MIMI GETS A BID
Mimi blotted the page and closed her diary quickly at the first knock
on the door of Tumble Inn. She felt her eyes with the back of her hand
to be sure there was no trace of tears. Never any time or privacy to do
anything, be homesick, or tell all your troubles to your diary.
The last few days since Mimi had been excused from gym because of her
swollen nose, she had found time to get a few things done. She was up
with all her notebooks; had clinched every word of her Spanish
vocabulary, and today had written the following in her diary. (Mimi
always considered her diary a person; a person to whom she told her
secret joys and sorrows.)
Oh, Diary, there's no one to tell but you how it hurts not to be
forward on the basket ball team. If I wasn't such a good player it
wouldn't be so bad but I _am_ good. I can dodge and pivot and shoot.
Yes, I know what I've resolved to do. I am going to spend every spare
minute of my free time in the gym at goal practice as soon as they'll
let me. There's always room for a crack shot on any team. I'll be one.
Do you know what I've discovered? I must be kin to Pollyanna. I have
found several consoling things about having a "busted snoot." First
place, I couldn't wear an "S" if I _had_ made the basket ball team; no
Prep can. Those class numerals wouldn't mean so much--I'd always be
explaining them after I got home.
Betsy must like me, Diary Dear. That first night when I could not go to
supper, she brought me her dessert (oh me! I shall probably die
wondering if there is one "s" or two "sses" in dessert). Chloe has been
sweet, too, but she acts so strange. Every time we are alone she acts
like she wants to tell me something and can't. There is something queer
about her--Oh here comes somebody--No, it wasn't; they passed by.
I don't know why I don't want any one to know I keep you, Diary, unless
it's because some one might try to find you and then I should die! It's
no fun to have you if I can't tell you my very insidest thoughts. Sue
is the only one who knows and she won't tell. Here's the most private
thing I have to say today:
I am getting popular!
I know it. The Delphians and the Ruskins are both trying to get me to
promise to join their society. I don't know what to do. I'm so thrilled
to be asked but the Ruskins want Sue and the Delphians want Chloe and
Betsy is already a Ruskin. I hate to see our suite family split up.
Maybe I won't join either. They seem silly, in a way; the Ruskins
bragging on themselves and slurring the Delphians and the Delphians
slurring the Ruskins and bragging on themselves. But the pins are
perfectly precious! Solid gold with tiny pearls.
There really is some one coming--
"Anybody home?" Madge called at the door of two hundred and nine.
"Just me," Mimi answered hastily hiding her diary in the top drawer of
her wardrobe trunk. "I'm in the sitting room--Come on through."
Mimi could tell Madge was upset. She was paler than usual and her hazel
eyes were unnaturally bright. But she didn't seem happy. Mimi felt she
was not up to hearing any bad news.
"Are you keeping training?" Mimi asked.
"No, I'm not that good. Oh, Mimi, since--the other night, I've decided
I'm not good for anything."
"Don't be foolish, Madge. Here try some peanut butter on a graham
cracker and forget it. Another advantage of a swollen nose, I can eat
and eat and eat!"
"I don't want to forget it until I tell you something--then, if you
please, let's both forget it. You see, Mimi, I came to thank you for
keeping me out of a scrape. I didn't stop to think--I never do--and I
can not take a dare; I simply can't."
"I can't either," Mimi admitted. "I don't know why I ever butted in, an
excitement-eater like me, but I did."
"And I'm so glad, so glad." Madge pulled herself together for the final
confession. "Mimi," she said levelly, "I am in school this year on
borrowed money. I wouldn't have come at all if I were not going to
graduate. Suppose I had rung the alarm and they had caught me and sent
me home? I would hate myself the rest of my life."
"I'm glad I butted in then. But let's forget. You--you make me feel
like a heroine--and I'm _not_!"
"Yes, you are--you're the grandest all around sport in school--you and
Betsy."
