Elizabeth G. Jordan

“ I said, very airily: "Oh, never mind the portress; I'll arrange about her," and then suddenly another inspiration came to me. Two "lucid moments" in the same day would have surprised Jack. They surprised me! I said: "Grace has a long black ulster that reaches to the floor. I'll bring it in a bundle to-morrow morning, with a black hat and gloves and a big black veil. It will all make a large bundle, but perhaps the girls will think it's my valedictory that I've been working on so hard." This was a joke, for I was in high spirits, but Sister Chrysostom never smiled. I think she might have. ”

“ Sister Chrysostom caught Grace's arm and said: "You will not leave me for a moment, will you? Do not permit us to be separated."
Grace promised. We both knew how the Sister felt. A sailor clinging to a life-line with the under-tow pulling him down would feel about the same way, I think. The grimy boy knocked at a grimy door and left us standing before it. A voice said, "Come in," and in we went.
I had always supposed that actresses had beautiful dressing-rooms, with soft carpets
"THEN WE ALL STROLLED OUT TOGETHER"
and silk hangings and lovely curtains and flowers. ”

“ These doors, you remember, all lead into small music-rooms, and in each room a girl is practising on the piano. The din is some thing dreadful, of course, for each is playing a different thing, and most of them haven't half learned it.
During rehearsal weeks it was Sister Chrysostom's duty to go up and down this long corridor, dropping into the different rooms and inspiring the girls to fresh efforts. Sometimes she would sit down and talk with them about their music, and point out their mistakes, and correct their technique, and so on. ”

“ She's a privileged character, you know, and she roams about to suit herself, and often leaves the convent by the entrance on the other side of the building. I'll bring her to the music-room where you are, and we'll watch our chance. When the corridor is clear and the portress busy at the door, we will all stroll to the other side of the building and leave by that entrance. The portress there will think you're a friend of Grace's. Any of the Sisters or girls who meet us will think the same thing. Out we go. ”

“ HIS is a story you must not publish, because it seems so improbable. Persons who don't know anything about convent life—and, for that matter, those who think they know all about it—will say it could not have happened. ”

“ She turned without a word and opened the door to leave the room, but I caught her hand and held her. I had to get out of this some way, and what Jack calls one of my "lucid moments" came to me. I drew her back into
"'WHY DON'T YOU GO TO HER?'"
the room and talked to her my very fastest, which is pretty fast! "Sister," I said, "I beg you will at least listen. I know what I say, and I can arrange it all. The 'Troubadours' give a matinée to-morrow, Wednesday. It begins at two and ends at five. The Academy is only six blocks from the convent. My sister will lend me her carriage. ”

“ I was up to my eyes in work, for, besides the regular course, I had taken French and music and all the other extras, and we were having Commencement rehearsals every day, and Sister Cecilia was always poking her head into the class-room and announcing that she "wanted Miss Iverson for a few minutes." ”

“ Most of them have big brothers and sisters who are in society, and the girls get more information from them than they dream they are giving. As for the boarders, they have their long vacations at home—and they make the most of them! ”

“ The blond girl laughed again. "What for?" she said; "we haven't any secrets to talk over. At least I haven't. Have you, Nell? And I hope you haven't come here to preach." She put on her dress as she spoke ”