CHAPTER XX
A WELCOME GUEST
The meeting in the library the next day, followed by a social session atVinton's, resulted in the enthusiastic organization of the societyproposed by Grace. As had been suggested, every girl had brought withher a slip of paper on which was written the name she had selected forthe society. Arline collected the names and read each one in turn to theassembled girls.
"Which one do you like best?" she asked, looking from one to another ofher friends.
"The first one," said Miriam Nesbit.
"So do I," echoed half a dozen voices.
"'Semper Fidelis,'" repeated Grace musingly. "I like the sound of that,too. Who proposed that name?"
"I did," admitted Emma Dean. "I thought it might stand for our motto aswell. It means 'always faithful,' you know. That applies to us, doesn'tit?"
"Of course we shall be always faithful to our cause," declared Grace."All those in favor of the name Semper Fidelis, please manifest it byholding up their right hands."
Twelve right hands were raised simultaneously.
"That settles it," stated Grace. "From now on we are the Semper Fidelisgirls. Let us lose no time in leaving the sacred precincts of thelibrary for Vinton's. We can make more noise there."
After the second sundae all around had been disposed of the societysettled down to business. It was decided that the club should be apurely social affair. Arline was chosen for president, Grace forvice-president and Gertrude Wells as secretary and treasurer. There wasto be no special day set aside for meetings. A meeting might be calledat any time at the united request of three members. The sole object ofthe club was to extend a helping hand to the young women who were makingpraiseworthy efforts to put themselves through college. The foremostduty of the society would be to ascertain the names of these girls andoffer them pecuniary assistance. Arline had written her father for thepromised check for five hundred dollars, which would be deposited in thebank in Gertrude Wells's name as soon as it arrived.
"I might as well tell you now that I wrote and asked Pa for a check inspite of what Grace said," confessed Elfreda rather sheepishly.
"I might as well confess that I mentioned the club idea to Mother," saidMiriam. "I didn't ask her for a check, but I wouldn't be astonished ifshe sent one in her next letter."
"You two girls are traitors to the cause," laughed Grace. "Perhaps youwill be disappointed."
"I won't," asserted Elfreda boldly. "Pa might as well help us as any oneelse. I told him so, too."
"The important question is what can we do to earn money for our cause?"asked Grace.
"We might give a play," said Miriam Nesbit. "Anne can star in it. Ishould like to have the Overton girls see her at her best."
"I don't wish to be seen 'at my best,'" protested Anne. "I want theother girls to have a chance, too. Why not give a vaudeville show? Graceand Miriam can dance. Elfreda can give imitations. There are plenty ofthings we can do. We will advertise the show in all the campus houses,and each one of us must pledge ourselves to sell a certain number oftickets. I think we would be allowed to use Music Hall for the show, andif we could sell tickets enough to fill it, even comfortably, it wouldmean quite a sum of money for our treasury. We might charge fifty centsfor admittance, or, if you think that is too much, we might put theprice down to twenty-five cents."
"I think we had better charge fifty cents," said Elfreda shrewdly. "Itwill be as easy for those who come to pay fifty cents as to paytwenty-five. We might as well have the other quarter as Vinton's orMartell's."
"Elfreda, you are a brilliant and valuable addition to this society,"commended Arline. "I agree with you. We are likely to reap almost asmany half dollars as quarters."
"We might give an act from one of Shakespeare's plays," remarkedGertrude Wells doubtfully. "Still, I think it would be more fun to havejust stunts. Those of us who know any ought to be willing to comeforward and do them. We can ask some of the upper class girls to help.Beatrice Alden sings; so does Frances Marlton. Mabel Ashe can do almostany kind of fancy dancing. There is plenty of talent in college. Thejunior glee club will sing for us, I am sure.
"We can make it a regular vaudeville entertainment, and have postersannouncing each number. We can have two girls, costumed as pages, tobring out and remove the posters announcing the numbers."
"That's a good idea," approved Arline. "I can sing baby and little-girlsongs and dance a little. I might sing one to fill in."
"You are engaged to sing one the first time you come to see me," laughedGrace. "Here is talent of which we never dreamed. I knew you could sing,but you never before confessed to being a real song and dance artist."
"We shall have all 'headliners in our show,' as the billboardadvertisements beautifully put it," commented Miriam. "I wish Eleanorwere here, don't you, Grace? Then Anne could recite 'Enoch Arden.'"
"Who is Eleanor, and why can't Anne recite 'Enoch Arden' without her?"were Elsie Wilton's curious inquiries.
"The 'Eleanor' we speak of is in Italy, studying music, or was the lasttime we heard from her. She used to live in Oakdale and is one of ourdearest friends. She arranged music to be played during Anne's recitalof 'Enoch Arden.' They gave it at a concert at home and it was atremendous success."
"I wish she were to be here to our show, then," said Arline plaintively."We would feature her. What's her other name?"
"Savelli," replied Grace quickly.
"Eleanor Savelli, the famous Italian pianiste," announced Arline, bowingto an imaginary audience. "Her name is the same as that of Savelli, thegreat virtuoso, isn't it?"
"He is her father," said Grace simply.
A little murmur of astonishment went up.
"Oh, if she had only come to Overton instead of going to Italy!" sighedElizabeth Wade. "I heard Savelli play at a concert three years ago. Ishall never forget him."
"We were awfully disappointed," interposed Miriam. "Eleanor's father wasto tour America this winter, but changed his mind. There was talk of aspring tour, but we haven't heard from Eleanor for over a month, so wedon't know whether there is any possibility of his sailing for America.If he did come to this country, Eleanor would be sure to accompany him.She has promised us that."
