“This is Glenwood School,” she said, as the big brown building on the hill rose up before them.
“I--I can’t go there,” objected the child.
“Only to the basement,” Dorothy replied, “I will have you cared for without bringing you where the pupils are. The president, Mrs. Pangborn, is a very kind woman, and when I tell her your story I am sure she will help take care of you, until we can arrange something else.”
Miette seemed speechless. What in the world could Dorothy be doing? Dragging this dirty boy along, and talking as if he were an old friend? Surely Dorothy Dale was a strange girl. Someone had told her that when she came to Glenwood. Now she understood why.
At the gate they met Tavia and Edna. The two had been after hazel nuts and were returning with hats full of the knotted green burs.
“’Lo there!” called Tavia, “want some hazels? Good mind not to give you one, you were so stingy about your old walk.”
The boy lowered his head, and pulled the ragged cap down on his eyes.
“You need not be afraid of Tavia,” spoke up Dorothy, as Tavia came up and stood staring at the strange boy.
“No, not of all things,” interrupted Dorothy with a wink at Tavia. “You see we found a hungry boy and are bringing him along to get something to eat. He came near scaring us at first, but turned out more harmed than harmful.”
Tavia looked from one to the other. Then she seemed to understand.
“Well, if he can get anything worth eating here,” she said, “I hope he’ll be good enough to pass on the tip. I’m about famished myself, and these nuts are too green for regular diet.”
“I’ve been eating them for days,” said the stranger, “but a change would go good.”
Edna looked mystified. She saw that Dorothy acted queerly--to talk so familiarly to a strange boy! But then Dorothy always tried to make people feel comfortable, she reflected; perhaps this was the case at present.
Further along they encountered other girls coming in from their exercise. All cast wondering eyes at the group with Dorothy, but the questions asked were answered vaguely--without really imparting any information, concerning the strange boy. Some of the girls were inclined to sneer, of course, but when Tavia fell back and whispered that the poor boy was almost starved, and the girls should not make fun of him, even Nita Brandt looked on with pity.