Dee came down like a movie actress and then we scurried around the house in time to beat all the whole school out on the lawn. My ankle hurt like fury but I grinned and bore it. While Miss Plympton had not designated the manner of our exit from the building, we well knew that if she got on to our mode of egress we would hear from her and that not in endearing terms.
She was standing near the great front door on the gallery, but it was dusk and we were able to sidle close to the wall and have all the appearance of coming out of the building.
"Why, young ladies, you are very prompt," she said approvingly. "Are the inmates on your floor out of their rooms?"
"We—we—we don't know."
"We reckon they are."
"We did not stop to see."
The girls by this time came trooping out, some of them half dressed, getting ready for supper as they were when the gong sounded. They were very gay until they saw Miss Plympton; then they sobered down.
Several of the more excitable ones were weeping, certain it was a real fire.
Mary and Annie were the very last to appear. They, it seemed, had lost much time trying to find us. They were sure we would not have gone without warning them and so would not desert us.
"We looked everywhere for you!" cried Mary when she spied us. "Where on earth have you been?"