Jannet sat on the edge and let herself down without trouble.
THE PHANTOM TREASURE
CHAPTER I
JANET LEARNS HER NAME
“There’s a package for you, Janet.” A smilingface was thrust within the partly open door.
“April fool,” replied Janet, not looking up fromher book for a moment. Then with a twinkle in herblue eyes, she raised her hand impressively and beganto recite in sonorous tones the lines that she waslearning.
“Exactly like Miss Sanders! Do it that way inclass, Janet! I dare you!”
“I would, but it might hurt her feelings to do itin earnest as she does. No, I want to read poetrylike Miss Hilliard,—but I can’t say that I like tocommit it. I want to pick out my own kind, AllieMay.”
Allie May came inside the door and leaned againstit. “Well, Janet,” she said, “I think that you mightbelieve me when I tell you that there is a package foryou down in the office. Honest. No April fool.Miss Hilliard said for me to tell you to come down.I don’t know why she didn’t give it to me to bringup. Perhaps she wants to see you anyhow. This iswhat she said: ‘Janet has a box. Please tell her tocome down to the office.’”
“H’m. Lina and I had our light on after hourslast night. But it was not long, and we had a grandexcuse. Lina lost a page of her short story that shehad to hand in this morning. Honestly, Allie May,is there a package for me? I never had a box inmy life except things sent from the store.” Janethad put her book down now and was on her feetstarting toward the door and her schoolmate.
“You haven’t! Poor you! I hope that it’s a grandcake with lots of good things. Maybe the box wasso big that Miss Hilliard knew I couldn’t bring itup!”
Allie May made big eyes as she linked her arm inJanet’s and walked with her to the top of the stairs.
“If it is, you shall have the first and the best outof it. But it isn’t. It’s probably something broughthere by mistake. Thanks, Allie May.”
Janet was half way down the long, dark staircasethat led to the lower hall when she finished herremarks. Allie May saw her friend’s fluffy, goldenlocks fly out in the wind created by the rapid descent.Smiling, she went to her room, next to Janet’s, somewhatstruck with the fact that Janet had never receiveda “box,” that delight of a school-girl’s heart.
The lower hall was dark on this rainy first ofApril. None of the doors were open, and Janet