Quote of the Day

"Ann, just calm down and tell us what this is all about."

"Well..." This was just what Ann liked, to be passing on the news, the more sensational the better. Midge often said that she must have been a town crier in a previous existence. "Well," she said, "there'th a cutting from the Advertither up on the board, and it'th a photo of Thuthan - no, it couldn't be Gabrielle, it'th Thuthan - and underneath it thayth thomething about the unknown thcoolgirl running to the rethcue of Dennith Thrpinger who wath chucked off a merry-go-round during the Gingerbread Fair latht week - and go and thee for yourthelveth if you don't believe me."

The crowd in the common-room now rushed out to see the news-board, and those who had already gone rushed back. "It's true!" they said. "Photo of Susan up on the board," and they all turned and gazed at Susan, who went bright red.

From SUSAN'S TRYING TERM, Chapter 7, Shocks. Poor Ann Burton's lisp is used to great comic effect in this book. I wonder if this sort of thing would survive the editor's scrutiny today, although Susan does point out that she likes Ann, describing her as "brainy".