The closing week of school was full of girlish excitements. Friday and Sat.u.r.day most of the girls would go home. Christmas came on the following Monday. The Miss Kirklands were going to remain and devote the time to study. Alice Nevins and Elma Ransome had no homes to go to at present. Mrs. Barrington generally took this for a resting-up time.

Louie rushed into Phillipa's room, breathless and eyes full of wonder.

There was some fancy things strewn around. Phil and Zaidee were at some gifts.

"What now? Has there been a mistake in the calendar and is Christmas put off and are we to be aliens from the family bosom?"

Louie laughed and fanned herself vigorously.

"I've been hearing wonderful things about that Clairvoyant. Do you really know what clairvoyance is? It isn't mere fortune telling. Madge Hayne went the other day and she was told some really remarkable things.

They had not heard from that brother in a year and didn't know whether he was dead or alive. She said they would hear from him and that he would return soon with a fortune, and this very morning the letter came.

He's been in Alaska and British Columbia and goodness knows where all, and he's tired of rambling and hardships. So he's coming home as he has made his pile, which I suppose means a fortune. They are all just wild with joy, and there are to be two marriages this year."

"Then Madge's lover will get his promotion. That is what she is waiting for," laughed Phil. "But I have heard that the woman told some wonderful things."

"And while we were abroad in the summer Aunt Kate and I took little tours around; we were at a Fair in a small town where there were some real Romany gypsies and one insisted on reading Aunt Kate's future. She spoke of mamma's walking without crutches, which we couldn't believe and said after we came home something mysterious would happen to us, that a member of the family would come from a great distance, that the person who had her in charge would die, but Aunt Kate laughed and said we had had no mysterious marriages nor sudden disappearances, so that could hardly come true."

Phillipa had been considering. "Girls let's go," she exclaimed. "Mrs.

Barrington didn't actually forbid it. She said: 'Girls I hope none of you will be foolish enough to spend your money on such nonsense. Those people are generally impostors.' I'd like to have a peep into the future. There's a young man I am interested in. Now, if he's all fair and square and means business--"

"You're always on the anxious seat of lovers," said Louie, "and you seem to have them by dozens."

"I want the very best and richest. Girls, my mother was married when she was seventeen, and I'll be nineteen in June; but she didn't go to boarding school for three years and waste her time."

"And I want a tour abroad--a winter or summer in Paris--which is most attractive, and there may be a little chance of some one leaving father a fortune. Oh, let us go--just for the fun if nothing else," and Louie glanced up in her radiant prettiness.

There is something tempting to the young in a peep in the wide mysterious future. Joys and the so-called good luck are delights to hope for and it is seldom that any dark pages are unfolded to youth. So the girls talked and agreed to go the next afternoon.

Examinations were in the morning and the girls had the afternoon to themselves. Four were going to a musicale, half a dozen to do some last shopping.

"We'll put on something out of the ordinary line," said Phil. "Hoods and veils and I'll wear my old gray coat. Mother would make me bring it and I've not had it on once. We'll trot across the park, shortest route, and hold our heads down."

"And then run round to Crawford House and have some hot chocolate," said Zay.

It was a winter when Tam o' Shanters were all the rage. Zay had a white one with two fluffy rose-colored rosettes. As she pa.s.sed through the hall she saw Clara Arnold's blue one lying on the bed. She had always tabooed blue. Now with a sudden impulse she put it on. Clara had gone to the musicale and would not be home until late. Then she gathered up her curls and stuffed them in the crown. Yes, she did suggest the Boyd girl.

The resemblance teased her, and the girls had found that out. She wound a veil around her head and they stole through the hall when it was deserted and went scuddering through the Park.

It was a cloudy afternoon, not one to go out for pleasure, and then everybody had wanted to go down town. Mrs. Trenham lived in the corner house. There was a garden s.p.a.ce between, then a high fence. Phillipa rang the bell.

A rather unkempt, middle-aged woman answered it.

"Could we see the Clairvoyant?"

"Well," hesitatingly. "All of you? I'm rather--yes, walk in."

The room was untidy, the books on the table dusty, and some clothing thrown over several chairs.

"Young girls always want a peep in the future," and she gave an abrupt laugh. "You don't any of you look as if you needed medical advice. My, I seldom see such rosy, good looking girls. Now, I'll tell you--it's a dollar if I go into a trance and see you inside, up and down and I can tell to a T whether there's anything the matter. But I don't believe you want that. S'pose I just run over the cards and see what kind of a Christmas you're going to have and how many lovers and who's going to wear a diamond. That's fifty cents."

