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Briarwood Girls - Julia L Glover · Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Briarwood Girls. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Lynda bell West. Briarwood Girls by Julia Lestarjette Glover.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter one, Allison's wonderful lamp mother. Isn't there any way
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  Speaker 1: for me to go back? It was the first of June,
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  Speaker 1: and Allison Fair, just returned home for a vacation at
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  Speaker 1: the end of her freshman year, found herself confronted with
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  Speaker 1: the staggering knowledge that she could not return to Briarwood
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  Speaker 1: to finish her college course so well and happily begun.
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  Speaker 1: It was her mother who told her, breaking the hard
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  Speaker 1: news as gently as she could, that the pressure of
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  Speaker 1: hard times and financial stress made it impossible for her
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  Speaker 1: father to think of sending her back in the fall.
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  Speaker 1: She told it very tenderly and lovingly, making it clear
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  Speaker 1: that only stern necessity compelled them to deny her the opportunity.
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  Speaker 1: But the tenderness could not alter the hard fact. You
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  Speaker 1: are not more disappointed than we are, darling, she said,
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  Speaker 1: I would not have told you so soon but it
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  Speaker 1: would be worse if I would leave you under the
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  Speaker 1: impression that you can return to Briarwood College. You will
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  Speaker 1: be brave and try not to distress your father by
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  Speaker 1: showing your disappointment too much. I know how hard it is, dear,
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  Speaker 1: but be patient and perhaps some way will open. You
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  Speaker 1: are only sixteen. You can afford to wait a little.
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  Speaker 1: Allison swallowed the lump in her throat and said nothing. Wait. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: but then she could not go on with her class,
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  Speaker 1: with Polly and Evelyn and Joan and the rest. And
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  Speaker 1: next year they would be sophomores, and the fun and
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  Speaker 1: study would go on, and she would not be there.
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  Speaker 1: She would be out of it all. No other girls
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  Speaker 1: would be just the same as those girls, her chums
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  Speaker 1: of the freshman year. And then she asked her one
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  Speaker 1: despairing question, mother, isn't there any way for me to
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  Speaker 1: go back? But even as she asked it, she knew
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  Speaker 1: the answer and gave it herself. No, I know there isn't.
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  Speaker 1: Father would send me if he could. I'll try to
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  Speaker 1: be patient, mother, don't worry. Oh, don't mind, mother, Seeing
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  Speaker 1: that her mother's tears were flowing, I'll try not to
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  Speaker 1: think of it. Or talk of it any more. I've
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  Speaker 1: had one year anyway, and maybe I can take a
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  Speaker 1: correspondence course or something. She tried to speak bravely, but
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  Speaker 1: it was more than she could manage just now, and
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  Speaker 1: she hastily kissed her mother and ran away to have
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  Speaker 1: it out by herself. The children thought it strange that
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  Speaker 1: sister suddenly stopped talking of her college experiences and the
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  Speaker 1: pranks and frolics of the girls. To their questions and
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  Speaker 1: demands to hear more, she would reply quietly, there isn't
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  Speaker 1: anything more to tell you, Floss. I guess I talked
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  Speaker 1: myself out those first few days. Now I want to
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  Speaker 1: hear all you have been doing during all the months
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  Speaker 1: I've been away, which effectively diverted the attention of Floss
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  Speaker 1: and Billie and Matt and opened a flood of reminiscences
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  Speaker 1: of their own school life, to which she tried to
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  Speaker 1: listen patiently. The summer dragged on. Allison had looked forward
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  Speaker 1: to it and beyond it with such eager pleasure, but
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  Speaker 1: the thought that she was not to go back seemed
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  Speaker 1: to take all the zest from life. Letters came from
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  Speaker 1: the girls from Evelyn in the mountains, from Polly the
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  Speaker 1: sea side from Joan and Catherine in Europe, all telling
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  Speaker 1: of the good times they were having and looking forward
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  Speaker 1: to their reunion at Briarwood in September, and she would
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  Speaker 1: not be there. Trying not to show her disappointment too much,
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  Speaker 1: not to distress her father and mother. Was as far
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  Speaker 1: as Allison could get. She could not look forward. There
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  Speaker 1: seemed nothing to look forward too, and to look back
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  Speaker 1: to the happy days of last winter or was more
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  Speaker 1: than she could bear. So the days passed and grew
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  Speaker 1: into weeks. August came with glowing sun and deep blue skies.
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  Speaker 1: Summer was at its glorious height. One bright morning, Billy
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  Speaker 1: came whistling in with the mail, a letter from Allison
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  Speaker 1: from Joan, her roommate of last winter, and a long,
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  Speaker 1: legal looking envelope for mister Fair. Both became absorbed, and Alice,
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  Speaker 1: deep in Jones's news, scarcely heard when her father said, gravely,
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Justina is dead. Who is Aunt Justina? Asked Floss,
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  Speaker 1: with some curiosity, wondering why father looked so funny. An
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  Speaker 1: old great aunt of mine who lived far away in
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  Speaker 1: New England. You children have scarcely heard of her, perhaps,
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  Speaker 1: but I used to often be at her house as
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  Speaker 1: a boy in my holidays. And now she is dead
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  Speaker 1: and her lawyer has sent me a copy of her will. Wait,
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  Speaker 1: I will read it. He unfolded, a stiff, typewritten document.
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  Speaker 1: All the family were listening. Now. Alison folded up Jones's
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  Speaker 1: sheet and looked up interested. Did he leave you anything?
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  Speaker 1: Father Floss inquired Was she very rich? No? Not very
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  Speaker 1: She was eccentric and I never expected anything from her. No,
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  Speaker 1: she has left me nothing. Most of her money was
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  Speaker 1: left to charity. But she has left you, Allison, a bequest.
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  Speaker 1: Whether it is of any value or not, we cannot
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  Speaker 1: tell until we see it. Here it is in the
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  Speaker 1: will to my great niece Alison Fair my brass lamp
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  Speaker 1: which stands on my dresser, with a letter which I
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  Speaker 1: direct shall be sent to her along with it. The
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  Speaker 1: lawyer says. The lamp has been forwarded by express, the
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  Speaker 1: letter being enclosed with it. It will probably arrive to
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  Speaker 1: day and you can see for yourself what Aunt Justina's
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  Speaker 1: legacy is like. It may be valuable. She had a
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  Speaker 1: fancy for collecting antiques, and she traveled a good deal
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  Speaker 1: in her younger days. On the other hand, it may
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  Speaker 1: be merely an old lamp on which she set some
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  Speaker 1: fictitious value, So don't raise your expectations too high. The
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  Speaker 1: thought crossed Allison's mind. I wish she had left me
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  Speaker 1: its value in money instead, but she did not say
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  Speaker 1: it aloud. It seemed unsuitable to think of money when
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Justina was just dead, though she could not be
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  Speaker 1: expected to grieve overmuch for an aged relative whom she
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  Speaker 1: had never seen. Later in the day, the expressman brought
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  Speaker 1: a box for Allison. The family crowded around, all eager
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  Speaker 1: to help in unpacking the legacy. It was beautifully packed,
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  Speaker 1: and as layer after layer of wrappings was lifted off,
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  Speaker 1: curiosity rose to an almost irrepressible height. Finally, the lamp
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  Speaker 1: itself came into view, a beautiful thing of shining brass,
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  Speaker 1: ancient Phoenician work, hammered and beaten into a shape of
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  Speaker 1: exquisite loveliness by artist fingers long since dust. A cry
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  Speaker 1: of admiration arose as Alison lifted it from the last
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  Speaker 1: swathings and held it up to view. The letter from
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Justina was tied to one side, and she unfastened
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  Speaker 1: it with fingers that shook a little It was a
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  Speaker 1: message from the dead. It was so strange that that
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  Speaker 1: old lady so far away should have thought of her
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  Speaker 1: and sent her this beautiful thing, and written her a
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  Speaker 1: letter with her own trembling hand. With an odd feeling
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  Speaker 1: of unreality, she unfolded the letter and read it aloud
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  Speaker 1: to her excited family. My dear great niece, Allison, it began,
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  Speaker 1: you have never seen me. Perhaps you have never heard
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  Speaker 1: of me until you will read this after my death,
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  Speaker 1: and you will think it strange, perhaps that I should
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  Speaker 1: take enough interest in you to send you my favorite lamp.
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  Speaker 1: Your father was my favorite nephew, and I had intended
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  Speaker 1: to make him my heir, but he displeased me by
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  Speaker 1: taking his own way in life instead of the one
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  Speaker 1: I had planned for him. He had a right, I
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  Speaker 1: suppose to do as he thought best, and I was
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  Speaker 1: wrong to try to force him to do as I wished.
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  Speaker 1: Whether he was wise or not, time will show I
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  Speaker 1: am a lonely old woman with none of my own
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  Speaker 1: near me. In my last years, I declared I would
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  Speaker 1: leave his name out of my will, and I must
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  Speaker 1: keep my word. But I have followed his career closely
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  Speaker 1: enough to know something of his family and circumstances. And
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  Speaker 1: so though I am leaving him nothing, I want to
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  Speaker 1: leave to his eldest daughter a small token of my
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  Speaker 1: interest and affection. Take it, my dear, as an old
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  Speaker 1: woman's freak. I bought it long ago in a quaint
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  Speaker 1: old shop in Venice. It is not an heirloom, and
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  Speaker 1: if you should some day wish to sell it, you
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  Speaker 1: may do so. And one can do, however, that is
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  Speaker 1: that you keep it as it is until you are
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  Speaker 1: in some strait when no other help is available. Then,
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  Speaker 1: if you have exhausted all other resources, fill the lamp
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  Speaker 1: and light it. It may cast a light on your perplexities.
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  Speaker 1: Until then, keep it bright in remembrance of your affectionate
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Justina Lawrence. A chorus of exclamations broke forth as
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  Speaker 1: Allison ceased, reading what a strange old lady? Father? Was
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  Speaker 1: she really angry with you for not doing as she wanted?
