“It must have gone to find my red book which had our dialogue in it, for that has disappeared, and hunt as I will, I cannot find it. You have your parts carefully copied, and can be learning them, but I need the book to prompt you.”
[CHAPTER IV]
AN ENTERTAINMENT
Reginald knew that the ball had been on his desk when he had left the schoolroom, and he could not think how it could have disappeared unless some one had helped it to do so.
Again he searched in his desk, but the ball was not there. He put away the books which he had taken out, and closed his desk, looking up just in time to see that Arabella was closely watching him. How queer she looked! She was not laughing, but she seemed to be amused.
“I b'lieve I know where my ball is,” he whispered; “I just know Arabella took it, and p'r'aps that was what she dropped over the wall.”
“What are you saying?” whispered Arabella, but Reginald only shook his head.
“I guess I won't tell her,” he thought, “but right after school I'll look.”
When school was out he lingered, hoping that the girls would hurry off, and thus leave him free to search behind the wall where he believed Arabella had hidden his ball.
It was useless to wait. The girls sat upon the wall talking until Reginald was out of patience, and when at last they started for home, Katie insisted that he must go with her.