Sadie, who had been too dismayed and conscience-stricken to attempt any explanation now stepped forward, stammering some sort of apology.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean——"
"Oh, you're sorry, are you?" Lottie Sparks caught her up viciously, enraged at the more audible titters of the girls near her. "You didn't mean it, didn't you? Oh, no, of course you didn't! Your kind is always innocent! But don't think you can fool me. You did it on purpose!"
At this totally unjust accusation the usually gentle Sadie became roused to fighting pitch.
"I did not!" she cried, and took another step forward. "Don't dare say such a thing, you——"
The words died in mid-air. A long sigh of consternation rose from the watching girls.
Lottie Sparks, beside herself with rage, took careful aim, and, with all her might, threw one of her school books straight at Sadie's head!
Lucky for Sadie that she saw the missile coming and dodged!
The heavy book whizzed past her ear and came to rest in the muddy ground of the tennis court.
This was too much!