good. Read it, I tell you." So Tom sat up on the bed, and spread Dr.
Marks' note on his knee.
"Great Caesar's ghost! It's from the master himself! And what does he
say?" Tom rubbed his eyes violently, stared, and rushed over the few
sentences pellmell; then returned to take them slowly to be sure of
their meaning.
"Joe Pepper!" He got off from the bed.
"Isn't it great!" cried Joel. "Give me my note, Tom."
"I should say so!" cried Tom, bobbing his head. "I shouldn't in the
least mind being kept back from a few things, to get a note like that.
Think of it, Joe, from Dr. Marks!"
"I know it," cried Joel, in huge satisfaction. "Well, now, you must take
yourself off, Tom; I've got to study like a Trojan." He ran to the
closet, and came back with his arms full of books.
"All right," said Tom, shooting out. Then he shot back, gave Joel a
pat--by no means a light one;--"Success to you, old fellow!" and was
off, this time for good.
And Davie dreamed that night that Joel took first prize in everything
straight through; and that he himself was sailing, sailing, over an
interminable sea (going to Moose Island probably), under a ban never to
come back to Dr. Marks' school. And the first thing he knew, Joel was
pounding him and calling lustily, "Get up, Dave; you know you are to
start early."
And then all was bustle and confusion enough, as how could it be helped
with all those boys getting off on such an expedition?
And Joel was the brightest of them all, here, there, and everywhere! You
never would have guessed that he wasn't the leading spirit in the whole
expedition, and its bright particular star!
And he ran down to the big stone gate to see them off. And the boys
wondered; but there was no chance to pity him, with such a face. There
was only pity for themselves.
And somebody started, "Three cheers for Joe Pepper!" It wasn't the
under-teacher, but he joined with a right good will; and the whole crowd
took it up, as Joel ran back to tackle his books, pinching Dr. Marks'
letter in his pocket, to make sure it really was there!
Just about this time, Alexia Rhys was rushing to school. She was late,
for everything had gone wrong that morning from the very beginning. And
of course Polly Pepper had started for school, when Alexia called for
her; and feeling as if nothing mattered now, the corner was reached
despairingly, when she heard her name called.
It was an old lady who was a friend of her aunt's, and Alexia paused
involuntarily, then ran across the street to see what was wanted.
"Oh, my dear, I suppose I ought not to stop you, for you are going to
school."
"Oh, it doesn't matter," said Alexia indifferently; "I'm late anyway.
What is it, Miss Seymour?"
"I want to congratulate you--I _must_ congratulate you," exclaimed old
Miss Seymour, with an excited little cackle. "I really must, Alexia."
Alexia ran over in her mind everything for which she could, by any
possibility, be congratulated; and finding nothing, she said, "What
for?" quite abruptly.
"Oh, my dear! Haven't you heard?" Old Miss Seymour put her jewelled
fingers on the girl's shoulder. She had gathered up her dressy morning
robe in her hand, and hastened down her front steps at the first glimpse
of Alexia across the way.
Alexia knew of old the roundabout way pursued by her aunt's friend in
her narrations. Besides, she cared very little anyway for this bit of
old women's gossip. So she said carelessly, "No, I'm sure I haven't; and
I don't believe it's much anyway, Miss Seymour."
"'Much anyway?' oh, my dear!" Old Miss Seymour held up both hands.
"Well, what would you say if you should be told that your teacher was
going to be married?"
Alexia staggered backward and put up both hands. "Oh, don't, Miss
Seymour," she cried, the fears she had been lighting so many weeks now
come true. Then she burst out passionately, "Oh, it isn't true--it
_can't_ be!"
"Well, but it is," cried Miss Seymour positively. "I had it not ten
minutes since from a very intimate friend; and as you were the first
Salisbury girl I saw, why, I wanted to congratulate you, of course, as
soon as I could."
"Salisbury girl!" Alexia groaned as she thought how they should never
have that title applied to them any more; for of course the beautiful
school was doomed. "And where shall we all go?" she cried to herself in
despair.
"Oh, how could she go and get engaged!" she exclaimed aloud.
"You haven't asked who the man is," said Miss Seymour in surprise.
"Oh, I know--I know," said Alexia miserably; "it's Mr. John Clemcy. Oh,
if we hadn't had that old picnic!" she burst out.
"Eh--what?" exclaimed the little old lady quickly.
"Never mind. It doesn't signify who the man is. It doesn't signify about
anything," said Alexia wildly, "as long as Miss Salisbury is going to
get married and give up our school."
