"Well, it's not fair to tell what you think and guess," said Silvia, a pink spot coming on either check.
"'Twouldn't make any difference, my guessing; we all know it's yours, Silvia," said Alexia, coolly.
"Well, I think that's a lovely list," said Amy, with sparkling eyes, "and I for one would be willing to vote for any of those things."
"My mother says we better give her something to wear," said Silvia, smoothing down her gown. "Miss Anstice likes nice things; and that great big house is running over with everything to furnish with."
Polly was reading the third list, so somebody pulled Alexia's arm and stopped her. "A watch and chain--that's all there is on this list,"
announced Polly.
"Oh!"--there was a chorus of voices--"that's it--that's it!" and "Why didn't I think of that?" until the whole ring was in a tumult again.
It was no matter what was on the other lists. The chairman read them over faithfully, but the items fell upon dull ears. They might make suitable tributes for other brides; there was but one mind about the present for this particular bride going forth from the Salisbury School. The watch and chain was the only gift to be thought of.
"And she wears that great big old-fashioned thing," declared Silvia; "looks like a turnip--oh, oh!"
"And I do believe that's always made her so impressive and scarey whenever she got into that black silk gown," said Amy Garrett. "I never thought of it before; but it was that horrible old watch and chain."
"Girls," said the chairman, "I do really believe that it would be the very best thing that we could possibly give her. And now I'm going to tell who it was who chose it."
"Do--oh, do!" The whole ring came together in a bunch, as the girls all crowded around Polly.
"Alexia!" Then Polly turned and gave a loving little pat on the long back.
"Don't," said Alexia, shrinking away from the shower of congratulations on having made the best choice, and thought of the very thing that was likely to unite the whole school on a gift. "It's nothing. I couldn't help but write it. It was the only thing I thought of."
"Well; it was just as clever in you as could be, so there now!" Clem nodded over at her, and buried all animosity at once.
"And think how nice it will be, when it's all engraved inside the case with what we want to say," said Polly, with shining eyes.
"And a great big monogram outside," said Silvia, with enthusiasm, "and one of those twisted chains--oh, how fine!" She shook out her silver bracelets till they jingled all her enthusiasm; and the entire committee joining, the vote was taken to propose to the rest of the "Salisbury girls," on the morrow, the gift of a watch and chain to the future Mrs.
John Clemcy.
And the watch and chain was unanimously chosen by the "Salisbury girls"
as the gift of all gifts they wanted to bestow upon their teacher on her wedding day; and they all insisted that Polly Pepper should write the inscription; so there it was, engraved beautifully on the inner side of the case: "Anstice Salisbury, with the loving regard of her pupils." And there was a beautiful big monogram on the outside; and the long chain was double and twisted, and so handsome that Silvia's mother protested she hadn't a word to say but the very highest praise!
Oh, and the presentation of it came about quite differently from what was expected, after all. For the gift was to be sent with a little note, representing the whole school, and written, as was quite proper, by Polly Pepper, the chairman of the committee. But Miss Salisbury, to whom the precious parcel had been intrusted, said suddenly, "Why don't you give it to her yourselves, girls?"
It was, of course, the place of the chairman of the committee to speak.
So Polly said, "Oh, would she like to have us, Miss Salisbury?"
"Yes, my dears. I know she would. She feels badly to go and leave you all, you know," and there were tears in the blue eyes that always looked so kindly on them. "And it would be a very lovely thing for you to do, if you would like to."
"We should _love_ to do it," cried Polly warmly. "May we go now, dear Miss Salisbury?"
"Yes," said Miss Salisbury, very much pleased; "she is in the red parlor."
So the committee filed into the red parlor. There sat Miss Anstice, and--oh dear me!--Mr. John Clemcy!
There was no time to retreat; for Miss Salisbury, not having heard Mr.
Clemcy come in, was at the rear of the procession of girls. "Here, my dears--Anstice, the girls particularly want to see you--oh!" and then she saw Mr. John Clemcy.
