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diff --git a/28966-h/28966-h.htm b/28966-h/28966-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1de52ec --- /dev/null +++ b/28966-h/28966-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6840 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Dear Little Girl At School, by Amy E. Blanchard. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + font-size: 115%; +} + +h1 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 2em; +} + +h2 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + font-weight: normal; + margin-top: 3em; +} + + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.5em; +} + +p.desc { font-size: 120%; + margin-top: 1em; + text-indent: 0em; + text-align: center; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum {/* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /*visibility: hidden;*/ + position: absolute; + left: 95%; + font-size: 12px; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + font-style: normal; + letter-spacing: normal; + text-indent: 0em; + text-align: right; + color: #999999; + background-color: #ffffff; +} /* page numbers */ + + +.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} + +.right {text-align: right; text-indent: 0em;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + padding-top: 2em; + padding-bottom: 2em; + clear: both; +} + +ul { + list-style-type: none; + text-align: left; + } + +li { + margin-bottom: 0.5em; + } + + +.tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; padding: .5em;} + +ins.correction { + text-decoration:none; /* replace default underline.. */ + border-bottom: thin dotted gray; /* ..with delicate gray line */ + } + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's A Dear Little Girl at School, by Amy E. Blanchard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Dear Little Girl at School + +Author: Amy E. Blanchard + +Release Date: May 25, 2009 [EBook #28966] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DEAR LITTLE GIRL AT SCHOOL *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emanuela Piasentini and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 441px;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="441" height="600" alt="A Dear Little Girl at School" title="A Dear Little Girl at School" /> +</div> + + + +<h1>A DEAR LITTLE<br /> +GIRL <small>AT</small> SCHOOL</h1> + +<p class="center"><big><i>Amy E. Blanchard</i></big></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 148px;"> +<img src="images/illus001.png" width="148" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p class="center"><big><span class="smcap">Whitman Publishing Co.</span></big><br /> +<small>Racine, Wisconsin</small> +</p> + +<p class="center"><small>Copyright, 1910, by George W. Jacobs & Co.</small><br /> + +Printed in 1924 by<br /> +Western Printing & Lithographing Co.<br /> +Racine, Wis.</p> + +<p class="center">Printed in U. S. A.</p> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> +<table summary="contents"> +<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a></td><td class="right"> Page 1</td></tr> +<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a></td><td class="right">20</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a></td><td class="right">38</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a></td><td class="right">57</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a></td><td class="right">81</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a></td><td class="right">102</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a></td><td class="right">124</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></td><td class="right">145</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></td><td class="right">165</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></td><td class="right">184</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></td><td class="right">203</td></tr> +<tr><td> +<a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></td><td class="right">226</td></tr> +</table> + + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> + + + + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<p class="desc">COUSIN BEN</p> + + +<p>Edna and Cousin Ben Barker were on +the back porch. It was a favorite place, +for it was always shady there in summer +and out of the wind on cold days. If big +Cousin Ben did not always like to be +where Edna was, on the other hand Edna +invariably sought out Cousin Ben if he +were to be found about the premises.</p> + +<p>On this special afternoon he was doing +something to his wheel, getting it in order +for a long ride which he had planned for +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>the next day. Edna stood watching him, +ready to hand a tool or run for a piece of +rag to be used in cleaning, or to fill the oil +can from the bottle on the shelf upstairs.</p> + +<p>“Where are you going to-day, Cousin +Ben?” Edna always asked this for +Cousin Ben’s replies were generally so +funny.</p> + +<p>“I’m going to the woods,” he said, “to +see Johnny-jump-up.”</p> + +<p>“Why will he jump up?” asked Edna +in pleased expectancy of something amusing.</p> + +<p>“Because the dog-wood bark, you +know.”</p> + +<p>“I know dog-wood blossoms,” returned +Edna a little doubtfully.</p> + +<p>“Of course, and I dare say you know +the dog-wood bark, too, don’t you?”</p> + +<p>“Ye-es, I suppose so.”</p> + +<p>Cousin Ben went on burnishing the +metal he was at work upon. “You see,” +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>he continued after a moment, “the catkins +will all be out and when I meet one +I shall say, ‘Pussy, will oh, will you tell +me the way to the elder Berries.’”</p> + +<p>“What do you suppose she will say?” +inquired Edna settling herself well content +to continue this sort of talk, though +thinking it was scarcely the season for +Pussy-willows.</p> + +<p>“She will say: ‘The elder Berry? +My dear boy, any dog ought to know the +way there.’ You see she knows I am a +Barker.”</p> + +<p>Edna laughed. “Go on.”</p> + +<p>“And I will say, ‘Yes, madam, but that +sassy Fras always tries to get in my path. +It is a very easy matter to whip poor Will, +but sassy Fras is another matter.’ Then +she will ask: ‘Did you ever try to haze +L. Nutt?’ and I will reply, ‘Chestnuts!’ +for I don’t like to talk about hazing, being +in a position to expect a little of it any +day. Well, Ande, I must be off or I will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +find Pip’s sis away.” Cousin Ben always +called Edna Ande because he declared +that was what her name really was but +had been turned hind side before. Some +persons, Edna’s sister Celia and Agnes +Evans, for instance, called Cousin Ben a +very silly boy, but Edna thought his kind +of nonsense great fun.</p> + +<p>It was an afternoon in autumn. For +some time past, Edna and her sister had +been going into the city to school every +day, but this was the last week when this +would be done, for after this they would +go only on Mondays returning on Fridays +till the days became long again. +During the winter when it was still dark +at seven in the morning, and when the +afternoons were so short, it had seemed +better that they should not come home +every day. Therefore, as Aunt Elizabeth +Horner and Uncle Justus wanted much +to have them remain, it was so arranged.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> +Edna was a great favorite with her Uncle +Justus, for she had spent the winter previous +at his house and had gone to his +school. Then, on account of Mr. Conway’s +business, the family had removed +from the town in which they had formerly +lived and had taken a house a little out +of the city.</p> + +<p>Like most children Edna loved the +country and was glad of the change. A +little further up the road lived her friend +Dorothy Evans and her sister Agnes, the +latter was a little older than Edna’s sister +Celia. All four girls attended Uncle +Justus’ school and so did Margaret MacDonald, +the adopted daughter of good +Mrs. MacDonald who lived in the big gray +stone house with the lovely grounds. +Margaret was having a pretty hard time +of it, as she had never had much opportunity +of going to school and was far behind +the girls of her own age. Edna and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> +Dorothy were her staunch defenders, +however and when matters came to a too +difficult pass the older girls were appealed +to and could always straighten out whatever +was wrong. Frank and Charlie, +Edna’s brothers, were almost too large +for Uncle Justus’ school, where only little +fellows went, so they went elsewhere to +the school which Roger and Steve Porter +attended. It was Cousin Ben’s first year +at college, and he was housed at the Conways, +his mother being an elder sister of +Edna’s mother.</p> + +<p>After seeing Cousin Ben start off, Edna +left the porch and stood for a moment +thinking what she would do next. This +being the last time she would be at home +for the entire week, she concluded she +ought to make the most of it, but first she +must get together such things as she +should want for Monday. “Tuesday, +Wednesday and Thursday afternoons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +and Monday, too. There are only four, +after all,” she said, counting the days on +her fingers. “It seems very much longer +when you first think of it.” And then, as +she continued to think, to her surprise she +discovered that only Tuesdays, Wednesdays +and Thursdays would be the entire +days she would spend away from +home.</p> + +<p>She was so interested in having found +this out that she ran upstairs to her +mother, to tell of it. “Mother,” she said, +“I have made a discovery.”</p> + +<p>“You have, and what is it?” said Mrs. +Conway.</p> + +<p>“Why, here I’ve been thinking I’d be +away from you the whole week all but Saturday +and Sunday, and now I find out I +shall see you every day but three, ’cause, +you know, I don’t start till after breakfast +on Monday, so that’s one day. Then +Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +don’t see you, but I get back in time for +dinner on Friday, so there is Friday, Saturday +and Sunday, three more days. +Isn’t it fine?”</p> + +<p>“Very, I think.”</p> + +<p>“And the funny part is,” Edna went on +busily thinking, “I am at school five days +out of the seven. It’s almost like a +puzzle, isn’t it? I think I shall take Ada +with me and leave her there. She is used +to it, and won’t mind as much as some of +the other dolls, for she was there all last +year and besides, Aunt Elizabeth gave her +to me. Aunt Elizabeth is quite kind +sometimes, isn’t she?”</p> + +<p>“She means to be kind all the time, but +she has rather a stern manner.”</p> + +<p>“Did you used to be afraid of her when +you were a little girl?”</p> + +<p>“No, honey, because I didn’t know her. +She is your papa’s aunt, you know.”</p> + +<p>“And he told me he didn’t see much of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> +her, for he lived in quite another place, +and I suppose by the time he grew up he +wasn’t afraid of anybody. Well, anyhow, +I’m glad it won’t be ‘butter or molasses’ +all the week.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean, dearie?”</p> + +<p>“Why, you know we couldn’t have both +and there were never any preserves. +Sometimes there were stewed apples, the +dried kind, and they were not so very bad +when they were sweet enough and had a +lot of lemon flavor in them. I used to ask +Ellen to do them that way and she always +would, except when Aunt Elizabeth was in +the kitchen and then she had to do as +Aunt Elizabeth told her. If you have +more preserves than you can use, don’t +you think you could send her some, +mother? You see we shall not be here to +eat them, Celia and I, and you won’t have +to use so many.”</p> + +<p>“That is an idea. Why, yes, I can send<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +some in every week when you go, and Celia +can tell Aunt Elizabeth to have them +for your supper.”</p> + +<p>“How will she tell her?” asked Edna, +feeling that this was an ordeal that she +would not like to go through.</p> + +<p>“Why, it will be very easy to say, +‘Aunt Elizabeth, here are some preserves +mother thought would be nice for supper +to-night.’ Don’t you think that would +be easy to say?”</p> + +<p>“Ye-es,” returned Edna a little doubtful +if this would have the proper effect. +“I think myself it would be better to let +Ellen have them or Uncle Justus.”</p> + +<p>Her mother laughed. Edna’s awe of +Aunt Elizabeth was so very apparent.</p> + +<p>“There is one thing I wish you would +promise,” the little girl went on, “and +that is, that you will always have hot +cakes on Saturday mornings so I can have +butter and syrup both.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I promise,” replied her mother smiling.</p> + +<p>“I know Louis is mighty glad not to be +going back,” Edna continued, “and I’m +rather glad he isn’t myself, for this year +I shall have Celia.”</p> + +<p>“I thought you were fond of Louis.”</p> + +<p>“I am pretty fond of him, but I’d +rather have girls about all the time than +boys all the time. Girls fuss with you, of +course. They get mad and won’t speak, +but I’d liefer they’d do that than try to +boss you the way boys do. Mother, there +is another thing I wish you would do, and +that is I wish you would tell Aunt Elizabeth +that she will please let Dorothy come +to play with me sometimes. Dorothy is +my particular friend, you know, and Aunt +Elizabeth will never allow me to have her +visit me unless you say she can.”</p> + +<p>“Did she never allow you to have company +last winter?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>Edna shook her head and a sigh escaped +her.</p> + +<p>“I will arrange that Dorothy shall +come,” said her mother quite firmly.</p> + +<p>“It’s going to be much nicer than last +year,” remarked Edna in a satisfied tone, +“for I shall always have Celia to go to, +and you will be so near, too, and besides I +like Uncle Justus much better than I did +at first.”</p> + +<p>“Of the two I should think you would +have more fear of Uncle Justus than +of Aunt Elizabeth,” said her mother looking +down at her.</p> + +<p>“I did at first, but I found it was +mostly on account of his eyebrows; they +are so shaggy.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Conway smiled. “I have heard it +said that he can be rather terrible,” she +remarked.</p> + +<p>“Oh, well, so he can, but he isn’t all the +time and Aunt Elizabeth is.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I hope this year you will find out that +it is only Aunt Elizabeth’s eyebrows, +too.”</p> + +<p>“It couldn’t be, for she hasn’t any to +speak of,” returned Edna. As she talked +she was carefully packing the little trunk +in which Ada’s clothes were kept. It was +a tiny trunk, only about six inches long. +Aunt Elizabeth had made it, herself, by +covering a box with leather and strapping +the leather across with strips of wood +glued on. Edna liked the trunk much +better than a larger one which had been +bought at the store. Aunt Elizabeth was +very clever in making things of this kind +and would sometimes surprise her little +niece with some home-made gift which +was the more prized because it was unusual. +The child remembered this now +and began to feel that she had not +shown herself very grateful in speaking +as she had done a moment before.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +“Mother,” she said. “I didn’t mean that +Aunt Elizabeth was frightful all the time. +She is very kind when she gives me things +like this trunk.”</p> + +<p>“You don’t mean frightful,” replied +Mrs. Conway laughing, “you mean she is +rather formidable.”</p> + +<p>But that was too much of a word for +Edna, though she did not say so. Having +stowed away Ada’s belongings, three +frocks, two petticoats, a red hood and +sacque, a blue dressing-gown and apron, +she shut the lid. “I don’t think I’ll take +her furs this week because she’ll not need +them,” she remarked, “and I don’t think +I will take any of my other dolls because +I will be so glad to see them next Friday. +Mother, if you come into town any time +during the week will you come out to see +us?”</p> + +<p>“If I have time I certainly shall.”</p> + +<p>Edna gave a sigh of content. It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +surely going to be much better than last +year. “Mother,” she said, changing the +subject, “do you think Cousin Ben is +silly?”</p> + +<p>“He can be rather silly but he can also +be very sensible. He is silly only when he +wants to tease or when he wants to amuse +a little girl I know.”</p> + +<p>“I like his silly better than some of the +big girls’s sillies. They giggle so much +and aren’t funny at all. I think he is +very funny. He says such queer things +about the trees and plants in the woods. +He twists their names around so they +mean something else. Like the dog-wood, +bark, you know. Mother, what is hazing?”</p> + +<p>“It is the kind of thing the college boys +do to those in a lower class; they play +tricks on them which sometimes are really +very cruel.”</p> + +<p>“Do you mean they really hurt them?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Sometimes they hurt them very much. +I knew of one young man who was forced +into a pond of water on an icy day in the +fall, and who nearly died of pneumonia +in consequence of the cold he took from +having to be in his wet clothes so long.”</p> + +<p>“Do you think they will do anything +like that to Cousin Ben?”</p> + +<p>“I certainly hope not, though no doubt +there will be some tricks played on him +as he is a Freshman.”</p> + +<p>Edna knew what a Freshman was but +the matter of hazing was quite new to her +and troubled her very much. Cousin +Ben had gone out alone to the woods. +Perhaps this very moment someone was +lying in wait for him.</p> + +<p>Hastily setting away the doll and trunk +she ran downstairs, put on her coat and +hat and started up the road toward the +woods nearest. She had no exact plan in +her mind, but she knew Cousin Ben had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> +probably gone to see one of his classmates +who lived just beyond this piece of woods. +The college was on the outskirts of the +city and the dormitories were within easy +walking distance, so that one was liable +to see a group of college boys at almost +any time. Edna trotted along hoping to +overtake her cousin. She did not believe +anyone would attack him unless he were +alone, and she meant to keep him company +on his return walk. Just as she reached +the edge of the woods she came upon a +group of Sophomores standing a short +distance away and she heard one say. +“We’ll nab him as he comes out, boys.”</p> + +<p>Who could they mean but Cousin Ben? +She walked slowly that she might, if possible, +hear more.</p> + +<p>“You’re sure he came this way?” she +heard another say.</p> + +<p>“Sure,” was the reply. “We saw him +go in Abercrombie’s gate.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>That settled it in Edna’s mind, for it +was Will Abercrombie whose house +Cousin Ben most frequented. She hesitated +a moment, wondering what path +her cousin would take, and then she remembered +that the short cut was through +the woods; it was much longer by the +road. It was already getting rather late +and it looked grim and gloomy in the +woods, but there was nothing to do but +face any danger and go straight ahead. +She was crafty enough not to turn in at +once for fear the boys might suspect, so +she kept on a short distance to where the +road turned and then she cut into the bit +of forest scrambling up the bank and +scratching her hands, with the brambles, +but reaching the path in a few minutes. +The further she went the darker it grew. +The sun was setting and she could see long +fingers of light between the trees. She +wished she had some one with her, that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> +Cousin Ben would appear before she went +much further, but there was no sign of +him and she plodded on, the dead leaves +rustling about her feet or falling from +overhead, giving her little starts of fear. +It seemed a long, long way, and she almost +wished she had not undertaken the +work of rescue, but at last she saw, dimly +ahead of her, a figure approaching and +heard a cheerful whistling which she recognized +as her cousin’s. And she darted +forward to meet him.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<p class="desc">THE SECRET</p> + + +<p>Cousin Ben striding along did not at +first see the little girl, but at her calling +“Cousin Ben, Cousin Ben,” he stopped +short.</p> + +<p>“Why, you little monkey, what are you +doing here?” he said. “The bugaboos +will catch you here in these dark woods.”</p> + +<p>“There isn’t such a thing as bugaboos,” +returned Edna stoutly, “and I should be +very silly to think so, but something will +catch you if you don’t look out.”</p> + +<p>“‘The gob-e-lins will get you if you +don’t look out,’” replied Cousin Ben, +laughing. “Is that what you are trying +to say? If you are not afraid of bugaboos +neither am I afraid of goblins.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> +What do you think is going to get a big +fellow like me?”</p> + +<p>“Why,” said Edna at once becoming +serious, “I will tell you; I heard some +college boys talking back there by the edge +of the woods.”</p> + +<p>“You did? and what did they say?”</p> + +<p>“They said: ‘We’ll nab him as he +comes out, boys.’”</p> + +<p>“Humph! What did they look like? +Did you know any of them?”</p> + +<p>“The one who said that was John Fielding, +and there was another that I’ve seen +before. He sits back of our pew at +church.”</p> + +<p>“Sophs, both of them, and did you come +all this way to tell me about it?”</p> + +<p>“Why, yes, I was afraid they wanted +to haze you.”</p> + +<p>“What do you know about hazing?”</p> + +<p>“Mother told me about a young man +who nearly died of pneumonia because<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +some of the boys doused him in cold water, +in a pond or something.”</p> + +<p>“And you didn’t want me to have pneumonia. +I won’t on this occasion, I promise +you. I think we can circumnavigate +those fellows. I won’t see Johnny-jump-up +to-day.”</p> + +<p>Edna laughed. “Won’t they be disappointed?”</p> + +<p>“They will that. Now come along and +let’s get out of here.”</p> + +<p>“Which way shall we go?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, we will take the back road and +come out there below the MacDonald barn +so they won’t get a hint of our coming +home, for the barn is below the woods, +you know. It is a little further, but I +hope you don’t mind that.”</p> + +<p>“No, indeed, I am so glad to have you +get out of the way of those boys.”</p> + +<p>“If I can manage to side-track them +for a while perhaps they won’t be so keen.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> +I thought they had it in for me, and have +been rather expecting an onslaught.”</p> + +<p>They cut through the woods, coming out +the other side and taking a short road not +much used, which brought them out a little +distance from the main road which +was then easily reached. “Now we’re +safe,” said Edna with satisfaction as she +saw her own gate.