CHAPTER VI
A GLORIOUS PROSPECT
"Hail, the conquering heroine comes!" cried Rhoda Hammond, as Nanentered the room.
"I see she didn't eat you up," remarked Bess with a smile.
"I suppose you are disappointed," laughed Nan, as she threw herself intoa chair. "It would have been delightfully exciting if she had, wouldn'tit? But talking of eating, let me have some of those chocolates, youstingy thing."
The last remark was addressed to Laura, who languidly took up the box ofconfections and handed it over to Nan.
"Where's Grace?" asked Nan, as she helped herself and cast her eyes overthe group.
The question was answered by Grace herself, who at that moment burstinto the room, waving a letter excitedly in her hand.
"Oh, girls, what do you think?" she exclaimed breathlessly.
"We never think," drawled Laura. "At least, my teachers tell me that Inever do."
"Has some distant relative died and left you a fortune?" hazarded Bess.
"Better than that," cried Grace jubilantly.
"Can anything be better than that?" queried Laura.
"Tell us, Grace," adjured Nan. "Don't keep us on the anxious seat."
"I'm going to Palm Beach!" exclaimed Grace joyously. "Do you hear,girls? I'm going to Palm Beach for the winter holidays!"
The girls sprang up at the news and crowded around Grace.
"Palm Beach!" gasped Rhoda almost breathlessly.
"Why, Gracie Mason!" exclaimed Nan, "you must be talking in your sleep."
"You don't really and truly mean Palm Beach, Florida?" cried Laura,nearly choking on the big chocolate that slipped down her throat at theastounding news.
"I really mean Palm Beach, Florida," reiterated Grace, thoroughlyenjoying the sensation she had created.
"Oh, you lucky, lucky girl!" breathed Bess, who until now had seemed toostunned by the news to utter a word.
"Lucky. Well, I should say," chimed in Laura. "Some people are bornlucky, and Grace Mason is the luckiest of them all."
"How I wish I could go with you!" mourned Rhoda enviously.
"You can just guess we all wish that," acquiesced Nan. "You surely wereborn with a golden spoon in your mouth, Grace."
"It has been the dream of my life to go to Palm Beach," put in Rhoda.
"Now, Grace, just sit down here and tell us all about it," commandedNan. "Every syllable. Do you hear?"
She piloted Grace to the biggest chair in the room and seated herself onone arm of it, while the others clustered around as closely as possible.
"Well," began Grace, "mother and dad have been thinking about it forsome time, but they wouldn't tell us about it until the last minutebecause they wanted to surprise us. Just as soon as I got the news, Iflew right over here to tell you girls about it."
"It's too splendid!" exclaimed Laura. "Where are you going to stay whileyou are there? Or perhaps it's too early to have settled that yet."
"At the Royal Poinciana," replied Grace happily. "Oh, my!"
"The Royal Poinciana!" exclaimed all the girls in one breath.
"Why, Grace," marveled Rhoda. "That's the very swellest hotel even inPalm Beach."
"Well, what of that?" smiled Grace. "Can't we go to the swellest hotelif we want to?--and if dad's cash holds out?"
"No reason in the world, if you're lucky enough to be able to," wasRhoda's envious reply. "It costs a small fortune to live there even fora short time, as I suppose you know."
"I suppose," chaffed Laura, "that you'll be so stuck up when you getback that you won't speak to your old friends."
"No danger of that," laughed Grace, as she looked lovingly about at theeager faces of her friends.
"How long are you going to stay?" queried Nan.
"I don't know yet," answered Grace slowly. "The holidays last for onlytwo weeks, you know, and mother and dad are so anxious that I shouldn'tlose anything of my school course that they'll probably send me back atthe end of the two weeks, though they may stay a little longer. I onlywish the holidays were four weeks long instead of two."
"How are you ever coming back after two weeks of that sort of life?"asked Laura. "If I were only lucky enough once to get there I'd neverwant to come back."
"Just think of what _fun_ you can have there," remarked Bess Harley. "Isuppose you'll play tennis. What joy to be able to play tennis and getyour nose sunburned in the middle of winter. Think of you playing tennisin Palm Beach sunshine while we are shivering around fires."
"And golf?" suggested Nan.
"Not that," laughed Grace. "I don't know a mashie from a cleek."
"Of course there'll be boating," suggested Bess.
"And bathing," added Laura with emphasis. "Oh, Grace, I'm just dying ofenvy! Think of bathing in January with the water as warm as it is herein August!"
"Take care you don't get drowned, Gracie," warned Nan, in mockseriousness. "And look out for sharks. I hear that they're seenoccasionally at Palm Beach."
"For goodness' sake, Nan!" cried Laura reprovingly, "don't even suggestanything unpleasant in connection with that celestial spot. There'snothing to be found there but pure, unalloyed bliss."
"Only think of the dances at the hotel!" said Bess, with shining eyes.
"And the fellows," put in Laura mischievously. "Oh, Grace, Grace, whatopportunities for sitting out dances on those wonderful balconies!"
"And the long strolls in the moonlight," added Nan, giving Grace a nudgewith her elbow.
"Or sitting on the beach with some eligible young millionaire, listeningto the waves beating on the sand," teased Rhoda.
"Oh, it's all too wonderful!" exclaimed Laura, suddenly starting up andpulling Grace out of the chair.
Forgetting the lateness of the hour, she started in a mad whirl aboutthe room.
"Hush!" cautioned Nan, as a firm footfall was heard in the corridor.
In a twinkling two motionless forms lay in Nan's bed. Rhoda had switchedoff the light, and the high backs of chairs and sofa hid crouchingfigures, while the almost too regular breathing of the supposed sleeperswas the only sound to be heard when the door opened and the severe andangular form of Mrs. Cupp stood outlined in the dim light from thecorridor.