Harriet Pyne Grove

“ Hilary, who had begun to look over Olivia’s list and to consider a schedule of recitations and study hours, looked up to say that while she was busy the other girls ought to think out what to do about the invitations. Betty pretended to tear her hair. The starry-eyed Eloise struck an attitude and stared into the distance with a fixed gaze. Juliet put her elbows on the table, rested her head on her fists and closed her eyes. Pauline in tragic tones cried, “Send for Helen, Evelyn and Diane!” Cathalina did nothing but laugh at the other girls, and Isabel volunteered to go for the missing girls. ”

“ Van Buskirk?”
“Nicely, my dear. Anything that you have at school is quite suitable for all our occasions.”
“How comfortable and dear your mother is, Cathalina,” said Lilian after Mrs. Van Buskirk had left the room.
“Yes, isn’t she? And you ought to hear the things she says about you. I believe she likes you even better than Betty and Hilary, but I oughtn’t to say that. Her heart is big enough for our whole quartette. Come on, let’s get the other girls and see what flowers we can find for the rooms.” ”

“ The waiter was approaching again.
“Nothing more,” said Lilian.
“I’ve something to show you when we get in the car,” said Philip, as with grace he ushered out his lady love. “Oh—I believe I’ll wait till we get home. There is too much to say. You are the most wonderful girl not to keep me worrying all week.”
“When you love people, you don’t want them to be unhappy,” said Lilian.
When they reached the apartment house again and the car was drawn up to the curb, Philip reached in his pocket, drew out a little package and slowly opened it. He took out something, while Lilian gasped in astonishment. ”

“ Lilian and Cathalina were to leave for New York later in the day, taking a sleeper.
Virginia laughed, waved her hand in final salute, and turned to Isabel. “You are Hope-ing, I suppose, Isabel.”
“Yes; Hope-ing for a jolly vacation.”
“Do you remember last Christmas at Hilary’s? I am one lucky girl, after all.”
“Christmas at our house won’t be anything like that, Virgie, but I hope that you will have a good time anyway. The boys are lots of fun, and we can do some different things, anyway, from the grind of lessons. It’s a real little town, and everybody knows everybody else. ”

“ Cathalina told her that of course you would love your country and your flag, ‘right or wrong,’ but to ‘justify’ wrong acts of the people who were running the government certainly wouldn’t be true patriotism. She said that her mother said God’s laws were first, and that our motto says ‘In God we trust.’”
“Oh, well,” said Donald, “in our country we don’t hesitate to speak out and tell our politicians what we think. Our flag stands for certain principles—ideals, the old boy calls them, and it’s those that we’ll fight for if we get into the war. ”

“ Virginia sat on the edge of her cot, feeling for the first that there might be hope in Isabel’s suggestion.
“Why, say, Virgie, you don’t have to go right off!”
“No, it’s all paid up till the end of the first semester, so I’ll get my grades and standing anyhow, and perhaps some time I can come back.”
“Now, listen, Virgie. Your father says that he can send you money at the end of the first semester to take you home and that is all he can do without getting in debt and that he doesn’t dare do. Very sensible. He knows that you are going home with me for Christmas, doesn’t he?” ”

“ Of course the very young ones will not, but the older ones won’t care whether they are through school or not. My, don’t I wish I’d been a boy, too!”
“Isabel!”
“I’m going over to see what Betty and Cathalina are going to wear tonight.”
“And, incidentally, what Hilary and Lilian are going to wear.”
“No, they won’t care what they wear, especially tonight, when all they’re thinking about is what is going to happen to Campbell and Philip, and how soon. If I were only old enough, I’d go as a nurse when our boys go.” ”

“ How is yours?”
“Practicing, too, every week. You would think we had nothing but a conservatory of music around here by the sounds, especially the last of the week. The Glee Club, the Guitar, Uke and Mandolin Club, the Collegiate and Academy Orchestras, to say nothing of what Hilary calls the Comb Symphony Orchestra, on private serenades, combine to make night hideous.”
Donald was thinking “what a bright, jolly, sweet girl Betty is, and how those dimples do chase around when she laughs!” And Betty was thinking “Isn’t Donald a good, wholesome boy, honest and fine as they are made!” ”

