“Perfectly sure,” said Hilary with decision. Betty was already showing two or three girls the why and how of her reading. Then Hilary began, while the girls listened, took notes and stopped her occasionally to ask a question or two. “The notes do not say one word about that,” Dorothy remarked.
“No, of course, the very thing you want is never mentioned!” replied Julia, quite unfairly to the very learned gentleman who edited the text.
Promptly at a few minutes of the time for class to begin, the senior girls trooped down the stairs and over to the library building where Dr. Carver’s recitation room was located. There was no one in the halls, and the murmurs of voices came from one or two recitation rooms as they passed.
“We must be late after all,” said Hilary. “Perhaps the old clock decided to keep time.”
The door to Dr. Carver’s recitation room was closed. “They’ve begun,” said Lilian. “Do you remember the fun last year when Isabel put up the notice that there would be no Cicero?”
“Do I?” replied Betty.
With some hesitation and not a little trepidation, Dorothy Appleton, who was in the lead, opened the door. The girls all started in and stopped in surprise and embarrassment as with one accord they glanced first at the clock on the wall opposite and then at the astonished portion of the senior class which faced them. Dr. Carver spoke in much annoyance as one or two of the girls started toward her as if to explain.
“We are in the midst of the recitation, young ladies. Take your seats. You may explain this inexcusable tardiness later.” Hastily, and in much confusion of mind and spirit, the “young ladies” sought their own seats and the lesson proceeded.
“What on earth kept you girls?” wrote Juliet on a piece of paper and passed it to Hilary.
“Something wrong with my clock,” wrote Hilary on the back, returning the paper to Juliet. Hilary was not given to writing notes in class, but this whole situation was irregular.