“Ye—ye—yes’m,” faltered the dripping lad.
“Very well. You may go back to your seats, children—that is, all but Sam. You had better go home and change into dry clothes,” she added, and this time she smiled broadly.
“Shall I—now—shall I come back?” asked Sam. All the joking spirit had departed.
“No, you don’t need to come back,” said Miss Riker. “School will be out for the term by the time you could return.” And as Sam, rather shame-faced, made his dripping way toward his home, the teacher remarked: “I hardly think it worth while to go on with the closing exercises. They were almost finished, anyhow. Unless, Bert, you wish to conclude your recitation?” she added, turning to the Bobbsey twin questioningly.
“Oh, no’m—thank you—I don’t mind quitting!” Bert made haste to say. He did not exactly object to “speaking pieces,” but if there was a good excuse to get out of it, he was glad of that excuse. “I can recite it next term,” he added.
“Yes, I suppose so,” returned Miss Riker, with a laugh. “Well, boys and girls, you may go now. School is over for the term. I hope you’ll all have a happy vacation.”
“Thank you! Thank you! The same to you!” chorused the boys and girls.
There were murmurs, talks, laughter and a general movement of relief. No more books or studies for more than two months—oh, joy!
Some of the pupils returned to the classroom to get things from their desks. Charlie Mason was beside Bert as the two boys walked over to the water barrel to look more closely at the “joke.”
“Say, Bert, I’m glad you said you didn’t care about going on with your piece,” said Charlie.