Miss Anstice, who seemed to have dropped all her nervousness lately, saved the situation by coming forward and greeting them warmly; and when Mr. John Clemcy saw how it was, he went gallantly to the rescue, and was so easy and genial, and matter-of-course, that the committee presently felt as if a good part of their lives had been passed in making presentations, and that they were quite up to that sort of thing.
And Polly made a neat little speech as she handed her the packet; and Miss Anstice's eyes filled with tears of genuine regret at leaving them, and of delight at the gift.
"Girls, do you know"--could it be Miss Anstice who was talking with so much feeling in her voice?--"I used to imagine that you didn't love me."
"Oh, that could never be!" cried Mr. Clemcy.
"And I got so worried and cross over it. But now I know you did, and that I was simply tired; for I never could teach like sister,"--she cast her a loving glance--"and I didn't really love my work. And, do you know, the thing I've longed for all my life was a watch and chain like this? Oh girls, I shall love it always!"
She threw the chain around her neck; and laid the little watch gently against her cheek.
"Oh!" It was Alexia who pressed forward. "You'll forgive us all, won't you, Miss Anstice, if we didn't love you enough?"
"When I want to forgive, I'll look at my dear watch," said Miss Anstice brightly, and smiling on them all.
"'Twas that horrible old black silk gown that made her so," exclaimed Alexia, as they all tumbled off down the hall in the greatest excitement. "You see how sweet she is now, in that white one."
"And the red rose in her belt," said Clem.
"And her diamond ring," added Silvia.
"And we're different, too," said Clem. "Maybe we wouldn't love to teach a lot of girls any better either, if we had to."
"Well, and now there's the wedding!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, clasping her hands, "oh!"
"What richness!" finished Alexia.
And everybody said it was "the very prettiest affair; and so picturesque!" "And those dear Salisbury girls--how sweet they looked, to be sure!" Why, St. John's blossomed out like a veritable garden, just with that blooming company of girls; to say nothing of the exquisite flowers, and ropes of laurel, and palms, and the broad white satin ribbons to divide the favored ones from the mere acquaintances.
"And what a lovely thought to get those boys from the Pemberton School for ushers, with Jasper King as their leader!"
They all made such a bright, youthful picture, to be followed by the chosen eight of the "Salisbury girls," the very committee who presented the gift to the bride-elect. There they were in their simple white gowns and big white hats.
And then came the little assistant teacher of the Salisbury School, in her pearl gray robe; singularly enough, not half so much embarrassed as she had often been in walking down the long schoolroom before the girls.
And Mr. John Clemcy never thought of such a thing as embarrassment at all; but stood up in his straightforward, manly, English composure, to take his vows that bound him to the little school-teacher. And Miss Salisbury, fairly resplendent in her black velvet gown, had down deep within her heart a childlike satisfaction in it all. "Dear Anstice was happy," and somehow the outlook for the future, with Miss Wilcox for assistant teacher, was restful for one whose heart and soul were bound up in her pupils' advancement.
Miss Ophelia Clemcy blossomed out from her retirement, and became quite voluble, in the front pew before the wedding procession arrived.
"You see, it was foreordained to be," she announced, as she had before declared several times to the principal of the Salisbury School. "The first moment he saw her, Brother John was fully convinced that here was a creature of the greatest sensibility, and altogether charming. And, my dear Miss Salisbury, I am only commonplace and practical, you know; so it is all as it should be, and suits me perfectly. And we will always keep the anniversary of that picnic, that blessed day, won't we?"
And old Mr. King invited the eight ushers from the Pemberton School and the committee from the Salisbury School to a little supper to top off the wedding festivities. And Grandpapa sat at the head of the table, with Mother Fisher at the other end, and Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Whitney opposite in the centre. And there were wedding toasts and little speeches; and everybody got very jolly and festive. And the little doctor looked down to the table end where he could see his wife's eyes.
"It reminds me very much of our own wedding day, wife," his glance said.
And she smiled back in such a way as to fill him with great content.