The Loyal School League
Avelyn went back to school in a serious frame of mind. She knew that she
had undertaken a big thing, and, though she mentally set her teeth and
meant to grapple with it, she felt that her dear Lavender Lady did
not--could not--realize all the difficulties that lay in her path. Miss
Carrington's supreme faith in her buoyed her up, however; she would try
her utmost, and if failure came---- No! the Lavender Lady had said it
was fatal even to mention failure, and that she must go about her errand
absolutely determined to succeed.
She began by sounding the members of her own dormitory. They received
the suggestion with wonderful favour.
"The school's been slack enough at games all the winter!" commented
Irma.
"Time it bucked up, certainly!" agreed Janet.
"That Hawthorners' Hockey Club was a scandal!" said Laura.
"Well, if we don't take care they'll be turning it into a tennis club
for the summer," warned Avelyn.
"We'd better make some sort of a move," grunted Ethelberga.
"It's Adah that's at the bottom of all the trouble," said Laura, sitting
on the floor with her arms clasped round her knees, and swaying
thoughtfully to and fro. "Adah's a thorough old-fashioned Silversider,
and hates the new contingent--that's the matter in a nutshell."
"Isobel and Consie and even Joyce would come round directly if Adah
would only let them," agreed Irma.
"And Annie and Gladys would meet them half-way," nodded Janet.
"Adah's the most ripping tennis-player I know," ruminated Laura.
"And so's Annie. She won the trophy last year at The Hawthorns."
"The two together would make the best champions any school ever had."
"Well, look here, they've just _got_ to go together!"
"I've an idea--a brain wave!" said Avelyn. "The Council Meeting will be
to-morrow. Well, this afternoon let us propose a tennis set, 'School
versus Mistresses'. Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin are simply A1 at
tennis, and everybody knows they are, so we'll insist upon Adah and
Annie playing together for the school. They can't refuse when it's put
like that. Whether they win or lose, it'll pave the way for what we want
to bring forward to-morrow."
"Right you are, O Queen! It's a blossomy idea!"
Avelyn got up, and straightened her tie.
"I'll go down now to the dressing-room, and catch those day girls as
they come in, and have a talk with some of them."
"And I'll go and sound Miss Peters about the set this afternoon. She's
in a good temper to-day, because she's had a letter from the front."
Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin, fresh and fit after the holidays, were
quite disposed to accept the challenge of the girls and wield rackets on
behalf of the mistresses. Universal public opinion fixed upon Adah and
Annie as champions for the school, and they submitted, a little
bewildered and dismayed, but bowled over by the suddenness of the
suggestion. Every girl at Silverside--except three victims who had music
lessons and one who had toothache--crowded round the tennis court to
watch the exciting contest. Miss Peters and Miss Broadwin were
formidable opponents; they had been members of their college clubs, and
though slightly out of practice had not forgotten their former skill.
The two prefects knew that it would need their utmost ability to fight
them. With the whole school looking on, each nerved herself to do her
best.
In the first game the Mistresses scored. Miss Peters's serves seemed
almost invincible, and as for Miss Broadwin her arms were elastic. Adah
and Annie looked at each other grimly. They had begun to take their
opponents' measure, and also to estimate each other's play. In the next
game they exercised extreme caution, and did not repeat certain
mistakes. After an exciting rally the score this time fell to the
School.
"Now for the tussle!" laughed Miss Peters, as she collected balls.
Adah could not help admiring the way Annie played that last game. She
kept her nerve splendidly, and her back-hand strokes were magnificent.
For an anxious moment or two the luck of the School trembled in the
balance, but by a frantic effort on the part of the prefects the set was
secured. The vanquished Mistresses took their defeat sportingly, and
congratulated the victors.
"One of the best sets we've ever had at Silverside!" declared Miss
Broadwin, pinning up a tail of hair that had strayed down her back in
the heat of the combat.
"If you two go on like this you'll be invincible!" laughed Miss Peters.
"You need to get a little more accustomed to each other's play, and
you'd make splendid champions."
"You were both absolutely topping!" declared the school, crowding round.
Adah took her honours stolidly, but appreciated them none the less.
After all, it was pleasant to be congratulated by the day girls; it made
up in some slight degree for the humiliation of that afternoon when they
had run away rather than witness the dramatic performance.
"We must practise together," she said to Annie; and Annie actually
replied:
"I could stay half an hour every day after school, if you like."
This amnesty between the rivals, heard and reported by several
listeners, surely seemed to pave the way for tomorrow's proposals.
Avelyn's mental barometer stood at "high hopes".
The Council Meeting was always held in the big schoolroom, and, by
old-established rule, classes stopped at 3.30 instead of 4, so as to
allow extra time for the proceedings. No mistresses were present, and
the girls, within certain limits, were allowed to make any arrangements
they thought fit for the ensuing term. The prefects took their places on
the platform, and Adah, as head girl, acted chairman.
