At Miss Quigley's

" I think, girls, we ouglit to apologize," Joan Bramley said, as, with lier three conipanions, she sat in the schoolroom Christmas rnorning. " I was dreadfully impertinent about the window, though 1'ni sure I had no idea what I was saying. And that image was too bad." "It was too funny for anything," laughed Lou Taylor. " lí I hadn't laughed when I did, I know I should have gone off like a torpedo ! " " But, if we apologize," suggested Sue, " it will look as if we wanted to get rid of our impositions." " I'm sure I do, for one," sighed Olaire, who was not the most brilliant scholar of them all. " We can do them first," said Joan, "and then go- " " In solemn procession," interrupted Sue ; " in sack-cloth and ashes. If we tie our papers with crape it will add to the effect." " I've a crape tie you may use," said Lou. " But, seriously, I think Joan is right. I am ashamed that Miss Quigley oaw thafc imago." " Well, then," cried Sue, " let's work ! like Trojans now." While the f our are busily at work over the books, we may take the time to relate the transgression for which they ; were thus condemned to do tasks upon j a holiday. They were the only boarders remaining at Miss Quigley's boardingschool through. the holidays. Their homes were in East Machias, a town so f ar "down East" in Maine that in winter there was no getting to it without a voyage, beside which a trip to the North pole was a trifle ; so they were to remain at school for the entire year. Lou and Sue were sisters; Joan Branley their cousin, and Clara Thorntonan old neighbor. The day before Christmas Claire had said, sadly enough, that this would be the first Christmas of her life without a tree. "Let's have one, then," said Sue, boldly. " It is impossible !" said her sister. u 'And what's impossibïe can't be, ' And never, nevor comes to pass.1 " " The great Napoleon," returned Sue, " has the credit of remarking that impossible is the adjective of a very helpless sort of people. Why shouldn't we have a tree? Don't we knowhow to fix one?" "If we had one to fix!" " Oh, dear !" sighed Claire ; " and there's woods and woods of them over there." " I'll teil you !" cried Sue, jumping up and sending the contents of the workbasket in all directions. " Tommy Twinx!" "Tommy Twinx?" "I wish, Sue," remarked Lou, with an air of pathetic resignation, "that you wouldn't box the compasa so often with the things in your basket. What has Tommv Twinx to do with the tree?" "We"'llhavehimgetit!" " Good ! " said Joan, grimly. " Miss Quigley has never seen me speak to Tommy Twinx but once, and, to pay for it, I had to add a perfect ocean of figures ! " " I remember," added Lou, " How awfully shocked the Griffiness was when she heard me say, ' There's millions'in it!' ' Slang, Miss Taylor!' sho said. ' You may add the samo figures, and will receive two demerits.' " " I'll see to Tommy," said Sue, when they had dono laughing at her sister's imitation of Miss Quigley. "But how will you get the tree into the house ? " " Have him leave it under the window I behind the fence, and we'll pull it into the room." Of course, the girls were delighted with the boldness of the plan, and entered into it with all zest. Tommy Twinx was the son of a widow who lived next door to the school, and who did washing for the pupils. Tommy's clothes, as Lou said, were " a miracle of patches," butboth they and he were always clean and tidy. He was regarded as an ally of the girls, and did various errands, which, although not very harmful, were to be kept from the knowledge of " The Griffiness," as Miss Quigley was called. And that brings na to Miss Quigley herself, who, as head of the school, certainly det-erves to be honored with some particular notioe. She was a tall, driedup lady, witii erect figure, a nose like a hawk's beak, and piercing, black eyes. Her thin hair was brushed back from her face, and twisted into a compact knob at the top cf her head; there was a tradition in the school that when this was untwisted Miss Qnigley's form lost its erectness, her dignity feil away from her, ani there remained but a wreek of the severo teacher. She moved with u spasmodic, automatic mot ion, as if she was controlled by machinery within, of which, it may be surmised, her knob was the key. She shook hands wit-h a rapid, fiery jerk, swooping down upon a visitor with u sidewise motion, not