“But Dol is something of a foreigner, while Shirley seems to be all American,” replied Jane.  “Just fancy Americanizing an American born and bred!  But this Shirley girl surely needs some sort of treatment.  Her week of dusting Dozia’s room is up today.  I hope the lesson brought down her hoity-toity a peg or two.  There come the girls from the village.  Be prepared for more ghost stories for I see Ted Guthrie gasping, even at this distance.  And behold the windmills—­ Dozia’s arm!  Something very exciting must have happened.”

“Jane!  Jane!” shouted Janet Clarke, the advance guard of the line of girls marching in from the village.  “Oh, you missed it!  Hello, Maud,” seeing Jane’s companion.  “You girls will stick around a stuffy old gym, will you?  Well, then, you have got to miss things.  Come on in, children, and watch Jane’s hair shoot sparks.  Inez, you take the first two paragraphs while I get my breath, and, Winifred, don’t forget those adjectives you hit me with under the oaks.”

“Do tell?” begged Jane.  “Whatever has happened and where is Judith?”

“Arrested!” gasped Inez.

“What?  What are you talking about?” demanded Jane.  The girls really seemed frightened.

“Yes—­she is gone—­gone with an officer,” panted Inez.

“There, you have had your two paragraphs,” interposed Janet.  “They were short but complete and I have recovered my breath.  It is so exciting, Jane, and so confusing—­”

“If you will just be coherent enough to tell me where Judith is we might wait for the emotional details,” snapped Jane.  “If Judith is in any trouble we have no right to stand around gasping.”

“Right, Jane,” assented Dozia.  “But I did not want to take all the responsibility from Inez.  This is what happened.  We were coming along Cobble Lane when Judith espied two messenger boys on the rail fence.  They were apparently squabbling about something, and just as we came along by the wild cherry tree, a few hundred yards from them, the big fellow gave the little fellow a punch and sent him sprawling in the bushes.  Then the big fellow took to his heels—­”

“He had something—­a package he grabbed from Tim, the little fellow,” interrupted Inez.

“Yes, I know, but that is not essential now, we must get to Judith,” declared Dozia, showing irritation.  “Judith ran—­”

“But the policeman darted out from the elderberry clump—­”

“Winifred, please!” implored Dozia.  “I will not forget to tell that, but if you think you can do it all more intelligently or quickly—­”

“Pardon me, Dozia, please, I am just too excited—­”

“Did Judith go to help the officer?” demanded Jane impatiently.

“No,” fired back Dozia.  “It was old Sour Sandy, who always declares we are up to mischief, and when the big boy ran, Judith chased after him while Cop Sandy ran after both.  We stood still—­”

“He was muttering and threatening so,” ventured Janet.