“What have we to do now?” asked Toinette, whose sharp eyes had been observing everything worth observing, and whose active mind had received more impressions within the past hour than it had been called upon to receive in a year. It is needless to add that she was quick enough to profit by them, and to appreciate that in this school were taught more surprising things than chemistry or science.
“Do?” asked Ruth.
“Yes; isn’t there some RULE to be observed after dinner?” and a rather ironical tone came into Toinette’s voice.
“Yes; come along, and Edith and I’ll show you the rule, as you call it,” answered Ruth, as she caught up the big basket-ball lying upon one of the chairs in the hall, flew through the door with it, across the piazza and into the gymnasium beyond.
After an instant’s hesitation the two girls followed, joining her and Edith, who had run Ruth a lively race.
“You don’t mean to say that the teachers let you run and romp like this, do you?” demanded Cicely.
“Let us!” cried Edith in surprise. “Why shouldn’t they? We aren’t doing any harm, are we?”
“No, I don’t suppose there is any harm, but if we had done such a thing at Miss Carter’s, what do you think would have happened, Toinette?”
Toinette pursed her mouth into the primmest pucker, rolled her eyes in a horrified way, clasped her hands before her, and said, in a tragic tone: “Young ladies! Such conduct is most unseemly,” in such perfect mimicry of Miss Carter that Ruth and Edith shouted.
“Well, all I can say is, that I’m thankful we were not sent to that school; aren’t you, Ruth?” said Edith.