The room was very full. On the front benches sat rows of round-eyed
youngsters, bare-legged, in the prevailing fashion for socks, with their
hair tied with broad ribbons. Behind them were excitable pig-tailed
juniors, wriggling restlessly in their seats, and continually letting
their whispers rise to a murmur that called down rebuke from the
platform. These were as sheep ready to follow any leader, and did not
understand the objects of the meeting. They had come simply because they
were told to do so, and because they thought it would be fun. The larger
half of the school, girls from twelve to seventeen, were in a state of
indecision. It had been rumoured that Annie Broadside intended to turn
the Old Hawthorners' Hockey Club into a tennis club for the summer, and
there was in certain quarters a strong feeling that they ought to
support her. They wondered what was going to happen. Avelyn, with Laura,
Janet, Irma, Ethelberga, Pamela, and several other "backers", sat at the
end underneath the clock.
Adah began the proceedings by reading a report of the school activities
for the previous term. She made the very best of what she had to say,
but it was felt to be a poor record. The societies and guilds had been
decidedly languishing, and had achieved next to nothing. It was
impossible to refer to them with any pride. There was perfunctory
clapping, markedly half-hearted.
"Now we've got to decide on what we're going to do this term," continued
Adah. "I suppose we shall have our usual societies--the Tennis Club, and
the Cricket Club, and the Photographic Union. If anybody wants to make
any suggestions, now is the time. This is an open meeting, and everyone
who likes is at liberty to speak--in turn, of course. There may be some
little points you'd like to bring up. Do so by all means. We prefects
are perfectly willing to listen to you, and to discuss them."
Adah spoke in her usual rather patronizing fashion. Her words were
succeeded by a dead hush. Everybody felt that there were not only little
points, but very big points which needed to be raised, yet nobody seemed
able to voice the general discontent. A whisper passed along some of the
forms to the effect that day girls ought to have their rights. Adah
watched the heads bent together and the moving lips.
"Speak to the chair, please!" she reminded them.
But at that they sat up silently.
Many of the audience wondered if Annie would take up the cudgels for the
day girls and fight the question out upon the platform, but Annie made
no sign. Was she thinking of the Old Hawthorners' League, and would she
perhaps again call a rival meeting on the common, as she had done in the
autumn?
"Am I to take it that you consider former arrangements satisfactory?"
asked Adah, frowning at some of the babies, who were playing with a
celluloid ball.
Then Avelyn stood up.
"I should like very much to discuss one or two points, if I may," she
began.
"Certainly! Go on!"
"Well, first of all I think we ought all to be rather ashamed of the
report. For such a big school I certainly think we ought to have far
more to show for ourselves."
Several of the prefects nodded, and began to look interested.
"There are nearly a hundred girls here this term, and we may call
ourselves the principal school in Harlingden. We ought to take quite a
place in the county, and challenge other schools for matches. We haven't
shone very much in games hitherto, have we?"
A discontented murmur replied from the benches. There was an electric
thrill in the air. Avelyn took courage. At first her sentences had come
hesitatingly; now that she warmed to her subject, her words flowed more
easily. She had a sudden feeling that the Lavender Lady was thinking of
her and inspiring her; the idea roused the utmost effort of which she
was capable. She determined to speak boldly, and not beat about the
bush. If she gave offence she could not help it.
"What we want here is a spirit of union. If we all determine to stick
together and back one another up at all costs, we might do great things.
Don't let us have two parties. Let us forget any old squabbles, and be
loyal to the school. I believe we've heaps of talent amongst us if it
only gets a chance to come out. Let's remodel our societies on a new
basis, and give the best places to whoever will gain the most credit for
the school. Why shouldn't we try this year for the County Shield? With
two such champions as Adah Gartley and Annie Broadside we ought to have
a sporting chance. Just think if we could win the shield for Silverside!
Then there's cricket. We can muster up strongly in that respect, too.
Joyce Edwards, and Minnie Selburn, and Gladys Wilks, and Maggie Stuart
would take a good deal of beating! We could get up a first-rate Eleven,
and arrange some topping matches. Think how priceless it would be to go
and watch them, and cheer on our own side!"
Avelyn paused for breath. She had spoken warmly, and the excitement had
quite carried her away. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were
shining. She had held the attention of the room with a kind of
magnetism. All faces had been turned towards her, and her every word had
been closely followed.
The girls now burst into a buzz of general conversation. Each wanted to
discuss the matter with her neighbour. It was plain that the project
was received with approval. Even the prefects were having a few private
remarks among themselves. Joyce and Isobel in particular were nodding
emphatically as if urging the project upon Adah. Annie whispered to
Gladys, and they both spoke to Consie. All were looking expectantly
towards Adah. The head girl rang the bell for silence.
