Polly's First Year at Boarding School Part 30

"How do you do, Mr. Farwell?"

They said together, and then both fell into a confused silence.

Fortunately, Lois entered at that moment.

"Oh, there you are, Polly," she said. "Mrs. Baird will be here right away, mother. You and Dad stay here and talk to her, and Polly and I will take Bob for a walk, and show him the grounds."

The two girls ran up stairs for their sweaters, and in a jiffy they were leading Bob towards the gym.

At first, Lois did most of the talking, for Polly and Bob were very quiet.

The one was thinking: "If Lo had been there I would not have been so embarra.s.sed."

And the other: "Of all the brilliant ways of meeting a girl, falling over a chair is the best! I am the Clumsiest, etc., etc."

But as they entered the gym Polly forgot her shyness, and as she rattled on about basket-ball and the coming Field Day, Bob was able to console his injured pride with the thought that after all, she was only one of his kid sister's friends.

In the course of their walk, which led them past all the landmarks in the grounds, they talked to each other with the ease of old friends, and Bob had started to tease.

"Lois says you play basket-ball wonderfully," he said to Polly, as they tramped through the woods on their way to the old fort.

"I don't play half as well as she does," she answered. "Besides, she knows nothing about it; I've never played in a big game. Perhaps if I did, I'd lose my nerve."

"You almost played once," Lois reminded her.

"What happened?"

"I sprained my ankle instead."

"Oh, was that the time you were so plucky about giving the fire alarm?

That was great; Lo wrote me about it."

"What else could I have done? I couldn't very well let the place burn down, could I?" Polly asked, smiling a little self-consciously.

"I suppose not," Bob said aloud. Adding to himself, "For a girl as young as she is, she's remarkably sensible."

They walked on in silence, taking long swinging strides.

The thump, thump of their footsteps echoed and reechoed in the silent woods. They reached the top of Fort Hill and stopped for a minute to get their breath. The wind blew the girls' hair about their flushed faces and sent eddies of last fall's brown leaves swirling along the path before them.

Across the Hudson the sun was already half hidden by the hills. Below them the old stone fort sprawled half way down the steep slope that led to the river.

Bob's eyes rested on it inquiringly-"h.e.l.lo, what have we here?" he asked.

"That's the old fort, built in the Revolution by the Americans to defend themselves against the attacking British," Lois recited, in a sing song voice. "It is said that at the brook we just crossed General George Washington once watered his horse while the founder of Seddon Hall held the bridle," she continued, smiling mischievously at her brother.

It was the tale that was told to all the new girls at school and there were always a few who believed it.

Bob laughed heartily.

"Come, Sis, that's too much, but you told it well. Why don't you add that Washington and his staff made the reception-room their headquarters?"

"I will the next time I tell it," Lois chuckled, pleased at the idea.

Polly had wandered off a little way down the slope, presently she called:

"Lo, do you remember the first time we came out here?"

"Yes, of course I do; we were getting greens for the Seniors. We talked so much we were nearly late for luncheon."

"Doesn't it seem ages ago? By the way, what time is it?"

Bob pulled out his watch.

"It's five, ten," he said.

"It's fate," exclaimed Polly; "we are always late when we come to the fort."

"Poor Mother and Dad, we'll have to hustle," said Lois.

They looked regretfully at the wonderful orange sky, turned, and with the wind at their backs, started off in the direction of the school.

Half an hour later, breathless from hurrying, they entered the reception-room and found Dr. and Mrs. Farwell still talking to Mrs.

Baird, and lingering over the remains of their tea.

"Enjoyed your walk?" asked Mrs. Farwell.

"We've had such a cozy tea party that we haven't had time to miss you,"

the Doctor added.

Mrs. Baird acknowledged the compliment with a smile.

"If the girls are to go out to dinner," she said, "I think they had better go upstairs and dress: it's almost six o'clock."

"Are we going out to dinner?" exclaimed Lois.

"Yes, both of you," replied Mrs. Farwell; "so hurry up."

"Thank you so much, it's ever so kind of you to ask me, too," said Polly, suddenly mindful of Aunt Hannah and her instructions in manners, then, as suddenly forgetting them:

"What a lark, we'll be ready in a jiffy," and catching Lois by the arm she dragged her up stairs.

The Village hotel, under Dr. Farwell's insistent demands, produced a pa.s.sably good dinner. Every one was in such high spirits that the time flew by.

"Isn't it funny," laughed Lois, as they delayed finishing their cream and cake, "to be having dinner here with my family? Last time it was with Uncle Roddy."

"Yes, isn't it?" agreed Polly. "I wonder what happened to the parrot?"