CHAPTER XVIII
The Loyal School League
Avelyn went back to school in a serious frame of mind. She knew that shehad undertaken a big thing, and, though she mentally set her teeth andmeant to grapple with it, she felt that her dear Lavender Lady didnot--could not--realize all the difficulties that lay in her path. MissCarrington's supreme faith in her buoyed her up, however; she would tryher utmost, and if failure came---- No! the Lavender Lady had said itwas fatal even to mention failure, and that she must go about her errandabsolutely determined to succeed.
She began by sounding the members of her own dormitory. They receivedthe suggestion with wonderful favour.
"The school's been slack enough at games all the winter!" commentedIrma.
"Time it bucked up, certainly!" agreed Janet.
"That Hawthorners' Hockey Club was a scandal!" said Laura.
"Well, if we don't take care they'll be turning it into a tennis clubfor the summer," warned Avelyn.
"We'd better make some sort of a move," grunted Ethelberga.
"It's Adah that's at the bottom of all the trouble," said Laura, sittingon the floor with her arms clasped round her knees, and swayingthoughtfully to and fro. "Adah's a thorough old-fashioned Silversider,and hates the new contingent--that's the matter in a nutshell."
"Isobel and Consie and even Joyce would come round directly if Adahwould only let them," agreed Irma.
"And Annie and Gladys would meet them half-way," nodded Janet.
"Adah's the most ripping tennis-player I know," ruminated Laura.
"And so's Annie. She won the trophy last year at The Hawthorns."
"The two together would make the best champions any school ever had."
"Well, look here, they've just _got_ to go together!"
"I've an idea--a brain wave!" said Avelyn. "The Council Meeting will beto-morrow. Well, this afternoon let us propose a tennis set, 'Schoolversus Mistresses'. Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin are simply A1 attennis, and everybody knows they are, so we'll insist upon Adah andAnnie playing together for the school. They can't refuse when it's putlike that. Whether they win or lose, it'll pave the way for what we wantto bring forward to-morrow."
"Right you are, O Queen! It's a blossomy idea!"
Avelyn got up, and straightened her tie.
"I'll go down now to the dressing-room, and catch those day girls asthey come in, and have a talk with some of them."
"And I'll go and sound Miss Peters about the set this afternoon. She'sin a good temper to-day, because she's had a letter from the front."
Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin, fresh and fit after the holidays, werequite disposed to accept the challenge of the girls and wield rackets onbehalf of the mistresses. Universal public opinion fixed upon Adah andAnnie as champions for the school, and they submitted, a littlebewildered and dismayed, but bowled over by the suddenness of thesuggestion. Every girl at Silverside--except three victims who had musiclessons and one who had toothache--crowded round the tennis court towatch the exciting contest. Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin wereformidable opponents; they had been members of their college clubs, andthough slightly out of practice had not forgotten their former skill.The two prefects knew that it would need their utmost ability to fightthem. With the whole school looking on, each nerved herself to do herbest.
In the first game the Mistresses scored. Miss Peters's serves seemedalmost invincible, and as for Miss Broadwin her arms were elastic. Adahand Annie looked at each other grimly. They had begun to take theiropponents' measure, and also to estimate each other's play. In the nextgame they exercised extreme caution, and did not repeat certainmistakes. After an exciting rally the score this time fell to theSchool.
"Now for the tussle!" laughed Miss Peters, as she collected balls.
Adah could not help admiring the way Annie played that last game. Shekept her nerve splendidly, and her back-hand strokes were magnificent.For an anxious moment or two the luck of the School trembled in thebalance, but by a frantic effort on the part of the prefects the set wassecured. The vanquished Mistresses took their defeat sportingly, andcongratulated the victors.
"One of the best sets we've ever had at Silverside!" declared MissBroadwin, pinning up a tail of hair that had strayed down her back inthe heat of the combat.
"If you two go on like this you'll be invincible!" laughed Miss Peters."You need to get a little more accustomed to each other's play, andyou'd make splendid champions."
"You were both absolutely topping!" declared the school, crowding round.
Adah took her honours stolidly, but appreciated them none the less.After all, it was pleasant to be congratulated by the day girls; it madeup in some slight degree for the humiliation of that afternoon when theyhad run away rather than witness the dramatic performance.
"We must practise together," she said to Annie; and Annie actuallyreplied:
"I could stay half an hour every day after school, if you like."
This amnesty between the rivals, heard and reported by severallisteners, surely seemed to pave the way for tomorrow's proposals.Avelyn's mental barometer stood at "high hopes".
The Council Meeting was always held in the big schoolroom, and, byold-established rule, classes stopped at 3.30 instead of 4, so as toallow extra time for the proceedings. No mistresses were present, andthe girls, within certain limits, were allowed to make any arrangementsthey thought fit for the ensuing term. The prefects took their places onthe platform, and Adah, as head girl, acted chairman.
