eleven o'clock
John , as the tallest and straightest-backed and sturdiest-limbed pupil in the school , was always at the head of one line . While Nellie Underwood and Betty Bruce , being of a height and age , headed a line alternately . It fell to Betty 's lot to be head of a line to-day , and though she had to `` right wheel and march , '' with John for a partner , down the middle and up again , and `` left wheel and march '' from John to meet again , and `` right wheel and march , '' and all of it over and over and over again , John 's eyes only ignored the little distressed face in the cotton bonnet , or told her contemptuously that she was a `` girl . '' At eleven o'clock recess he was skirmishing with four smaller boys -LRB- using only one hand to their eight -RRB- and Betty walked up and down under the gum trees arm in arm with two other girls in sun-bonnets . At dinner-time John scampered home to roast fowl and bread sauce , and Betty and Cyril and Nancy carried their lunch bag to a shady corner and ate bread and jam sandwiches with relish , finishing up with a banana each . It was not until afternoon school was well over that Betty found John in any way approachable . He was skimming stones along the dusty road with practised skill , and Betty , alone and hurrying , caught him up .