said Valerie, looking after the flying
figures.

"And 'The Fender' will be waiting for a chance to scold them when they
come in," said Betty.

As they pushed the gate open, they saw a little figure disappearing
around the corner of the house.

"That was Ida Mayo," said Valerie.

"I didn't see her face. Are you sure it was Ida?" Betty asked.

"Oh, it was Ida," Valerie answered, "and I do wonder why she stays in
her room all the time. If she happens to come down when the girls are
out, she runs, the moment she sees any of us coming."

"It's a long time ago that she was sick," Betty replied, "but she must
be all right by this time. I wonder why she ran when she saw us? We
don't know her well enough to stop her to talk. She's bigger than we
are, and she's three classes above us."

"Who told you she stayed in her own room all the time?" continued Betty.

"Patricia Levine said so," Valerie said.

"Why, Valerie Dare, you know Patricia tells--well--things that aren't
_really_ true," said Betty.

"Well, we don't see Ida, now, as we used to," Valerie said.

"That might just happen," said Betty.

It happened that what Patricia had said was true.

The so-called "beautifier" had injured the skin so severely that it
required time to heal it.

Mrs. Marvin had said that Ida was feeling far from well, which was true.

Her vanity had prompted her to do a foolish thing, and she had suffered
for it, both because of her painful face, and because in her
nervousness, she had cried until completely tired out.

Mrs. Marvin had talked with her kindly and wisely, she had let old Judy
take her meals up to her room, and she had personally given her private
instruction, for she pitied the silly girl, and sought to keep curious
ones from annoying her.

Ida had hastened away when she had seen the two younger girls coming
because there still were traces on her cheeks of the burning caused by
the patent "beautifier," and she seemed more afraid of the comments of
the younger girls, than of her own classmates.

As the two girls entered the hall they saw that the tall clock marked
the time as quarter-past five.

"Fifteen minutes to fix up just a bit," said Betty. "Come on!"

They raced up the stairs and soon reached their room.

Valerie was ready first, because Betty had found a letter waiting for
her, and promptly sat down to read it.

"You'd better not stop to read it," cautioned Valerie, "for when we came
in we had only fifte