CHAPTER VIII Possibilities
"'Rose of the World,' my fate is to be decided on this coming Christmasnight." Polly O'Neill made this surprising statement on the same eveningfollowing the adventure that had befallen her and Betty earlier in theafternoon. The seven girls were sitting in a crescent upon sofa pillowsbefore their living-room fire with Rose on a low stool in the center.Although it was now nearly bedtime no mention had been made of the causeof the two girls' trip into town nor of their unusual experience. Nan hadcome home uncommonly tired and silent, and ever since supper time hadbeen curled up on the floor using her pillow as a kind of bed and almosthalf asleep.
But at Polly's extravagant words she sat up and looked at her curiouslyand so did all the other girls except Betty, who only smiledsympathetically, nodding her head reassuringly at Mollie, who seemed alittle puzzled and a little annoyed.
"I don't see why it is going to be your fate that is to be decided anymore than Betty's or any of the rest of us, Polly." Mollie answeredbefore their guardian could speak. "Just because you are going to havethe chief part in our play when the rest of us just have less importantparts."
But Polly, who was in one of her wildest moods to-night, flung her armsunexpectedly about her sister, almost overturning her by her ardor.
"You don't know what you are talking about, Mollie Mavourneen, becauseyou haven't heard my news, since I only learned it to-day in town. Itcan't affect Betty or you or any of the other girls as it does me,because you haven't been yearning ever since you were born to go on thestage as I have until the very thought of the footlights and the smell ofthe theater makes me hungry and dizzy and frightened and so happy!"
"You haven't been in the theater a dozen times in your life, PollyO'Neill," Mollie returned, looking even more serious than beforeremembering her mother's opposition and her own to Polly's theatricalambition, "and you know nothing in the world about what the life means."
"Well, I will know pretty soon, Mollie. You see I am sixteen now, almostseventeen. I will be through school in another year--and then--why if Ihave any talent mother must be persuaded to let me study and see what Ican do. And thereby hangs my tale!"
Two vivid spots of color were burning on Polly's high cheek bones, hereyes were shining as though she saw only the joys of the career she hopedto choose for herself and none of its hardships, and she had to hold herthin nervous hands tight together to try to control her excitement.
"Don't tell, please, Betty, I am waiting to get more breath," Pollypleaded, and Betty nodded reassuringly. Not for worlds would she havestolen this particular clap of thunder from her friend, and it was rathera habit with Polly not to be able to breathe very deeply when she wasmuch agitated.
"When Betty and I drove into town this morning," she said in the nextinstant, "you know we stopped by Miss Adams' to go over our Christmasrehearsals with her." (Miss Adams was the teacher of elocution at theWoodford High School and greatly interested in Polly.) "Well, when we hadfinished and she had told Betty of half a dozen mistakes she was makingand me of something less than a hundred, she said slowly but with a kindof peculiar expression all the time, 'Girls, I wonder if you will bewilling for me to bring a guest to your Christmas Camp Fire play?' Bettyanswered, 'Yes' very politely, though you know we have asked more peoplealready than we will ever have room for, but as I was mumbling over somelines of a speech I didn't say anything. Then Miss Adams looked straightat me and said slowly just like this: 'I am very glad indeed, Polly, foryour sake, You remember that I have often spoken to you of a cousin ofmine (we were like sisters when we were little girls) who is now one ofthe most famous, if not the very most famous, actress in this country. Wewrite each other constantly and several times I have spoken to her aboutyou. This very morning I had a letter from her saying she was tired andas she was to have a week's holiday at Christmas might she come down andspend it with me if I would promise not to let anybody know who she wasnor make her see any company.' My heart had been pounding just likethis," Polly continued, making an uneven, quick movement with her hand,"but when Miss Adams ended in this cruel fashion it must have stopped,because I remember I couldn't speak and felt myself turn pale. And thenmy beloved Betty saved me! She answered in just a little bit frightenedvoice. 'But you think, Miss Adams, that you may be able to persuade yourcousin to come to our play, if we don't talk about it or let other peopleworry her, and then she can tell whether Polly has any real talent forthe stage or whether we think so just because she wishes us to.'"
At the end of this long speech Polly may have lost her breath. Anyhow,she became frightened and stopped talking, staring instead into the openfire.
"It will be a great trial for the rest of us to have the great MissMargaret Adams watching us act our poor little Camp Fire play," Bettycontinued, "but I am sure we must all be glad to have her for Polly'ssake."
After this there was silence for a moment, so that the noise of the oldclock ticking above the mantel could be distinctly heard.
Then the new guardian shook her head. "I am sorry, Polly, but I am afraidthat having Miss Adams talk to you about your future, whether sheencourages you or not, will not be right without your mother's consent."Rose knew Mrs. O'Neill very well and understood how she dreaded the lifeof the stage for Polly's emotional and none too well-balancedtemperament. Polly's fashion of living on her nerves rather than on anyreserve of physical strength would be a serious drawback. For a momentthe older woman wished that she might be able to accede to this Christmasexperiment and that the great actress might be wise enough to recognizePolly's unfitness for acting and persuade her to dismiss the entire ideafrom her mind.
