CHAPTER XVII
ANNE BECOMES FAMOUS
That Anne Pierson was to play a six weeks' engagement in New York underthe management of the great Southard was a nine days' matter of wonderin Oakdale.
In spite of the fact that Anne tried to keep the news within herimmediate circle of friends, it spread like wildfire.
"You'll just have to let me tell it, Anne," laughed Nora O'Malley. "Ican't keep it to myself."
Rather to Anne's surprise, there was little disapproval expressed inregard to her coming engagement. Those who had seen her enact "Rosalind"in the High School production of "As You Like It," fully described in"Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School," had been thenconvinced that her ability was little short of genius. But the interestof the thing deepened when the story crept about that this engagementmeant a college career for her, and Anne became the idol of the hour.
"The whole town has gone mad over Anne," replied Jessica. "I expect tosee a howling populace at the station when she leaves for New Yorkto-morrow."
The three chums were seated upon the single bed in Anne's little room atthe Pierson cottage, while Anne sat on the floor before an open trunk,busily engaged in packing.
"What shall we do without you!" lamented Grace. "Positively I havesorrowfully accompanied departing friends to the station so many timessince school began that it's becoming second nature to me."
"Good-bye, forever; good-bye, forever," hummed Nora.
"Stop it instantly, Nora," commanded Grace. "Don't harrow my feelingsuntil the time comes."
"Anne, you must write to us often," stipulated Jessica.
"Of course I shall," replied Anne. "Remember you are all coming down tosee me, the very first Saturday that you can. I do hope the boys canmake arrangements to be there at the same time."
"How lovely it was of Mrs. Gibson to suggest a theatre party and offerto chaperon us," said Nora.
"Everyone has been too sweet for anything," replied Anne, looking upfrom her task with a fond smile at the three eager faces of her friends.
"You didn't have the least bit of trouble about getting away fromschool, did you?" asked Jessica.
"No," replied Anne. "You see, I have enough counts to graduate now. I'mnot depending on any of my June exams. I can easily make up the timewhen I come back."
"I imagine Marian Barber wishes that she hadn't been quite so hasty,"said Nora. "She is going to miss an awfully nice trip."
"Perhaps we ought to send her an invitation," suggested Jessica.
"No, Jessica," said Grace gravely. "Marian must be the one to makeadvances. If she comes back to us, it must be of her own free will. Wehave done our part."
"Can we do anything to help you, Anne?" asked Grace.
"Yes," replied Anne, looking ruefully at the overflowing trunk. "You canall come over and sit upon this trunk. I never shall get the lid downany other way."
This having been successfully accomplished, the three girls took leaveof Anne, who promised to be on hand for a final session that night atGrace's.
Before eight o'clock the next morning Anne departed for New York, ladenwith flowers, magazines and candy, bestowed upon her by the Phi SigmaTau, who had risen before daybreak in order to be in time to see heroff. She had purposely chosen an early train, as she wished to arrive inNew York before the darkness of the winter evening closed in.
Mr. Southard and his sister were to meet her at the Jersey station, butcareful little soul that she was, Anne decided that in case anythingunforeseen arose to prevent their coming, she would have less difficultyin finding her way about in daylight.
"Take good care of yourself, Anne," commanded Nora, patting Anne on theshoulder.
"You do the same," replied Anne. "Don't forget that theatre party,either."
"We'll be there," Grace assured her, as she followed Anne up the aislewith her suit case. "By the way, Anne, here's my sweater. I thought youmight need it during rehearsals. The stage is likely to be draughty."
"Grace Harlowe, you are too good to me," murmured Anne, as shereluctantly took the package that Grace thrust into her unwilling hands.
"All aboard," shouted the brakeman, and with a hasty kiss Grace hurrieddown the steps to join her friends, who stood on the station platformwaving their farewells to the brown-eyed girl who was to separate fromthem for the first time since the beginning of their High School career.
