Naughtiest Girl 2: The Naughtiest Girl Again by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page B

things much worse by sticking up, than I have by saying nothing," said Belinda. "I don't know what's come over you lately-you're really bad-tempered!"
    "No, I'm not," said Elizabeth. "Things have gone wrong, that's all, Anyway, I won't let that spotty-faced Kathleen say mean things about old Jenny. Jenny's a sport. Golly, how I laughed about that white mouse the other day! Miss Ranger was nice about that, wasn't she?"
    About a quarter of an hour later, Jenny came into the common-room looking furious.
    She sat down in a chair with a bump. Belinda looked up from her sewing.
    "My goodness! Another thunderstorm beginning!" she said, "What's up, Jenny? One look at you and even the milk would turn sour!"

25
    "Don't be funny," said Jenny. "It's that horrible Kathleen! She told Kenneth that I borrowed his bike yesterday without asking him, And I didn't. I took Harry's and I did ask him! Mine had a puncture!"
    "Well, really, Kathleen's going a bit too far!" said Elizabeth indignantly, "That's twice she's said nasty things about you to-day. I'll tell her what I think of her when I see her!"
    "She's in the passage outside, still telling Kenneth about me," said Jenny. "Go and say what you want to-it will do her good!"
    "No, don't, Elizabeth," said Belinda, "You are such a little spitfire. Don't interfere."
    But Elizabeth had already marched out of the room, She saw Kathleen and went up to her.
    "Look here, Kathleen," she said, "if you don't stop saying unkind and untrue things about Jenny. I'll report you at the next Meeting!"
    "And what about the unkind and untrue things that Jenny said about me in front of you all!" said Kathleen in a low and trembling voice, "How dared she mock me like that!"
    "Well, they might have been unkind, but they weren't untrue," said Elizabeth. Then she was sorry she had said that. But it was too late to unsay it, Kathleen turned away and went off without saying another word.
    She was really afraid that Elizabeth might report her, and she made up her mind that she had better not speak against Jenny. But she would do all kinds of little things to annoy her and get her into trouble-and she would do them to that interfering Elizabeth, too, "I'll be very, very careful so that nobody guesses it's me," thought Kathleen to herself. "I'll hide their books-and make blots on their homework-and do things like that, I'll soon pay them out!"
    The next School Meeting came along quickly. The children took their places as usual, and the Meeting began. A nice lot of money was put into the box, for three children had had birthdays and had many postal orders sent to them. That was lucky!
    "We are rich to-day," said William, jingling the box. "Give out the ordinary money, Eileen-and fourpence ha'penny extra to Mary as usual. Now-any requests for extra money?"
    Leonard, one of the bigger boys, stood up. "May I have half-a-crown to pay for mending a window, please?" he asked. "I broke one yesterday in the common-room."
    "By accident, or were you fooling about?" asked William,
    "I was playing with an old cricket-ball," said Leonard. "Well, you know quite well that we made a rule last term not to bring balls into the common-room," said William. "It only means broken windows,"
    "I quite forgot that rule," said Leonard, "I should like the money, though-half a crown is a lot to have to pay.
    I'm sorry about it, William."
    The Jury discussed the matter, They quite saw that half a crown was a lot of money when each boy and girl only had two shillings each week. On the other hand, Leonard had broken a rule that he himself had helped to make last term, and why should the school money pay for his fooling about?

26
    The matter was decided at last, William banged with his hammer and the children were quiet.
    "Was anybody else fooling about with you?" asked William. Leonard stood up again.
    "Well, yes," he said, "but it was when 1 threw the ball that the window got broken."
    "The Jury think that the half-crown shouldn't come out of the School