Polly's First Year at Boarding School Part 12

"Who's going to chaperone?"

"The Spartan."

"You're joking."

"We are not."

"But-"

"She's the only one left, the rest of the faculty are in New York, or busy."

"Who's to ask her?"

It was Angela who asked the question, and Lois pointing at her answered:

"You."

"Never!"

"You must!"

"But why?"

"Because you are the only one who has recited intelligently in cla.s.s for the past week."

Angela gasped in astonishment tinged with amus.e.m.e.nt.

"It's a plot," she announced tragically, "and I'm the victim. Oh, very well, I'll do it," she ended stoically as if the deed in view was one of awful villainy.

"Be very polite to her," cautioned Polly. "Tell her we want her very much, and don't let her say no. Bet, you have to ask Mrs. Baird."

"Oh, make Lois."

"No, you have to, Lo and I are going to ask Louise and Florence."

"I like that-"

"Come on, we must hurry," Lois interrupted her, catching Polly's arm and starting for the house.

Angela followed holding tightly to Connie, who she insisted had to come with her to back her up.

"I'll meet you in your room, Lo," Betty called over her shoulder as she parted from the rest under the Bridge of Sighs, on her way to Mrs.

Baird's office.

Polly and Lois left Angela and Connie waiting to learn if the permission were granted before venturing to ask the Spartan, and hurried on to Senior Alley.

They found Louise and Florence in the latter's room, studying.

They were delighted with the idea when Polly explained it to them, said they didn't care to include any of the other Seniors, and stopped work to go up to Lois' room and wait for Betty. They had been there only a few minutes when she burst in upon them.

"It's all right, we can go," she announced delightedly. "Mrs. Baird was adorable about it, she suggested that we take a couple of the older girls, and I told her we were going to ask Louise and Florence. She said that was good, and she smiled; I know she wanted to laugh when I told her we were going to ask the Spartan to chaperone."

This was true; Betty's face had been so cast down when she explained that Miss Hale was the only available teacher, that Mrs. Baird, who understood girls as few women can, had difficulty in suppressing a smile.

At that moment Angela and Connie entered the room.

"She won't go," they announced in unison, "says she feels a cold coming on."

"I knew it!"

"That's too mean."

"There's not another teacher left."

"What'll we do?"

"Leave it to me," Louise said slowly. "I think I can fix it, I'll go talk to her. Wait here for me." And she was gone.

The girls waited, carrying on a fragmentary conversation, and in less than fifteen minutes Louise returned. She was met by a volley of questions:

"Will she go?"

"What did she say?"

"Tell us the worst."

"How did you fix it?"

She put both fingers in her ears in protest.

"Stop talking so much and I'll tell you," she said. "Miss Hale is not going, but Mrs. Baird is."

"No!"

"Really!"

"She's a darling."

"What a lark."

The girls were overcome with surprise and delight.

Lois managed to say a whole sentence without being interrupted.

"Louise, you're a wonder, how did you ever manage it!"

"I explained about Miss Hale's cold and asked her if she could think of any one else. She suggested going herself and of course I wouldn't leave until I'd made her promise that she would."

"Does she skate?" inquired Angela.