"Of course I will have to get mother's consent," Polly agreed morequietly than any one had expected, "but I think when I write and tell herexactly how I feel she will do as I ask."
It was now ten o'clock and Nan Graham rose first to make ready for bed.She was followed by Eleanor and Sylvia, as it was already an hour pasttheir usual week-day bedtime, but Betty laid her hand quietly on Rose'sarm. "Please don't go to your room yet," she whispered, "I have somethingI want to talk to you about. It won't matter if only Polly and Molliestay with us." She glanced expectantly at Esther, supposing of coursethat she would retire with the other girls, but instead Esther wassitting with her big, awkward hands clasped before her and such anutterly miserable expression on her plain face that Betty forgot her ownproblem and intended sacrifice.
"What on earth is the matter with you, Esther Clark?" she demanded alittle indignantly. "Half an hour ago you looked as you usually do, and Iam sure I have heard no one since say anything to hurt your feelings.Why, please, should you now look as if you had lost your last friend onearth?"
Esther laughed nervously. "Please don't be angry, Betty, or Miss Dyer, orPolly, and don't think I mean to be hateful or unaccommodating, butreally I don't think I can sing on the evening of our Christmasentertainment. I have been trying to make up my mind to tell you for daysand days, that I know I shall simply break down and disgrace us all."
"And since you heard that we were to have a famous woman as a member ofour audience you are more sure than ever that you won't be able to sing?"Polly questioned. Esther nodded silently, while Polly's eyes gazed pasther as though they were trying to solve some puzzle.
"It is odd, isn't it," she continued, speaking to all or to none of thelittle company. "Here I am with just a slight talent for acting, andperhaps not even that, dreaming and longing to have this Miss Adams'criticism, even though I may break down when the time comes, and here isEsther with a really great gift liking to hide her light under a bushel.Oh me, oh my, and it's a queer world, isn't it?"
"Yes, but Esther isn't going to hide her light this time, it's too sillyof her," Betty rejoined. "She has that perfectly wonderful song that Dickgot for her last summer and has been practicing it for months. Besides wehave asked our funny old German, who rescued us in the storm, to playEsther's accompaniment on his violin. He has pract
iced with her in townand is enraptured. Says Esther sings like a 'liebe angel.'"
Esther rose slowly to her feet. "Of course if you really wish me to,Betty, with all you have done for me----"
But Betty gave her an affectionate push toward the bedroom door.
"Oh, go to bed, Esther, what I have done for you has nothing to do withyour singing and certainly gives me no right to try to run you. It isonly that I don't mean you to take a back seat all your life if I canpossibly shove you forward."
At any other time Esther might have felt wounded at Betty's so evidentlywishing to get rid of her and have her older friends stay behind (forEsther had that rather trying sensitiveness that belongs to some shypeople and makes them difficult), but with Christmas near at hand secretswere too much a part of Camp Fire life to be regarded seriously, so thatEsther straightway left the O'Neill girls, Betty and Rose, to themselves.
Then Betty went immediately over to a closet and brought out the lockedtin box. As she opened it she explained her plan to Rose, who saidnothing at first, merely leaning a little curiously over one of Betty'sshoulders watching her take out her pretty ornaments, while Mollie andPolly stood guard on the other side.
Betty of course had the usual discarded childish trinkets--a string ofamber beads, pins and a small ring--but these she put hastily aside as ofno value, and then with a little sigh of admiration and regret drew fortha really beautiful possession, a sapphire necklace with tiny diamonds setbetween the blue stones, which Betty loved and had chosen for her specialjewel.
"I expect this is worth the amount of my debt," Betty suggested huskily.Her father had given her the necklace the last summer they were in Europetogether.
But Rose Dyer shook her head decisively. "Not that, Betty; indeed I havenot yet made up my mind whether you ought to be allowed to part with anyof your jewelry, at least before you ask your brother Dick."
Next the girls considered Betty's blue enamel watch which her brother hadgiven her on her last birthday and a small diamond ring. She had justabout decided that she preferred to part with the ring when Pollyexclaimed thoughtlessly, "Are those the papers you were so unwilling togive up this afternoon, Princess?"
At this Betty nodded, frowning slightly. They had decided not to make anymention of the afternoon's experience in order that Nan should never hearabout it.
"There is some mystery or other about these papers," she explained,picking up a large envelope with an official seal on the outside. "Fatherasked me to take good care of this envelope all my life and never to openit unless there was some very special cause. As he never told me what thereason should be I suppose I will keep it sealed forever." Then Bettywith a little cry of delight dropped the envelope inside the box pickingup another paper instead, which had a gold seal and two strings of blueribbon pasted upon it.
"What a forgetful person I am!" she exclaimed in a relieved voice. "Whyhere is a two hundred dollar bond which honestly belongs to me, sinceonce upon a time I actually saved the money for a whole year to buy it.It will pay all I owe without any bother."
And Betty tucking her precious box under her arm, straightway the littlecompany made ready for bed.