Page:Duer Miller--The charm school.djvu/70

 Sally was at a very unattractive period of her development.

On their return to school the girls found that the excitement, far from abating, was increasing every hour. Trunks and cleaning-women had been seen at the white cottage. All the windows in the school-buildings which overlooked the cottage were crowded at all hours, and girls, even the most unpopular, who had rooms on that side of the house, could be sure of an unceasing flow of visitors.

Then came a late afternoon, two days later, when a geranium-colored car glided unannounced up the drive and stopped in front of the cottage door. That evening at supper the whole school was like a regiment on dress parade—every curl in place, every finger manicured. But nothing happened.

Toward the end of an anxious meal, Sally, stirred to action by a whispered word passed to her round the table, inquired of Miss Hayes, who sat next to her, whether Mr. Bevans wasn't very late for supper.

Miss Hayes had been long enough a teacher to be aware of the tense expectation with which the whole school had been watching the door, but she was tactful enough to answer, casually: