ARIADNE'S CLUE
The manner in which those liberated girls skipped down to the laundry was
certainly not snail-like. They had nearly reached it when Ruth's feet
became entangled in a piece of string, and, stooping down to loosen it,
she discovered a slip of paper fastened to the end, and a large pin which
had evidently stuck it fast to the door-casing. No doubt some of the girls
had brushed against it in their hurry-scurry to reach the laundry, and,
but for the ill wind which blew five of them into the housemaid's closet,
this significant scrap of paper would never have been discovered. The
candle they carried was brought to bear upon it, and they read the
following words:
In ancient days, so the stories say,
One Theseus found a remarkable way
Of reaching a point he wished to gain,
And down to posterity came his fame.
So, perhaps, posterity may also do well
To follow a "clue," but never to tell
Just what they found at the further end,
Lest a rule should break instead of bend.
"What can it mean? Where does it lead to?" were the questions eagerly
whispered.
"Come on, and let's find out," was Ruth's practical remark, and she began
to wind up the string. There seemed no end to it, and it led them through
the corridor, out of that into the kitchen, then out to a small store-room
built beneath the kitchen porch. Here the end was tied to a very
suggestive-looking tub.
Had Diogenes succeeded in discovering an honest man he could not have felt
greater satisfaction than these girls felt at the sight of that modest
little oval tub, with its sawdust covering; and the way in which it was
pounced upon, and borne in triumph to the laundry, brings my story of that
night's revels to a climax, and no more need be told.
When the twelve o'clock train whistled it was the signal for the revels to
end, and, ere the carriages which were to meet the theatre-goers could
bring them up the hill, Sunny Bank was as quiet and peaceful as though all
its inmates had been dreaming for hours.
The weather had become beautifully soft and balmy for the middle of April,
and the girls were able to sit out of doors, and do many of the things
they had not hoped to do till May should burgeon and bloom.
A few days after the frolic Toinette was sitting in one of the pretty
little summer-houses, of which there were several dotted about the
grounds, when Miss Howard came in and took her seat beside her.
"You have been playing at hide-and-seek with me without knowing it," she
said, "for I have been searching for you everywhere, and only discovered
you here by the glint of the sunshine upon your hair."
"Did you want me, Miss Howard? I'm sorry you had to hunt for me," answered
Toinette. "What can I do for you?"
"Give me some wise advice," said Miss Howard, smiling.
"_I_ give you advice!" exclaimed Toinette.
"Yes; don't you think you can?"
"I shall have to know what it is about before I dare say yes or no, Miss
Howard."
"You know that I am going to leave you in a few weeks, dear, and I want my
leave-taking to be closely identified with my girls, whom I have learned
to love so dearly, and whom, I think, love me as well as I love them. I
have spent many happy years in this school, first as pupil and then as
teacher, and it has been a very dear home to me. Now I am going away from
it forever, and though the future looks very enticing, and I have every
reason to believe that it will be happy, still I cannot help feeling sad
at the thought of leaving the old life behind. These are serious
confidences for me to burden you with, Toinette, but you have crept into a
very warm corner of my heart since you became a pupil here, and I know
that there is a wise little head upon these shoulders," said Miss Howard,
as she placed her hand on Toinette's shoulder.
The girl reached up, and drawing the hand close to her cheek held it
there, but did not speak.
"So now," continued Miss Howard, "I am going to ask you to help my
outgoing from this happy home to be a pleasant one, by being my maid of
honor when the time comes; will you, dear?"
"You want _me_ to be the maid of honor, Miss Howard? You don't truly mean
it? There are so many other girls whom you have known so much longer, and
whom you must love better than you do me; although I don't believe they
_can_ love _you_ any better than I do," said Toinette, naively.
"That is just it, dear. I do love them all, and am sure that they are very
fond of me. But in your case it is just a little different. All these
girls have pleasant homes, and many loved ones in them who plan for their
happiness, and to whom they will go directly vacation begins. For many
years you, like myself, have had no home but the one a school offered, and
which, unlike mine, was sometimes not as happy a home as it might have
been, I fear. So, you see, we have, in one way, had a bond of sympathy
between us even before we knew it to be so. And now we have still another,
for when we leave here in June we shall each go to our own dear home; you
to one your father shall make for you, I to the one my husband will
provide for me."
A soft, pretty color had crept over Miss Howard's face as she spoke, and a
very tender look came into her beautiful eyes. Truly, she was carrying
something very sweet and holy to the one who was to bear that name.
"So we shall step out into the new life together, shall we not, Toinette,
and each will be the sweeter for our having done so?" asked Miss Howard.
"It is too lovely even to think about, Miss Howard. I don't know how to
make you understand how proud and happy it makes me to think that you
chose me from among all the others, and I hope they will not feel that you
should not have done so. Do you think they will mind?"
"On the contrary, they are delighted with my choice, for I told them my
reasons, as I have told them to you, and they see it in the same light
that I see it."
"Then I shall be the happiest girl in Montcliff," cried Toinette.
"No, _next_ to the happiest," said Miss Howard, laughing softly.
"Well, I shall be the happiest in _my_ way, and you in _yours_," and
Toinette wagged her head as though it would be of no use for Miss Howard
to try to make her concede _that_ point.
"And now let us plan our maid of honor's toilet, and also what our six
bridesmaids must wear. It was upon that important question I wished your
advice, and, now that you know, do you feel qualified to give it?"
"Oh, how lovely!" cried Toinette. "Why, Miss Howard, it is almost like
planning for my own wedding, and you are too sweet for anything to let
me."