hall we play at?"

Cecilia brushed the hair from her brow.

"I don't know," she said vaguely. "It's too big to think of; and I can't
think in this awful house, anyhow. Take me out, quick, please, Bobby."

"Sure," said Bob, regarding her with an understanding eye. "But you want
to change or something, don't you, old girl?"

"Why, yes, I suppose I do," said Cecilia, with a watery smile, looking
at her schoolroom overall. "I forgot clothes. I've had a somewhat packed
morning."

"You look as if this had been your busy day," remarked Bob. "Right-oh,
old girl; jump into your things, and I'll wait on the mat. Any chance of
the she-dragon coming back?"

"No; she's gone out to tea."

"More power to her," said Bob cheerfully. "And the dragon puppies?"

"Oh, they're safely out of the way. I won't be five minutes, Bob. Don't
shut the door tight--you might disappear before I opened it."

"Not much," said Bob, through the crack of the door. "I'm a fixture.
Want any shoes cleaned?"

"No, thanks, Bobby dear. I have everything ready."

"From what the other fellows say about their sisters, I'm inclined to
believe that you're an ornament to your sex," remarked Bob. "When you
say five minutes, it really does mean not more than five and a half, as
a rule; other girls seem to mean three-quarters of an hour."

"I get all my things ready the night before when I'm going to meet you,"
said Cecilia. "Catch me losing any time on my one day out. You can come
back again--my coat's on the hanger there, Bobby." He put her into it
deftly, and she leaned back against him. "If you knew how good it is
to see you again--and you smell of clean fresh air and good tobacco and
Russia leather, and all sorts of nice things."

"Good gracious, I'll excite attention in the street!" grinned Bob. "I
didn't imagine I was a walking scent-factory!"

"Neither you are--but everything in this house smells of coal-smoke and
cabbage-water and general fustiness, and you're a nice change, that's
all," said Cecilia. They ran downstairs together light-heartedly, and
let themselves out into the street.

"Do we catch a train or a 'bus?"

"Oh, can't we walk?" Cecilia said. "I think if I walked hard I might
forget Mrs. Rainham."

"I'd hate you to remember her," Bob said. "Tell me what she has been
doing, anyhow, and then we won't think of her any more."

"It doesn't sound much," Cecilia said. "There never is anything very
much. Only it goes on all the time." Sh