For a moment he was silent. The girls were eager, Lily Pendleton preened herself in her seat. Her play had not been named when the principal gave lukewarm praise to those mentioned. She was sure that he now referred to her and to her play.
On the other hand, Jess Morse had lost all hope. Her poor little play was not even mentioned, as Chet would have said, “among the also rans!”
“I am glad to announce—and to congratulate the young lady at the same time,” said Mr. Sharp, “that Miss Josephine Morse is the winner of the two hundred dollars offered by Mrs. Kerrick, the title of her play being ‘The Spring Road.’”
It came like a thunderbolt! Jess could only gasp and stare up at him until his smiling, rosy face, and the big spectacles, were blurred in a mist that seemed to rise before her like a curtain.
Bobby Hargrew started the cheering; but it was Laura who reached Jess first and hugged her tight.
“I’m just as disappointed as I can be!” she cried. “I actually thought my play was going to be best. But as it wasn’t—— Why, Jess, I’m almost as happy over your winning it as you can be yourself!”
CHAPTER XVII—LILY PENDLETON IS DISSATISFIED
“I consider it a very unfair decision—unfair in every particular,” proclaimed Lily Pendleton, after school. “Why, he did not even mention ‘The Duchess of Dawnleigh.’ I can’t believe that Mr. Monterey even saw my play. I certainly shall make inquiries.”
Bobby Hargrew was caustic. “‘The Duchess of Dawnleigh!’” she repeated. “Say Lil! would you really know a live duchess if you saw one coming up the street? Why didn’t you write about something you knew about?”
“I guess I know as much about duchesses as you do, Bobby Hargrew!”