"What you say is very true. Silverside ought to take its proper place in
games, and I think we all agree that a special effort should be made
this summer. As this is a business meeting, will you please put what you
wish to suggest in the form of a proposition?"
"Certainly. I beg to propose that we form a 'Loyal School League', the
object of which shall be to advance in every way the credit of
Silverside. We ought to have a President and several Vice-presidents,
and a Committee, with two representatives from each of the upper forms.
If any very important question arises we should have a Council Meeting
of the whole school, and put the matter to the vote. I also propose
that, for the sake of further cementing our unity, we adopt a new badge,
and have for our colours pale-blue, pink, and navy. It would be an
effective combination, and would mean a good deal to most of us. We
would pledge ourselves to do our utmost for the new Silverside Colours."
As Avelyn again stopped, a roar of applause rose from the room. The
girls were completely carried away by her idea; the blending of the
badges seemed the one thing needed to unite the school. Though a few
prejudiced "Old Silversiders", including Adah, looked rather blank, the
majority, even among the boarders, were plainly in favour of the
suggested change.
"Does anybody second this proposition?" asked the head girl. "We
prefects want to hear the view of the school."
A dozen stood up, anxious to speak. Adah nodded to Laura Talbot. Laura
had been at Silverside five years, and was a dependable character, not
easily carried away by tides of emotion. Her ideas might reasonably be
the gauge of average popular opinion.
"I've been thinking for a long time that we ought to do something," said
Laura. "It seems to me that a 'Loyal School League' just hits the nail.
I believe we'll forge ahead this term and win laurels for our new
colours. I have very great pleasure in seconding this proposition."
"Then I put it to the vote. All in favour kindly hold up their hands."
Every arm in the room shot up instantly. Adah looked at the waving show
of hands before her, and realized that the general feeling of the school
favoured unity. She had the sense to accept the situation in a generous
spirit.
"Carried unanimously!" she declared, and turning round, smiled at Annie,
who smiled back. The girls cheered, ostensibly at the carrying of the
resolution, but partly to see the rival leaders on such affable terms.
"We want a president, and I propose Adah!" shouted Ethelberga.
"And the rest of the prefects as vice-presidents!" amended Janet.
"Hear, hear!" came from the audience.
"And I," said Pamela, jumping up suddenly, "beg to propose that Avelyn,
who suggested the whole idea of the League, shall be elected secretary."
"Rather!"
"Good biz!"
"Ave, by all means!"
"Oh, no, please! I don't want to grab any office for myself!" protested
Avelyn.
"Nonsense! Brace up, child, for you'll have to do it!" urged Laura.
"Why, you've brought about the whole business. Besides, you belong to
both parties, so you'll bind us together as nobody else could."
"The missing link, in fact!" hinnied Irma, trying to be funny.
The meeting passed the remaining resolutions in good order, then broke
up in a whirl of excited talk. A deputation of prefects visited Miss
Thompson's study, and gave her a digest of the afternoon's proceedings.
She listened approvingly.
"I'll order the new badges at once, and see about hiring a larger
cricket field," she commented.
The Principal did not judge it discreet to say more to the girls, but
over cocoa that evening with the mistresses she voiced her
satisfaction.
"I knew they'd come round in time if we let them alone. You can't force
these things. I suppose it was only natural that the old school and the
new should find some difficulty in mingling. Girls are queer creatures,
and often very prejudiced. It won't have done them any harm to see what
a poor record they made in games when they were striving for rival
factions. I consider it an excellent object lesson. I expect they'll all
try their best now, and practise away hard at cricket and tennis."
"I hoped it marked a new era when I saw Adah and Annie win that set at
tennis," nodded Miss Peters.
"They're both excellent girls in their way, and should do great things
for the school, if they'll only pull together," agreed Miss Hopkins.
Avelyn spent her half-hour of leisure that evening in writing to Miss
Carrington.
"DARLING LAVENDER LADY,
"I have actually done it! Or rather, _you_ have done it, for it
was entirely your idea. I can scarcely believe it is true, but
the League is an accomplished fact, and the new colours, and all
your dear jinky suggestions. I don't know how I had the cheek to
stand on my legs and make the proposal before the whole school,
but I thought of my promise to you, and I did it somehow. I
hardly remember what I said. The girls are tremendously keen on
the League; they say it's a topping notion. Can you believe it,
darling? they've made me secretary. Little me! I shall have to
write the letters to other schools, challenging them to matches!
I shall use the lovely new blotter you gave me.
"Good-bye, and thank you a hundred thousand times for everything
you are to me!
"With love from
"Your devoted
"AVELYN."