Phyllis tried to remember her own mother and father but she could not. Her Aunt never referred to Phyllis’ parents and she gave the girl no opportunity to ask questions. But lately Phyllis had begun to wonder. She even doubted sometimes if her Aunt was really her Aunt. If she were really Miss Fields’ niece, wouldn’t the woman have a little affection for her? Wouldn’t she be a little kinder sometimes? Must she always be distant, always cold, always a total stranger?
Phyllis decided to give up thinking anything tonight and go to bed. She felt very young and friendless as she climbed into bed and lay staring up into the darkness. Yet a moment later she chided herself sternly. She had friends, all the Adventure Girls and others. She supposed her Aunt did love her in her way or else she wouldn’t be sending her to college at all. Yes, she told herself, she did have friends. Hadn’t the Adventure Girls decided to go to Stonecliff because she was to go there? Yes, but now she wasn’t going there. She would have to see if she could change her Aunt’s mind back again. Everything was terribly mixed up!
Chapter XXI
CASTAWAYS
The next day was the last day of examinations. It marked the end of all their four high school years. Carol did her best in history class and she had the secret conviction when the bell dismissed them that she had done pretty well. Of course she wouldn’t know until their papers were marked, but she was sure she had passed. The other girls, too, were pretty confident now of having no more difficulties with high school studies.
“If you hadn’t been so patient I wouldn’t have passed,” Gale declared to Miss Relso that afternoon when she was the last one to leave the English class.
“I’m glad you passed, Gale,” the teacher said, “and I want to wish you lots of success in college.”
“I’ll probably need a lot of good wishes,” Gale confessed. “I know college will be more difficult than high school has been.”
“If you do your work as you have done here you won’t have any trouble,” Miss Relso assured her. “To what college are you going, Gale?”
“Briarhurst,” Gale said.
“Indeed!” Miss Relso murmured in a pleased tone; she had graduated from there.