Dora read “Doctor Dolittle” through five times. Then she looked once more at every picture and returned the book to the library, just as clean and nice as when she took it. She told Miss Perkins that she liked that story best of any book she had ever read. Miss Perkins said she liked it herself. That was the reason she chose it for Dora to take to the beach. Dora remembered to ask for the book for Father about the marionettes and she told Miss Perkins about seeing them in Boston. She was pleased to know that Miss Perkins had seen those very plays, the rabbit play and the one about Jack. Miss Perkins found two books for Father to read about them. One was a big book and she thought it was rather heavy for Dora to carry, but Dora thought she could manage it. Once or twice on the way home, she would rest it on a wall. The weather grew so cool that even the big girls played games at recess. It was pleasanter to run about than to stand still and let the wind blow right through one. To stand still, it was necessary to get into a corner where the sun shone brightly and the wind couldn’t come. Miss Leger always dismissed her children before Miss Scott’s room came out, and Dora would wait for Lucy. One afternoon, Miss Scott’s class filed out, walking two and two across the school grounds to the sidewalk, where they broke ranks and began to skip and prance. Dora was waiting, but Lucy was not in the file. “Where is Lucy?” she asked Dorothy Barrows. “Miss Scott kept her after school,” said Dorothy. “Lucy has been very naughty, so naughty that we are none of us to tell what she did.” Dora felt sorry to hear this, but she could not believe that Lucy had been more than a little naughty. The other children all went home, but Dora waited in the cold wind, trying to keep warm by jumping up and down. She kept looking at the schoolhouse to see when Lucy came. It grew later and later and Dora was afraid that Mother would worry, but she could not leave Lucy to walk home alone. Lucy would need to be comforted when she came out. After a long time Lucy did come, and her face was swollen with crying and her eyes were red. In her hand she held a note. When Dora saw the note, she knew that Lucy had been really naughty. Anybody who was given a note to take home had done something shocking. Dora ran to meet Lucy and kissed her. Then she held her arm and did not say a word. Lucy began to cry again and walked slower and slower. Dora was cold and wanted to walk fast. “What is the matter?” Dora asked when they had gone about a block. “Was Miss Scott cross to you?” Lucy nodded and choked. She tried to speak but only cried the harder. When they reached the brown cottage, Mother was watching for them. She came and opened the door. “Where _have_ you been?” she asked. “You are very late and you know I want you always to come straight home after school.” Then Mother saw how Lucy looked. Dora began to cry also, just because she was so sorry for Lucy.