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  Speaker 1: And what was it? She wanted me to go into politics,
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  Speaker 1: backed by her money, But I had no fancy for
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  Speaker 1: a politician's career, and I refused. Poor Aunt Justina. She
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  Speaker 1: was a very ambitious woman and would have liked to
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  Speaker 1: see me president. Well. I am glad she felt more
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  Speaker 1: kindly at the last. I never wanted her money, but
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  Speaker 1: I am glad she has remembered you, daughter, said mister Fair,
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  Speaker 1: examining Allison's legacy with interest. Keep it bright. Why you
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  Speaker 1: can see your face in it now, cried Floss, peering
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  Speaker 1: into its shining sides. Sister, I don't see how you
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  Speaker 1: can wait to fill and light it. I would like
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  Speaker 1: to see it lighted right away, but she says, keep
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  Speaker 1: it as it is until you are in some strait,
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  Speaker 1: said Allison thoughtfully. I would rather do just as she wished,
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  Speaker 1: so it will be just an ornament to stand on
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  Speaker 1: your table, said Billy, disgustedly, What a cranky old lady.
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  Speaker 1: What good will it do you? But Allison was not
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  Speaker 1: listening to him. A thought had flashed into her mind,
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  Speaker 1: and glancing at her mother, she read the same thought
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  Speaker 1: in her eyes. Quietly, she lifted her wonderful lamp and
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  Speaker 1: placed it in the center of the table for all
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  Speaker 1: to admire. Then she went away to her own room
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  Speaker 1: to think it over. Was she ever likely to be
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  Speaker 1: in a much greater strait than she was now? And
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  Speaker 1: would not Aunt Justina want her to go to college
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  Speaker 1: if the lamp was to shed light on her perplexities.
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  Speaker 1: Surely now was the time it was needed. A tap
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  Speaker 1: at the door heralded her mother. What is my daughter
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  Speaker 1: thinking of, she asked, smiling, of the same thing you are, mother,
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  Speaker 1: I see it in your face. Would it be against
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Justina's wishes to light the lamp? Now? She must
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  Speaker 1: have meant something. And if there is nothing more after all,
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  Speaker 1: if it does not shed light on my perplexities at
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  Speaker 1: any rate, it is valuable in itself. But I could
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  Speaker 1: hardly need its help more than I do now. I
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  Speaker 1: thought of that too, Allison, and I think it could
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  Speaker 1: not be wrong to investigate. Shall we feel it now
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  Speaker 1: and wait until dark? Tiud it? The question settled, They
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  Speaker 1: all gathered round while Allison unscrewed the old fashioned burner
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  Speaker 1: of the lamp. Maybe there is some magic about it,
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  Speaker 1: she said, laughing nervously. I feel like Aladdin? Shall I
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  Speaker 1: tie rubbing it first? But it doesn't need any rubbing
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  Speaker 1: to brighten it. The screw was a little stiff, but
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  Speaker 1: presently it turned. She removed it and peered curiously in
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  Speaker 1: the top. It is stuffed full of paper, she said,
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  Speaker 1: more packing I suppose, wait till I pull it out careful,
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  Speaker 1: her father said. As she drew out a folded paper,
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  Speaker 1: he took it from her and waited while she drew
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  Speaker 1: out another and another of the thin folded strips, until
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  Speaker 1: he had a handful. The bowl was large and held
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  Speaker 1: a good many of these folded papers. When Allison had
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  Speaker 1: drawn out the last one and turned to him, quite
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  Speaker 1: pale with excitement, he placed the packet in her hand. Allison, child,
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  Speaker 1: it is two thousand dollars. Two thousand, Oh father, oh mother.
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  Speaker 1: The children wondered why sister should cry because her wonderful
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  Speaker 1: lamp was full of money, but her mother understood, only
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  Speaker 1: I don't feel that it ought to be mine, she said,
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  Speaker 1: presently it ought to be yours. Father, Please take it.
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  Speaker 1: I am sure Aunt Justina meant it for you. It
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  Speaker 1: is too much money for me to spend, no, little daughter.
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  Speaker 1: I think Aunt Justina knew very well what she was about.
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  Speaker 1: She wanted me to know that she had forgiven my obstinacy,
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  Speaker 1: and so she left it to my daughter. You may
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  Speaker 1: use it with a clear conscience. You have borne the
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  Speaker 1: disappointment bravely, and we are glad you should have this bequest.
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  Speaker 1: He kissed her, and Allison hid her face on his
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  Speaker 1: shoulder for a moment, quite overcome with joy and surprise
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  Speaker 1: and gratitude, and then ran away to her own room
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  Speaker 1: without another word. Mother, She said later, when it had
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  Speaker 1: been talked over and decided that she was to go
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  Speaker 1: back to Briarwood in September. I wish Aunt Justina could
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  Speaker 1: know how happy she has made me. Perhaps she does,
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  Speaker 1: and if so, I am sure it would please her
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  Speaker 1: to know that you are making a wise and good
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  Speaker 1: use of her legacy. All the more because these weeks
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  Speaker 1: of trial and disappointment have taught you the value of
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  Speaker 1: the school years, and the discipline of patience will have
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  Speaker 1: made you stronger and better able to use them wisely. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: I will, and I hope Aunt Justina knows, breathed Allison,
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  Speaker 1: dimming the shining surface of her wonderful lamp with a
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  Speaker 1: few happy tears. End of chapter one. Briarwood College was
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  Speaker 1: built on a terraced hillside, the buildings rising one above
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  Speaker 1: the other. The lowest or main building, on a level
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  Speaker 1: with the street that ran at right angles with the hillside,
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  Speaker 1: while the topmost, known as Hillview, crowned the summit and
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  Speaker 1: commanded a view of near and distant hills blue purple
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  Speaker 1: and opal tinted, melting into the sky. The main building
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  Speaker 1: had originally been a handsome old dwelling house, whose spacious
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  Speaker 1: rooms were now used as parlors, library offices, and teachers rooms.
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  Speaker 1: There were wide, beautiful porches in front and back, and
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  Speaker 1: massive stone steps ending in great stone urns, overflowing with
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  Speaker 1: bright flowers at the foot of each flight. These steps
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  Speaker 1: led down into wide, shady gardens, where the girls walked
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  Speaker 1: up and down with arms intertwined, or sat and studied
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  Speaker 1: and talked on rustic seats under the trees on the
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  Speaker 1: shady lawns. The other buildings, Briarley Hall, Elmtree Hall and Hillview,
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  Speaker 1: were devoted to classrooms and dormitories, each hall being presided
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  Speaker 1: over by a teacher. In these pleasant courts of learning,
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  Speaker 1: Alison Fair arrived on a golden September afternoon and was
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  Speaker 1: warmly welcomed by Miss Harland, the principal. We are so
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  Speaker 1: glad to have you back, dear Miss Harland, said, kissing
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  Speaker 1: the girl affectionately. I was rather afraid, from what you
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  Speaker 1: wrote some time ago, that you might not return to
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  Speaker 1: us this year. Oh so was i, Miss Harland. I
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  Speaker 1: was dreadfully afraid of it. I was so disappointed. I
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  Speaker 1: hardly realize yet that it is all right and I
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  Speaker 1: am really here, and may I have my same old
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  Speaker 1: room and John for a room mate the same room, dear,
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  Speaker 1: But I'm so sorry about Joan. You see, she has
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  Speaker 1: not come yet, and there was no one else to
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  Speaker 1: claim that room, so I had to put a new
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  Speaker 1: girl in with you. We have a very large school
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  Speaker 1: this year, and the dormitories are overflowing. I really had
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  Speaker 1: no other place for her. You may be able to
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  Speaker 1: change later. If you don't find her congenial. You won't mind.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: Allison did mind, But after the first pang of disappointment,
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  Speaker 1: she spoke cheerfully, It's all right, miss Harland. I'm so
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  Speaker 1: thankful to be here at all. I shan't grumble at anything.
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  Speaker 1: Joan is coming, isn't she in sudden alarm? Oh yes,
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  Speaker 1: I expect her this evening. Her father is driving her
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  Speaker 1: through the country. Run up, then, and get acquainted with
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  Speaker 1: your new roommate. Marcia West is her name. She looked homesick.
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: Homesick at Briarwood. Alison marveled as she ran lightly up
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  Speaker 1: the familiar staircase and along the corridor to the end room,
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  Speaker 1: which had been hers and Joan Wentworth's last year. She
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  Speaker 1: was so happy to find herself here again. But then
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: she was not a new girl, and she knew there
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  Speaker 1: were many freshmen lying on their beds at this moment
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  Speaker 1: and crying their eyes out for homesickness. Well, it would
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: not last long one grew accustomed to the pleasant routine
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: of school days. She reached her door and tapped lightly.
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: It was opened after an instant's delay, and the new
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  Speaker 1: girl stood there in silence, still holding the door and
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: looking at her with an expression which, if not exactly forbidding,
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: was certainly not encouraging. She was about Allison's own age,
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  Speaker 1: rather tall and slight, with dark, somber eyes and dark,
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  Speaker 1: heavy hair worn low on her forehead. The heavy hair
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: and the unsmiling eyes gave her face a lowering look
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  Speaker 1: that was not attractive at first sight. She merely stood
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  Speaker 1: there without speaking until Allison said pleasantly, good evening. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Alison Fair and you are my new roommate. Miss Harland
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  Speaker 1: told me you were here. I'm sorry to be late.