The room was very full. On the front benches sat rows of round-eyedyoungsters, bare-legged, in the prevailing fashion for socks, with theirhair tied with broad ribbons. Behind them were excitable pig-tailedjuniors, wriggling restlessly in their seats, and continually lettingtheir whispers rise to a murmur that called down rebuke from theplatform. These were as sheep ready to follow any leader, and did notunderstand the objects of the meeting. They had come simply because theywere told to do so, and because they thought it would be fun. The largerhalf of the school, girls from twelve to seventeen, were in a state ofindecision. It had been rumoured that Annie Broadside intended to turnthe Old Hawthorners' Hockey Club into a tennis club for the summer, andthere was in certain quarters a strong feeling that they ought tosupport her. They wondered what was going to happen. Avelyn, with Laura,Janet, Irma, Ethelberga, Pamela, and several other "backers", sat at theend underneath the clock.
Adah began the proceedings by reading a report of the school activitiesfor the previous term. She made the very best of what she had to say,but it was felt to be a poor record. The societies and guilds had beendecidedly languishing, and had achieved next to nothing. It wasimpossible to refer to them with any pride. There was perfunctoryclapping, markedly half-hearted.
"Now we've got to decide on what we're going to do this term," continuedAdah. "I suppose we shall have our usual societies--the Tennis Club, andthe Cricket Club, and the Photographic Union. If anybody wants to makeany suggestions, now is the time. This is an open meeting, and everyonewho likes is at liberty to speak--in turn, of course. There may be somelittle points you'd like to bring up. Do so by all means. We prefectsare perfectly willing to listen to you, and to discuss them."
Adah spoke in her usual rather patronizing fashion. Her words weresucceeded by a dead hush. Everybody felt that there were not only littlepoints, but very big points which needed to be raised, yet nobody seemedable to voice the general discontent. A whisper passed along some of theforms to the effect that day girls ought to have their rights. Adahwatched the heads bent together and the moving lips.
"Speak to the chair, please!" she reminded them.
But at that they sat up silently.
Many of the audience wondered if Annie would take up the cudgels for theday girls and fight the question out upon the platform, but Annie madeno sign. Was she thinking of the Old Hawthorners' League, and would sheperhaps again call a rival meeting on the common, as she had done in theautumn?
"Am I to take it that you consid
er former arrangements satisfactory?"asked Adah, frowning at some of the babies, who were playing with acelluloid ball.
Then Avelyn stood up.
"I should like very much to discuss one or two points, if I may," shebegan.
"Certainly! Go on!"
"Well, first of all I think we ought all to be rather ashamed of thereport. For such a big school I certainly think we ought to have farmore to show for ourselves."
Several of the prefects nodded, and began to look interested.
"There are nearly a hundred girls here this term, and we may callourselves the principal school in Harlingden. We ought to take quite aplace in the county, and challenge other schools for matches. We haven'tshone very much in games hitherto, have we?"
A discontented murmur replied from the benches. There was an electricthrill in the air. Avelyn took courage. At first her sentences had comehesitatingly; now that she warmed to her subject, her words flowed moreeasily. She had a sudden feeling that the Lavender Lady was thinking ofher and inspiring her; the idea roused the utmost effort of which shewas capable. She determined to speak boldly, and not beat about thebush. If she gave offence she could not help it.
"What we want here is a spirit of union. If we all determine to sticktogether and back one another up at all costs, we might do great things.Don't let us have two parties. Let us forget any old squabbles, and beloyal to the school. I believe we've heaps of talent amongst us if itonly gets a chance to come out. Let's remodel our societies on a newbasis, and give the best places to whoever will gain the most credit forthe school. Why shouldn't we try this year for the County Shield? Withtwo such champions as Adah Gartley and Annie Broadside we ought to havea sporting chance. Just think if we could win the shield for Silverside!Then there's cricket. We can muster up strongly in that respect, too.Joyce Edwards, and Minnie Selburn, and Gladys Wilks, and Maggie Stuartwould take a good deal of beating! We could get up a first-rate Eleven,and arrange some topping matches. Think how priceless it would be to goand watch them, and cheer on our own side!"
Avelyn paused for breath. She had spoken warmly, and the excitement hadquite carried her away. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes wereshining. She had held the attention of the room with a kind ofmagnetism. All faces had been turned towards her, and her every word hadbeen closely followed.
The girls now burst into a buzz of general conversation. Each wanted todiscuss the matter with her neighbour. It was plain that the projectwas received with approval. Even the prefects were having a few privateremarks among themselves. Joyce and Isobel in particular were noddingemphatically as if urging the project upon Adah. Annie whispered toGladys, and they both spoke to Consie. All were looking expectantlytowards Adah. The head girl rang the bell for silence.
