Mother Blossom and Miss Florence laughed.

"I begin to think the other children are the attraction, not school,"

said Mother Blossom. "However, Meg must run along if she is to be back by lunch time. I'll give you and Bobby each fifty cents, dear. And suppose Dot and Twaddles have a quarter each to spend? Going to school without a shiny new pencil box isn't to be thought of, I'm sure."

Meg and Dot ran downstairs and found Twaddles and Bobby had tired of teaching Philip to jump through a hoop, and were busily cracking stones in the driveway.

"Some of 'em might be valuable," said Bobby, when Meg asked him why he was doing that. "I heard a boy talking about it once. Might have gold or iron ore in."

"Well, we're going uptown to buy elastic and school things," said Meg.

"Mother gave me the money in this purse. Fifty cents is for you, and the twins can spend a quarter."

The four little Blossoms set off on their errand, and Philip tagged along after them. He wasn't interested in school supplies, but he dearly loved a walk.

"I'll get the 'lastic first," decided Meg, when they reached the street where most of the Oak Hill stores were. "Don't buy anything till I get that."

The others waited while the elastic was measured and wrapped, and after Meg had paid for it they went over to the fascinating counter where all the things one needs in school were displayed.

"h.e.l.lo!" said a girl who was looking at a blank book when the four little Blossoms came up. "You been away?"

This was Nina Mills. She was an untidy looking child and her hands were not very clean. But she smiled pleasantly enough.

"We've been in the country," Meg informed her, as Bobby and Twaddles and Dot apparently couldn't find anything to say. "We went to see our Aunt Polly."

"Oh," said Nina Mills. "That's nice. I wish I could go off on visits.

You coming to school Monday?"

"Bobby and I are," Meg answered. "The twins are too little."

The twins frankly scowled. How they did hate being "too young" to do so many things they wished to do.

"Yes, they're too little," agreed Nina Mills. "You'll be in Miss Mason's room. So'm I. I'm in Bobby's cla.s.s. Well, I guess I have to go now. Good-by."

"Good-by," said the four little Blossoms awkwardly.

"Now hurry up and let's get our things 'fore any one else comes,"

proposed Bobby, who did not like to talk to people he did not know very well. "I'm going to buy this ruler that folds up, Meg."

Meg was busy trying a key in a pencil box.

"It's fifty cents and I can't get anything else, but look at all the things in it," she said. "Pencils and rubbers and pens. I guess I'll take this one."

The twins were examining a box of crayons and Dot was sure that she could learn to write only with the box that held the most colors.

"An' I want two blotting papers, pink and blue," she told the good-natured saleswoman. "An' a pencil with a blue stone in it."

"I'll take these chalk ones," decided Twaddles, choosing a box of soft, chalky crayons. "I'd like a bottle of glue, too, and a red book."

The red book was a little cash account book such as Twaddles had seen Father Blossom use.

With their parcels neatly tied up, the four little Blossoms started back home, Philip trotting on ahead.

"Let's walk around by the school," suggested Meg. "It's only the next block and we've plenty of time."

"All right, let's," a.s.sented Bobby. "I'll show you Miss Mason's room."

CHAPTER III

STARTING SCHOOL

"You see," explained Bobby, as the children turned down the street that led past the schoolhouse, "primary school isn't so awfully important. That's why the grammar and high school got the new building; I heard old Hornbeck say so."

"You shouldn't call him old Hornbeck," said Meg reprovingly. "Mother says it isn't respectful."

Bobby didn't answer, for they had reached the primary school building and he was busy counting windows to find Miss Mason's room. The Oak Hill primary grades occupied an old building on a corner lot, while the grammar and high schools were housed in a handsome modern building a few blocks away, with a playground and even an extra lot for the school gardens. But the primary children really had a better time by themselves, and were certainly spared a great amount of teasing.

"----Five, six," finished Bobby. "There--see the sixth window on the second floor? That's our room, Meg."

Meg gazed interestedly at the window that looked exactly like all the other windows and yet was different to her because it was a part of the schoolroom she had never seen.

"Is Miss Mason cross, Bobby?" she asked timidly.

"Not always," said Bobby encouragingly. "Course if you whisper or giggle, or chew chewing gum----My! how she does hate chewing gum," he added. "But most times she is nice. And you ought to hear her read stories!"

Miss Mason taught two sections of the first and second years, and so it happened that Meg would be in the same room with Bobby, although this was her first year at school and his second. Last year Meg had gone to a small private kindergarten, but she was very eager to go to what she called a "real school."

"I think it's mean we can't go," complained Twaddles, scuffing his feet moodily as Bobby and Meg went on ahead. "We wouldn't hurt their old school!"

"Maybe they'll be sorry," said Dot. "Some day they'll want us to go to school and we won't!"

Lunch was ready when the four little Blossoms reached home, and after lunch more dresses were waiting for Meg to try on. Miss Florence came and sewed another day, and then, finally, the first morning of the school term arrived.

"I hear this is a very important day," announced Father Blossom smilingly at breakfast. "Don't tell me it is a birthday, and I've forgotten all about it!"

Meg dimpled.

"'Tisn't a birthday, Daddy," she declared.

Father Blossom pretended to be very much worried.

"I know it isn't Christmas," he said anxiously, "because it isn't cold enough. And it can't be the Fourth of July. What day is it, Meg?"

"The first day of school!" p.r.o.nounced Meg triumphantly. "And I'm going. See, I have on a new dress, and here's my pencil case, and my hat has new elastic----"

"Well! well! well!" exclaimed Father Blossom, "is it possible? My eldest daughter old enough to go to school! I suppose in another year or so the twins will be clamoring for pencil cases and we won't have any children who have time to play."