"Why? why not? They can't see me. The blinds are shut."

"No matter for that. It's just as bad as if they could see you. Don't
do it. I can't bear to have you."

"Well, I won't then," said Clover good-humoredly, facing round with
her back to the window. "I wasn't looking at them either,--not
exactly. I was thinking about Elsie and John, and wondering--But
what's the matter, Katy? What makes you fire up so about it? You've
watched the ball-playing yourself plenty of times."

"I know I have, and I didn't mean to be cross, Clovy. The truth is
I am all put out. These girls with incessant talk about the students
make me absolutely sick. It is so unladylike, and so bad, especially
for the little ones. Fancy that mite of a Carrie Steele informing me
that she is "in love" with Harry Crosby. In love! A baby like that!
She has no business to know that there is such a thing."

"Yes," said Clover laughing: "she wrote his name on a wintergreen
lozenge, and bored a hole and hung it round her neck on a blue ribbon.
But it melted and stuck to her frock, and she had to take it off."

"Whereupon she ate it," added Rose, who came in at that moment.

The girls shouted, but Katy soon grew grave. "One can't help
laughing," she said, "but isn't it a shame to have such things going
on? Just fancy our Elsie behaving so, Clover! Why, papa would have
a fit. I declare, I've a great mind to get up a society to put down
flirting."