by L. T. Meade
hug. He's the image of me--only with redder hair and more freckles.And I said, `I'll do my best, dad, and anyhow, you sha'n't be put outwhatever happens.'"
"Then you didn't tell him you'd keep out of debt?"
"No, for I knew I'd break my word. I've always been in debt ever sinceI could remember. I wouldn't know how it felt not to owe a lot ofmoney. It's habit, and I don't mind it a bit. But I don't want dad toknow, and I don't want Miss Eccleston to know, for perhaps she wouldwrite to him. If those old horrors won't wait for their money till nextterm, why there's nothing for it but an auction. I have some nicethings, and they'll go very cheap; so there's a chance for you all,girls."
"But if Miss Eccleston finds out?" said Miss Day.
"What if she does? There's no rule against auctions, and, as I don'tsuppose any of you will have one, it isn't worth making a rule for mealone. Anyhow, I'm resolved to risk it. My auction will be on Monday,and I shall make out an inventory of my goods to-morrow."
"Will you advertise it on the notice-board in your hall, dear?" askedLucy Marsh.
"Why not? A good idea! _The great A. will be held in Miss Singleton'sroom, from eight to ten o'clock on the evening of Monday next. GreatBargains! Enormous Sacrifice! Things absolutely given away_! Oh, whatfun! I'll be my own auctioneer."
Polly lay back in her armchair, and laughed loudly.
"What is all this noise about?" asked a refined little voice, andRosalind Merton entered the room.
Two or three girls jumped up at once to greet her.
"Come in, Rosie; you're just in time. What _do_ you think MissSingleton is going to do now?"
"I can't tell; what?" asked Rosalind. "Something _outre_, I feelcertain."
Polly made a wry face, and winked her eyes at her companions.
"I know I'm not refined enough for you, Miss Merton," she drawled. "I'mrough, like my dad, rough and ready; but, at any rate, I'm honest--atleast, I think I'm honest. When I owe money, I don't leave a stoneunturned to pay what I owe. Having sinned, I repent. I enter theValley of Humiliation, and give up all: who can do more?"
"Oh, dear, Polly, I don't think I'd call owing a little money, sinning,"said Lucy Marsh, whose ideas were known to be somewhat lax.
"Well, my dear, there's nothing for those in debt but to sell theirpossessions. My auction is on Monday. Will you come, Rosalind?"
"You don't mean it?" said Rose, her blue eyes beginning to sparkle.
"Yes, I do, absolutely and truly mean it."
"And you will sell your things--your lovely things?"
"My things, my lovely, lovely things must be sold."
"But not your clothes? Your new sealskin jacket, for instance?"
Polly made a wry face for a moment. Putting her hand into her pocketshe pulled out Spilman's and Madame Clarice's two bills.
"I owe a lot," she said, looking with a rueful countenance at the sumtotal. "Yes, I even fear the sealskin must go. I don't want to partwith it; dad gave it me just before I came here."
"It's a lovely seal," said Annie Day, "and it seems a sin to part withit; it's cut in the most stylish way too, with those high shoulders."
"Don't praise it, please," said Polly, lying back in her chair, andcovering her eyes with her hand. "It cuts like a knife to part withdad's last present. Well, I'm rightly punished. What a fool I was toget all those Japanese things from Spilman, and that fancy ball-dressfor the theatricals. Oh, dear! Oh, dear!"
"Perhaps you won't want to part with your seal, dear," said Lucy, whowas not so greedy as some of the other girls, and really pitied Polly."You have so many beautiful things without that, that you will be sureto realise a good bit of money."
"No, Lucy, I owe such a lot; the seal must go. Oh, what a worry it is!"
"And at auctions of this kind," said Rosalind, in her low voice, "evenbeautiful things don't realise much. How can they?"
"Rosalind is after that seal," whispered Lucy to Annie Day.
"The seal would swallow you up, Rosie," said Annie, in a loud voice."Don't aspire to it; you'd never come out alive."
"The seal can be brought to know good manners," retorted Rose, angrily."His size can be diminished, and his strength abated. But I have notsaid that I want him at all. You do so jump to conclusions, Miss Day."
"I know what I want," said a girl called Hetty Jones, who had not yetspoken: "I'm going in for some of Polly's ornaments. You won't put toobig a price upon your corals, will you, Poll?"
"I shall bid for your American rocking-chair, Polly," exclaimed MissDay.
"I tell you what you must do, Miss Singleton," shouted another girl,"you must get those inventories ready as soon as possible, and send themround the college for everyone to read, for you have got such nicethings that there will be sure to be a great rush at your auction."
"Don't sell any of the college possessions by mistake, my dear," saidLucy Marsh. "You would get into trouble then. Indeed, as it is, Idon't see how you are to keep out of it."
Polly pushed her hands impatiently through her bright red hair.
"Who's afraid?" she said, and laughed.
"When are we to see your things, Polly?" asked Miss Jones. "If theauction is on Monday, there must be a show day, when we can all go roundand inspect. I know that's always done at auctions, for I've been atseveral in the country. The show day is the best fun of all. Thefarmers' wives come and pinch the feather-beds between their thumbs andforefingers, and hold the blankets up to the light to see if the mothshave got in."
"Hetty, how vulgar!" interposed Miss Day. "What has Polly's auction ofher _recherche_ things to do with blankets and feather-beds? Now thecocoa is ready. Who will help me to carry the cups round?"
"I had some fun to-day," said Rosalind, when each of the girls, providedwith their cups of cocoa, sat round and began to sip. "I took MissPropriety to town with me."
"Oh, did you, darling? Do tell us all about it!" said Annie Day,running up to Rosalind and taking her hand.
"There isn't much to tell. She behaved as I expected; her manners arenot graceful, but she's a deep one."
"Anybody can see that who looks at her," remarked Lucy Marsh.
"We went to the Elliot-Smiths'," continued Rosalind.
"Good gracious, Rosie!" interrupted Hetty Jones. "You don't mean to sayyou took Propriety to _that_ house?"
"Yes; why not? It's the jolliest house in Kingsdene."
"But fancy taking poor Propriety there. What did she say?"
"Say? She scolded a good deal."
"Scolded! Poor little proper thing! How I should have liked to haveseen her. Did she open her purse, and exhibit its emptiness to thecompany at large? Did she stand on a chair and lecture the frivolouspeople who assemble in that house on the emptiness of life? Oh, how Iwish I could have looked on at the fun!"
"You'd have beheld an edifying sight then, my dear," said Rosalind."Prissie's whole behaviour was one to be copied. No words can describeher tact and grace."
"But what did she do, Rosie? I wish you would speak out and tell us.You know you are keeping something back."
"Whenever she saw me she scolded me, and she tripped over my dressseveral times."
"Oh, you dear, good, patient Rosalind, what a bore she must have been."
"No, she wasn't, for I scarcely saw anything of her. She amused herselfcapitally without me, I can tell you."
"Amused herself? Propriety amused herself? How diverting! Could shestoop to it?"
"She did. She stooped and--conquered. She secured for herself anadorer."
"Rosalind, how absurd you are! Poor, Plain Propriety!"
"As long as I live I shall hate the letter P," suddenly interruptedAnnie Day, "for since that disagreeable girl has got into the house weare always using it."
"Never mind, Rosalind; go on with your story," said Miss Jones. "Whatdid Plain Propriety do?" Rosalind threw up her hands, rolled her eyesskywards, and uttered the terse remark--
"She flirted!"
This remark came from Lucy Marsh. Rosalind Merton, who was leaning herfair head
