hed the school yard. "You coming?"

Fred thought he would stay down and see some of the boys.

"I don't care where I sit," he explained. "And if you go in late most
all the front seats have been given out. I'd rather sit in the back of
the room."

So you see Fred did have a choice, though he said, and probably
honestly thought, he did not.

Meg followed Bobby upstairs and into a large square room half filled
with chattering children. A gray-haired lady was speaking to the young
woman who stood near a desk on a small platform.

"That's Miss Wright, the vice-principal," whispered Bobby, indicating
the gray-haired woman. "Mr. Carter, over at the grammar school, is the
real principal. If you're real bad, Miss Wright sends for him. But she
opens assembly and like-a-that."

Presently Miss Wright went out, and Bobby led Meg up to the teacher.

"This is my sister Meg," he said politely. "She hasn't any seat yet."

"How do you do, Margaret?" said Miss Mason, smiling. "Your name is
really Margaret, isn't it? I like to use my pupils' full names. I'm
sorry your sister can't sit with you, Robert, but I can't mix the
grades. You may have any seat on this aisle, Margaret."

Poor Meg found it most confusing to be called Margaret, and was almost
startled to hear Bobby addressed as "Robert." Father Blossom
occasionally called him that, but only when he meant to scold him. But
Meg sensibly supposed that when one went to school there were a number
of new things to get used to, and it seemed that names were to be
among them.

She chose a seat half-way down the aisle and in a direct row with
Bobby's, which was on the other side of the room. And by the time she
had made her choice and put away her pencil box, Miss Mason announced
that it was five minutes of nine and that no child should leave the
room.

Clang! A harsh gong rang through the halls. Clang! Clang!

The noise in the school yard ceased with a suddenness that was
surprising. The gong rang again and a trampling and scuffling through
the halls announced that the boys and girls were marching up to their
classrooms. Miss Mason took her place at the door, and as a long line
marched into her room she directed them where to sit. Meg wondered
what she was to do with her hat.

"Beginning with the first aisle, the girls may go to the cloak room
and hang up their hats," announced Miss Mason, just as if Meg had
spoken aloud. "Then after all the girls have returned, the boys may