The Girls at Mount Morris by Amanda Minnie Douglas (rooftoppers .txt) 📖

a rollicking, fun loving girl to start us."

"And something's the matter with you, Phil. Have you been crossed in love?"

Phillipa Rosewald turned scarlet. "No," she answered, "it's two of them and I can't decide. One is rich and homely as a hedge fence and always says 'drawring' and 'reel,' but has lots of money and a fair enough family back of him. The other is handsome and oh, my! gay as a lark, but he had about run through with a fortune, and I'm afraid he will flirt now that the restraint of my serious and imposing presence is removed."

"Serious, that's good. Why didn't you say severe?"

Phil's love affairs were the entertainment of her coterie.

"Oh, girls, did you notice--well, I have a new name for them. 'Beauty and the Beast.' How devoted they were this evening!" broke in Louie Howe.

"Oh, you mean that Nevins girl? But _do_ you call Miss Boyd handsome?"

"Well--she has a fine complexion--"

Louie wrinkled up her nose.

--"and lots of beautiful hair, a good figure and regular features. Maybe she lacks a certain style to make her noticeable--or something--"

"Money and position. I don't just see why a common sort of girl who has to earn her living should be above the average, and that Nevins girl's father is one of the firm of bankers in New York and London, and she's horrid!"

"Oh, girls," exclaimed May Gedney, "they kissed each other last night in the hall, a regular smack; I heard it. Fancy that pimply cheek being pressed against yours! and that lap-over tooth that sticks her lips out, and those pale gray-green eyes. Yes, Miss Boyd does look handsome by contrast."

There was a great giggle. "We must watch the course of this ardent love. Perhaps _she_ understands the worth of contrast."

They went back to Zay Crawford, who was a general favorite. She and a brother nine years older than herself, a passed midshipman had gone to Germany in the summer, where her mother had been taking treatment. The Major had accompanied her. Miss Crawford had taken over the young people.

It was true, to Lilian's surprise, that Alice Nevins had clasped both arms around her and kissed her rapturously, exclaiming--"You are so sweet! Oh, I wish mother and father would adopt you! I'd just like to have you for a sister. I've never seen a girl before that I wanted."

Lilian freed herself and went to her room. She was not an effusive girl. At Laconia she had made some friends, but she was too proud to aspire to the higher ranks or accept overtures from them. She felt _sorry_ for Alice Nevins but there was no real companionship. Yet was there not a duty? She seemed to occupy a peculiar position, and loved to listen to the fascinating bits of talk, places one and another had seen, music, operas, paintings, lectures, a knowledge of real things, not merely those gleamed from books.

Well, she must earn them herself. She used to dream of them at nights when the lights were put out. She was changing curiously, she felt it herself. It was not only in the added self-reliance, the nameless little ways of refinement and grace the intuitive knowledge of what we call good breeding, and the cordial smile of commendation from Mrs. Barrington thrilled every pulse.

Mrs. Boyd was not vulgar but she was undeniably commonplace. High thoughts such as stirred Lilian in verse, never roused her. Yet the girl did feel indignant at times at the manner in which some of the girls addressed her mother when they were uniformly polite to Miss Arran.

She was quite undecided about her duty to Miss Nevins. The kiss had come so suddenly she had no time to evade it but she took good care to do so the next night. Lilian had never been an effusive girl. She had almost broken her mother's heart in her little more than babyhood, when after a rapturous caress she had half pulled from the enclosing arms and said in a willful fashion--"Don't kiss me so hard, I don't liked to be kissed!" And later on when her mother had always called her Lily, she had said emphatically--"Why don't you call me Lilian! I'm too big a girl to be called by such a baby name as Lily and I don't like it."

That began a sort of gulf between them that the mother never had the courage to bridge over. There was a curious dignity about her that even the obtuse Miss Nevins could not surmount.

One day the girl brought her two beautiful orchids.

"You've been so good about my lessons that I wanted to do something, and these were"--hesitatingly--

"Handsome and expensive," in a chilling tone. "They were the finest things the florist had, and mamma always sends me some money in her letters, while papa sends my allowance to Mrs. Barrington. So I feel that is clear gain," laughing. "Mrs. Barrington is rather strict about allowances, and she's shut down on so much sweets and hot chocolates. Do you think it hurts one's complexion?"

"It certainly hurts yours. I would give them up, and so much cake; the regular school living is good enough, and you should take a cold bath in the morning."

"Ouch! That would be horrid," and the girl shuddered.

"But you want to be beautiful!"

"Oh, I am afraid that wouldn't make me beautiful, and when I am quite grown up I shall have lovely clothes, and it doesn't so much matter when you are rich."

