Part 103

Oh, and the presentation of it came about quite differently from what was expected, after all. For the gift was to be sent with a little note, representing the whole school, and written, as was quite proper, by Polly Pepper, the chairman of the committee. But Miss Salisbury, to whom the precious parcel had been intrusted, said suddenly, "Why don't you give it to her yourselves, girls?"

It was, of course, the place of the chairman of the committee to speak. So Polly said, "Oh, would she like to have us, Miss Salisbury?"

"Yes, my dears. I know she would. She feels badly to go and leave you all, you know," and there were tears in the blue eyes that always looked so kindly on them. "And it would be a very lovely thing for you to do, if you would like to."

"We should love to do it," cried Polly warmly. "May we go now, dear Miss Salisbury?"

"Yes," said Miss Salisbury, very much pleased; "she is in the red parlor."

So the committee filed into the red parlor. There sat Miss Anstice, and--oh dear me!--Mr. John Clemcy!

There was no time to retreat; for Miss Salisbury, not having heard Mr. Clemcy come in, was at the rear of the procession of girls. "Here, my dears--Anstice, the girls particularly want to see you--oh!" and then she saw Mr. John Clemcy.

Miss Anstice, who seemed to have dropped all her nervousness lately, saved the situation by coming forward and greeting them warmly; and when Mr. John Clemcy saw how it was, he went gallantly to the rescue, and was so easy and genial, and matter-of-course, that the committee presently felt as if a good part of their lives had been passed in making presentations, and that they were quite up to that sort of thing.

And Polly made a neat little speech as she handed her the packet; and Miss Anstice's eyes filled with tears of genuine regret at leaving them, and of delight at the gift.

"Girls, do you know"--could it be Miss Anstice who was talking with so much feeling in her voice?--"I used to imagine that you didn't love me."

"Oh, that could never be!" cried Mr. Clemcy.

"And I got so worried and cross over it. But now I know you did, and that I was simply tired; for I never could teach like sister,"--she cast her a loving glance--"and I didn't really love my work. And, do you know, the thing I've longed for all my life was a watch and chain like this? Oh girls, I shall love it always!"

She threw the chain around her neck; and laid the little watch gently against her cheek.

"Oh!" It was Alexia who pressed forward. "You'll forgive us all, won't you, Miss Anstice, if we didn't love you enough?"

"When I want to forgive, I'll look at my dear watch," said Miss Anstice brightly, and smiling on them all.

"'Twas that horrible old black silk gown that made her so," exclaimed Alexia, as they all tumbled off down the hall in the greatest excitement. "You see how sweet she is now, in that white one."

"And the red rose in her belt," said Clem.

"And her diamond ring," added Silvia.

"And we're different, too," said Clem. "Maybe we wouldn't love to teach a lot of girls any better either, if we had to."

"Well, and now there's the wedding!" exclaimed Amy Garrett, clasping her hands, "oh!"

"What richness!" finished Alexia.

And everybody said it was "the very prettiest affair; and so picturesque!" "And those dear Salisbury girls--how sweet they looked, to be sure!" Why, St. John's blossomed out like a veritable garden, just with that blooming company of girls; to say nothing of the exquisite flowers, and ropes of laurel, and palms, and the broad white satin ribbons to divide the favored ones from the mere acquaintances.

"And what a lovely thought to get those boys from the Pemberton School for ushers, with Jasper King as their leader!"

They all made such a bright, youthful picture, to be followed by the chosen eight of the "Salisbury girls," the very committee who presented the gift to the bride-elect. There they were in their simple white gowns and big white hats.

And then came the little assistant teacher of the Salisbury School, in her pearl gray robe; singularly enough, not half so much embarrassed as she had often been in walking down the long schoolroom before the girls.

And Mr. John Clemcy never thought of such a thing as embarrassment at all; but stood up in his straightforward, manly, English composure, to take his vows that bound him to the little school-teacher. And Miss Salisbury, fairly resplendent in her black velvet gown, had down deep within her heart a childlike satisfaction in it all. "Dear Anstice was happy," and somehow the outlook for the future, with Miss Wilcox for assistant teacher, was restful for one whose heart and soul were bound up in her pupils' advancement.

Miss Ophelia Clemcy blossomed out from her retirement, and became quite voluble, in the front pew before the wedding procession arrived.

"You see, it was foreordained to be," she announced, as she had before declared several times to the principal of the Salisbury School. "The first moment he saw her, Brother John was fully convinced that here was a creature of the greatest sensibility, and altogether charming. And, my dear Miss Salisbury, I am only commonplace and practical, you know; so it is all as it should be, and suits me perfectly. And we will always keep the anniversary of that picnic, that blessed day, won't we?"