"The hour for the closing of school has arrived, young ladies, and you
are dismissed," said Miss Diana; and she also sailed from the room.
Instantly the girls, some twenty in number, flocked about Lulu with
eager, excited exclamations and questions.
"Did he really strike you, Lu?"
"How did you take it?"
"I hope you returned the blow? I certainly shall if ever he dares to lift
his hand to me." This from a haughty-looking brunette of fourteen or
fifteen.
"Brings it down, you mean, with a snap of his pointer on your fingers,"
laughed a merry little girl with golden hair and big blue eyes.
Neither Rosie nor Evelyn had spoken as yet, though the one was standing,
the other sitting, close at Lulu's side.
Lulu's left hand lay in her lap, her handkerchief wrapped loosely about
it. Eva gently removed the handkerchief, and tears sprang to her eyes at
sight of the wounded fingers.
"Oh, Lu!" she cried in accents of love and pity, "how he has hurt you!"
A shower of exclamations followed from the others. "Hasn't he? the vile
wretch!"
"Cruel monster! worst of savages! He ought to be flogged within an inch
of his life!"
"He ought to be shot down like a dog!"
"He ought to be hung!"
"It's a very great shame," said Rosie, putting her arm affectionately
round Lulu's neck.
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