“ Virginia had intended to keep a little diary of events on her visit. But they moved too quickly for that. The snow came that had been promised by the weather man. Bundled in wraps, robes and hay, the gay sled load of young folks sped to their destination in the country, to the tune of sleigh bells. The party in town came off duly, a day or two before Christmas. The boys had been making skis in the wood-shed and kitchen and Virginia and Isabel had had their suspicions. Sure enough, on Christmas morning each girl had a fine pair, marked “Christmas greetings from the boys.” ”

“ Still, I don’t know but you’d find as many stubborn men as fickle women.”
“I don’t think you can put them all in a class like that,” observed Eloise. “I know stubborn girls and fickle boys.”
“Let’s hurry up and decide on the society affairs, and leave our wise considerations about the human race till another time.”
“All right, Hilary,” said Betty. “Do you know, Eloise, about Evelyn and Diane?”
“Helen has just gone down to see what happened there. I think she’ll be back in a minute.”
“All of us were invited by the Whittiers,” said Hilary. “I like them best, anyhow.” ”

“ Donald and Betty walked to the end of the corridor, past the reception rooms, to where a long, old-fashioned bench filled part of an alcove, by the large windows which looked out upon the wood.
“Now,” said Betty, “tell me all about it.”
“I have to go, that’s all,” said Donald grimly. “I can’t study. Nobody can at the academy. The commandant is as stirred up as anybody, though he tries not to show it. We heard that he is trying to get back in the regular army and go to France with the first troops. Van Horne is going, and Maxwell, as soon as they can. ”

“ But I’m thinking that little Isabel is getting her share of credit, too.”
“Seriously, Isabel,” said Cathalina, “we girls are just pleased to pieces that the society is going so well this year. And you got the very new girls in that are going to help you.”
“Sometimes when they say they can’t do things, and won’t be persuaded, I get awfully discouraged and think I’ll resign; and then I think of the Psyche Club crowd and say, ‘On to Olympus, aha!’”
“You’re killing, fine old Isabel!” and Cathalina gave her a little squeeze. “Isabel’s the stuff heroines are made of. We’ll line you up with Eloise. ”

“ Whatever goes on at Greycliff most of us girls know nothing about.”
“Military discipline is a good thing for boys.”
“Yes. Father says that it is the finest kind of ‘athletics,’ too, for they don’t shuffle and swing themselves around, but get the habit fixed of the erect carriage that is so splendid.” Cathalina was enthusiastic now. “Oh, there they come!” Like Betty and the rest of the girls, Cathalina felt the quickening of interest and the inspiration which came with the music and the marching feet. “Don’t they look fine! Help me pick out the ones we know, Captain Van Horne. ”

“ The days were speeding on toward Christmas and its vacation. There had been the usual Hallowe’en party, without special adventure this time for Betty or the other girls. Every day at Greycliff was an adventure of some sort, Hilary declared. Where so many girls were together, under one roof, there was always something interesting on foot. Their hard work on lessons and the affairs of the different organizations had its spice or reward in the friendships and visiting, the parties and fun that came in between class work and study. ”

“ Sometimes I think it’s pretty fine to have so many brothers. I always used to wish that one of them had been a sister, but I concluded that there wasn’t any of the boys that I could spare, anyhow, and if I had a sister she’d have to be extra. Then I went to Greycliff and at once had a lot of sisters! The Psyche Club supplies the lack!”
The girls talked on till, thoroughly awake, they began to feel the pangs of hunger. “I believe I could eat a piece of hot toast and a scrambled egg,” said Isabel. “How about you, Virgie?” Virginia acknowledged that the suggestion was pleasing. ”

“ Where’s Helen?”
“Around somewhere with Diane and Evelyn, or was when I came upstairs.”
“We were just talking about the senior-junior societies and the rushing,” said Betty.
“It is too killing for words.”
“Oh, don’t say that. It is very flattering when they want you. I don’t think that the girls are hypocritical, as Jane Mills says. They really want you to join their particular society, and if they rather overdo the attentions it is real pleasant anyway.”
“Wait till some of them won’t speak to you if you join the other society,” said Isabel. ”

