Gay-colored parasols and
flower-garden hats made here and there brilliant splashes of rainbow
tints. Above was an almost cloudless canopy of blue, and at the far
horizon, earth and sky met and made a picture that was like a wondrous
painted curtain hung from heaven itself.
At the first sound of the distant band that told of the graduates'
coming, Bertram said almost wistfully:
"Class Day is the only time when I feel 'out of it.' You see I'm the
first male Henshaw for ages that hasn't been through Harvard; and
to-day, you know, is the time when the old grads come back and do stunts
like the kids--if they can (and some of them can all right!). They march
in by classes ahead of the seniors, and vie with each other in giving
their yells. You'll see Cyril and William, if your eyes are sharp
enough--and you'll see them as you never saw them before."
Far down the green field Billy spied now the long black line of moving
figures with a band in the lead. Nearer and nearer it came until,
greeted by a mighty roar from thousands of throats, the leaders swept
into the great bowl of the horseshoe curve.
And how they yelled and cheered--those men whose first Class Day lay
five, ten, fifteen, even twenty or more years behind them, as told by
the banners which they so proudly carried. How they got their heads
together and gave the "Rah! Rah! Rah!" with unswerving eyes on their
leader! How they beat the air with their hats in time to their lusty
shouts! And how the throngs above cheered and clapped in answer, until
they almost split their throats--and did split their gloves--especially
when the black-gowned seniors swept into view.
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