6 The Invisible Chalk.
After a few weeks Alicia got restless. It's time we livened things up a bit!" she said to Betty. I knowwe're second-formers now and all that—but there's no reason why we shouldn't have a bit of fun.
Sally's such a bore-never a joke, never a trick!”
"What shall we do?" said Betty, her wicked dark eyes gleaming. I’ve got some invisible chalk. Haveyou got anything?"
"Invisible chalk! Yon never told met" said Alicia, her face brightening. "What is it? Show me!”
I’ve got it in my locker¹, in a box," said Betty. "The common-room will be empty now. Come alongand m show you. It’s queer stuff.”
The two girls went to their common-room. Betty opened her locker and took out a tin box. Inside,wrapped carefully in paper, was a thick slab² of curious pink chalk.
"It doesn't look invisible!" said Alicia. "What does it do?""Well, if you rub it on to a chair, it can't possibly be seen." said Betty. "And whoever sits down on itmakes it warm and it leaves a bright pink patch on a dress or skirt.""I see," said Alicia. "Golly—we could rub it on the mistress's chair in our form-room—whenMam'zelle Rougier is coming perhaps."
1 know! Let’s rub it on to Mr. Young's chair, when he comes to take singing!" said Betty. "On hispiano stool! Then he’ll sit down hard on it when he playsaccompaniment for our songs—and when he getsup and turns round to write on the blackboard—golly, what a scream!”
Alicia laughed loudly. "It would be better to play it on Mr. Young than on Nosey or Mam'zelle—hewon't suspect a thing—and the first form will have a share in the joke too, because they take singingwith us!"
Alicia cheered up considerably³ after this. She and Betty tried out the invisible chalk very carefully,and it was a great success.
Betty took a wooden-bottomed chair and rubbed the curious pink chalk all over it. "Look,” she said,"it doesn't show at all, Alicia. Can you see anything of it?” Alicia looked carefully at the chair,tipping it this way and that "It's perfect,” she said. "Not a thing to be seen! Funny how you can rub iton and it seems to disappear, Betty. It really is invisible. Now. you sit down on it and let me see whathappens."
Betty sat down, and remained there for a minute or two. The chalk would not work unless it wasslightly warmed. As Betty was sitting solemnly there with Alicia watching her. Gwendoline poppedher head in to look for Daphne. She was astonished to see Betty sitting solemnly by herself on achair, with Alicia a little way off.

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