A GLORIOUS PROSPECT
"Hail, the conquering heroine comes!" cried Rhoda Hammond, as Nan
entered the room.
"I see she didn't eat you up," remarked Bess with a smile.
"I suppose you are disappointed," laughed Nan, as she threw herself into
a chair. "It would have been delightfully exciting if she had, wouldn't
it? But talking of eating, let me have some of those chocolates, you
stingy thing."
The last remark was addressed to Laura, who languidly took up the box of
confections and handed it over to Nan.
"Where's Grace?" asked Nan, as she helped herself and cast her eyes over
the group.
The question was answered by Grace herself, who at that moment burst
into the room, waving a letter excitedly in her hand.
"Oh, girls, what do you think?" she exclaimed breathlessly.
"We never think," drawled Laura. "At least, my teachers tell me that I
never do."
"Has some distant relative died and left you a fortune?" hazarded Bess.
"Better than that," cried Grace jubilantly.
"Can anything be better than that?" queried Laura.
"Tell us, Grace," adjured Nan. "Don't keep us on the anxious seat."
"I'm going to Palm Beach!" exclaimed Grace joyously. "Do you hear,
girls? I'm going to Palm Beach for the winter holidays!"
The girls sprang up at the news and crowded around Grace.
"Palm Beach!" gasped Rhoda almost breathlessly.
"Why, Gracie Mason!" exclaimed Nan, "you must be talking in your sleep."
"You don't really and truly mean Palm Beach, Florida?" cried Laura,
nearly choking on the big chocolate that slipped down her throat at the
astounding news.
"I really mean Palm Beach, Florida," reiterated Grace, thoroughly
enjoying the sensation she had created.
"Oh, you lucky, lucky girl!" breathed Bess, who until now had seemed too
stunned by the news to utter a word.
"Lucky. Well, I should say," chimed in Laura. "Some people are born
lucky, and Grace Mason is the luckiest of them all."
"How I wish I could go with you!" mourned Rhoda enviously.
"You can just guess we all wish that," acquiesced Nan. "You surely were
born with a golden spoon in your mouth, Grace."
"It has been the dream of my life to go to Palm Beach," put in Rhoda.
"Now, Grace, just sit down here and tell us all about it," commanded
Nan. "Every syllable. Do you hear?"
She piloted Grace to the biggest chair in the room and seated herself on
one arm of it, while the others clustered around as closely as possible.
"Well," began Grace, "mother and dad have been thinking about it for
some time, but they wouldn't tell us about it until the last minute
because they wanted to surprise us. Just as soon as I got the news, I
flew right over here to tell you girls about it."
"It's too splendid!" exclaimed Laura. "Where are you going to stay while
you are there? Or perhaps it's too early to have settled that yet."
"At the Royal Poinciana," replied Grace happily. "Oh, my!"
"The Royal Poinciana!" exclaimed all the girls in one breath.
"Why, Grace," marveled Rhoda. "That's the very swellest hotel even in
Palm Beach."
"Well, what of that?" smiled Grace. "Can't we go to the swellest hotel
if we want to?--and if dad's cash holds out?"
"No reason in the world, if you're lucky enough to be able to," was
Rhoda's envious reply. "It costs a small fortune to live there even for
a short time, as I suppose you know."
"I suppose," chaffed Laura, "that you'll be so stuck up when you get
back that you won't speak to your old friends."
"No danger of that," laughed Grace, as she looked lovingly about at the
eager faces of her friends.
"How long are you going to stay?" queried Nan.
"I don't know yet," answered Grace slowly. "The holidays last for only
two weeks, you know, and mother and dad are so anxious that I shouldn't
lose anything of my school course that they'll probably send me back at
the end of the two weeks, though they may stay a little longer. I only
wish the holidays were four weeks long instead of two."
"How are you ever coming back after two weeks of that sort of life?"
asked Laura. "If I were only lucky enough once to get there I'd never
want to come back."
"Just think of what _fun_ you can have there," remarked Bess Harley. "I
suppose you'll play tennis. What joy to be able to play tennis and get
your nose sunburned in the middle of winter. Think of you playing tennis
in Palm Beach sunshine while we are shivering around fires."
"And golf?" suggested Nan.
"Not that," laughed Grace. "I don't know a mashie from a cleek."
"Of course there'll be boating," suggested Bess.
"And bathing," added Laura with emphasis. "Oh, Grace, I'm just dying of
envy! Think of bathing in January with the water as warm as it is here
in August!"
"Take care you don't get drowned, Gracie," warned Nan, in mock
seriousness. "And look out for sharks. I hear that they're seen
occasionally at Palm Beach."
"For goodness' sake, Nan!" cried Laura reprovingly, "don't even suggest
anything unpleasant in connection with that celestial spot. There's
nothing to be found there but pure, unalloyed bliss."
"Only think of the dances at the hotel!" said Bess, with shining eyes.
"And the fellows," put in Laura mischievously. "Oh, Grace, Grace, what
opportunities for sitting out dances on those wonderful balconies!"
"And the long strolls in the moonlight," added Nan, giving Grace a nudge
with her elbow.
"Or sitting on the beach with some eligible young millionaire, listening
to the waves beating on the sand," teased Rhoda.
"Oh, it's all too wonderful!" exclaimed Laura, suddenly starting up and
pulling Grace out of the chair.
Forgetting the lateness of the hour, she started in a mad whirl about
the room.
"Hush!" cautioned Nan, as a firm footfall was heard in the corridor.
In a twinkling two motionless forms lay in Nan's bed. Rhoda had switched
off the light, and the high backs of chairs and sofa hid crouching
figures, while the almost too regular breathing of the supposed sleepers
was the only sound to be heard when the door opened and the severe and
angular form of Mrs. Cupp stood outlined in the dim light from the
corridor.