"There is no use in wishing for the impossible, children," said EmmaDean briskly, rising from the table and beginning to put on her coat."There is also no use in being late for dinner. In spite of thisbounteous repast," she indicated the empty sundae glasses, "I yearn forMrs. Elwood's simple but infinitely more satisfying fare. It's almostsix o'clock. Those that are going with me, hurry up."
"We must have another meeting within the next two or three days,"declared Grace. "Can all of you girls come to our room next Fridayevening? In the meantime we will arrange a programme which will bebrought before the club for approval at our next meeting. Don't any ofyou fail to be there."
As the Wayne Hall girls flocked in the front door that night, Mrs.Elwood met them with: "Miss Harlowe, there is a young lady in the livingroom, waiting for you. She's been there almost an hour."
"For me?" inquired Grace in surprise. "I'll go in at once."
An instant later the girls heard a delighted little cry of "Eleanor, youdear thing!" Then Grace sprang to the door, exclaiming: "Girls, girls!come in here at once. You can never guess who is here!"
At the cry of "Eleanor," Miriam and Anne, who were half way upstairs,ran down again and into the living room. They were followed by Elfreda,who paused on the stairs, then turned and went slowly up to her room."Last year I wouldn't have known enough to go on about my business," shemuttered as she walked stolidly into her room and sat down on the end ofthe couch.
Ten minutes later Miriam burst into the room with: "Come downstairs,Elfreda. Don't you want to meet Eleanor? You know you have said so everso many times. She's very anxious to meet you."
"Of course I want to meet her," returned Elfreda with a short,embarrassed laugh. "This room is the place for me, though, until you areready to introduce me. Are you sure you wan
t me to go downstairs?"
"You funny girl," laughed Miriam. "Of course we want you. We have justbeen telling Eleanor about you. She hasn't time to come upstairs now,for her father is waiting for her at the 'Tourraine.' He is going backto New York City to-night. He has a concert to-morrow. Grace, Anne and Iare going to dine with them. I'm sorry I can't take you along, butperhaps he will come again to Overton. Eleanor is going to stay a weeklonger if we can coax her to remain. She is traveling with her father.We must hurry downstairs, for Eleanor is to meet her father at half-pastsix o'clock, and it is a quarter-past now."
Elfreda shook hands with Eleanor almost timidly. She was deeplyimpressed with the latter's exquisite beauty.
"So this is Elfreda," smiled Eleanor, patting the stout girl's hand. "Ihave learned to know you through the letters my friends have written me.I feel as though you were an old friend."
"It's awfully nice in you to say so," murmured Elfreda, her eyes shiningwith pleasure.
"Won't you go with us to the 'Tourraine'?" asked Eleanor sweetly. "Iwould like to have you meet my father."
"Thank you," almost gasped Elfreda. "I'd love to meet him, but Ithink--"
"Never mind thinking," interrupted Eleanor, gayly. "Just hurry into yourwraps and come along. We'll wait for you."
"That's sweet in you, Eleanor," said Grace in a low tone as Elfreda ranupstairs. "She was wild to go with us. She has worshipped you ever sincewe showed her your picture. She has heard your father play, too, andconsiders him the greatest violinist living."
"I suspected she wished to be included in the invitation," smiledEleanor. "I imagine I am going to like her very much."
Guido Savelli had engaged a private dining room at the "Tourraine" forhis young guests. He welcomed them with true Latin enthusiasm, and tosee him seated at the head of the table one would never have suspectedhim to be the moody, temperamental genius whose playing had made himfamous in two continents. When the time came to leave the hotel for thetrain he was escorted to the station by an admiring bodyguard of fiveyoung women.
"Remember, you have promised to visit Overton again before you leave NewYork," reminded Grace as he walked down the station platform betweenGrace and Eleanor.
"He will," declared Eleanor. "I shall make him come back to Overton forme. Good-bye, Father. Take care of yourself. Remember to go for yourwalk every day, won't you? He's the nicest father," she said softly asthe little group turned to leave the station after the train had gone."Now take me to your house and let us have an old-fashioned gossip. Ihave so much to tell you, and I want to hear about Overton."
A happy party gathered in Grace's room that night for an old-time talkabout Oakdale. Elfreda was the only outsider present. For her benefitthe story of the stolen class money and its timely recovery by Grace andEleanor, as related in "Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at HighSchool," was retold, as well as many other eventful happenings oftheir high school life. At a quarter to ten o'clock the four girlsescorted Eleanor to the "Tourraine," returning just inside the half-pastten o'clock limit.
"Well, what do you think of Eleanor, Elfreda?" asked Grace, stopping fora moment outside the room shared by Miriam and Elfreda before going toher own.
"Don't ask me," rejoined Elfreda fervently. "I can't thank you girlsenough for the good time I've had to-night. But I want to say that ifthere is anything I can do for any of you, just count on J. ElfredaBriggs to do it."
"It isn't necessary for you to tell us that, Elfreda," said Anne. "Weknow that you are true blue, and so does Eleanor."
"Does she really like me?" asked Elfreda eagerly.
"She likes you very much," interposed Grace. "She said so."
"Then I'm going to give a luncheon for her to-morrow afternoon atVinton's," declared Elfreda with shining eyes. "I wanted to suggest it,to-night, but I was afraid she might not care to come."
"Couldn't you 'see' that she liked you?" teased Miriam.
"No, I couldn't. There are lots of things I can't 'see.' One of them iswhy you girls ever went to so much trouble to make me 'see.' Goodnight." Casting one glance of love and loyalty toward her friends,Elfreda vanished into her room, and wise Miriam took care not to enterthe room until the stout girl's moment of self-communion had passed.