Free And Nothing But the Truth by Kit Pearson

the weekends to do it.”
    “You’ll get used to it,” said Alice. “The boarders get taken to concerts and plays sometimes—even movies.” She thumped Polly’s back. “Cheer up, Goldilocks! This is good news, not bad!”
    That night Polly had another cake and candles before bedtime. The Fearless Four had asked the school cook to make it for a surprise.
    “I’m so glad you’ll be with us all the time now, Poll,” said Daisy, after they had sung to her. “Now we’re
really
the Fearless Four!”
    Polly tried to share their enthusiasm.
    The next day after school, Mrs. Blake took Polly downtown on the streetcar to buy her the clothes she needed for Sundays. “You need a navy wool dress,” she told her in the store.
    “How about this one?” Polly held up a dress with yellow polka dots on its short sleeves and collar.
    Mrs. Blake examined her list. “I’m afraid not, love. It says long-sleeved, with no coloured trimmings.” She found a dress that was so plain that it made Polly feel erased. At least she liked the shoes, which had something called “Cuban heels.”
    “Can I get silk stockings?” she asked hopefully.
    “No silk stockings until the lower fifth,” said Mrs. Blake, picking out some wool ones.
    Polly wouldn’t be here then. Buying this dress was just as much a waste as having bought the rest of her uniform.
    Before they went back to the school, they had tea at the store restaurant. They munched on scones and jam while Mrs. Blake told Polly that she had a two-year-old boy.
    “But who looks after him?” Polly asked. “Your husband?”
    “His father is dead,” said Mrs. Blake briskly. “Johnny stays with my landlady, and I see him on my days off. I wishI could find a job where I could come home at night, but I’m lucky to have one at all these days.”
    “That’s terrible!” said Polly. “You must really miss him.”
    “I think of him every moment … but that’s just the way things are.” Mrs. Blake smiled. “Maybe one day I’ll bring Johnny to school to meet you all.”
    How could she be so cheerful all the time?
Polly wondered. She squirmed. Having to be a full-time boarder seemed so trivial a problem in comparison. The closer Friday came, however, the more miserable she felt about not being able to go home.

C HAPTER S EVEN
A VERY LONG WEEKEND
    O N F RIDAY D AISY , R HODA , AND E LEANOR EAGERLY TOLD Polly all that was to happen the next day.
    “First we have prep,” said Eleanor.
    “Prep on a Saturday?” said Polly.
    “It’s only for an hour,” said Daisy. “Then we can do what we want for the rest of the morning. After lunch, they take us somewhere—to the beach or shopping. But that’s when you’ll be at your art class, Poll.”
    “The matron cooks us supper and we all help,” said Rhoda. “Last week Mrs. Blake made us something called ‘toad in the hole’—it was scrumptious! But this weekend Miss Poirier’s on, so it will probably be something ghastly.”
    At breakfast the next morning Polly looked around thedining room. “Where’s Miss Guppy?” she asked. The headmistress wasn’t there.
    “She goes out on Saturdays—I don’t know where. But she comes back after supper.”
    “Tonight she’s taking us to a concert,” said Daisy.
    “It sounds boring,” said Rhoda. “I’m not going.”
    “I am,” said Eleanor. “Are you, Poll?”
    “I guess so,” said Polly.
    At least they were allowed to wear their own clothes today. Polly had put on her oldest skirt and blouse, to be ready for art.
    After prep, Daisy led them over to the gym. They took turns throwing baskets and tried climbing the ropes. Daisy and Rhoda were much better than Eleanor and Polly.
    “Race you to the playing field!” said Daisy.
    They collapsed at the far end of the field and lay on their backs. The other three began pointing out cloud animals.
    “There’s a horse,” said Rhoda. “Did you know that I take riding lessons at home? I won second prize in a jumping competition