Blue Bonnet turned quickly and put her arms round Carita. "If Carita dares act like this, I'll exert my authority and spank her," she said, giving that young person a warm hug. "I'm to mother her in every particular. Isn't that right, Uncle Cliff?" "You are never to forget that you are responsible for her being here, Honey. You must make her happy and set her a good example at all times." Blue Bonnet's merry laugh brought the smiles back into Uncle Cliff's face. "I'll try and not lead her into temptation, at any rate." "That might be a good thing to remember, Blue Bonnet." "And now, dear," Miss Clyde said, "perhaps you and Carita would better go up to your rooms and get your things out of your trunks. Miss North wanted them emptied as soon as possible, so that they could be taken to the trunk-room." "All right, Aunt Lucinda. Good-by then--good-by! No, Uncle Cliff, I'm going to be good now. My love to everybody on the ranch--_everybody_, remember." She continued to wave her good-bys heroically until the corner was turned and Uncle Cliff and Miss Clyde lost to view. "Now for the unpacking, Carita. Come along. I'll help you first. That's a motherly spirit, I'm sure." "Yes, begin by spoiling me--that's right!" Blue Bonnet gave the hand in hers a little squeeze. "A little spoiling won't hurt you a bit. I doubt if a great deal would. There are some people you can't spoil." "I wouldn't advise you to try too hard," Carita laughed. They stopped first at Blue Bonnet's room, which was two floors below Carita's. "I don't like your being so far away from me, at all," Blue Bonnet said, as she turned on the light and laid her coat and hat on the bed. "That's a silly rule having the younger girls all together on one floor. They need the older girls to keep them straight." "I fancy Fraulein can do that," Carita said resignedly, remembering the eagle-faced teacher in charge of the hall. "Mary Boyd says she's a pill!" "A--what?" "A pill! I asked Mary what that meant, and she said a _dose_. You know--something you have to take and don't like." Blue Bonnet's eyes roamed ceiling-ward and a queer expression curled her lips. "You must introduce Mary to Aunt Lucinda, Carita. It would, perhaps, make her appreciate my vocabulary." "I think I'm going to like her just the same." "Aunt Lucinda?" "Oh, no! I mean--that is--I like _her_, of course. I meant Mary Boyd, my room-mate. She's awfully jolly." Carita had arrived at the school in the afternoon and had been shown to her room immediately, while Blue Bonnet finished some shopping with Uncle Cliff and Aunt Lucinda. "I think I'd like to see Mary Boyd. Let's go up to your room now and get your things out of the trunk." "Yes, we will, only my things are out. Mary helped me this afternoon while you were away. I'm all settled." Nevertheless Blue Bonnet led the way to the floor above.