baby sister— she's three months old, she said.”
“I haven't got a baby sister!” said Sally, in a low, queer voice. “I'm the only one. Mother and I have been everything to each other, because Daddy has had to be away such a lot. I haven't got a baby sister!”
The girls looked at Sally curiously. Whatever could be the matter with her? She sounded so queer.
“All right,” said Darrell, uneasily. “ You ought to know, I suppose. Anyway, I expect you'd like a sister. It's nice having one.”
“I should hate a sister,” said Sally. “I wouldn't share my mother with anyone!”
She walked out of the room, her face as wooden as ever. The girls were really puzzled. “She's a funny one,” said Irene. “Hardly ever says anything—all closed up, some-how. But sometimes those closed-up people burst open suddenly— and then, look out!”
“Well, I shall certainly write and tell Mother she's mistaken,” said Darrell, and she did so, then and there. She told Sally the next time she saw her.
“I'm sorry I made that mistake about your having a sister,” she said to Sally. “I've written to tell Mother you said you hadn't one. She must have mistaken what your mother said.”
Sally stood still and glared at Darrell as if she suddenly hated her. “What do you want to go interfering for?” she burst out. “Leave me and my family alone! Little busybody, always sticking your nose into other people's affairs!”
Darrell's temper flared up. “I don't,” she said. “You guard your tongue, Sally. I never meant to interfere, and I can't think what all the fuss is about. Either you have a sister or you haven't. I don't care.”
“You tell your mother not to interfere either!” said Sally. “ Writing letters about my family!”
“Oh, don't be so silly! ” flared back Darrell, really exasperated now. “Anyone would think there was a deep, dark mystery, the way you go on! Anyway, I'll just see what my mother says when she next writes to me—and I'll tell you.”
“I don't want to know. I won't know!” said Sally, and she put out her hands as if she was fending Darrell off. “I hate you, Darrell Rivers—you with your mother who comes to see you off, and sends you things and writes you long letters and comes to see you! And you boast about that to me; you do it all on purpose. You're mean, mean, mean!”
Darrell was utterly taken aback. What in the wide world did Sally mean? She watched the girl go out of the room, and sank down on to a form, completely bewildered.
Half-term at last!
THE girls became very excited at the beginning of half-term week. Many of them would see their parents on the Saturday—and Miss Remmington, the games-mistress, had suddenly decided to have a small edition of the Swimming Sports for the benefit of the parents. Everyone who visited Malory Towers was struck with the beautiful natural pool, and loved to see it.
“So it would be nice this half-term, as it's so hot, for your people to go down to the breezy pool, and see not only the beauties of the water, but the way their girls can swim and dive!” said Miss Remmington. “We will have a pleasant time down there and then come back for a strawberry and cream tea, with ices!”
What fun! Darrell hugged herself with joy whenever she thought of it. She had got on so well with her swimming and diving, and she knew her parents would be pleased. And strawberries and ice cream afterwards. How simply wizard!
But she was rather taken aback on Wednesday when the half-term places were read out. Instead of being in the first three or four, as she had hoped, she was tenth from the bottom. She could hardly believe her ears! Katherine was top, Alicia was fifth, Betty was fourteenth, Gwendoline was bottom—Mary-Lou was sixth from the bottom, not very far below Darrell!
Darrell sat very quiet whilst the rest of the marks were read out. There were thirty or so girls in her form—and more than twenty of them had done better than she had.
“I haven't got a baby sister!” said Sally, in a low, queer voice. “I'm the only one. Mother and I have been everything to each other, because Daddy has had to be away such a lot. I haven't got a baby sister!”
The girls looked at Sally curiously. Whatever could be the matter with her? She sounded so queer.
“All right,” said Darrell, uneasily. “ You ought to know, I suppose. Anyway, I expect you'd like a sister. It's nice having one.”
“I should hate a sister,” said Sally. “I wouldn't share my mother with anyone!”
She walked out of the room, her face as wooden as ever. The girls were really puzzled. “She's a funny one,” said Irene. “Hardly ever says anything—all closed up, some-how. But sometimes those closed-up people burst open suddenly— and then, look out!”
“Well, I shall certainly write and tell Mother she's mistaken,” said Darrell, and she did so, then and there. She told Sally the next time she saw her.
“I'm sorry I made that mistake about your having a sister,” she said to Sally. “I've written to tell Mother you said you hadn't one. She must have mistaken what your mother said.”
Sally stood still and glared at Darrell as if she suddenly hated her. “What do you want to go interfering for?” she burst out. “Leave me and my family alone! Little busybody, always sticking your nose into other people's affairs!”
Darrell's temper flared up. “I don't,” she said. “You guard your tongue, Sally. I never meant to interfere, and I can't think what all the fuss is about. Either you have a sister or you haven't. I don't care.”
“You tell your mother not to interfere either!” said Sally. “ Writing letters about my family!”
“Oh, don't be so silly! ” flared back Darrell, really exasperated now. “Anyone would think there was a deep, dark mystery, the way you go on! Anyway, I'll just see what my mother says when she next writes to me—and I'll tell you.”
“I don't want to know. I won't know!” said Sally, and she put out her hands as if she was fending Darrell off. “I hate you, Darrell Rivers—you with your mother who comes to see you off, and sends you things and writes you long letters and comes to see you! And you boast about that to me; you do it all on purpose. You're mean, mean, mean!”
Darrell was utterly taken aback. What in the wide world did Sally mean? She watched the girl go out of the room, and sank down on to a form, completely bewildered.
Half-term at last!
THE girls became very excited at the beginning of half-term week. Many of them would see their parents on the Saturday—and Miss Remmington, the games-mistress, had suddenly decided to have a small edition of the Swimming Sports for the benefit of the parents. Everyone who visited Malory Towers was struck with the beautiful natural pool, and loved to see it.
“So it would be nice this half-term, as it's so hot, for your people to go down to the breezy pool, and see not only the beauties of the water, but the way their girls can swim and dive!” said Miss Remmington. “We will have a pleasant time down there and then come back for a strawberry and cream tea, with ices!”
What fun! Darrell hugged herself with joy whenever she thought of it. She had got on so well with her swimming and diving, and she knew her parents would be pleased. And strawberries and ice cream afterwards. How simply wizard!
But she was rather taken aback on Wednesday when the half-term places were read out. Instead of being in the first three or four, as she had hoped, she was tenth from the bottom. She could hardly believe her ears! Katherine was top, Alicia was fifth, Betty was fourteenth, Gwendoline was bottom—Mary-Lou was sixth from the bottom, not very far below Darrell!
Darrell sat very quiet whilst the rest of the marks were read out. There were thirty or so girls in her form—and more than twenty of them had done better than she had.
Similar Books
