The term would soon end. All the fifth would be moved up to the senior section, and the fourth was to move up. Miss Caty needed to decide who would be head of the school and the fifth next term. She called upon Esther to give her a list of recommendations and to help her to decide. This was Esther’s list:
Alice Brigham-Jones
Celine Tebbits
Alicia Robins
Carlotta Jennings
Andrea Lilston
Elsie Maneuver
Janet Riling
Jennifer Riling
Baixue Chan
Alexis Brigham-Jones
Evelyn Brigham-Jones
Harriet Johns
Felicia Milestone
Bianca Helicon
“Esther,” said Miss Caty. “The reason I must ask you to help me decide is because you are to be Sports Captain. You cannot undertake two responsibilities at the same time. Otherwise you would be head girl.”
Esther gleamed.
“Alice would make a good head girl, but she has her hot temper. She must learn to control it. She will probably be a good head when she gets to the senior section,” said Miss Caty. “Celine would also be perfect, but she is shy and may not face others and teach them their lessons. Alicia and Elsie are quite the same. Carlotta has become an admirable character, but she still has a sharp tongue. As for Andrea, she is sensible and lively and sunny-natured, but she often fools around, which is not the best-case scenario for a head girl. As for the Riling twins, they will also be good, but how can we choose one but not the other?”
Esther agreed to all Miss Caty’s remarks. They were all true. It would be a long time before she could be like Miss Caty!
“Baixue, Alexis and Evelyn have not been here long enough. I know that they are all good girls, but I must have further information about their characters before I can decide whether to pick them or not. You probably know more about them than I do!”
Esther smiled. Miss Caty looked further down the list.
“Harriet!” she exclaimed. “Has she not told you what she did?”
“Indeed she did, Miss Caty. But her changed character overawes me, her sensibility stuns me and her intelligence amazes me. It was only one rather foolish mistake she made. She will not make silly decisions anymore, and will be careful in her doings in order not to put herself into the wrong. She is entirely capable of the job.”
“I dare say,” said Miss Caty, “But we are not sure. She was not the kind of girl that I thought would do this. Perhaps we should wait and see. Let her be vice, to get a little practice and feel the weight on her shoulders, then maybe she could be head girl some other time. Felicia is a good girl. She is capable and open-minded. But she sometimes gets muddled when she has a lot to deal with. Maybe she can be vice.”
“That leaves only Bianca,” said Esther.
“Bianca,” repeated Miss Caty, “Yes. She would make one of the most successful heads our school has had. She is remarkably calm and is sensible. She says everything she thinks in a way that is soothing and will not hurt anybody’s feelings. She also knows how to make people guilty for the wrong that they have done, and is sure to make them have real repentance. She is understanding and open-minded. She is willing to help others when they need it, and she sees clearly the line between telling tales and reporting. Bianca Helicon will become head. Felicia and Harriet are to help her, as vice head girls. Do not tell anyone except those three girls, who will have to go up onto stage when the end of term concert comes. You know that 1st producer of your show must go and ask me to address these few words?”
“Thank you for reminding us.”
Esther raced up the stairs and assembled the three chosen girls. She led them to a music room.
“Hey, we haven’t done anything wrong lately except for one particular girl!” said Felicia, with good fun and humor.
“I’ve got great news for you all,” said Esther, smiling. “But you can’t tell anyone.”
“What’s that?” asked all of them together, crowding round Esther.
“You are going to be the three head girls next term, two vice, one main.”
“Who’s vice?” asked Harriet. “Who’s going to be main head girl?”
“Bianca is main head girl,” replied Esther. “But do not fret at this news. It is a great honor to be at the main head girl’s right hand, ready to provide her with any help she needs. And as for being the head girl,” continued Esther, “ it is the greatest honor that one can have.”
She looked at the three. They were three of the best that had ever come to that school. Both Bianca and Harriet had been shy and unwilling to communicate with others first, and Harriet had put herself in the wrong completely. She remembered Felicia when she first came, lively and eager to make friends, but in the wrong way, pushing herself forward and not seeming to notice that new girls should be seen and not heard! But the school had done a lot for them, teaching them lessons and developing their characters, and here they were now, as the three head girls of the school, the three girls with most influence – the spirit of the school.
“What about you, Esther?” asked Bianca. “Why aren’t you going to be head girl? Usually the head girl of the fourth is the head of the fifth when it comes to moving up.”
“I’m going to be games captain. In a way, I think, it suits me more. I like being lively. I like picking out others for teams and coaching them. I did enjoy being head girl, but I think I will like being games captain even more!”