"Oh, I don't suppose the school will be given up," said Miss Seymour.
"What? Why, of course it will be. How can she keep it after she is
married?" cried Alexia impatiently. She longed to say, "you goose you!"
"Why, I suppose the other one will keep it, of course; and it will go on
just the same as it did before."
"Oh dear me! The idea of Miss Anstice keeping that school!" With all her
misery, Alexia couldn't help bursting into a laugh.
"Miss Anstice?"
"Yes; if you knew her as we girls do, Miss Seymour, you never'd say she
could run that school."
"I never said she could."
"Oh, yes, you did," Alexia was guilty of contradicting. "You said
distinctly that when Miss Salisbury was married, you supposed Miss
Anstice would keep it on just the same."
Little old Miss Seymour took three or four steps down the pavement, then
turned and trotted back, the dressy morning robe still gathered in her
hand.
"Who do you think is engaged to Mr. John Clemcy?" she asked, looking up
at the tall girl.
"Why, our Miss Salisbury," answered Alexia, ready to cry, "I suppose.
That's what you said."
"Oh, no, I didn't," said the little old lady. "It's Miss Anstice
Salisbury."
Alexia gave her one look; then took some flying steps across the street,
and away down to the Salisbury School. She met a stream of girls in the
front hall; and as soon as she saw their faces, she knew that her news
was all old.
And they could tell her something more.
"Miss Wilcox is going to be the assistant teacher," cried Amy Garrett.
"And Miss Salisbury announced it; why were you late, Alexia?" it was a
perfect buzz around her ears. "And then she dismissed school; and we're
all going down to the drawing-room now, to congratulate Miss Anstice."
Alexia worked her way to Polly Pepper and clung to her.
"Oh, Alexia, you've got here!" cried Polly delightedly. "And only think,
we can keep our Miss Salisbury after all."
XXV "THE VERY PRETTIEST AFFAIR"
And Mr. John Clemcy, having put off any inclination to marry till so
late in life, was, now that he had made his choice, in a ferment to
hurry its consummation. And Miss Ophelia, who was still to keep the
house and run the old-fashioned flower garden to suit herself--thus
losing none of her honors--and being in her element, as has been stated,
with some one "to fuss over" (her self-contained brother not yielding
her sufficient occupation in that line), begged that the wedding might
take place soon. So there was really no reason on earth why it should
not be celebrated, and Miss Wilcox be installed as assistant, and thus
all things be in running order for the new year at the Salisbury School.
"And they say he has heaps of money--Mr. Clemcy has," cried Alexia, in
the midst of the excitement of the next few days, when everybody was
trying to adjust themselves to this new condition of affairs. A lot of
the girls were up in Polly Pepper's room. "And it's an awful old family
back of him in England," she went on, "though for my part, I'd rather
have something to do with making my name myself."
"Oh, Alexia," cried Clem, "think of all those perfectly elegant old
family portraits!"
"Mouldy old things!" exclaimed Alexia, who had small reverence for such
things. "I should be ashamed of them, if I were Mr. John Clemcy and his
sister. They don't look as if they knew anything to begin with; and such
arms and hands, and impossible necks! Oh my! It quite gives me a turn to
look at them."
"We are quite distinguished--the Salisbury School is," said Silvia, with
an elegant manner, and a toss of her head. "My mother says it will be
splendid capital to Miss Salisbury to have such a connection."
"And, oh, just think of Miss Anstice's engagement ring!" exclaimed
another girl. "Oh my, on her little thin finger!"
"It's awful old-fashioned," cried Silvia, "set in silver. But then, it's
big, and a _very_ pure stone, my mother says; and quite shows that the
family must have been something, for it is an heirloom."
"Oh, do stop about family and heirlooms," cried Alexia impatiently; "the
main thing is that our Miss Salisbury isn't going to desert us."
"Miss Anstice is; oh, goody!" Amy Garrett hopped up and down and softly
beat her hands while she finished the sentence.
"Hush!" Alexia turned on her suddenly. "Now, Amy, and the rest of you
girls, I think we ought to stop this nonsense about Miss Anstice; she's
going, and I, maybe, haven't treated her just rightly."
"Of course you haven't," assented Clem coolly. "You've worried her life
nearly out of her."
"And oh, dear me! I'm sorry now,"--said Alexia, not minding in the least
what Clem was saying. "I wonder why it is that I'm forever being sorry
about things."
"Because you're forever having your own way," said Clem; "I'll tell
you."
