The Twins in the South

by Albert Bigelow Paine

  CHAPTER III--Sally Arrives

  "May we go to the senior's retreat, Poppy?" Gladys asked. "Your balconyis such a dandy place to watch the road from."

  Once more the twins felt a little tremble of pleasure. Although thegirls were the best of friends in spite of the difference in their ages,the Sophomores as a class never failed in their respect to the Seniors.

  "Yes, come along; we'll go with you," Poppy replied.

  "I'd like to get the first look at Sally myself," Gwen added. "I hopeshe hasn't forgotten to bring Aunt Jane's Poll-parrot."

  They left the ballroom and walked down the broad hall all arm-in-arm.

  "Seniors all busy tonight, the lights are not lit," Prue remarked asthey entered a dark room. Gwen switched on the lights and the twinsfound themselves in what seemed to be a delightful chintz lined nook.

  It was a small room directly over the front door. The two-story piazza,with its enormous pillars, enclosed the balcony that led from it throughlong French windows.

  "This is the Seniors' Sanctum Sanctorum," Prue explained. "When thecares of school government grow too much for them they come in here torest."

  "It is also the chamber of horrors on occasion," Gladys added. "Justwait until you've done something bad, and Poppy calls you in to give youa racking over the coals."

  "Why, Gladys; what do you mean by talking like that?" Poppy protestedmildly. "I just never could be severe, and I don't expect to have to beeither; especially," she added seriously, "to any girl in my sisterclass."

  Prue and Gladys and Ann nodded approval.

  "We'll be good," Ann said seriously. "We want to give you all the helppossible."

  Once more the twins felt a little glow of thankfulness around theirhearts.

  The sound of carriage wheels took them all to the balcony.

  "Sally!" Gladys exclaimed; and with one accord they rushed down thestairs and out to the front porch.

  Long before the carriage reached the steps, Sally was out of it. Sherumbled to the ground and ran towards them, her black bag knockingagainst her knees.

  "Where are my twins?" she demanded breathlessly.

  Janet and Phyllis almost smothered her in the warmth of their embrace.

  "Oh, Sally, you old darling!" Phyllis exclaimed. "You look sowonderfully natural that I could eat you up for sheer joy."

  "We thought you'd never get here, and we missed you on the train likeeverything," Janet said.

  "Hello, Sally; it's great to have you back," Gladys shook handsheartily.

  "How's Aunt Jane's Poll-parrot?" Gwen inquired. "My, how I missed thatbird this summer!"

  "Well, and wiser than ever," Sally laughed as she held out her hand toPoppy.

  "It's mighty nice to have you back, Sally," Poppy smiled affectionately.

  "We room together until your friend Daphne comes," Prue told her.

  "Good work. Hello, Ann; what are you lurking in the shadows for?" Sallydemanded.

  "Oh, I never rush, even to say how do you do to my best friend. I muchprefer to be the last on the list. Did you have a good summer?"

  "Oh, wonderful!" Sally enthused. "Alice's family were awfully nice tome, and I had a glorious time."

  "It's too bad Alice isn't coming back," Gladys exclaimed. "I'm going tomiss her frightfully."

  "I know, but she really isn't well enough. Why girls, she's lostpounds," Sally replied. Alice Bard was a girl Sally had been visiting.She had been to Hilltop for three years, but was unable to return onaccount of ill-health.

  "Well, come along; let's go in," Prue suggested. "After all, we're notthe only ones that want to see Sally."

  They followed into the house, and Sally, after she had said "how do youdo" to Miss Hull, rejoined them and they went on up to the ballroom. Ashout went up from the girls as they saw her coming, and she shook handsuntil the silence bell sounded.

  "That's the trouble," Sally protested. "We no sooner get talking whenthat old bell rings. There are loads of girls I haven't even had achance to speak to yet."

  The room emptied in a minute and the twins, with Sally between them,went upstairs.

  "I can't come in and talk to you, because there's no visiting afterhours, but I'll see you bright and early in the morning," Sallypromised. "You're not homesick, are you?"

  "Homesick! I should say not," Phyllis protested. "I'm so excited I'mready to die, and now that you're here it's simply perfect."

  "I never knew there were so many nice girls in the world," Janetexclaimed. "It's going to be wonderful, and won't it be fun havingDaphne come?"

  "Indeed it will; the old quartette together again," Sally agreed. "ButI've got to fly now or I'll be caught, and that will never do on thefirst night back."

  They parted, Janet and Phyllis, in their own room with the door closed,stood in the middle of the floor trying to decide why they were sohappy.

  "It's wonderful, isn't it?" Phyllis began.

  "It's just like a wonderful dream," Janet agreed.

  "It's nice to have Sally back, isn't it?"

  "You bet."

  "And I love Ann."

  "So do I, the best of all."

  They undressed slowly.

  "You honestly like it, Jan?" Phyllis inquired anxiously, after thelights were out, and they were both in their single white beds.

  Janet's hand found Phyllis's.

  "I do honestly," she replied seriously. "There's something about theirspirit, the nice way they tease," she added.

  "And that sort of understood respect they give the Seniors," Phyllisreplied. "It's all so nice and--and--oh, I can't think of the word Iwant."

  "I can; it's _happy_," Janet told her.

  They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Janet suddenly sat up inbed.

  "But how awful it would have been if Miss Hull had separated us," shesaid in the darkness.

  "She couldn't have done that. No one ever can," Phyllis replied verypositively, but very sleepily.

  "Never!"