old man, his arm still rigid, in the
gesture of hurling, the fallen child and the broken pot--who could
guess that it was horror at his uncalculated deed which kept him in
that pose?

Not Dorothy, who caught up little Grace and turned a furious face upon
poor John, crying out in fierce contempt:

"Oh! you horrible old man! First you tried to kill me and now you have
killed her!"

CHAPTER XIV

EXPLANATIONS ARE IN ORDER

Dorothy ran straight to the Lady Principal's room, too horrified by
what she imagined was the case to pause on the way and too excited to
feel the heavy burden she carried.

Nobody met her to stop her or inquire what had happened. Gwendolyn had
been called to join her mother and had seen nothing of the incident,
and Dorothy burst into the pretty parlor--only to find it empty.
Laying Millikins down on the couch she started to find help, but was
promptly called back by the child herself.

"Where you going, Dolly Doodles? What you carry me for, running so?"

"Why--why--darling--can you _speak_? Are you _alive_? Oh! you
dear--you dear! I thought you were killed!" cried the relieved girl
kneeling beside the couch and hugging the astonished little one.

"Why for can't I speak, Dorothy? Why for can't I be alive? The
'reptile' didn't bite me, it bited _him_. That's why he hollered so
and flung things. See, Dolly, I'm all wet with smelly stuff like
'meddy' some kind, that Dawkins made him. And what you think? Soon's
he started drinking it the 'reptile' must not have liked it and must
have bited him to make him stop--'Ou-u-c-ch!' Just like that he said
it, an' course I runned, an' the tea-pot flew, an' I fell down, and
you come, grabbed me and said things, and--and--But the reptile didn't
get Gracie, did it? No it didn't, 'cause I runned like anything, and
'cause you come, and--Say, Dolly! I guess I'd rather see 'em in the
book. I guess I don't want to get acquainted with no live ones like I
thought I did. No, sir!"

"What in the world do you mean, Baby? Whatever are you talking about?
Oh! you mischief, you gave poor Dolly such a fright when you fell down
like that!"

"Why, Dolly Doodles, how funny! I fall down lots of times. Some days I
fall down two-ten-five times, and sometimes I'd cry, but Auntie Prin
don't like that. She'll say right off: 'There, Millikins, I wouldn't
bother to do that. You haven't hurt the floor any.' So course I stop.
'Cause if I had hurted the floor she'd let me cry