"Four o'clock, girls! and, if we're not back to prayers by five, we'll be missed," said the tallest of these foolish virgins, with an aquiline nose, and certain quiet elan that bespoke the leader, as she rose from her seat."Have you got the books, Addy?" Addy displayed three dissipated-looking novels under her waterproof.
"And the provisions, Carry?" Carry showed a suspicious parcel filling the pocket of her sack."All right, then.Come girls, trudge.--Charge it," she added, nodding to her host as they passed toward the door."I'll pay you when my quarter's allowance comes.""No, Kate," interposed Carry, producing her purse, "let me pay:
it's my turn."
"Never!" said Kate, arching her black brows loftily, "even if you do have rich relatives, and regular remittances from California.
Never!--Come, girls, forward, march!"
As they opened the door, a gust of wind nearly took them off their feet.Kind-hearted Mrs.Phillips was alarmed."Sakes alive, galls! ye mussn't go out in sich weather.Better let me send word to the Institoot, and make ye up a nice bed to-night in my parlor."But the last sentence was lost in a chorus of half-suppressed shrieks, as the girls, hand in hand, ran down the steps into the storm, and were at once whirled away.
The short December day, unlit by any sunset glow, was failing fast.
It was quite dark already; and the air was thick with driving snow.
For some distance their high spirits, youth, and even inexperience, kept them bravely up; but, in ambitiously attempting a short-cut from the high-road across an open field, their strength gave out, the laugh grew less frequent, and tears began to stand in Carry's brown eyes.When they reached the road again, they were utterly exhausted."Let us go back," said Carry.
"We'd never get across that field again," said Addy.
"Let's stop at the first house, then," said Carry.
"The first house," said Addy, peering through the gathering darkness, "is Squire Robinson's." She darted a mischievous glance at Carry, that, even in her discomfort and fear, brought the quick blood to her cheek.
"Oh, yes!" said Kate with gloomy irony, "certainly; stop at the squire's by all means, and be invited to tea, and be driven home after tea by your dear friend Mr.Harry, with a formal apology from Mrs.Robinson, and hopes that the young ladies may be excused this time.No!" continued Kate with sudden energy."That may suit YOU;but I'm going back as I came,--by the window, or not at all." Then she pounced suddenly, like a hawk, on Carry, who was betraying a tendency to sit down on a snowbank, and whimper, and shook her briskly."You'll be going to sleep next.Stay, hold your tongues, all of you,--what's that?"It was the sound of sleigh-bells.Coming down toward them out of the darkness was a sleigh with a single occupant."Hold down your heads, girls: if it's anybody that knows us, we're lost." But it was not; for a voice strange to their ears, but withal very kindly and pleasant, asked if its owner could be of any help to them.As they turned toward him, they saw it was a man wrapped in a handsome sealskin cloak, wearing a sealskin cap; his face, half concealed by a muffler of the same material, disclosing only a pair of long mustaches, and two keen dark eyes."It's a son of old Santa Claus!" whispered Addy.The girls tittered audibly as they tumbled into the sleigh: they had regained their former spirits."Where shall I take you?" said the stranger quietly.There was a hurried whispering; and then Kate said boldly, "To the Institute." They drove silently up the hill, until the long, ascetic building loomed up before them.The stranger reined up suddenly."You know the way better than I," he said."Where do you go in?"--"Through the back-window," said Kate with sudden and appalling frankness."Isee!" responded their strange driver quietly, and, alighting quickly, removed the bells from the horses."We can drive as near as you please now," he added by way of explanation."He certainly is a son of Santa Claus," whispered Addy."Hadn't we better ask after his father?" "Hush!" said Kate decidedly."He is an angel, I dare say." She added with a delicious irrelevance, which was, however, perfectly understood by her feminine auditors, "We are looking like three frights."Cautiously skirting the fences, they at last pulled up a few feet from a dark wall.The stranger proceeded to assist them to alight.
There was still some light from the reflected snow; and, as he handed his fair companions to the ground, each was conscious of undergoing an intense though respectful scrutiny.He assisted them gravely to open the window, and then discreetly retired to the sleigh until the difficult and somewhat discomposing ingress was made.He then walked to the window, "Thank you and good-night!"whispered three voices.A single figure still lingered.The stranger leaned over the window-sill."Will you permit me to light my cigar here? it might attract attention if I struck a match outside." By the upspringing light he saw the figure of Kate very charmingly framed in by the window.The match burnt slowly out in his fingers.Kate smiled mischievously.The astute young woman had detected the pitiable subterfuge.For what else did she stand at the head of her class, and had doting parents paid three years'
tuition?
The storm had passed, and the sun was shining quite cheerily in the eastern recitation-room the next morning, when Miss Kate, whose seat was nearest the window, placing her hand pathetically upon her heart, affected to fall in bashful and extreme agitation upon the shoulder of Carry her neighbor."HE has come," she gasped in a thrilling whisper."Who?" asked Carry sympathetically, who never clearly under stood when Kate was in earnest."Who?--why, the man who rescued us last night! I saw him drive to the door this moment.Don't speak: I shall be better in a moment--there!" she said; and the shameless hypocrite passed her hand pathetically across her forehead with a tragic air.