</p> + +<p>“We? You don’t suppose they’d haze +<a name="tn23" id="tn23"></a>you, <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has ' do you?’ '">do you?”</ins></p> + +<p>“Oh, no, but I feel safer when I am +near home.”</p> + +<p>Ben dropped his bantering tone when +they came up to the gate. “I say, Edna,” +he said, “you are a real Trojan to do this +for me, and I shall not forget it in a +hurry. Lots of big girls and boys, too, +would have let the thing go, and not have +taken the trouble. I am a thousand times +obliged to you.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I wanted to do it, you know.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +I should have been very unhappy if anything +had happened to you.”</p> + +<p>“I believe you would,” returned Ben +seriously; and they went in the house +together.</p> + +<p>This was the last Edna heard of hazing +and if Cousin Ben was ever caught he +did not tell her or anyone else.</p> + +<p>Monday came around quite soon enough +and Edna started off with her sister Celia +to go to the city. It seemed quite +natural to be back in the room which she +had occupied the year before, only now +Celia would share it with her. Ada was +put in her old place on a little chair, her +trunk by her side, and then the two girls +went down to the school-room where a +number of the pupils had already gathered. +One of these was Clara Adams, a +little girl whom Edna was sorry to see +entering the school that year. She was +a spoiled, discontented child who was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> +continually pouting over some fancied +grievance, and was what Dorothy and +Edna called “fusty.” For some reason +she was always trying to pick a quarrel +with Edna, and by the whispering which +went on when Edna entered the room and +the sidelong looks which were cast at her, +as two or three girls, with hands to +mouths, nudged one another, she felt sure +that on this special occasion she was being +talked about. However, she paid no +attention to this little group but went +over to where Dorothy was sitting and began +to tell her about the preserves which +Celia had successfully given in Ellen’s +charge.</p> + +<p>At recess the same group of girls which +had been whispering in the morning, +again gathered in one corner and began +their talk in low tones. Clara Adams +was in the centre and it was she to whom +the others were all looking. Clara was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> +favorite because of her wealth rather than +because of her disposition, and she had +followers who liked to have it said that +they were intimate with her.</p> + +<p>“What do you suppose they are talking +about?” said Dorothy after a while.</p> + +<p>“I’m sure I don’t know and what’s +more I don’t care,” replied Edna. “Do +you care, Dorothy?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I don’t know; just a little, I think. +See, they are going over and whispering +to Molly Clark, and she is getting up and +going over there. I wonder what it is all +about.”</p> + +<p>Edna wondered, too, but neither she nor +Dorothy found out that day. The same +thing went on the next day. One by one +most of the girls whom Edna and Dorothy +liked the best were seen to join the little +company of whisperers, and whenever +Clara Adams would pass the two friends +she would give them a look as much as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> +<a name="tn27" id="tn27"></a><ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'to say. Wouldn’t'">to say: Wouldn’t</ins> you like to know what +we know?</p> + +<p>“I think it is just horrid mean of +them,” said Dorothy when the next day +came and they were no nearer to knowing +the secret than they had been in the beginning.</p> + +<p>“I heard Molly say something about to-morrow +afternoon,” said Edna. “They +are all going to do something or go somewhere. +I am going to tell sister, so I +am.”</p> + +<p>“And I’ll tell my sister. Maybe they +know something about it, Edna.”</p> + +<p>They lost no time in seeking out their +sisters to whom they made known the +state of affairs. “And they are getting +hold of nearly all the nicest girls,” complained +Edna. “Molly Clark, and Ruth +Cutting and all those. They haven’t said +anything to Margaret, for I asked her. +She isn’t here to-day.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Have you any idea what they are going +to do?” Dorothy asked her sister.</p> + +<p>“I have an idea, but it may not be +right.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, tell us, do.” The two younger +girls were very eager.</p> + +<p>Agnes leaned over and said in a low +voice, “I believe they are getting up some +sort of club.”</p> + +<p>“Oh!” This idea had never occurred +to either of the little girls before.</p> + +<p>“And they don’t want us in it,” said +Edna, “I wonder why.”</p> + +<p>“It is all that horrid Clara Adams,” declared +Dorothy. “She is jealous of you +because you always know your lessons and +behave yourself, and she don’t like me because +I go with you and won’t give you +up for her.”</p> + +<p>“How do you know?” asked Edna.</p> + +<p>“I know,” returned Dorothy, and then +she shut her lips very tightly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> + +<p>“All the girls used to like us,” said +Edna sadly.</p> + +<p>“Bless your dear heart,” said Agnes +drawing the child to her, “I shouldn’t care. +They will be sorry enough after a while, +you may be sure, and will wish they had +treated you two better. Celia, we mustn’t +let those little whippersnappers have it all +their own way. Never you mind, children, +we’ll do something, too. Celia and +I will talk it over and let you know to-morrow. +You and Celia come up to our +house Saturday afternoon and we’ll see +if we can get Margaret and perhaps one +or two others. Now run along and let us +talk over a plan I have.”</p> + +<p>The two went off joyously, arms around +one another. When Agnes championed +their cause there was no more reason to +be troubled, and they finished their recess +in a corner by themselves quite content.</p> + +<p>There were not more than a dozen little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +girls in the class and when half of these +had gone over to the enemy, and one or +two were absent it left a very small number +for Edna and Dorothy to count upon, +but they did not care after the older girls +had taken up their cause, and they cast +quite as independent looks at Clara as +she did at them. They would have a +secret too. “And it will be a great deal +nicer than theirs,” declared Dorothy. +So when the bell rang they went back +to their seats in a very happy frame of +mind.</p> + +<p>The next day a new pupil appeared and +at recess she was swooped down upon by +one of Clara’s friends and was borne +away, but after a while she left the group +and went back to her seat. Dorothy and +Edna were out in the school yard playing, +but when they came in the new scholar +looked smilingly at Edna and after a +while she made her way to where they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> +were standing. “Isn’t this Edna Conway?” +she asked.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I’m Edna,” was the reply from +the little round-faced girl who smiled at +her.</p> + +<p>“I’m Jennie Ramsey, and my mother +told me to be sure to speak to you and tell +you I was at the fair last year and I +was so glad when you got the doll.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, were you there?” Edna looked +pleased. “I am so glad you have come +here to school. This is Dorothy Evans.”</p> + +<p>Jennie and Dorothy smiled at each +other and Edna went on. “Dorothy +don’t you remember about Mrs. Ramsey +who took so much trouble to get Margaret +away from that dreadful woman? She +must be a lovely mother, for she was so +dear to Margaret.”</p> + +<p>“Do tell me about her,” said Jennie. +“I have been so much interested, for +mother told me all about how you ran<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +against her in the street and how you won +the doll for her and all about her being +adopted so I did hope I should know you +some day. I’d like to be friends, if you +will let me.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I’d love to be,” Edna spoke +heartily, “and I am so glad you know +about Margaret. She comes here to +school, but of course she isn’t very happy +about having to be in the class with such +little girls. Mrs. MacDonald is talking +of getting a governess for her till she can +catch up a little, but we shall be sorry to +have her not come here.”</p> + +<p>“Do you know Clara Adams?” Dorothy +asked. “I mean did you know her +before you came to school?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I know her. She is in my Sunday-school +class,” returned Jennie, but +she said nothing more, yet both the other +two felt quite sure that there was no likelihood +of Jennie’s going over to the other<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +faction. Then the bell rang and they all +took their seats.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you like her?” whispered Edna +before Miss Ashurst had taken her +place.</p> + +<p>Dorothy nodded yes, and glanced across +at Clara who curled her lip scornfully.</p> + +<p>When school was dismissed Jennie and +Dorothy walked home together. Agnes +and Dorothy remained in the city during +the week just as the two Conway sisters +had begun to do. Edna sought her sister +Celia after dinner when the two had their +study hour. “Isn’t it nice,” said Edna, +“Jennie Ramsey has come to school, and +she is such a nice little girl. I heard Uncle +Justus say once that Mrs. Ramsey was +much wealthier than Mrs. Adams but that +one never saw her making any pretence +because of her money. What is pretence, +sister?”</p> + +<p>“It is pretending, I suppose. I think<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> +he meant she didn’t put on airs because +of having money.”</p> + +<p>Edna nodded. She quite understood. +“Wasn’t it lovely for Jennie to want to +be friends? She said her mother told her +to be sure to speak to me, and, oh, sister, +we saw one of the other girls go over and +try to get her to join Clara’s set and she +didn’t <a name="tn34" id="tn34"></a>stay but came over <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'to us.” She'">to us. She</ins> +said she knew Clara but I don’t believe +she likes her. Did you and Agnes talk +about, you know what?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and we’ll tell you but you mustn’t +ask me any questions now for I shall not +answer. Now let us get to work or Aunt +Elizabeth will be down on us for talking +in study hour.”</p> + +<p>Edna turned her attention to her books +and in a moment was not thinking of +anything but her geography.</p> + +<p>She could scarcely wait till the next +day, however, when she and Dorothy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +should learn what Agnes had planned, but +alas, she was not allowed this pleasure +for Aunt Elizabeth called her from the +school-room just at recess and took her +down to see Miss Martin, the daughter of +the rector of the church. Of course +Edna was very glad to see Miss Martin, +for she was very fond of her, but she did +wish she had chosen some other day to +call, and not only was Edna required to +remain down in the parlor during the +whole of recess but she was again summoned +before she had a chance to speak a +word to anyone at the close of school. +This time it was to run an errand to the +shop where an order had been forgotten +and Edna was despatched to bring home +the required article, Ellen being too busy +to be spared.</p> + +<p>She felt rather out of sorts at having +both of her opportunities taken from her. +“I don’t see why they couldn’t have sent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> +sister,” she said to herself, “or why they +couldn’t do without rice for just this once. +I should think something else would be +better, anyway, for dessert than rice and +sugar.” But there was no arranging +Aunt Elizabeth’s affairs for her and when +the dish of rice appeared Edna was +obliged to eat it in place of any other +dessert. Her ill humor passed away, +however, when Uncle Justus looked at her +from under his shaggy brows and asked +her if she didn’t want to go to Captain +Doane’s with him. This was a place +which always delighted her, for Captain +Doane had been all over the world and +had brought back with him all sorts of +curiosities. Moreover, there was always +a supply of preserved ginger taken from +a queer jar with twisted handles, and +there was also an especially toothsome +cake which the captain’s housekeeper +served, so Edna felt that the feast in store<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +for her, quite made up for the poverty of +a dessert of boiled rice and sugar.</p> + +<p>She wondered that Celia was not also +asked to go, but she remembered that +Celia did not know Captain Doane, and +that probably she would think it very +stupid to play with shells and other queer +things while two old gentlemen talked on +politics or some such dry subject. Therefore +she went off very happily, rather +glad that after all there was a pleasure +for this day and one in prospect for the +morrow.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<p class="desc">A SATURDAY AFTERNOON</p> + + +<p>By Friday, Jennie, Dorothy and Edna +had become quite intimate. Margaret +was still kept at home by a bad cold, so +these three little girls played at recess +together joined by one or two others who +had not been invited, or had not chosen, +to belong to what the rest called “Clara +Adams’s set.” There had been a most interesting +talk with Agnes and Celia and +a plan was proposed which was to be +started on Saturday afternoon. Jennie +had been invited to come, and was to go +home with Dorothy after school to be sent +for later.</p> + +<p>Edna was full of the new scheme when +she reached home on Friday, and she was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> +no sooner in the house than she rushed up +stairs to her mother. “Oh, mother,” she +cried, “I am so glad to see you, and I have +so much to tell you.”</p> + +<p>“Then come right in and tell it,” said +her mother kissing her. “You don’t look +as if you had starved on bread and molasses.”</p> + +<p>Edna laughed. “Nor on rice. I hope +you will never have rice on Saturdays, +mother.”</p> + +<p>“Rice is a most wholesome and excellent +dish,” returned her mother. “See +how the Chinese thrive on it. I am thinking +it would be the very best thing I could +give my family, for it is both nourishing +and cheap. Suppose you go down and +tell Maria to have a large dishful for +supper instead of what I have ordered.”</p> + +<p>Edna knew her mother was teasing, so +she cuddled up to her and asked: “What +did you order, mother?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“What should you say to waffles and +chicken?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, delicious!”</p> + +<p>“But where is that great thing you +were going to tell me?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I forgot. Well, when we got to +school last Monday, there was Clara +Adams and all the girls she could get together +and they were whispering in a +corner. They looked over at me and I +knew they were talking about me, but I +didn’t care. Then I went over to Dorothy +and we just stayed by ourselves all +the time, for those other girls didn’t +seem to want to have anything to do with +us. We hadn’t done one single thing to +make them act so, but Clara Adams is so +hateful and jealous and all that, she +couldn’t bear to have us be liked by anybody. +Dorothy told me she heard her say +I was a pet and that was the reason I got +along with my lessons. You know I study<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> +real hard, mother, and it isn’t that at all. +Clara said it was just because Uncle +Justus favored me, and told Miss Ashurst +too. Wasn’t that mean?”</p> + +<p>“I think it was rather mean, but you +must not mind what a spoiled child like +Clara says, as long as you know it isn’t +so.”</p> + +<p>“That’s what Agnes says. We told +Agnes and Celia how the girls were doing +and how they had a secret and didn’t +want us to be in it, so Agnes said we could +have a secret, too, and she has planned a +beautiful one, she and Celia. I will tell +you about it presently. Well, then Jennie +Ramsey came.”</p> + +<p>“Jennie Ramsey? I don’t think I ever +heard you speak of her.”</p> + +<p>“No, of course you didn’t, for I +only just became acquainted with her. +Mother, don’t you remember the lovely +Mrs. Ramsey that did so much about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> +getting Margaret into the Home of the +Friendless?”</p> + +<p>“I remember, now.”</p> + +<p>“Well, she is Jennie’s mother, and she +told Jennie to be sure to speak to me, because +she knows Aunt Elizabeth, I suppose, +but anyhow, she did. But first the +Clara Adams set tried to get Jennie to go +with them, but she just wouldn’t, and so +she’s on our side. I know Clara is furious +because the Ramseys are richer than +the Adamses.”</p> + +<p>“Oh dear, oh dear,” Mrs. Conway interrupted, +“this doesn’t sound a bit like +my little girl talking about one person +being richer than another and about +one little girl’s being furious about +another’s making friends with whom she +chooses.”</p> + +<p>Edna was silent for a moment. +“Mother,” she said presently, “it is all +Clara Adams’s doings. If she wouldn’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +speak to us nor let the other girls play +with us, why, what could we do?”</p> + +<p>“I really don’t know, my darling, we’ll +talk of that directly. Go on with your +story.”</p> + +<p>“Well, so Agnes found out they were +getting up a club and didn’t want us in +it, so she said we could have a club, too, +and we’re going to begin this afternoon—no, +to-morrow afternoon. Mrs. Ramsey +let Jennie go home with Dorothy to stay +till to-morrow and she is going to send the +automobile for her. She comes to school +in the automobile every morning. I wish +we had one then we wouldn’t have to stay +in town all the week.”</p> + +<p>“Dear blessed child, I am afraid Clara +Adams is turning your head.”</p> + +<p>“Clara? why she doesn’t even speak to +me.”</p> + +<p>“All the same you are beginning to care +more for the things that are important to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +her than ever you did before. Never +mind, we’ll talk about that later. Is that +all?”</p> + +<p>“It’s about all, for we haven’t had the +club meeting yet. Agnes says she will +start it and be the president for a month. +Celia is going to be the secretary and +when we know just what to do and how +to carry it on then they will resign and +some of us younger girls will be the officers.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Conway smiled to hear all this +grown-up talk, but she looked a little serious +a moment after.</p> + +<p>Edna watched her face. “Don’t you +approve of it, mamma,” she asked anxiously.</p> + +<p>“Of the club? Oh, yes, if it is the right +kind of one. I will ask Celia about it, +but what I don’t like is that you should +start it in a spirit of trying to get the +better of another girl, though I can see<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> +that it is the most natural thing in the +world for you to feel as you do, and I can +see that Clara has really brought it on +herself, but I do want my dear little girls +to be charitable and above the petty meanness +that is actuating Clara.”</p> + +<p>“Then what do you think we ought to +do?”</p> + +<p>“I am not sure. I shall have to think +it over. In the meantime by all means +start your club. Where is Celia?”</p> + +<p>“She went out with the boys to look +at the new pigeons, but I wanted to see +you first.”</p> + +<p>Edna enjoyed the prospect of chicken +and waffles too much to long too ardently +for the next day. She hadn’t seen Cousin +Ben yet so she went out to hunt him up, +but discovering that he was hard at work +over his studies she concluded not to disturb +him but to go with the boys to hear +them expatiate upon the qualities of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +new pigeons, of the trade they had made +with another boy and of various things +which had been going on at their school.</p> + +<p>Great preparations were made for the +first meeting of the club. In the Evans +house was a large attic, one corner of +which Agnes and Celia turned into a +club-room. The house was an old-fashioned +one, and the attic window was +small. There was, too, an odor of camphor +and of soap, a quantity of the latter +being stored up there, but these things did +not in the least detract from the place in +the eyes of the girls. What they wanted +was mystery, a place which was out of the +way, and one specially set aside for their +meetings. A small table was dragged out +of the recesses of the attic. It was rather +wobbly, but a bit of wood was put under +the faulty leg, and it did very well. One +perfectly good chair was brought up for +the president, the rest were content to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> +seated on whatever came handy, two +chairs very much gone as to backs, one +with the bottom entirely through, and a +rickety camp stool made up the remainder +of the furniture, but Agnes had taken +care that there were flowers on the table +and that pens, pencils and paper were +supplied. She also brought up some +books “to make it look more literary,” +she said, and the organizers of the club +were delighted.</p> + +<p>They came whispering and with suppressed +giggles up the steep stairway, +made their way between piles of trunks +and boxes to where Agnes sat in state, a +call-bell before her. Margaret, much +bundled up, had been permitted to join +them, so they were the respectable number +of six.</p> + +<p>That morning the president and secretary +had been closeted for an hour with +Mrs. Conway and whatever they had de<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>termined +upon in the beginning which +seemed in the least unworthy was smitten +from the plan.</p> + +<p>The girls disposed themselves upon the +various seats, Celia taking a place at the +end of the table provided for the officers. +There was much stifling of laughter and +suppressed whispers before Agnes tapped +the bell and said in the most dignified +manner, “The meeting is called to +order.” Then each girl smoothed down +her frock and sat up very straight waiting +to hear what should come next. +“The real object of our club,” Agnes began, +“is to find ways of being kind to our +schoolmates, but we are going to do other +things to entertain ourselves, things like +bringing new games into the club and any +new book we find particularly interesting. +If anyone can write a story she is to do +that, and if anyone hears anything particularly +interesting to tell she is to save<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> +it up for the meeting. It has been proposed +by Mrs. Conway that we call the +club the Kindly Club or the Golden Rule. +Celia, we’d better take a vote on the +name. You might hand around some +slips of paper and let the members write +their choice. There is one thing about it; +if we call it the Golden Rule Club, we can +always refer to it as the G. R., and that +will be rather nice, I think. However, +you all must vote as you think.”