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  Speaker 1: I hope you like our room pretty, though it's not
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  Speaker 1: very large for two, said the girl nonchalantly. I came
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  Speaker 1: in this morning. I've been unpacking. It was evident as
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: Alison entered and looked about her Marcia had unpacked her trunk,
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: which stood open in the hall beside their door, and
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: had strewed her belongings about as freely as though she
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: had expected to occupy the room alone. It was a
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  Speaker 1: fairly good sized room, containing two single beds and a
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  Speaker 1: dresser chair and small table for each girl. A roomy
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: closet was well supplied with hangers and shoe racks. A
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: glance showed Allison that Marcia had placed her dresser and
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: table close to the window and strewn them with photographs
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  Speaker 1: and toilet articles in lavish profusion, also that she had
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: taken the best chair. I changed things a little. You
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: don't mind, do you, she asked, watching Allison. Oh no,
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  Speaker 1: it's your room as well as mine. Alison answered good humoredly,
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  Speaker 1: and proceeded to open her own trunk, which I'd been
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  Speaker 1: brought up and placed in the hall according to custom,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: and to arrange her part of the room. Marcia had
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: encroached on her side of the closet, she noticed, but
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: she said nothing, only hanging up a few dresses, and
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: leaving the rest in her trunk. She placed a few
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: favorite books between a pair of bronze bookends her father's
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: parting gift, laid her Bible beside them, and her pretty
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: new portfolio her mother had given her, and finally set
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: her cherished lamp on the dresser she had scarcely finished,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: and stood surveying the effect. When there was a rush
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: of little feet in the corridor. The door was flung open,
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: and a small, rosy faced, curly haired girl rushed in
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: to fling herself into Allison's arms. Oh, Alison, you darling thing.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: I'm so thrilled to be back, and in our same
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: room till chapter three some of the girls. Lovely to
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: be back, said Alison, warmly, kissing the pretty childish face.
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: But you are too late for us to be roommates, Joe,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: I have another roommate, a new girl, Marcia West. Marcia,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: this is Joan Wentworth, who roomed with me last year.
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: Joan shook back, her light fluffy hair, looking rather taken
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: aback for an instant as Marcia emerged from the closet
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: where she had been invisible arranging a rack of shoes.
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: How do you do Marcia said, briefly, I didn't know
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: I was taking your room, Miss Harlan. Put me in here,
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: She said, there wasn't any other room, or I'd go
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: somewhere else. Sorry, Oh, it's all right, Joan answered, recovering
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: her equanimity quickly. I'll go and see if Kathy can
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: take me in for the night. Anyway. Well, she's just
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: across the hall and she's by herself. I'll look her up.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: She was gone, leaving Alison and Marcia to shake down
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: together as best they could. Conversation languished. Allison tried to
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: talk about her schoolwork. It developed that they would both
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: be in the same classes, but Marcia seemed to have
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: no enthusiasms. She had come to school because she was
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: made to, and she looked forward to nothing but getting through. Finally,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: she said she was tired and lay down on her bed, and,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: seeing presently that she had fallen asleep, Alice and then
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: slipped out of the room across the hall to the
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: room opposite, which was Katherine Bertram's. Katherine was better off
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: financially than most of the girls. Her mother was dead,
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: and she had traveled and lived in hotel rooms for
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: several years. Previously, and so her room at school was
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: more like a home than anything she had known since
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: her mother's death. It was prettily furnished, and her pictures
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: and rugs were better and more luxurious than most schoolgirls
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: rooms could boast. Nevertheless, she was known as a good
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: fellow and was popular with the girls. Allison's tap at
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the door was answered by a cordial come in, and
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: she entered to find Katherine and Joan curled up on
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: the bed talking vigorously, but both sprang up to greet
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: her joyously. She found a seat on the velvet covered
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: stool beside the couch, and Joan resumed her interrupted grumble.
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: I'm just too disappointed and cross for anything, she lamented here.
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: I came flying back to our old quarters like like
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: a homing pigeon, only to find my place taken by
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: that cross looking thing. I don't believe you're going to
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: like her a bit, Allison. She doesn't look as if
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: she would fit in. It's too bad, But then it
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: gives me Joan for a room mate, which is a
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: silver lining, said Katherine equably. I didn't know there was
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: a chance of your losing your place, or I would
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: have spoken to miss Harland and tried to get one
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: of the old girls to change with her. Oh well,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: it's only the first day. Maybe something'll happen, or we
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: may like her better when we know her, said Allison hopefully.
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: And in the meantime, Joan is welcome with me as
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: long as she likes I'll ask for a cot for her.
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: There's plenty of room, said Katherine hospitably. We shall be
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: close by and can get together whenever we like. So
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: cheer up, jo it won't be so bad. They fell
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: into an animated discussion of school matters, which was presently
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: interrupted by a tumultuous rush outside. The door was opened
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: without ceremony, and in flocked the rest of the Kindred
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: spirit Evelyn and Polly Boon companions, Unlike as they were
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: studious Rachel Rosalind, the school beauty whose golden head and
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: apple blossom face scarcely suggested books or scholarship. These, with Alison,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: Katherine and Joan made up the Seven Kindred Spirits, an
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: informal little club of loyal friends. Their favorite gathering place
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: last year had been the room occupied by Alison and Joan,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: and consternation reigned when the news spread that the newcomer
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: had usurped Joan's place, it won't be the same thing
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: at all, complained Polly, flinging herself back on the bed
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: in a paroxysm of disappointment. Katherine poured oil on the
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: troubled waters. You can meet here just as well, and maybe,
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: as Allison says, we shall like her when we know her.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: Don't let us judge her too hardly beforehand. So charitable
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: Cathy always is, murmured Evelyn. Rachel changed the subject. Well,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: did you know we have a new English teacher? No,
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: what's her name, Miss Burnett? Cecil Burnett. She's lovely and
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: she's to be at our table. Are Helen new York
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: and Brenda Thornton back? Yes, I saw them this morning,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: as musical as ever. Oh is that the supper bell?
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: It can't be six o'clock already, it seems it can,
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: for it is, said Allison, consulting her wrist watch and
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: finding it correspond with the bell. I must go and
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: see if my roommate is awake and take her down
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: to supper. Please be nice to her, girls. I don't
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: know yet whether she is cross or just shy. She
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: gave the group an appealing look as she left the room,
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: and Catherine answered it with a reassuring smile, but Joan
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: shrugged her shoulders and made a face she had not
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: been prepossessed in favor of the new girl. End of
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: Section two Section three of Briarwood Girls. This is a
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: Recording by Linda L. West. Briarwood Girls by Julia Lestargett Glover,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: Chapter four Essays and Essays. The dining room was a large, square,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: light room filled with tables, each holding twelve Ellison piloted
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: her roommate to a seat next to herself at her
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: old table, where Evelyn, Catherine, and Joan were already seated,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: the rest of the group being at the next table.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: The new English teacher, Miss Burnett, presided a pretty girl
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: not many years older than her prospective pupils. Brown haired
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: and brown eyed, with a deep, soft rose color in
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: her cheeks. She was exactly the type that girls a
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: few years younger would naturally fall in love with on sight. Accordingly,
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: the group of girls at her table running through to
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: form promptly fell for her with schoolgirl unanimity, copied the
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: way she did her hair, whether it was becoming to
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: them or not, practiced her engaging smile, and even copied
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: her clothes as far as possible. Brown was her favorite color,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: a deep, rich brown that suited her eyes and hair
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: and blended with a rose glow in her cheeks. This
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: shade of brown promptly became popular. Life at Briarwood soon
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: settled into an accustomed routine of classes, sports, and recreation,
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: and the days were full and busy. Miss Burnett had
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: an eager class, more interested in the study of their
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: mother tongue than they had ever been before, simply because
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: she taught it. Toward Thanksgiving, she gave them an essay contest,
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: and Alison and her roommate became more congenial as they
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: discussed subjects and titles, but their tastes and ideas were
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: very different. I don't believe I could write anything worth reading,
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: but I'll try because Miss Burnett wants us to, said Alison,
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: to whom the study of English was genuine enjoyment. And
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: I'll try because I've got to, responded Marsha with a
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: wry face, just let her hear you saying, God, that's all,
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: laughed Allison, reaching for her book. I hate all lessons,
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: but I believe I hate English worst of any, said
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: Marcia crossly. I don't see why we have to study it?
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Why did you come to college if you hate it?
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: So asked Allison curiously. Oh because one must do something,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: I suppose. But why do you take it English? Because
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: the rest of you do, and I don't like to
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: be left out. Besides, miss Harland made me. Are you
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: going to track me this afternoon? Yes? Then will lend
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: me your English literature? Rosalind borrow mine and hasn't returned it.
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: And welcome there it is on the table. Thank you.
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: I'll work while you play, like the Aunt and the Grasshopper,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: said Marcia, more graciously than usual. It was a brilliant
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: autumn afternoon, and most of the girls were tempted out.
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: The hall was deserted, save for Marcia, scribbling hard in
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: her room, finished already, asked Allison, coming in just in
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: time for supper. Flushed and breathless after a basketball game,
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: Marcia was just putting away her writing materials. She looked
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: up nonchalantly. Almost, I've only got to correct and copy it.
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: You've had a grand quiet time to work. I wish
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: I'd have been as industrious, but it was so lovely
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: out We had a splendid practice. Nothing was talked of
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: in school for the next few days, but the essays
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: which were to be handed in the week before Thanksgiving,
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: and the prize winner would be announced on the day before.
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: To give us extra reason to be thankful, said Joan.
