Mimi retired early so that tomorrow would come more quickly. Morning came almost too soon, for Mimi awakened much earlier than usual and thought the rising bell would never sound. In the still hour of dawn, as in moments when she wakened in the night, she wondered about Chloe and prayed brief, but tenderly sincere prayers.
Up and dressed she paced up, down, and around from the time breakfast was over until the party was off. She made at least six trips up and down the steps. She turned in money to Miss Bassett. She lost and found her skate key. But at last, at eleven o’clock, she arrived with the party at Wildwood Park.
Even now she was afraid something would happen to interfere with the skating. She watched Miss Bassett strap on her skates and with the man beside her glide across the ice stopping here and there and tapping with a heavy stick. Contrary to the forecast, it was not as cold as it had been yesterday and the sun had been bright all morning. Miss Bassett looked a bit worried when they returned to the bonfire and although the manager insisted the whole lake was safe, Miss Bassett drew a dead line.
“Not doubting your word at all, but I can keep up with half a lake full of girls better than a whole lakeful.”
“Just as you say. I’ll stretch ropes.”
Mimi was the first to get her skates on, but having them on she sat helpless on a log. One by one the girls put their skates on and hobbled past. No one dreamed Mimi could not skate. She could do everything else athletic outdoors and indoors, too, it seemed.
She watched miserably. Finally Madge saw her. Frail little Madge was swooping and dipping and swirling like a brown bird. She beckoned to Mimi. “Come on.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
After two bad starts Mimi hip-hopped over to the lake’s edge and held out her hands to Madge. “Steady.”