</p> + +<p>There were not quite enough pencils, +but by judicious borrowing they made +out and the slips were handed in and +gravely counted by Celia. “There are +four votes for Golden Rule, and two for +Kindly,” she announced.</p> + +<p>“Then it is a majority for Golden Rule, +so the name of the club is the Golden +Rule Club, or the G. R., whichever you +choose to say when you are speaking of +it. Now, let me see, oh, yes. We are the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +charter members. We haven’t any +charter but we can have one, I reckon. +I’ll get one ready for next time. Now, +we must have rules. I haven’t thought +them all out, but I have two or three. +We begin with the Golden Rule: ‘Do +unto others as ye would they should do +unto you’; Mrs. Conway said we might +head the list with that, for there was +nothing better. Of course we all forget +sometimes, but we mustn’t any more than +we can help. If we see a chance to do a +kindness to any of our schoolmates we +must do it, no matter if we don’t like her, +and we must try not to get mad with any +of the girls. We must be nice to the +teachers, too. You see it is a school club +and affects all in the school. We big +girls mustn’t be hateful to you younger +ones and you mustn’t be saucy to us.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear,” sighed Edna, “it’s going +to be pretty hard, isn’t it?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe it is going to be as +much fun as the other girls’ club,” complained +Dorothy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes it is. You wait and see,” +said Agnes. “After a while everyone of +them will be dying to come into ours.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, Agnes, I don’t believe a bit of +that,” said Dorothy.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but you see we are going to have +very good times, you forget that part. +The kind word part is only when we are +having dealings with our schoolmates +and all that. We don’t have to do just +that and nothing else. For example, I +have the loveliest sort of story to read to +you all just as soon as the business part +of the meeting is over, and then we are +to have refreshments.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, good!” there was emphatic endorsement +of this.</p> + +<p>“There ought to be fines, I suppose,” +Agnes went on. “Let me see, what shall<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +we be fined for? I shall have to get +some light upon that, too, but I think it +would be a good plan that any girl who +voluntarily stirs up a fuss with another +at school must pay a fine of not less than +one cent. What do you think of that, +Celia?”</p> + +<p>“I should think that might be a good +plan though I expect we shall all turn +Quakers if we continue the club.”</p> + +<p>Agnes laughed. “It does look that +way. At all events we are to thank Clara +Adams for it all. Her club is founded +on unkindness and if we want to be a +rival, Mrs. Conway says we must have +ours founded on kindness.”</p> + +<p>“Do you know anything about her +club?” asked Jennie.</p> + +<p>“I know a little. I believe only girls +who live in a certain neighborhood can +belong to it. All others are to be turned +down, and are to be left out of the plays<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> +at recess. It is something like that, I was +told. However, we don’t care anything +about those poor little sillies. We shall +enjoy ourselves much more. I think +we’d better not attend to any business +to-day or we shall not have time for anything +else. Have you made the minutes, +Celia?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I think I have, and if I haven’t +everything I can get you to tell me afterwards.”</p> + +<p>“I suppose we should vote for the +officers,” said Agnes, after a moment’s +thought.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, don’t let’s,” said Edna, +anxious for the story. “We all want +you for president and Celia for secretary, +don’t we, girls?”</p> + +<p>“All in favor of making Miss Agnes +Evans president of the club will please +rise,” sang out Celia, and every girl +arose to her feet. “That’s unanimous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> +enough,” said Celia. “Now all in favor +of my being secretary will please rise.” +Another unanimous vote followed this +and so the matter was speedily settled.</p> + +<p>Then Agnes produced a manuscript +paper and read them the most delightful +of stories which was received with great +applause. Then she whispered something +to Dorothy who nodded understandingly, +retired to the back of the attic and +returned with two plates, one of delicious +little cakes and the other of caramels to +which full justice was done.</p> + +<p>“What about the places of meeting and +the refreshments?” asked Celia. “It +isn’t fair for you always to furnish them +and don’t you think we should meet at +different houses?”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps so, only you see it would be +hard for us to go into the city on Saturdays +after coming out on Friday, and you +see Jennie lives in town.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but Mack can always bring me +out in the motor car,” said Jennie, +“though of course I should love to have +you all come in to my house and so would +mamma like it.”</p> + +<p>“Well, we’ll meet at your house, Celia, +the next time,” said <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'Agnes, and after'">Agnes, <a name="tn55" id="tn55"></a>“and after</ins> +that at Mrs. MacDonald’s. We can, can’t +we, Margaret?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, I am sure she will be perfectly +delighted. She is so pleased about +the club, anyhow.”</p> + +<p>“Then in the meantime we can be +making up our minds about your house, +Jennie,” said Agnes.</p> + +<p>“I wish we had some little song or a +sentence to close with,” said Celia.</p> + +<p>“We can have. We can do all those +things later. I think we have done a +great deal for one day, don’t you all think +so?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, my, yes,” was the hearty re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>sponse. +“It has been perfectly lovely.”</p> + +<p>“We might sing, ‘Little Drops of +Water,’ for this time,” proposed Edna, +“as long as we haven’t any special song +yet.”</p> + +<p>“That will do nicely, especially that +part about ‘little deeds of kindness.’ +We’re going to sing. All rise.” And +the meeting was closed, the members +groping their way down the attic stairs +which by now were quite dark. But the +effect of the club was to be far-reaching +as was afterward shown, though it was +little suspected at the time of its formation.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<p class="desc">A THANKSGIVING DINNER</p> + + +<p>The first direct effect of the club was +far from pleasant to Edna, for she forgot +all about studying a certain lesson, and +did not remember about it till she and +Dorothy met at school on Monday morning, +and then she was overcome with +fear lest she should be called upon to +recite something of which she knew +scarcely anything. However, by dint of +peeps at the book between whiles, after +devoting to it all the time she had before +school was called to order, she managed +to get through the recitation, yet not +without many misgivings and a rapid +beating of the heart when Miss Ashurst<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +called upon her. Edna was always such +a conscientious child about her lessons +that Miss Ashurst rather overlooked the +fact that upon this occasion she was not +quite as glib as usual, and she took her +seat with a feeling of great relief, determining +that she would not forget her +lessons another Saturday.</p> + +<p>There was more than one opportunity +that day to exercise the rule of the G. R. +Club, and the girls of the Neighborhood +Club, as they called theirs, were a little +surprised at the appearance of good-will +shown by the others.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know just what they are up to,” +Clara Adams told her friends; “they +want to get in with us and are being extra +sweet. I know that is exactly their trick. +Don’t you girls pay any attention to +them. Of course we could let Jennie +Ramsey in, because she lives on our +street, but the others, we couldn’t any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> +more than we could Betty Lowndes or +Jessie Hill.”</p> + +<p>“Well, it seems to me if they are good +enough for Jennie Ramsey to go with +they are good enough for us,” returned +Nellie Haskell.</p> + +<p>“No, I’m not going to have them,” +replied Clara, “and if you choose to go +over to them, Nellie Haskell, you can just +make up your mind that I’ll have no +more to do with you.” So Nellie succumbed +although she did smile upon +Dorothy when the two met and was most +pleasant when Edna offered to show her +about one of the lessons.</p> + +<p>Agnes advised that the girls make no +secret of their club. “It is nothing to be +ashamed of, I am sure,” she said, “and if +any of the girls want to join it I am sure +they are quite welcome to.” And indeed +it did appeal so strongly to some of the +older girls that before the week was out<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +several new members were enrolled, and +it was decided to change the time of meeting +to Friday afternoon so that those in +the city might have their convenience considered +while the girls living in the +country could easily stay in till a later +hour.</p> + +<p>The little girls felt themselves rather +overpowered by the coming into their +ranks of so many older members, but on +the other hand they felt not a little flattered +at being important enough to belong +to the same club, so as the rule worked +both ways it made it all right, especially +as Betty Lowndes and others were +admitted and were no older than themselves.</p> + +<p>“They may have more in number,” +said Clara when she was told of how the +club was increasing, “but we are more +exclusive, my mother says.”</p> + +<p>This remark made its impression as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> +Clara intended it should, though Nellie +looked wistfully across at where half a +dozen little girls were joyously eating +their lunch and discussing the good times +the elder girls were planning. “You +know,” Agnes had told them, “if you +want to become a junior branch of the +same club it will be perfectly easy for +you to do it. At the end of a month you +can decide, though Helen Darby and +Florence Gittings agree with me that +there is no reason why we shouldn’t all +hang together. It will be more convenient +for one thing and we can take turns +in arranging the entertainment part. I +don’t see why we all shouldn’t enjoy +some of the same kind of things.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, we’d much rather stay in,” +replied Edna. “At least I would.”</p> + +<p>“I would! I would!” came from all +the others.</p> + +<p>Although there is a high and marked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> +difference between fifteen and eight or +nine, in most matters, in this of the club +there appeared to be a harmony which +put them all on the same footing. The +older sisters were more ready to help the +younger ones with their lessons while the +younger ones were more eager to run on +errands or to wait on the older ones, in +consequence there was a benefit all +around.</p> + +<p>Of course Miss Ashurst and Mr. Horner +were by no means unaware of what +was going on and they smiled to see how +pleasant an atmosphere prevailed in the +school all except in the unfortunate +Neighborhood Club which they would +have gladly disbanded. “It will probably +die of its own discontent,” said Miss +Ashurst to the principal, “I give it just +three months to exist for the girls are +dropping out one by one.”</p> + +<p>Mr. Homer smiled and nodded his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +head. He was a man of few words yet +very little escaped his keen eyes.</p> + +<p>The next meeting of the G. R.’s was +even more successful than the first. A +number of things were discussed and the +little girls learned many things that they +had not known before.</p> + +<p>“Suppose Clara Adams did want to +come into the club or wanted to be friends +I suppose we’d have to be kind to her,” +said Dorothy, a little regretfully.</p> + +<p>“Of course you’d have to be kind to +her,” said Helen Darby, “but you +wouldn’t have to clasp her around the +neck and hang on her words, nor even +visit her. One can be kind without +being intimate.”</p> + +<p>This was putting it in rather a new +light and the little girls looked at one +another. They had not easily distinguished +the difference before this.</p> + +<p>“The same way about Mr. Horner,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>” +Helen went on, “you don’t have to get +down and tie his shoes, but if you do have +a chance to do something to make things +pleasanter for him, why just trot along +and do it.” And Helen nodded her head +emphatically.</p> + +<p>“Dear oh, me,” sighed Florence, “we +are getting our standards way up. I +should probably fall all over myself if +I attempted to do anything for him. I +am almost scared to death at the mere +thought.”</p> + +<p>“He won’t bite you,” replied Helen, +“and you don’t have to get close enough +to him to comb his eyebrows. What I +mean is that we can ‘be diligent and +studious’ as the old copy-books used to +have it, speak well of his school, and not +carry tales home that will make our +families think we are martyrs and that +he is an ogre, or someone to be feared +constantly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Helen Darby! I’d like to know who +has been giving you all these new ideas,” +said Florence.</p> + +<p>“Why, I think Mrs. Conway started +them by the way she talked to Agnes, and +I have a modest claim to some brains of +my own, so I thought out the rest and +talked it over with father who put things +very clearly before me, and showed me +that school-girls are half the time silly +geese who seem to think their teachers +are created for the mere purpose of making +their lives miserable. Father said +that the shoe was usually on the other +foot, and that the girls were much more +liable to make the teachers’ lives miserable. +That set me a-thinking. Let me +remark in passing that father says he +thinks our club is great, and he wants to +have a hand in furnishing the entertaining +some time.”</p> + +<p>This announcement made quite a ripple<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> +of excitement, for Mr. Darby did nothing +by halves and it was expected that there +would be a good time for the G. R.’s when +they met at Helen’s house.</p> + +<p>Edna kept in mind what had been said +about Uncle Justus and before very long +came an opportunity to prove her powers +of doing him a kindness. It was just +before Thanksgiving that Mrs. Conway +came in one Thursday afternoon to see +Aunt Elizabeth and of course her own two +little daughters as well. Edna sat very +close to her mother on the sofa, her hand +stroking the smooth kid glove she wore.</p> + +<p>It was a queer thing to have her mother +for company, but it was very delightful, +too.</p> + +<p>“I hope you and Uncle Justus can +come out to take Thanksgiving dinner +with us,” said Mrs. Conway to her aunt.</p> + +<p>“Thank you, my dear, but I am afraid +it is impossible,” was the response. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> +long ago promised to go to sister Julia’s, +and hoped Justus would go, too, but he +insists that he cannot possibly take the +time, for it is something of a trip. He +says he has some school papers he must +attend to, and moreover, has promised to +address a meeting in the afternoon, so +that it will be impossible.”</p> + +<p>“I am very sorry,” returned Mrs. Conway, +“for we had quite counted on you +both. Perhaps Uncle Justus can take +the time to come to us even if he cannot +go so far as Aunt Julia’s.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Homer shook her head. “I am +afraid not, but you can ask him. Julia +will be greatly disappointed, but you know +Justus is nothing if not conscientious +and if he has made up his mind he ought +not to go, nothing will alter his decision.”</p> + +<p>“What time is his meeting?” asked +Mrs. Conway.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> + +<p>“At half past two, I believe.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear, then I am afraid it will be +difficult for him to get to us, or rather +to get away. We are to have dinner at +two rather than in the evening, partly +on account of the children and partly on +account of the maids, to whom I have +promised the time after they have finished +the necessary work. There is a train at +two-forty-five, but that would be too late, +and it takes nearly an hour by the trolley +cars.”</p> + +<p>“Then I am afraid he will have to dine +alone,” said Mrs. Horner, “I don’t suppose +he has ever done such a thing in his +life as that, but it cannot be helped. +Julia has few opportunities of seeing her +family and he insists that I must not +think of disappointing her on his account.”</p> + +<p>Edna listened very soberly to all this, +and when it was learned later that noth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span>ing +could alter Uncle Justus’s decision, +she felt very sorry for him. She took +occasion to open up the subject herself +that afternoon. “Uncle Justus,” she +asked, “did you ever eat Thanksgiving +dinner alone?”</p> + +<p>Uncle Justus looked at her over his +spectacles. “Well, no, I cannot say that +I ever did.”</p> + +<p>“Shall you like to do it?”</p> + +<p>“No, I do not believe I shall particularly +enjoy it, but duty must come before +pleasure, you know.”</p> + +<p>“I wish you were going to have dinner +with us.”</p> + +<p>“That would be very agreeable to me, +but I fear I cannot think of it upon this +occasion.”</p> + +<p>Edna sighed. She had hoped he might +reconsider it. When he had left the +room she went out into the kitchen to see +Ellen of whom she was very fond.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> +“Ellen,” she said “are you going to stay +in and cook Uncle Justus’s Thanksgiving +dinner for him?”</p> + +<p>“I am thot. It’ll not be much of a job +I’ll be havin’ ayther.”</p> + +<p>“Why! Isn’t he going to have a real +Thanksgiving dinner?”</p> + +<p>“She was tellin’ me this mornin’ thot +it would be aisy, and I cud have me +afthernoon the same as usual, for he’d not +be in. Says she, ’a bit av a chicken will +do and ye can make a pumpkin pie the +day before, so what with a few pertaties +and a taste of stewed tomats he’ll do +bravely.”</p> + +<p>“Oh dear!” Edna sighed again as she +thought of all that would be served at +her own home table. Her little face wore +a very serious and troubled look every +time she looked at Uncle Justus that evening +and the next day at recess she +unburdened her heart to Dorothy and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> +Jennie. These three always ate their +lunch together and they took this opportunity +for many a confidence.</p> + +<p>“Girls,” Edna began smoothing down +her frock and folding her hands. “I +have a chance to do Uncle Justus a kindness +and I can’t make up my mind to do +it. I’m afraid I’m awfully selfish.”</p> + +<p>Dorothy laughed. “I’d like to see anybody +who’s less so, wouldn’t you, Jennie?”</p> + +<p>“I certainly would. Edna, tell us +about it.”</p> + +<p>“Well, you see Uncle Justus has things +to do so he can’t go with Aunt Elizabeth +to her sister’s and he hasn’t even time to +come to us for Thanksgiving, and he +will have to eat his dinner all alone, +unless—unless I stay and keep him company.”</p> + +<p>“Oh Edna, and you couldn’t be with +your family last year because you were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> +here.” Dorothy’s tones were almost awe-stricken.</p> + +<p>“I know, and of course I am dying to +be at home, and that’s where the being +selfish comes in, I keep thinking how I +should hate to eat my dinner alone and +every time I look at Uncle Justus I feel +so sorry for him I can hardly stand it, +then when I think of not going home I +feel so sorry for myself I can scarcely +stand that.”</p> + +<p>Both girls were silent. They saw the +opportunity for heroic sacrifice as well +as Edna did, but they could not advise her +either way; it was too weighty a question, +though Jennie ventured, “If he is going +to be busy all the time you would be all +by yourself except at dinner.”</p> + +<p>“Yes,” Edna nodded, “and Ellen is +going out after she gets the dishes done, +but I suppose I could go home after that. +She could put me on the trolley and I’d<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> +get home in an hour. I thought about +that.”</p> + +<p>“So, then it wouldn’t be like staying +all day, would it?” said Dorothy, brightening +a little as she saw this much light +upon the matter.</p> + +<p>“Yes, of course that would make a +great difference,” returned Edna.</p> + +<p>“Or,” Jennie had a sudden brilliant +thought. “Oh, Edna, I wonder if you +couldn’t come to my house and stay all +night with me. I should be so delighted +to have you and I know mother would, +too. We aren’t to have our Thanksgiving +dinner till six, so you could have +two.”</p> + +<p>Edna looked quite happy as this plan +was suggested. What girl of nine does +not delight in such an experience as +spending the night with a friend? The +thought of two Thanksgiving dinners, +though one might be rather a frugal one,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> +had its charm, too. “I think that would +be perfectly lovely,” she said, then after +a moment’s thought, “but you must ask +your mother first and I’ll ask mine.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll ask her as soon as I go home and +will tell you at the club meeting this afternoon, +and then you can ask your mother +when you get home and let me know on +Monday. I just know what mother will +say before I ask her.”</p> + +<p>Then the bell rang and recess was over, +but Edna returned to her lessons very +happy at this solution of what had been a +matter of deep thought. It turned out +just as Jennie had prophesied, for she +brought a veritable invitation to Edna +that afternoon in the shape of a little +note, and she further said that Mrs. Ramsey +meant to make sure by writing a +formal request to Mrs. Conway, therefore +Edna considered the matter as good +as settled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> + +<p>She was full of the subject that afternoon +when she reached home. It was +quite dark although she and the others +had taken the train which brought them +more quickly. The club meetings were +so interesting that it was hard to get away +in time, but Mrs. Conway was on the +watch as the girls came in the gate. Of +course Edna had told Celia about all this, +and indeed it had been talked over at the +club, all the girls agreeing that it was a +perfectly lovely thing for Edna to do, so +she came in quite exalted by all the +approval.