"I'm the school buffoon, in other words," commented Charlotte, dryly--evidently not much liking to be marked as a professional humorist. "I'm supposed to be '_so_ amusin', doncherknow'--and consequently, everyone is expected to haw-haw whenever I open my mouth. But if you listen carefully, you'll be surprised to hear that at times I talk sense. Now, Allison here is the school genius. You'd never suspect it, but she is. I wish to goodness that new waitress would bring me some more bread. It isn't considered stylish around here to have the bread on the table, but I do wish they'd consider my appetite."
"Is that perfectly sweet-looking girl over there your sister?" asked Katherine, indicating Alma, her slightly patronizing air still more pronounced.
"Your new rival for the golden apple, Kate," remarked Charlotte, with a grin. "And a blonde, too."
Katherine flushed, and tried to laugh off her annoyance at Charlotte's impish teasing.
"Oh, handsome is as handsome does, so they say. The question is has she a beautiful soul. Now, my soul is something wonderful--if it would only show through a bit," murmured Charlotte. "I'm plain, but good, as they say of calico. There's a rumor to the effect that Cleopatra was very ugly; hope it's so. There are two alternatives for an ugly woman--either to be tremendously good and noble, or to be very, very wicked--I can't make up my mind which career to choose. It's an awful problem."
"I'm going to take muthick lethons thith year, Tharlotte--with Mithter Conthtantini," lisped Denise Lloyd. "Don't you think he'th jutht wonderful?" Denise did not resemble her sister in the least. She was a plump, roly-poly girl of sixteen, still at the giggly, gushing stage of her life--but much more likable than the haughty Mildred.
She turned to Nancy, with the polite desire of including the new girl in the conversation, and went on with a blush, "Mithter Conthtantini is jutht _wonderful_. Are you going to take muthick lethons? You'd jutht _love_ him! And bethides, if you take muthick, you can drop thience."
"I don't think I could get very far with the piano in one year," said Nancy with a smile.
"Oh, he doethn't teach piano. He teacheth violin."
"And of course, the violin is so much simpler," remarked Charlotte. "Mr. Constantini has a rolling black eye, and an artistic temperament--inclined to have fits, _I_ think----"