STRATEGY
“For April showers may come your way,” Janet sang lustily as she tramped
along through the warm June rain beside Carol and Gale.
“Slightly off in your months, aren’t you?” Carol commented. “Methinks
this is June.”
“Ah, yes, ‘what is so fair as a day in June’?” Janet murmured. She
squinted up at the dark clouds hanging overhead and at the heavy
downpour coming therefrom. “I ask you, ‘what is so fair as a day in
June’?”
“June,” soliloquized Carol, “the month of roses, sweet scented
breezes—and examinations!” she ended disgustedly.
“What has come over you two?” Gale wanted to know. “Quoting poetry—even
in the rain!”
“Yes,” Carol grinned mischievously, “one might think we were in love
instead of it being you who——”
Gale frowned good-naturedly at her. “Instead of who?” she encouraged
threateningly. She didn’t mind their teasing; by now she was used to it.
“I was going to say——” Carol continued meekly.
“Hi, book slaves,” Madge called, and swung into step beside them.
“Ah, the light of the history class,” Janet greeted her. “I hear you
were disgustingly brilliant in your examination this morning,” she
accused the latest arrival.
“As usual,” Madge said modestly.
“And poor me,” Carol sighed, “I probably won’t sleep tonight for
worrying about my test tomorrow morning.”
“As if anything less than an earthquake could keep you awake!” Janet
declared.
“I understand that is what we are coming together for this afternoon,”
Madge said, “to coach you.”
“Much to my sorrow,” Carol declared. “You know I simply can’t learn
anything when we are all together.”
“Is that the only time?” Janet inquired daringly.
There might have been serious results to her last question had not Madge
supplied food for different thought.
“How is it Phyllis is having us at her Aunt’s house?” Madge wanted to
know, shifting her books from one arm to the other while she juggled her
umbrella.
“I think her Aunt is out of town for the day,” Gale answered.
“I hope she is out of town,” Carol declared heartily. “I wouldn’t want
to be present if she should come home and find us.”
“If we get the chance, if her Aunt should surprise us, we must carry out
our plans!” Janet insisted.
“Hm,” Carol said unenthusiastically, despite the fact that in the very
beginning the girls’ plan had originated with her.
The four went on to the grey house on the top of the hill. There they
discovered Valerie had already arrived and was attempting to draw some
music from the old piano which was so very seldom used.
“What a day!” Janet declared. “Even music. What would your Aunt say?”
“Why do you have to remind us of what Miss Fields might say?” Carol
asked irritably. “We want to enjoy ourselves.”
“Not you, my fine young lady,” Janet declared, flinging Carol’s history
book at her. “To work, for you!”
For the rest of the afternoon the girls tried to impress on Carol the
facts she would surely need for tomorrow’s examination, the final and
biggest of the term. On it depended the result of her whole year’s work.
They simply would not let her fail.
“I’ll have a pony!” Carol said with sudden brilliancy.
“You know very well you can’t take a horse into a classroom,” Janet
said.
“Silly,” Carol laughed. “A pony in this case is a little slip of paper
with all the answers written on it.”
“Uh huh,” Janet said, “and what happens if you lose the paper?”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Besides, how do you know what questions are going to be asked? How can
you tell which are the right answers to write down?” Madge added.
“Forget I said anything,” Carol pleaded. “I’ll pass without the pony.”
The girls really had a good time, and at dinnertime Carol had to admit
that she did know a little more than when she had started.
Phyllis suggested that they all stay and between them make their own
dinner. The girls welcomed the suggestion albeit they were a little
fearful of the sudden and unexpected return of Phyllis’ Aunt. However,
Phyllis assured them Miss Fields wasn’t expected back until late in the
evening. She was no more anxious than the rest of them to incur her
Aunt’s wrath.
For that one evening the house on the hill was lighted gaily, laughter
and chatter echoed in the rooms usually so silent and the dining room
was the scene of a festive, yet far from elaborate, dinner. The silver
and glassware glittered in the light from the old-fashioned chandelier.
The girls were delighted with the old patterned china and glassware.
“It is a wonder your Aunt wouldn’t give a lot of parties just to show
off the things she has,” declared Madge.
Phyllis laughed but said nothing. She could never picture her Aunt as
hostess to any party.
After the simple meal the girls put together and washed the dishes, Gale
doing the actual washing, Valerie and Phyllis drying while Madge, Janet
and Carol carried them to the dining room and put them in the
old-fashioned sideboard.
It was upon one of the return trips to the kitchen for more dishes that
Carol pushed the swinging door squarely into Madge, knocking the huge
platter from her hand.
“I’m dreadfully sorry!” Carol said in horror, gazing down at the smashed
fragments of the dish.
“That doesn’t help matters any,” Janet said with a frown. “Why don’t you
be careful? We will probably get Phyllis in an awful mess now.”
“It doesn’t matter really,” Phyllis said, knowing in her heart it
mattered a great deal. She had no idea what her Aunt might do when she
discovered the destruction of her favorite platter.
While Gale assisted Phyllis in picking up the pieces the other girls
returned to the dining room. There they waited for the other two while
tracing the patterns of wood carving on the heavy oak furniture.
