“Perhaps I’d better wait and ask her,” she hesitated.

“No, don’t!  Miss Lucy always lets you take it,” Elsie urged.

“Yes, I know,” doubtfully.  Then she went to the shelf in the dressing-room, where the atomizer box stood.

“There is n’t a drop in it,” she said, holding the bottle to the light.  “Miss Lucy must have forgotten to fill it after I used it last time.”  Then, spying a small phial on the shelf, close to where the box had been, “Oh I guess she left it for me to fill!” And, unscrewing the chunky little bottle from the spraying apparatus, she soon had it half full.

Elsie smiled in blissful anticipation of the refreshing perfume, but as the spray fell near her she greeted it with a torrent of cries.

“Ugh, ugh!  O-o-h! take it away!”

Then Polly, too, puckered her face in disgust.  “Why, I must have put—­”

“What are you doing with that atomizer?” interrupted Miss Price’s voice.  “How came kerosene oil in here?  Have you been spraying it around?”

“I did n’t know it was kerosene,” answered Polly meekly.  “I s’posed it was the resodarizer—­”

“Deoderizer, child!”

“Oh, yes, I get it twisted!  It’s that kind that smells so nice.”

Miss Price gave a little laugh.  “Well, this does n’t smell nice.”

“I’m sorry,” mourned Polly.  “I don’t see how a kerosene bottle came up there—­oh, I know!  Miss Lucy was putting some on her watch, the other day, and she was called off—­I remember!  She must have left it there.”

“But the bottle is labeled,” Miss Price replied, fetching it from the table where Polly had set it down.  “Can’t you read?”

“If course I can!” she answered, a little indignant at the question.  “I guess I was thinking of—­something else,” she ended.

“David” had been on her tongue, but she kept the name back.

“Don’t you know that you should always have your mind on what you do?  It is a mercy that you did not get hold of anything worse.”

“I could n’t,” Polly protested.  “The poisons and all such things are up in the medicine closet, and that’s always locked.”

“You have been allowed too much liberty,” Miss Price went on. “hereafter remember that you are not to touch a bottle of any description.  But, then,” she added, half to herself, but which came plainly to Polly’s ear, “there is no need of such an order while I am in charge.  I shall see that none are left within reach.”

The child’s eyes flashed.  This clear implication of the one she adored set loose her temper, and she burst out passionately:—­

“Miss Lucy always does everything just right, and I think it’s mean of you to hint that she does n’t!”

Miss \Price looked steadily at Polly, the color wavering on her cheeks; then she said, with more than her usual gentleness:—­

“Polly, I am sorry, but I think I shall have to punish you.  You may go and sit in that wooden chair over there, with your back to the window.  Do not stir or speak until I give you permission.”