unlike the ppunoo of a fish-liawk. e vortljy lady wm öinoli ftfiüoted witli neuralgia, for the relief of whicli painfnl disease she liad swallowed unneard-of quantities of anodyne liniment, until she seerned to be quite soaked full of that odoriferous compound, and all her garments, and her every breath, shed pungent fragrance on the breezo. " She will nover die like other f olks," Sue said; "she will turn into congealed liniment - something like spermaceti. A tree for the healing of the nations will probably grow out of her grave. Her breath grows stronger as she grows weaker, and I don't think death will ever be able to take it." Tho lady had very strict notions of propriety, and allowed her pupils very little freedom. All their pooket-money she took charge of ; and, having been told that her own ill-health was the result of too free indulgence in sweets in her youth, she took good care that the girls should escape a like danger. But, while we have thus digressed to teil of Tommy Twinx and Miss Quigley, Sue has concluded her arrangements with the former, and has been promised the " best little tree in McKeen woods." The girls were busy all day, making gifts or arranging fox1 the festival. "I say, Lou," Claire remarked, "if I put on my crape tie for you, will you look astonished, and pretend that it is new?" "Of course; only don't rob yourself." " Oh, I can't wear it," answered the other, with the utmost candor. "It is too much soiled." " ' Large was her bounty, and her soul sincere,' " returned Lou, who was forever quoting something. "Girls," said Joan, in her solemn voice, which meant that something important was coming. "Let's ask Slavey." "What?" "Invite Slavey?" " The Griffiness would tear her limb from limb if she found it out," said Lou, " and probably devour her with linimentsuuce afterward." " But she won't fmd it out," urged Joan. " It is Chnstmas, and Patty won't have any good time if we don't invite her." Slavey was a tiny maid-of-all-work, with large eyes, apparently strained open by the extremely tight braiding of her hair; she moved aboutwith a frightened I air, every step an apology for her presuming to walk at all. " Well, ask Slavey, then," Sue said, " and all save your cookies from supper. They'llhelp make a show. If the Griffiness did not count them we might have more." "We must stop abusing old Quig," said her sister, thoughtfully. "It would trouble mamma." "'Old Quig!'" laughed Claire. "What's that but abuse?" "Blessed little mother!" sighed Sue. "She'd never say harm of a mosquito; ! and that I take to be the pinnacle of limnan ïneekness." So the girls chatted, and the day wore on. Supper was eaten, and they waited with all impatience for 9 o'clouk, which was the regular bedtime. Sue, behind the back 'of the mistress, occupied herself in making candy-bags from tarletan, although the others couldn't imagine what she expected to put in them. The longest evenings must close, and at last the time carne for them to take up their candle and file solemnly to the large square chamber, which for the vacation they all occupied together. "Hurrah!" cricd Lou, as soon as the chamber door closed behind them. "Now for the tree ! ' On with the dance, let the joy be unconfmed! ' " And she threw open the window, and began to pull vigorously at the string to which the tree was attached. "Bc careful! the string isn't very strong ! " Sue spoke too late. Snap ! The cord was broken, and the i four girls stood looking at each other in blank dismay, "Oh, Lou!" " ' 'Twas ever thus since childhood's hour,'" quoted Lou, the incorrigible. "I'm dreadfully sorry. Wouldn't I do for a tree?" "Well," said Claire, dropping disconsolately upon the bed, "I knew i thing would happen." "Something will happen," retorted Sue. "Can't we get a slip-noose on to it?" "I'll teil you !" cried Joan, more excitedly than was her wont; "see here!" As she spoke she dragged out of the worsted shawl upon which she had been knitting down stairs, one of the long j steel noedles. Fortunately it was not ' brittle, and she was able to bend it into ! a very tolerable hook. " ' Simple Simón went a-fishing,' " sang Lou. "Won't it be'hooking,' to get a tree in this way ? " "The string won't hold !" Joan said; and, before they knew what she was doiiig, she had the sheets off her bed, and tied together at the corners. To this the hook was fastened, and Sue began to fish. "Do you feel a bite? " asked Claire, who was clinging to the angler's skirts to prevent her from tumbling out of the window. 