“We market after school,” said Mrs. Holden, “and then Ed brings his wagon to meet us and hauls the stuff home. We’ll get him to give you a lift too.”
“And then can Mary Jane come over to our house to play?” asked Betty.
“For a little while,” agreed Mrs. Merrill, smilingly, “but she won’t want to stay very long to-day because we’re going to have our first dinner in our new home and she’s promised to help me lots—and I need it.”
Just then they spied Ed’s face at the door so they hurried through the second turnstile, paid for their groceries and left the store. Ed’s wagon proved to be very big and he was glad to give them plenty of room for the Merrill basket.
“Are you going to start in school to-morrow?” asked Betty as they walked off toward home.
“I’m going over to see about that to-morrow morning,” said Mrs. Merrill. “We’ve been so busy unpacking and settling that we haven’t even thought about it till now. Do you like your school, Betty?”
“Yes, I do, lots!” exclaimed Betty heartily. “I’m just through kindergarten this spring, I am, and next fall I’m first year.”
“Then I think you must be just about where Mary Jane will be,” said Mrs. Merrill.
The two little girls ran skipping ahead, talking about what they would do and where they would sit and all the things that girls plan for school.
But when Mrs. Merrill took Alice and Mary Jane over the next morning, it didn’t work out as planned. Alice was entered and found herself in the very same room and only two seats away from Frances, which seemed perfect. But there wasn’t room for Mary Jane! The kindergarten was crowded, very, very crowded, and new little folks weren’t allowed to come in. Miss Gilbert, the teacher, talked with Mary Jane a while and Mary Jane told her all the work she had done and all the things she had learned about.