</p> + +<p>However, when she told her tale and +her mother saw that it was a case of genuine +desire to do a good deed, and that in +the beginning it had appeared in the light +of a heavier sacrifice than could be made +easily, she felt that she could allow the +child to do as she wished, being sure that +it was not in a spirit of self-righteous<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>ness. +And so, on the evening before +Thanksgiving after Uncle Justus had +returned from seeing Mrs. Horner safely +on her journey to her sister’s, he saw a +little figure watching for him at the window.</p> + +<p>“Well, well, well, little girl,” he said, +“how is this? I thought you would have +been at home before now.”</p> + +<p>“I’m not going till Friday,” replied +Edna smiling up at him. “I’m going to +stay and have Thanksgiving dinner with +you.”</p> + +<p>“What? What? What?” Uncle Justus +frowned and shook his head, but he +took off his spectacles and wiped them +very vigorously.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I am.” Edna was very decided. +“Mother said I might, and oh, Uncle +Justus, she knew Aunt Elizabeth would +be away and she thought maybe you and +I would like some of our Thanksgiving,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> +so she has sent some of her goodies, and +we’re going to have a lovely time. I am +going to help Ellen set the table and wipe +the dishes.”</p> + +<p>“But, my child, I cannot allow it. No, +no, no.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but, please.” The more Uncle +Justus denied, the more anxious was +Edna.</p> + +<p>“But, my child, it would be selfish and +inconsiderate of me in the extreme to +take you away from your family on a +holiday. I know what it means to little +people to have such treats, and to an old +fellow like me it will not make such a difference.”</p> + +<p>“But you told me you had never had a +Thanksgiving dinner alone.”</p> + +<p>“That is quite true, but it is no reason +why I should call upon a little girl like +you to give up the holiday to me.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want me to stay?” asked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> +Edna wistfully, and feeling a little hurt +lest after all, her sacrifice was not really +needed.</p> + +<p>Then Uncle Justus did a rare thing. +He sat down, put his arm around her and +kissed her on the cheek. “My dear little +girl,” he replied, “if that is the way you +feel, I can only say that I am delighted +beyond measure that you want to stay, +and you will give me a greater cause for +thanksgiving than I have expected or +deserved,” and he drew her to his knee.</p> + +<p>Edna smiled as she wondered what +Florence Gittings, or any of the other +girls, for that matter, would say if they +could see her then so extremely near the +fierce eyebrows.</p> + +<p>“But what will you do in the afternoon?” +asked Uncle Justus after a +moment. “I must go out early, you see.”</p> + +<p>“I know that. At first I thought I +would get Ellen to put me on the cars to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +go home. It would be quite safe, for I +have gone so many times, but Jennie +Ramsey and her mother have invited me +to come there to stay all night. I’ll come +back here on Friday, if you would like me +to, Uncle Justus. I could stay till Aunt +Elizabeth comes home.”</p> + +<p>Uncle Justus was silent for a moment. +He smoothed her hair thoughtfully and +then he said gently. “Your mother very +kindly has asked me to spend the week +end with you all, so suppose we go out +together on Friday afternoon. I can +take my papers with me and do my necessary +work on Saturday there as well as +here. Your little club meets on Friday +afternoon, doesn’t it? I will meet you +and Celia at the station in time for the +four-thirty train, which is the one you +usually take, isn’t it?”</p> + +<p>Edna was surprised that Uncle Justus +should know all this about the club and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> +the time of their going home, but she +didn’t say so. “I think that will be a +very nice plan,” she told him. “I’ll come +back here on Friday morning and have +dinner with you, and then I can go to the +club meeting. It is to be at Helen +Darby’s this time, and that is very near, +you know.” The twilight gathered about +the two and in the dim light Uncle Justus +did not appear in the least a person to +stand in awe of, for when Ellen came to +call them to supper she was surprised to +see the little girl still sitting on the old +man’s knee, his arm around her and her +head on his shoulder.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<p class="desc">IN A BLIZZARD</p> + + +<p>The enjoyment of helping Ellen, of +setting the table and of being consulted +on such important subjects as whether the +best china and the finest tablecloth should +be used almost made up to Edna for being +away from home on Thanksgiving day. +The basket sent by Mrs. Conway contained +several things which made the +dinner much more of a feast than it +would otherwise have been, for there was +a jar of tomato soup, a small chicken pie +with scalloped leaves and little balls of +crust on top, some delicious pickles, a +glass of currant jelly and another of cranberry +sauce. Margaret had brought in a +bunch of cut flowers from Mrs. MacDon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>ald’s +greenhouse, the day before and +these set in the middle of the table were +a lovely ornament.</p> + +<p>“It’s the foinest lookin’ table iver I +saw in this house,” said Ellen when Edna +called her in to see. “What was it yez +were sayin’ about thim little toasty crusts +for the soup. I’d be afther makin’ thim +if I cud know wanst.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I can tell you just how,” said +Edna, “for I have watched our cook make +them.” She felt very important to be +overseeing this piece of cookery and went +in to call her uncle, feeling very much +pleased at what had been accomplished.</p> + +<p>“Well, well, well,” exclaimed Uncle +Justus, “this does look like holiday times. +Who did all this?”</p> + +<p>“Ellen and I,” Edna told him, “and it +was lots of fun.”</p> + +<p>Uncle Justus nodded. “I dare say,” +he said with a smile, as he sat down.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> + +<p>It was really a merrier repast than +Edna had ever eaten under that roof, for +instead of eating his dinner in silence as +he generally did, Uncle Justus was quite +talkative and actually attempted to joke +once in a while. When Ellen was taking +away the plates before she served the +dessert, the old gentleman arose. “I +think,” he said, “that this is just the +occasion to open that jar of ginger Captain +Doane sent me awhile ago.” So he +went to his own special cupboard, unlocked +the door and brought forth the +wicker bound ginger jar which had been +there several weeks, and it is safe to say +Edna was given her share.</p> + +<p>“A famous dinner,” said Uncle Justus +as he rose from the table. “I can’t +remember that I ever had a pleasanter +one, and I have you to thank for it, my +dear. Now, I am afraid I shall have to +go to my meeting, but I know you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> +an agreeable plan for the evening, so I do +not feel the reluctance in leaving that I +should otherwise.”</p> + +<p>Edna helped him on with his overcoat, +handed him his walking stick and saw +him off, standing in the door, and hoping +he would look back. He did this giving +her a smile and nod as she waved her +hand. Then she went back to Ellen and +together they did the dishes very carefully. +After this both must get dressed, +and an hour later they were about to start +when the bell rang and Ellen opened the +door to Jennie Ramsey.</p> + +<p>“I thought I’d just come for you in the +motor car,” she said. “Mother said +Mack could take us for a little ride in the +fresh air so we would have a better appetite +for dinner.”</p> + +<p>This was quite exciting, for Edna’s +opportunities for riding in an automobile +were not many.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> + +<p>The magnificence of the Ramsey’s +dinner far outdid Aunt Elizabeth’s, but +Edna did not enjoy it one whit the more, +although it was very delightful to be +served by a man in livery, and to have +such exquisite china and glass to look +at during the meal. The child felt a +little shy in the presence of so many +strangers, and had little to say. Moreover, +she had too often been told by Aunt +Elizabeth that “little children should be +seen and not heard” for her not to remember +she must not chatter. Really the best +time came when she and Jennie went up +to bed when Jennie showed her all her +treasures, her pretty room and her rows +of books. They became very confidential +as they snuggled down under the covers, +and when Mrs. Ramsey came in to kiss +them both good-night, Edna felt much +happier than had seemed possible she +could be when she first considered that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +she must spend the day and night away +from her mother.</p> + +<p>The club meeting at Helen Darby’s the +next day was a fine affair, too, for Mr. +Darby had provided an entertainment +which pleased them all. A wonderful +juggler did all sorts of curious tricks and +a young man sang the drollest of songs. +Then, too, the refreshments were unusually +good. It had been made an inviolable +rule that not more than three articles +were to be served, but when there were +ice cream, delicious cakes and bon-bons, +surely these were quite enough.</p> + +<p>“You see,” said Helen in explanation, +after some of the girls had protested, +“father said this was a holiday meeting +and it might be a little more elaborate, he +thought.”</p> + +<p>Uncle Justus took Edna and Celia home +that evening, and if he did not enjoy his +visit it was not the fault of the girls. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> +is probable the old gentleman had rarely +had such attentions and such a fuss made +over him. He was invited to the Evans’s +to supper on Saturday and to Mrs. MacDonald’s +to dinner on Sunday. He was +taken to drive; he was invited to walk, +and really was quite overcome by all this +thought of him from the members of the +G. R. Club.</p> + +<p>Monday morning saw everyone but Celia +back at school. Celia having had too +much Thanksgiving, or too much something +was not able to go, and indeed, had +to remain at home for the entire week, +and it seemed very much like the old days +to Edna when she had to stay at Uncle +Justus’s without her sister. Aunt Elizabeth +returned home on Monday afternoon, +quite “smoothed out” Edna told her +mother afterward. So the week sped +along in the old way till Friday afternoon.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p> + +<p>It had begun to snow a little when Edna +started out to the club meeting which was +held at Florence Gittings’s. The little +girl had no fear, however, for she expected +to meet Dorothy and Agnes and go home +with them, but for some reason neither +was present. Later on it was learned that +Mr. Evans had called for them at their +aunt’s and had taken them home fearing +a heavy storm would prevent their going +later. A telegram which they sent to +Edna at Florence Gittings’s was not delivered +till after the child had left the +house.</p> + +<p>“You aren’t going off by yourself,” +said Florence when the club meeting was +over. It had seemed rather a poor little +affair after the brilliancy of Helen’s entertainment, +and with both Agnes and Celia +missing. However they had all done +their best, but it broke up rather earlier +than usual.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, I must go,” said Edna. “I am +sure Agnes and Dorothy will be at the +railway station, and we can all go out +together.”</p> + +<p>“But it is snowing so hard and the wind +is making the snow drift,” continued +Florence.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but the cars go all the way to the +station. I won’t have to walk, and very +likely mother will send one of the boys, +Cousin Ben, perhaps, to meet me.”</p> + +<p>“I wish we had a telephone,” said +Florence, “but we haven’t, and I suppose +you can telephone from the station if you +want to.”</p> + +<p>“I might do that,” said Edna.</p> + +<p>“I think you’d better go back to your +Uncle Horner’s,” suggested Helen.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but—” Edna did not want to do +this. A whole week at the school without +Celia was about all she thought she could +stand. “I shall do all right,” she in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span>sisted. +“I’m sure the girls will be at the +station.” So the others saw her depart +without urging her further.</p> + +<p>Owing to the snow which was drifting +heavily, the cars were running much more +slowly than usual, and when Edna reached +the station her train had just gone. It +was the train her father always took and +she had hoped to see him. She decided +to telephone and took out her purse to see +what money she had. Alas! she had but +ten cents, not enough for an out-of-town +toll. She had her school ticket fortunately. +Celia was the one who always +carried the money for the expenses, and +Edna remembered that her mother had +told her to be sure to provide herself with +enough. “If you find you run short,” +she told the child, “either send down to +your father for some change or borrow +it from Aunt Elizabeth.”</p> + +<p>Edna would rather have done almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> +anything than borrow from Aunt Elizabeth +and she had forgotten to look in her +purse anyhow, before starting. “Even if +I had,” she told herself, “I would have +thought I had enough for I didn’t expect +to need anything but car fare.” The next +train would leave at five, but as it was a +short run Edna thought she might venture +to take it, even though it might be +dark when she reached the station. She +could telephone to the house from there, +if necessary. So she waited patiently till +it should be time for her train to be ready +and then she went out and took her seat. +It was snowing desperately hard she +noticed as they moved along, and the train +stopped frequently, but at last she reached +her own station and got off feeling very +thankful to be this near home. She +looked around; not a soul was there to +meet her. She would have to telephone. +She turned toward the waiting-room, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +to her consternation found the door +locked.</p> + +<p>There was not a soul in sight. She +stood still for a while. It was getting +colder, and the snow was drifting and +swirling around at a great rate. What +should she do? The station master had +probably gone home to his supper, for +there were no more trains till nearly six +o’clock from either direction. He had not +counted on his presence being needed between +whiles once he had seen to his +freight and baggage, and he had gone to +the back of the building where he lived.</p> + +<p>It was not more than a ten minutes’ +walk to her home in good weather, and +Edna at last thought she would venture. +She pulled her hat down over her ears +and her coat collar up around her neck +and started. It was desperate walking +here in the country where the sharp wind +seemed to search out every unprotected<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +part of the body. The snow nearly +blinded her, and cut her face like a knife. +Every little while she had to stop to get +breath, and as she found the difficulties +increasing she thought of all the stories +she had heard of persons perishing in the +snow a few yards from their own door-ways. +“I wish I had gone back to Uncle +Justus,” she murmured. “Oh, dear, I +don’t believe I will ever get there.”</p> + +<p>The whiteness of the snow made it +possible for her to see a little of the way +when she first started, but as she went on +and it grew darker she began to wonder +if she were in the road. She brushed +away the stinging flakes and looked +around, peering into the darkness gathering +around her. Through the blinding, +hurrying flakes she could see twinkling +lights here and there, and presently she +located the piece of woods just beyond +her own home, but it was far to the left,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +and she realized that she had turned into +a by-road instead of keeping to the main +one. The tears began to course down her +cheeks when she appreciated how far she +was from her own house. “I can never +go back,” she sobbed. “I can’t. I am +so cold and so tired, I’m afraid I can’t +get there. It would never do to stand +still,” she realized and presently she made +up her mind to struggle on toward the +nearest light a little ahead.</p> + +<p>She bowed her head again and pressed +on through the drifts, feeling her strength +would do no more than get her to this +refuge. At last it was reached, a little +house, by the wayside, a tiny garden in +front and a small cow-shed behind. Managing +to get the gate open, Edna went +upon the porch and knocked at the door.</p> + +<p>It was opened by a little girl about her +own age. “Why,” she exclaimed, “who +is it? I thought you were mother.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> +Come right in out of the storm. Isn’t it +a dreadful one?”</p> + +<p>Edna, scarce able to speak, tottered into +the room, warm from a bright fire in a +base-burner stove and cheerful by reason +of a lighted lamp.</p> + +<p>“You are all covered with snow,” the +little girl went on. “Do come to the fire +and take off your hat and coat. You +must be nearly frozen and I expect your +feet are wet and cold. I’ll take off your +shoes.”</p> + +<p>She stooped down and began to unfasten +the snowy shoes after removing +the rubbers Edna had been fortunate +enough to have put on.</p> + +<p>In a moment the wanderer was able to +tell her story, and to thank her little +hostess for her attentions. “I don’t +know what I am going to do,” she said. +“I’m afraid I can’t get home, and there +isn’t any way to send them word to come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +for me. Of course they will think I have +stayed in the city. If I had known how +bad the storm was going to be I would +never have started, but I did want to see +my mother.”</p> + +<p>“And I want to see my mother,” replied +her hostess. “She went down the +road this morning to see my aunt who is +ill, and she was coming back on this train +that got in a little while ago, the train you +must have come on.”</p> + +<p>“I didn’t see anyone get off,” Edna +told her, “only two or three men who got +into a wagon and drove off before I left +the station. Most everyone I know +comes out on the train before that, but I +missed it, you see.”</p> + +<p>“Well, I am very glad to have you +here,” said the other. “If mother did not +come on that train she won’t come at all, +I am sure, for the next ones don’t stop +at my aunt’s station, and I should have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> +been here all alone. What is your +name?”</p> + +<p>“My name is Edna Conway, and I live +on the main road just this side of that +piece of woods you see after you pass +Mrs. MacDonald’s. Hers is the big gray +house with the greenhouses, you know.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes I know it very well. My +name is Nettie Black. My mother and I +live here just by ourselves since my +father died.”</p> + +<p>“Oh,” Edna felt very sorry that Nettie +was fatherless, but she did not know exactly +what to say about it. “Will your +mother be worried about your being here +alone?” she asked after a moment.</p> + +<p>“I s’pose she will, but it can’t be helped. +I know she would have come if she could. +I only hope my aunt isn’t worse. I wish +she could know I am not to be alone.”</p> + +<p>“And I wish, my mother knew I was +safe,” returned Edna. “I am sure,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> +though, that she thinks I am at my +uncle’s in the city, and I hope she does +think so.”</p> + +<p>“Are you quite warm, now?” asked +Nettie. “If you are we will have some +supper.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you are very kind,” returned +Edna a little embarrassed. “I think it +is very hard on you to have me come in +this way like a stray cat.”</p> + +<p>Nettie laughed. “I like stray cats, and +we always take them in. There is a +lovely one in the kitchen, now, that we +make a great pet of. He came to us so +thin and miserable, but now he is as fat +as butter.”</p> + +<p>“I’d love to see him,” returned Edna, +“and won’t you let me help you get +supper?”</p> + +<p>“There isn’t so very much to get,” returned +Nettie a little shamefacedly. +“There is only bread and butter and what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> +is left of the rice-pudding I had for +dinner. We could toast the bread, and +there’s milk. If you don’t mind my taking +part of the milk for it, I could have +milk-toast and we could drink cambric +tea.”</p> + +<p>“I like cambric tea,” replied Edna, +“and I am very fond of milk-toast. Oh, +dear, I am so thankful to be here instead +of out in the cold.”</p> + +<p>“I am thankful, too. I’ll go out and +make the toast. Will you come?”</p> + +<p>Edna was pleased enough to do this, to +make the acquaintance of the big black +cat, and to help make the toast. “I don’t +see how you will ever know how to make +the dip part,” she said to Nettie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I do know. Mother taught +me, and I can do it very well. The great +thing is not to let the milk burn and to +put in only the least little bit of thickening.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>Edna watched the process admiringly. +Nettie was so very expert and bustled +around like an experienced housekeeper. +The house was very small, only two rooms +downstairs and two up, with an attic over +all, but everything was neat and clean, +and the dishes, of course, were set out in +an orderly manner upon a white tablecloth. +The dish of smoking toast flanked +by the rice pudding made an excellent +meal. Nettie poured the tea and served +her guest in the most hospitable way. +They ate their meal in the front room before +the fire, and now that she was +warmed and was no longer hungry, Edna +began to be interested in her surroundings. +It was a plainly furnished room, +a faded carpet on the floor, an old-fashioned +sofa against one wall, a claw-footed +mahogany table against the other, a bookcase +between the windows. One or two +engravings hung on the wall and a dingy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> +portrait in an old frame. The chairs +matched the sofa, one being a comfortable +rocker with cover of haircloth.</p> + +<p>After they had washed the supper +dishes, Nettie made ready for the night +by putting more coal on the fires and +carefully barring the shutters and doors +below. Then with a small lamp in her +hand she escorted her guest to the upstairs +room. It was rather chilly and +was also plainly furnished, though the +old-fashioned four-poster bed was made +up neatly, and the high bureau showed a +clean cover. The wind howled and +whistled around the house, the sharp +snow crystals clicked against the panes, +but as Edna crept under the covers she +could feel only thankful that she had this +shelter and was soon asleep with Nettie +beside her already in the land of Dreams.