'Tve caught it! I've caught it! Pull away ! " " Hush ! Quigley will hear ! " " It must be a whale ! " " It's too cold for anything but a frost-fish." " Or a skate ! " "Sh-h-h-h!" Amid such exclamations the tree was safely pulled in at the window, and the girls stood flushed and panting around ! it. A white paper parcel was fastened amid the branches. Lou opened it with an air of triumph. " Candy ! " said Claire, who was noted for her love of sweets. " Where in the world did it come from ? " " From Mrs. Moffitt's, of course." "But themoney?" Sue shook her head mysteriously. " I know," exclaimed her sister. " It was that gold quarter you wore that Loisy Bnrton gave you. You were going to keep it always." " Well," answered Sue, heroically. " I didn't know then that I was coming to spend Christmas in the cave of a Griffiness." Joan pressed her friend's hand, for sho knew what the sacrifice had been, and I may as well say hero that she found means the next day of redeeming the KëepSaSB from Mrs. Moffitf and giving it back to Sue, doubly precious for the added memories. The tree was placed upon a table in j the middle of tho room, and firmly wedged with books. For lights they hád to ent up their candle, which was, j fortunately, a long one, and they fastoned the piooes to the boughs with hairpins. The girls had, beiwe the tre wm talkecl of, prepared gifts for cach othor, and tlieir home-friends had sent presents for each to some one else of the four. It was easy for them to find something for Patty, so there were a goodly number of articles for the tree. Claire cut stars from gilt paper and fastened them at the ends of the limbs, while Joan very jauntily tied up the cookies with bits of gay ribbon. " I am very sorry," Sue remarked, " that there is a bite out of my cookie. But Grif was looking at me, and I had to take one mouthful. I think it rather improves the shape, and I am going to mark it for Claire, as she is an artist and will appreciato that ! " At last everything was arranged, and Joan went after Patty, while the others lit the candles. "It is too bad, girls," Suo said, "not to have the mistress of the house. " Here's for her, too." She whisked a chair into the floor into it dumped a couple of pillows, and with the help of shawls and dresses, produced the grotesque figure of a woman in almost less time thaii it takes to teil. Claire, who was a capital hand at a likeness, seized a crayon and boldly drew the face, without for an instant considering the pillow-slip. Lou put the finishing touch by tucking a liniment-bottle into the folded arms of the figure. " Now she is saying, ' Young ladies, sweets in your youtli may be sours in your age.' Isn't it capital? " Little Patty camo in, nearly frightened out of her small wits, but none the less delighted for all that. "Oh, it's splendid!" she cried, softly. 'Tt's better than Fourth of July and Jack-downings." The dark fir-tree did look very pretty with its golden stars and half-a-dozen candle-ends, which glowed aud shone as Christmas-candles should; the four cookies and the five bags of candy ; the little bundies in gay papers and the white crape scarf draped gracefully over a couple of boughs. And I dare say that the girls never enjoyed any of the fine trees which they had at home more than this one which they had gotten up by themselves ; and I f ear that it must be confessed that there was added for the time being a very pleasant spice from the very mischief of the affair. But the trouble with this part was that it made them somewhat ashamed af terward, as we shall see. A pretty sight, too, were the four - yes, the five young girls, their faces flushed with health and f na. They all talked at once; they made numberless harmless jokes, that can no more be told than water can be carried about in a tumble. It was well for them that Miss Qnigley's room waü at the other end of the house, and that Sally, the cook, was so sound asleep ; for, although somebody at every third word cried "hush!" they could not help makingagreat deal more noise thai they imagined. "Do you suppose there is anybody asleep in the house ?" asked Lou. "I scarcely think it possible," Claire answered. "I mean, do you think there are any who