“And now good night,” said Dorothy, when she had settled the girl comfortably, “in the morning you will be all ready to start for Deerfield. Just think how lovely it will be to go to a real boarding school.”
“Can I go out when I like?” asked Urania, anxiously.
“Why, of course,” replied Dorothy, “that is, you can when it is recreation hour—time for play you know.”
“And I will have to sleep on a bed and eat off a table? You know I never did eat off a table until I came to your house.”
“Oh, but you’ll soon get used to that,” Dorothy assured her, “and you will like it much better than eating off the—ground. And surely it is very nice to sleep on a good, soft bed.”
“It’s nice all right,” admitted the other, “but you see it’s different. I don’t know as gypsies are like other folks about things. My own mother lived in a house one time, but I never lived in a house.”
“But now you won’t be a gypsy any longer,” said Dorothy. “You are going to be a nice girl, learn to read and write and then when you get older, you can go to work and be just like other people.”
“Won’t be a gypsy any more?” asked Urania, evidently not pleased at the thought.
“Well, I mean you will give up gypsy ways. But now I must go back to the house. I’ll be up early to go with you. Mrs. White is going to take us in the Fire Bird. I’ll have all your clothes ready. Be sure to use plenty of soap and water in the morning,” finished Dorothy, as she hurried off, well pleased that all arrangements were finally complete, and that she had had the courage to give the gypsy girl her first lessons in personal cleanliness.
And it was now time for every one to pack up and make ready to start off for the new school term. The boys were to leave the following afternoon, (Urania was to go her way directly after breakfast). Dorothy and Tavia would leave the next day. Major Dale, and the boys, had not returned to the Cedars, their trip being lengthened by a visit paid to the old home in Dalton.