and on into town. All the length of King Street they went, then into
St. Mary's Road, then Fitzhugh Street, and back into King, and finally
into her home in Pelham Place.

"All the time nothing had been said. Everybody who had seen them had
stopped and stared, and some of the boys had started to follow, but
Miss Gibbie had nodded her head backward, and a nod was enough.
When they got in the house she took them up-stairs to a big bedroom
and told them to sit down and cool off; then she locked the door and
left them.

"Five hours later the door was opened and dinner was brought in. It
was a good dinner, and the boys ate it, every bit of it, and, feeling
better, were beginning to look around for means of escape, when in
walked Miss Gibbie with two white things in her hand.

"'Didn't we have lots of fun this morning?' she said. 'Awful lot of
fun to see a lady play Humpty-Dumpty. Pity nobody else could see. When
people look funny everybody ought to see.' And Frederick said, as she
didn't seem mad a bit, he thought she was going to tell them to run on
home, when she turned to the dining-room servant, who had come in
with her, and flung out two big old-fashioned nightgowns of her own.
'Here, Hampton, help these boys take off their hot clothes and put on
something cool,' she said, and she made Hampton undress them and put
on her gowns, and then sent them flying home."

Miss Matoaca Brockenborough threw back her head and laughed
heartily. "I can see them now, as they came running down the street.
They were trying to hold their white robes up in front, but behind
they were trailing in the dust, and following them were boys and dogs