Author: Carolyn Wells
Category: Humorous
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CHAPTER VIII
COMMENCEMENT DAY
Nan was a born nurse, and, moreover, she had sufficient common sense andtact to know how to deal with nervous exhaustion. Instead of discussingthe situation she said, cheerily, "Now everything will be all right.Hilda will look after the stars and wands, and you can have quite alittle time to rest before you go back to the schoolroom. Don't try to goup to your room now, just stay right where you are, and I'll bring you acup of hot milk, which is just what you need."
Patty nestled among the cushions which Nan patted and tucked around her,and after taking the hot milk felt much better.
"I must get up now, Nan," she pleaded, from the couch where she lay, "Ihave so many things to attend to."
"Patty," said Nan, looking at her steadily, "do you want to go throughwith the commencement exercises this afternoon and the play to-nightsuccessfully, or do you want to collapse on the stage and faint rightbefore all the audience?"
"I won't do any such foolish thing," said Patty, indignantly.
"You will," said Nan, "unless you obey me implicitly, and do exactly as Itell you."
Nan's manner more than her words compelled Patty's obedience, and with asigh, the tired girl closed her eyes, saying, "All right, Nan, have yourown way, I'll be good."
"That's a good child," said Nan, soothingly, "and now first we'll goright up to your own room."
Then Nan helped Patty into a soft dressing gown, made her lie down uponher bed, and threw a light afghan over her.
Then sitting beside her, Nan talked a little on unimportant matters andthen began to sing softly. In less than half an hour Patty was soundasleep, and Nan breathed a sigh of relief at finding her efforts had beensuccessful.
But there was not much time to spare, for the commencement exercisesbegan at three o'clock.
So at two o'clock Patty found herself gently awakened, to see Nan at herbedside, arranging a dainty tray of luncheon which a maid had brought in.
"Here you are, girlie," said the cheery voice, "sit up now, and see whatwe have for you here."
Patty awoke a little bewildered, but soon gathered her scattered senses,and viewed with pleasure the broiled chicken and crisp salad before her.
Exhaustion had made her hungry, and while she ate, Nan busied herself ingetting out the pretty costume that Patty was to wear at commencement.
But the sight of the white organdie frock with its fluffy ruffles andsoft laces brought back Patty's apprehensions.
"Oh, Nan," she cried in dismay, "I'm not nearly ready for commencement! Ihaven't copied my poem yet, and I haven't had a minute to practicereading it for the last two weeks. What shall I do?"
"That's all attended to," said Nan,--"the copying, I mean. You've been sobusy doing other people's work, that of course you haven't had time toattend to your own, so I gave your poem to your father, and he had ittypewritten for you, and here it is all ready. Now, while you dress, I'llread it to you, and that will bring it back to your memory."
"Nan, you are a dear," cried Patty, jumping up and flying across the roomto give her stepmother a hearty caress. "Whatever would I do without you?I'm all right now, and if you'll just elocute that thing, while I arraymyself in purple and fine linen, I'm sure it will all come back to me."
So Nan read Patty's jolly little class poem line by line, and Pattyrepeated it after her as she proceeded with her toilette.
She was ready before the appointed time, and the carriage was at thedoor, but Nan would not let her go.
"No, my lady," she said, "you don't stir out of this house until the verylast minute. If you get over there ahead of time, you'll begin to makesomebody a new costume, or build a throne for the fairy queen, or somefoolish trick like that. Now you sit right straight down in that chairand read your poem over slowly, while I whip into my own clothes, andthen we'll go along together. Fred can't come until a little lateranyway. Sit still now, and don't wriggle around and spoil that prettyfrock."
Patty obeyed like a docile child, and Nan flew away to don her own prettygown for the occasion.
When she returned in a soft grey crepe de chine, with a big grey hat andfeathers, she was such a pretty picture that Patty involuntarilyexclaimed in admiration.