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: Catherine had written a scholarly essay giving a sort of
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: bird's eye view of the entire field of English literature.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: Concisely expressed privately, she believed herself sure of the prize,
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: but no such self laudatory opinion was hinted at in
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: her dignified demeanor. Joan had skipped airily over the earlier periods,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: coming rapidly down to present day fiction in the space
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: of four pages. She'll like mind because it's short anyway,
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: she congratulated herself. Most of the other girls had tried
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: because Miss Burnett wished it. Some of the efforts were better,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: some worse than others, some impossible. Allison, coming from her
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: history class one morning, suddenly realized that the time was
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: almost up and her essay was still unwritten. A few
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: unfinished beginnings rejected as unsatisfactory were all she had to show.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: She had a vacant period. Next, as she took a
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: sudden resolve, I'll write that essay in the next forty
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: five minutes or know the reason, she told herself sternly,
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: and going to her room. She posted a busy sign
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: on the door as a gentle hint that visitors were
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: not desired, and fell to work. As she opened her
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: English literature, several half sheets of paper fell out, each
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: scribbled over with her unsuccescessful beginnings. She laughed and dropped
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: them into the waste basket. Then she picked up a
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: folded paper that she did not recognize when had she
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: written an exercise in blue ink? She opened it, puzzled
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: what did it mean? An essay apparently in Rosalind's unmistakable writing,
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: which was, like herself, pretty but entirely characterless. It was
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: entitled The River of Time. Plainly, it was Rosalind's idea
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: of an essay on English literature, which she described as
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: a river flowing down the ages on whose waters were
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: found lovely pearls. These pearls were represented by the names
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: of a few outstanding writers. But after a few inadequate sentences,
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: Rosalind's imagination had apparently failed her. Realizing after a glance
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: at the first page that it was not meant for
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: her eyes, Alison resolutely folded the paper smile. Literature was
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: not Rosalind's strong point, but she was so pretty and
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: winning that one forgave and smiled as at the efforts
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: of a child. Poor little Rosalind, she thought, and put
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: the paper aside, to be given back to the writer
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: at the first opportunity. Then she fell to work on
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: her own essay, and had finished her first copy by
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: the time the period ended. Chapter five, The tangled skein.
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: May I come in? Asked Rosalind's voice, and in response
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: to Allison's cordial invitation, she entered a perplexed cloud on
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: her face. I'm so worried, Allison, she began. I saw
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: your busy signs, so why waited? I thought you might
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: help me? Was it about this? Alison held up the
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: folded paper. I've been worried about it. Rosalind pounced on
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: the paper. Oh, that's it. It's my essay. Where in
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: the world did you find it? It was in my
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: English book? How it got there. I can't imagine. It
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: was certainly not there. When I saw the book last
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: I lent it to Marcia, she said you had borrowed hers,
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: and she didn't like to go rummage in your room
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: while you were out. She wouldn't have had rummage. It
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: was right on the table, said Rosalind, simply, did you
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: read this, Alison? It's dreadful. I couldn't help seeing the
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: title in the first few sentences, but of course I
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: didn't read any further. Honestly, Rosalind, I'm puzzled to guess
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: how your essay could have gone into my book. Can
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: you think? Rosalind frowned and puckered up her sunny face
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: in a great mental effort. I haven't any book myself,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: she confessed. Mine fell out of the window and I
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: forgot to pick it up, and it rained in the
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: night and ruined it. It was so sopping wet it
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: just fell to pieces. So I've been getting along by
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: borrowing the other girl's books. I borrowed Marsha's the other
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: day and forgot to return it to her. So a
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: lot of the trouble is due to your bad habit
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: of forgetting to do things said Allison severely, but she
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: smiled as she said it, and Rosalind took the reproof
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: with her usual sweet temper. I know it was, but
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: what then, Alison? Then she borrowed mine to study. She
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: returned it to me all right, but she forgot to
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: explain what your essay was doing in it. I went
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: out to track me and left Marsha studying for her essay.
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: I hadn't looked through my book carefully, and if I
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: saw any paper sticking out, I thought they were just
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: my own notes. That's all I know about it till
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: I found your say just now, Well, it's all right
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: now I've found it, said Rosalind easily. They have to
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: be handed in tomorrow. I'm so glad I'm on time.
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: Once and with a relieved mind, she danced lightly away,
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: just as Marcia entered. Alison looked up pleasantly. Just in time,
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: Marcia helps all a mystery or straighten out a muddle.
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: Marcia stopped short, and her face changed to the stony
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: expression at war when she was not pleased. Well, she said,
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: what can I do about it? Rosalind was here just now,
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: Allison explained patiently. She came to ask if I knew
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: anything about her essay, which she could now find. I
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: had just found it inside my English book, and we
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: were wondering how it got there. That was all I thought.
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: Perhaps you might be able to tell us. Marcia grew
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: paler than her wont but she spoke clearly and coldly.
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: Why Rosalind lost her book? I suppose and borrowed yours
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: and left the essay in it. You know what a
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: careless thinks she is. No, she never had my book.
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: She had finished her essay and put it away that
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: same afternoon when you borrowed my book because she was
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: out and had left yours in her room. I don't
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: know anything about it, said Marcia stolidly. Are you trying
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: to accuse me of anything? Marcia, you're not in earnest well,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: you seem to imply it. I didn't think you would
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: mind lending me your book. Of course I didn't. Marcia.
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: You know that I put it back on your table
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: that same afternoon. You can testify to finding it there.
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: I haven't seen it since. I don't want to testify
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: to anything, said Allison, astonished. I was only wondering how
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: Rosalind's essay came to be in my book. Police don't
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: think I meant to be personal, Marcia. I don't know
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: anything about it, repeated Marcia. And I'll thank you, Alison Fair,
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: not to be hinting at anything instead of saying out
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: plainly what you think. I wasn't hinting, began Allison wounded
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: to the verge of tears. But to her relief, Marcia
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: left the room and she turned to the window, her
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: hands pressed to her eyes, trying to recover her composure
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: enough to think her way out of the tangle. Entered Joan,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: excited and curious Alison. We just saw Marcia stalking down
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: the hall, looking like a thunderclouter, a tragedy queen or something.
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: She wouldn't look at us. Rosalind had just been in
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: to tell us about your finding her essay. She had
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: been mourning as lost. It ought to be a fine
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: one to cause so much excitement, And so when I
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: saw Marshall leave in the room in such offended dignity,
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: I just came to get you to come and tell
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: Kathy and me all about it before we burst with curiosity.
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: You can't deny there something when I find you swallowing tears.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: The tears overflowed at the mention of them, Joan, I
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: didn't mean to say anything about it, but since Rosalind
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: has told you mind, I'm not accusing Marcia, though she said.
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: She asked if I meant to hint Alison choked again. Nonsense,
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: said Joan briskly. Nobody would think it unless she had
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: a guilty conscience. I dare say she has wait till
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: I call Kathy or no, you come into our room
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: and tell us all about it. An interested audience was
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: assembled in the room across the hall, for Rosalind had
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: not been reticent, and Evelyn, Polly and Rachel were all
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: there to hear what was to be heard. So Allison
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: was obliged to tell the facts of the finding of
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: the essay in her book after it had been borrowed
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: by Marcia. Truly, I did not mean to even imply
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: that she was to blame in any way, she ended,
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: almost apologetically, but she seemed to think I will. I
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: would never have spoken of it at all if Rosalind
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: had not told you what she was searching for her essay.
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: Nobody was more surprised than I was when I found it.
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: And even now I don't I can't understand what it
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: all means, I can, said Joan, addressing the company at large.
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: It means that Marcia is trying to put on Alison
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: the onus of the thing she did herself and couldn't
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: quite succeed. Oh but I couldn't think that of her,
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: Allison cried, distressed, My dear Allison, Now the trouble is
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: that you think everybody is as honest as yourself. People
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: like that usually do get taken in. Well, we can't
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: do anything about it now, and we had better not
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: talk about it any more, pronounced Catherine. Let's forget it.
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: Talk about something else. For instance, has anyone seen my ring?
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: I've lost it again? Not that lovely poor a ring
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: of yours, Cathy. Yes, I've missed it for a week,
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: but I keep thinking it would turn up. I generally
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: remember to take it off when I wash my hands,
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: but I can't remember. I wash my hands so often, Cathy,
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: you really are too careless. All the girls recognize it
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: and give it back to me when they find it,
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: but they always find it in less than a week.
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: They are the meads, suggested Polly. Oh, but I don't
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: believe one of them would take anything there. You go again, Alison,
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: with your everybody's honest. I tell you everybody is not.
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: There's a ghost or something in this school, insisted the
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: incorrigible Joan Rachel lust her gold pencil a fortnight ago.
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: Ever find it, Ray, No, but I do leave my
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: things about. It may have slipped out of sight somewhere,
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: so it may let me know when it returns of
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: its own accord on This thing reminds me of the
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: title of a little French book I read once, lays pettite,
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: mister is de la vie humane. If I've made mistakes,
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: Mademoiselle's not here to correct me, and the rest of
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: you couldn't anyway. It means the little mysteries of human life,
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: said Jane, looking defiantly about her Well, I don't like mysteries,
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: remarked Evelyn. What we need is a clean up day
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: to find all these missing valuables and clear up all
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: the mysteries. The supper bell broke up the conclave Chapter
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: six Mysteries. The essays were handed in the next day,
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: and after two days of what the girls termed agonizing suspense,
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: Miss Burnett announced to her class that the judges had
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: made their decision. The best was Catherine's. No one had
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: expected anything else, and there were heartfelt applause with no
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: jealousy as she received the prize a handsome set of books.
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: Allison's received second place, to her own surprise, for she
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: was modest as to her own acquirements. The rest were
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: of about the same degree of excellence, laborious efforts, showing
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: no originality of thought or discrimination. Still they had tried,
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: and Miss Burnett expressed in a few pleasant words her
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: appreciation of their endeavors as she returned their papers. Finally,
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: there were but two papers left on the desk. Miss
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: Burnett took up one and glanced at the title. This one,
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: the River of Time, she said, has at least the
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: merit of brevity. In the space of about seven hundred words,
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: the author has reviewed the history of English literature from
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: its source to the present time. Oh that is mine,
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: miss Burnett, exclaimed Rosalind, starting please don't read it. I
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: know it's awful. She smiled frankly and beguilingly into the
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: teacher's eyes. It's the best I could do. Miss Burnett
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: could not help returning the smile with the essay, Is
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: it really the best you could do? Rosalind, it is truly,
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: Miss Burnett, I could hardly do that, then, Rosalind. All
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: I can say is that it is a pity, but
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: at least you really tried, and perhaps next time you
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: will try harder and do better. She took up the
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: last paper on the desk. I have kept this one
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: for the last because I wanted to talk with you
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: a little about it, Marcia, I should like you to
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: remain a few minutes after the class is dismissed. Marcia
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: said nothing. One after another, The girls filed out until
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: she and the teachers were alone together. Then Miss Burnette
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: unfolded the paper and turned to the girl before her.
