Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/102



hurried through the wood as fast as his legs could carry him; but the holiday fairies had wasted so much time teasing him about the box that he was some distance behind Repeater, and, indeed, only once heard his call, far away in the distance.

“How tiresome,” he said, “if only I could have run home by Repeater’s side, I could have talked things over and found out what was the matter; but those holiday fairies always do waste precious time.”

Once out of the wood he began to trot, and when he saw in the distance the big buildings he knew so well, he began to run faster and faster.

The big gate was not even latched, it was thrown wide open, and there was nobody to be seen near it or at the lodge.

In front of one of the biggest buildings a heavy waggon was standing. It was very full, packed with piles of exercise-books, hundreds and hundreds of books and bundles of papers.

“Perhaps the driver will know what is the matter,” said the Fraction, hurrying towards the waggon. “Something must be wrong, or somebody would be sorting that load and carrying some of those sums into the compound subtraction building.”

But when he reached the waggon he found nobody, not even a driver. The waggon stood deserted.

He ran up the steps of the buildings, ran indoors, and began shouting through the rooms:

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