"Indeed you have, and it's mighty becoming to you. You are
perfectly stunning, and I'd like a picture of you as you look
now," and the girl's appreciative glance swept over the graceful
figure in its trailing white dress, the brilliant flowers
encircled with one fair arm and the beautiful face all aglow with
its unaccustomed color. "Well," she went on, with a satisfied
sigh, "it is all over, ami mia, and I'm sure we made a downright
splendid show, to say nothing about the honor we heaped upon
ourselves, with our essays, poems, class history, singing, etc. I
was proud of it all. Now for the grand finale to-night, and that,
I suppose, will end our school life. Heigh-ho! aren't you just a
little bit sorry, Kathleen mavourneen?"
"Yes, of course; one cannot help feeling the breaking away; er--
Sadie, was Dr. Stanley in the audience this afternoon?"
Miss Minot shot a quick, comprehensive look from under her long
lashes at her companion, who had turned a little from her and was
now apparently gazing out of a window.
"O-h! I see!" she ejaculated, reflectively, after an instant of
hesitation.
"What do you see?" demanded Katherine, in surprise, and facing her
suddenly.
"Why! Why, this beautiful Katherine--Mermet is refractory; she--it
won't stand up in the vase; it has a crooked stem, lops over
dejectedly and needs doctoring," Sadie observed, demurely, as she
held the flower up to view. "But"--with 'a sly smile--"I reckon a
little skillful surgery will straighten it out. Yes, Dr. Stanley
was there--up in the north corner, almost behind that great post.
How strange you didn't see him!"
"I didn't try to find anybody; I didn't care to know where anybody
sat, at least until after I had read my essay; and then, you know,
it was almost over," explained Katherine, turning away again, but
not before her friend had noticed that the color was now all gone
from her face.
She nodded her head wisely once or twice.
"He didn't send any flowers," she mentally observed. "Those Jacks
are mine; the mixed bouquet is from the Minturns, and I saw Dorrie
give the usher those Daybreak pinks. Well, it is queer. I wonder
what it means?"
"There!" she remarked, aloud, "I've done the best I can with my
avalanche of sweetness; now give me yours, honey, and I will put
them in this jardiniere. But what will you save out to wear with
your reception gown to-night?" she asked, as she took the flowers
from Katherine.
"I--don't know, Sadie; I believe I won't make any change--I'll go
just as I am," was the dejected reply as the girl sank wearily
into a chair.
"Go just as you are! not make any change! Well, now, Miss Minturn,
that really 'jars' me; with that perfectly killing pink liberty
gauze, made over pink silk, all ready to slip on, and which just
makes me green with envy to look at," Sadie exclaimed, in a tone
of mock consternation, although, as she told her later, she was
"dying to shriek with laughter." "What is the matter, honey?" she
added, softly, the next moment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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