"I'm glad you like it," said Nan, "I want to look my best so as to do youcredit, and in return I want you to do your best so as to do me credit."
"I will," said Patty, earnestly, "I truly will. You've been awfully goodto me, Nan, and but for you I don't know what I should have done."
Away they went, and when they reached the schoolroom, and Patty went tojoin her classmates, while Nan took her place in the audience, she saidas a parting injunction, "Now mind, Patty, this afternoon you're toattend strictly to your own part in the programme. Don't go aroundhelping other people with their parts, because this isn't the time forthat. You'll have all you can do to manage Patty Fairfield."
Patty laughed and promised, and ran away to the schoolroom.
The moment she entered, half a dozen girls ran to her with questionsabout various details, and Nan's warning was entirely forgotten. Indeedhad it not been for Hilda's intervention, Patty would have gone to workat a piece of unfinished scenery.
"Drop that hammer!" cried Hilda, as Patty was about to nail some branchesof paper roses on to a wobbly green arbour. "Patty Fairfield, are youcrazy? The idea of attempting carpenter work with that delicate frock on!Do for pity's sake keep yourself decent until after you've read your poemat least!"
Patty looked at Hilda with that same peculiar vacantness in her glancewhich she had shown in the morning, and though Hilda said nothing, shewas exceedingly anxious and kept a sharp watch on Patty's movements.
But it was then time for the girls to march onto the platform, and asPatty seemed almost like herself, though unusually quiet, Hilda hoped itwas all right.
The exercises were such as are found on most commencement programmes, andincluded class history, class prophecy, class song and all of the usualcontributions to a commencement programme.
Patty's class poem was near the end of the list, and Nan was glad, forshe felt it would give the girl more time to regain her poise. Mr.Fairfield had arrived, and both he and Nan waited anxiously for Patty'sturn to come.
When it did come, Patty proved herself quite equal to the occasion.
Her poem was merry and clever, and she read it with an entire absence ofself-consciousness, and an apparent enjoyment of its fun. She looked verysweet and pretty in her dainty white dress, and she stood so gracefullyand seemed so calm and composed, that only those who knew her bestnoticed the feverish brightness of her eyes and a certain tenseness ofthe muscles of her hands.
But this was not unobserved by one in the audience. Mr. Hepworth, thoughseated far back, noted every symptom of Patty's nervousness, howeverlittle it might be apparent to others.
Although she went through her ordeal successfully, he knew how muchgreater would be the excitement and responsibility of the evening'sperformance and he wished he could help her in some way.
But there seemed to be nothing he could do, and though he had sent her abeautiful basket of roses, it was but one floral gift among so many thathe doubted whether Patty even knew that he sent it; and he also doubtedif she would have cared especially if she had known it.
Like most of the graduates, Patty received quantities of floral tributes.As the ushers came again and again with clusters or baskets of flowers,the audience heartily applauded, and Patty, though embarrassed a little,preserved a pretty dignity, and showed a happy enjoyment of it all.
As soon as the diplomas were awarded, and Patty had her cherished rolltied with its blue ribbon, Nan told Mr. Fairfield that it was imperativethat Patty should be made to go straight home.
"If she stays there," said Nan, "she'll get excited and exhausted, and begood for nothing to-night. I gave her some stimulants this noon, althoughshe didn't know it, but the effects are wearing off and a reaction willsoon set in. She must come home with us at once."
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p; "You are right, Mrs. Fairfield," said Mr. Hepworth, who had crossed theroom and joined them just in time to hear Nan's last words. "Patty isholding herself together by sheer nervous force, and she needs care ifshe is to keep up through the evening."
"That is certainly true," said Nan. "Kenneth," she added, turning toyoung Harper, who stood near by, "you have a good deal of influence withPatty. Go and get her, won't you? Make her come at once."
"All right," said Kenneth, and he was off in a moment, while Mr. Hepworthlooked after him, secretly wishing that the errand might have beenentrusted to him.
