Mimi at Sheridan School

oner than either expected. The revelation came about unexpectedl

ll excited over Mimi's honor of being chosen cheer leader

go to sleep. She could hear Sue and Betsy

a cross between the heebie-jeebies and the jitters. I'm

get up, too,"

were all four out of bed and tiptoeing t

slowly and slipped her feet along. She mus

lighted a candle. Keeping the flame shaded carefully with her hands, she dripped so

s she withdrew her hands

t?" Sue asked.

ased and almo

to too many such after-lights-out

she stepped down from the side of the tub w

st is empty, too,

r and some cocoa in the sit

k to have fudge." Sue had them all giggling now. "Let's make hot chocola

all? I was hungry but not ravenous until we talked about fudge. If we go to bed now, and there seems nothing left to do, I'll

verything I start," Sue's eyes were round with excitement. "Dit's ro

nt getting safely through the intervening corridor and stepping

le for-fudge."

irst floor-bath and luckily catch some one we know well enough, w

nly knew her

ht I'll die," Chloe

nto the valley of death strode--"

n the dim light. "You'd love my Mother and Daddy. They're keen! My Daddy is the best doctor in the world and Mother is a darling. When th

daddy-even old fogies." Chloe's whisp

addy?" but somehow she couldn't. She reached over and squeezed Chloe's hand a

back," Chloe said. Both girls

almost noiselessly, then clicked to. Mim

dly keep from shouting. "No

ole, of all people, was over there. She stopped right outside the floo

relief a

bottom of the doors into the hall. Can't have this larupin' good smell oozing out. We'd have half of Prep Hall in

ge Hall, sugar and water and cocoa fudge was boiling away in the chafing dish which stood in the bottom of the

water to test i

en it's done. When it begins to boil heavy and the bubbles sp

e had greased a plat

ing school now," Mimi murmured h

f Mrs. Cole catches us and you get campus

tragic. "It's going out!" Slowly the blaze flickered, flar

old ball game,

eat it with a sp

now it is. Lift it up Mimi and we'll finish it over

" Sue volunteered. "She's made t

silly,"

lucky stars you made the last trip safely.

iling over the candle, Mimi declared the ca

p, please-

elf, Wimpy," M

p, setting as it fell, spreading in circles which hea

licking

sh please," Mimi cautioned, handing her t

ill hot, she cut it with the file. Then spreading an oiled bread paper flat

iece now and let the re

d off," Sue agreed, turning on a slow st

ck with our first after-lights fudge party th

to them?" Chloe

t Pattie tell what an enormous place Sheridan seemed to her when Uncle Mose and her father drove her up the drive in the family barouche. Prep Hall was all there was here then. The rest of the building has been added. She was being left all of twenty-two

ith college course added; how it was outgrowing finishing school requirements and, by abolishing the preparatory department all together next year, would be an A-1 acc

n't do anything bad or break any big

ll?" interp

one snuffed the candle quickly. The window was open and they hoped the smell would go out. Each girl sat or

tood the matron holding an old timey oil lamp in front of her. The hall proctor was close behind her. Before either of them had time to m

her on all fours. When her hair lightly brushed the matron's heavy skirt, she stopped. For one calculating second she checked her bearing, then swift a

their rooms. Other than the girls who were ho

?" from three di

Aunt P

t h

laying detective, or better, bloodhound. She had been doing some desperate thinking, too, and had found an excellent clue. Carefully she looked

office immediatel

murmured, 'yes, ma'am

she know it

ly reeked of kerosene. When she upset the lamp she had baptized herse

d they d

voided that part. She didn't want me to know

nd the fudge had dis

ct," Sue suggested. Full and wa

ly. "You see, I've tried to tell you so many times and somehow couldn't. Wh

as the first to say encouragingly-"Do tell us, Chloe. I'll admit I've wondered why y

out. Mimi felt her quiver. They were all crowded

h's again. What el

Sue whispered. Her tender

now," Chlo

re dead?" Mimi prayed that wasn't rude. The

n't know.

es

-kidna

calmest of the four. In her soft, lanquid voice louder than a whisper, but much lower than her usual speaking tone, Chloe lisped her heartbreaking story. Telling

ed me at The Home and adopted me. There is onl

out of the car and grabbed me. As he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of cotton seed and ran for the car, I heard a shriek. My head was hanging down over his shoulder bumping up and down as the man, whom I later learned to call Fritzie, ran. I couldn't see very wel

voice di

hing was stilled. The whole night had

and girls br

put sandals on me. The buckles pinched. Then Fritzie took some big scissors out of the car pocket and cut my hair off u

a farm with Fritzie and a large slow moving woman called Freida.

ritzie and Freida packed up and left, leaving me at The H

e people at The Home you'd

little by then. I even had a new name and didn't know the old one. When I'd say-'two men grabbed me,' the nurse would say

by her eyes she was scared but she turned it o

identify you and take you awa

s me, but I wonder all the time who I really am. Sometimes I w

ugh for us." Mimi spoke for all three. "We sw

geometry again when she was living