"And so I'm going to be nice to her now," said Alexia, with a perfectly
composed glance at Clem. "Let's all be, girls. I mean, behind her back."
Polly Pepper ran over across the room to slip her arm within Alexia's,
and give her a little approving pat.
"It will be so strange not to make fun of her," observed Amy Garrett,
"but I suppose we can't now, anyway, that she is to be Mrs. John
Clemcy."
"Mrs. John Clemcy, indeed!" exclaimed Alexia, standing very tall. "She
was just as nice before, as sister of our Miss Salisbury, I'd have you
to know, girls."
"Well, now what are we to give her as a wedding present?" said Polly
Pepper. "You know we, as the committee, ought to talk it over at once.
Let's sit down on the floor in a ring and begin."
"Yes," said Alexia; "now all flop." And setting the example, she got
down on the floor; and the girls tumbling after, the ring was soon
formed.
"Hush now, do be quiet, Clem, if you can," cried Alexia, to pay up old
scores.
"I guess I'm not making as much noise as some other people," said Clem,
with a wry face.
"Well, Polly's going to begin; and as she's chairman, we've all got to
be still as mice. Hush!"
"I think," said Polly, "the best way would be, instead of wasting so
much time in talking, and--"
"Getting into a hubbub," interpolated Alexia.
"Who's talking now," cried Clem triumphantly, "and making a noise?"
"Getting in confusion," finished Polly, "would be, for us each to write
out the things that Miss Anstice might like, on a piece of paper,
without showing it to any of the other girls; then pass them in to me,
and I'll read them aloud. And perhaps we'll choose something out of all
the lists."
"Oh, Polly, how fine!--just the thing."
"I'll get the paper."
"And the pencils." The ring was in a hubbub; Alexia, as usual, the first
to hop out of her place.
"Sit down, girls," said Polly as chairman. So they all flew back again.
"There, you see now," said Alexia, huddling expeditiously into her place
next to Polly, "how no one can stir till the chairman tells us to."
"Who jumped first of all?" exclaimed Clem, bursting into a laugh.
"Well, I'm back again, anyhow," said Alexia coolly, and folding her
hands in her lap.
"I'll appoint Lucy Bennett and Silvia Horne to get the paper and
pencils," said Polly. "They are on my desk, girls."
Alexia smothered the sigh at her failure to be one of the girls to
perform this delightful task; but the paper being brought, she soon
forgot her disappointment, in having something to do.
"We must all tear it up into strips," said the chairman, and, beginning
on a sheet, "Lucy, you can be giving around the pencils."
And presently the whole committee was racking its brains over this
terribly important question thrust upon them.
"It must be something that will always reflect credit on the Salisbury
School," observed Alexia, leaning her chin on her hand while she played
with her pencil.
"Ugh! do be still." Lucy, on the other side, nudged her. "I can't think,
if anybody speaks a word."
"And fit in well with those old portraits," said Clem, with a look at
Alexia.
"Well, I hope and pray that we won't give her anything old. I want it
spick, span, new; and to be absolutely up-to-date." Alexia took her chin
out of her hand, and sat up decidedly. "The idea of matching up those
mouldy old portraits!--and that house just bursting with antiques."
"Ugh! do hush," cried the girls.
"And write what you want to, Alexia, on your own slip, and keep still,"
said Silvia, wrinkling her brows; "you just put something out of my
head; and it was perfectly splendid."
"But I can't think of a thing that would be good enough," grumbled
Alexia, "for the Salisbury School to give. Oh dear me!" and she regarded
enviously the other pencils scribbling away.
"My list is done." Amy Garrett pinched hers into a little three-cornered
note, and threw it into Polly's lap.
"And mine--and mine." They all came in fast in a small white shower.
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Alexia, much alarmed that she would be left
out altogether. "Wait, Chairman--I mean, Polly," and she began
scribbling away for dear life.
"Oh dear me!" The chairman unfolded the first strip, and began to read.
"A piano--why, girls, Miss Anstice can't play."
"Well, it would look nice in that great big drawing-room," said Clem,
letting herself out with a very red face.
"Oh, my! you wrote _a piano_!" Alexia went over backward suddenly to
lie flat on the floor and laugh. "Besides, there is one in that house."
"An old thing!" exclaimed Clem in disdain.
"Well, let's see; here's something nice"--Polly ran along the list--"a
handsome chair, a desk, a cabinet. Those are fine!"
"Clem has gone into the furniture business, I should think," said
Philena.
"And a cabinet!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, "when that house is just full of
'em."
"Oh, I mean a jewel cabinet, or something of that sort," explained Clem
hastily.
