Part 13 (1/2)

And hurry they did.

Blue Bonnet turned out the light in her room, which she had left burning, and threw up the window blinds, letting in a stream of silver light.

”I reckon we can undress by that,” she said, ”and I can get up an hour earlier in the morning and unpack.”

But the rising-bell had been sounding some seconds when Blue Bonnet opened her eyes to the light the next morning. She sprang out of bed with a bound, and dragged forth Carita, who still clung to her slumbers.

”Get up, Carita,” she said. ”That's some kind of a bell ringing for something or other--goodness knows what! Maybe it's breakfast. I don't know.”

A look at her watch rea.s.sured her. Seven o'clock. Breakfast was at seven-thirty--she remembered hearing that somewhere.

”Oh, Blue Bonnet, I could have slept twenty minutes yet,” Carita wailed sleepily. ”I can dress for a party in ten minutes. Yes, I can, honestly!”

”Maybe--in Texas! You're in Boston now. Boston means a cold bath with a good rub, and getting into your clothes for the day--all of which takes time.”

At seven-thirty they were dressed, waiting for the breakfast-bell to ring.

The dining-room at Miss North's was not large, but it was cheerful and inviting. There were some five or six tables and at the head of each sat a teacher.

Miss North met Blue Bonnet and Carita at the door and took them to her own table. When the meal was over she a.s.signed them to their regular places, and again Blue Bonnet found to her dismay that she and Carita were separated.

As they left the dining-room Mary Boyd came along and took Carita off peremptorily.

”I'll take care of her,” Mary announced, with a wave and a smile.

”She'll be in a lot of my cla.s.ses.” They pa.s.sed on, arm in arm.

Blue Bonnet was feeling a bit forlorn and neglected when a voice, soft and sweet, said at her elbow:

”Miss North has asked me to show you about this morning.”

Blue Bonnet turned and looked into the face of the Southern girl she had admired the first day she visited the school.

”Perhaps you don't remember me, but we were introduced. My name is Annabel Jackson.”

”Oh, I remember you--yes, indeed; and I'm Blue Bonnet Ashe.”

”We have prayers the first thing,” Annabel said, leading the way to the chapel. ”The gong will ring in five minutes. I reckon we won't be too early if we go now.”

”Dear me, do you have a gong to breathe by?” Blue Bonnet asked laughingly. ”Seems to me one rings every five minutes.”

”Not quite; but that little electric hammer runs the school--with Miss North behind it.”

Miss North's school was supposed to be non-sectarian, so far as religious government went; but in expression it was very much Episcopalian.

Blue Bonnet listened to the prayers read in a pleasant monotone by one of the teachers, taking part in the responses.

Prayers over, Annabel led the way up-stairs.

”We have a half hour to put our rooms in order,” she said, leaving Blue Bonnet at her own door. ”I'll call for you in a little while. I'm just down the hall--number fifteen--if you get through first, stop for me.”