ought to be asleep V " "Yes," Joan said, dryly. "Here are five." Sue dressed for Santa Claus by putting on all the girls' furs, fastening upon her head a jnuff with a feather-duster jauntily sticking out of the top, and blacking an immense pair of mustaches upon her plump face. "My dear friends," she said, standing by the tree, "I had not much trouble to get here, for I scented the house from the North pole, but I did find it difficult to enter the house. Miss Quigley keeps too huge fires for me to try the chimneys ; a Griffiness guarded the doors, and had not that fine young man, Tommy Twinx, showed me the way by the window I f ear I should not have got in at all, which would have been very hard on me, my dears, for the sight of your beauti-ful faces warms my blood like a wassail-bowl. My speech must be short, my lovely darlings, on account of the shortness of the candles, which is owing to the warm summer's making the white bears so scarce. But, if the gifts are not as fine as some I've brought you, they mean quite as much ; and I am sure I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, with less liniment and more liberty ! " This speech was received with great applause, and the distribution of gifts began. Sue dexterously pulled a label from the cookie Claire had hung for lier, and culled it for Patty, who was so excited that she nearly strangled herself by trying to eat it, and, at the same time, laugh at Claire for sitting down upon her bitten one. " What ! that lovely white crape scarf for me ? " exclaimed Lou, as it was handed to her. " Who could have given it to me ? And it isn't so much worn, except in the creases and the places where it's been tied ; and, if I wear the soiled side out, it will do nicely for pearl color." Patty scarcely understood the fun, and looked a little shocked until Claire rejoined : " It is a surprise I planned for you, dear. It is a great sacrifice, for it was so convenient to tie around the cat's neck. It is finest Cantón crape, and I think the pinholes give it an air very dis - dis - mercy! somebody say distinguished in French." But, aside from this good-natnred banter, there were whispered little kindly words of thanks for knick-knacks, which showed the loving thoughts of the givers. Patty had long ago iorgotten all about her mistress and the probable consequences if she should be discovered in this unheard-of transgression, and was in a state of bewildering bliss over the ribbons and pictures that had been bestowed upon her. " Am I to keep them for my truly own ? " she asked, " or is it only play givo?" " They are your truly own," Joan replied. " There is no make-believe about it." " And that splendid ribbon, too ? " Patty said, half to herself. " I'm as good as Sally, now." All laughed at her simplicity, but I think they wero all touched to see how easily they had been able to make the child happy. At last the tree was bare and the candles all burned out, but the one piece that Joan had providently laid aside. Each of the girls took a bit of the fir ís a memento, and sadly they threw the iree out of the window. What girl but has a quantity of stich trifliug keepsakes laid away- a pressed flower, a bit of ribbon, a favor from the Germán, a ruda drawjng - worthloss ílungí eppngh thftfc stjü havO the power of calling up old memories, sweeter for being mellowed by time. Do you tliiuk the giiis ever came across that dried brancli of fir in af ter years without seeing again the old room at Miss Quigley's, the little tree, and hearing the far echo of the laughter and fun. But at this moment it was something more substantial than an echo whioh they heard. " Be careful how you put down that window," Joan had said, but the warning was too late. Bang! The sash feil with a noise loud enough, it seemed to them, to wake the whole town of Brunswick. " Now you've done it ! Patty, get under the bed ! Throw those furs into the closet ! " " I hear the smell of the breath of a Griffiness!" But no footsteps approached, and the panic gradually subsided, and the fun went on again. "Girls," said Joan, holding up apackage that she had taken from her trunk, "for days I have gone about with an awful secret locked in my breast ; ever since I traded all my postage-stamps for this! The time for revelation has come. The midnight bell tolls. Sisters of the mystic circle - jeanuU! " They never