MAUD
The rest of Thanksgiving vacation was so pale in comparison with the
game that it is not worth recounting. Only one thing of lasting
importance occurred.
Sunday morning, while Lois and Polly were still in bed--Lois was staying
with Polly at Uncle Roddy's apartment on Riverside Drive--the bell rang.
Mrs. Bent the housekeeper opened the door and Mrs. Farwell walked in.
"Good morning," she said hurriedly--and catching sight of Mr. Pendleton
in the library--added, "I know I'm much too early for dinner, Roddy--the
doctor said you wouldn't be up, but I have such exciting news for the
girls. Where are they?"
"Still in bed. I think they're having breakfast. You might go see. Tell
me about the excitement first," Uncle Roddy answered, as he helped her
with her coat.
"I found a letter from Mrs. Banks, when I got home from the theater last
night," Mrs. Farwell explained. "It had been forwarded from Albany.
They are back from Canada."
"The Banks, eh! How is Maud?" Uncle Roddy inquired with sudden interest.
"Very well, and Mrs. Banks wants to send her--but I must tell the
girls," she interrupted herself, and hurried down the hall.
The Banks need a word of explanation to those who have not read the
story of the first summer that Polly and Lois spent in the former's old
home in New England, where they lived in Polly's own house left to her
by her Aunt Hannah Pendleton. It was a big, rambling place and quite a
distance from the village. The only other house on the hill was the
mysterious Kent place--said by the natives for miles around--to be
haunted.
It was with the greatest surprise that Polly, on her arrival, learned
that this summer it was tenanted by a Mrs. Banks and her daughter, Maud.
But instead of the occupants completely dispelling the mystery of the
house, the Banks added to it.
It was soon evident, that there was something queer about them. Maud was
very shy, and more like a frightened, wild animal, than a healthy,
normal child. It was Dr. Farwell, who, towards the end of the summer,
discovered that she was suffering from a severe nervous shock, caused
by the tragic death of her father in India.
He had sent her away for treatment and when she returned, Polly and Lois
had tried to complete the cure. Polly had almost succeeded in persuading
her to return with them to Seddon Hall, but Maud's timidity had barred
the way. She could not make up her mind to face the one hundred girls.
Mrs. Banks had taken her daughter to Canada to visit friends that
winter, and apart from an occasional postal, Polly and Lois had heard no
further news of them.
Mrs. Farwell's letter was a great surprise. When she entered the girl's
room they both sat up. They had finished breakfast and were just being
happily lazy.
"Jemima! What time is it?" Lois demanded, at sight of her mother. "Are
you and Daddy here for dinner already?"
Mrs. Farwell laughed. "No, you lazy bones, it's not quite as late as
that. I came before Daddy, because I have news for you--such news!"
"Tell us," Polly demanded, quite thoroughly awake. "News of what?"
Mrs. Farwell sat down on the edge of the bed and began:
"I've had a letter from Mrs. Banks, she and Maud are in New York and--"
But the girls interrupted her with a flood of questions.
"Mrs. Banks in New York! How's Maud? Did she say where she was going to
school?"
"Is she still so awfully nervous?"
"I wonder what she's like now."
"Do listen," Mrs. Farwell begged, "and I'll tell you. Mrs. Banks wrote
that she was considering sending Maud to Seddon Hall. She is fifteen
now, you know, and apparently, from what her mother writes--eager to
go."
Polly said: "Well, I never! It's taken her two years to make up her
mind."
Lois groaned, and fell back on her pillows. You will remember, she was
never as interested in Maud, as Polly was.
"Another younger girl to look after," she said dolefully. "I wonder if
there'll be room for her. When are you going to answer Mrs. Banks'
letter, mother?"
Mrs. Farwell thought for a minute.
"Why I think I'll 'phone her. You see the letter was sent to Albany, so
it was delayed in reaching me. I have their address here."
"Look!" Polly bounded out of bed. "Call her up now Aunt Kate, and ask
her to bring Maud to tea this afternoon. Then we can talk about school
and see Maud. Get up, Lo, and do show a little interested enthusiasm,"
she admonished, as Mrs. Farwell went back to the library to tell Uncle
Roddy the rest of the story, and to 'phone to Mrs. Banks. "Aren't you
excited?"
"_No!_" Lois got up slowly and struggled to find her slipper. "I am
not," she said slowly but distinctly.
Mrs. Banks was delighted to accept Mrs. Farwell's invitation, and at
four o'clock they arrived, she and Maud.
The girls could hardly restrain a gasp of surprise at the sight of Maud.
It is hard to realize that other girls grow up as well as yourself, and
Polly and Lois still remembered the shy little girl in a pinafore, with
straight flaxen hair and blue eyes that Maud had been two summers
before. They were totally unprepared to meet the new Maud.
In the first place, instead of looking down at her they had to look up,
for she had grown until she was a half head taller than either Polly or
Lois. Her arms and legs were lanky and her hair was now brushed severely
back from her forehead and hung in a heavy braid down her back. She
wore a very plain black velvet dress with a broad white collar and
cuffs, and with her clear blue eyes and straight features she made a
strikingly handsome picture, and although she spoke in her same soft
melodious voice--all trace of shyness was gone. After the greetings were
over, and everybody was comfortably settled, the talk turned to school.
"Where have you been the past two years?" Polly asked. "I'm so tickled
to think you've really decided to go to Seddon Hall at last."
"I've had governesses, most of the time," Maud answered.
"But you went to a small private school too, dear," Mrs. Banks reminded
her.
Maud glanced at her mother and then back to Polly.
"Not for long, though; you see I was expelled," she said, with such
unexpected bluntness, that they all laughed.
"Expelled! What for?" Lois asked, without intending to be rude.
"For drawing a picture of the music professor. It wasn't a very
flattering picture, so!"
"You weren't really expelled, dear," Mrs. Banks said apologetically.
"The Principal just thought you might be happier somewhere else. You
didn't fit in; you see it was a very small school, and--"
"All the girls were little gentlewomen," Maud interrupted, without
appearing rude, "and I was too noisy." She chuckled to herself--probably
at the memory of past pranks. "I didn't mean to be, but the Principal--"
She stopped abruptly. She was a little embarrassed at so much undivided
attention--for though she was noisy, and rather unmanageable, she had no
desire to show off. For the rest of the visit, the older people did the
talking.
An hour later, as the girls were packing their bags, in Polly's
room--they discussed Maud. It was decided that she was to go to Seddon
Hall as soon as Mrs. Banks could arrange with Mrs. Baird, and the girls
were wondering just what difference her coming would make.
"She'll _be_ some one anyway," Polly said thoughtfully, "Whether she's
popular or not, she's sure to make herself felt."
"I think she'll make a hit," Lois replied, slowly. "She's awfully
different. I wonder if she'll start drawing pictures of the faculty."
"It doesn't matter if she does, no one will pay any attention to it,"
Polly said, with a grin. "Maybe she'll put some ginger into things."
"Bet will be pleased if she does," Lois laughed, as she packed her
football score card. The sight of it made her exclaim:
"Poll, I meant to write Frank to-day! I haven't congratulated him yet.
We've been so busy." She hurried to the desk. "I'll have time to tear
off just a line before we start."
Polly was suddenly reminded of an unanswered letter at the same time. In
a second their pens scratched in unison, and Maud was completely
forgotten.