It was Patsie's stroke of genius that originated the White Elephant Sale. The school was racking its brains to raise a little money for the Prisoners of War Fund, and had swept aside as impossible such schemes as a bazaar1, a pound day, or self-denial boxes.
"Lily tried it on last term, and it was no go," said Vivien; "couldn't make the kids shell out."
"Well, they are only kids," qualified2 Nellie; "and, of course, they haven't much pocket-money, so what can you expect?"
"We mustn't aim too high," said Claire. "If we plan something too big we scare them, and they won't do anything at all—say their mothers object, and all the rest of the usual excuses."
"Well, everyone is rather fed up with appeals," admitted Audrey, lazily stretching her arms; "they come in by the dozen with the morning's post."
"And are generally chucked into the waste-paper basket," commented Lorraine. "That doesn't help the prisoners of war. Suggestions, please, quick!"
[115]"Best put an advertisement in the newspapers: 'Wanted, a new way of raising money without taking it out of the pockets of subscribers!'" chuckled3 Dorothy.
"Look here!" said Lorraine. "Joking apart, I think everybody's prepared either to give or spend just a little—even the kids. They've money enough for chalks, pencils, and all the rubbish they fill their pockets with."
"And swop in the cloak-room," added Claudia.
"Yes, they do swop," exclaimed Patsie. "That's exactly what they love beyond everything. Claudia Castleton, you've given me a brain wave! We'll have a 'White Elephant' sale. Don't look so staggered! A 'white elephant' is a thing you don't want yourself, but which someone else might like very much. We must all of us have got heaps of such things at home. Well, we'll bring them to school, and let them go as bargains—cheap. They ought to go like wildfire, and if there are any left, we'll have an auction4. It would be prime fun!"
"Patsie Sullivan, I should like to shake hands with you!" declared Lorraine. "When women go into Parliament, I believe you'll become a distinguished5 member of the House of Commons! Brains like yours ought to be devoted6 to the service of their country!"
"I think it is rather a cute idea," admitted Patsie modestly.
"We'll get to work upon it at once."
The next day, Lorraine pinned up in the cloak-room [116]a large hand-printed poster which ran as follows:
WHAT PRICE WHITE ELEPHANTS?
Have you anything at home you don't want?
Then bring it to the school and sell it!
Do you wish to buy nice things cheap?
Come to our WHITE ELEPHANT SALE!
Bargains will be flying!
You will go home all smiles!
Remember, everything you buy helps to feed a British Prisoner of War!
"Flatter myself it's rather telling!" she confessed, as she watched the juniors crowd round to look. "There's nothing like a bargain to appeal to people!"
"I reckon it's going to catch on!" chuckled Patsie.
It did catch on. The juniors decided7 that the idea was "topping", and readily promised contributions.
"We shall want cash too," Lorraine reminded them. "Remember, you've to buy somebody else's things as well as give your own."
"Right you are! We'll make a half-crown league, if you like."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that! It might be rough on some of the kids. Give what you can, that's all."
The next step in the proceedings8 was to hunt at home for white elephants. Lorraine and Monica [117]turned out drawers and cupboards in search of any articles with which they could dispense9.
"It's not a rummage10 sale, so we mustn't send rubbish," decreed Lorraine. "It's got to be something somebody will take a fancy to. I wonder if Rosemary wants this book of songs? I believe Vivien would buy them."
"Then put them in the sale and ask Rosemary afterwards," counselled Monica, rapidly running through the contents of an Indian box, and contributing two chains of Eastern beads11 and some bangles. "I've a pile of old story books I've done with. I expect those First Form kids would like them. And I've some chalks and a drawing slate12."
"And I've an almost new blotter, and some Indian curios, and some foreign stamps, and a very good post-card album, and a quite new birthday book."
"That Kate Greenaway one? Oh! you promised to give it to me!" exclaimed Monica.
"You've got two of your own already!"
"I don't care! I want this as well."
"Then buy it at the sale."
"No, I'm going to get Jill's box of pastels and Miriam's autograph album. I've bagged them in advance. Tibbiekins, I must have that birthday book!"
"You can't, Cuckoo! Don't be greedy!"
"But you promised!"
"Well, I can't help it if I did, and I don't remember promising13, anyway. That birthday [118]book's going down to the sale, and if you want it, you'll just have to buy it. There!"
