“In spite of it all,” Kate Underwood said, “we will just change its name, and go on as if nothing had happened. We are to be now the ‘Never Say Die Club.’ Vote on it, girls.”
The new name was adopted by acclamation, and several other votes were carried at the same time, all in favor of law and order, showing how truly these girls had meant to keep the promises they had made in their extremity to Miss Ashton, to be law-abiding members of the school.
They held their secret meetings as often and as secretly as their constitution demanded; they discussed all questions that the interests of the times suggested. If they had a spread, it was before study 176 hours, and with unlocked doors. On the whole, Jenny Barton, Kate Underwood, and Mamie Smythe took the lessons they had received into good, honest hearts, and grew, by the many resisted temptations which were born of the secrecy of their club, into better, nobler characters.
Miss Ashton, watching them with vigilant eyes, marked the improvement, and showed her value of it by greater confidence in its leading members.
There was an important meeting to be held a week before the breaking up for the Christmas vacation. It was to be in Lilly White’s room, where, indeed, most of their meetings were held, for Lilly had a room by herself, richly furnished, this being the only inducement her parents could offer her, that made her consent to the fearful ordeal of a few years at school,—to be dull and to be wealthy! Who would desire it for any child?
“You understand,” said President Jenny Barton, after the meeting was called to order, “that this is to be no common affair. It’s to be, well! it’s to be a sort of atonement for—well, for those other affairs; and, girls, if we do anything about it, let’s do it up handsome. What do you say?”
“Do it jist illigant, or let it alone,” said Mamie Smythe.
“Jist illigant!” repeated one member of the club after another, until the president said,—
“Motioned, and carried. Now for our plan. Keep it a profound secret!” 177
Such a busy place as the academy became now, probably had its counterpart in every girls’ boarding-school all over the length and breadth of our land.