But Kenneth found his task no easy one. Although Patty willinglyconsented to his request, and even started toward the dressing-room toget her wraps, she paused so many times to speak to different ones, orher progress was stopped by anxious-looking girls who wanted her help oradvice, that Kenneth almost despaired of getting her away.
"Can't you make her come, Hilda?" he said.
"I'll try," said Hilda, but when she tried, Patty only said, "Yes, Hilda,in just a minute. I want to coach Mary a little in her part, and I wantto show Hester where to stand in the third act."
"Never mind," said Hilda, impatiently. "Let her stand on the roof, if shewants to, but for goodness' sake go on home. Your people are waiting foryou."
Again Patty looked at her with that queer vacant gaze, and then LorraineHart stepped forward and took matters in her own hands.
"March!" she said, as she grasped Patty's arm, and steered her toward thedressing-room. "Halt!" she said after they reached it, and then whilePatty stood still, seemingly dazed, Lorraine put her cloak about her,threw her scarf over her head, wheeled her about, and marched her back towhere Kenneth stood waiting.
"Take her quick," she said. "Take her right to the carriage; don't lether stop to speak to anybody."
So Kenneth grasped Patty's arm firmly and led her through the crowd ofgirls, out of the door, and down the walk to the carriage. Ordinarily,Patty would have resented this summary treatment, but still in ahalf-dazed way she meekly went where she was led.
Once in the carriage, Nan sat beside her and Mr. Fairfield opposite, andthey started for home. No reference was made to Patty herself, but theothers talked lightly and pleasantly of the afternoon performance.
On reaching home, Nan put Patty to bed at once, and telephoned for theDoctor.
But when Dr. Martin came, Nan met him downstairs, and told him all aboutthe case. They then decided that the Doctor should not see Patty, as torealise the fact that she was in need of medical attendance might prove aserious shock.
"And really, Doctor," said Nan, "if the girl shouldn't be allowed atleast to try to go through with the play this evening, I wouldn't like toanswer for the consequences."
"I understand," said Dr. Martin, "and though I think that with the aid ofcertain prescriptions I shall give you, she can probably get through theevening, it would be far better if she did not attempt it."
"I know it Doctor," said Nan, "and with some girls it might be possibleto persuade them to give it up, but I can't help feeling that if we evenadvised Patty not to go to-night, she would fly into violent hysterics."
"Very likely," said Dr. Martin, "and I think, Mrs. Fairfield, you areright in your diagnosis. If you will give her these drops exactly as Ihave directed, I think she will brace up sufficiently to go through herpart all right."
Nan thanked the Doctor, and hurried back to Patty's room to look afterher charge. She found Patty lying quietly, but in a state of mentalexcitement. When Nan came in, she began to talk rapidly.
"It's all right, Nan, dear," she said. "I'm not ill a bit. Please let meget up now, and dress so I can go around to the schoolroom a little bitearly. There are two or three things I must look after, and then the playwill go off all right."
"Very well," said Nan, humouring her, "if you will just take thismedicine it will brace you up for the evening, and you can go throughwith the play as successfully as you did your part this afternoon."
Patty agreed, and took the drops the Doctor had left, without a murmur.
Soon their soothing effect became apparent, and Patty's nervousenthusiasm quieted down to such an extent that she seemed in no haste togo.
She ate her dinner slowly, and dawdled over her dressing, until Nan againbecame alarmed lest the medicine had been too powerful.
Poor Nan really had a hard time of it. Patty was not a tractable patient,and Nan was frequently at her wits' end to know just how to manage her.
But at last she was ready, and they all started for the school again.Although Patty's own people, and a few of her intimate girl friends knewof her overwrought state, most of the class and even the teachers had noidea how near to a nervous breakdown she was. For her demeanour was muchas usual, and though she would have moments of dazed bewilderment, muchof the time she was unusually alert and she flew about attending tocertain last details in an efficient and clear-headed manner.