injunctions she could not help looking out of
her window every morning for the aeroplane, and giving a surreptitious
wave. She told herself that she was only acting patriotically in
cheering on our aerial defenses. The back of the hostel opened into the
school playground, and one day Winona, taking a run there for exercise
before breakfast, heard the familiar whirring, and looking up, beheld
the flying-machine poised just overhead. She heard a shout from the
occupant, and something dropped into the playground. She ran to pick it
up. It was a packet of chocolates! She tried to wave thanks, but the
biplane had moved on, and was now far over the town, Lieutenant
Mainwaring no doubt having enjoyed his little joke of innocent
bomb-dropping.
Now most unfortunately for Winona, Miss Kelly's bedroom window
overlooked the playground, and she had been a witness of the whole
incident. She came out now in extreme wrath, confiscated the chocolates,
and scolded Winona sharply.
"But it's not my fault! I'd no idea he was going to drop anything!"
protested Winona indignantly.
"After what has happened before, I can only draw my own conclusions,"
returned the mistress icily. "You will change to Number 3 dormitory
to-day."
"But, Miss Kelly----"
"Don't argue! I warned you that I should move you if I found any more
signaling going on. Your aunt will have to hear about this!"
When Winona returned to the hostel that afternoon, and went upstairs,
she found that all her possessions had been cleared out of Number 2
dormitory, and placed in Number 3, which being at the side of the house
had no view except the school buildings. The contents of her drawers had
been transferred intact; her brushes, books and home photos were placed
on her new dressing-table, but all the pictures of aeroplanes and the
portrait of Lieutenant Mainwaring, which she had cut out of the Seaton
_Graphic_, had disappeared. Winona sat down on the bed and laughed. She
was very much annoyed, but the humor of the situation appealed to her.
"It's too idiotic of Miss Kelly! Does she think I'm going to elope in an
aeroplane? I never heard of anything so silly in my life! She may tell
Aunt Harriet if she pleases. I don't care! Why, I don't suppose
Lieutenant Mainwaring knows me from any other girl in the school. He
just dropped those chocs. on spec. It was a shame I wasn't allowed to
eat them!"
Miss Kelly, very keen on upholding discipline in her new hostel,
conside
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