“ North kissed Lilian, patted the little hand that wore the ring, and went out to talk to her husband.
“What do you think, Father?”
The judge considered a moment. “How old is Lilian?”
“Eighteen last month. And girls aren’t as grown up now as they used to be.”
“Oh, yes, they are. They just go to school longer. Well, Mother, I’d rather this hadn’t happened right now, of course. On the other hand, this young fellow has the qualities that would always appeal to Lilian; he is a good, clean boy, and will have means enough to support her. A father always has to think of that, you know. ”

“ You are always lovely and pretty and the boys do like you.”
The girls had been having a confab in the rose room in Cathalina’s absence. Lilian was looking in the mirror to see if the maid’s hair dressing had been effective. “Oh, Cathalina,” said she, “please tell me about some of your relatives that will be here. Remember that we haven’t been here before, like Hilary.”
“You’ll not have such a time as poor Hilary had,” said Cathalina with a laugh. “She had to meet the whole clan, aunts, uncles and cousins, at our regular Christmas gathering, and had a great time to straighten us all out. ”

“ Campbell was already getting out the “first aid” equipment. “He knew we’d need the things he borrowed, all right!” said he. “Come on, Phil, we may as well get to work. You ladies can enjoy the beauties of nature for the next hour or so. Get out your field glasses, Hilary. I heard a grasshopper sparrow over in that field.”
The girls scattered, Hilary and Lilian with the field glasses, Cathalina and Betty to look for wild flowers, while Mrs. Van Buskirk hunted out a book from the luggage. ”

“ If it’s only money that is the matter, perhaps something can be done.”
“Oh, I’ve thought about that, and I couldn’t borrow or accept money from Cathalina or anybody, or have the girls get up a scholarship for me!”
“You’re too proud, Virginia Hope, for anybody that really wants to get an education. Why shouldn’t people with money help girls that want an education? All these schools raise money for their scholarships that way.” ”

“ This was Pauline’s suggestion.
“Polly, that wouldn’t do at all. In fact I don’t see what on earth we can do!” This was Eloise. “Cathalina, appeal to Miss Randolph.”
“No, don’t bother her with it!” exclaimed Juliet. “We ought to work it out ourselves. I have it—have Patty call a meeting of the Latin Club. There’s the dinner bell! What are we going to do?”
“What is the reason you can’t accept your first invitation? That would be considered fair,” said Olivia. ”

“ Ann Maria did not stay all night, as Cathalina had urged her to do. No, indeed. She handed her wraps to Philip to put on for her, and Philip took her home. To be sure, there were others in the car, Campbell, Emily, Louise and Nan, but Ann Maria sat in front with Phil, who drove. And Lilian did not know that Philip had asked his mother if he might not take Lilian, too. “You may, but it isn’t best,” Mrs. Van Buskirk had answered. “Since all the girls can’t go, you’d better not ask any of them.” ”

“ When the three girls arrived, Betty with pencil and paper went the rounds, asking each girl two questions, “Which society do you prefer?” and “Which society has been rushing you?” Of Diane, Evelyn and Helen, who had been absent when the invitations were delivered, given, indeed, only to the members of the two suites, Betty asked, “Have the girls of either society asked you to a feast?” ”

“ Virgie was laughing by this time, with no traces of tears.
“Wait to write to your father about our plan till we have worked out something ‘more definite,’ as Dr. Norris says, to tell him. You feel pretty sure he will let you try it, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I feel guilty to have cost him so much as it is, and it was so grand of him to pay my way at camp last summer.”
“My, what a relief it will be to the Psyche Club not to have to do any mending this spring! Honestly, can you mend, Virgie?”
“Try me—and don’t the girls hate to fix their shoes more than anything else?” ”

“ Life to some of the girls at Greycliff seemed “stale, flat and unprofitable” after Philip and Campbell, Captain Van Horne, Donald, and the rest of the boys and instructors at the military academy had gone. The school at Greycliff continued several weeks after the other school was closed. “I can think of nothing better for you,” declared Miss Randolph in a chapel talk, “than to stay here and work while the nation and your homes are in this turmoil. ”