"What you say is very true. Silverside ought to take its proper place ingames, and I think we all agree that a special effort should be madethis summer. As this is a business meeting, will you please put what youwish to suggest in the form of a proposition?"
"Certainly. I beg to propose that we form a 'Loyal School League', theobject of which shall be to advance in every way the credit ofSilverside. We ought to have a President and several Vice-presidents,and a Committee, with two representatives from each of the upper forms.If any very important question arises we should have a Council Meetingof the whole school, and put the matter to the vote. I also proposethat, for the sake of further cementing our unity, we adopt a new badge,and have for our colours pale-blue, pink, and navy. It would be aneffective combination, and would mean a good deal to most of us. Wewould pledge ourselves to do our utmost for the new Silverside Colours."
As Avelyn again stopped, a roar of applause rose from the room. Thegirls were completely carried away by her idea; the blending of thebadges seemed the one thing needed to unite the school. Though a fewprejudiced "Old Silversiders", including Adah, looked rather blank, themajority, even among the boarders, were plainly in favour of thesuggested change.
"Does anybody second this proposition?" asked the head girl. "Weprefects want to hear the view of the school."
A dozen stood up, anxious to speak. Adah nodded to Laura Talbot. Laurahad been at Silverside five years, and was a dependable character, noteasily carried away by tides of emotion. Her ideas might reasonably bethe gauge of average popular opinion.
"I've been thinking for a long time that we ought to do something," saidLaura. "It seems to me that a 'Loyal School League' just hits the nail.I believe we'll forge ahead this term and win laurels for our newcolours. I have very great pleasure in seconding this proposition."
"Then I put it to the vote. All in favour kindly hold up their hands."
Every arm in the room shot up instantly. Adah looked at the waving showof hands before her, and realized that the general feeling of the schoolfavoured unity. She had the sense to accept the situation in a generousspirit.
"Carried unanimously!" she declared, and turning round, smiled at Annie,who smiled back. The girls cheered, ostensibly at the carrying of theresolution, but partly to see the rival leaders on such affable terms.
"We want a president, and I propose Adah!" shouted Ethelberga.
"And the rest of the prefects as vice-presidents!" amended Janet.
"Hear, hear!" came from the audience.
"And I," said Pamela, jumping up suddenly, "beg to propose that Avelyn,who suggested the whole idea of the League, shall be elected secretary."
"Rather!"
"Good biz!"
"Ave, by all means!"
"Oh, no, please! I don't want to grab any office for myself!" protestedAvelyn.
"Nonsense! Brace up, child, for you'll have to do it!" urged Laura."Why, you've brought about the whole business. Besides, you belong toboth parties, so you'll bind us together as nobody else could."
"The missing link, in fact!" hinnied Irma, trying to be funny.
The meeting passed the remaining resolutions in good order, then brokeup in a whirl of excited talk. A deputation of prefects visited MissThompson's study, and gave her a digest of the afternoon's proceedings.She listened approvingly.
"I'll order the new badges at once, and see about hiring a largercricket field," she commented.
The Principal did not judge it discreet to say more to the girls, butover cocoa that evening with the mistresses she voiced hersatisfaction.
"I knew they'd come round in time if we let them alone. You can't forcethese things. I suppose it was only natural that the old school and thenew should find some difficulty in mingling. Girls are queer creatures,and often very prejudiced. It won't have done them any harm to see whata poor record they made in games when they were striving for rivalfactions. I consider it an excellent object lesson. I expect they'll alltry their best now, and practise away hard at cricket and tennis."
"I hoped it marked a new era when I saw Adah and Annie win that set attennis," nodded Miss Peters.
"They're both excellent girls in their way, and should do great thingsfor the school, if they'll only pull together," agreed Miss Hopkins.
Avelyn spent her half-hour of leisure that evening in writing to MissCarrington.
"DARLING LAVENDER LADY,
"I have actually done it! Or rather, _you_ have done it, for it was entirely your idea. I can scarcely believe it is true, but the League is an accomplished fact, and the new colours, and all your dear jinky suggestions. I don't know how I had the cheek to stand on my legs and make the proposal before the whole school, but I thought of my promise to you, and I did it somehow. I hardly remember what I said. The girls are tremendously keen on the League; they say it's a topping notion. Can you believe it, darling? they've made me secretary. Little me! I shall have to write the letters to other schools, challenging them to matches! I shall use the lovely new blotter you gave me.
"Good-bye, and thank you a hundred thousand times for everything you are to me!
"With love from "Your devoted "AVELYN."