Certainly Rosie Brine acted like a boy—­Maida proved that to herself in the next few days when she watched Rose-Red again and again.  But if she were a tom-boy, she was also, Maida decided, the most beautiful and the most wonderful little girl in the world.  And, indeed, Rosie was so full of energy that it seemed to spurt out in the continual sparkle of her face and the continual movement of her body.  She never walked.  She always crossed the street in a series of flying jumps.  She never went through a gate if she could go over the fence, never climbed the fence if she could vault it.  The scarlet cape was always flashing up trees, over sheds, sometimes to the very roofs of the houses.  Her principal diversion seemed to be climbing lamp-posts.  Maida watched this proceeding with envy.  One athletic leap and Rose-Red was clasping the iron column half-way up—­a few more and she was swinging from the bars under the lantern.  But she was accomplished in other ways.  She could spin tops, play “cat” and “shinney” as well as any of the boys.  And as for jumping rope—­if two little girls would swing for her, Rosie could actually waltz in the rope.

The strangest thing about Rosie was that she did not always go to school like the other children.  The incident of the dog happened on Thursday.  Friday morning, when the children filed into the schoolhouse, Rosie did not follow them.  Instead, she hid herself in a doorway until after the bell rang.  A little later she sneaked out of her hiding place, joined Arthur Duncan at the corner, and disappeared into the distance.  Just before twelve they both came back.  For a few moments, they kept well concealed on a side street, out of sight of Primrose Court.  But, at intervals, Rosie or Arthur would dart out to a spot where, without being seen, they could get a glimpse of the church clock.  When the children came out of school at twelve, they joined the crowd and sauntered home.

Monday morning Maida saw them repeat these maneuvers.  She was completely mystified by them and yet she had an uncomfortable feeling.  They were so stealthy that she could not help guessing that something underhand was going on.

“Do you know Rosie Brine?” Maida asked Dicky Dore one evening when they were reading together.

“Sure!” Dicky’s face lighted up.  “Isn’t she a peach?”

“They say she is a tom-boy,” Maida objected.  “Is she?”

“Surest thing you know,” Dicky said cheerfully.  “She won’t take a dare.  You ought to see her playing stumps.  There’s nothing a boy can do that she won’t do.  And have you noticed how she can spin a top—­the best I ever saw for a girl.”

Then boys liked girls to be tom-boys.  This was a great surprise.

“How does it happen that she doesn’t go to school often?”

Dicky grinned.  “Hooking jack!”

“Hooking jack?” Maida repeated in a puzzled tone.

“Hooking jack—­playing hookey—­playing truant.”  Dicky watched Maida’s face but her expression was still puzzled.  “Pretending to go to school and not going,” he said at last.