threshold of the room she whirled about, and, walking to the playroom
wood-box, dropped the wood in.

"Thank you very much!" exclaimed Cordelia, in sign language on her
fingers. Etiquette forbade her to employ her tongue in the expression
of her gratitude, seeing that the girls had placed a ban on it. A
curious contortion of the deaf-and-dumb alphabet was used among the
Indian girls when pride forbade the use of speech.

"You need not thank me. I am only punishing Hannah Straight Tree," Emma
answered, likewise with her fingers.

This exchange of compliments was read without scruple by the many pairs
of eyes, including Hannah's, that were watching the affair.

"Emma Two Bears talks deaf-and-dumb to her. Now we can plan
crack-the-whip with her, for that is not a speaking game," observed a
middle-sized girl, who had been a comrade of Cordelia's heretofore.

"She will not have time to crack the whip," said Hannah. "She is going
to the south dormitory, where she sits her whole playtime helping sew
the red dress for Susie, so she can look nicer than the other little
home sisters and the little schoolgirls."

"You are very jealous-minded, and you try hard to spite Cordelia Running
Bird," said the recent comrade.

"You can talk that way because you have no little sister," grumbled
Hannah.