Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  MRS. GRAY ENGAGES A SECRETARY

  Grace and her two friends, Jessica and Nora, were also invited to Mrs.Gray's luncheon the next day, after church. Grace had often taken mealsin the beautiful house on Chapel Hill, but the other girls had neverbeen privileged to do more than sit in the large, shady parlors whiletheir mothers paid an afternoon call.

  It was with some excitement, therefore, that the three girls met infront of the Catholic Church, of which Nora was a member, and strolledup the broad street together. As they passed the little EpiscopalChapel, which had given the hill its name, Anne Pierson joined them. Shelooked grave and excited, and there was a feverish glow in her eyes.

  "Anne, my child," exclaimed Grace, who always seemed much older than theothers, "how late do you study at night? I believe you are working toohard. You look tired out."

  "I'm not tired," replied Anne. "I don't mind studying. Only so much hashappened in the last few days! And now we're going to luncheon with Mrs.Gray. I've seen her house. It's very beautiful from the outside, morebeautiful than the Nesbits', I think, because it is older and there issuch a pretty garden at the side."

  "Anne," said Jessica, "we're counting on you to win the prize. There isno reason why a rich girl like Miriam Nesbit should get it. She doesn'tneed the money, in the first place; and, in the second, she's alreadyhad enough glory to turn her head. Being beaten won't hurt her at all."

  "I would rather win it," answered Anne, with passionate fervor, "thanalmost anything in the world. And think of the big prize of $100! If Icould win that----" Words failed to express her enthusiasm and shepaused and clasped her hands.

  "Oh, well, we won't expect that of you," replied Grace, "Nobody could beexpected to pass a perfect examination. That's an impossibleachievement."

  "_I_ shall try, anyway," said Anne in a low voice.

  Just then they were joined by a young man of about eighteen, who liftedhis hat politely to them.

  "May I walk with you?" he asked of Grace. "You seem to be going my waythis morning."

  "Certainly, David, we are going your way. We are lunching with your nextdoor neighbor, Mrs. Gray. But you must let me introduce you to MissPierson. Anne, this is Mr. Nesbit, Miriam's brother."

  Anne flushed at the mention of Miriam's name and bowed distantly to thenewcomer, who was a junior at the High School and quite grown-up to theyoung freshmen.

  David Nesbit, like his sister, was tall, dark and handsome; but unlikeher, he was quiet and unassuming. He, too, stood at the head of hisclasses, but he was not athletic, as Miriam was, and spent most of histime in the school laboratory, experimenting, or working at home onengines and machinery of his own contriving.

  However, there was nothing snobbish in David's attitude. He greeted Anneas cordially as he had the others.

  "We never see you now, David," continued Grace. "You are always so busywith your inventions and contrivances. What is the latest? A flyingmachine?"

  "You guessed right the very first time," replied David. "It is justthat."

  "Really?" laughed the girls, incredulously, while Anne's eyes grew largewith interest.

  "Shall you fly around Oakdale in it?" asked Jessica.

  "Oh, we are not building big ones yet," answered David. "These arelittle fellows. Models, you know. The big ones may come later. Six ofthe junior and senior fellows have been working on them all summer. Westarted it in the manual training course. After we had learned to hammerthings out of silver, and do wood carving and a few other little usefulaccomplishments, I suggested a flying machine to Professor Blitz and hefell to it like a ripe peach. It was too late to do anything last springexcept talk, however. But we are almost ready now, after our labors thissummer."

  "Ready for what?" demanded Grace. "If you are not going to flyyourselves."

  "For our exhibition. Why don't you come and see it at the gym. nextFriday night?"

  "We can't. We aren't invited," answered Nora, tossing back her saucylittle curls.

  "I'll invite you," said David. "This will admit four young ladies to theHigh School gym.," he continued, taking out a card and writing on it,"At 7.30 Thursday evening."

  "Then everybody isn't invited?" demanded Jessica.

  "No, not everybody," replied David. "Just a chosen few. And you must besure to come, too, Miss Pierson," he added, turning to Anne, who, allthis time, had been silently listening to the conversation.

  "I should love to," she answered, giving him a grateful glance.

  "I'll leave you here," said David, turning in at a graveled drivewaythat led to the Nesbit house, a very large and ornate building standingfar back from the street in the midst of a well-kept lawn.

  "I wish Miriam would take a few lessons in manners from her brother,"murmured Grace, when they were out of hearing distance.

  "He is certainly one of the nicest boys in High School," said Jessica.

  "If he only played football!" said Grace, with a sigh.

  "And danced," added Nora.

  "I don't know how to dance, nor did I ever see a game of football," saidAnne.

  "Meaning that Mr. David suits you, Miss Anne," said Grace teasingly.

  "It was nice of him to ask me, too," was all Anne said in reply.

  "How do you do, my dears?" said Mrs. Gray, a few moments later, whenJohn, the aged butler, ushered the girls into the long, old-fashionedparlor. "You are most kind to come and cheer up a lonely old woman. Ishall expect you to be very gay and tell me all the gossip of theOakdale High School, the four of you."

  "Luncheon is served, ma'am," announced John, whereat the sprightly oldlady led the way to the dining room.

  Over the delicious broiled chicken and other good things they discussedthe affairs of the school, the new teacher in mathematics, Miss Leece,who was so unpopular; the girls' principal, Miss Thompson, beloved byall the pupils; the merits of the Freshman Basketball Team and a dozenother schoolgirl topics that seemed to delight the ears of Mrs. Gray.

  "The truth is," she said, "I believe this freshman class is going to beone of the finest Oakdale High School has ever turned out. I have afeeling that I shall be very proud of my new girls, and at Christmastime I mean to do something I have never done before, if all goes well."

  "Oh, do tell us what it is, Mrs. Gray," cried the girls in greatexcitement.

  "I mean to celebrate with the largest Christmas party that's been givenin Oakdale for many a long year. Grace, you shall manage it for me, andall of you shall help me decorate the tree and the house. We'll invitethe freshmen boys and have a real dance with Ohlson's band for themusic."

  "Oh, oh!" cried the girls ecstatically, even quiet Anne joining in thechorus.

  "By the way," went on Mrs. Gray, "do you know any girl who would like tocome up and read to me twice a week, and write my notes for me? I'mgetting to be an old woman. My eyesight is growing dim. Is there anygirl who would like to earn a little pocket money? But she must have asweet, soft voice, like Anne's here."

  "Anne would be the very girl herself, Mrs. Gray," suggested Grace. "Shereads and recites beautifully."

  "You are not sure it would trespass on your time too much, Anne?"observed the wily old lady. "I don't want to impose on you."

  Anne's face fairly radiated with happiness. Could those girls possiblyguess how much it meant to her to earn a little money! Five dollars wasto her an enormous sum, and perhaps she might earn as much as that intime.

  "Might I do it?" she exclaimed, beside herself with joy.

  Grace turned her face away a moment. She felt almost ashamed of her owncomfortable prosperity. And how like Mrs. Gray it was to do a kind thingin that way, as if Anne would be conferring a favor by accepting theposition.

  "Indeed, you might, my dear. And I feel myself lucky to get thebrightest girl in her class, and maybe in Oakdale High School, to comeand entertain me twice a week."