Since this was the last year Sheridan would have a preparatory department, the old girls greatly outnumbered the new; consequently, Mimi and Sue flunkied all week long. They made beds, shined shoes, swept rooms—thank goodness the maids swept the halls—carried towels to the floor showers and worst of all wore silly green felt caps all week. They dared not take them off until lights out. Sue’s hair was stringy and Mimi’s freckled nose shone.
Chloe got off easier. She kept every rule. Her first waking thought was to put her green cap on. She obeyed so meekly and was so shy the old girls soon let her alone. They picked on Sue and hounded Mimi. It was more fun to tease girls who resented it and had to battle themselves to remain good sports. Mimi felt like a martyr but she gritted her teeth and bore the persecutions.
This was a week Mimi never forgot. She completed her schedule, became acquainted with her teachers, tried out for soccer and tennis. Sue tried out for orchestra and was assigned second violin. Chloe began spending all her spare time in the library or better, the art studio. Betsy tried out for the same things Mimi did. She was good at them. Her chances for soccer looked better than Mimi’s. Mimi admired her skill, her sense of fair play. Only once did her admiration waver.
Mimi was stretched out on the window ledge in the gym when she heard two girls talking below her outside. She recognized Betsy’s voice immediately. It was tense with repressed excitement. After becoming interested in their plot, Mimi peeped over the ledge and recognized Magdalene.
“This has been the tamest green cap week I ever heard of,” Betsy was saying.
“It sure has and it ends tonight.”
“Wish we could stir up a little excitement. Don’t you remember last year we rolled that trash can down the stairs, nonstop flight from third floor to basement, at midnight?”
“Do I remember? I’ve never heard such a clatter in my life. It nearly scared me out of my wits. I wasn’t in on it. I was one of the ones it awakened.”
“Oh boy! Did Mrs. Cole rave!”
“I never shall forget how funny she looked with that outing kimona wrapped around her and her hair twisted up on kid curlers. She was a fright.”