While she was in a confidential mood she continued:
"Every one in Prep Hall is sorry you won't be on our team. Betsy is
sorriest of all. She keeps going around saying it was all her fault but
she is going to make up to you for it. She is--please, cross your heart
not to tell a soul. She wants to surprise--"
But before Mimi had time to promise, Sue dashed in to get her music,
leave Mimi a candy bar and a letter from Jean. Before she left for her
practice room, Chloe was home. She seemed quieter and more occupied
with her own thoughts than usual.
So beautiful, Mimi was thinking as she watched Chloe stare out the
window, so perfectly beautiful like a Magnolia or a lily or a tube
rose; something that darkens and withers if you touch it. Chloe's
mother must have been beautiful, too--and what about her father? All
the girls knew about Chloe's family was that her allowance came from
her Aunt Marcia. Bad as they wanted to know, they did not ask. Maybe
her parents were divorced. Her mother must have been so beautiful that
men might have kept on falling in love with her.
"Guess I'd better go," Madge said putting the top back on the peanut
butter jar. She had been eating and hoping Chloe would leave as Sue had
but Chloe seemed settled for the afternoon. "Please, don't mention
anything I've told you."
"Certainly not."
Giving Mimi an impetuous hug she hurried out.
"Isn't she queer?" Mimi said to Chloe.
"Kind of. Almost as queer as I am," Chloe answered quietly.
"You, queer?"
"Don't pretend, Mimi. You know I am. Someday I'll tell you about it and
maybe you'll understand. Oh gee, I am supposed to be at meeting in
chapel this minute. All the Preps--
"No one told _me_ about a meeting."
Chloe colored.
"Maybe it's art students only. I'd keep quiet if I were you. Be a lady
of leisure while you have a chance. If you were supposed to go and they
call your name, I'll say you are excused."
By the time Chloe finished talking she had closed the door and Mimi
heard her join Olivia and Gretchen.
"Aren't you lending your charming presence to the gathering?" she heard
Olivia ask some girl who was evidently in a great hurry.
"Certainly, I am. Who do you think called this meeting?" The breathless
voice was Betsy's.
So? Mimi figured. That "something nice" is going to happen today. What
can it be?
Class officers had already been elected. Since the Prep Department
would end this year the seventy-five girls in it had chosen to organize
as one class. The very first week of school they had done that and old
girls had carried president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer
with practically no competition. Maybe they were going to give her a
fruit shower or a fudge feast.
Whatever she guessed she was wrong. None of the guesses were thrilling
enough. It was something she had been off and on unofficially but now
she could be officially and wear a white uniform on special occasions.
Although the meeting time seemed long to Mimi, her elephant's-child
curiosity prickling her 'til she couldn't sit still, it was short. It
took Betsy five minutes to have President Gretchen call the meeting to
order, to present her motion, have it adopted by acclamation, and give
a yell of victory.
Standing by the open window, Mimi heard the echoes of the fifteen rahs
coming up from the chapel ell. The ending blurred. What was it they
were saying?
Soon she knew for the same yell was repeated outside her door.
She did not hear Betsy signal "one-two-three" but the rahs were so low
and snappy and lusty Mimi knew Betsy was leading.
Now she knew the ending. It was; "Mimi, Mimi, M-M-Mimi!"
Mimi's merry blue eyes danced.
"Shall we huff and puff and blow Tumble Inn down or will you open the
door?" Gretchen called.
Before Mimi could answer the girls threw the door open themselves and
stormed in; all the Preps. They piled on the beds, propped against the
window sills and the radiator. Olivia pompously mounted the stool to
the vanity and rapped the wall for order.
"Madam chairman," (this to Gretchen) "ladies and Mimi, with regret I
announce Sheridan Prep has, for the season, lost a great forward. But
even this dark cloud has a silver lining. By this loss she has gained a
great cheer leader. Ladies, I give you Mimi Hammond, a red headed
pepper pot who, henceforth, will direct your vociferations! Youzza!"
Here Olivia paused for a deep breath and looked at Betsy. This was a
signal to begin the song. To the clapping of hands and the stamping of
feet the Preps sang to Mimi:
"The peppiest girl I ever knew
She never comes a pokin',
If I were to tell you all the pep she had
You'd think I was a jokin'.
