Have you ever noticed the effect "Tut, tut," has on an angry person? Sometimes it's quite dreadful. Polly was no exception. She stamped her foot, threw her Latin book violently on the floor and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Punishment followed as a matter of course. Polly had expected to be sent to Mrs. Baird. She did not know how thoroughly the Spartan disapproved of her superior's gentle lectures, preferring more drastic measures.
It was not until after school, however, that she learned her fate. It was in the shape of a note that read as follows:
"Kindly keep silence for the afternoon; report in the study hall and make up today's lesson, the advance lesson, and translate the first ten lines of story on page 35. Bring work to my room."
"Hard luck," sympathized Lois, reading over Polly's shoulder. "That means no coasting. I wish I could help you." Then putting her arm around her. "There, dear, never mind, don't cry."
"I'm not," denied Polly, hastily daubing at her eyes, "but if you stay here any longer, I will. Go on, or I'll blub."
Lois left to hunt up Betty, who had completely recovered from her ducking and again grinned joyously on the world. Together they went out to coast. As they passed the bulletin board Lois stopped and read:
There will be a lecture on anatomy, by Miss F. Tilden-Brown, in Assembly Hall, at 8 P. M. tonight.
"The dickens there will," exclaimed Betty. "Anatomy forsooth, and by Miss Tilden-Brown. Nothing a woman with a name like that could say would interest me."
"That's right, think of yourself instead of poor Polly. Latin all afternoon and anatomy all evening."
"Hum; she's already in a sweet temper," she mused. "I see trouble ahead."
At 4:30 Polly, with her finished papers in her hand, crossed the Bridge of Sighs and knocked at Miss Hale's door.
She was attired in a flowered kimono and was in the act of brushing her mouse-colored hair.
"My papers, Miss Hale," announced Polly in her most frigid tones.
"Very well, if you will put them on my table, please." Then as she turned to leave the room the demon in the Spartan prompted her to add: "Have you nothing to say? You know it is customary when one has thrown books about, to--"
"Oh, an apology," interrupted Polly. "I suppose Mrs. Baird would wish it." And looking straight into Miss Hale's watery blue eyes, she said: "I apologize."