Suddenly Carol, who had been standing at the old sideboard beside Janet,
looked up and into the mirror over her head. She saw suddenly the figure
of Phyllis’ Aunt in the doorway behind them. At first she almost dropped
from fright, then quickly she gathered her wits together. She nudged
Janet and from the look on her friend’s face judged Janet had already
become aware of Miss Fields. Carol only hoped now that the woman did not
know the girls were aware of her.
“You know,” Carol said, trying to speak naturally, “since Phyllis can’t
go with us to Briarhurst, suppose we go to Stonecliff with her.”
Valerie and Madge looked at the other two swiftly, but taking their cue,
nodded in agreement.
In the mirror Carol saw Miss Fields draw back into the protecting
shadows of the room beyond. She turned quite calmly about. Phyllis’ Aunt
could not now be seen, but she was still listening, of that Carol was
sure.
“Yes,” she said, “I think it would be more fun to go with Phyllis than
to break up our group, don’t you think so?”
“Don’t we think what?” Phyllis asked, entering then with Gale.
“We’ve been thinking,” Janet supplied, “that it would be nice if we went
with you to Stonecliff since you can’t go with us to Briarhurst.”
Phyllis stared at her friends in surprise. “But I thought——”
“That we were set on Briarhurst?” Valerie put in. “One college is as
good as another,” she shrugged convincingly.
“But——” Phyllis began, and stopped. “Why this sudden decision?” she
demanded.
Carol was afraid she would spoil everything. “We just decided on it!”
she said firmly. “Can’t we change our minds if we like?”
“It will be nice being with you,” Phyllis sighed. “I—Aunt Melba!”
“Phyllis, when your guests have gone I would like to speak to you. I
will come to your room.”
The girls were not slow in taking their leave after that. As Carol said,
they didn’t need a second hint.
When the door had closed behind her friends Phyllis leaned against it
and for a moment considered dashing after them. Her heart was beating
wildly. There had been something about her Aunt—Phyllis dreaded being
alone with her. She knew there was punishment coming for daring to bring
her friends into the house and then there was that prized platter! What
form the punishment would take Phyllis did not know. Her Aunt did not
use physical violence, instead she deprived Phyllis of something the
girl wanted very much. Phyllis was glad the Prom was past. This would
have been an excellent reason for her Aunt to refuse her permission to
go. But now nothing could dispel the memory of the good time she had had
that night.
Slowly and thoughtfully she mounted the steps to her room. There was a
glimmer of light beneath her Aunt’s door but not a sound came from
within. In her own room Phyllis sat on the edge of the bed and waited.
Two important thoughts leaped and surged through her mind. One was her
Aunt’s anger and the other the Adventure Girls’ new announcement. She
was glad that they were going to Stonecliff with her. It would not be so
lonesome now.
Suddenly the door knob turned and noiselessly the door opened. Phyllis
stared at her Aunt standing on the threshold. A heavy frown was on the
cold features. Phyllis thought instinctively of the broken platter. Now
it would come! She got to her feet and stood waiting.
“Phyllis——” her Aunt began.
“I’m sorry I brought the girls here, Aunt Melba,” Phyllis interrupted.
“I didn’t mean——”
“Silence!” Her Aunt held up a peremptory hand. “We won’t discuss that.
Recently you asked me to reconsider my decision to send you to
Stonecliff. I have done so and have decided that perhaps you are right.
Briarhurst may be the best for you.”
Phyllis sat down abruptly upon the bed. “But now——” she began vaguely.
“Briarhurst is the better college,” her Aunt said firmly. “You should be
pleased. It was what you wanted. Good night.”
The door closed behind her Aunt and Phyllis flung herself across the
bed. What she wanted? Last week it was, but now—just when the other
girls had made up their minds to go to Stonecliff? She, her Aunt, must
have been listening tonight when the girls were talking about
Stonecliff, Phyllis decided. It must have been then she decided to send
her niece to the other college. Anything to break up the friendship
between Phyllis and the other girls.
Phyllis choked back her tears and went to the window. The rain had
cleared away and in the faint moonlight Phyllis could see the houses in
the valley below lighted and cozy. She thought of the other girls in
homes that were gay and with lots of friends. Girls who did much as they
pleased.
Phyllis tried to remember her own mother and father but she could not.
Her Aunt never referred to Phyllis’ parents and she gave the girl no
opportunity to ask questions. But lately Phyllis had begun to wonder.
She even doubted sometimes if her Aunt was really her Aunt. If she were
really Miss Fields’ niece, wouldn’t the woman have a little affection
for her? Wouldn’t she be a little kinder sometimes? Must she always be
distant, always cold, always a total stranger?
Phyllis decided to give up thinking anything tonight and go to bed. She
felt very young and friendless as she climbed into bed and lay staring
up into the darkness. Yet a moment later she chided herself sternly. She
had friends, all the Adventure Girls and others. She supposed her Aunt
did love her in her way or else she wouldn’t be sending her to college
at all. Yes, she told herself, she did have friends. Hadn’t the
Adventure Girls decided to go to Stonecliff because she was to go there?
Yes, but now she wasn’t going there. She would have to see if she could
change her Aunt’s mind back again. Everything was terribly mixed up!