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: This essay is signed with your name, Marcia, in this
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: sealed envelope that was kept in my desk until the
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: judge's decision had been reached. No one knew who had
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: written it. No one knows now except myself. I have
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: not even mentioned the title The River Road until I
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: had talked with you alone. Did you talk with anyone
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: else about your essay? You know I wish them to
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: be entirely original. Now, Miss Burnett, I never said a
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: word to anybody about it, said Marcia, quite truthfully. Miss
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: Burnett looked grave and troubled. Then it is very peculiar, Marcia,
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: that your essay has nearly the same title as Rosalind's
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: and says the same thing, only in different words. How
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: can that be unless you talked over your essays together.
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: But we did not, truly, miss Burnett, It just happened.
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: So Marcia looked the teacher straight in the face, as
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: if defying her to find a flaw in her statement.
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: Rosalind lost her book and borrowed mine. Then she went
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: out to play basketball without returning it. I had to
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: borrow Allison's book to study for mine, she said. She
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: found the essay in it when she opened it to study.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: That's all I can tell you. If there were any
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: guile in this speech, Miss Burnette was too transparently honest
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: herself to find it out, She looked troubled. Well, Marcia,
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: it is very strange, but I must take your word
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: for it, that is all. Then Thanksgiving had come and gone,
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: and the girls were settled down for the uneventful stretch
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: that comes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The seven friends were
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: gathered in Allison's room one raw, cold novemberish afternoon for
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: one of their old time talks. Marcia had gone out
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: shopping with Rosalind, for whom she seemed to have developed
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: a sudden great friendship, and the girls had availed themselves
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: of the opportunity to meet in their favorite gathering place
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: without the embarrassment of her presence. Polly had a question,
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: two propound, Why don't we like Marcia, Well, said Evelyn,
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: when the silence had lasted for several minutes while each
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: waited for the others to speak. Allison ought to be
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: able to answer that question, said Cathy. Allison was slow
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: to speak. I don't know, she said at last. She's
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: in all our classes, she is pretty, she obeys all
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: the college regulations. She seems all right. But well, she
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: is my roommate. I don't like talking of her behind
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: her back. Well, I don't mind a bit, said Jane,
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: the outspoken. I can tell you what's wrong with her.
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: She doesn't like us. She hates school, she calls it
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: a jail. She hates lessons. She hates Miss Harland. I
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: heard her say so once when Miss Harland said no
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: to something she wanted to do. I don't see why
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: she came to Briarwood at all. Need it does she
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: put in Evelyn her father sent her. That was why. Well.
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: I don't like her, and I wish she roomed in
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: another hall, said Joan, And no one gainsaid her, for
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: there was no denying that Marcia took no pains to
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: make herself popular. Polly changed the subject abruptly. Kathy, did
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: you ever find your ring? She asked. Catherine looked startled. No,
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: and I've lost something else, my great grandmother's pearl necklace.
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: Mother said I shouldn't take it to school with me,
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: but I was sure I would be careful with it,
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: and I was, girls, I really was. It stayed always
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: in the bottom of my trunk, in its velvet case.
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: I don't believe any of you ever knew about it.
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: I haven't even taken it out since I left home,
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: But yesterday I thought I would make sure that it
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: was safe under everything in the trunk, and I looked
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: and it was not there. I cannot understand it, but
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: it is true. Mother was right as usual. I don't
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: know how I am ever to tell her. There was
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: dead silence, the silence of dismay. What was this that
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: was among them? Joan broke it, saying, briefly, ghost Rosalind's
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: essay Kathy's ring, Rachel's gold pencil, now Kathy's necklace. Look
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: out for your lamp, Allison. Oh nonsense, Allison said, laughing nervously.
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: You can't suspect. Oh, I don't like being suspicious, all right?
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: I only say look out and of section three, chapters
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: seven and eight of Briarwood Girls. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: by Linda Elwest. Briarwood Girls by Julia Lestarjett Glover, Chapter seven,
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: without leave want to go to a party, Rosalind. It
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: was a dull, uninteresting looking day in early December. Snow
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: was threatening, and out of doors looked anything but attractive.
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: Rosalind was toiling over a history lesson and wishing that
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: all the kings and queens of France had been guillotined
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: before they made trouble for future generations of schoolgirls instead
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: of afterward. When a tap at the door heralded Marcia
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: and her exciting question, Rosalind dropped her book, casting Louis
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: Cator's to the winds, of course I do, Where and
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: when and how? Tell me quick, Marcia. Shut the door carefully.
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: Any chance of your roommate coming in. No, she's gone
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: home for the weekend. No one will disturb us. I'm
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: supposed to be studying. Didn't you see the sign? Yes?
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: But I know you weren't hurting yourself with study. Now listen,
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: I'm invited to a party at Sarah Marshall's to night,
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: and I can bring a friend with me. Her brother
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: will meet us at the corner with the car at
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: nine o'clock. I thought of you. Will you go? I'd
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: love to have you, asked Miss Harland? Will she let
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: us rosalind? You are green? What Miss Harland doesn't know
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: won't hurt her. I haven't asked her, and I don't
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: intend to. If you would be afraid to go without leave,
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: I'll ask Allison, but she's such a stickler for I
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: don't think she would. And this is such a good chance.
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: With your roommate away and all, we can dress in
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: here after supper and I'll spend the night with you.
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: If anybody asks. As soon as lights are out, we'll
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: slip down to the basement. There'll be a window unlatched.
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: Anne will do anything for me to see how easy
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: it'll be. It did strike Rosalind that the plan was
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: too clearly arranged to have been settled on such short notice.
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: She said, doubtfully, But when did you see Sarah Marshall? Oh,
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: she sent me a note yesterday. I've been thinking of
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: it ever since and planning it out. But Marcia did
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: not explain that she had seen Sarah Marshall the day before,
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: and that all the arrangement had been carefully canvassed before
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: a word was to be said to Rosalind. The note
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: had been merely to say that all was as they
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: had planned, and that her brother and a friend would
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: be waiting at the corner for them. To Rosalind, it
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: seemed an impromptu plan for a little fun, and her
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: pleasure loving little head was quite turned at the prospect.
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: The only trouble is Marcia was off on a fresh
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: tat I haven't a thing that is decent to wear.
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: I spoilt my old blue the last time I wore it.
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: It was dreadfully unbecoming. Anyway, I don't believe I can
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: go after all. I'll lend you my pink, offered Rosalind.
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: Dismayed at the thought of disappointment. I have a new
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: white dress mother just sent me. Please wear my pink.
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: It would be so becoming to you. Marcia knew it
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: would be, and after a proper amount of hesitation and protest,
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: she yielded and the die was cast. The afternoon was
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: an exciting one, and after supper they retired to Rosalind's room,
• 55:46
  Speaker 1: ostensibly to study together. Marcia had asked and obtained permission
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: to spend the night with Rosalind, and with the door
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: securely shut and fastened, the business of dressing was before them.
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: All went as they had planned. At nine o'clock, they
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: cautiously opened the door. All was dark and still in
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: the corridor, and they crept noiselessly downstairs to the basement,
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: where the window had been unlatched for them by one
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: of the maids. Bribed by Marcia. They climbed out, ran
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: swiftly across the lawn in terror lest some one might
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: be looking from an upper window. But there was no
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: sound or movement from the sleeping rooms. They climbed over
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: the low place in the wall and found themselves out
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: in the quiet street. No one was in sight, and
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: they scurried along, only intent on getting out of sight
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: of those dark windows. At the corner, two dark figures
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: confronted them, and Rosalind barely suppressed a scream, but it
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: was only Tom Marshall who greeted them cordially. Hello girls,
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: here you are. This is Ray Gordon. We've got a
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: car here, hop in. It's cold out here, glad to
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: see you our warm coats. The coats had been put
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: on chiefly to cover their evening dresses, but they were
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: shivering with cold and excitement and were glad to find
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: themselves in the warm car. They were soon in Missus
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: Marshall's bright parlors, where a merry crowd was gathered, and
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: were pleasantly welcomed by Missus Marshall herself and by Sarah,
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: who introduced them to her friends, some of whom were
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: known to Marcia but not to Rosalind. Miss Arlene did
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: not object to your kimming, dear, Missus Marshall asked. I
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: was sure she would not. She and I are old friends.
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: Oh no, she did not object in the least, said Marcia,
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: quickly forestalling the words she saw on Rosalind's lips and
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: replying as she argued to herself, quite truthfully, since Miss
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: Harland had not objected, not having been consulted. The evening
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: went on, Marcia was very bright and animated. The pink
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: dress was becoming to her. Her cheeks glowed with bright color.
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: A pearl necklace clasped her throat, and on one finger
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: gleamed a ring, a beautiful pearl ring, which she had
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: certainly not worn when they left the school. Rosalind wondered.
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: Could she have had the jewels in her hand bag
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: and put them on in the comparative darkness of the car.
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: That must have been it, she decided, But she felt
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: uncomfortable and could not throw herself into the spirit of
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: whole souled enjoyment as the others did. She was glad
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: when the time came for breaking up, and their two
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: escorts took them back through the quiet streets. Here we are,
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: said Tom Marshall, drawing up at the corner. We'll see
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: you safe to the gate. Oh no, thank you, it's
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: only a step and we have to climb the wall.
