Blue Bonnet looked incredulous.
"Thank--me," she stammered. "Why, me?"
"Because without you I never should have had it. You helped me find it--and myself, Blue Bonnet. You remember the trouble we had--" A deep crimson for a moment dyed Joy"s face, but her voice never faltered, nor did her eyes leave Blue Bonnet"s. "Up to that time no one ever understood me--I think I didn"t understand myself--quite. And you were kind to me--you tried to help me--make the girls like me. I can never forget it--never! Any more than I can repay you."
For answer Blue Bonnet threw her arms round her room-mate and gave her a warm embrace.
"I couldn"t have done anything else, Joy, and have been human, so don"t give me too much credit--please. I don"t deserve any."
They both laughed. Blue Bonnet seemed quite inadequate to the occasion.
"And you"re going to teach German? How perfectly splendid!"
"Yes; and that isn"t all. Miss North is taking me to Dresden with her for the summer. I am to go into a German family to perfect my accent, where I shall not hear a word of English until next September."
"Joy!"
"Isn"t it wonderful? Oh, Blue Bonnet, I don"t know how all these things have come to me. They are so much more than I deserve; but I shall try hard to be worthy and to do Miss North credit. You have no idea how I long to make it up to her."
This was a long speech for quiet Joy, and it was a good thing for both girls that Carita appeared at that moment, for the flood gates were opened and a deluge threatened.
In Carita"s wake followed Mary and Peggy.
"Mary wants you to come down-stairs and meet her mother, Blue Bonnet,"
Carita said. "She came for Commencement. Peggy"s mother will be here to-morrow. Oh, dear, I wish Texas wasn"t so far off."
It was but a few days before the closing of school and the halls and corridors were filled with strange faces.
"Annabel"s mother is here too," Mary said, leading the way down-stairs.
"She"s b-e-a-utiful. Annabel looks just like her."
A fact Blue Bonnet found to be true a moment later, when she was presented by the radiant and altogether happy Annabel.
There was a half hour"s chat, and then Blue Bonnet ran up to her room again. She closed the door softly and going over to the window stood for a moment looking out over her favorite view. Her eyes were full of tears.
"No, you won"t--you just sha"n"t cry!" she said to herself after a moment"s struggle for self-control. The sight of so many girls had awakened all the old longings. "You"ve got the _best Uncle_ that ever was born into the world--_the best Grandmother--the best Aunt_! You haven"t any right to feel sorry for yourself;" and fleeing as if from wrath to come, she ran hastily across the hall and burst into Sue"s room, where a crowd of girls were holding high carnival.
CHAPTER XXII
COMMENCEMENT
Commencement week had come at last with all its attendant flurry and excitement. There was perpetual movement in the halls--girls flew in every direction; teachers looked tired and careworn.
In Annabel Jackson"s room Blue Bonnet sat running ribbons in Annabel"s underwear--every Junior was waiting on her Senior hand and foot these days; it was a special privilege and one much coveted by adoring satellites.
"There," she said, tying the last bow with care. "That"s ready. I"m just going to draw the water for Annabel"s bath, Sue; she"ll be up in a second. Suppose you pick up the room a bit. Looks like a cyclone had struck it. Annabel can"t dress in such a muss."
Annabel herself came in at that moment, her cheeks pink with excitement, her face radiant with pleasure.
"My, but I"m late! Do you think I can dress in six minutes? It lacks just that much of twelve o"clock and some of the boys have arrived already. I saw Mr. Billings pacing the floor in the living-room, Sue.
Why don"t you go down if you"re ready? Blue Bonnet will help me."
It was the day of the Senior dance. A gala day at Miss North"s. Sue and Blue Bonnet had both been invited to the dance--an almost unheard of privilege. Sue had been thus favored because her brother Billy was to be Annabel"s guest, and Blue Bonnet, because Annabel had begged Miss North, almost on her hands and knees to grant her this one last request.
It was a long established custom for the young men to arrive at noon, pay their respects to teachers and the girls who had invited them and remain on for a concert, tea, or whatever had been planned for their entertainment. At five o"clock they left to dress for the dinner which preceded the dance.
Annabel lost no time with her toilet. In ten minutes she was dressed, with Blue Bonnet"s help, and as sweet a vision as youth, good health and beauty could produce.
Blue Bonnet stood before her enraptured.
"Your gown is perfect, Annabel," she said, giving an extra pat here and there, or trying to, between Annabel"s quick movements. "I doubt if you"ll look a speck prettier to-night in your white lace. Pink certainly is your color. You had it on the first time I saw you. I remember writing Uncle Cliff about you."
They started for the living-room. Along the halls girls waited in groups to catch a glimpse of their favorites. Heads craned from doors and exclamations of approval pa.s.sed from lip to lip:
"Oh, aren"t they lovely! The two prettiest girls in school! What a love of a gown Annabel"s got! Isn"t Blue Bonnet a dream?"
At the top of the stairs wedged in, obstructing the pa.s.sage, sat Carita and Mary. They fell upon Annabel and Blue Bonnet regardless of their finery.
"A kiss! A kiss!" they cried. "You"ve got to pay toll!" A forfeit willingly given.
"I can hardly wait until five o"clock," Mary said. "I"m dying to get Annabel"s flowers for her." But the hands of the hall clock pointed to half after five before the guests had left, and Mary and Carita were free to slip down-stairs from Fifth Avenue and across the hall to where the long boxes were piled high beside the mail bag. Through the pile the girls searched, and suddenly Mary, with a cry of satisfaction, s.n.a.t.c.hed her Senior"s box and ran back up-stairs to number fifteen, with mad delight.
"Here they are, Annabel! Your flowers! Quick, the scissors!" She waved the long box triumphantly. "I knew he wouldn"t forget. Oh, the beauties--roses! Roses!"
In another second Carita burst into the room and presented Blue Bonnet with _two_ boxes, and close on her heels came Peggy with Sue"s flowers.
The next half hour was a mad scramble. Afternoon frocks were changed for evening gowns. The younger girls were shooed from the room amid murmurs of protest, while a happy babble streamed on from the lips of the partic.i.p.ants of the great event.
The Senior dance! Who that has felt its thrills can ever forget it! Who that has known its long antic.i.p.ated joy can ever obliterate it from memory!
"Bring your clothes in here, Blue Bonnet, and I"ll fasten you up,"
Annabel said, "and you can help me. We won"t have many more of these occasions, will we?"
"No; but we"re not going to talk about that now," Blue Bonnet said, flying into her room for her gown.
Ruth, dressing early, had gone down-stairs, and Blue Bonnet and Annabel chatted merrily.
"I like your Mr. Judson, awfully, Blue Bonnet," Annabel said, as she polished her nails vigorously. "He"s terribly good looking! I don"t know why--but I adore dark men. I suppose I should like blonds--"
"Why _my_ Mr. Judson?" Blue Bonnet interrupted. "He"s Carita"s cousin--that"s why I asked him to-night. I was awfully disappointed that Alec Trent couldn"t come."
Annabel gave a little low laugh.
"He"s the one you"re sort of a sister to, isn"t he? Well--he"s very nice, but I should choose Mr. Judson for a life study--I _think_.
There"s something sort of splendid and inspiring about him. He"s so frank and unusual."