Chapter 5 Summary

Ruth and Lucille have always gone to school because there was simply no avoiding it. When school resumes after the flood, however, Lucille has a traumatic encounter with a teacher who falsely accuses her of cheating. She fakes illness to stay home. Her absence requires a note, but on the way to school the girls read Sylvie's note and find that she's written that she didn't take Lucille to a doctor because she really didn't seem to be very sick at all. The two girls agree that the note won't work, and decide to skip school together and go to the lake. After they do that for a few days they see Sylvie at the lake, but she has not come to look for them. She doesn't even see them. She chats briefly with the local hobos, watches a train crossing the railway...