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: Thank you, and good night, protested Marcia, her teeth chattering
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: with cold and nervousness, not daring to speak aloud. The
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: girls sped along, keeping close to the wall until they
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: reached the low place where they could climb over without
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: risking the opening of the gate. The basement window was
• 59:01
  Speaker 1: still unlatched. Carefully they scrambled through and finally stood on
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: the floor safe and nobody saw us. Exulted Marcia in
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: a whisper, and then without warning, the light flashed on,
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: and the culprits stood, revealed to the accusing eyes of
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: Miss Charlton, the teacher on their hall. For a long
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: minute they faced each other. The girls, too dismayed and
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: startled to speak a word in their own behalf At length,
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: Miss Charlton said, slowly and very distinctly, I thought so,
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: Marcia West and Rosalind Forrest, I shall report you absent
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: without leave. You will both go to Miss Harlan's office
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: after chapel tomorrow morning. She will deal with you as
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: she thinks best. Go to your rooms now, good night,
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: thankful to be thus summarily dismissed. The girl's scurried noiseaselessly
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: up two long flights of stairs and reached Rosalind's room
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: without meeting any one. Every door was shut, the occupants
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: of the rooms sleeping safely and sweetly, how passionately Rosalind
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: envied them if she were only safe in her own
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: bed now, with no sense of wrong doing to hound her,
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: no punishment awaiting her. It's all your fault, Marcia, she sobbed,
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: tearing her white dress in her hurry to get it off.
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: I wish I had never listened to you, my fault. Well,
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: I like that you were very willing to listen at
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: the time, it seems to me, returned Marcia, crossly, pulling
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: at the clasp of the pearl necklace so roughly in
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: her irritation that it snapped, and the beautiful thing lay
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: broken in her hand. There see what you made me do,
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: she added angrily. I didn't contradicted Rosalind, too exasperated to sympathize,
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: and presently she was in bed with the covers pulled
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: over her head. Frightened and ashamed, she remembered that she
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: had not said her prayers. She tried to say them
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: in bed, but the first words of contrition brought tears,
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: and she cried herself to sleep. As for Marcia, she
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: lay long awake, wondering what she should do with the
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: broken necklace she had borrowed in anticipation of this very party. Finally,
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: she rose softly, and without turning on the light, found
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: a small box in the dresser drawer, placed the broken
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: necklace in it, and opening the door, noiselessly slipped past
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: the line of trunks in the hall until she came
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: to the one she wanted. She placed her little tissue
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: paper wrapped parcel behind it, and returned as noiselessly to
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: Rosalind's room and slipped into bed. Beside her. Daylight was
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: brightening the windows before she fell into a troubled doze.
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: Chapter eight. In Miss Harland's Office, two very frightened girls
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: presented themselves at the door of Miss Harland's office the
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: next morning. They showed their feeling very differently. Rosalind was
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: trembling and weeping, the picture of grief, but Marcia's dark
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: face was settled into an expression of sullen determination not
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: to speak. It might have been carved out of stone.
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: As she stood with her lowering brow and somber, dark
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: eyes fixed on the floor, Miss Harland looked at them
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: very gravely and sadly. Marcia's eyes were raised presently with
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: a defiant and stubborn expression that was unpromising, Rosalind did
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: not look up at all. She was frankly crying. At last,
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland spoke, I am sorry to have to send
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: for you girls, but Miss Charlton has reported that you
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: were both absent without leave last night until a later
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: hour than I like my girls to be out, especially
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: without permission. I must ask you, therefore, to give me
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: a full account of your expedition, where you went and
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: with whom. I am sorry you had not confidence enough
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: in me to tell me about it and to ask
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: my leave, But since you have not done so, I
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: must require an explanation. Marcia, you may speak, but Marcia
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: remained stubbornly silent, only looking up from under her dark
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: brows with her sullen, defiant expression. After waiting a few minutes,
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland turned to Rosalind. You will not refuse to
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: answer me, Rosalind. I think you have not found me
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: a hard mistress in the past, have you. Rosalind could
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: scarcely speak for tears. Oh no, Missa Harland, I'll tell
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: you when I can. Thank you. Then tell me at
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: whose house you were and what took you there. It
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: was a party they invited. Martia said she could bring
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: a friend, And did she suggest that you come without permission? Oh? No,
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland, she she said, she was glad you did
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: not object Here. Marcia gave a warning glance in Rosalind's direction,
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: which was not lost on Miss Harland. There was no
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: harm in it, she muttered. Then, Marcia, if there was
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: no harm, why not have come and told me and
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: had my leave to go? Openly? I thought you wouldn't
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: let us. In a hoarse, defiant voice, Miss Harland was
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: silent an instant. How could she make this girl with
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: her innately, deceitful and secretive nature understand where the wrong lay?
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: And who escorted you there and brought you back? She asked?
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 1: Rosalind answered, as Marcia seemed determined not to speak again,
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: Miss Marshall's son and another boy. I don't know his
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: name at least they told us, but I can't remember.
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland felt relieved. Rosalind's replies bore the stamp of truth.
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: In fact, as Miss Harland knew she was too simple
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: and straightforward to be other than truthful, her mind did
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: not work fast enough to concoct a falsehood. She was
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: silly and easily led, But when it came to the
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: point she would blunder out the truth. Marcia, on the
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: other hand, was extremely secretive and would rather weave a
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: tangled web of evasions than give a clear and truthful answer.
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland felt that there was some confusion somewhere. Missus
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: Marshall was a good friend of her. She could be
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: sure that she would not have contenanced any underhanded dealing.
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: Why then, did Marcia wish to conceal the fact of
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: the invitation? She was puzzled but relieved that the affair
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: is no worse than a schoolgirl's natural love of a
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: secret adventure. But it would not do to pass it
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 1: over lightly. And so you thought to deceive me and
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: slipped out without my permission. Don't you see, Marcia, that
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: there is where the harm lies. I must not pass
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: over such an infringement of the school's regulations, and so
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: I must punish you both. You will be restricted for
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: one month or until after Christmas, and the next time
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: you wish to go out, come to me frankly and
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: ask permission. If possible, I will grant it. And if
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: I do not see fit, I expect you to submit
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: cheerfully to my decision in the matter. Now you may
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: go to your classes. Marcia left the room without a word,
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: looking like a thundercloud. Rosalind lingered sobbing to speak the
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: words of contrition for which Miss Harland had been waiting.
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: Please forgive me, miss sss Harland. I'm sorry, so sorry, truly,
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: I'll never do it again. It wasn't a bit of
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: fun anyway, for I didn't like going without leave, and
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: I was scared all the time that somebody would recognize us.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: I don't like doing things in that underhand way. It
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: frightens me. I knew all the time it was wrong,
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: but I let Marsha persuade me. It was my own fault,
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: and I'm sorry. Forgive me. The pretty face was very
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: pleading as Rosalind looked up with blue eyes drowned in tears.
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland's kiss of forgiveness was ready as she put
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: her arm around the repentant sinner and drew her close
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: into her kind arms. I forgive you, Rosalind, but there
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: is another whose pardon you must ask, she said tenderly.
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: You mean God. I will indeed, Miss Harland, I have
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: already and I will again, promised Rosalind. End of Section four,
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: chapters nine and ten of Briarwood Girls. This is a
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: Recording by lindavel West. Briarwoodgirls by Joya Lastarjett Glover, Chapter nine,
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: Adventure of the Lamp. Late one afternoon a few days later,
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: five of the Kindred Spirits gathered in Kathy's room to
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: talk things over. For the excitement over the recent happenings
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: in the school still ran high. Evelyn, Polly, and Joan
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: sat on the bed, Rachel in the window seat, and
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: Kathy on a low velvet stool known as the Duel
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: of Repentance. A light snow was falling outside, making a
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: pleasant contrast with the warmth and comfort within. The girls
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: were all talking at once, yet mysteriously, each hearing what
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: all the others said. In the midst of the babble,
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 1: the door was pushed quietly open, and Rosalind slipped in,
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: looking ashamed and sorry and confused, all at once, doubtful
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: of her welcome yet anxious to be back in her
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 1: old place. Among them, May I come, I knocked, but
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: you are all talking so hard you didn't hear me.
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: Of course you may hear. Sit down beside me on
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: the stool of repentance, said Cathy, making room for her.
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: It's the right place for me, I know, said Rosalind meekly.
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: I've been horrid lately, girls, but I'm one of the
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: ks still. Unless you've turned me out, we haven't. You
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: deserted us, said Polly the Blunt. But we are glad
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: to see you back, Rosy, she added frankly, I'm dreadfully
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: glad to be back. If you've all forgiven me, I've
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: missed you terribly. I don't exactly know how it happened,
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: but I'm sorry. What were you all talking about when
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: I came in, asked Rosalind, as completely one of the group,
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: as if she had never left it. Why of these
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: odd things that have been happening lately, explained Joan. You
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: know the disappearance of Kathy's ring and necklace. And oh,
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: but I've found the necklace this morning, interrupted Kathy. I
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: meant to tell you, but you haven't given me a chance.
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 1: Why Kathy, where? How A chorus arose when I moved
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: my trunk out from the wall to sweep behind it,
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: explained Kathy. I've found a little parcel wrapped in tissue paper.
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: I opened it, thinking I might have dropped so thing there,
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: and inside was my necklace, all crushed together in a
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: ball and the clasp broken. If anyone knows anything about it,
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: explanations will be in order. The girls, silent in sheer amaze,
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: looked at each other and then at Rosalind, who gazed
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: blankly at them in return. I didn't put it there, girls, indeed,
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: I don't know in the least how I got there.
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 1: But do you know anything about it? Asked Cathy. No,
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: I don't. It looks like the one Marsha wore the
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: night of that party, but I thought it was hers,
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: and it may have been. She said nothing about it
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: to you, not a word. Please believe me, girls, of
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: course we believe you, said Joan, with an emphasis on
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: the last word. Well, at any rate, the necklace is found,
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: and I'm very glad. I will have it mended and
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: take better care of it, said Kathy gravely. I haven't
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: found my ring yet, nor has Rachel's pencil case been discovered.
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: That is what I came about, said Rosalind, gathering courage
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: She opened the handkerchief, which she had held crumpled in
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: her hand, and showed the two missing articles under discussion,
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: a locket and chain, and one or two other small articles.
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: I've found them in my dresser drawer just now, in
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: a little box. Honestly, I don't know anything about them
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: or how they got there. How did it happen that
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: you didn't find them before, asked Rachel, reclaiming her property.
