The Lass of the Silver Sword

"The Lass of the Silver Sword" by Mary Constance Du Bois is a novel written in the early 20th century. It follows Jean Lennox, an idealistic new student at Hazelhurst Hall, who channels knightly ideals into a girls’ society—the Order of the Silver Sword—while learning leadership, loyalty, and control of her quick temper with the help of friends like Carol Armstrong and Cecily Brook. The narrative blends lively school life with outdoor adventure, shifting from classrooms and sports to a shared summer camp in the Adirondacks, with friendship and character growth at its heart. The opening of the story shows Jean’s shy admiration for star athlete Carol after a basketball win, a teasing incident that exposes Jean’s private writings, and a humiliating outburst that she soon regrets. Drawn into planning a birthday “entertainment,” Jean proposes a lasting society—the Order of the Silver Sword—rooted in Caritas (love) and Veritas (truth), complete with badges and an initiation. When mischievous classmates steal her journal and present it to Carol, Jean escapes a locked room via the roof, is scolded by a strict teacher, but is then gently championed and comforted by Carol and supported by Miss Carlton. Reconciliations follow, the order is formally launched, and its spirit lifts the class as the girls stage a successful play and Jean wins prizes. A fresh problem—Cecily’s family needing to rent their lakeside camp—sparks a plan for a girls’ summer camp, and, after a longed-for cable of permission, Jean joins the group bound for Halcyon Lake.

The Lass of the Silver Sword, by Mary Constance Du Bois. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77584.