The days slipped quickly away, and the girl chums heard frequently fromAnne, who had arrived at her destination in safety, was met by theSouthards and carried off to their comfortable home. She was enjoyingevery minute of her stay, she wrote them, and every one was very kind toher. Miss Southard was a dear, and she was looking forward to the visitof the Phi Sigma Tau with almost as much enthusiasm as Anne herself.
The boys had been duly informed of Anne's good fortune, and the Saturdayof the third week of Anne's engagement had been the date fixed upon forthe theatre party. Tom Gray would bring Arnold Evans. Hippy, David andReddy would join them in New York. Then the five boys would repair tothe hotel where the girls were to stop, accompanied by Mrs. Gibson andJames Gardiner, who was again invited to make the number even.
Intense excitement prevailed in school when it was learned that the PhiSigma Tau were to go to New York to see Anne as "Rosalind," and the fivegirls were carried upon the top wave of popularity.
Marian and Eleanor alone remained aloof, evincing no outward interest inthe news, although both thought rather enviously of the good time in NewYork that awaited the girls they had repudiated.
The eventful Saturday came at last, and the five girls, chaperoned byMrs. Gibson, with James Gardiner for a bodyguard, boarded the sameexpress that had carried Anne off and were whirled away to themetropolis.
As soon as they arrived in New York they were conveyed by taxicabs totheir hotel and on entering the reception room were hailed with delightby the boys, who had arrived only half an hour before. While they werebusily engaged in exchanging news, Anne hurried in from a rehearsal, wasseized by Grace, then passed from one to the other until, freeingherself, she said, laughing:
"Do let me stand still for a second. I haven't had a really good look atany of you yet."
"What do you mean by becoming a Shakespearian star without consulting mefirst!" demanded David, with mock severity, although there was a ratherwistful look in his eyes as they looked into Anne's. David preferred tokeep Anne the little High School girl he had known for the past threeyears. Theatrical stars were somewhat out of his firmament.
"Don't worry," Anne assured him. "It's only for three more weeks. I'llbe back in Oakdale in plenty of time to finish up my senior year withthe girls."
"Anne, you haven't any idea of how much we have missed you," cried Nora."We can't get used to being without you."
"I've missed you, too," responded Anne who stood with Grace's arm aroundher, smiling lovingly at her little circle of friends.
"Of course I have had a good many rehearsals--one every day, andsometimes two--so the time has fairly raced by; but when the play isover and I am on the way home at night, then I think of all of you, andit seems as though I must take the next train back to Oakdale."
"Do let me talk," interposed Hippy, who had hitherto been devoting hisattention to Nora. "No one knows how I long to be back in Oakdale, fairvillage of my birth, home of the chafing dish and the cheerful chocolatecream. 'Tis there that the friends of my youth flourish, and the grassgreen banner of O'Malley waves. Take me back; oh, take me--"
"You will be taken away back and set down with a jar in about twoseconds if you are seized with another of those spells," promised TomGray, turning a withering glance upon Hippy.
"What sort of jar," asked Hippy, with an interested grin. "A cooky jaror merely a glass candy jar? Be sure you make it a full one."
"It will be a full one," replied Tom with emphasis, "and will last youfor a long time."
"I don't believe I'll take up with your proposition," said Hippyhastily. "There is something about the tone of
your voice that makes myspinal column vibrate with nervous apprehension. I think I had betterconfine my conversation strictly to Nora. She is sympathetic and alsoskilled in argument."
With this, he took Nora by the arm and would have marched her out of thegroup had she not protested so vigorously that he turned from her indisgust and began questioning James Gardiner as to how he managed tosurvive the journey and what methods he had used to insure good behavioron the part of his charges, much to the embarrassment of that youth, whowas anything but a "ladies' man."
