“Three cheers for Mrs. Tracy!” shouted Bert, and Max sprang to his feet and led off with a right good will. Then followed cheers for Hannah, for Catherine, for the Wide-Awakes and the Boat Club. When the noise subsided, Algernon took the floor again.
“That’s not all, either! You know, most of you, that Frieda started the German part of the library, giving some books and an invaluable list; but none of you know what Miss Prescott told me a day or two ago. It is a secret, but I think she will let me 282 tell it now, just for completeness, won’t you, Miss Prescott?”
Alice blushed and smiled.
“If you really wish, but I don’t like to be thanked for what is only a promise as yet.”
“Never mind about that. It will be more than a promise soon. Miss Prescott does very clever designing, and she heard me lamenting the fact that we have no book-plate for the library, and most kindly offered to furnish one.”
“I’ll submit it to my teacher in designing,” said Alice shyly, “and then Mr. Swinburne will present it to the Board to accept or reject as they see fit. You’re not bound to take it, but I did want to help along somehow!”
“We ought to do that cheering all over again,” said Archie, “but I move you, Madam President, that Miss Lange and Miss Prescott consider themselves specially included in the yells of a moment ago, and that the meeting proceed to sing the Boat Club song.”
The passers-by, if there had been any, must have wondered at the joyous burst of song that followed this remark. As a matter of fact, however, there were no passers-by at all. The rain had washed the streets clear, and the corner lights, glimmering faintly through the wet, fell on one figure only.
Standing before the library window, holding a great cotton umbrella over his head, and peering 283 patiently through a crack between the casing and the shade, was a small boy, in an overcoat several sizes too large for him.
Agnes’ seat was near the window. Suddenly she saw a small nose and an inquiring eye pressed against the crack.