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 1: I haven't cleared out my drawer lately, and the box
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: was at the back under a pile of handkerchiefs and things.
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: The drawer was in an awful mess, and I was
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: hunting for collar, confessed Rosalind, with a shamefaced grin. For
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: her untidiness was a proverb. I brought it to you
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: as soon as I found it, she added, and there
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: was truth in her face and voice. The girls believed her.
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 1: But what does it mean, asked Joan. Oh, don't cry, Rosie.
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: We know you didn't take them. You're silly enough sometimes,
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: but you wouldn't steal. The others assented readily. They all
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: knew that while Rosalind might be led away for a
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 1: time by folly and vanity, yet her nature was true
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: and sound, and she had a conscience. She knew quite
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: well that she had been led astray by her love
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: of pleasure, and her penitence was sincere. I can't understand
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: it a bit, she began. When the door was opened
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: again abruptly, and Allison appeared a pale and dismayed Allison
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: with wide, frightened eyes. Girls, have you hidden it on purpose?
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: Just to frighten me? Please don't tease me, but tell
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: me it is just a joke. I know you only
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: meant to frighten me. Why Allison, what can you mean?
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: We haven't done a thing, said Cathy, speaking for them
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: all Allison flung herself across the bed, already sufficiently occupied
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: by three substantial girls. Joan caught her and pulled her
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: into her lap. Here, she said, shaking Allison roughly by
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: the shoulder. No hysterics or I'll slap you. Just tell
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: us what is the matter? Thus importuned, Alison checked her
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: sobs and raised a tragic face. My lamb, I'll never
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: see it again? Nonsense, how could you never see it again?
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 1: Tell us? Is it broken? It's gone? Gone? A' not
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: your beautiful aladdin lamp, Allison? Why couldn't be lost. What
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: do you mean? Alison pulled herself together and tried to
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: speak collectedly. I've been down in the library all afternoon
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 1: taking notes from my English. I came up to my
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: room a few minutes ago, and as I looked round,
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: I missed the lamp. You know where it always stands
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: on my table. Well it wasn't there, and I thought,
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: I hoped that some of you may have hidden it
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: for a joke. If you didn't, then I don't know
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: what to think. What a ridiculous idea, said Polly indignantly.
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: A fine joke, it would be what do you take
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: us for? I couldn't think what else could have become
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: of it, said Allison, beginning to cry again. Joan began
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: to comfort her, but Kathy checked the words on her lips. Listen, Allison,
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: who was in your room while you were gone? Only Marcia?
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: I left her studying algebra? And where is she now?
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: I don't know. She was gone when I came up,
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: and your lamp with her, added Joan. I haven't eye
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: wait a minute, all of you. She ran across the
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 1: hall to Allison's room, returning promptly, come all of you
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: and see The girls followed her and stood puzzled in
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: the doorway. Where are Marcia's things? Demanded Joan. A glance
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: around the room showed it empty of all that had
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: belonged to Marcia. The girls looked at each other. Cathy
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: was the first to speak, we must find Marcia, girls,
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: if she is to be found, and ask her if
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: the lamp was in the room when she left it.
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: A hasty but thorough search established the certainty that Marcia
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: was not in any of the buildings. Neither apparently was
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: the lamp. It was almost supper time when the girls
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: came together again to report failure. What do you think?
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: Allison asked Joan, As usual was the spokeswoman. It looks
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: to me as if she wanted to go away and
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: has taken the lamp to sell it in order to
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: get the money for her ticket. She could not sell jewelry,
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: of course, but a handsome lamp might bring a good price.
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: She has looked even more forbidding than usual the last
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: few days, and I know she hated school. She put
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: back the other things she borrowed and tried to throw
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: the blame on Rosalind by hiding them in her drawer.
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: She knew Rosy was in Kathy's room with us, and
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: she had a clear field. So she carried out her
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: plans and ran away. Well, said Kathy, after a pause.
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: If Joan is right, we ought to report Marcia's disappearance
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 1: at once. If she has really run away from school,
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: Miss Harland will have to know it. Chapter ten, Discoveries.
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: The whole school was thrown into a ferment of excitement
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 1: over the discovery of Marsha's disappearance. No one exactly told
• 1:17:51
  Speaker 1: any one, but the news flew from lip to lip
• 1:17:53
  Speaker 1: with the speed of that little bird so famous for
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: its gossiping tendency. The school buildings were searched again, with
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: no result. No one had seen Marcia go out yet
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: she was certainly not in the school. Miss Harland telephoned
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: to all her friends in the town with whom Marcia
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: might be supposed to be staying, but no one had
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 1: seen her or heard from her. In great distress, Miss
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 1: Harland called up Marcia's father, mister West, who was staying
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: in a hotel in a near by town, and asked
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: him if his daughter was with him, and, to her
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: intense relief, received a quick and reassuring reply, yes, his
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: little girl had just arrived by the late train. She
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 1: was so homesick for her daddy she could not stay
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: away from him any longer. She told him could she
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: speak to Marcia herself? Miss Harland asked. There was a
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: brief colloquy at the other end of the line, and
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: then mister West spoke courteously. Marcia had just gone to
• 1:18:52
  Speaker 1: bed with a bad cold and could not talk that night.
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: Tomorrow he would talk with her, and with a pleasant
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: good night, he hung up. Relieved from her fears for
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: Marsha's safety, Miss Harland gladly relinquished the search for the night,
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: and the girls were forced to restrain their excitement and
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: go to bed. The next morning, mister West came in
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 1: person to talk with Miss Harland. Marcia was still in
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: bed and too hoarse to talk, so she had asked
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: her father to explain to Miss Harland why she had
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: left school without a word to her. She could not
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: bear to be away from him, and hearing that he
• 1:19:29
  Speaker 1: was about to leave for Chicago to accept a position there,
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: had hurried to join him, and, being in haste to
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: catch the afternoon train, had not had time to take
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: leave of her friends and teachers. It was foolish, he said, indulgently,
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: but he had spoilt his little girl and could not
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: be hard on her. Miss Harland asked him quietly whether
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: Marcia had said anything of having borrowed something of one
• 1:19:53
  Speaker 1: of the girls, but mister West shook his head. He
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: would ask her and let Miss Harland know, and polite
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 1: bowed himself out. Later he telephoned to say that he
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: had talked to Marcia and she had declared she had
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: borrowed nothing of her friends. She and her father were
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: going to start for Chicago this same night, and she
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: would have no opportunity to say goodbye to the girls
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: in Miss Harland. Her cold was better, and she sent
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: her love and wished them all a merry Christmas. Miss
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: Harland returned with a similar wish and smiled as she
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: hung up. She was glad Marcia was safe with her father,
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: and was not sorry to have seen the last of her.
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: So Marcia left Briarwood, and with her departed something that
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 1: had spoiled the spirit of concord and happiness which usually
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: prevailed in the school. The girls were happy and at
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: peace again. Joan returned to her old place as Allison's
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: room mate, and their room became as before Marcia's coming
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: the rendezvous of the Kindred Spirits. All would have been
• 1:20:56
  Speaker 1: well with Allison, but for the grief for the loss
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 1: of her lamp. No trace of it had been found.
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: There was no certainty that Marcia had anything to do
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: with its vanishing, but Joan, always practical and logical, maintained
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: that since Marcia and the lamp had been alone together
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: the whole afternoon, and since the lamp, having no feet,
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: could not have left the room by itself, it was
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: plain that Marcia must have assisted its departure. Allison said nothing,
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 1: but she grieved deeply, with no hope of ever seeing
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 1: her treasure again. The Christmas holidays were drawing near. The
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: girls were busy with plans for the two weeks vacation,
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: looking forward eagerly to going home, and the teachers were
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: equally anxious for the coming of the last day of school.
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: Allison felt as if she could scarcely wait. Her gifts
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: for the family were bought. The book she knew her
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: father had long wanted, but had not felt he could
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: afford to buy for himself. The new dress for her mother,
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 1: who would never get it for herself, the roller skates,
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 1: for Billy, the pretty scarf for Floss, the doll for
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 1: little Matt, who had not yet outgrown them. She hovered
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 1: over them, lovingly, fondling each package as she wrapped and
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 1: tied them with a lavish expenditure of tissue, paper and ribbon.
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: How she blessed the memory of Aunt Justina, whose generosity
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: had made her gifts possible. I can't wait, she said,
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: and laughed at herself for her impatience. The only flaw
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: in her happiness was the prospect of having to confess
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: at home that she had lost her Aladdin lamp two
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 1: days before the twenty third Joan, looking over her lists,
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: made a discovery. Allison, I'll have to buy some more cards.
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: I forgot a whole bunch of cousins out in Texas
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 1: who will be sure to send to me. I must
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: run down and get some more before they are all gone.
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: Come with me. It's snowing a little bit, not too much,
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 1: all right, Run and get permission while I put on
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: my hat and coat. In a few moments, Joan came
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: back with the required permission, and the two girls set out,
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: running down the steps of the terrace and out into
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 1: the snowy street. The snow was coming down more briskly,
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: but they only laughed and enjoyed the frolic as they
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: ran down the steep hill side and reached the level
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 1: street on which the stores were. The ten Cents Store,
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: the Shopper's Delight was packed with late shoppers like themselves.
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: Joan struggled through the dense crowd at the counter, pushed
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: and jostled by the good natured crowd, while Allison waited,
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: amused and interested. It was a lengthy ordeal, but at
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: last Joan had found all she wanted and was ready
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: to go. It was nearly dark by this time, and
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: the snow was thicker, swirling about so as almost to
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: blind them. We must run, or we shall be late
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: for supper, Jones said, and they made what speed they could.
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: Suddenly Allison stopped short before the well lighted window of
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: a little old jewelry and antique shop. Look, Joan, what
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 1: are you looking at? Oh? Do let's hurry, urged Joan,
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: But Allison stood still. D you see there in mister
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: Delaney's window? Is that my lamp? Or isn't it? Interested? Now,
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: Joane stopped, It is yours or it's twin she decided,
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: I didn't think there was but one. I believe it
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 1: is mine. I'm going to ask about it, said Allison,
• 1:24:30
  Speaker 1: and turned into the warm, bright little shop, followed by Joan.