"My dear young people," finally said Mrs. Gibson, laughingly, "thisimpromptu reception is liable to last all night unless it is checked bya stern hand. It is almost five o'clock, and we haven't even seen ourrooms yet. Besides, Anne will have to leave before long for the theatre.Let us hurry with our dressing, order an early dinner and keep Anne herefor it. Shall you be able to stay?" she asked, turning to Anne.
"I think so," replied Anne. "I do not have to be in the theatre untilafter seven. But I am not dressed for dinner," she added, lookingdoubtfully at her street costume. "You see, I came straight fromrehearsal."
"Never mind, Anne," interposed Grace, "you are a star, and stars havethe privilege of doing as they choose. At least that's what the Sundaypapers say. Miriam and I are going to room together. Come up with us."
Mrs. Gibson had engaged rooms ahead for her party, and the girls soonfound themselves in very luxurious quarters, with a trim maid on hand toattend to their wants.
The boys had engaged rooms on the floor above that occupied by Mrs.Gibson and the Phi Sigma Tau. James Gardiner heaved a sigh of relief ashe deposited his suit case beside Tom's in the room to which they hadbeen assigned.
"Girls are an awful responsibility," he remarked gloomily, with acare-worn expression that made Tom shout with laughter. "I like them allright enough, but not in bunches."
By making a special effort, the party was ready by six o'clock todescend to dinner, which was served to them in a private dining room,Mrs. Gibson having thoughtfully made this arrangement, in order to givethe young folks as much time together as possible.
They made a pretty picture as they sat at the round table, the delicatefinery of the girls gaining in effect from the sombre evening coats ofthe boys. Mrs. Gibson, gowned in white silk with an overdress of blackchiffon, sat at the head of the table and did the honors of theoccasion.
"I feel frightfully out of place in this company of chivalry andbeauty," Anne remarked, looking fondly about her at the friends whosepresence told more plainly than words could have done the place sheoccupied in their hearts.
"Think how we shall fade into insignificance to-night when you holdforth with the great Southard," retorted Nora. "I shall consider myselfhonored by even a mere bow from you, after you have taken curtain callsbefore a New York audience."
"When I was with Edwin Booth," began Hippy reminiscently, "he often saidto me, 'Hippy, my boy, my acting is nothing compared to yours. Youare--'"
"A first cousin to Ananias and Sapphira," finished David derisively.
"Never heard of them," replied Hippy unabashed. "Not branches of ourfamily tree. As I was saying--"
"Never mind what you were saying," said Nora in cutting tones. "Listento me. It is seven o'clock. Anne must go, and in a taxicab, at that."
"Where shall we see you after the performance, dear?" asked Grace.
"Mr. Southard has obtained special permission for all of you to gobehind the scenes after the play."
"How lovely!" cried the girls.
"My curiosity will at last be satisfied. I have always wanted to gobehind the scenes of a New York theatre," remarked Mrs. Gibson.
"I have the dearest dressing room," said Anne, with enthusiasm. "Mr. andMiss Southard are going to carry you off to their house after theperformance to-night. I almost forgot to tell you. So don't make anyother plans."
"We are in the hands of our friends," said Hippy, with an exaggeratedbow.
"You'll be in the hands of the law if you don't mend your ways,"prophesied Reddy. "If we get you safely into the theatre withoutofficial assistance it will surprise me very much."
"Reddy, you amaze me," responded Hippy reproachfully. "I may makemistakes, but I am far from lawless. Neither do I flaunt the flamecolored signal of anarchy every time I remove my hat."
There was a burst of good-natured laughter at Reddy's expense. His redhair was as common a subject of joke as was Hippy's behavior.
"That was a fair exchange of compliments," said Tom Gray. "Now forgetit, both of you."
"Good-bye, every one, until eleven o'clock," cried Anne, who, knowingthat she would be obliged to hurry away, had brought her wraps to thedining room with her.
David accompanied Anne to the entrance of the hotel, put her in ataxicab and walked into the hotel, hardly knowing whether he were glador sorry that Anne had had greatness thrust upon her.
Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School Page 17
