But Nancy had kept on the even tenor of her way. Her marks were just as good as ever, and she stood at the head of most of her classes. The teachers liked her and most of her own class considered her a bright and particular star. So there was little chance of Grace and Cora accomplishing their ends.
The graduating exercises at Pinewood occurred the day before that same ceremony at Dr. Dudley’s school. The older boys of the Academy were usually invited guests at the exercises of the Hall; and some of the first and second-class girls remained over a day after graduation to see their friends in the boys’ school graduated.
Nancy and Jennie received each an engraved card requesting “the honor of their presence” at Clinton Academy, with Bob Endress’s name written with a flourish in the lower corner.
So, although Nancy was going home with Jennie for the summer once more, they begged the Madame’s permission to remain over for the boys’ graduation.
And how angry Grace Montgomery was when she learned that Bob had invited Nancy and her chum! Bob had stood well in his class—was quite the cock of the walk, indeed—and Grace wanted to show him off to the older girls as her especial property. She worked the cousinly relationship to the limit.
And after the exercises, when Bob came down from the platform particularly to lead Nancy and Jennie to his parents and introduce them, Grace and Cora went away in anything but a sweet frame of mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Endress spoke very kindly to Nancy. Bob, it seemed, had often spoken of the girl whose quick wit had saved him from the millrace almost two years before.
“And you are in Grace Montgomery’s class?” observed Mrs. Endress. “It is odd we have never heard Grace speak of you, Nancy. And where will you spend your summer?”
Nancy told her how kind the Bruces were to invite her for the long vacation.
“I hope we shall see you both,” said Mrs. Endress, nodding kindly to Jennie, too, “before fall. We are not so very far from Holleyburg, you know. Ah! here come Grace and the Senator.”