mounting the steps. Her hair, and
garments were dripping, she had lost her goggles, and without them her
eyes had a frightened stare.
"I didn't mean to look like this," she said, "but I lost the key to my
room. I'd locked the door when I went out, and I wanted to study some
before dinner. I climbed up onto the edge of that hogshead that the
workmen had left right beside the trellis that runs up by my window. I
meant to get in at my window, but I fell and got into a hogshead of
dirty water. 'Twasn't very pleasant," she drawled.
One might have thought, from the manner in which she said it that most
people would have enjoyed the "ducking"!
Mrs. Marvin looked discouraged. This was the girl that _could not_ get
into a scrape, now that she had no one to drag her in!
"Miss Fenler, will you assist Arabella in making herself presentable
before six? It is after five-thirty now."
Miss Fenler looked anything but pleased, but she dared not refuse.
Arabella seemed quieter than ever when she came down the stairway, her
wet garments exchanged for dry ones, and her straight hair primly
braided, thanks to Miss Fenler.
Doubtless she had not recovered from her surprise when she found
herself in the hogshead. It always required time for Arabella to recover
from any new idea, or unusual happening.
The other girls were giving the four who had just returned a gay
welcome, and Dorothy slipped her arm around Betty Chase, and told her
the fine news that during the summer they were both to be at Foam Ridge.
"Oh, Dorothy!" cried Betty, her dark eyes shining, "I was delighted when
mother wrote that we were going there, just because I so love to be at
the shore, and now to think that you and Nancy are to spend the summer
there,--oh, it is such a dear surprise."
"But listen, every one!" cried Valerie Dare. "That's all very fine for
Betty, but the other bit of news isn't quite so nice. Dorothy Dainty and
Nancy Ferris are to leave Glenmore two weeks earlier than the rest of
us. Say! Do you think we'll miss them?"
"Oh, Dorothy Dainty! Why do you go so soon?"
"And take Nancy with you, too! Say, do you have to?"
"Can't you stay longer?"
These and many more were the queries called forth by Valerie's
statement.
It was small comfort for them to listen when Dorothy explained.
The fact remained, that they did not want to have her leave before
school closed. She had endeared herself to her classmates, and to many
others whom she
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