"You forget she dressed up in her best and entertained them yesterday," said Mary Lee, laughing. "What did you talk about, kitten?"
"Oh, fings to eat, and--and horses and--dogs."
"No wonder then they found something to say," laughed Nan. "Now run along and get ready for school. Mary Lee will start later and I may not get there at all."
"There isn't going to be any school to-day," returned Jean.
"I don't know. She said this morning when we were getting dressed that there wasn't going to be any school to-day."
"It isn't a holiday. I'd like to know why," said Nan reflectively. "Are you sure, Jean?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I asked Jack twice and both times she said: 'There isn't going to be any school.'"
"To be sure we weren't there yesterday," said Nan, "and she probably heard from some one over at Cousin Mag's. Where is Jack?"
Jean went out. She saw nothing of her twin, so she sought the dog who would be a willing and able help in finding Jack.
As she stood at the gate, looking up and down the street, the two boys came out. "What are you looking for?" asked Randolph.
The boy gave a short laugh. "You'll find it soon enough if you look for it," he said, passing on and leaving Jean much puzzled by his remark. Finding neither Jack nor Trouble in this direction, she sought Unc' Landy and Trouble was discovered gnawing a ham bone by the old man's cabin door. "Come, Trouble, find Jack," called Jean.
The dog dropped his bone, cocked his head to one side, flopped an ear over one eye and looked at her brightly.
"Find Jack. Come, where's Jack?" repeated Jean. Then Trouble understood, and set off down the street, Jean following.
Just before the schoolhouse was reached, Jack was discovered sitting on the steps of a vacant house. She had settled herself there before any of the school children came that way. There were too many interesting things occurring for Jack to wish to waste her time at school, and she had argued out a plan of proceeding which ought to satisfy everybody, she reflected. There could be no school without scholars and she would see to it that there were no scholars. As each child came along she promptly called out: "There isn't going to be any school to-day." She felt that this was strict truth. The first arrivals turned back all too readily and repeated Jack's words to the others they met, so that within the schoolroom the teacher wondered and waited till ten o'clock. By that time Jack, feeling that the day was saved, left the steps where she had been sitting and went to the station to wait the first train in from Washington.