“It ees a ver-ry eenter-resting looking package,” here remarked Mme. Alta. “It appears to be a ver-ry handsome box, as I can plainly see by one corner-r which protrudes. You perhaps use if for your club’s segrets, eh?”
Billie turned the box guiltily around. She had not noticed that the torn end was in view.
Mme. Alta looked at her unnecessarily hard, Billie thought. She had never liked the strange woman and had preferred not to take piano lessons of her, after one glance at those hard, cruel eyes and the fierce walrus teeth.
“I’m sure it contains much more beautiful and interesting things than stupid secrets,” exclaimed good-natured, pretty Mrs. St. Clair, who disliked to see anybody around her uncomfortable and Billie looked very uncomfortable. “Now, dear,” she continued, giving Billie a little squeeze, “do go and hide your box, if you like. It’s not fair to quiz young girls about their secrets, any more than it is to quiz older people,” and she pushed Billie gently into the hall. Mary quickly followed and the two girls ran upstairs, glad to get away from the group of inquisitive ladies, and infinitely relieved to consign the unlucky box into the small safe in the hall closet.
“What a joy to be rid of the thing,” exclaimed Billie, as they shoved the box inside, turned the combination lock, and fled downstairs.
“I feel as if we need a good dose of fresh air, Mary, to revive us after that inquisition,” she added, as they hurried past the company of tea drinkers, who still lingered chatting in the doorway, and joined the others in the motor car.
“Percival, my son,” called Mrs. St. Clair, “don’t lean out so far. You might fall and break your nose. Oh, oh, my precious boy, they’ll kill him!” she shrieked, as Charlie and Merry seized him by the arms and pretended to pitch him overboard.
CHAPTER X.—RUMORS AT SCHOOL.
West Haven High School, Miss Gray, the Principal, had often said, had all the merits of a public and private school combined. It was more thorough than a private school and the teachers were more in touch with the pupils than is usual at a public school. Miss Gray herself was deeply interested in the welfare of her girls and studied carefully the ability and temperament of each one.
When, therefore, a strange and very terrible complaint was made to her one morning about one of her school girls, she was too shocked to reason intelligently about it, and ended by dismissing the complainants quietly from her private office until she sent for them again.