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<p class="desc">COUSIN BEN TO THE RESCUE</p> + + +<p>The next morning when Edna opened +her eyes she saw a white world. Trees, +fences, roofs, were covered with snow. +It was banked up in great drifts along +the road. The path to the gate was so +deeply snowed under that it was an impossibility +to think of getting from the +house. At the back it was no better. +The two little girls looked rather sober.</p> + +<p>“I wonder if mother can get home to-day,” +was the first thought in Nettie’s +mind, and, “I wonder if I can get home +to my mother,” was that in Edna’s.</p> + +<p>It seemed rather forlorn to think of +facing the day without some older person, +but Nettie bravely went to work to do her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> +best. First she went down into the cellar +for coal which she lugged up to put on the +two fires. Edna came down to find her +busily taking up the ashes.</p> + +<p>“Oh, how do you know what to do to +make the fires burn?” she asked.</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know, for mother has told me, +and I often do this for her. The kitchen +fire is easy enough but it is hard to lift the +coal bucket up high enough to get the +coal into the other stove.”</p> + +<p>“I can help,” said Edna. So together +they managed.</p> + +<p>“Now, I must see what there is for +breakfast,” said Nettie. “I think there +are two eggs, and the hens must have laid +more, but I can’t get out to hunt them till +a path is made. I think there is still a +little milk, for it didn’t take much for +the cambric tea, and we can have more of +that. Then there is bread enough and +butter. We can boil the eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>This they did, Edna watching the clock +very carefully to see that they were not +over done. They concluded to toast the +bread, and made a pretty fair breakfast, +though it was not a very hearty one, Edna +thought. There was a little of the milk +toast left which they warmed up to give +to the cat who must miss his morning’s +milk, as the milkman had not appeared.</p> + +<p>“I don’t suppose he will get here at +all,” said Nettie a little anxiously. She +was wondering what she could give her +guest for dinner if it should be so that +her mother did not return. She set to +work in a very housewifely way to tidy up +the house, Edna helping all she could. +Then they stationed themselves by the +window to see if by any chance there +might be someone coming along whom +they could hail. But the road was not +much frequented and there was not a footstep +nor a track in the deep snow. Only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> +the smoke from neighboring chimneys +gave any evidence of life. Once they +heard sleigh-bells in the distance and concluded +that the main road was being used.</p> + +<p>“I wish I could get out to feed the +chickens,” said Nettie after a while. “I +am afraid they will be hungry.” She +went to the back door to view the prospect, +and tried to shovel away some of +the snow, but it was slow work. Edna +brought another shovel and together they +managed to clear a few feet of the path, +but it was very wearying and they soon +had to give it up.</p> + +<p>Then they went back to the window, +but the monotony was not relieved by any +change in the face of things and so they +determined that it was rather stupid to +stand there. Nettie brought down her +two dolls and they played with these for +a while, but keeping house in a make believe +way was not so exciting when there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +was the reality close at hand, and they +decided that paper dolls would be more +entertaining.</p> + +<p>“I think there is a fashion book upstairs +in the garret,” said Nettie, “and +we can take that. Mother said I might +have it.”</p> + +<p>Edna followed her up into the attic and +they found the book, took it down into the +front room and began to make their selections +and cut out paper dolls till it suddenly +dawned upon Nettie that it was time +for another meal. She laid down her +scissors with a sigh. “I really don’t +know what we shall have for dinner,” she +said. “Mother was going to bring something +back with her. I shall have to +rummage.”</p> + +<p>She went into the little pantry, Edna +following. “There are two potatoes, but +they aren’t very big,” she said, “and +there is some codfish. I might make some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> +codfish balls if I knew how. Do you +know, Edna?”</p> + +<p>“I think they are made of fish and +potatoes, aren’t they?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, but I don’t know how much fish +and how much potato, besides I am afraid +there aren’t potatoes enough. I suppose +we shall have to give that up. Oh, here +are some more eggs; that is fine. If I +could find some ham or some bacon we +could have ham and eggs, and that would +be very good.” But nothing of this kind +could be discovered and Nettie brought +out the potatoes, laid them on the table +and said rather ruefully, “It seems to me +that we aren’t going to have much dinner. +There isn’t another thing except sugar +and tea and such things.”</p> + +<p>“There might be rice,” said Edna with +a sudden thought of Aunt Elizabeth’s +desserts.</p> + +<p>“Why, of course, and rice and brown<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> +sugar are very good indeed. I am so glad +you thought of it. I know there must be +rice.” She went back to the pantry and +presently came out with a box in which +she had discovered the rice. “I’ll get the +eggs and we can have them fried,” she +remarked, “they will seem more like +meat that way.”</p> + +<p>“And we can have the potatoes baked +because they will be easier to do,” said +Edna.</p> + +<p>Nettie made another visit to the pantry. +“I’ve found something else,” she called.</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Edna going to the +door.</p> + +<p>“Two apples. Now, I am sure that is +every blessed thing.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said Edna cheerfully, “I think +we are very lucky to find so much.”</p> + +<p>“I must put the potatoes in the oven +right away,” <a name="tn108" id="tn108"></a>declared <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'Nettie, for it'">Nettie, “for it</ins> takes +them a good while to bake. I will put on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> +some water for the rice, too. I wonder +how much rice I should take. Have you +any idea?”</p> + +<p>“No, I haven’t, but I should think we +will want quite a good deal, we haven’t +very much else, have we?”</p> + +<p>“No, we have not. I will take a large +cupful. It swells up so, I should think +that might do. You soak it first, I think.” +She measured out a full cup of the rice, +poured some water over it, washed it and +then set it to soak till the water should +boil. The potatoes were put in the oven +and then the two went back to the next +room. “It won’t take the rice as long as +it does the potatoes, I am sure,” said +Nettie, “and the water will have to boil +first.”</p> + +<p>They returned to the paper-dolls, becoming +quite interested in them till presently +they heard a great sputtering, and +running out found the water was boiling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> +over. “I’ll put on the rice now,” said +Nettie, “for I am getting hungry, aren’t +you?”</p> + +<p>“Well, yes, a little,” acknowledged +Edna.</p> + +<p>Nettie was rather uncertain as to what +she should cook the rice in, and next, how +much water she should pour over it, but +after some discussion it was decided, and +they went back to set the table. “Doesn’t +it seem funny to be keeping house just +like grown-ups?” said Edna. “I never +knew how much trouble it was before, did +you, Nettie?”</p> + +<p>“I knew, but I didn’t think about it, I +suppose,” returned Nettie. “We will +pile up our dolls and papers over here +on this other table and then they will be +easy to get at when we want them. I +wish the milkman had come, for I really +don’t know what to give to Tippy. We +haven’t any meat. To be sure he will eat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> +most anything, but I am afraid he will +go hungry to-day.”</p> + +<p>“Couldn’t you give him an egg and +some bread or some rice, if we have +enough.”</p> + +<p>“I could do that, I suppose. I hope +there will be rice enough, but it is very +hard to tell when you aren’t acquainted +with such a thing as the boiling and swelling +of it.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I smell something burning,” cried +Edna, “and something is making a +funny popping noise.” They flew to the +kitchen to see that the rice had burst all +bounds and was dancing out of the saucepan +all over the hot stove, puffing and +popping at a great rate.</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear,” exclaimed Nettie. “I +never saw so much rice come from one +cupful. Could you believe it? Why, it +has taken up all the water and the saucepan +is full up to the top besides all that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> +is on the stove. Oh, dear, I wish I knew +just how to cook it.”</p> + +<p>“Haven’t you a cook book?” asked +Edna with a quick suggestion of what +might help out the question.</p> + +<p>“Why, of course mother has one. I +will set this off and go hunt it up.”</p> + +<p>The book was found on the shelves and +the two put their heads together to discover +the best way to boil rice. “I think +this seems the easiest way,” said Nettie, +pointing to one of the pages of the book, +“but I hope it won’t hurt it to wait, for +I’ll have to put on more water to boil. It +says to have a great deal of water and +keep it boiling like mad.”</p> + +<p>After some time the rice was transferred +to another and larger saucepan +and was soon boiling “like mad,” then +the eggs were fried and after a somewhat +anxious and laborious period of time the +dinner was pronounced ready.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Oh, dear me, but it is hard work,” +said Edna sighing as the two sat down to +partake of the meal which they had prepared +after so much difficulty.</p> + +<p>“Yes, it is hard work,” agreed Nettie, +“but we did it all ourselves, and the potatoes +are really done and the rice looks +all right.”</p> + +<p>“It looks fine,” said Edna, “and so do +the eggs. I don’t mind their being +broken a little; I don’t see how you could +dish them up without.”</p> + +<p>They had been so long in preparing the +meal that they were quite starved and ate +with a relish. “I’m glad there is more +rice,” said Nettie, “for now that I know +what a little it takes to make a big dish +I shan’t be afraid of our starving while +it lasts.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear,” Edna put down her spoon, +“you don’t think we shall have to stay +here alone for days, do you? The snow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +will have to melt after a while and the +roads be cleared.”</p> + +<p>“It doesn’t look much like it yet,” returned +Nettie.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but it never, never, never could +keep on like this.” Edna was determined +to be hopeful. “I’m going to believe +someone will come this very afternoon, +either your mother or somebody.”</p> + +<p>Her faith was not without foundation +for along in the middle of the afternoon +they heard jangling bells, and ran to the +front window to see the milkman in a +huge sleigh, his milk cans in the body of +it. He plowed his way to the front door +which was opened to him before he could +knock.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Mr. Snyder,” said Nettie, “I am +so glad you have come. We are all alone +and we haven’t a drop of milk.”</p> + +<p>“That so?” said Mr. Snyder. “I +thought as much. It’s pretty hard trav<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span>elling +and I’ve been hours getting around +to my customers, but now the road is +broken it won’t be quite so hard getting +back. I’d better leave you double quantity +in case I’m late to-morrow.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you are our milkman, too, aren’t +you?” said Edna. “You leave milk at +Mrs. Conway’s, don’t you?”</p> + +<p>“To be sure I do.”</p> + +<p>“And have you been there yet?”</p> + +<p>“No, I’m on my way now. You’re out +a bit, you know, but what are you doing +down here?”</p> + +<p>Edna told him her tale in which he was +much interested. “Well, I declare,” he +said. “Want me to take you home with +me? I can bundle you in there with the +milk cans, and I reckon you wouldn’t +freeze.”</p> + +<p>For a moment Edna thought she must +accept this invitation, then she looked at +Nettie. Suppose her mother should not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +come that evening, and she should be +there at night all alone. “Couldn’t you +take Nettie, too?” she said.</p> + +<p>“Why, certainly. The two of you +aren’t much more than two milk cans, and +I’m sure you’re not so big round.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but suppose mother should come,” +said Nettie. “She would be so worried, +and I must be here to keep up the fires.”</p> + +<p>“Then,” said Edna firmly, setting her +face against the temptation of the cheerful +supper table at home, the dear mother +arms, the greetings of the boys and all +the rest of it. “I will tell you what I +can do. I will write mother a little note +and ask her if she can send somebody or +find some way to get us something to eat, +and I’ll stay till your mother comes, +Nettie.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think you are lovely to do that,” +answered Nettie.</p> + +<p>“Could you wait a minute, Mr. Sny<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>der?” +asked Edna. “I won’t write +much.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll wait,” he <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'said, and if'">said, <a name="tn117" id="tn117"></a>“and if</ins> you will +give me a shovel I’ll make a path to your +gate. I reckon you’re right about staying, +sissy. I’ve got two little girls of my +own and I know I shouldn’t like them to +be left alone either one of them.”</p> + +<p>Edna hurried through her note which +said: “Dear mother, I am with Nettie +Black. She lives in the first little house +on the side road on the way to the old +mill. We are all alone for her mother +hasn’t come back. Please send us something +to eat if you can, for we have nothing +left but rice and milk. There may +be eggs in the hen-house, but we can’t +get at them. I want to come but I’d +better not. Your loving Edna.”</p> + +<p>The little note was safely stowed away +in Mr. Snyder’s pocket with a promise +of sure delivery, and he went off, his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> +horses plunging through the deep drifts +up to their middles.</p> + +<p>“I think you are just as good as you +can be,” said Nettie. “I don’t feel as +if I ought to let you stay, but I do hate +the idea of being left all alone.”</p> + +<p>“I’d want you to stay with me if I were +in your place,” returned Edna remembering +the G. R. Club. To be sure +Nettie did not belong to her school, but +she was quite as much one of those +“others” to whom one should do as he +would be done by.</p> + +<p>“It really looks as if something had +happened,” remarked Edna. “When we +see the path to the gate. I wish he had +had time to make one at the back, too.”</p> + +<p>It was almost dark and they were about +to turn from the window to light the lamp, +when ploughing through the deep snow +they saw someone coming down the road. +They watched him eagerly. Except the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> +milkman he was the first person they had +seen that day. “He is coming this way,” +said Edna hopefully. “Oh, Nettie, I believe +it is Cousin Ben. He has a basket +and see how he has taken to the road +where Mr. Snyder’s sleigh went along.” +She watched for a few minutes longer. +“It is Cousin Ben,” she cried joyfully. +“He is coming here. Light the lamp, +Nettie, while I go let him in.”</p> + +<p>She hurried to the door to see Ben +stamping off the snow from his feet. +“Whewee!” he exclaimed, “but isn’t this +a sockdolager? I never saw such a +storm? How are you Ande, my honey. +Of all things to think of your being this +near home and none of us knowing it.”</p> + +<p>“Then mother did think I was still at +Uncle Justus’s,” said Edna.</p> + +<p>“Just what she did. You rung a surprise +on the whole of us, I can tell you.”</p> + +<p>He came in and set down the basket,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> +took off his cap and overcoat and looked +down at the two little girls with a smile.</p> + +<p>“This is Nettie Black,” Edna told him. +“She has been so nice to me, and I don’t +know what would have happened if I had +not been able to get to her house.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t speak of it,” returned Ben with +a little frown and a shake of his head. +“I’ll sit down and warm myself and then +you can tell me how this all happened.”</p> + +<p>He drew up to the fire, took Edna on +his knee and she poured forth her tale. +“Pretty tough,” he said when she had +completed her story. “I’m glad your +mother didn’t know you had started. +Now, Miss Nettie if you will let me sleep +on that big sofa I am going to stay right +here till we can dig you out and your +mother comes. There’s a lot of provender +in that basket and we’ll be as jolly as they +make ’em.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but you can sleep upstairs,” re<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>turned +Nettie. “There is plenty of +room.”</p> + +<p>“Good! Then upstairs be it. What +was that about hens and eggs and things, +Ande?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, we can’t get out to the hen-house, +you know. We tried to make a path but +it was too hard work for us so we gave +it up.”</p> + +<p>“I should remark. Well, that will be +done first thing in the morning, and I’ll +go see what I can find. Eggsactly, as it +were. What about the fires? Any coal +up here?”</p> + +<p>“A little,” Nettie told him. “We +have carried up all we could at a time, +but we couldn’t bring enough for the +fires to-night. We are going down to get +more.”</p> + +<p>“You are going to do no such thing. +Got a candle? Where are the coal +scuttles? One of you hold the light and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> +show me your coal bin and up comes your +coal.” Cousin Ben was already making +for the cellar door.</p> + +<p>Of course no one was going to be left +out of this expedition and all three descended +to the cellar, from which they +presently came forth all laughing. It +was certainly a cheering thing to have +someone so willing to come to their aid. +Next the basket was unpacked and it goes +without saying that there were neither +eggs nor rice for supper that night. +Moreover, Tippy had such a feast of +milk as well as other things as he had +not seen for several days. Ben kept the +little girls in such a state of giggle that +they could scarcely do the dishes, but +what with the labors of the day and the +later excitement they were ready for bed +early, and went up leaving Cousin Ben +with a book before him. Later his light +half wakened Edna, but as he closed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> +door between the rooms and she realized +that he was there, she turned over with a +sigh of content, feeling very safe and +sleepy.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<p class="desc">DISTURBANCES</p> + + +<p>Sunday morning was bright and clear. +It was so dazzlingly bright when the little +girls arose that they thought it must be +much later than it was. Cousin Ben, +however, was already up and dressed and +had been down some time when the two +finally descended to the lower floor. This +was made known by reason of the fires +burning brightly and of there being a +path cleared to the hen-house, while as +many as a dozen eggs were in a bowl on +the kitchen table.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Cousin Ben,” cried Edna, “what +a lot you have done. It is so cosey and +warm down here, and we won’t have to +wait at all for breakfast.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I hope not,” he returned, “for I’m +hungry, for one. What are you going to +have?”</p> + +<p>Edna turned to Nettie who considered +the question. It was a great occasion +when there were two guests to be provided +for. “As long as there are so many +eggs,” she said, “we can have muffins or +something and some eggs. I could have +some kind of breakfast food, too, I believe +there’s some oat-meal.”</p> + +<p>“Never mind the oat-meal,” said Ben. +“You get me out the flour and stuff and +I’ll make the muffins. There is a royal +fire and I’ll get them ready in three +shakes of a sheep’s tail.”</p> + +<p>“You?” Nettie looked amazed.</p> + +<p>“Of course. Did you never hear of a +man cook? I’ve served my apprenticeship, +I can assure you. I’ll make the +coffee, too, if you have any.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, there is some already ground, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> +the basket mother sent,” Edna assured +him. “We don’t drink it, but we can +have cambric tea.”</p> + +<p>“All right, you go along and set the +table, and I’ll do the rest.”</p> + +<p>Nettie was rather glad to have the responsibility +taken off her hands in this +summary manner, though she said to +Edna, “Do you think it is polite to let him +do it all?”</p> + +<p>“Why, certainly,” replied Edna. “He +does those things at home for his mother +sometimes, for he has no sisters, and the +boys have to pitch in and help when the +servant goes out. He has told me all +about it. And as for its being polite, I +remember mother said it was always more +polite to let your company do the thing +which made them comfortable than to insist +upon doing something for them that +would make them uncomfortable.”</p> + +<p>Nettie considered this for some time be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>fore +she quite took in the sense of it. +She was a thin, demure little girl, not at +all pretty, but with a kind face, big blue +eyes and sandy hair. She was dressed +very plainly, but her clothes were neat and +simply made. She was not the kind of +child Edna might have expected to find +in such a little house.</p> + +<p>The muffins turned out a great success, +and Ben said his coffee just suited him. +“I never saw fresher eggs than your hens +lay,” he said, looking at Nettie with a +serious face.</p> + +<p>“Of course, they are fresh,” she returned, +“when they were only laid yesterday.”</p> + +<p>“That’s what I said,” returned Ben, +with gravity.</p> + +<p>Edna laughed. She was used to Cousin +Ben’s ways, but Nettie was a little puzzled.