Elizabeth Jordan

“ So Emily took charge of the clothes, and I said I'd sell Evelina's jewelry in my room, and Nettie took all her underwear.
Of course we didn't let the Sisters know a thing about it—not that we blushed for our noble act, but because grown-ups are so queer they don't always seem to know when acts are noble! And we had not time to waste explaining things to adult minds. When we are together we catch things like a flash, but when we talk to the Sisters we have to explain and explain, and often they don't see even then. Besides, they 'most always want to waste our time explaining things themselves. ”

“ She said at any cost we must keep Evelina May at school the rest of the year, and Nettie spoke right up and said the cost would be about four hundred and fifty dollars. She had figured it all out with a pencil on her bureau-cover. Emily went on to say it would not do to offer Evelina May money, even if we had it; we must consider her pride and her self-respect, and we must help her to help herself. Then Emily said very slowly and impressively that she had discovered how it could be done, and that her plan was to have an auction sale of all Evelina May's things that very day. ”

“ However, this particular morning Nettie was really reading the news, and she was perched up in a window-seat in her room, and Emily Paxton and Hope Murray and I were with her. We were all studying—even Hope Murray, for a wonder. Hope is not a studious and thoughtful girl, like the rest of us, but she has a lovely nature and makes the best fudge in school. ”

“ Even Emily looked up for a moment when Hope said that, but her face fell again when Nettie groaned and said she knew Evelina May hadn't saved a cent, because Evelina had borrowed two dollars from Ada Thorne that very morning and told Ada she was down to her last penny and must telegraph her father. Then we remembered that Evelina May had given about ten "spreads" within three weeks. They were expensive, too, because she always asked the whole class and let them bring their friends in other classes, too, if they wanted to. ”

“ But Emily showed them that would not be businesslike, so they calmed down and began to try on hats and select the things they liked best. It was lots of fun, and the queerest things happened. The girl Evelina May disliked the most of all those at school bought her very nicest Paris hat—and got it for three dollars, too. For when the girls really grew interested, of course they wanted to make their money go as far as it could, so they didn't bid large sums. ”

“ If this doesn't convince Sister Seraphica and the gentle reader, I don't know what will.
It has taught me something, too, about critics. Critics are people who are always thinking you cannot do things because they know they cannot. I hope a great many of them will sink into a reverential silence after they read this story.
There is one climax to begin with. "The goods follow," as Evelina May's father always used to telegraph her when she wrote and asked him for boxes of things. ”

“ Emily said she was afraid she couldn't contribute as much as she wanted to, for at vacation time she had heard her father say his income could no longer bear the strain of his son's repeated demands. Emily's brother is in the army, and I guess he spends a great deal and perhaps has some bad habits. That made me remember it was all too possible that my father might not have a whole hundred dollars to spare, either. I bowed my head in grief and so did Nettie, for the same reasons. ”

“ But finally I stopped and pushed Emily in front of Evelina May and signed to the others to be quiet, and a great silence fell, as Stevenson says. Then Emily told everything as well as she could, and when she got through Evelina May kissed us all again, and for the first time she cried a little.
"You're just as good as you can be, every blessed one of you," said Evelina May. "And I shall never forget it. But, girls, I've got glorious news. It's all a mistake. Papa hasn't failed at all. Here, read his telegram." And we read it:
Pay no attention to false reports in morning papers. ”

“ Had a close shave, but your Uncle Jack and others jumped in and helped me, and tonight Vanderwater & Co. are stronger than ever. Give the class a spread to celebrate.
For just a moment we all had that tired feeling the newspapers talk about—the kind you get when you know you've been silly. Emily said faintly that of course we could buy Evelina's things back, but Evelina May only laughed. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1947, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 76 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”