“GOODNIGHT, GLENWOOD, GOD BLESS YOU!”
“Am I not proud of my Little Captain?” said Major Dale, leaning on
Dorothy’s shoulder as they slowly wended their way out of doors.
Roger was at her other hand, and Joe nearby. The boys had left their
own school a day or two early to come and “see sister graduate.” Aunt
Winnie had congratulated “her daughter,” as she was proud to call
Dorothy, too.
“Ned and Nat are only sorry that they could not come. Indeed, I had
forbade it. We will go to their college instead to help them ‘receive’
on Commencement Day,” Aunt Winnie declared.
“And there is a big surprise in store for you, my dear,” she added,
pinching Dorothy’s cheek; but what it was we can only learn when we
meet Dorothy and her friends again in “Dorothy Dale in the West.”
Now there was so very, very much to do in getting ready to leave old
Glenwood for the last time. The girls had yet to pack; they would sleep
one more night in the old room. Then the class would scatter, perhaps
never to meet again!
Of course there were hundreds of promises to write and to visit, and
plans for the summer were being discussed right and left. Dorothy felt
more serious than she ever had felt before; but Tavia was so excited
that she could scarcely keep both feet on the ground at once.
“You are really glad to leave dear old Glenwood,” said Dorothy, after
they had drunk tea with Miss Olaine and come up to their room again.
“I never did like school as you do, Dorothy. But I love the old crowd,
and I’m sorry to lose the fun we have here,” Tavia admitted.
“The whole world’s before us now,” sighed Dorothy.
“Dish-washing, and sweeping, and bed-making, and all that is before
your humble servant,” laughed Tavia. “I’m going home, as you know, to
keep father’s house for him spick and span. Mother will be glad. She
hates housework.”
They packed their trunks more soberly than they had ever packed them
for removal from the school before. Down from the walls came every
keepsake and picture that they owned.
“Nix on the decorations!” Tavia said. “Jumble them all into the boxes.
Never more shall they hang from the battlements----”
“What a lot of them there are, too!” sighed Dorothy. “Not half room in
this box for my photographs.”
“We might throw away all the boys’ photographs,” said Tavia, giggling.
“You know, we have foresworn boys. Is that right, Doro?”
“Oh, yes; boys are only a nuisance--except our brothers and cousins.
Don’t you say so, Tavia?”
“Sure! And a few thousand more,” she added, _sotto voce_. “But we’re
going to marry twins if we marry at all. _That_ is decided, Doro?”
“Certainly,” returned Dorothy, gravely.
It was growing late. The nine o’clock bell meant nothing to the girls
of Glenwood Hall this night. There was bustle in every room, laughter
in the corridors, and a running back and forth until late. Suddenly
Tavia had an idea. It grew out of the over-crammed boxes and trunks of
“loot” from the walls.
“Goody-goody-gander! I’ve got it!” she announced to Dorothy.
“I know you have--St. Vitus’s dance,” groaned Dorothy. “I have been
expecting the announcement for ever so long.”
“Miss Smartie!” responded Tavia. “You’ll see.”
She flew about, whispering to the other graduates. In half an hour,
just as Dorothy and Tavia themselves were in their nighties and boudoir
caps, a knock came at the door, it flew open, and there filed into
Nineteen almost the whole class with arms full of a “great debris” of
articles, as Tavia called them, which had plainly been torn from the
walls of the various rooms.
“Come on, Doro,” giggled Tavia. “This is a donation party. We’re going
to donate to the girls who are left such adornments, and the like, as
we do not wish to carry away with us. You know--‘We who are about to
die salute you,’ and all that. Come on!”
Dorothy entered into the spirit of the affair. There were many trophies
and pictures that would merely gather dust in the attic at North
Birchlands, she knew; she grabbed for these, and the procession took up
its march from room to room.
The lights had been left turned on in the halls; even if the girls were
in bed they were routed out to receive the donation from the departing
class. Mrs. Pangborn--even Miss Olaine--were conveniently blind and
deaf.
Tavia made the most extravagant speeches. The most ridiculous presents
were given with a ceremony that convulsed everybody. It was a fine,
hilarious time.
“Oh, and the last bit of fun we shall ever have in old Glenwood Hall,”
said Cologne, sadly, as empty-armed at last, the big girls made their
way back to Nineteen.
“We’ll never have so much fun again, no matter where we go,” sighed Ned
Ebony.
“Never is a long time, Neddie,” said Dorothy, cheerfully.
Molly Richards had her arms around Dorothy. “Miss Cheerfulness!” she
said. “When the skies are gray and the birds do not sing, Doro Dale
will always be exuding sunshine--eh?”
“And we’ll all miss you--oh! _so_ much, Doro!” cried Nita Brent.
“We’ll miss each other,” admitted Dorothy. “But let us hope, even if
we do say good-bye to Glenwood and the old crowd, that we’ll all meet
again some time.”
Tavia had been strumming on the banjo strings lightly, not having
packed that joy-giving instrument. She broke out suddenly into the old
school chant--and they joined her, softly:
“Good night! good night! good night! good night!
Good night, again; God bless you!
And oh, until we meet again,
Good night! good night! God bless you!”
The echoes of their sweet young voices died away. They kissed each
other warmly and in silence. Then the others stole out of the old room
that Dorothy and Tavia had occupied so long, leaving the two chums to
the silence of the June night and their own thoughts.
THE END.
Transcriber’s Note:
Variations in hyphenation and spelling have been retained as published
in the original publication. Punctuation has been standardised. Other
changes have been made as follows:
Page 5
one of the girl’s in a big _changed to_
one of the girls in a big
Page 29
been more supsicious of _changed to_
been more suspicious of
Page 51
said Dorothy, more cheefully _changed to_
said Dorothy, more cheerfully
Page 54
Dou you mean to say we are _changed to_
Do you mean to say we are
said Tavia, thoughfully _changed to_
said Tavia, thoughtfully
Page 56
Bye and bye there was another _changed to_
By and by there was another
Page 91
aid in the preparation _changed to_
aid in the preparation of
Page 107
the first few moment _changed to_
the first few moments
Page 129
Who dare’s call my Doro _changed to_
Who dares call my Doro
Page 132
throw her Latin grammer _changed to_
throw her Latin grammar
Page 184
“I think it is too bad, sir,” said Dorothy, grave-
were run away with.”
ly. “Really, it was not his fault at all that we
_changed to_
“I think it is too bad, sir,” said Dorothy, gravely.
“Really, it was not his fault at all that we
were run away with.”
Page 196
That was then my _changed to_
That was when my
Page 228
proceded to repeat _changed to_
proceeded to repeat
Page 237
excaimed Dorothy, her beautiful _changed to_
exclaimed Dorothy, her beautiful
End of Project Gutenberg's Dorothy Dale's Promise, by Margaret Penrose