out there?" And then colored crimson.
Mrs. Vincent smiled as she slipped an arm across Polly's shoulder and
asked:
"Are you to be my newest girl? If so, I think we would find something
in common."
Polly raised her big eyes to the sweet, strong face smiling upon her and
answered:
"I hadn't even thought of coming until an hour ago. It was all planned
for Peggy, but, oh, dear, if I _only_ could be twins! How am I ever to
be a co-ed in Annapolis and a pupil here at the same time? Yet I want
dreadfully to be both, I'm so fond of Peggy."
"I fear we cannot solve that problem even in Columbia Heights School,
though we try pretty hard to solve a good many knotty ones. Suppose I
talk it over with the grown-ups and meantime arrange for your
entertainment by two or three of the girls. We think they are rather
nice girls too," and Mrs. Vincent pressed an electric button which
promptly brought a neat maid to the door.
"Hilda, ask Miss Natalie and Miss Marjorie to step to my study."
Within a few moments two girls appeared in the doorway, the taller one
asking:
"Did you wish to see us, Mother?"
Introductions followed, whereupon the Principal said:
"Natalie, please take Miss Stewart and Miss Howland for a walk through
the grounds. It is recreation period and they will like to meet the
other girls and see the buildings also, I think. And remember, you are
to picture everything in such glowing colors, and be so entertaining
that they will think there is no other place in all the land half so
lovely, for I have fully decided that we must have sweet P's in our posy
bed. We have a Rose, a Violet, a Lily, Myrtle, Hazel, Marguerites,--oh,
a whole flower garden already--but thus far no sweet-peas."
"We will, Mrs. Vincent. Please come with us," said Marjorie cheerily, no
trace of self-consciousness or the indefinable restraint so much oftener
the rule than the exception between teacher and pupil. Mrs. Harold had
been observing every word and action as it was a part of her nature to
observe--yes, intuitively _feel_--every word and action of the young
people with whom she came in touch, and the older ones who were likely
to bring any influence to bear upon their lives, and this little scene
did more to confirm her in the belief that she had not been amiss when
she selected Columbia Heights School for Peggy than anything else could
have done. Next to her husband, her sister and her nieces, Peggy was the
dearest thing in the
|