For the School Colours Part 35

bitter thoughts against you, but love for your country has are, and I am ready to acknowledge your to see them, should they ever come to gones shall be bygones now. I am in your favour, and shall put it is sure to be found, both die, they will be provided

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHO COULD SAY HOW MUCH MIGHT DEPEND ON THEIR SPEED?]

"I'm afraid it's no use in a court of law, Pamela," said Captain Harper, as he showed her the copy of the paper. "It's the merest sc.r.a.p. By imagining the missing words we might make it into something like this; but imagination won't give it legal value. Here's what I fancy it may have been:"

I own I held hard and / bitter thoughts against you, but now I feel that your / love for your country has shown me what you / are, and I am ready to acknowledge your wife and child, and / to see them, should they ever come to England. By / gones shall be bygones now. I am making a new will / in your favour, and shall put it in a place where it / is sure to be found, so that should we / both die, they will be provided for. /

"If this surmise is correct," continued Captain Harper, "and there really was a new will, it may possibly be hidden somewhere at the Hall."

"We've searched everywhere," said Pamela sadly. "Two lawyer's clerks have been here and gone through every morsel of paper in the house, and turned out every drawer and cupboard. I think myself that perhaps Uncle Fritz may have found it and destroyed it. Mother and I spend all our spare time looking, but we never have any luck. I don't think we're lucky people. We seem just to have misfortune after misfortune. It has always been like this all our lives."

"Cheer up! It's a long lane that has no turning," comforted Captain Harper. "I advise you to show this paper to your solicitor, though I'm afraid it's nothing to go by."

Pamela's affairs did indeed seem to have reached a crisis. Her fortunes were much discussed in the neighbourhood, and general opinion decided that she would have difficulty in establishing legally her right to what undoubtedly ought to be hers. Several naturalized German relations of Mr. Hockheimer had put in counter-claims for the estate. There was likely to be a long and expensive lawsuit before the case was settled.

Then one day a wonderful thing occurred--an utterly unexpected and marvellous thing, but one that--thank G.o.d!--has happened in other families since the war began. The postwoman who delivered the letter did not know that it differed from other letters; she popped it through the slit in the front door and rang the bell as usual, and went on her way, all unsuspecting what news she had left behind her. Yet when Mrs.

Reynolds saw the handwriting on the envelope she gave a little sharp cry and fainted away. Pamela did not go to school that day nor the next. She wrote to Avelyn to explain her absence. The latter read the letter twice before her amazed brain could really grasp its contents.

"MY DEAR AVE,

"I hardly know how to tell you our good luck. Daddy is alive! He wasn't killed at Mons after all. He was taken prisoner and never reported. He was kept most fearfully strictly in a fortress and allowed no news of the outside world. He and a companion spent eighteen months making a tunnel out of their cell, and after simply thrilling adventures they escaped, and swam a river and got into Swiss territory. He's coming home, and Mother and I are going up to London to meet him. We're almost off our heads!

"Will you please tell Miss Thompson this is why I'm not at school? We start for town to-morrow morning.

"Much love from "PAM."

It was indeed a most happy ending to all the troubles of poor Mrs.

Reynolds and Pamela. By the will which had already been proved, Captain Reynolds inherited his father's estate, which had only pa.s.sed to the daughter Dora in default of a male heir. He was soon able to settle up the legal side of the matter and to obtain formal possession of the whole property.

"I've made my own will now, and left everything safely tied up for you and your Mother before I go out to the front again," he told his daughter.

"Oh, Daddy! must you leave us and go back to France?" wailed Pamela.

"Every hour I spent in that fortress, Pam, made me all the more resolved to help to fight this war to the finish. Would you want me to shirk and fail my country? I know you better than that. Tell me again what you told me in 1914."

And Pamela stood up straight, and with a light in her eyes repeated:

"Though it tear and break my heart I let you go.

When the Motherland is calling, Be it so!

Let my own poor need and grief Be set aside, That justice and the right May now abide.

"G.o.d put courage and true might In your arm!

May His mercy keep your life Safe from harm!

Every hour my earnest prayer Shall be this: May we meet and greet again With a kiss."

