The rest of the old girls laughed as at some well known joke and the twins smiled in sympathy.

"Prue tried to have a crush on Miss Remsted last year," Poppy explained.

"We don't encourage them-crushes, I mean-at Hilltop, but Prue is stubborn-comes from New England, you know, where the word was coined-and she would have a crush in spite of the fact that she had been here two years and knew that we would have to take drastic steps to cure her."

"You did and I'm cured; can't we spare them the harrowing details?" Prue protested.

"No; it may be a lesson they'll need, and besides, Poppy loves to point a moral," Gwen remarked. "Go on, Poppy; let's hear the awful end."

"It's coming; just you listen." Poppy directed her story to the twins.

"Prue suddenly decided, about the middle of the term, that she was a budding young artist and that all she needed was a little special instruction, so she went to Miss Hull and got permission to take special art. Then she went to Miss Remsted--." Poppy paused to chuckle in antic.i.p.ation.

"Miss Remsted told her to bring her her best sketch," she continued.

"Now, Prue had never made a sketch in her life, but she reckoned it would be easy enough."

"Prue's a futurist," Gwen interrupted.

"So she about made up her mind to draw an animal. What made you choose something that was living, Prue? I never did understand."

"Then you never will, because I'm not going to tell you," Prue replied airily.

"Oh, but I am," Ann smiled reminiscently. "The day before she did the sketch she came to me and asked me if a great many artists hadn't made their start by drawing pictures of animals. I thought for a minute and then--"

"To show off the knowledge that you haven't got"-Gladys took up the story-"you casually mentioned Rosa Bonheur, and Prue went straight to her desk and--" She turned to Poppy.

"Drew-I mean sketched-the gardener's watch dog," Poppy went on. "He was a nice dog, but not very sketchable. You all know how dogs will jump 'round, so you can't blame Prue for what happened. She finished the sketch and took it to Miss Remsted."

"I did not, I _left_ it for her in the studio," Prue corrected.

"Left it; excuse me, I stand corrected," Poppy continued. "History does not repeat just what Miss Remsted said or did, but when Prue went to her desk next morning she found her dog with this little note pinned to his tail-not literally, you understand, but figuratively: 'Prue, dear; it's a very nice little rabbit, but it's a pity he has the mumps.'"

The laugh that followed was led by Prue. The twins exchanged glances.

They were both thinking how very differently some of the girls at Miss Harding's would have taken such teasing.

Phyllis always liked and was liked by girls, so she gave the matter less consideration than Janet. Janet's heart glowed; here were the kinds of girls that she had dreamed about. Their teasing stopped before it became unkind. Their laughter held no hint of derision; and, above all, she was conscious of the feeling of fellowship and understanding that existed between them. She found herself wishing that she could be the brunt of their teasing, for somehow, she felt that in that way only could she be admitted to the happy sisterhood.

"There's a strong bond between sister cla.s.ses at Hilltop," Gladys was explaining. "That's the reason that Gwen and Poppy prefer to talk to us, who are only Soph.o.m.ores, instead of joining that group of important-looking Juniors over there." She pointed to half-a-dozen girls a little older than the twins who were laughing and joking at the other side of the room.

"They'll adopt the Freshmen and make them behave," Prue exclaimed.

"While it is the Senior's painful duty to see that our cla.s.s keeps out of mischief," Gladys laughed.

The twins smiled. They liked the way these girls finished each other's sentences and interrupted each other without giving and taking offence.

Ann looked up at the clock-a grandfather one-which stood in the corner of the big room and chimed out the hours drowsily.

"'Most time for Sally to come," she announced. "Let's go and watch for her."

CHAPTER III-Sally Arrives

"May we go to the senior's retreat, Poppy?" Gladys asked. "Your balcony is such a dandy place to watch the road from."

Once more the twins felt a little tremble of pleasure. Although the girls were the best of friends in spite of the difference in their ages, the Soph.o.m.ores as a cla.s.s never failed in their respect to the Seniors.

"Yes, come along; we'll go with you," Poppy replied.

"I'd like to get the first look at Sally myself," Gwen added. "I hope she hasn't forgotten to bring Aunt Jane's Poll-parrot."

They left the ballroom and walked down the broad hall all arm-in-arm.

"Seniors all busy tonight, the lights are not lit," Prue remarked as they entered a dark room. Gwen switched on the lights and the twins found themselves in what seemed to be a delightful chintz lined nook.

It was a small room directly over the front door. The two-story piazza, with its enormous pillars, enclosed the balcony that led from it through long French windows.

"This is the Seniors' Sanctum Sanctorum," Prue explained. "When the cares of school government grow too much for them they come in here to rest."

"It is also the chamber of horrors on occasion," Gladys added. "Just wait until you've done something bad, and Poppy calls you in to give you a racking over the coals."

"Why, Gladys; what do you mean by talking like that?" Poppy protested mildly. "I just never could be severe, and I don't expect to have to be either; especially," she added seriously, "to any girl in my sister cla.s.s."

Prue and Gladys and Ann nodded approval.

"We'll be good," Ann said seriously. "We want to give you all the help possible."

Once more the twins felt a little glow of thankfulness around their hearts.

The sound of carriage wheels took them all to the balcony.

"Sally!" Gladys exclaimed; and with one accord they rushed down the stairs and out to the front porch.

Long before the carriage reached the steps, Sally was out of it. She rumbled to the ground and ran towards them, her black bag knocking against her knees.

"Where are my twins?" she demanded breathlessly.

Janet and Phyllis almost smothered her in the warmth of their embrace.

"Oh, Sally, you old darling!" Phyllis exclaimed. "You look so wonderfully natural that I could eat you up for sheer joy."

"We thought you'd never get here, and we missed you on the train like everything," Janet said.

"h.e.l.lo, Sally; it's great to have you back," Gladys shook hands heartily.

"How's Aunt Jane's Poll-parrot?" Gwen inquired. "My, how I missed that bird this summer!"

"Well, and wiser than ever," Sally laughed as she held out her hand to Poppy.