Part 102

"Well, it would look nice in that great big drawing-room," said Clem, letting herself out with a very red face.

"Oh, my! you wrote a piano!" Alexia went over backward suddenly to lie flat on the floor and laugh. "Besides, there is one in that house."

"An old thing!" exclaimed Clem in disdain.

"Well, let's see; here's something nice"--Polly ran along the list--"a handsome chair, a desk, a cabinet. Those are fine!"

"Clem has gone into the furniture business, I should think," said Philena.

"And a cabinet!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, "when that house is just full of 'em."

"Oh, I mean a jewel cabinet, or something of that sort," explained Clem hastily.

"That's not bad," announced Silvia, "for I suppose he'll give her all the rest of those heirlooms; great strings of pearls probably he's got, and everything else. Dear me, don't I wish we girls could see them!" and she lost herself in admiration over the fabulous Clemcy jewels.

"Well, Chairman--Polly, I mean"--Alexia flew into position--"what's the next list?"

"This is quite different," said Polly, unrolling it; "some handsome lace, a fan, a lorgnette, a bracelet."

"It's easy enough to see that's Silvia's," said Alexia--"all that finery and furbelows."

"Well, it's not fair to tell what you think and guess," said Silvia, a pink spot coming on either check.

"'Twouldn't make any difference, my guessing; we all know it's yours, Silvia," said Alexia, coolly.

"Well, I think that's a lovely list," said Amy, with sparkling eyes, "and I for one would be willing to vote for any of those things."

"My mother says we better give her something to wear," said Silvia, smoothing down her gown. "Miss Anstice likes nice things; and that great big house is running over with everything to furnish with."

Polly was reading the third list, so somebody pulled Alexia's arm and stopped her. "A watch and chain--that's all there is on this list," announced Polly.

"Oh!"--there was a chorus of voices--"that's it--that's it!" and "Why didn't I think of that?" until the whole ring was in a tumult again.

It was no matter what was on the other lists. The chairman read them over faithfully, but the items fell upon dull ears. They might make suitable tributes for other brides; there was but one mind about the present for this particular bride going forth from the Salisbury School. The watch and chain was the only gift to be thought of.

"And she wears that great big old-fashioned thing," declared Silvia; "looks like a turnip--oh, oh!"

"And I do believe that's always made her so impressive and scarey whenever she got into that black silk gown," said Amy Garrett. "I never thought of it before; but it was that horrible old watch and chain."

"Girls," said the chairman, "I do really believe that it would be the very best thing that we could possibly give her. And now I'm going to tell who it was who chose it."

"Do--oh, do!" The whole ring came together in a bunch, as the girls all crowded around Polly.

"Alexia!" Then Polly turned and gave a loving little pat on the long back.

"Don't," said Alexia, shrinking away from the shower of congratulations on having made the best choice, and thought of the very thing that was likely to unite the whole school on a gift. "It's nothing. I couldn't help but write it. It was the only thing I thought of."

"Well; it was just as clever in you as could be, so there now!" Clem nodded over at her, and buried all animosity at once.

"And think how nice it will be, when it's all engraved inside the case with what we want to say," said Polly, with shining eyes.

"And a great big monogram outside," said Silvia, with enthusiasm, "and one of those twisted chains--oh, how fine!" She shook out her silver bracelets till they jingled all her enthusiasm; and the entire committee joining, the vote was taken to propose to the rest of the "Salisbury girls," on the morrow, the gift of a watch and chain to the future Mrs. John Clemcy.

And the watch and chain was unanimously chosen by the "Salisbury girls" as the gift of all gifts they wanted to bestow upon their teacher on her wedding day; and they all insisted that Polly Pepper should write the inscription; so there it was, engraved beautifully on the inner side of the case: "Anstice Salisbury, with the loving regard of her pupils." And there was a beautiful big monogram on the outside; and the long chain was double and twisted, and so handsome that Silvia's mother protested she hadn't a word to say but the very highest praise!