A Sweet Girl Graduate Part 21

"Her magnanimity? What do you mean, Rose?"

"To choose that girl for her Prince!" retorted Rosalind. "Ask Mr.

Hammond what I mean. Ask the Elliot-Smiths."

"I don't know the Elliot-Smiths," said Nancy in a cold voice. She turned away; she felt displeased and annoyed.

Rose glanced after her. Then she ran up to Maggie Oliphant, who was preparing to leave the little theater.

"Don't you want to see the auction?" she said in a gay voice. "It's going to be the best fun we have had for many a long day."

Maggie turned and looked at her.

"The auction? What auction do you mean?" she asked.

"Why, Polly Singleton's, of course. You've not heard of it? It's the event of the term!"

Maggie laughed.

"You must be talking nonsense, Rose," she said. "An auction at St.

Benet's! A real auction? Impossible!"

"No, it's not impossible. It's true. Polly owes for a lot of things, and she's going to pay for them in that way. Did you not get a notice?

Polly declared she would send one without fail to every girl in the college."

"Now I remember," said Miss Oliphant, laughing. "I got an extraordinary type-written production. I regarded it as a hoax and consigned it to the wastepaper basket."

"But it wasn't a hoax; it was true. Come away, Miss Oliphant, do.

Polly has got some lovely things."

"I don't think I even know who Polly is," said Maggie. "She surely is not an inmate of Heath Hall?"

"No, no-- of Katharine Hall. You must know her by sight, at least. A great big, fat girl, with red hair and freckles."

"Yes, now I remember. I think she has rather a pleasant face."

"Oh, do you really? Isn't she awfully common and vulgar-looking?"

"Common and vulgar-looking people are often pleasant, nevertheless,"

retorted Maggie.

"You'll come to her auction?" insisted Rose.

"I don't know. She has no right to have an auction. Such a proceeding would give great displeasure to our princ.i.p.als."

"How can you tell that? There never was an auction at the college before."

"How can I tell, Rose? Instinct is my guide in a matter of this sort."

Maggie stepped back and looked haughty.

"Well," said Rose, "the princ.i.p.als won't ever know; we are taking good care of that."

"Oh! I hope you may be successful. Good night."

Maggie turned to walk away. She saw Priscilla standing not far off.

"Come, Prissie," she said affectionately, "you did admirably to-night, but you must have another lesson. You missed two of the best points in that last speech. Come back with me into the theater at once."

Rose bit her lips with vexation. She was wildly anxious to be at the auction. The sealskin might be put up for sale, and she not present.

The corals might go to some other happy girl; but she had made a resolve to bring some of the very best girls in the college to this scene of rioting. Her reckless companions had dared her to do this, and she felt what she called "her honor" at stake. Nancy Banister had declined her invitation with decision; Constance Field had withered her with a look. Now she must secure Maggie.

"I wish you'd come," she said, following Maggie and Prissie to the door of the theater. "It will be an awful disappointment if you don't!

We all reckoned on having you."

"What do you mean, Rose?"

"We thought you wouldn't be above a bit of fun. You never used to be, you know. You never used to be strict and proper and over-righteous, used you?"

Priscilla was startled to see the queer change these few words made on Maggie. Her cheeks lost their roses; her eyes grew big, pathetic, miserable. Then a defiant expression filled them.

"If you put it in that way," she said, "I'll go and peep at the thing.

It isn't my taste nor my style, but goodness knows I'm no better than the rest of you. Come, Prissie."

Maggie seized Priscilla's hand; her clasp was so tight as to be almost painful. She hurried Prissie along so fast that Rose could scarcely keep up with them.

They entered the hall. Maggie seized a hat for herself and another for Prissie from the hat-stand; then the three girls crossed the garden to Katharine Hall. A moment or two later they had reached the scene of the evening's amus.e.m.e.nt

Loud voices and laughter greeted them; they entered a large room crowded to overflowing. The atmosphere here was hot and stifling and chaos reigned supreme. Pictures, ornaments of all kinds had been removed roughly and hastily from the walls; clothes and even jewels were piled on the tables, and a tall girl, standing on a chair, was declaiming volubly for the benefit of her companions.

When Maggie, Rose and Priscilla entered the room Polly was exhibiting the charms of a yellow silk dress somewhat the worse for wear.

Laughter choked her voice; her bright blue eyes shone with excitement and amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Who'll try this?" she began. "It has a double charm. Not only has it reposed round this fair and lovely form, but the silk of which it is made was given to me by my mother's aunt, who had it from her mother before her. When I part with this, I part with a relic. Those who purchase it secure for themselves a piece of history. Who will buy, who will buy, who will buy? An historical dress going-- such a bargain! Who, who will buy?"

"I'll give you five s.h.i.+llings, Polly," screamed a darkeyed girl who stood near.

"Five s.h.i.+llings! This lovely dress going for five s.h.i.+llings!"

proceeded Polly.

"And sixpence," added another voice.

"This beautiful, historical robe going for five-and-sixpence," said Miss Singleton in her gay voice. "Oh, it's a bargain-- it's dirt cheap! Who will buy? who will buy?"

The bids went up, and finally the yellow dress was knocked down to a rosy-faced country girl for the sum of thirteen s.h.i.+llings and ninepence.

Polly's various other possessions were one by one brought to the hammer, some of them fetching fairly large sums, for they were most of them good and worth having, and there were wealthy girls at the college who were not above securing a bargain when it came in their way.

At last the prize on which all Rose's hopes were set was put up for sale. Polly's magnificent sealskin jacket was held aloft and displayed to the admiring and coveteous gaze of many. Rose's face brightened; an eager, greedy look filled her eyes. She actually trembled in her anxiety to secure this prize of prizes.