"You mean thing!" blazed Monica. "Just because you're head girl, you think you can do as you like. Keep your old birthday book, and sell it to anybody you can. I shan't buy it! But I'll pay you out for this—see if I don't! I think you're perfectly14 hateful, Lorraine! I wish you'd go away to a boarding school, or to a college like Rosemary. I don't want you here at home, anyway!"
"All right, draw it mild!" said Lorraine, who was well accustomed to her younger sister's outbursts of temper.
"You really did promise poor Cuckoo that Kate Greenaway birthday book," remarked Mrs. Forrester later in the evening.
"I can't remember anything at all about it, Mother," said Lorraine impatiently. "Cuckoo makes such an absurd fuss. Surely she might be ready to give up something for the prisoners of war. It's not good for her always to get her own way! She's really so absurdly spoilt!"
"Somebody else likes her own way occasionally!" suggested Mrs. Forrester, with uplifted eyebrows15.
"Well, you can't say I'm spoilt! The middle girl never is. It's Rosemary and Monica who get all the attention in this family!" declared Lorraine, flouncing out of the room in a state of mind bordering on rebellion.
She wrapped up the birthday book in white tissue [119]paper, and packed it the first of all her articles for the sale. The best of us have our faults, and there was a strain of obstinacy16 in Lorraine's disposition17. She and Monica had waged war before this, on occasion. They did not speak to each other at supper.
"What a nice, cheerful thing it is to have two thunder-clouds sitting at the table!" commented Mrs. Forrester. "It's so pleasant for the rest of us, isn't it?"
"Mind the milk doesn't turn sour!" chuckled Mervyn. "You girls are the limit!"
The sale, by special permission of Miss Kingsley, was fixed18 for three o'clock on Thursday afternoon, a whole hour's lessons being remitted19 in its favour. It was to be held in the gymnasium, and the articles were to be spread out on benches. Each form had contributed its own quota20, and had appointed two representatives as saleswomen. The goods were marked, but bargaining was permissible21 if the figure was considered by the saleswoman to be too high. The monitresses constituted a court of appeal on this score.
All had done really nobly in the way of bringing contributions, and most of the "white elephants" were quite useful and desirable possessions. The girls wandered round, looking at an assortment22 of brooches, penknives, pencil-boxes, paints, chalks, books, music, blotters, photo frames, toys, and a number of little trifles such as girls love. Lorraine, with three weeks' accumulated pocket money, a hitherto unspent birthday present, and what was [120]left in her savings-box, felt in a position to be munificent23, and determined24 to patronize each separate stall. She first made a tour of them all, before she should decide upon her purchases.
"It's quite a good show," said Vivien, fondly fingering a black cat mascot25 she had just bought and fastened upon her blouse. "Seen the kids' things? They're ripping, some of them. They must have been looting at home! I've got the prettiest little purse! I'll show it to you. Only gave sixpence for it. It's a real bargain!"
"I've been wanting a muff chain for years!" declared Nellie. "I put it down regularly on my birthday and Christmas lists, but my family always gave me something else instead. Now don't you think this is just the jinkiest one you've ever seen? I can't think how Audrey could part with it!"
"Muff chains aren't fashionable now!"
"That won't trouble me in the least!"
"I hunted out my old dolls and dolls' clothes," said Claire, "and the kids went wild over them. Dora doesn't care for dolls, so it was no use keeping them for her. She's a regular tomboy."
"What did you bring, Claudia?" asked Nellie.
"Those Art Magazines and copies of The Connoisseur26. Dad let me have them from his studio."
"Oh, goody! They're the very things I want!" rejoiced Lorraine. "Tell Patsie not to sell them till I come!"
She had reached the Second Form stall, and was hurriedly reviewing its contents, gazing over the heads of a chattering27 mob of juniors. Suddenly [121]she gave a gasp28 of consternation29. In the middle of the bench, temptingly spread forth30 in a row, were a number of objects with which she was familiar—some coloured supplements from Christmas numbers, a mug with a robin31 on it, a sandalwood box, a carved photo frame, a travelling ink-pot, two plaques32 of Thorwaldsen's "Night" and "Morning", and a model of a Swiss chalet. They were household articles which she had appropriated to herself, and had hidden away for safety in a drawer on the top landing at home. Each one was a treasure. She loved the coloured supplements, and had meant ............