O, I wish I were a mermaid,
With scales instead of clo’es,
I’d float upon the billows,
Where no one ever goes!
I’d comb my hair and sing of love,
And bat my sea-green eyes,—
O,—I wish I were a mermaid
Beneath the blue lake skies!
Mermaid!
Mermaid!
Slipp’ry, fishy mermaid!
O,—
I wish I were a mermaid,
Beneath the blue lake skies!
O, I wish I were a mermaid,
I’d never read a book,
But hold a pretty mirror
And at my beauty look!
I’d rest me in a coral cave,
Or swim where Neptune rides,—
O,—I wish I were a mermaid
To cleave the foaming tides!
Mermaid!
Mermaid!
Slipp’ry, fishy mermaid!—
O,—
I wish I were a mermaid,
Beneath the blue lake skies.
“That awful minor tune, Lil,” laughed Betty. “Did you make up the words, too?”
Lilian only nodded assent, having no other means of reply with fingers and voice both engaged. Betty joined with the rest, earnestly wishing to be mermaids, and in fine style they glided up to the little dock where watchful Mickey helped them out and tied up the boat.
CHAPTER XIX
THE GHOST PARTY
Greycliff “mysteries” had long since ceased to interest our girls. Isabel had lost her concern about the “Woman in Black” and the “mysterious” girl had been swallowed up with the rest into the busy life of the school. Her name had proved simple enough. “Miss Louise Holley, O, isn’t she jolly?” rhymed Betty, rather satirically; but the new girl had laid aside her attitude of distance and tried to make herself agreeable to the other girls. Like Cathalina, she recited irregularly with the Academy and Collegiate girls, was in Cathalina’s class in literature, recited in Senior Academy Latin with Lilian and belonged to the bird club which included both Hilary and Cathalina. The girls wondered about her age, as girls do, and Cathalina occasionally caught the resemblance to “somebody” which had puzzled her from the first. “It isn’t connected with a pleasant feeling, girls, but I can’t tell why and I’m sure it isn’t fair to this nice girl to think of it.”
“She was probably sore over things at first,” said Isabel.
The conclusion was that Miss Holley was about eighteen or nineteen years old and was “back” in some of her studies. She kept to herself quite a little, but was often found in the groups of Collegiate girls. From the single room on the first floor she had been moved to one not far from the little suite occupied by Isabel and Avalon, though her room was on a different hall. Occasionally she would call in one or the other of these girls to hook up a dress or do some little thing for her and reward them liberally with candy, fruit or nuts. Isabel was an independent little thing and did not like it much. “Let her get some of the real little girls to do things!” she growled.
“Why, Isabel, I don’t think that’s kind!”
“Well, Avalon, you don’t notice my not wanting to do things for other people, do you? But she’s so overbearing. I hate to be bossed, but I s’pose it is wicked.”
“I don’t mind; and she’s always been so pleasant to me. I feel so sorry about her father. Isn’t it funny she hasn’t any picture of him in her room?”