Peggy Parsons at Prep School

n a blue Peter Thompson had come up the hill to wait for her, and was at the moment gazing intentl

life at once and came tearing toward Peggy until they were like

ine was crying breathlessly. "I'll be

he collisi

a whirling mélange of blue dress and red coat, down the steep slope of t

bumps newly raised on their foreheads to their scratched knees and

feel as badly as I do, Katherine. What made you say-" she spoke now in a puzzled tone, for full consciousn

ong and we were all so worried, that I climbed the top of the hill to see if I couldn't make out what had become of you-and then there you were flying away f

thrill that is inspired by the discovery of absolute loyalty and affection in a room-mate. The autumn sunlight gli

u people that the dinner is on. And Mr. Huntington doesn't mind the grounds-I mean the grinds, but I'm so wounded I ca

rine, "and all that worr

with your terribly impromptu manner of returning to our midst will be the death of me yet. Peg

e, interrupting herself now and then to suggest, with some irrelevance c

ed Katherine as the girls, after stamping out the remains of their little fire o

eir hopes with tones as firm as Mrs. Forest's

er black and blue f

"Florence doesn't think

black eyes narrowed to mere laughing slits

eks and powdered necks and arms through the pink candle shades, learned what Peggy intended to do to Mrs. Forest to make her prophecy come true. Some of the girls had de

bent for an instant at Mrs. Forest's place to whisper, "Pardon me," rather as if she were conferring a favor by her notice than apologizing for a heinous sin. Then she slipped into her chair, which happened to be at Mrs. Forest's very table, and sat, sweet and erect, with the soft candle light over her gold-glinting hair, in her radiant black eyes, and deepening the wonderful, sweeping color of her face. Her slender neck was del

ss gave way to something else. The little Miss Parsons was developing

er hear the marine band under her auspices or dance with any lads in uniform. But as she considered what other girl in the school would do her so much honor as this wonderful,

er a few minutes, "isn't the old Huntington place beautiful? And

n the hall?" she asked

y no

une of the Huntingtons he has never cared for society and no one is welcome in his house. Although I am acquainted with the members of all the first families here, I have not had occasion to meet Mr

y sigh. "Mr. Huntington is a very good friend of mine

pkin almost into her month to keep back the strange cho

sion maintained by a person who wants to show no surprise whate

rs?-I didn't know," sh

ness. "He says he thinks we learn just the right things. I told him about the cand-I mean I told him the th

e. "Well, I never thought he cared about meeting

hanksgiving dinner!" cried Peggy rapturo

re hard that year, and while she liked the girls to be wonderfully well satisfied with the holiday dinners at the school, nevertheless turkey, cranberries, pies, almonds ran expenses up greatly. In one stupendous jumble the ne

o invite a whole school to Thanksgiving dinner, she

ne that her presence would spoil everything. In their hearts they had known that some one of the teachers would have to go along with them even if the impossible came true and they were allowed to give the party. But they had hoped it would be Miss Carrol, and

aying in a sugary voice. "I'm sure the school ought

orence Thomas, who was sitti

"It used to be the center of all the social activities in the town a long ti

murmured Peggy. "His grand

too?" asked Mrs

Peggy. "I haven

serious in his invitation? It was a defi

going to cook the dinner,-to show what clever pe

going to purchase the supplies for the dinner, also. If Mr. Huntington made a good imp

cept, and to go herself. But the principal's next remark showed that she had already come way beyond that phase of the question and was act

are turning out a bit better nowadays and he might be willing

ch girl who came to the school to interest her parents to the extent of getting them to give contributions. For five thousand dollars they could build a very nice one, large enough for their comparatively sm

r old man for a portion of the expense of building something in which he could r

ly, shaking her finger and laughing a

remark Mr. Huntington had made about people coming to him for money

le note of acceptanc

o the anguish of all

them all in self-defense, and then in the delight