“Oh, my!  Let’s try’em!  I want to look ’not a minute over thirty-five’!” Miss Crilly waved her hands excitedly.

“How do you begin—­this way?” Miss Mullaly sprang to her feet, threw out her chest, and worked her arms up and down.

“Oh, no!” cried Polly.  “That is not it at all!  You take them lying down!”

“Mercy!” cried Miss Lily.

“I’d like that!” declared Mrs. Albright.

“Good and easy!” Miss Crilly nodded.

“Yes, they are every one to be practiced in bed, before you get up in the morning,” resumed Polly.

“What if you don’t wake early enough?” asked Mrs. Prindle with a shrug.

“Then you’re late for breakfast or lose your chance of going back to thirty-five!” laughed Miss Crilly.

“How can you thrash your arms round in bed?” Miss Mullaly queried.

“You don’t have to.  It isn’t like gymnastics.”

“Well, do tell us, Polly!  I’m just crazy to begin!” Miss Crilly laughingly shook Polly’s shoulders.

“There are so many of them,” Polly drew a long, laughing breath, “I hardly know which to take first.  There is one for the legs—­that would help in walking.  But you’ll have to lie down first.”

Miss Crilly and Miss Major hurried to the floor, Miss Mullaly following.

“Oh, lie on the bed!” cried Miss Sterling.

“This is all right.” asserted Miss Crilly.  “Go on, Polly!”

“You want to turn just a mite on your right side.  Now make your right leg firm, and put your left toes against the top of your right foot,—­yes, that’s it!—­and tense the muscles of your left leg—­hard!  Now relax!  Tense again!  Relax!  You mustn’t do it too long at first, but that’s the way—­tense and relax, ten times on this side and ten on the other.”

“Whew! takes some strength!  Why don’t you try it, girls?  It’s fun!  Miss Sterling will let you have her bed—­we’ll make it over afterwards.  Try it.  Mis’ Albright, and you, Miss Leatherland, it’ll do you good!”

“Yes, go ahead, as Miss Crilly says,” urged Miss Sterling.  “I’ve practiced that, and I think it has made me stronger.”

Polly’s class was increased to five, but the others could not be induced to make any attempt.

“There’s another that’s pretty good,” went on Polly.  “It’s for both sides, alternate, but you can learn it on your right.  Bend up your left knee, and take your left ankle in your left hand—­now pull hard, leg and hand both!  That’s right.  Pull and then relax.  Here’s another; bend your knee—­the upper one, and take it in both hands and pull hard!  Relax, and then pull again.”

“I wish there was an exercise to make thin folks fatter,” observed Miss Mullaly.

“I know some that’ll make your cheeks plump and round,” said Polly.

Little squeals of doubt greeted the announcement.

“I don’t believe they’d make my face round,” laughed Miss Leatherland.