The School Queens Part 39

"Oh, it would be just, heavenly! It will give such distinction. I know the girls will love it."

"I think I can make myself pleasant to you all," said Mrs. Ward, "and I should like to be there."

"But as to paying anything, Mrs. Ward, you will come as our guest, and you know we have most of us plenty of money. Please, please, let us do the entertaining."

"Very well, dear, I will not press that point. I hope I have made you happy, Kathleen."

"Oh! you have--very, very happy indeed. And Sat.u.r.day week is to be the day?"

"Yes, Kathleen."

Kathleen bent down, took one of Mrs. Ward's hands, and kissed it. Then she skipped out of the room and flew back to her companions. They were waiting for her in a state of suppressed eagerness.

"Well, Kathleen--Kitty--Kit, what's the news?" asked Maggie.

Room was made for Kathleen in the center of the group.

"We have won! We may do it!" she said, speaking in a low tone. "Oh, she's--she's like no one else! I don't know how you will take it, girls; but if you're not just delighted you ought, to be. Why, what _do_ you think? She wants to come herself."

"Mrs. Ward!" said Maggie in amazement.

"Yes, just to supper. She says she will come--she wishes to come--that we're to invite her; in fact, she makes it a _sine qua non_. She will go away again after supper, and we're to have the whole glorious day, next Sat.u.r.day week, from two in the afternoon until bedtime. Oh, sha'n't we have fun!"

"Yes, of course," said Maggie. "It's much better even than I thought.

I will write the letters of invitation immediately."

"But why should you write a whole lot of letters?" said Kathleen. "You are one queen. Write to the other queen and mention that Mrs. Ward is coming."

There was nothing like the present time for making arrangements; and Maggie wrote on a sheet of headed note-paper provided for her by her satellites the following words:

"Queen Maggie presents her compliments to Queen Aneta, and begs for the pleasure of her company with all her subjects on Sat.u.r.day the 15th of October, to an entertainment from three to nine o'clock. She hopes that the whole school will be present, and writes in the names of her own subjects as well as of herself.

"_P.S._--Mrs. Ward has most kindly promised to attend."

This letter was subjected to the approval of the group of girls who surrounded Maggie. It was then addressed to "Queen Aneta," and Kathleen crossed the room with it and dropped it, there and then, into Aneta Lysle's lap.

It caused very deep amazement in the hearts of all the girls who belonged to Aneta's party, and it is highly probable that they might have refused to accept the invitation but for that magical postscript, "Mrs. Ward has most kindly promised to attend." But there was no withstanding that patent fact, as Mrs. Ward knew very well when she made the proposal to Kathleen.

After a lapse of about twenty minutes, Cicely Cardew crossed the room and laid the answer to Maggie's note in her lap:

"Queen Aneta and her subjects have much pleasure in accepting Queen Maggie's invitation for the 15th inst."

"Hip, hip, hurrah!" cried Kathleen. "The thing's arranged, and we'll have about the jolliest flare-up and the most enticing time that girls ever had at any school." She sprang from her seat, and began tossing a book which had lain in her lap into the air, catching it again. In short, the subjects of the two queens broke up on the spot and chatted gaily together, and Maggie and her subjects could not be induced to say one word of what was to take place on the 15th of October.

"It is wonderful," thought Aneta to herself. "Why does Mrs. Ward come?

But, of course, as she comes we must all come."

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE TREASURE.

Maggie had by no means forgotten her promise to the Tristram girls to give them a bracelet apiece. It was easy to do this, for they were her very special friends in the school. The fact is that Molly and Belle had a somewhat peculiar position at Aylmer House, for they were not only Maggie's special friends, but also the undoubted friends and allies of Cicely, Merry, and also of Aneta. But they were such good-humored, good-natured, pleasant sort of girls--so lively, so jolly--that they could take up a position with ease which would oppress and distress other people.

When Maggie presented them with their bracelets they were in wild raptures, accepting them gleefully, and on occasions when ornaments were permitted to be worn--which, as a matter of fact, was only in the leisure hours--they invariably had them on their arms.

But other girls noticed them, and one and all admired them immensely.

"Oh, I have others," said Maggie in a careless tone; "many more. My dear father was a great traveler, and these are some of the treasures he brought from the East."

Maggie had by no means forgotten to bring her two boxes of jewellery to Aylmer House. These lay at the bottom of her little trunk, which was, it is true, stowed away in the box-room. But as the girls were at liberty to go there for anything they especially required, she was not troubled on this account.

There came a day, shortly after the great party was arranged, when the rain poured incessantly, and some of the girls were a little restless.

Molly and Isabel were wearing their queer Oriental bracelets. Kathleen suddenly caught sight of them, and demanded in an eager tone that Maggie should exhibit her treasures. Maggie, only too pleased to have anything to do which glorified herself, immediately complied. She ran to find Miss Lucy in order to obtain the key of the box-room.

"What do you want it for, dear?" said Miss Johnson in her pleasant voice.

"I have two boxes in the bottom of one of my trunks, Miss Lucy; they are full of curiosities which my father collected from time to time.

The girls want to see them. Do you mind my showing them?"

"Of course not, Maggie; but if they are of any value you had better give them to Mrs. Ward to take care of for you."

"Oh, well," said Maggie, "I don't know really whether they are of value or not." She got rather red as she spoke.

"I should like to see them myself," said Miss Johnson. "I know a little bit about gems and curios."

"Certainly, Miss Lucy; do come," said Maggie. "We're in our sitting-room, and I shall be only too delighted to show them to you."

Maggie fetched down her two precious boxes, and soon she was surrounded, not only by her own special satellites, but by every girl in the school. They were all loud in their expressions of rapture at the unique and lovely things which she exhibited to them.

Kathleen, as usual, was quick in suggestion. "Would not Mrs. Ward love to see them?" she said.

"I am sure she would," remarked Miss Johnson.--"I hadn't the least idea, Maggie, that you had such treasures in those old tin boxes. They must be carefully put away in the safe for you. My dear girl, they're worth a great deal of money."

"Oh, I don't suppose they are," said Maggie, trying to speak carelessly, although she by no means wished to part with her treasures.

"I tell you what," said Kathleen. "Can't we make an exhibition of them on _the_ day?"

"Yes, why not?" said Molly and Isabel. "That would be quite lovely."

"Oh yes, do!--do, Maggie darling!" said Merry Cardew.

Maggie at once agreed; and Miss Johnson said, "Now, if you will put them all back in their boxes I will take them and lock them into the safe myself. I shouldn't have an easy moment if I thought such valuable things were in one of your school-trunks."

"Oh!" said Maggie, looking up with flushed cheeks and bright eyes, "please--please let me keep them until after our party. Then we will consult Mrs. Ward, and she will tell me what to do."