It's not the pep of the pepper pod
Nor the pep of the pop corn popper,
It's not the pep of the mustard jar
Nor the pep of the vinegar stopper.
It's the good old fashioned P-E-P
The pep you cannot down,
Sheridan pep _Mimi pep_ the peppiest pep around. Heh!"
"Mimi, we realize you can't do your stuff in true Terpsichorean style
with that cotton in one side of your nose, but do by some speech or
symbol signify your acceptance."
Mimi hopped up on the stool beside Olivia. She was grinning from ear to
ear, wide mouth, bandage and a carrot top.
"At a precious place like Sheridan, I'd rather be cheer leader than
President! Thank you too much for this honor. Olivia is right. 'The
spirit am willing but de flesh am weak' as my Mammy Cissy says but I
_can count_ a feeble 'one-two-three' for y'all to give fifteen for
Sheridan----"
That fifteen was never finished. Mrs. Cole pushed her way in.
"Girls!" Her voice drenched them with ice water. "There are music
lessons, and office work and college classes going on around the
building in spite of the fact that the Preparatory Department seems to
be making a Roman holiday."
That was enough. She turned sourly and walked out, the tails on her
serge skirt flopping behind her at every prim step. The girls scattered
after her.
"Did anybody say 'kill-joy'?" Betsy laughed.
"Not I!" Mimi declared. "Take more than a little thing like that to
take me down when I'm so thrilled. Oh Betsy," Mimi moved toward her,
"you did it, you did it every bit. You're a good sport!"
"What about yourself?" Betsy answered smiling.
For an instant Sue thought they were going to embrace. She was such a
sentimental little piece she hated "scenes" unless she was in them.
"I am going to write Dot this minute," Sue said, "and it will be all
over B. G. Hi two days from now."
Mimi wished the news would spread on to State University where Walter,
sophomore camp life guard of the previous summer, could hear it.
However, she didn't say so. She never mentioned Walter except to her
diary unless she was showing the pictures in her camp count book.
"At present, I have only one worry worth mentioning," Mimi sighed
contentedly. "These bloomin' Society bids. Betsy, forget you're a
Ruskin and tell me what to do? I am thrilled to death they want me, but
to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I don't care a hang
about joining either one of them."
"Be a Ruskin," Sue interrupted.
"Why a Ruskin? Why is it the one to join?"
"I don't know, except--I've joined it." There it was out and she wasn't
supposed to tell until Friday.
"You have!"
"Please be a Delphian, Mimi." Chloe spoke quietly, but she was
pleading. "I've pledged Delphian."
"'Divided we fall,'" Mimi quoted. "What does that make me? Nothing,
absolutely nothing. I won't join either!"
"Good for you," cried Betsy to their amazement. "You'll be the first
Prep who ever had courage enough to refuse. I am proud to know you.
Whatta' girl!" Then realizing she belonged herself she added, "Not a
word of what I said goes outside this suite."
"Not one word," agreed three voices.
It was their first four-sided secret. For the first time they were
close together.
Mimi felt quite important and lady-of-the-worldish as she sat down and
wrote two notes of refusal.
Sue found her pen. Chloe took the stopper out of the ink bottle. Betsy
offered two sheets and two envelopes of her special stationery with the
Sheridan crest.
"I'd better write it with a pencil first and then copy it," Mimi
suggested. "Now just what does one say?"
They went into a huddle. After much erasing and scratching out and
rewording, Mimi made two copies of the following note. It sounded
sophisticated and mysterious. She really did not know what mysterious
was until later, when she found out about Chloe. But not stating any
reason for declining the bids seemed very mysterious. Changing only the
headings, Mimi copied.
"Dear ----:
"You were so kind to ask me to join your splendid club. For
various reasons, it is impossible to accept. Believe me, that I
am grateful and flattered that you ask me. Accept my regrets.
"Sincerely,
"Mimi Hammond."