</p> + +<p>The breakfast was as merry an affair<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> +as the supper had been, and after it +was cleared away there was a consultation +upon what should be done next. +“There’s no use in thinking of church,” +said Ben. “We couldn’t get there if we +tried.”</p> + +<p>“And there are so few trains I don’t +suppose I can expect mother this morning,” +said Nettie.</p> + +<p>“Better not expect her at all,” replied +Ben, “that is, not while the roads are so +snowy. There is scarcely any use in even +a sleigh while these drifts are so high. +Ande, what is the use of a sleigh, anyhow?” +he asked, turning to his cousin +who saw a joke.</p> + +<p>“You tell,” she answered.</p> + +<p>“Snow use” he replied. “Now, I’ll +go out and feed the hens, and then I’ll +put on my boots and start on the road +again. I’ll see what’s going on at the +house, and then I’ll come back again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>” +They watched him ploughing through +the snow, but because he had been there +and was coming back it seemed not lonely +at all, though Nettie said, wistfully, she +did hope her mother could come that day, +and Edna hoped she could find a way of +getting home.</p> + +<p>Toward noon they saw a queer box-sleigh +coming from the main road. They +watched it interestedly from the window +as it approached nearer and nearer. “I +do believe it is mother,” exclaimed Nettie, +joyfully. And sure enough the sleigh did +stop before the door, a man got out, +and then helped a slight woman in black +to alight. “It is mother,” cried Nettie, +running to the door, and presently she +was in her mother’s arms.</p> + +<p>Then there were great explanations. +Like the little girls, Mrs. Black had been +snowed in, for her sister lived quite a +distance from the station, but she had at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> +last been able to get some one of the +neighbors to bring her across, as he had +to go to the doctor’s, and was willing to +take her the short distance further.</p> + +<p>“If I had known how well cared for +you would be,” she told her daughter, +“and that you were not alone at all, I +should have been much less anxious. +Certainly, we have a great deal to be +thankful for.”</p> + +<p>Edna felt that she certainly had a great +deal to be thankful for when a little later +she saw a big black sleigh stop before the +door. She recognized it as Mrs. MacDonald’s, +for it was driven by her coach-man, +though in it sat Cousin Ben. He +had come back as he promised, but +in great state. And because Nettie’s +mother had returned he bore Edna off +alone, after many good-bys and promises +to see her new friend as often as she +could.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span></p> + +<p>“How did you happen to come in Mrs. +MacDonald’s sleigh?” she asked her +cousin.</p> + +<p>“Well, I will tell you. When I reached +the house I found that Mrs. MacDonald +had telephoned over to ask about all of +you, and to see how Celia was. When +she heard where you were and all about +it, she said she would send over her sleigh +and I could go for you and Nettie in it, +and so as that seemed a good arrangement +I was going to put it into execution. +We had decided to leave a note for Mrs. +Black in case she should get back to-day, +so she wouldn’t be worried.”</p> + +<p>“It’s really much better this way,” returned +Edna, “for now she has her +mother, and I will have mine.”</p> + +<p>It seemed a delightful home coming, and +because the snow was still so deep there +was the extra holiday on Monday, but by +Tuesday all started off to school again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> +Mrs. MacDonald knew all about Mrs. +Black, and said she was a very good +woman, who had taken this little house in +the country because she could live there +more cheaply, and because in such a place +as she could afford in the city her little +daughter would not be surrounded by +pleasant influences. Nettie went to the +district school, and was such a little girl +as Edna’s parents would select as a companion +for their daughter. So, Edna felt +she had made quite a discovery, and +planned all sorts of times with Nettie +when the winter was over.</p> + +<p>Matters went on at school uninterruptedly, +until just before Christmas, +when it was suddenly made known that +Miss Ashurst was to be married, and that +another teacher would take her place +after the holidays. The G. R.’s got up a +linen shower for the departing teacher, +but the Neighborhood Club did nothing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> +Its numbers were dwindling, for when +it was learned what good times the rivals +had at their meetings, there was more +than one deserter. For some reason, +Clara Adams had picked out Edna as the +prime cause of all this. She had never +forgiven her for winning the doll at the +fair the year before, and was likewise +furiously jealous of her friendship for +Jennie Ramsey. If Edna had been a less +generous and sweet-tempered child, matters +might have been much worse, but +even as it was they were made bad +enough.</p> + +<p>No sooner had the new teacher appeared +than Clara set to work to do +everything in her power to make Edna +appear to disadvantage, by all sorts of +mean innuendoes, by sly hints, by even +open charges, till the child was almost in +tears over the state of affairs.</p> + +<p>“I would just tell Miss Newman, so I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> +would,” said Dorothy indignantly, when +a specially mean speech of Clara’s came +to her ears.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but I couldn’t be a tattle-tale,” +declared Edna.</p> + +<p>“She’d better not say anything about +you to me,” returned Dorothy. “She +knows better than that. I’d tell her a +thing or two.”</p> + +<p>“If Uncle Justus knew, he would believe +me and not Clara,” said Edna. “I +don’t cheat in my lessons, and he knows +I don’t, whatever Clara may say, and +I’m not the one who sets the girls up to +mischief, you know I’m not.”</p> + +<p>“I know mighty well who it is,” declared +Dorothy, “and if this keeps up I +shall tell, so I shall.”</p> + +<p>It did keep up till one morning the climax +was reached when Miss Newman +came into her school-room to find on the +board a very good caricature of herself,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> +with under it written: “Ugly, old Miss +New,” in scrawling letters. Clara came +into the school-room late, and slipped into +her seat after the exercises had begun. +Miss Newman left the drawing on the +board and made no reference to it, using +a smaller board for what was necessary. +She was far less attractive than Miss +Ashurst, and had a dry little way with +her, which many of the girls thought oldmaidish, +but she was a good teacher, if +not a very beautiful one. When the girls +returned from recess, in place of Miss +Newman at the desk stood Mr. Horner, +his eyes fairly snapping with indignation, +and his eyebrows looking fiercer than +ever.</p> + +<p>“Oh,” whispered Dorothy, as she sank +down into her seat by Edna’s side. The +rest of the girls looked pale and awe-stricken. +Never before had they any +recollection of Mr. Horner’s coming into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> +the room. Offenders were sometimes +sent to him in the larger room, but this +was a new experience.</p> + +<p>There was complete silence, while Mr. +Horner looked from one to the other as +if he would search their very hearts. +Some of the girls returned his gaze pleadingly, +some dropped their heads, Clara +Adams, with a little smile of indifference, +began to play with her pencil. Mr. +Horner glared at her. “Put that down!” +he said, and she dropped it, though still +wearing her impertinent little smile. “I +wish to know,” said Mr. Horner, “who +was the first to arrive in this room this +morning?”</p> + +<p>“I was the last,” spoke up Clara.</p> + +<p>“You were not asked that,” said Mr. +Horner, turning upon her.</p> + +<p>After quite a silence, Margaret arose. +“I think I was the first, Mr. Horner,” +she said, and then sat down again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p> + +<p>“There was no one in the room when +you came?”</p> + +<p>“No, Mr. Horner.”</p> + +<p>“And was this on the board?” He +pointed to the drawing.</p> + +<p>“Yes, Mr. Horner.”</p> + +<p>“You did not do it?”</p> + +<p>“No, Mr. Horner,” then with a little +catch of her breath, “I wouldn’t do such +a mean thing, not for nothing.”</p> + +<p>“Not for anything, I think you mean, +Margaret,” said Mr. Horner in gentler +tones.</p> + +<p>“Not for anything,” repeated Margaret, +meekly.</p> + +<p>“Then, I shall have to ask each separately, +and I expect a truthful answer,” +said Mr. Horner. He began putting the +question, going from one to the next till +every girl in the room had been questioned.</p> + +<p>“It might have been one of the older<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> +girls,” said Miss Newman, in an undertone +to him.</p> + +<p>Clara caught the words, as she was +nearest. “I should think it would be +very easy to know who did it,” she said, +“when there is only one of us girls who +stays in the house.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean by that?” asked +Mr. Horner severely.</p> + +<p>Clara was not daunted. “I mean that +there is only one girl who can come into +the school-room before the others can get +here.”</p> + +<p>“Do you mean my niece? I should as +soon think of suspecting Miss Newman +herself.” He looked over at Edna with +a little reassuring smile. “However, +as we do not seem to be making much +headway I shall take other means of finding +out who did this very unladylike and +unkind thing.” Then he gave them such +a lecture as none of them forgot and if<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> +the G. R.’s did not have their motto +brought home to them on that occasion +they never did. Then Mr. Horner +returned to his own school-room and +Miss Newman called one of the girls to +clean off the board.</p> + +<p>Nothing further was said of the matter, +and Miss Newman went on as if it had +never happened; but one day the last +of the week, the girls were asked to +illustrate in pencil drawings a story from +their history lesson.</p> + +<p>“Oh, Miss Newman, I couldn’t possibly +do it,” exclaimed Dorothy. “I don’t +expect finished drawings,” she replied, +“and you may even make them as humorous +as you choose, but I want some little +attempt, no matter how slight. Mr. +Horner has asked that you do your best, +and I shall expect you to hand in something +beside blank paper.”</p> + +<p>Dorothy and Edna both sighed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> +Neither one had the slightest idea of +drawing and knew that their results +would be absurd, but they labored away +and finally with half deprecating, half +amused expressions showed their drawings +to one another. It was as much as +they could do to keep from laughing outright, +they were so very funny, but they +signed their names in the corner as Miss +Newman directed them to do, and handed +them in. Then, Miss Newman took +them into the next room. At the close +of school, she said, “Mr. Horner wishes +Clara Adams to stay after school; he +wishes to see her about her drawing.”</p> + +<p>Clara perked up and looked around +with a little smirk. So she was the prize +draughtsman, and she remained with a +perfectly good grace. However, it was +a very different looking Clara who was +led into the room the next morning by +Mr. Horner. Her eyes were swollen with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> +crying and she wore a rebellious expression +when Mr. Horner announced, +“Clara Adams wishes to make a public +acknowledgment of her part in the rudeness +directed against Miss Newman by +the drawing you all saw on the board, +and she will also make a public apology +both to her teacher and to my niece.”</p> + +<p>Clara murmured something unintelligible +and burst into tears. The only +words the girls could make out were “I +did it.” It was the most terrible thing +that had ever happened to any of them +and Edna felt so sorry for the culprit +that all resentment vanished altogether. +She forgot entirely that she was included +in the apology, if apology there was, and +all morning she cast the most sympathetic +looks across the room at Clara.</p> + +<p>It came out later that the drawings +were the proof of the child’s guilt, for +they were done in the same style as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> +caricature and because they were so much +better than the rest it was evident that +only Clara could have made the figure on +the board. She had come very early, +had slipped upstairs before anyone else +and had gone out again to return later +and thus hoped to avoid any suspicion. +It happened, too, that Ellen saw her come +in and go out again and this of course +clinched the matter when she was brought +face to face with the Irish girl who did +not know her name but recognized the +hat and coat she wore.</p> + +<p>The affair made a great impression +but somehow did not increase Miss Newman’s +popularity, for the idea of the +drawings was hers and Clara could not +forgive her for the position into which +she had forced her, therefore she lost no +opportunity of making it as unpleasant +for her teacher as she could in the thousand +and one ways a sly and unprincipled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> +girl can, and her little pin-pricks were +so annoying, that finally Dorothy and +Edna, who had not particularly cared +for the new teacher, began to stand up for +her and to do as many kind things as they +could. Perhaps the G. R. Club was +mainly responsible for this, but at all +events it made matters a little happier +for the teacher.</p> + +<p>As for Clara, Dorothy set her face +against any sort of friendship with her, +but it was not within Edna’s heart to be +unkind to anyone, and she made up her +mind that she would meet Clara half way +if ever the chance came.</p> + +<p>Uncle Justus never mentioned the +affair of the caricature to her, but she +knew he had never the slightest belief +that she had done it and his open +approval of her before the whole class +was very much valued. She had won her +way into the hearts of most of the girls,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> +and there were only two or three of +Clara’s most adoring adherents who still +called her “a pet” and said she was at +the bottom of all Clara’s trouble. This +seemed a very strange way to look at it, +but poor Clara was so blinded by jealousy +and rage that she saw nothing in +the right light. Edna wondered if she +would ever cease to dislike her, and +insisted to Dorothy that they ought to try +to persuade her to come into the club. +“You see,” she said, “if she could once +find out what doing to others really +means she maybe would get over all her +hatefulness. Mother thinks so, and I’m +not going to give up being nice to her +if I get a chance.”</p> + +<p>“Well, you don’t catch me,” returned +Dorothy. “I don’t want to go with +such a horrid story-teller as she is. I +shouldn’t think you would, either.”</p> + +<p>Edna said not a word, but still hoped.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<p class="desc">THE FRIENDLESS FRIENDS</p> + + +<p>Margaret came to school in great +excitement one Monday morning. “I’m +going to have a party,” she said to Edna. +“I’ll tell you all about it at recess.”</p> + +<p>The idea of Margaret’s really having a +party was most interesting when Edna +remembered that it had been just a year +since she was adopted by Mrs. MacDonald. +She had improved very much +in this time, both in speech and manner, +and no happier child could be found than +she. To be sure she had everything to +make her happy, as Dorothy often said, +a beautiful home, a kind mother and +friends who took pains to make her forget +how forlorn she had once been. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> +was very grateful for all these things, and +rarely asked for anything more than was +offered to her, so that Mrs. MacDonald +was all the more ready to give her pleasures +which she did not ask for.</p> + +<p>Jennie and Dorothy were admitted into +the little group which gathered to hear +about the party. “Tell us all about it, +Margaret,” said Edna. “Just begin at +the beginning.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said Margaret, “mother was +saying to me on Saturday evening, ‘Margaret, +do you know it is almost a year +since you became my own little daughter? +Now I think we ought to celebrate the day +of your coming to your home. What +would you like to do?’ So I thought and +thought, and then I said, ‘I never had a +party in all my life, would it be too much +to celebrate by having one?’ and she said, +‘Not at all, though I should first like to +know what girls you would like to invite,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span>’ +and I told her all the G. R. Club. ‘Anyone +else?’ she asked, and I thought of +Nettie Black. ‘I’d like to have Nettie,’ +I said, and then I remembered how +lonely I used to be even at the Friendless, +and how glad I used to be when you came +to see me, Edna, and I thought of two or +three who were still there, girls who +haven’t been adopted, and I said I’d like +to have them. Then mother said, ‘Very +well, only the others may not want to +come if you have poor children like them, +and you’d better ask the girls, and if they +refuse you can make up your mind which +you would rather have, the girls of the +club or the Friendlessers.’”</p> + +<p>“Oh, Margaret, you know we won’t +care,” said Edna earnestly.</p> + +<p>“I knew <i>you</i> wouldn’t, but I didn’t +know about them all. I shall have to +ask, you see, because it seems to me that +of all the people I know, the Friendless<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>ers +are the very ones who ought to come +when it is to celebrate my coming away +from there, and then, too they don’t have +good times like we do.”</p> + +<p>The girls all called the Home of the +Friendless “The Friendless” and the +children there, “The Friendlessers” so +they knew quite well whom Margaret +meant.</p> + +<p>“How soon is the party to be?” asked +Jennie.</p> + +<p>“Next Saturday afternoon. The +Friendlessers can come then better than +any other time, and besides we live out of +town, and it will be easier for everyone +to come in the afternoon.”</p> + +<p>“I shall come,” said Dorothy decidedly, +“and I think it is a beautiful idea +for you to have the Friendlessers.”</p> + +<p>“And of course I shall come,” put in +Jennie.</p> + +<p>“I know my sister will,” said Edna.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> + +<p>“And mine,” echoed Dorothy.</p> + +<p>“There is one thing I hope you won’t +mind my saying,” said Margaret; +“mother says please not to wear party +frocks, and not to dress up much, on account +of the Friendlessers, you know, for +of course they won’t have any.”</p> + +<p>“Of course not,” agreed the girls.</p> + +<p>“Mother says we can have just as good +a time if we are not dressed up and as +long as it is going to be in the daytime it +won’t make so much difference.”</p> + +<p>“Let’s go tell the other girls,” suggested +Edna.</p> + +<p>They hunted up Agnes, Celia and the +rest of the club members and did not find +one who objected to the presence of the +“Friendlessers.”</p> + +<p>However, when the news of Margaret’s +party was noised abroad, there was much +scorn on the part of the Neighborhood +Club. “The idea,” said Clara, “of going<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> +to a party with orphan asylum children! +I’d like to see my mother allowing me to +associate with such creatures. I can’t +think what Jennie Ramsey’s mother can +be thinking of to allow her to go. Besides, +Margaret is an orphan asylum girl +herself and no better than the rest! I’m +sure I wouldn’t be seen at her party.”</p> + +<p>“And they’re not even going to wear +party frocks, nor so much as white ones,” +said Gertrude Crane. “I don’t see what +fun it will be.”</p> + +<p>“And I suppose there are to be no +boys,” put in Clara.</p> + +<p>“I haven’t heard whether there are to +be or not,” returned Gertrude.</p> + +<p>The question of boys did come up later +when Mrs. MacDonald asked Margaret if +she did not think it would be well to invite +Frank and Charley Conway, as one of +the “Friendlessers” was a boy. The two +Porter boys who came out often to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> +with the Conway boys, were thought of +and were invited, and when Edna +returned home on Friday evening Cousin +Ben informed her that he, too, was going.</p> + +<p>“Why, Cousin Ben,” she said in +pleased surprise, “how does that happen, +when you are such a big boy, really a +man, you know?”</p> + +<p>“I must confess I fished for an invitation,” +he told her. “Mrs. MacDonald +was over here to ask if Charlie and Frank +could come and I said, ‘What’s the +matter with asking me, too?’ and so I got +my invite. I wouldn’t miss it for a six-pence.” +Cousin Ben and Mrs. MacDonald +were great friends and he was +quite intimate at the big gray house so it +was no wonder that he wanted to be at +Margaret’s first party.</p> + +<p>It was as Ben said “a queer mix-up.” +The first to arrive were the four children +from the Home of the Friendless, three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> +little girls and one little boy. One of the +teachers brought them out and remained +in order to take them back again. The +big gray house looked cheerful and more +attractive than usual, for flowers were +Mrs. MacDonald’s great pleasure and +they were everywhere, making up for the +plainness of the furnishings, for Mrs. +MacDonald did not believe in showiness. +Her house was thoroughly comfortable +but not elegant.</p> + +<p>These first arrivals were very shy, quite +awe-stricken and sat on the edges of their +chairs scarce daring to move until Margaret +took them out to see the greenhouses. +After that they were a little +more at their ease for each came back +with a flower. By a little after three all +had arrived, the Porter boys with their +Punch and Judy show which they had +promised to bring, and Ben with his +banjo. All the girls wore plain frocks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> +with no extra ornaments, Margaret herself +being not much better dressed than +her friends from the Home.</p> + +<p>The Punch and Judy show was given +first as a sort of prelude to the games +which were to follow, and in these even +the older girls joined with spirit. The +main idea seemed to be that everyone +should do his or her best to make the +party a success and to give the poorer +children as good a time as possible. +Ben, be it said, was the life of the occasion. +He kept everyone going, never +allowed a dull moment, and if nothing +else was planned, he would pick up his +banjo and give a funny coon song, so that +it was no wonder Mrs. MacDonald was +glad to have invited him.