Lilian glanced at her with a sort of pity that any girl could be so silly, and a sense of disgust, also.

"Miss Nevins, I must say one thing that I want you to observe for the future. You must not make me costly gifts nor any kind of gifts. The help I am giving you Mrs. Barrington wishes me to give to any girl who needs it. It is simply my duty, you see, and Mrs. Barrington repays me."

Miss Nevins looked as if she could not understand. Then she struck a rather tragic pose.

"Oh, if you would only love me!" she cried, clasping her hands together. "I am so lonely! I miss mamma every hour. Then I think I could learn to like it here, and I'd try to study. I'd give up cream soda and--yes, I _would_ take the bath, but it must be warm."

"Oh, you foolish thing!" Lilian laughed in spite of herself. "There, I cannot stay here talking, and you must go to your lessons."

"No, I'll get some other girl and go down town. You are cold and cruel."

She was rather sullen all the evening and failed in some recitations the next day. After that she studied with a better grace.

"Miss Arran," Lilian said on Sunday morning, "do you think I might take mother to that little Chapel in Chester street. I think she would feel more at home there."

"Oh, certainly. Mrs. Barrington insists that the girls shall attend at least one service a Sunday. Then there is the Bible Class here, which she makes very interesting. She and many of the girls go to Trinity, but I like the Chapel a good deal myself. It is a Methodist, you know."

"Yes, mother was used to that service."

So they went together, though Louie Howe said--"We'll manage it so Beauty and the Beast will walk together," but she missed her plan.

It was a very simple and sweet service and the sermon was on hidden sins. Lilian wondered if hers was undue pride, the desire to rise above her station? She glanced at her mother. The tears were coursing silently down her sunken cheeks. Was she missing the love a daughter ought to give? She looked so frail and delicate that the girl's heart went out to her as it never had before.

In the vestibule stood a sweet faced young woman waiting while an elderly lady was talking to her friend. She came near and held out her hand in a friendly manner.

"You are a stranger here, but we are very glad to welcome you," she began cordially.

"You are one of the Seminary young ladies, I saw you on the porch one day when I was passing."

"Yes," Lilian returned, then added "in a way. And this is my mother, Mrs. Boyd."

"And I am Miss Trenham. This is my mother." The two ladies shook hands in an old-fashioned manner.

"Do you go up Elm Place? Then let us walk together. Is this your first year here?"

"Yes," answered Lilian.

"I hope you liked our clergyman and will come again."

"I think mother will feel more at home."

Miss Trenham smiled.

"I come here largely for my mother's sake. I think the simple service comes nearer the heart of the older people. I like Trinity church, I like the service of the whole year round, and the music is fine. I like coming in the house of God with a reverent hymn. You are one of the newer scholars, are you not?"

"Yes, we came in August. My mother has a position in the household." She would not sail under false colors. "And I am to study for a teacher."

"Oh, then we'll have a mutual bond. I am a teacher in the Franklin School."

"Oh, I know where that is," with a smile.

"You like your own school?"

"Oh, it is delightful, and such a beautiful home. Such a lovely town--"

Her face was radiant with pleasure. Then they paused.

"We go on a few blocks further. We live in Gray street. I am very glad to have met you. Shall I see you again next Sunday morning?"

"Oh, yes," promised Lilian.

Then she took her mother's arm.

"Did you like it mother dear? I thought the service very simple and sweet."

"And the lady was so friendly. I told her we were at the Seminary. The daughter teaches school, and she asked me to visit them--to come to tea some day. Do you suppose Mrs. Barrington would object? Would you like to go?" timidly.

"Why it would be very pleasant."

"Everybody seems so grand, I'm glad not to go to the high-up tables; I'm so afraid of mistakes. You see when people get along in life it isn't so easy to take up new ways. But that Mrs. Trenham seemed like some of the Laconia folks."

"Yes, we will go again next Sunday," said Lilian. "And to tea the first time we are invited."


CHAPTER IV

THE GRACE OF ENDEAVOR

The door of Mrs. Boyd's room stood partly open. Louie Howe gave a light tap and marched in with an air that was rather insolent.

"Oh, Mrs. Boyd, I've given my walking dress such an awful tear! Mrs. Barrington said she was quite sure you could mend it. You see I'm going to a sort of musicale in about an hour and I couldn't take it to the tailors. It's my best suit, too, and--it must be done very neatly."

Mrs. Boyd examined it. "Yes, it's pretty bad, I've done worse though, and part of it will be under the plait. Let me see if I have the right color."

She opened a box of spools and took up several colors to match.

"Oh, yes, here is one," and she gave a smile of gratification.

Louie dropped into a chair. Was she going to wait? Lilian