But Janice believed that there ought to be something done for just such girls as the black-haired Trimmins. She felt as though she might have been neglectful of her opportunities to do something, because of her new car; and the idea of interesting girls of the age of this one, in some club or association, took root at this time in Janice Day’s mind.
The boys’ club, of which her Cousin Marty was so enthusiastic a member, and out of which had grown the Polktown Public Library, was a flourishing institution; but the boys would have instantly objected (“put up a holler,” Marty would have strikingly expressed it) were it even suggested that a girls’ society be grafted on the parent stalk of the Library Association. Girls could be only honorary members and help keep the reading room open in the afternoon. Only a few girls were interested. The growing misses of Polktown, it seemed to Janice Day, should have some vital matter to engage their attention, draw them together socially, and to improve them.
Janice began to look forward to her own improvement, too, about this time. For two years she had attended no school, and her last few weeks under Miss ’Rill’s tuition had been of small value to her. Expecting as she did her father’s quick return from Mexico, Janice had not at first looked upon her life in Polktown as a settled thing.
Her interests were here now, however. If she had the choice she might not care to return to her old home in Greensboro. The girls whom she had gone to school with there were already scattered; and she feared many of them were far ahead of her in their studies.
Daddy might remain in Mexico a year or two longer. She felt the need of an advance along the paths of education. Especially did she think of these things after talking with Frank Bowman about his sister, Annette.
Janice was anxious to meet Annette Bowman; but a young lady from a “finishing school” might prove rather awe-inspiring. Janice felt the need of some “finishing” herself, and knowing that there was a seminary for girls at Middletown, she decided to drive over and make arrangements to enter at the opening of the fall term.
Now that she had her Kremlin car she could run back and forth to the school morning and night, for it was only twenty miles. In the deep winter weather she might remain as a weekly boarder, returning to Polktown on Friday evenings. Aunt ’Mira decided to accompany Janice to Middletown on this trip of arrangement.
“Even if I don’t spend a penny, I do just love to look into the Middletown shop-winders,” declared the fashion-hungry lady. “Them wax figgers with the latest style robes onto ’em look jest like the pictures in the Household Love Letter of the lords and ladies that live in castles in England, or in Europe, and have such wonderful times. You never read them stories, Janice—an’ I s’pose you air too young to ’preciate ’em—but they’re a gre’t comfort to me. I know I can never go to them places, or live like them folks does in ‘The Baron’s Heart Secret’ or ‘The Beauty of Bon Marone Castle,’ but it helps ter satisfy that longin’ I’ve allus had to travel.”
Aunt ’Mira did not often open her heart so freely, even to her niece; but this conversation finally led to quite an important result. It gave Janice one of her very brightest ideas; but she felt that she needed Nelson Haley to talk it over with.
On the Middletown Lower Road, several miles beyond the Hammett Farm, Janice and her aunt, speeding happily along, met with Adventure. Around a turn ahead of them appeared a spirited horse in the shafts of a smart road-cart. It was not a vehicle owned in Polktown or in the vicinity; nor was the single occupant of the vehicle anybody whom Janice or her aunt knew.