quite knew how it happened, but at the last word the string broke and the rmts rattled to the floor in a perfect shower. At the same instant a step was heard in the passage. Joan seized Patty by main strength and pushed her under the bed, seating herself on the edge of it to conceal the child's feot, which would stick out. The others huddled themselves under the bedclothes as best they might, and pretended to be fast asleep. The door opened to admit Miss Quigley in a scanty costume, which made her look even more stern and awful than by day. " She's been twisting her knob ever since the window feil," whispered Sue to Olaire, by which it may be inferred that she could not resist the temptation to peep slyly between her half-closed lids. " What are you doing, Miss Bramley ? " demanded the mistress. " Thinking," replied Joan, laconically. "Thinking! What an extraordinary girl! Why are you not in bed? Didn't I hear a window fall ? " "How can I teil what you hear? " "Did you let a window fall ? " "I let no window fall." "Did you throw over a chair? " "I threw over no chair." ■ "Did you drop a book?" "I dropped no book." "Did you drop anything? " "I dropped nothing." liDid you knock over anything? " "I knocked over nothing." Poor Joan was too anxious about Patty's feet to have any clear idea of what she was saying. "You are . very impertinent," began Miss Quigley ; but she caught sight of the figure of herself, which none of them had remembered to pull over. "What ! " she exclaimed. "A figure of me! With a bottle, too? I thought you better bred. And it does not in the least look like me. I never should know who it was meant for." This was too much. Sue could contain herself no longer. She burst into a perfect shout of laughter, in which the others joined, all save Patty, who was as frightened as a mouse in a trap. " Miss Taylor," demanded the indignant mistress, advancing, with a great crushing of peanuts under her feet, " what does this mean ? What is that on your face? " But Sue could do nothing but laugh and laugh and laugh, and Miss Quigley, whose knob, after all, may havo been rather loosely twisted that night, couldn't help laughing, too, at the fair face all streaked with black from the mustaches and surrounded by a tangle of golden hair. Miss Quigley hastened to preserve her dignity by a precipitate retreat. " Young ladies," she said, in her grandest manner, " you will bring me a translation of the first fifty lines of the second book of the Maoid to-morrow." Without another word she left them to put the room to rights,-send Patty trembling to her attic, and get to bed themselves. As all were young and healthy, and very tired beside, I do not know that they slept any less soundly than usual, but they awo'ke with somewhat troubled minds that Christmas morning. " It is not the getting into scrapes, but the getting out," Sue remarked, dolefully, as she paused in her Isootlacing to crack and eat a stray peanut ; and they all agreed with her. However, as we saw at the beginning of this story, if the reader is kind enough to remember, they concluded to make the best of things, and honestly to acknowledge their fault. Before their dinner the tasks were all cornpleted, even to Claire's, and delivered to Miss Quigley with what Sue called "truly edifying penitence." Miss Quigley smiled benignly at thoir contri tion. "I am sure, my dear young ladies," she said, "I am happy that you are willing to own your fault. I am not so hard-hearted but you might have had your fun for the asking ; but never mind that now. I thought you would be lonely, and I had asked Deacon Woodard to take you down to Bath in his chaise this afternoon. I am very glad you have done your tasks so that you can go." "Girls!" cried Lou, as soon as they were out of "the presence," "isn't my hair all burned off? Such coals of fire ! And after that image, too ! " I leave it to your imagination to paint their ride ; but be sure they had a glorious time, and all feil in love with Deacon Woodard, who might have been grandfather to any of them. And that night, wlien they went up-stairs to bed, Sue burst out with : "The blessed old Quigley! If her breath is as strong as a monsoon, her heart isn't so bad, after all. She is terribly hard on the candy qucstion ; but that's only natural, perhaps. Oatch me ever calling hor a Griffiness again! " And so Said they all.