“What did he say?” “Are we going?” “Did he read it?” They were all asking at once.
“Keep still a minute,” said Robinson, “and I’ll tell you. He took the paper and just glanced at it, and then he folded it up again. He said he’d take the matter into consideration, and whatever he conceived to be for the best interests of the school, that he’d do. He said he’d let us know at the opening of the session. Now that’s as near as I can remember it. Isn’t that about what he said, Miller?”
“Just about. It’s as close as you can get to it, anyway. I tell you what, boys, he looked mighty favorable.”
“Do you think we’ll get it, honest?” asked an eager bystander.
“Yes,” replied Miller, “I do.”
“Hurrah for the holiday!” shouted an enthusiastic delinquent. “We’re going to get the holiday! hurrah!”
The good news spread, and as it passed from lip to lip, the holiday was spoken of as an assured fact. Indeed, many of the boys hastened to their rooms to make preparations for going.
As the long file wound up into the schoolroom at the usual hour for the morning session, the flow of good feeling was manifested by so much good-natured mischief that the officers found it difficult to keep order in the ranks.
The morning was beautiful. Nature was propitious; there was not a cloud to be discovered either in the blue sky or on the bright hopes of the students. Everybody was jubilant. Even Brightly had awakened to an unusual degree of enthusiasm, and Brede was smiling and swaggering with much of the old-time manner.