Briarwood Girls Part 8

"But certainly, if Mademoiselle Harland herself a.s.sures me that it is all right," agreed Mr. Delany affably.

"Then please put it away for a little while until she comes," begged Alison.

They flew home to report the discovery and the difficulty to Miss Harland, and late though it was, she went with them at once to the little Frenchman's shop. Mr. Delany was so impressed by her quiet dignity and authority that he readily parted with the lamp for the sum he had paid to Marcia for it, considering that he had come out very well on the transaction at that.

And in triumph Alison carried her treasure home, feeling that her Christmas was a.s.sured.

CHAPTER XI

CLa.s.s PROPHECY

Christmas came, with all its antic.i.p.ated joys, and went all too swiftly into the past, leaving behind it a precious store of happy memories.

The New Year found the girls of Briarwood back at school, fresh from their holiday and ready for the hardest work of the year. The days were well filled with study and play. New friends.h.i.+ps were formed and old ones strengthened, and a spirit of happiness and of honest comrades.h.i.+p prevailed in the school as the girls worked together.

Marcia was gone, and no one regretted her absence. She never returned to redeem the lamp or, as Miss Harland had half hoped she would, to offer an apology and explanation of why she had "borrowed" Alison's lamp, and the other pieces of property belonging to others, which she had appropriated without leave, and returned in so cavalier a fas.h.i.+on. They heard of her now and then in the course of the next few years--sometimes in the lists of schools in the different cities to which her father's business took him; later, she appeared occasionally in the society pages of the papers.

Later still came the announcement of her marriage to a young man well known in society circles; after which she was heard of no more, and the trouble she had caused in the school was forgotten in the other interests that had taken its place.

The Soph.o.m.ore, Junior and Senior years of the "Kindred Spirits" and their friends were successfully pa.s.sed, and at length came the day, so long worked for and looked forward to, when, with their school honors won, the members of the Senior cla.s.s were ready to throw off the cap and gown, receive their diplomas and step forth as full-fledged graduates, equipped for life in their various ways, each hoping to fulfill her ambition and to realize the cherished hope that lay nearest her heart.

The "Kindred Spirits" were gathered for the last time in Alison's and Joan's room, to look over and comment on the new Annual, _Briarwood Bells_. The cla.s.s history was p.r.o.nounced fairly good. In their Freshman year they had made good in athletics. As Soph.o.m.ores, there had been some drawbacks in the first half of the year, but these had been made up by the work of the latter half. Their "verdant days" were past, and they realized the importance of faithful work.

With the Junior year came new interests and hopes. The princ.i.p.al event in this year, in the girls' memories, was the "Junior-Senior banquet,"

the end and aim of existence for the time being. And now, with the close of the Senior year the cla.s.s had won its laurels, concluded the Historian; and one sensed the long breath of relief with which she finished her task.

"Pretty good, on the whole," Joan p.r.o.nounced. "Nothing brilliant, but I think Miss Harland will consider that we have upheld the honor of Briarwood."

Kathy turned the pages, and then suddenly closed the book.

"Girls, I have an idea. Before we read the cla.s.s prophecy, let us each tell our plans and ambitions for the future, and see how they tally with what Helen has foretold for us--"

"And let us meet here in this very room, ten years from now, and see how many of her prophecies have come true." That was Joan's suggestion.

"All right," a.s.sented Kathy. "Who will begin?"

"You. You started this thing," said Rachel.

"Very well. I expect to teach for a few years, and then to be a trained nurse. Now you, Alison."

"I want to do a lot of things, but most of all, I want to come back here and teach at Briarwood," said Alison earnestly.

"Good! Then you'll be here to welcome us when we meet in ten years,"

Joan applauded. "As for me, I'm going to fly.... You will hear of me some day as the famous woman aviator."

"I'm going to travel to the ends of the earth," was Polly's contribution. "Perhaps I'll fly with Polly."

It was Rachel's turn. "I'm not so ambitious as Polly and Jo. Mine is to be the best teacher of Domestic Science that I know how to be. I specialized in that, you know."

"Fine! Mine is to teach music and play at big concerts," said Evelyn.

"Now, Rosalind, how are you going to distinguish yourself?"

Rosalind smiled and blushed all over her pretty flower-like face.

"Why--I hadn't quite made up my mind. I guess I'll just have a good time for a while, and then be--a lawyer."

There was a shout of laughter. Kathy had been writing, and now read her notes: "A teacher at Briarwood; a flyer; a great traveler; a Domestic Science teacher; a musician; a lawyer; and a trained nurse. Most of the professions seemed to be represented. Briarwood will have cause to be proud of us. Now let us see what the Cla.s.s Prophet has to say of us."

She turned the pages to one headed

CLa.s.s PROPHECY

and began to read. The "prophecy" purported to be items from newspapers of the future, and some of the extracts are of interest to our readers.

The first ran thus:

"Misses Polly Worthington and Evelyn Kingsley have recently opened their Music Studio. Miss Worthington will give instruction in voice and Miss Kingsley in piano. Both young ladies distinguished themselves in these branches at college."

"The public will be glad to hear that the best equipped hospital in the South will shortly be opened, with Miss Alison Fair as head nurse."

"After finis.h.i.+ng her course in Math. at the University of ---- in which she did brilliantly, Miss Rachel Cameron has accepted a position as Math. teacher at her Alma Mater."

"The best seller of the month is a novel by Miss Katherine Bertram, who is winning for herself an enviable name as a writer. Her former cla.s.smates will read her work with interest and pleasure."

"A recent item in a missionary magazine tells us that Miss Joan Wentworth has decided to devote her life and talents to the missionfield. She will sail this week for China."

"Miss Rosalind Forrest, the fairest ornament of her cla.s.s in college, is deeply interested in Social Service work, and is doing valuable work along this line."

"Helen May, Historian."

Kathy looked up. "So there is our future, girls, as our Historian has foretold it. We never know. Perhaps some of us may follow the paths she has pointed out. But in any case we can only do our very best in whatever place in life we may find ourselves, content and humbly glad if we merit the Lord's commendation, 'Well done, good and faithful servant--'"

There was a pause as Kathy stopped speaking. She had not meant to preach, but the words had come to her instinctively, and they touched a responsive chord in their hearts. The young faces were serious as thoughts deeper than their merry surface banter made themselves felt.

A sweet-toned bell called them to supper. The spring evening was falling, soft and dewy, over the gray old walls and terraces of Briarwood. Tomorrow they would separate, never to meet again as care-free schoolgirls; and the shadow of the parting lay on their faces and hearts as they rose to go down. It was Joan who cheerfully said,