“Oh! oh!” whispered Ned Ebony, who suddenly saw the teacher’s condition.
Molly Richards was nearest, and she jumped up and ran to the platform. Tavia felt as though her own limbs were powerless. The girl realized that the teacher had fainted.
“Oh, dear me! whatever shall we do?” gasped Dick, chafing the teacher’s hands.
“Run get some water—or some smelling salts!” cried Edna Black; but she never offered to go herself.
It was Dorothy who knew enough to act sensibly. When she looked up from her book and saw Miss Olaine’s condition, she ran for the water at once and brought it to the desk. With her handkerchief she began to bathe the teacher’s eyes and temples.
The paper was pushed off the desk into the wastebasket. Nobody noticed this save Tavia. And she could barely stand up by her seat, she felt so weak.
The result of her experiment had shocked her quite as much as Miss Olaine. She was hovering on the edge of the group of excited and sympathetic girls when the teacher opened her eyes.
For a moment Miss Olaine stared about, confused and frightened. Then she put out both hands and pushed those nearest her away. Her hand clutched Dorothy’s wrist and she suddenly glared into the latter’s sympathetic eyes.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, thickly. “Where is it?”
She looked all around the desk. The color began to flood back into her face again and there could be no doubt but that the teacher was angry. She stared again at Dorothy.