“Because I’ve taken her scalp,” said Azzie. So speaking, she drew forth her hand, dangling two sets of false fronts.
“Oh, you didn’t dare!”
“How could you!”
“You’ll be sent home, Azzie.”
“How did you ever get them?” asked Elizabeth. To her, such an act was more than merely hazardous. It was recklessness itself.
“Oh, I got them,” said Azzie coolly. “I had a bit of neuralgia. A wisdom tooth has been bothering me for a long time, and I stopped in after the retiring-bell rang to ask Mrs. Schuyler for a drop of medicine to put in it. She was ready for bed. Say, girls, did you ever see her when she wasn’t rigged out? She looked like a fright. She hasn’t much hair left, but what she has was done up in curling kids. And these,” dangling the false fronts before their eyes, “these lay reposing on the top of the dresser. I brought them along to show you girls how fine they are—two grades, one for every day and one for dress-up days.”
“Don’t shake them so close over my cocoa, please,” cried Landis, removing her cup beyond the reach of Azzie’s scalps.
“I felt safe about coming so long as I had these,” continued Azzie. “Don’t be afraid, Landis. A few hairs more or less won’t hurt your supper.”
“How will you get them back?” asked Elizabeth, who was fearful for Azzie’s welfare.
“I hadn’t got that far in my thinking,” was the droll response. “I knew nothing could induce her to visit us without these,” with another Indian flourish of the scalps in the air. “We are safe to-night. To-morrow Smiles will have a headache, and will not be able to come down to breakfast, and perhaps not during the entire day. Drop in to-morrow to ask her something and see if you do not find her with her head tied up.”