</p> + +<p>Probably in all their lives the Friendlessers +never forgot the wonderful table +to which they were led when refreshments +were served, and which they talked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> +of for weeks afterward. Here there was +no stint and the decorations were made +as beautiful as possible. There were +pretty little favors for everyone, and +such good things to eat as would have +done credit to any entertainment. It was +all over at six o’clock, but not one went +away with a feeling of having had a +stupid time, for even the older girls +agreed among themselves that it had +been great fun.</p> + +<p>“Did you ever see anything like those +children’s eyes when they saw that +table,” said Agnes smiling at the recollection.</p> + +<p>“It must have been like a fairy tale +to them, poor little things,” replied Helen +Darby. “I think it was a perfectly +lovely thing for Mrs. MacDonald to do. +Won’t I have fun telling father about +it, and how interested he will be. He has +been quizzing me all day about my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> +orphan asylum party, but I know he +liked my going.”</p> + +<p>“I liked that little Nettie Black,” +Florence remarked. “She has such a +nice quaint little face, like an old-fashioned +picture. Her name ought to be +Prudence or Charity or some of those +queer old names. Where did you pick +her up, Edna?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, she is the little girl that I kept +house with at the time of the blizzard,” +Edna told her. “She lives just a short +way up the side road, and she is a very +nice child.”</p> + +<p>“I found that out,” returned Florence. +“Why doesn’t she belong to our club?”</p> + +<p>“Because she doesn’t go to our school.”</p> + +<p>“To be sure, I forgot that. Well, she +could be made an honorary member or +something, couldn’t she Agnes?”</p> + +<p>“Why, I should think so. We’ll have +to bring that up at our next meeting.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> +Would she like to belong to the club, do +you think, Edna?”</p> + +<p>“She would just love to, I know.”</p> + +<p>“Then we’ll have to fix it some way. +I’ll ask mother or Mrs. Conway what we +can do.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know how we could all get into +their parlor,” said Edna doubtfully; “it +is so very tiny.”</p> + +<p>“We don’t have to,” Agnes told her, +“for you know the general club-room is +up in our attic and I’m sure that is big +enough for anyone. If Nettie comes into +the club, when her turn comes for a meeting +it can be held in the general club-room.”</p> + +<p>This was very satisfactory, but it did +not do away with another difficulty which +came to Edna’s mind. She knew that +Mrs. Black had barely enough means to +get along on with the utmost economy and +how Nettie could ever furnish even simple<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> +refreshments for a dozen or more girls +she did not know. However, she would +not worry about that till the time came. +As yet Nettie was not even a member of +the club.</p> + +<p>Margaret’s party was talked about at +school almost as much after as before it +came off. Those who had been present +discoursed upon the good time they had +had, and those who were not there wished +they had been. But to offset it, there came +the report that Clara Adams was going to +have a party and that it would be in the +evening and was expected to be a +gorgeous affair. Jennie Ramsey was +invited but had not made up her mind +whether she wanted to go or not. As +most of those who would be invited were +the children of Mrs. Adams’s friends and +were not schoolmates of Clara’s it did not +seem to Jennie that she would have a +very good time.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span></p> + +<p>“It will be all fuss and feathers,” she +told Dorothy and Edna, “and I won’t +know half the children there, besides I +shall hear so much talk about what I shall +wear and all that, I believe I’d rather +stay at home.”</p> + +<p>“Clara is going to wear a lace frock +over pink silk, I heard her say,” Dorothy +told them.</p> + +<p>“I should think that would be very +pretty,” declared Edna admiringly.</p> + +<p>“I’d rather be dressed as we were at +Margaret’s,” Jennie returned, “for then +we could romp around and not care +anything about what happened to our +clothes.” Jennie hadn’t a spark of +vanity and cared so little for dress as to +be a surprise to the others.</p> + +<p>“Of course that was nice, but I should +like the pretty clothes, too,” rejoined +Edna with honesty.</p> + +<p>“They won’t do anything, either, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> +dance and sit around and look at each +other,” continued Jennie. “I’d much +rather play games like ‘Going to Jerusalem’ +and ‘Forfeits’ and all those things +we did at Margaret’s. I have all the +dancing I want at dancing-school. No, I +shall tell my mother I don’t want to go.” +Jennie had made up her mind, and that +was the end of the matter for her.</p> + +<p>Therefore the others heard very little +of what went on at Clara’s party. That +it came off they knew, and there was +much talk of what this one or that one +wore, of how late they stayed and how +many dances they had, but that was all, +and the stay-at-homes decided that, after +all they had not missed much, and if +Clara’s intention was to rouse their envy +she failed of her purpose.</p> + +<p>At the next meeting of the club Nettie +was voted in as an honorary member. +“That seems to be about the only thing we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> +can do,” Agnes announced, “and everyone +seems to want her.” So the thing +was done.</p> + +<p>If there was one thing above another +which Nettie did long for it was to become +a member of the club whose wonderful +doings she had heard so much of from +Edna. The two had seen each other +often, and now that the spring was nearing, +rarely a Saturday came but that they +met. It was Edna who took her the joyful +news on Friday evening.</p> + +<p>“I’ve something perfectly lovely to +tell you,” she announced as soon as she +was inside the door of the little house.</p> + +<p>“What?” asked Nettie with a quick +smile of interest.</p> + +<p>“You’re going to be a member of our +club.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, Edna, how can I be? I don’t +go to your school.”</p> + +<p>“I know, and that is why we had to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> +make you an <a name="tn161" id="tn161"></a><ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'honorary member, Agnes said.”'">honorary member,” Agnes +said.</ins></p> + +<p>“Oh, I think you are all the dearest +things I ever knew,” cried Nettie. Then +her face fell, “But, oh, Edna, how can we +get all of you girls in this little bit of a +house?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, you can meet in the general club-room +at the Evanses,” Edna told her. +“Agnes says so and it is in their attic, you +know. When a girl can’t very well have +the meeting at her house we have it there. +Once it was to be at Betty Lowndes’s +house and her little sister had the chicken-pox +so we couldn’t meet there and we had +it in the attic.”</p> + +<p>Nettie’s face cleared, but presently a +new difficulty presented itself, one which +she hesitated to speak of but which was +a very serious one. How should she tell +Edna what was in her mind? But she +remembered that Edna had seen the pov<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span>erty +of the family stores and that there +was no need to make any pretence to her. +“There’s another thing,” she began, “I +haven’t any money, and I couldn’t ask +mother for refreshments.”</p> + +<p>“I thought of that,” answered Edna; +“we might give them rice,” and then they +both laughed. “If there were only some +way you could earn some money and I +could help you,” continued Edna with +more seriousness. “Perhaps we could +think of some way. If it were something +we could both do, I could help you.”</p> + +<p>“You are always so good that way,” +replied Nettie gratefully.</p> + +<p>“Well, anyhow,” said Edna, “it won’t +be for some time yet that you have to have +the meeting and perhaps we can think of +something. If we can’t would you mind +if I ask mother what we could do?”</p> + +<p>“I’d rather not,” replied Nettie doubtfully, +“not unless you have to.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Then I won’t unless I have to.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps my mother can think of a +way, only I don’t want to say anything +to her, for she will feel badly because she +can’t let me have the money, and I know +I ought not to ask her for it. I won’t +ask, of course, but if I tell it will be the +same as asking, and it will make her feel +so unhappy if she must say no, she can’t.”</p> + +<p>“Then we must try very hard to think +of a way without telling anyone. You +wouldn’t need so very much, you know, +Nettie, for we can have real cheap things +like peanuts and gingerbread, or something +like that. I believe fifty cents +would be enough to spend, and a dollar +would be plenty.”</p> + +<p>This seemed like a large amount to +Nettie, though she did not say so, and the +thought of earning that much weighed +heavily upon her after Edna had gone +home.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span></p> + +<p>Edna’s thoughts, too, were busy all the +evening, and she was so absorbed in Nettie’s +dilemma that she sat with arms on +the table and doing nothing but looking +off into space so that at last her father +said. “What’s the matter, little girl? +You haven’t even asked for your favorite +children’s page of my evening paper,” +and he handed it over to her.</p> + +<p>This was something that Edna always +asked for and she took it now with some +little interest, and roused herself to +look down the columns. Presently she +breathed softly. “Oh!” She had seen +something which gave her an idea for +Nettie, and she went to bed that night full +of a hope which she meant her friend +should know as soon as possible the next +day.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<p class="desc">THE PUZZLE</p> + + +<p>When Edna awoke on Saturday morning +her first thought was of Nettie and +she scrambled out of bed that she might +not lose a moment’s time in telling her of +the discovery she had made the night before. +She hurried through her breakfast +and was off to the little house as soon as +she had been given leave by her mother. +She carried the page of her father’s paper +safely folded in her hand, and ran nearly +all the way, arriving breathless. She +could scarcely wait for Nettie to open to +her knock, and her words tumbled over +each other as she replied to Nettie’s greeting +of “How nice and early you are,” by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> +saying, “Oh, I have something so nice to +tell you.”</p> + +<p>“You had something nice to tell me +when you came last evening,” returned +Nettie; “you don’t mean to say there is +anything more.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I’ve found a way that maybe you +can make some money, a dollar.”</p> + +<p>This was exciting, “Oh, do tell me +quick,” returned Nettie.</p> + +<p>Edna hastily began to open the paper +she carried, and then she thrust it before +Nettie, pointing to a line and saying, +“There, read that.”</p> + +<p>Nettie did as she was told, her eyes +eagerly running over the words. “Oh, +Edna,” she said, “do you believe we could +do it?”</p> + +<p>“Why, of course, but you see the main +thing is to get it done as quickly as possible, +for the one who gets the answer to +the puzzle the quickest and who has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> +the clearest answer will get the first prize. +Maybe we couldn’t get the very first, but +we could get the second, and that’s a dollar. +We must set to work right away. +I thought we’d do the best we could and +then we’d get Cousin Ben to fix it up for +us.”</p> + +<p>“Would that be right?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I think so, for it doesn’t say you +mustn’t have any help; it just says the +one who sends it in the soonest. I left a +note for Cousin Ben to stop here if he had +<a name="tn167" id="tn167"></a>time <ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: missing closing bracket in the original text">this morning.”</ins></p> + +<p>“Do you think he will?”</p> + +<p>“If he has time. I told him it was +something very particular. You don’t +mind his knowing, do you, Nettie? He +won’t tell, I am sure. You don’t know +how well he can keep a secret.”</p> + +<p>“No, I don’t mind,” Nettie replied, +“because he has been here and knows all +about everything.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Then let’s go at it.”</p> + +<p>“I must finish the dishes first.”</p> + +<p>“Then would you rather I should help +you with them or start on the puzzle?”</p> + +<p>“I think you’d better start on the puzzle.”</p> + +<p>“Very well. I’ve been thinking a little +about it, and I believe I’ve guessed part. +They are in the paper every week on Fridays, +and I often do them, but this is the +first time I’ve noticed that a prize has +been offered.”</p> + +<p>She took off her coat and hat, sat down +at the table and spread out the paper before +her. Nettie furnished paper and +pencil and then went back to her work in +the kitchen. The two were busying their +brains over the puzzle when Ben appeared +an hour later.</p> + +<p>“Hallo,” he said, “what’s up, kiddies?”</p> + +<p>“Why you see,” Edna began, “Nettie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> +has been taken into the club, and when her +time comes to have the club meeting she +won’t have any way of getting the refreshments, +so we thought and thought of +what we could do to get some money, and +last night I saw in the Children’s Corner +of the <i>Times</i> that they would give prizes +for guessing a puzzle, you know those +puzzles, Cousin Ben.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, my child, I knew them of yore.”</p> + +<p>“Well, don’t you see if we can only +guess this one quick and can send in the +answer right away we might get a dollar, +anyhow. We have guessed a lot of it, but +I thought maybe you could help us a little +and tell us how to fix it up very nicely. +Have you very much to do to-day?”</p> + +<p>“Not so much but that I can spare you +a little time for such laudable ambition. +Where’s your puzzle?”</p> + +<p>Edna produced the paper and then +showed him what they had already done.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> +“Do you think it is right as far as we’ve +gone?” she asked anxiously.</p> + +<p>He looked over the page she offered +him. “Pretty good so far. Let me see. +I think that must be John B. J on B. +you see.”</p> + +<p>“Of course, it is, why didn’t we think +of that? And this one, what do you think +that can be?”</p> + +<p>Ben looked at this thoughtfully, and +presently declared he had it. So bit by +bit the puzzle was completed and within +an hour was in such shape as pleased the +girls immensely.</p> + +<p>“Now,” said Ben, “I’ll tell you what I +can do. I want to take the noon train to +town and I’ll get this right down to the +newspaper office myself; I have to go near +there, and so it will reach them much +quicker than if it were sent by mail, you +see.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, Cousin Ben, you are a perfect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> +dear!” cried Edna. “I think that is just +lovely of you. We are so much obliged, +aren’t we, Nettie?”</p> + +<p>“I am very much obliged to both of +you,” returned Nettie sedately. Edna’s +interest was so great that she forgot she +was not doing this for herself at all.</p> + +<p>“Shall we tell your mother?” asked +Edna when Ben had gone, promising that +he would attend to the puzzle the very +first thing.</p> + +<p>“Why—” Nettie hesitated, “I’d like +to have her know and yet I would love +dearly to have it for a surprise if we did +win. When do you suppose we will +know?”</p> + +<p>“Not before next Friday, I suppose, but +that will be soon enough, won’t it?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, except that I can scarcely wait +to know, and it is hard to keep a secret +from your mother that long.”</p> + +<p>“Why don’t you tell her that you have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> +a secret and that you can’t tell her till +Friday?”</p> + +<p>“I might do that, but then suppose I +shouldn’t win; we would both be disappointed.”</p> + +<p>“What did you tell her just now that +we were all doing?”</p> + +<p>“I told her we were doing a puzzle, and +she said as long as I had done my morning’s +work I could stay with you. I have +still my stockings to darn, but I can do +those this afternoon. Mother always lets +me do them when I choose; so long as I +get them done before Sunday, that is all +she asks.”</p> + +<p>Edna looked very sympathetic. She +did not have to do her stockings nowadays, +though she remembered that it had been +one of the week’s tasks when she was +staying with Aunt Elizabeth, and it was +one she much disliked. She stayed a little +while longer and then returned home,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> +for Dorothy was coming that afternoon +and they were both going over to see Margaret +to make what Dorothy said was +their party call.</p> + +<p>The weather was quite mild; already +the buds were beginning to swell on the +trees, and the crocuses were starting up +in the little grass plot in front of Nettie’s +home. Edna stopped to look at them +as she passed out. She was full of Nettie’s +secret but she had promised not to +tell. She wished Cousin Ben would come +back so she could talk it over with him, +but he was not to return till late in the +day and meantime she must occupy herself +and not say a word of what was uppermost +in her mind.</p> + +<p>She found Celia and Agnes in the library +talking earnestly. There was a +pleasant aroma of gingerbread pervading +the house, and the fire in the open grate +looked very cheerful. What a dear place<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> +home was, and how glad she was always +to get back to it. Agnes held out her +hand as she came in. “Well, chickabiddy,” +she said, “where have you been? +You are as rosy as an apple.”</p> + +<p>“I’ve been down to Nettie’s. I’m glad +I don’t have to darn my stockings.”</p> + +<p>“Does Nettie have to?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and she has to wash the dishes, +too. I did darn my stockings last year, +but Katie does them all this year, so I +don’t even have to be sorry for mother +and think of her doing them, for Katie is +paid to do them.”</p> + +<p>Agnes laughed. “But I have no doubt +you would do them just as cheerfully as +Nettie does, if you had to do them.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know about the cheerful part, +but I wouldn’t yell and scream.”</p> + +<p>“Let us hope you would not,” said Celia. +“I should hope you knew better +than to behave like that.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Of course,” said Edna. “What were +you talking about, you two?”</p> + +<p>“Shall we tell her, Agnes?” asked Celia.</p> + +<p>“Why not? It will soon be talked over +by all of us.”</p> + +<p>“Well, we were talking of having something +very special for the last meeting of +the club, after school closes. You see +most of the girls go away for the summer, +and we shall have to give the club +a holiday, too.”</p> + +<p>“What nice special thing were you +thinking of?”</p> + +<p>“We thought if we could have some +nice little fairy play and have it out of +doors, it would be lovely. We would invite +our parents and the teachers and +have a real big affair.”</p> + +<p>“How perfectly lovely. What is the +play?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear, we haven’t come to that yet.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> +We did think some of having ‘Alice in +Wonderland,’ but that has been done so +often. We were wishing for something +original.”</p> + +<p>“Why don’t you get Cousin Ben to help +you? He has so many funny things to +say about the woodsy creatures.”</p> + +<p>“The very one. Why didn’t we think +of him before, Agnes? He may be silly +about some things, but he would certainly +have ideas about that. Where is he, +Edna?”</p> + +<p>“He has gone in town, and won’t be +back till late in the afternoon.”</p> + +<p>“Trust you for keeping track of his +movements,” said Celia laughing. “I +don’t believe Ben yawns but Edna knows +it. Well, we will see what he says this +evening.”</p> + +<p>“Couldn’t you and he come to our house +after supper?” asked Agnes.</p> + +<p>“I’ll find out and ’phone you when he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> +comes in. He doesn’t generally have +anything special on hand Saturdays, unless +something is going on at the Abercrombies’.”</p> + +<p>This gave Edna a new theme to think of +and in consequence she did not find it hard +to keep from talking of Nettie’s secret +when she and Dorothy met that afternoon.</p> + +<p>They took the news of the probable +play to Margaret who wanted at once to +tell Mrs. MacDonald about it. She +showed great interest and asked all sorts +of questions. “Why couldn’t you have it +here in my grounds?” she asked. “There +is a good place just back of the house +where the terrace is. I hope you will let +it be Margaret’s meeting and let me +furnish everything.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, Mrs. Mac, there will be ever and +ever so many people, for we are going to +ask our families and the teachers and all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> +those.” Edna was quite overpowered.</p> + +<p>“Well, what of that? Haven’t I as +much right to entertain them as any of +the others have, and have I less room than +my neighbors?”</p> + +<p>“Why, no, you have more.”</p> + +<p>“Very well, then. I put in my plea +the first one and I hope you will lay it before +your next meeting.” She spoke almost +as if she were angry but there was a +merry little twinkle in her eyes which +the girls had come to know well. The +next words were, “Go out, Margaret, and +ask Lizzie to send in some of the day’s +baking for your friends. There must be +scones, or something of that kind.” The +girls liked the Scotchy things, as they +called them, that Mrs. MacDonald had for +them, and the hot scones, with a “wee +bittie” of honey or jam were generally +as pleasant a treat as they found anywhere.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> + +<p>When Edna had returned from her +visit she told Celia of what Mrs. MacDonald +had offered and before they had +finished talking of it, Cousin Ben came in, +and was immediately set upon, though +Edna ran out to meet him in the hall that +she might whisper, “Did you leave it all +right?”</p> + +<p>“First thing,” he returned. “It +couldn’t have been an hour from the time +I left you before it was at the office.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, goody, goody!” exclaimed Edna +softly, patting her hands together. +“Agnes has been here, Cousin Ben, and +Celia wants to ask you something. Come +into the library, please.”</p> + +<p>He followed her in and the subject was +opened to him of the little fairy play.</p> + +<p>He shook his head. “Can’t promise. +That’s a good deal to spring on a fellow +unbeknownst. I’ll have to think about +it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“But can’t you go over to Agnes’s this +evening to talk it over?” asked Celia.