harlie. He remained in his seat.

"I can't go," he objected when she continued to stare at him. "Can't I
do it from here?"

"Certainly not. Go to the board this instant," retorted Miss Mason.
"Charles, do you hear me?"

"I tell you, I can't go," wailed Charlie Black. "I--I won't go!"

Meg gasped. Even Miss Mason looked surprised.

Then she walked over to the door and opened it.

"You may go down to the principal's office," she said coldly. "No boy
can remain in my room who refuses to obey me."

Charlie's face was red, and he refused to meet the teacher's eyes.

"I tell you I can't go," he muttered again.

CHAPTER V

ANOTHER SCHOOLROOM

"Charles Black!" ejaculated Miss Mason, "what do you mean by this
nonsense? You can't go to the blackboard, and you can't go downstairs.
Are you sick? Why can't you go?"

Charlie half rose from his seat, then sank back.

"I'm stuck fast!" he wailed. "It's the taffy."

The class began to laugh.

"That will do," Miss Mason checked them. "Where did you get this
taffy, Charles?"

"I took it," admitted Charlie sullenly. "I was sitting on it to keep
till after school, and it's melted."

Miss Mason sat down at her desk.

"The dismissal bell will ring in a few minutes," she observed. "As
usual, we shall have no afternoon school the first day. All those I
have asked to remain will stay of course. I won't have to ask you to
stay after the session, Charles. You haven't much choice in the
matter. We'll discuss this more fully later."

"My, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes!" said Bobby, as he and Meg
walked home. "Aren't you hungry, Meg?"

"Starved," agreed Meg. "What do you suppose the twins have been doing
all the morning?"

As a matter of fact, the twins had been busy. The moment Bobby and Meg
left they began to play school.

"I'll be the teacher," declared Twaddles, "and I want a lot of
scholars. Get the dolls, Dot, and Philip and Annabel Lee."

"And the crayons," suggested Dot. "Where'll we play?"

"In the sitting room," decided Twaddles. "There's more chairs."

Dot collected Geraldine and another of her dolls, Totty-Fay, and Meg's
doll, Mary Maud, and trotted out to the garage to get Philip and the
cat, Annabel Lee. When she returned with these pets, Twaddles had the
chairs drawn up in two rows and the dolls already in their places.

"You and Philip and Annabel Lee can sit up in front," he said
generously. "This piano bench is my desk. Want to come to