mimi was in front of the mirror in her green polka dot pajamas trying to do a back flip like a vandy cheer leader when sue and chloe walked in. betsy was still in bed.
“pardon me,” sue grinned. “i was looking for tumble inn and gracious me, my eyes must be going back on me. i’ve walked right into barnum and bailey’s circus winter quarters.”
she winked at chloe who could always manage to keep a straight face and they backed out.
“here,” mimi called so loud that she awakened betsy. “don’t dare leave without coming in and telling us where you’ve been.”
“oh—places.” chloe teased shrugging—“and you?”
“you know good and well where we’ve been but oh boy! we had a perfectly precious time. look,” mimi gushed pointing out her souvenirs. she had pinned the football up by the mirror near jack’s picture. the program was being pressed dry under the treasure chest.
before sue had time to examine either or chloe to admire the crushed mums in the window, mimi was exclaiming, “out with it. where have you been?”
“i don’t care,” betsy said sleepily. “don’t tell us.”
“aunt marcia came to see me,” chloe said proudly. it was fine to have a family.
“where is she?” mimi wanted to know. she’d like to see aunt marcia. she wished she had the nerve to ask her some questions. was she a large, slow moving woman? if you called her aunt freida suddenly as if by mistake would she flinch?
“gone. we went out to dinner and a movie with her and spent the night at the hotel with her. she left on the early train and sent us home in a taxi.”
“that makes us even,” betsy said. “what are we going to do all day. this is only friday and there’s tomorrow, too.”
“so few of us are here, i imagine we can do what we please. i know,” mimi raised her voice, “let’s ride horseback!”
“oh, let’s.”
“we can rent horses out at the riding academy. the college girls go all the time and i’ve just been dying to. betsy, would you ask mrs. cole?”
“i will if no one else will but i asked her just the other day about nashville. how about you, sue? did you or chloe ask for your permission?”
“aunt marcia asked for us,” chloe answered for sue.
“sure, i’ll ask,” sue spoke up.
while sue was gone the usual wail went up.
“i intended to wash my hose, write letters, review my geometry, get up my book report——”
all three had a list.
“there’s always tomorrow,” mimi quoted solemnly. “it’s a perfect day to ride—crisp and clear.”
“we can go if we take miss bassett,” sue burst in with the news.
“grand,” betsy cried, “but you know what that means. we will have to pay for her horse. gee! i’m nearly broke.”
“don’t spoil your pretty face with frowns and wrinkles, lovely,” chloe said quickly. “aunt marcia gave me $5.00, five dollars, can you hear?”
she ran to her purse and reassured herself it was there.
“we’ll pay you back, chloe.”
“don’t worry. it’s all in the family.”
the girls were beginning to feel like a family, really. their schedules had smoothed out, they were accustomed to each other’s individuality, the ugly head of rivalry and jealousy which leered the first few days had withdrawn. they enjoyed each other and shared their food, spending money, and now for the first time they were wearing each other’s clothes.
mimi, of course, had a beautifully tailored habit. she had taken good care of her patent leather boots. the other girls had jodphurs, so by exchanging blouses and sweaters a few times they managed to fit themselves out becomingly. chloe had the worst time of all. everything she had on but her jodphurs was borrowed. she had never been on a horse in her life. she wasn’t too keen on the idea but tried not to show how she felt, mimi guessed.
“we’ll take good care of you, chloe. i can give you a few pointers that will help you. so can miss bassett. we’ll all ride slowly and keep together. we’ll have a grand time.”
they did have a grand time; although, chloe and sue both limped the next two or three days when no one was looking.
when they returned they stopped in the post office. that was one place mimi never passed without peeking in. although, she knew exactly when the mail was put up she always had a hopeful feeling. today she was not disappointed. there was a big fat letter from mother dear. mimi dropped her hat and crop and ripped the letter open.
“wait ’till olivia sees this stamp,” she said. “she’ll go wild.”
mimi devoured every word of the letter. she trailed the other girls on up to tumble inn for the second reading which was usually aloud. sue, particularly enjoyed news of mimi’s family.
mimi straddled a chair backwards, unfolded the letter and prepared to read——
“where is sue? this is getting queer. has she an invisible cloak? every time i’ve looked for her lately she has disappeared.”
“she had a notice in her box to come to the studio. miss taylor wanted to see her.”
“what are you saying about me, chloe?” sue asked poking her head around the door.
“eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves,” betsy quoted.
“come down to the studio with me, mimi—’sprise.”
she need say no more—at the word “s’prise,” mimi was up and after her.
“you can usher with me at albert spaulding’s recital!”
mimi failed to catch sue’s enthusiasm.
“crazy—you will get to wear your long wedding dress and high heeled slippers—now—say something.”
“swell! i begin to catch on. but how did you manage to get me in? i’m not a music student.”
“simple enough. the college music students are going to receive and serve at the reception and the preps are to usher at the recital. there are so few of us this year that miss taylor thought we’d better get one or two outsiders. the minute i caught on i asked her if i could ask you. here we are and miss taylor can tell us exactly what she wants us to do.”
the recital was the biggest event between thanksgiving and christmas. for sue it was one of the high points of the year. mimi tried to be as interested as sue expected her to be.
dressing up in the long dress was fun. thank goodness, miss jane had chosen a rainbow wedding. her dress was orchid and sue’s was blue. only one or two girls mentioned that they were made alike. every time mimi wore the high heeled pumps she handled herself better. eventually she hoped to walk gracefully in them, to float along as miss jane had. mimi even went so far as to pay a college girl fifteen cents to set her hair. even though she was wearing it longer than she had at camp, the wave wouldn’t make it “stay put.” it wasn’t that kind of hair. betsy and chloe had fussed over them no end, patting and preening.
“leave your hair alone, mimi,” chloe despaired.
mimi tried to. all the time she was greeting people and marching sedately up and down the aisle, she carried her head a bit to one side so the wildest lock of hair would not fall in her eyes. however, she and sue had not been through their duties and seated ten minutes before mimi unconsciously tucked the lock behind her ear. sue did not notice. she was entranced with the music.
to her there were only two people there, herself and albert spaulding in that enchanted realm of music. his nimble fingers, supple wrist, the powerful singing tones brought tears to her eyes. she followed with understanding. she was aware of nothing but a violin laughing, crying.
mimi was moved by the music but she was much more aware of the artist himself. she was pleased that he was tall, that his shoulders were broad. she loved the way he stood with his feet wide apart. how grand to see an artist who was, withal, such a man. mimi’s mind kept hopping to tennis racquets and other sporting goods which had made his family famous. then she would come back to the music. several times she checked down the program to see how much longer it was.
she knew exactly how to act at the reception which followed. only the music students were presented to the artist and mimi felt she shouldn’t barge in on that. she had been very lucky to get to usher. she did, however, go down the receiving line and chatter with many of the college girls. she liked knowing them. she was fast growing into one herself. nor did she pass up the punch and wafers. not mimi. sue found her there.
“lead me upstairs, please,” sue plead in such a queer voice that for a moment, mimi was frightened. was sue ill? had she stood on her high heels too long? was she going to faint? she was holding out her hand to mimi.
“what on earth? why, you’re trembling!”
“oh, mimi!” sue gasped, “i shook his wonderful, magic-making hand!”
