midnight
Blue Bonnet , quite unaware of her triumph , was overwhelmed at the end of the performance to hear her name called uproariously from the audience and fled to the far end of the wings , from which she was rescued unceremoniously by two insistent fairies , who brought her to the footlights to acknowledge the tribute of friends and admirers . But it was after the play , when the teachers had left the room , and the chairs had been drawn around the table that the real fun of the evening began . It was then that the presidents of the two classes made speeches that were masterpieces of diplomatic art , and the Seniors contributed their share of entertainment with rare stunts . The eccentricities of teachers were taken off in a way that convulsed the entire gathering ; the Junior class song was sung for the first time , and midnight crept on without any one dreaming of its approach until faithful John , the janitor , announced it from the door exactly on the stroke of twelve . With sighs and regrets that anything so altogether heavenly as a `` spread '' should have an end , the girls moved out of the old gymnasium sorrowfully , realizing that one of their happiest evenings had passed into history . School-days can not last forever . The fact was borne in on Annabel Jackson as she sat in her room one afternoon shortly before Commencement .