ake, and it was
the very best kind of a morning possible for being out of doors. Mary Jane
walked around the block, starting toward the lake, then she went around
the block the other way, and of course she went rather slowly because
there was so much to see and to show Georgiannamore. Bright colored
crocuses were blooming in all the yards where there were houses--and in
that particular neighborhood there were many houses as well as
apartments--tulips were bursting up through the ground and the lilac buds
were swelling their plump green sides nearly to the bursting point.

On the third time around, Mary Jane thought of school--to be sure, it
couldn't be anywhere near time for school to be out, because the morning
hadn't much more than begun, but then it would be fun to go around to the
corner where the children crossed the street to go to school. There were
so many automobiles whizzing around the streets that a little girl even as
old as six couldn't be allowed to cross streets without a grown person or
an older sister along.

She went around the block to the corner where the children would come,
after a while, and there, just as she turned to start back home, thinking
she'd come here again nearer noon, she heard a commotion. Looking down the
half block to the yard around the school house she heard a bell peal out
and saw, yes, truly, crowds of children coming out of school! And just as
she was about to look around to see if there was a fire or a parade or
anything special to cause school to be dismissed early, she heard the
whistles blow for noon--the morning was gone! That's how time flies when a
person has a new doll cart!

Mary Jane waited at the corner till Alice and Frances and Betty came along
together and they all four walked home.

"You shouldn't bother to carry your cart clear upstairs every time,"
suggested Frances, "when our front porch is so handy. Just run the cart up
on the porch, lock the brake and it will be safe as can be till you eat
your lunch."

Alice thought that was a good idea too, so the cart was left there, locked
with the brake, and with the understanding that if Mrs. Merrill didn't
approve, the girls would come down and get it at once.

Lunch was ready and waiting, so the cart stayed on the porch while the
girls ate and then Mary Jane walked back toward school as far as she was
allowed to go.

By the time Mary Jane got back in front of her own apartment, Mrs. Merrill
was ready to go an