"That's not bad," announced Silvia, "for I suppose he'll give her all
the rest of those heirlooms; great strings of pearls probably he's got,
and everything else. Dear me, don't I wish we girls could see them!" and
she lost herself in admiration over the fabulous Clemcy jewels.
"Well, Chairman--Polly, I mean"--Alexia flew into position--"what's the
next list?"
"This is quite different," said Polly, unrolling it; "some handsome
lace, a fan, a lorgnette, a bracelet."
"It's easy enough to see that's Silvia's," said Alexia--"all that finery
and furbelows."
"Well, it's not fair to tell what you think and guess," said Silvia, a
pink spot coming on either check.
"'Twouldn't make any difference, my guessing; we all know it's yours,
Silvia," said Alexia, coolly.
"Well, I think that's a lovely list," said Amy, with sparkling eyes,
"and I for one would be willing to vote for any of those things."
"My mother says we better give her something to wear," said Silvia,
smoothing down her gown. "Miss Anstice likes nice things; and that great
big house is running over with everything to furnish with."
Polly was reading the third list, so somebody pulled Alexia's arm and
stopped her. "A watch and chain--that's all there is on this list,"
announced Polly.
"Oh!"--there was a chorus of voices--"that's it--that's it!" and "Why
didn't I think of that?" until the whole ring was in a tumult again.
It was no matter what was on the other lists. The chairman read them
over faithfully, but the items fell upon dull ears. They might make
suitable tributes for other brides; there was but one mind about the
present for this particular bride going forth from the Salisbury
School. The watch and chain was the only gift to be thought of.
"And she wears that great big old-fashioned thing," declared Silvia;
"looks like a turnip--oh, oh!"
"And I do believe that's always made her so impressive and scarey
whenever she got into that black silk gown," said Amy Garrett. "I never
thought of it before; but it was that horrible old watch and chain."
"Girls," said the chairman, "I do really believe that it would be the
very best thing that we could possibly give her. And now I'm going to
tell who it was who chose it."
"Do--oh, do!" The whole ring came together in a bunch, as the girls all
crowded around Polly.
"Alexia!" Then Polly turned and gave a loving little pat on the long
back.
"Don't," said Alexia, shrinking away from the shower of congratulations
on having made the best choice, and thought of the very thing that was
likely to unite the whole school on a gift. "It's nothing. I couldn't
help but write it. It was the only thing I thought of."
"Well; it was just as clever in you as could be, so there now!" Clem
nodded over at her, and buried all animosity at once.
"And think how nice it will be, when it's all engraved inside the case
with what we want to say," said Polly, with shining eyes.
"And a great big monogram outside," said Silvia, with enthusiasm, "and
one of those twisted chains--oh, how fine!" She shook out her silver
bracelets till they jingled all her enthusiasm; and the entire committee
joining, the vote was taken to propose to the rest of the "Salisbury
girls," on the morrow, the gift of a watch and chain to the future Mrs.
John Clemcy.
And the watch and chain was unanimously chosen by the "Salisbury girls"
as the gift of all gifts they wanted to bestow upon their teacher on her
wedding day; and they all insisted that Polly Pepper should write the
inscription; so there it was, engraved beautifully on the inner side of
the case: "Anstice Salisbury, with the loving regard of her pupils." And
there was a beautiful big monogram on the outside; and the long chain
was double and twisted, and so handsome that Silvia's mother protested
she hadn't a word to say but the very highest praise!
Oh, and the presentation of it came about quite differently from what
was expected, after all. For the gift was to be sent with a little note,
representing the whole school, and written, as was quite proper, by
Polly Pepper, the chairman of the committee. But Miss Salisbury, to whom
the precious parcel had been intrusted, said suddenly, "Why don't you
give it to her yourselves, girls?"
It was, of course, the place of the chairman of the committee to speak.
So Polly said, "Oh, would she like to have us, Miss Salisbury?"
"Yes, my dears. I know she would. She feels badly to go and leave you
all, you know," and there were tears in the blue eyes that always looked
so kindly on them. "And it would be a very lovely thing for you to do,
if you would like to."
"We should _love_ to do it," cried Polly warmly. "May we go now, dear
Miss Salisbury?"
"Yes," said Miss Salisbury, very much pleased; "she is in the red
parlor."
So the committee filed into the red parlor. There sat Miss Anstice,
and--oh dear me!--Mr. John Clemcy!
There was no time to retreat; for Miss Salisbury, not having heard Mr.