• 1:24:34
  Speaker 1: The proprietor was a friendly little Frenchman, well known to
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: the girls who frequently purchased their gifts there. He came forward,
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: bowing and rubbing his hands. You want some see for Christmas?
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: Is it not? I have many pretty things, he offered.
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 1: I came to ask about that lamp in the window,
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: mister Delaney, Allison said, too eager to beat about the bush,
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: it is exactly like one I lost. Will you tell
• 1:24:59
  Speaker 1: me where you can got it that? The old man
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: looked disconcerted. It was not meant to be in the
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: window at all, But my assistant, he has not much sense.
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: It is not for sale, mademoiselle, But how did you
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 1: get it? Allison persisted, and seeing her earnestness, he looked puzzled.
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: It was so Zumi, mademoiselle, by a young lady, I
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: think from your school. I have seen her pass with
• 1:25:22
  Speaker 1: the other young demoiselle's. She asked me not to siligigin.
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: She needed money, and if I would buy it from her,
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 1: you would come back and redeem it. Lita, her father
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 1: was ill, very ill, and she had no money to
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 1: go to him. She was coming back to get it later, Sue.
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 1: I lent her the money on it, but I have
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: not seen her yet. The girls looked at each other,
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 1: so Allison's generous heart said, perhaps Marcia did mean only
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 1: to borrow the lamp. Perhaps she really meant to return it.
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: But in the meantime, what if it should be sold
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: by mistake or even stolen before that time came? Should
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: she risk leaving it in mister Delaney's shop even overnight?
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 1: Mister Delaney, she said, I know all you say is true.
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 1: I know the young lady who sold you the lamp
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: or borrowed money on it. She was my roommate at school,
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: and she has gone to her father. As she said,
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: that part is true. But I want my lamp back
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: at once to take home for Christmas. Can I get
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: it from you now? Mister Delaney looked puzzled and doubtful.
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 1: I promise the young damosel he began, if she were here,
• 1:26:34
  Speaker 1: she would give it back to me. If Miss Harland
• 1:26:36
  Speaker 1: comes to you herself and explains about it, will you
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: let me have it? Allison asked, persuasively, I will pay you,
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: of course, just what you advanced to the young lady.
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: But certainly if Mademoiselle Harland herself assures me that it
• 1:26:50
  Speaker 1: is all right, agreed mister Delaney appably, then please put
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 1: it away for a little while until she comes, begged Allison.
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 1: They flew home to report the discovery and the difficulty
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: to Miss Harland, and late, though it was, she went
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: with them at once to the Little Frenchman's shop. Mister
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: Delaney was so impressed by her quiet, dignity and authority
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: that he readily parted with the lamp for the sum
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 1: he had paid to Marsha for it, considering that he
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: had come out very well on the transaction. At that
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: and in triumph, Allison carried her treasure home, feeling that
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: her Christmas was assured. End of chapter ten, Chapter eleven
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: of Briarwood Girls. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:27:42
  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Linda L. West.
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: Briarwood Girls by Julia Lestarge at Glover. Chapter eleven, Class
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: Prophecy Christmas came with all its anticipated joys, and went
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: all too swiftly into the past, leaving behind it a
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: precious store of happy memories. The new year found the
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: girls of Briarwood back at school, fresh from their holiday
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 1: and ready for the hardest work of the year. The
• 1:28:22
  Speaker 1: days were well filled with study and play. New friendships
• 1:28:26
  Speaker 1: were formed and old one strengthened, and a spirit of
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 1: happiness and of honest comradeship prevailed in the school as
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: the girls worked together. Marcia was gone and no one
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: regretted her absence. She never returned to redeem the lamp, or,
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 1: as Miss Harland had half hoped, she would, to offer
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 1: an apology and explanation of why she had borrowed Allison's
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: lamp and the other pieces of property belonging to others
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 1: which she had appropriated without leave and returned in so
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: a fashion. They heard of her now and then in
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: the course of the next few years, sometimes in the
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: lists of schools in the different cities to which her
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: father's business took him. Later, she appeared occasionally in the
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: society pages of the papers. Later still came the announcement
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: of her marriage to a young man well known in
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: society circles, after which she was heard of no more,
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: and the trouble she had caused in the school was
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: forgotten in the other interests that had taken its place.
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: The sophomore, junior, and senior years of the Kindred Spirits
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 1: and their friends were successfully passed, and at length came
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 1: the day so long worked for and looked forward to, when,
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 1: with their school honors won, the members of this senior
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 1: class were ready to throw off the cap and gown,
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 1: receive their diplomas, and stepped forth as full fledged graduates,
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: equipped for life in their various ways, each hoping to
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 1: fulfill her ambition and to realize the cherished hope that
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 1: lay nearest her heart. The Kindred Spirits were gathered for
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: the last time in Allison's and Jones's room to look
• 1:30:13
  Speaker 1: over and comment on the new annual Briarwood Bells. The
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: class history was pronounced fairly good. In their freshman year,
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: they had made good in athletics. As sophomores. There had
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: been some drawbacks in the first half of the year,
• 1:30:29
  Speaker 1: but these had been made up by the work of
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: the latter half. Their verdant days were passed, and they
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: realized the importance of faithful work. With the junior year
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 1: came new interests and hopes. The principal event in this
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: year in the girl's memories was the junior Senior banquet,
• 1:30:47
  Speaker 1: the end and aim of existence for the time being.
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: And now with the close of the senior year, the
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: class had won its laurels, concluded the historian, and in
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 1: one sense, the long breath of relief with which she
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 1: finished her task pretty good. On the whole. Joan pronounced
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 1: nothing brilliant, But I think Miss Harland will consider that
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: we have upheld the honor of Briarwood. Cathy turned the
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: pages and then suddenly closed the book. Girls, I have
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: an idea before we read the class prophecy. Let us
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: each tell our plans and ambitions for the future, and
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 1: see how they tally with what Helen has foretold for us.
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: And let us meet here in this very room ten
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: years from now and see how many of her prophecies
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: have come true. That was Jane's suggestion. All right, assented Cathy,
• 1:31:41
  Speaker 1: who will begin? You? You started this thing, said Rachel,
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: very well. I expect to teach for a few years
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: and then be a trained nurse. Now you, Allison, I
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: want to do a lot of things, but most of all,
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: I want to come back here and teach it Briarwood,
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: said Allison earnestly. Good. Then you'll be here to welcome
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: us when we meet in ten years. Joan applauded. As
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: for me, I'm going to fly. You will hear of
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 1: me some day as the famous woman aviator. I'm going
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: to travel to the ends of the earth, was Polly's contribution.
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 1: Perhaps I'll fly with Polly, it was Rachel's turn. I'm
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: not so ambitious, says Polly. And Joe mineus to be
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: the best teacher of domestic science that I know how
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: to be. I specialized in that, you know fine, minus
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: to teach music and play a big concerts, said Evelyn. Now, Rosalind,
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: how are you going to distinguish yourself? Rosalind smiled and
• 1:32:42
  Speaker 1: blushed all over her pretty flower like face. Why I
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: hadn't quite made up my mind. I guess I'll just
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 1: have a good time for a while and then be
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: a lawyer. There was a shout of laughter. Cathy had
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: been writing and now read her notes. A teacher at Briarwood,
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: a flyer, a great traveler, a domestic science teacher, a musician,
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 1: a lawyer, and a trained nurse. Most of the professions
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: seem to be represented. Briarwood will have cause to be
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 1: proud of us. Now let us see what the class
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: prophet has to say of us. She turned the pages
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: to one headed class prophecy and began to read. The
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 1: prophecy purported to be items from newspapers of the future,
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: and some of the extracts are of interest to our readers.
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 1: The first ran Thus missus Polly Worthington and Evelyn Kingsley
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: have recently opened their music studio. Miss Worthington will give
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 1: instruction in voice, and Miss Kingsley and piano. Both young
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: ladies distinguished themselves in these branches at college. The public
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 1: will be glad to hear that the best equipped hospital
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: in the South will shortly be opened with Miss Allison
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 1: Fair as head nurse. After finishing her course in math
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: at the University of blank in which she did brilliantly,
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: Miss Rachel Cameron has accepted a position as math teacher
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: at her alma mater. The best seller of the month
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: is a novel by Miss Katherine Bertram, who was winning
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 1: for herself an enviable name as a writer her former
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 1: classmates will read her work with interest and pleasure. A
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 1: recent item in a missionary magazine tells us that Miss
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 1: Joan Wentworth has decided to devote her life and talents
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 1: to the mission field. She will set sail this week
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: for China. Miss Rosalind Forrest, the fairest ornament of her
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: class in college, is deeply interested in social service work
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 1: and is doing valuable work along this line. Helen May
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 1: historian Cathy looked up. So there's our future, girls, as
• 1:34:59
  Speaker 1: our historian and has foretold it. We never know. Perhaps
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: some of us may follow the path she has pointed out,
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: but in any case, we can only do our very
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: best in whatever place in life. We may find ourselves
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: content and humbly glad if we merit the Lord's commendation,
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: Well done, good and faithful servant. There was a pause
• 1:35:22
  Speaker 1: as Cathy stopped speaking. She had not meant to preach,
• 1:35:26
  Speaker 1: but the words had come to her instinctively, and they
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: touched a responsive chord in their hearts. The young faces
• 1:35:33
  Speaker 1: were serious, as thoughts deeper than their merry surface banter
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: made themselves felt. A sweet toned bell called them to supper.
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: The spring evening was falling soft and dewy over the
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: gray old walls and terraces of Briarwood. Tomorrow they would separate,
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 1: never to meet again as care free schoolgirls, and the
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: shadow of the parting lay on their faces and hearts
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 1: as they rose to go down. It was Joan who
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: cheerfully said, to meet again this day, ten years and
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: of Briarwood Girls.