“Oh, how do you do?” piped both girls.
The professor, slackening his pace, greeted them courteously: “I presume you ladies are well prepared for the ordeal of tomorrow night?”
“Quite so, Professor; we are looking forward with extreme pleasure to meeting our gallant adversaries under your charge,” answered Margaret.
“H’in fact, we are now going to our final rehearsal,” added Aurora.
“Well, I wish you success, ladies; I must be off myself, to give the boys at the Academy my last instructions; so goodby.”
“Good afternoon, Professor; goodby.”
The June graduation day of 1960 at the Seminary was not far distant, falling on the second week of the month. The recitations had been discontinued and the only sessions that were held by the professors were chiefly for purposes of review.
The students meanwhile beguiled their time by indulging in frequent class receptions, which were given by the various grades and societies, each vieing with others to excel all previous functions in originality, splendor and novelty. That to be given by the senior class, to which Aurora and Margaret belonged, was near at hand. Long before the date agreed upon, the senior class had agreed to make it an out-of-door affair eclipsing all previous efforts in brilliancy of conception and prodigality of arrangements.
It was to be a “Soirée Artistique!” a Tableau Vivant Extravaganza! followed by a moonlight dance and reception. Their guests of honor were to be no less than embryo generals from the West Point Military Academy! Truly it was a magnificent conception and it was chiefly due to the indefatigable efforts of Aurora and Margaret that it culminated in a stupendous success with the night of the open air Fête.