Clemcy come in, was at the rear of the procession of girls. "Here, my
dears--Anstice, the girls particularly want to see you--oh!" and then
she saw Mr. John Clemcy.
Miss Anstice, who seemed to have dropped all her nervousness lately,
saved the situation by coming forward and greeting them warmly; and when
Mr. John Clemcy saw how it was, he went gallantly to the rescue, and was
so easy and genial, and matter-of-course, that the committee presently
felt as if a good part of their lives had been passed in making
presentations, and that they were quite up to that sort of thing.
And Polly made a neat little speech as she handed her the packet; and
Miss Anstice's eyes filled with tears of genuine regret at leaving them,
and of delight at the gift.
"Girls, do you know"--could it be Miss Anstice who was talking with so
much feeling in her voice?--"I used to imagine that you didn't love me."
"Oh, that could never be!" cried Mr. Clemcy.
"And I got so worried and cross over it. But now I know you did, and
that I was simply tired; for I never could teach like sister,"--she
cast her a loving glance--"and I didn't really love my work. And, do you
know, the thing I've longed for all my life was a watch and chain like
this? Oh girls, I shall love it always!"
She threw the chain around her neck; and laid the little watch gently
against her cheek.
"Oh!" It was Alexia who pressed forward. "You'll forgive us all, won't
you, Miss Anstice, if we didn't love you enough?"
"When I want to forgive, I'll look at my dear watch," said Miss Anstice
brightly, and smiling on them all.
"'Twas that horrible old black silk gown that made her so," exclaimed
Alexia, as they all tumbled off down the hall in the greatest
excitement. "You see how sweet she is now, in that white one."
"And the red rose in her belt," said Clem.
"And her diamond ring," added Silvia.
"And we're different, too," said Clem. "Maybe we wouldn't love to teach
a lot of girls any better either, if we had to."
"Well, and now there's the wedding!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, clasping her
hands, "oh!"
"What richness!" finished Alexia.
And everybody said it was "the very prettiest affair; and so
picturesque!" "And those dear Salisbury girls--how sweet they looked, to
be sure!" Why, St. John's blossomed out like a veritable garden, just
with that blooming company of girls; to say nothing of the exquisite
flowers, and ropes of laurel, and palms, and the broad white satin
ribbons to divide the favored ones from the mere acquaintances.
"And what a lovely thought to get those boys from the Pemberton School
for ushers, with Jasper King as their leader!"
They all made such a bright, youthful picture, to be followed by the
chosen eight of the "Salisbury girls," the very committee who presented
the gift to the bride-elect. There they were in their simple white gowns
and big white hats.
And then came the little assistant teacher of the Salisbury School, in
her pearl gray robe; singularly enough, not half so much embarrassed as
she had often been in walking down the long schoolroom before the girls.
And Mr. John Clemcy never thought of such a thing as embarrassment at
all; but stood up in his straightforward, manly, English composure, to
take his vows that bound him to the little school-teacher. And Miss
Salisbury, fairly resplendent in her black velvet gown, had down deep
within her heart a childlike satisfaction in it all. "Dear Anstice was
happy," and somehow the outlook for the future, with Miss Wilcox for
assistant teacher, was restful for one whose heart and soul were bound
up in her pupils' advancement.
Miss Ophelia Clemcy blossomed out from her retirement, and became quite
voluble, in the front pew before the wedding procession arrived.
"You see, it was foreordained to be," she announced, as she had before
declared several times to the principal of the Salisbury School. "The
first moment he saw her, Brother John was fully convinced that here was
a creature of the greatest sensibility, and altogether charming. And, my
dear Miss Salisbury, I am only commonplace and practical, you know; so
it is all as it should be, and suits me perfectly. And we will always
keep the anniversary of that picnic, that blessed day, won't we?"
And old Mr. King invited the eight ushers from the Pemberton School and
the committee from the Salisbury School to a little supper to top off
the wedding festivities. And Grandpapa sat at the head of the table,
with Mother Fisher at the other end, and Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Whitney
opposite in the centre. And there were wedding toasts and little
speeches; and everybody got very jolly and festive. And the little
doctor looked down to the table end where he could see his wife's eyes.
"It reminds me very much of our own wedding day, wife," his glance said.
And she smiled back in such a way as to fill him with great content.
"And wasn't that reception in the school parlors too perfectly beautiful
for anything!" cried Polly Pepper, in a lull, for about the fiftieth
time the remark had been made.
"Yes, and didn't Alexia make an awful blunder with her paper of rice!"
said Clem sweetly.