guile was gazing into the fire.
"Not much, I'm afraid," she drawled. "They're too studious."
"I've been here four years, and it breaks my heart to leave," Louisespoke for the first time.
"It isn't as bad for you and Florence as it is for the rest of us," someone answered. "You're both going to college next spring--lucky dogs--whilewe will have to go in for society--awful thought."
"But college won't be Seddon Hall," Louise replied. "Wonder if they'llmiss us?"
"The Freshmen will. Oh, what a class they're going to make when they areSeniors! I hope they all come back," Mary Reeves exclaimed.
"That reminds me--What about telling Polly and Lois about tomorrow?"demanded Louise. "Mrs. Baird said to wait until after the musical. Sheagrees with us that none of the 'Sofs' will do, but she doesn't wantthem to have time to grumble."
"We forgot all about it," Madelaine gasped. "You and Florence go and askthem now, they adore you. But hurry back," she called as the two girlsstarted for the school.
Polly and Lois were in the latter's room amid confusion, heaps ofclothes, shoes, and books. Polly was curled up on the bed brushing herhair, and Lois was sitting on the window seat, her elbow on her knee andher chin cradled in her hand. They were discussing the prospects of thenext winter without the Seniors.
Polly had just given vent to a deep sigh and the words:
"It will never be quite the same without them."
And Lois was saying:
"Fancy the Senior table without Louise," when they were interrupted by aknock on the door.
"Come in," called Polly, and Florence and Louise entered the room.
"I've come to thank you two precious infants for that beautiful basketof flowers," Louise began. "It was mighty thoughtful of you, and I doappreciate it so much."
Lois and Polly were so confused by the sudden entrance of the verypersons they had been talking about that they could only stammer:
"Oh, it wasn't anything, really!"
"But we've something more important than that to say," Florenceannounced, and then waited for Louise to break the news.
Polly and Lois exchanged glances.
"It's another favor," laughed Louise. "Do you think you could act asribbon girls for us tomorrow?" Then pretending not to hear the joyfulgasps of surprise, she continued: "You'll have to come down to churchtomorrow morning when we rehearse the procession and we'll show you whatto do. Will you do that for us?"
It had come, and though both girls had half expected it, it was atremendous surprise.
"Oh, Louise, you know we'd love to do it!" cried Lois.
"It's most too good to be true," Polly exclaimed excitedly, then verysolemnly she added to Florence: "To think we will really help yougraduate! It's the most thrilling thing that ever happened to me in mywhole life!"
"I'm so glad you will do it for us," smiled Florence, and turning toLouise she added: "We'd better go back to the girls. I think they'll bewaiting for us. It's almost time to serenade Mrs. Baird."
Polly and Lois, left alone, could do nothing but look at each other. Atlast Lois gave a thoroughly contented sigh.
"Who says we're not in luck?" she asked.
"It's a perfect ending to a perfect year," replied Polly, putting herarm around her friend. "You know--"
"Hush!" whispered Lois. "They're singing!"
They opened the window and leaned far out upon the ledge. Through thewarm night air came the sound of the Seniors' voices singing their lastfarewell, beneath Mrs. Baird's window, in accordance with the old SeddonHall custom.