CHAPTER XXII

The Lecture Hall is Dedicated

Ever since the laying of the foundation stone in January the new Lecture Hall had been in process of construction. Owing to the war, and the scarcity of labour, it made slow progress. Sometimes the building went on with a spurt, and sometimes for weeks nothing at all was done. Those optimists who had prophesied that it would be in readiness after the Easter holidays found themselves much mistaken. After innumerable delays and disappointments, however, the place was finished by the end of the summer term, and Miss Thompson decided to combine its opening with the annual prize-giving.

The double function marked a great occasion in the annals of the school.

The increased accommodation would allow a large gathering, and many invitations were sent forth. It was even whispered that the chair was to be taken by the local Member of Parliament.

"Silverside's coming on no end!" said Consie Arkwright. "We never used to have such grandees down. Miss Thompson used to be content with some ordinary clergyman or elderly professor, to give the prizes, and now she won't look at anybody below a bishop, or a mayor, or an M.P."

"She loves these functions!" chuckled Joyce. "She's perfectly happy when she has on her best dress and her company smile, and is showing off the school to an admiring crowd of visitors. I won't say that I don't rather enjoy it myself. It makes one feel in the world somehow. It's jolly nice to think that Silverside is of so much importance in the town."

"Bet we'll make a good show-up on Dedication Day!" commented Laura, who had drifted into the conversation. "Hopscotch was saying something about the whole school in white dresses and our badges. By the by, Miss Thompson's got a little surprise for us. She's been having some beautiful ribbon, in the school colours, specially woven for Silverside.

She showed it to Adah and me this morning in the study, and I can tell you it's topping! We're each to have a piece of it for our hair, and wear it on the great day, so that we all look alike. She's having new hat bands woven, too, for next term. I think they'll be rather smart."

"I begin to wish I wasn't leaving," said Isobel almost mournfully.

"Really, Silverside has been much jollier lately than it used to be. It would have been ripping fun to stop another year and work up the hockey, as we've done the cricket and tennis."

"There'll be something to read out in the Games Report this time!"

purred Joyce.

"It'll be precious!" agreed Consie.

The Princ.i.p.al was naturally anxious that her pupils should make a good display on so important an occasion. She arranged a very carefully-thought-out programme of the ceremony. There were to be speeches by local magnates, the School Report must be read, the hall dedicated, and the prizes distributed. She decided that her pupils ought to sing one or two suitable songs, and she came in to the singing cla.s.s one morning to discuss the matter with Miss Webster, and hear the girls run through a few glees. She found it difficult to make a choice.

"They're nice in their way, but not altogether what is needed. I should have liked something really appropriate to a Dedication. In fact, I'm afraid I want what I am not at all likely to get--a special song composed for Silverside."

"Could we adapt anything?" suggested Miss Webster, rapidly turning over a pile of music, while the cla.s.s, deeply interested, sat listening to the discussion.

"Not much use without new words. Pity we have no poet in the school! If there had been time, I'd have written to a music publisher and asked if it would be possible to have a song composed for us. It's too late now.

I wish I'd thought of it sooner!"

"Oh, Miss Thompson," said Avelyn, suddenly springing to her feet and blushing hotly at her own temerity, "I know a lady who writes songs!

She's very much interested in Silverside--I've told her so much about it. I really believe if I asked her she'd make up just what you want.

She's quite clever enough to do it."

Miss Thompson's convex gla.s.ses were focused on Avelyn in a stare of astonished gratification. She literally jumped at the idea.

"If you think your friend would really be so kind," she a.s.sented, "we should be most grateful to her. Where does she live? At Lyngates? Then write to her this afternoon, and see if you can persuade her to take pity on us. I suppose she would know the sort of thing we want?"

"I'll explain exactly," promised Avelyn, sitting down, conscious that in the eyes of the cla.s.s she had covered herself with glory. She was excused "English language" that afternoon for the purpose of writing her letter to Miss Carrington, and sat with her blotter--an object of much envy--while the remainder of the form wrestled with Anglo-Saxon derivations.

"I don't think my Lavender Lady will fail me!" she murmured as she stamped her envelope. "I believe it's just the sort of thing she'll like doing."

Avelyn's trust in her friend was amply justified. She received by return of post a card bearing the words: "Highly honoured. Will do my best."

"I knew she would--the dear, clever darling!" rejoiced Avelyn, waving her post card in triumph as she ran down to the study to communicate the good news to Miss Thompson.