at her street corner.

CHAPTER XXIII

GENEVIEVE GOES TO BOSTON

December was a busy month, indeed. To Genevieve it seemed actually to be
one whirl of study, lessons, practice, and examinations, leaving oh, so
little time for Christmas gifts and plans.

A big box was to go to the Six Star Ranch, and a smaller one to
Quentina. But, better than all, Mr. Jones was to have a letter from Mrs.
Kennedy which would--Genevieve was sure--carry a wonderful happiness to
Quentina. Mrs. Kennedy was to ask Mr. Jones to let Quentina come to
Sunbridge to school the next winter, and share Genevieve's room, as Mrs.
Kennedy's guest. All other expenses, railroad fare, school supplies, and
any special instruction, were to be met by Mr. Hartley through Genevieve
herself.

All this, of course, Genevieve had not brought about without many
letters to Mr. Hartley, and many talks with Mrs. Kennedy and Miss Chick,
wherein all sorts of pleadings and promises had a part. But it had been
done at last, and the letter was to go in the Christmas box--but of all
this the Happy Hexagons were not to know until the answer from Mr.
Jones came. Naturally, however, Genevieve could not keep all her
attention on her studies that month, in spite of the coming
examinations.

There was, too, more than one visit to the gentle spinster on Hunt's
Hill before Genevieve quite succeeded in convincing Miss Sally that
there _were_ places in Texas where wild Indians did not prowl, nor wild
horses race neck and neck across vast deserts of loneliness. At last,
however, she had the satisfaction of hearing from John Sanborn's own
grateful lips that everything was all right, and that the wedding day
was set for April the tenth.

In the midst of all this came the dreaded examinations, then the fearful
waiting till the last day of school when the decision would be
announced. The winter before, at these mid-year examinations, Genevieve
had not passed. She had not forgotten the mortification of that tragedy,
nor the weary weeks of study that had been necessary to enable her to go
on with her class. So she, of all the girls now, was awaiting the
verdict with special anxiety. Meanwhile, all the Happy Hexagons were
spending every available minute on Christmas gifts.

It was just a week before Christmas Day that Genevieve was surprised to
receive a hurried after-school call from Cordelia.

"Genevieve--quick!" panted Cordelia, dropping herself into the first
chair she