"That's enough to spend on such foolery," laughed Phillipa.

She pushed out some chairs and took up a pack of cards, threw them aside and took a clean pack off of the mantlepiece. "Now you try first,"

motioning to Phillipa. "Why I can see by your face there's lots of fortune coming to you. You're the kind of girl men quarrel over."

She had become a very astute reader of faces and could tell by the brightening of an eye or the movement of a feature whether she was on the right tack.

"Your home isn't here and you are going to it in a few days. You see--here's the house and there's a distance between," pointing out the cards. "They are making a big time and lots of company, a great Christmas dinner, and a dance in the evening, and you'll get kissed under the mistletoe--but you won't marry that man. There's two of them--three of them and two offers of marriage. Some one you haven't seen much of, and there'll be talk of a diamond."

She shuffled the cards and ran over them again, enlarging upon the lovers and jealous girls as well as men, presents and fun. "But you're going to turn your back on it all and you don't want to a bit, and you're going to have some trouble, and a journey with a trunk, and--why you'll be in school and you'll be most crazy to hear from the young man with the diamond, but you just keep your faith, he'll be all right and there'll be a wedding before the leaves fall. Oh, you'll be as happy as a queen."

Phillipa laughed and nodded.

"Now, you next," to Zaidee.

Zay hesitated, but took the chair Phillipa vacated.

At first she seemed a puzzle to the fortune teller. "She had traveled a good deal. Some one was coming across water that she would be glad to see--three people, a fair lady who had had a great deal of trouble, sickness, but was well now. Why they would soon be here and all have Christmas dinner together. There would be a great surprise with a fair young man who cared a great deal for her, and there were wonderful surprises that wouldn't make her happy at first. Here was a strange girl--but she doesn't want to come. Gifts and friends, and this stout man--your father," and she knew by Zay's face she had guessed right. "He is very fond of you--oh, you needn't ever be afraid any one will crowd you out. Plenty of lovers, too, when it comes your time; a happy marriage and children, and prosperity. A little sickness, but nothing to be alarmed about."

Louie's fortune did not seem so serene. "She was at school and would go home to keep Christmas. This was elaborated in very agreeable styles.

Then she would come back, but she would be troubled about a prize, be disappointed in a girl friend who would try to injure her and who would say mean things, but she must not mind them. Then there were journeys and pleasures and lovers, but she would not marry very young and would be engaged twice, and oddly enough be married the second time."

Then they rose, gathered up their wraps and the fortune teller her money, with profuse wishes for their happiness and a merry Christmas, and shut the door. Zay was leading and opened the hall door, stepping out on the stoop.

"Oh, my goodness! There's the Dane across the way! Let us run out back and across lots" and they started in a huddle, opening the door that led to another room.

"You can't come in here," declared a voice but they pushed through to the outer door, flew down the path and across a s.p.a.ce over to the next street, but did not stop until they had reached the side gate to Crawford House.

"It's only three of us girls," exclaimed Zay. "We are going to my room."

Then they stood in breathless terror, looking in each other's faces.

Phillipa gave a half hysterical laugh, dropped into a chair and went on laughing.

"I don't see anything funny," said Louie. "And to come so near being caught! Do you suppose the Dane was watching out--suspecting? And that horrid smell in the room, and the girl holding up one of those boys who was struggling for breath--"

"You had a good view, Louie," sarcastically.

"Well, I was behind. Oh, what if it was small pox?" and Louie was white as a ghost.

"Small pox! Louie don't be an idiot! See here, we'd heard a thing like that quick enough. Now I'll tell you--Zay have you any aromatic ammonia?

Let's all take a dose to quiet our nerves and ward off whatever it may be, and get a lump of gum camphor to take to bed with us tonight, and Louie if you dare to act suspicious I'll murder you."

"I don't think it was just the thing for her to let us in if there was any sickness."

"I wanted a _real_ Clairvoyant. They do tell you wonderful things, but she hit a good deal about you, Zay. I wonder who is coming to try to oust you out? Oh, maybe your brother will bring home a wife."

"I shouldn't like that," the girl said frankly. "And maybe he will be sent on a three years' cruise and leave her with us!"

"Nonsense! Don't bother your pretty curly head. Here let us all take our composing draught and then wend our way to school with a bold front.