“Funny Cathalina never heard of it.”
“O, no; Aunt Katherine wouldn’t speak of it if she knew.”
Not a girl of this group failed to look at Miss Randolph the next time she saw her with a new interest because she had had a lover! But it was hard to believe that any one so calm and cheerful could have had the note of tragedy in her life.
CHAPTER X
HILARY’S BIRTHDAY BOX
A curious friendship had sprung up between Cathalina and Isabel Hunt. Perhaps the first tie was the devotion to Cathalina of Avalon Moore, Isabel’s roommate. Then Cathalina was a revelation to Isabel, crude, motherless little girl that she was. For Isabel had been brought up by a father troubled about business affairs, by a queer old cousin who kept house, and by four older brothers.
“No wonder Isabel talks as carelessly as she does, Mamma,” wrote Cathalina. “I could not bear her at first. But she has the dearest, warmest heart, and is such a little wild rose of a thing, with her curly hair and rosy cheeks, that I’ve changed my mind. Miss Randolph said that she is ‘a dear little girl that ought to have more love and care.’ She and Avalon hang around our ‘bunch,’ as Isabel calls us, as much as possible and are delighted to make themselves useful.
“Now, dearest Mothery, don’t forget what I told you about Hilary’s birthday. Please let me give her something nice, won’t you? I’ll run the risk of her feeling ‘under obligation.’ She is such a dear and has been so lovely to me. I’ll never even tell her before my birthday. Besides, my birthday does not come in school time. Hilary will be sixteen! I’m glad she is older than I; I’ve depended upon her a lot. She knows so much more about people, someway, than I do. Her mother is going to send her a birthday box and I’m ever so curious to see what a real birthday box at school is like.”
The “bunch” to which Cathalina referred was the group of girls who lived for the most part on Lakeview Corridor. It was not a “clique”, exclusive, but merely the usual drawing together of a merry group that chanced to become better acquainted through association in classes or some personal attraction to each other. But there were other nice girls on this corridor and elsewhere, with whom in time Cathalina and Hilary formed many pleasant friendships.
Three exciting events were on for the last week of October: Hilary’s birthday, the election of captain for the Junior (Academy) basketball team, and the Hallowe’en masquerade. Tongues were gabbling and fingers flying on costumes in the interesting hours between recitation, study hours, mealtime and bedtime. Lights were rarely out on time and many were the dread reproofs from teachers on the different corridors. Cathalina was on the committee for the Hallowe’en performance, while Hilary was deep in the interests of basketball. She was “out for the team” and the recipient of confidences on all sides.
On the day of her birthday, Hilary was flying down the hall, tapping at different doors.