Kate Speed, who had been talking across a vacant place to a girl on her side of the table, happened to look up at this moment.
She stared at the three girls who—most innocently—occupied the room she coveted. She then caught the laughing, teasing gaze of Jessie Robinson.
Kate stiffened and tossed her head with an air of haughty disdain. Without deigning to recognize the presence of the girls with whom she had been so effusively friendly on the train, she turned and began an ostentatious conversation with quiet Lily Darrow.
Jo nudged Nan, who was sitting next to her.
"Cut—by cricky!" she chuckled, and then exchanged laughing glances with Sadie, on the other side of Nan.
Meanwhile Jessie was glancing nervously over her shoulder. The two vacant seats at the foot of the table belonged to Doris Maybel and Gladys Holt. Neither of the girls had come in yet, although Miss Tully had assigned the last new girl her seat and was about to take her own place at the head of table one.
"I feel sorry for them if they're late," whispered Jessie in response to Jo's question. "They ought to know better—with Tully in charge!"
At the moment there was a stir at the door and Jessie looked hopeful. But it was only Miss Jane Romaine, come to have a word with the teacher in charge.
Jessie's foot began to tap the floor—tap—tap—under the edge of the table.
"There they are!" cried Nan suddenly, as two guilty heads poked in at the door.