The Corner House Girls at School

passages and corridors of the old Corner House. Deep shadows lay in certain corners

room. He wanted to get square with Agnes, whom he

rom the outside Neale could easily have identified the girls' room. He had seen A

He did not know that he had been put to sleep in another wing from that in which the girls' rooms

his was more brilliantly lighted by the electric lamp on the street. He stepped li

rls sleep, I bet!" whi

as a little rustling sound wi

he thick, hard variety known in New England as "Boston" crackers. He

cker through the open transom. There was a slig

ng was repeated, and Neale kept up the bombardment believing that, although

e all discharged. Not a sound now from the bombarded quarters. Chuckling, Ne

of the house, he spied a candle wit

ant out here, Neal

ll of tickle over his jok

hat smart sister of yours in

smart s

, Ag

t h

de his bed. "Nobody but Aggie would be up to such a trick, I know," c

Ruth, in dismay. "Whe

and Neale pointed. "Isn't that

h, awe-struck. "What have you done, N

n in. Her candle but dimly revealed the apartment; but it ga

h reached almost to the rag carpet that covered the floor. A cracker crunched under Ruth's slipper-shod foot.

r of the counterpane and peered under. A pair of bare heels were r

Sarah! do come o

lady. "This rickety old shebang is a-fallin' to piec

hen she remembered Neale and knew if she told the s

pick up the crackers. She collected most of them that were whole easily

er the far side of the bed. She was ready to retire,

she explained that the first missile had landed upon her h

nother landed in the small of my back, and I went over into that corner. But pieces of the ceil

poor, dea

in' down, this ain't no place fo

urged Ruth. "But if you'd li

been aired in a dog's age?" sna

leep with me? Aggie can go

re there ain't no

sitive,

But I allus told Peter this old place was bound t

ll asleep. Then the girl scrambled for the remainder of the broken

he top step of the front stai

t me savage enough to bite, at supper. What's she going to

th, overcome with laug

there. I was giving Aggie her

room. Agnes had had nothing to do with it. "I guess the joke is

t terrible

t know what she'll say to-morrow when she

f her windows was dropped down half way from the top. She was sure that some "rascally boy" outside (she glared at Neale

en--" She shook her head grimly and

to make peace with Aunt Sarah. It would have been

Neale about it unmercifully, and he showed himself to be better-n

he old Corner House were busy ones indeed. School would open th

out cobwebs, and the first and second floors of the ol

ttens in search of mice. As for the great garret that ran the full width of the front of the house, that had been cleaned so recently (

f of inestimable value in the work in hand. Uncle Rufus was saved many a groan by t

ernoon, chattering like magpies, when suddenly Neale O'Neil s

" demanded he. "Is it a

ribbon!" g

is Alfredia Blossom. And what a great bow of ribbon sh

use afire," comm

ace was recognizable under the fl

other, Petunia Blossom, washes for us, and Alfredi

s tied in front at the roots of her kinky hair into a bow, the wi

in at the side gate, drawin

ie? How-do, Tessie and Dottie? Yo

Alfredia," proclaimed

said Alfredia, rolling her

know?" asked Ag

ear, honey. Got ter look mighty fe

t bow on your head?" giggled Agne

' red sash-bow up da

peated Ruth. "Why do you w

anter, Mis

y do you

will look

ut Ruth pursued her inquiry. She wish

olks to look at yo

n' dey is Mammy's shoes, anyway. Do you 'spects I kin git by

let the colored girl go away without a pair of half-worn f

we can afford to give some away," sighed Agnes.

to breakfast with a most woebegone face, and tenderly caressing her jaw. Sh

" she wailed, when she

rnestly. "That tooth is just a little wab

u touch it!"

was reaching for some more butte

lest Kenway; "it just jumps

and go with sister to th

thie! I can't

nd it, and you pull it out yourself

he back fence into Mr. Murphy's premises and obtained a waxed-end of the cobbler. This, he

nd it's all over!

ore, and the nerve telegraphed a sense of acute pain to Dot'

her end of that waxed-end to a doorknob, and sit down and wait. Somebod

gasp

" urged Agnes. "I'm afraid

eel very badly. She betook herself to another part

behind, Dot?" whispered Tess. "I

now. And I don't want to know who is going t

take a hassock, put it behind the sitting-room door that was seldom opened, and after tyi

in at the windows, the bees buzzed, and Dot grew drowsy. Fina