"Where is my brother William?"
"I am your brother William. I—Why, look at this room! She has put it all in order! Mabel!"
There was a burst of wild laughter, then the two girls ran down the hall to return the clothes to the girl to whose brother they belonged. "I never knew such a joke."
Sarah went inside and shut the door. Then she locked it and stood with clenched hands. It was cruel to play such a trick. They had frightened her, and now she was desperately disappointed. And she had lost at least a half-hour, and it was only two hours until the lights were put out. She would not let the girls come in again; they would not study, they might visit their friends. With shaking hands she opened her books.
But she could not study. She heard another burst of laughter. Probably they were telling the other girls about it, and they were laughing at her.
Presently her heart ceased to beat so rapidly and she settled down to work once more. Perhaps they would not come back. She knew that it was against the rules to go from room to room during study-hours, but they did not keep rules.
"'Man is the only living creature that can stand or walk erect,'" she began aloud. "'Man is the only living creature that can stand or walk erect. The human skeleton—'"
The knob was softly turned; then there was a knock at the door. Sarah did not answer.
"Let us in, Sarah."
Still Sarah made no response.