basket in hand, and
very self-conscious, down the hill to the shops.

The church clock struck twelve as she reached the doctor's. In a few
minutes the children would all be pouring out of school, and wouldn't they
stare when they saw her! She felt almost shy at the thought of facing
them, and gladly turned into Mr. Henders' out of their way. She would
dawdle about in there, she told herself, until most of them had gone by.

She did dawdle about until Mrs. Henders asked her twice if there was
anything more that she wanted, and, as she could not pretend that there
was, she had to step out and face the world again. Fortunately, though,
only the older and sedater girls were to be seen. Philippa Luxmore and
Patty Row, each carrying her dinner bag, Winnie Maunders, and Kitty
Johnson, and one or two Mona did not know to speak to.

Philippa and Patty always brought their dinner with them, as the school
was rather far from their homes. Sometimes they had their meal in the
schoolroom, but, if the weather was warm and dry, they liked best to eat
it out of doors, down on the rocks, or in a field by the school.

When they caught sight of Mona they rushed up to her eagerly. "Oh, my!
How nice you look, Mona. What a pretty frock! It's new, isn't it?
Are you going to wear it every day or only on Sundays?"

"Oh, every day." Mona spoke in a lofty tone. "It's only one of my working
frocks. I've got two. The other's a blue one. Mother's made them for
me."

"Um! Your mother is good to you, Mona Carne! I wish I'd got frocks like
that for working in. I'd be glad to have them for Sundays. Where are you
going?"

"Home."

"Oh, don't go home yet. Patty and me are going down to eat our dinner on
the rocks. Come on down too. You won't hurt your frock."

"I don't think I can stay--I ought to go back. I've got mother's medicine
here. It's getting on for dinner-time, too, and father's home to-day."
Glancing up the road, she caught sight of Millie Higgins and another girl
in the distance. She particularly did not want to meet Millie just then.
She made such rude remarks, and she always fingered things so. Mona had
not forgiven her either for leading her astray the day her mother went
into Baymouth.

She hesitated a moment and was lost. She turned and walked away from her
home. Philippa slipped her arm through hers on one side, and Patty on the
other, and almost before she knew where she was she was racing with them
t