"Certainly there's no reason why you shouldn't improve the field, if you
wish," she replied, adding with a smile: "I'll take care that the tennis
courts don't suffer in consequence. It was a prudent thought to mention
them. I expect when the war is over, the Governors may be persuaded to
take the full expense of the playing field too. I'll get an estimate at
once of what the rolling would cost."
Jones, the school janitor, who formerly kept the courts and cricket
pitch in order, had gone to the war, and his place was occupied by a
rheumatic old fellow who could do little more than carry coke and attend
to the heating apparatus. When every able-bodied man seemed fighting or
making munitions, it was difficult to find anybody to roll a hockey
field, A volunteer was procured at last, however, who undertook the job
at the rate of L1 per month, with an extra thirty shillings for putting
the field in good order to begin with. Six or seven pounds, therefore,
would cover the expenses of the season. Winona, mindful of the terrible
offense she had given in connection with the Old Girls' Guild, very
wisely took the matter to Linda Fletcher, who called a united meeting of
Prefects and Games Committee to discuss the best way of raising the
money.
"It will have to be done on a bigger scale than the symposium last
year," said Hilda Langley. "If I remember rightly, that made exactly L2
13_s._ 7_d._, enough for a Form trophy, but not sufficient for this
venture."
"We'd better issue tickets, and sell some of them to parents and
friends," suggested Linda.
"How many will the hall hold?"
"Three hundred at a pinch, if the babes squash up tight."
"They won't mind doing that in a good cause."
"The Dramatic Society ought to take an innings, and provide at least
half the program."
"They'll jump at the opportunity. I believe they have something quite
prepared, and have been yearning for an audience."
"Then by all means let them have one."
"At sixpence a head," added practical Marjorie; "we ought easily to be
able to sell sixpenny tickets."
Everybody took up the idea with enthusiasm. The difficulty was not so
much to find helpers as to decide who was to have the honor of
performing. There were many heart-burnings before the program was
finally fixed. It was decided that a musical selection should be given
first, followed by a piece by the Dramatic students. To cut these to
reasonable limits needed all Linda's discretion, tact and firmness.
"You can't have an entertainment beginning at three, and going on till
midnight," she urged, as the various desired items were submitted to
her. "You'd have to hire ambulances to take your exhausted audience
home! Very sorry, but we must keep some of the things for a future
occasion."
Linda, being wise in her generation, and having an eye to the sale of
tickets, insisted that the Lower School should take a share in the
performance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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