“Yes; sister was very smart,” broke in Miss Anstice proudly—“she won't tell you that; so I must.”
“Oh sister, sister,” protested Miss Salisbury.
“Yes, she excelled all the boys and girls.”
“Did they have boys at that school?” interrupted Philena, in amazement. “Oh, how very nice, Miss Salisbury!”
“I should just love to go to school with boys,” declared ever so many of the girls ecstatically.
“Why don't you take boys at our school, Miss Salisbury?” asked Silvia longingly.
Miss Anstice looked quite horrified at the very idea; but Miss Salisbury laughed. “It is not the custom now, my dear, in private schools. In my day—you must remember that was a long time ago—there were academies where girls and boys attended what would be called a high school now.”
“Oh!”
“And I went to one in the next town until it was thought best for me to be sent to boarding school.”
“And she was very smart; she took all the prizes at the academy, and the principal said—” Miss Anstice was herself brought up quickly by her sister.