He and Meg and Bobby stood in the hall, just outside the Assembly hall, where the children were singing the closing Christmas carol. The principal had beckoned to Bobby when the music began and Meg had followed them.
“I’m very sorry,” repeated Mr. Carter. “Do you know who sent this piece of coal to you, Bobby?”
“No, sir!” said Bobby hastily. “I don’t know at all.”
“And you evidently don’t want me to guess,” said the principal with a half-smile. “I think that will be better, after all. Just pretend to pay no attention and whoever is trying to tease you will see that he has missed his aim. Did I hand this to you from the tree, Bobby? Was there anything with it?”
“Yes, you gave it to me,” replied Bobby. “My other present was a game.”
“Was there anything with the piece of coal?” persisted Mr. Carter.
“There was a piece of paper that said ‘to help you start another fire,’” said Bobby jerkily. “I tore it up.”
“I should have liked to see the writing,” remarked Mr. Carter. “But never mind. Evidently someone removed one package marked with your name from the basket last night, after we finished working, or it may have been this morning, and substituted the coal. The best thing to do is to ignore the silly trick altogether.”
The carol ended just as he finished speaking and the assembly broke up. Mr. Carter put his arm around Bobby, wished him a Merry Christmas, and said that he must let nothing spoil his holidays. Then he shook hands with Meg and wished her “Merry Christmas,” too, and they were free to go. As they went slowly upstairs to get their wraps, for the corridors were crowded, they passed Miss Mason.
“Merry Christmas, Bobby!” she smiled and nodded. “And you, too, Meg.”