</p> + +<p>Now Ben admired Agnes very much, +though he would not have it known for +the world. “I was going to Abercrombies,” +he said with apparent reluctance.</p> + +<p>“Oh, but you see Will Abercrombie +every day,” said Celia coaxingly, “and +we do so want to have your help, Ben.”</p> + +<p>“Well, perhaps I can ’phone to Will not +to expect me,” said Ben giving in. “But +if I take hold of this thing you girls will +all have to do your part.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, we will,” Celia promised earnestly. +“We are none of us up to an +original play, but you are.”</p> + +<p>“Such flattery,” laughed Ben. “Well, +if I am going to call on ladies I must go +up and make myself look respectable.”</p> + +<p>“He’ll do it,” said Celia, as soon as her +cousin had left the room. “He has as +good as promised.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>Whatever was said that evening was +not reported, but it is enough to say that +Ben had promised to see what he could +do, and would let them know later when +he had gone over the subject more thoroughly, +so with this the girls had to be +satisfied.</p> + +<p>There was no more to be heard of either +puzzle or play during the week while +school was occupying them all, but on +Friday Mrs. MacDonald’s offer was presented +to the club and unanimously accepted +with thanks.</p> + +<p>There was no delay in Edna’s demand +for the evening paper on that Friday, but +to her great disappointment her father +found that he had left it in the car, and +there was no way to get another copy till +the next day. Edna was almost in tears, +for she had so counted on letting Nettie +know the very first thing in the morning.</p> + +<p>“I am so sorry,” said her father. “I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> +forgot entirely that the Friday issue was +the one in which you are always so interested. +I will bring you out a copy to-morrow, +daughter. I will try not to +forget it, but I give you leave to call me +up on the long distance, or rather the out-of-town +line and get you to remind me. +If you will call, say, at about ten o’clock, +I will send one of the boys out for it from +the office.”</p> + +<p>This was certainly more than Edna had +any right to expect, and she thanked him +as heartily as she could, though deep down +in her heart the disappointment still +lingered and she felt that it would be +harder still for Nettie to wait another day.</p> + +<p>However, she went early to the little +house as she had promised, and saw Nettie +at the window on the watch for her. She +looked so pleased when she saw her friend +that Edna was all the more grieved at +having to tell her she must wait till even<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>ing. +“Oh, I am so glad you have come,” +cried Nettie as she met her at the door. +“I have been watching for you for ages.” +And she drew her inside.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<p class="desc">A DOWNFALL OF PRIDE</p> + + +<p>“Oh, Edna, Edna!” Nettie jumped up +and down and fairly hugged her friend in +her joy.</p> + +<p>“Why, why,” Edna began, but Nettie +interrupted her with “I have it! I have +it!”</p> + +<p>“Have what?” Edna was still mystified.</p> + +<p>“The prize! The prize! I won it. +The money came in the mail this morning.”</p> + +<p>Edna had not counted on this possibility +and it was as much of a surprise +to her as it had been to Nettie. “Oh! +Oh! Oh!” she cried, and she, too, began<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> +to dance up and down hugging Nettie as +fervently as Nettie had hugged her. +“Have you told your mother?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, I couldn’t possibly keep it.”</p> + +<p>“Do show me what they said.” So +Nettie took her in and showed her the +precious letter with the enclosed order for +a dollar, which made it seem a very real +thing.</p> + +<p>“Ben will be so pleased,” said Edna +with satisfaction. “It is really owing to +him that it got there soon enough.”</p> + +<p>“And to you for helping me and for +telling me in the first place. I think I +ought to divide with you.”</p> + +<p>“Why, Nettie Black, you won’t do any +such thing. Don’t you know that it was +all on your account that we did it in the +first place?”</p> + +<p>“Ye-es, but after your doing so much it +doesn’t seem fair for you to have none of +it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I’ll have some of the refreshments, +won’t I?”</p> + +<p>Nettie laughed. “I hope so.”</p> + +<p>“Have you decided what you will +have?”</p> + +<p>“Not exactly. I thought I would wait +till you came to talk it over with mother. +You said something about gingerbread +and my mother can make the nicest you +ever saw.”</p> + +<p>“Would she make some for you? I +wonder if it would cost very much. None +of the girls have had gingerbread, and I +am sure it would be liked.”</p> + +<p>“Then let’s go see what mother says.”</p> + +<p>Mrs. Black was in the kitchen making +bread for her Saturday baking. She +smiled on the two children’s eager faces +which showed that something of unusual +interest was going on. “Mother,” began +Nettie, “you know I am to have the club +meeting after a while, and it is to be at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> +general club-room at Miss Agnes Evans’s +house, and you know we always have refreshments,” +Nettie spoke as if she had +already attended every meeting, when that +of the afternoon before had been her very +first.</p> + +<p>“Yes, I remember you told me, dear,” +said her mother.</p> + +<p>“And I told you that was why we tried +for the puzzle prize, so that I could pay +for my refreshments. Does gingerbread +cost very much?”</p> + +<p>“No, my dear, it costs less than any +other kind of cake.”</p> + +<p>“But how much? I mean how much +would it cost to make enough for—for +fourteen girls?”</p> + +<p>“Why, not a great deal. I could bake +them in the little scalloped pans so they +would be more crusty. I don’t believe it +would cost more than twenty-five cents, +for you know we have our own eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Good! Then what else could I have? +We can’t have more than three things.”</p> + +<p>“Let me think for a minute and I will +perhaps be able to suggest something.” +She went on kneading her bread while +the children watched her. Presently she +said: “I have a bottle of raspberry shrub +that your Aunt Henrietta gave me and +which we have never used. Would you +like to have that? I can recommend it as +a very nice drink, and I should be very +glad to donate it.”</p> + +<p>“Would it be nice?” Nettie looked at +Edna for endorsement.</p> + +<p>“I think it would be perfectly delicious,” +she decided, “and nobody has had +anything like that. We have had ginger +ale and lemonade, and chocolate and such +things.”</p> + +<p>“Then, mother, that will be very nice, +thank you,” said Nettie, as if Edna were +at the other end of a telephone wire.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> +“Now for number three. I shall have +ever so much to spend on that, so I could +have most anything.”</p> + +<p>“What have the other girls had?” Mrs. +Black asked Edna.</p> + +<p>“Oh, different things. Some have had +sandwiches and chocolate and some kind +of candy, and some have had ice cream +and cake and candy; some have had—let +me see—cake and lemonade and fruit, but +the third thing is generally some kind of +candy.”</p> + +<p>“Do you remember what Uncle David +sent us last week?” Mrs. Black asked +Nettie.</p> + +<p>“The maple sugar? Oh, yes, but would +it be nice to have just little chunks of +maple sugar?”</p> + +<p>“No, but don’t you know what delicious +creamy candies we made by boiling and +stirring it? Why not do some of it that +way? It would be a little out of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> +usual run, and quite unlike what is bought +at the shops.”</p> + +<p>“What do you think, Edna?” Nettie +again appealed to her friend.</p> + +<p>“I think it would be fine. Oh, Nettie +you will have things that aren’t a bit like +anyone else has had and they will all be +so good. I am sure the girls will say +so.”</p> + +<p>Nettie beamed. This was such a pleasant +thing to hear. “But I haven’t spent +but twenty-five cents of my prize money,” +she said.</p> + +<p>“Are you so very sorry for that?” her +mother asked.</p> + +<p>“No, but—Is it all mine, mother, to +do what I choose with, even if I don’t +spend it for the club?”</p> + +<p>“Why, of course, my dear. You earned +it, and if I am able to help you out a little +that should make no difference.”</p> + +<p>“Then I think I know what I should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> +like to do with it. I shall make two +secrets of it and one I shall tell you, +mother, and the other I can tell Edna.”</p> + +<p>“Tell me mine now,” said Edna getting +down from the chair.</p> + +<p>Nettie took her off into the next room +where there was much whispering for the +next few minutes. “I shall get something +for mother,” Nettie explained. “I don’t +know exactly what but I will find out what +she needs the most.”</p> + +<p>“I think that is a perfectly lovely +plan,” agreed Edna. “Now I must go +back and tell Ben, for he will want to +know. You come up this afternoon, Nettie, +won’t you?”</p> + +<p>Nettie promised, and after Edna had +gone she said to her mother, “Mother, I +think I will spend part of my money on a +birthday gift for Edna. It was all her +doings about the puzzle and I would like +to have her have something I could buy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> +with the money. Will you help me?”</p> + +<p>“Indeed I will, my dear, and I think +that is an excellent plan.”</p> + +<p>So Nettie had her two secrets and in +time both gifts were given.</p> + +<p>Her meeting was an interesting one. +The girls always liked the old attic and it +was seldom that a meeting there did not +turn out to be one which was thoroughly +enjoyed. The refreshments received even +more praise than Edna had predicted, for +not a crumb of gingerbread, not a single +maple-sugar cream, nor a drop of raspberry +shrub was left, and the honorary +member went home in an exalted frame of +mind.</p> + +<p>On the very evening of this meeting, +while Edna was looking over her favorite +page of her father’s paper, she heard him +say to his wife. “Humph. That was a +bad failure of Green and Adams to-day. +Adams was a pretty high-flyer, and a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> +many of the men on the ’Change have +been prophesying this crash.”</p> + +<p>“What Adams is that?” asked Mrs. +Conway.</p> + +<p>“Oliver Adams. He lives on the +square, you know, in that large white +house with the lions in front.”</p> + +<p>Edna pricked up her ears. “Is it +Clara Adams’s father?” she asked.</p> + +<p>“Does she live on the square?” asked +her mother.</p> + +<p>“Yes, in a big white house with lions in +front just like father said.”</p> + +<p>“Then, of course, it is the same.”</p> + +<p>“What has happened to him, mother?”</p> + +<p>“He has lost a great deal of money, +dear?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, poor Clara.”</p> + +<p>“I’m afraid she will be poor Clara sure +enough,” returned her father. “He can’t +keep up that way of living very long. +His wife is as extravagant as he is, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> +I doubt if there is much left out of the +estate.”</p> + +<p>Edna wondered if Clara would have to +live in a tiny, little house like Nettie’s +and if she would be very unhappy. +Would she leave school, and—There +were so many wonderings that she asked +her mother a great many questions, and +went off on Monday morning feeling quite +ready to give Clara all the sympathy she +needed.</p> + +<p>But Clara was not at school on Monday, +but on the next day she appeared. The +news of her father’s failure was common +talk so that every girl in school had heard +of it, and wondered if it would have any +effect on Clara. For a time it did not, +but in a short time it was whispered about +that the Adamses had removed to another +street and into a much smaller house. +Clara no longer came to school in the +automobile, and those girls who had clung<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> +to her on account of the powers of riches +now openly deserted, declared that she +had left their neighborhood and in consequence +could no longer belong to their +club. Then in a little while it was announced +that the club had disbanded, and +the remaining members came in a body +and begged that they might be taken into +the G. R.’s. There was much discussion. +Some were for, some were against it, but +finally the rule of the club was acted upon +and the five new members took their +places, leaving Clara in lonely grandeur. +She treated this desertion with such open +scorn and was so very unpleasant to those +who had formerly been her friends, that +they turned their backs upon her utterly, +declaring that they would rather pay a +fine every day in the week than be nice +to Clara Adams.</p> + +<p>“Hateful thing!” Edna heard Nellie +Haskell say one day quite loud enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> +for Clara to hear. “She’s kept us out of +a lot of fun and we were geese to keep +in with her so long. I’m sorry I ever +had anything to do with her. I think she +is the most disagreeable girl that ever +was.”</p> + +<p>Edna looked over at Clara who was +sitting very still by herself on a bench in +one corner of the playground. She looked +after the three girls who had just passed +and were now walking down the path +with their arms around one another. +So had she seen them with Clara not so +very long before. She thought she would +go over and say something to her old +enemy, but what to say—She had no +good excuse. Then she remembered an +exceedingly pretty paper-doll which had +been sent her by her Cousin Louis Morrison. +His aunt had painted it and it was +much handsomer than one ordinarily +saw. Edna had it in the book she car<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span>ried. +She drew in her breath quickly, +then started over to Clara’s corner.</p> + +<p>“Don’t you want to see my paper-doll?” +she asked. “It is such a beauty.” And +without waiting for an answer she +opened her book and held out the doll for +Clara to see. It was given rather a +grudging glance, but it was really too +pretty not to be admired and Clara replied +with a show of indifference, “It is +quite pretty, isn’t it?”</p> + +<p>Edna sat down by her. “I will show +you some of her dresses,” she went on. +Clara loved paper-dolls, and she could not +but be a little interested. Anything which +was painted or drawn was of more interest +to her than most things. She had +shown her talent in that way by the fatal +caricature.</p> + +<p>“Somebody told me you could make +mighty pretty paper-dolls,” Edna went +on, bound to make herself agreeable.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span></p> + +<p>“I do make them sometimes,” replied +Clara a little more graciously, “but I +could never make any as pretty as this. +I can copy things pretty well, but I can’t +make them up myself.”</p> + +<p>For a moment Edna struggled with herself. +The doll was a new and very precious +possession, but—She hesitated +only a moment and then she said: +“Would you like to copy this? I will +lend it to you if you would like to.”</p> + +<p>There was a time when Clara might +have spurned even this kind offer, setting +it down as “trying to get in” with her, +but her pride and vanity had received a +blow when the Neighborhood Club was +broken up and she cast forth, and she took +the offer in the spirit in which it was +meant. “Oh, would you do that?” she +said. “I should love to copy it and I will +take awfully good care of the doll.”</p> + +<p>“You can take it now,” said Edna lay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>ing +the doll on the other’s lap. There +should be no chance for her to change her +mind. Clara slipped the doll into one of +her books and just then the bell rang, +so they went in together.</p> + +<p>After school Dorothy clutched her +chum. “Edna Conway,” she cried, “did +I see you talking to Clara Adams?”</p> + +<p>“Um-huh,” returned Edna.</p> + +<p>“Well, you are the greatest one. I +should think after all she has done that +you would want to keep as far away from +her as possible.”</p> + +<p>“Well,” said Edna. “I said I was going +to be nice to her if ever I had the +chance and I had the chance.”</p> + +<p>“If you are going with her, I can tell +you that all the girls will turn their backs +on you.”</p> + +<p>“I didn’t say I was going with her all +the time, but I don’t see why I can’t speak +to her if I want to.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I suppose you can speak, but I +shouldn’t do much more than that.”</p> + +<p>Edna made no reply. She had her own +ideas of what she meant to do.</p> + +<p>“Where is your paper-doll?” asked +Dorothy, “I want to show it to Agnes.”</p> + +<p>“I haven’t it with me,” returned Edna +a little confusedly.</p> + +<p>“You had it when we went down to +recess. Is it in your desk? Go on and +get it, that is a dear. Agnes wants to see +it.”</p> + +<p>“It isn’t in my desk. I haven’t it,” returned +Edna bluntly.</p> + +<p>“You don’t mean to say you have +given it away? Edna Conway, you can’t +have given it to Clara Adams!” Dorothy’s +voice expressed horror and dismay.</p> + +<p>“No, I haven’t <i>given</i> it to her; I only +lent it to her,” replied Edna.</p> + +<p>“Well, of all things!” Dorothy was +stricken dumb for a moment. Then she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> +put her arms around her friend and +hugged her. “You are an angel,” she +said. “I couldn’t have done such a thing +to save me, and I don’t believe there is +another girl in the school who could. +I’m going to tell Agnes.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, please don’t,” begged Edna.</p> + +<p>But Dorothy was off and presently +Agnes came over to where the two had +been standing. “What did you lend +Clara your doll for, Edna?” she asked.</p> + +<p>“Because I didn’t want to pay a fine,” +replied she.</p> + +<p>Agnes laughed. “That is one way out +of it. I suppose the next thing we know +you will be proposing that we ask Clara +Adams into our club. Half the girls will +leave if you do, I can promise you that.”</p> + +<p>This was something very like a threat, +and it had the effect Agnes meant it +should, though it did not prevent Edna +from making plans of her own concerning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> +Clara. She smiled at her as she took her +seat in class the next morning, and for +the very first time in all her life she +received from Clara a smile in return.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<p class="desc">A NEW MEMBER</p> + + +<p>During this time Miss Newman had not +won more than respect from her girls. +She was an excellent teacher and kept +good order, but she had too severe a manner +to call forth affection. Nevertheless +she did appreciate any little kindness +done her, and was not unwilling to repay +when the opportunity came. Dorothy +and Edna had always stood up for her, +and had brought her the small gifts which +children like to take their teachers, a particularly +large and rosy apple, a bunch +of flowers, a more important present at +Christmas and a growing plant at Easter. +They did not know much about her home +life, for she was not the affable person<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> +Miss Ashurst had been. Uncle Justus +had told Edna that she lived with an +invalid sister in quite a different quarter +of the city, and that she had a long way +to come to school.</p> + +<p>One spring afternoon as Celia and +Edna were starting forth, a sudden shower +overtook them. They were going home +every day now as they had done in the +early fall, and were hurrying for their +train when they saw Miss Newman just +ahead of them without an umbrella. +“There’s Miss Newman,” said Edna to +her sister, “and she has no umbrella; I’m +going to give her mine and come under +yours, Celia,” then before Celia could +say a word she ran on ahead. “Please +take my umbrella, Miss Newman,” she +said. “I can go under Celia’s.”</p> + +<p>“But you may need it before Monday,” +said Miss Newman.</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, I won’t, for I am going<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> +straight home. We are to have a club +meeting at the Evanses this afternoon, or +I should not be in such a hurry.”</p> + +<p>“And I am in a hurry, too,” said Miss +Newman, “for I am very anxious to get +home to my sister. Thank you very +much for the umbrella. I should have +had to go in somewhere, it is pouring so, +and that would have delayed me.”</p> + +<p>By this time Celia came up and Edna +slipped under her sister’s umbrella. +They took their car at the next corner, +but they saw Miss Newman standing on +the other side waiting for the car which +should come along somewhat later. +“Poor thing,” said Edna as she looked +from the car window; “she would have +been soaked, Celia, if she had had to +stand there without an umbrella, and she +has a cold now.”</p> + +<p>Celia smiled. “I believe you would +love a chimpanzee, or a snake, Edna.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I think little green snakes are very +pretty,” returned Edna calmly. “Cousin +Ben likes them, too. He showed me one +in the grass last Sunday. I felt sorry +for it because nearly everybody hates +snakes, and Cousin Ben said this one was +perfectly harmless.”</p> + +<p>“I draw the line at snakes,” returned +Celia. “I suppose you feel sorry for +Miss Newman.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I do; she is so unpretty.”</p> + +<p>Celia laughed. “That is a delicate way +of putting it, I am sure. Well, I am glad +she has one friend; no doubt she needs it. +Most of the girls aren’t so ready to say +nice things of her as they were of Miss +Ashurst.”</p> + +<p>“I know it,” replied Edna, “and that +is one reason Dorothy and I stand up for +her. We say suppose we were as—as +ugly as that, and had to go a long, long +way to school every day to teach horrid<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> +girls who didn’t be nice to us, how would +we like it?”</p> + +<p>“She looks like a cross old thing,” +returned Celia rather flippantly.</p> + +<p>“She isn’t exactly cross, but she isn’t +the kind you can lean up against and say +‘what a pretty tie you have on,’ as we did +with Miss Ashurst. Celia, I am afraid +Miss Newman never will get married.”</p> + +<p>Celia laughed. “Perhaps she doesn’t +want to. Everyone doesn’t, you know.”</p> + +<p>This was rather beyond Edna’s comprehension, +and she sat pondering over +the extraordinary statement till the car +reached the station. She arrived early +in the school-room on Monday morning to +find Miss Newman already there. She +looked up with a smile as the little girl +entered. “I brought back your umbrella,” +she said. “I don’t know what I +should have done without it. I left my +sister rather worse than usual and I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> +wanted very much to get home as soon as +possible.”</p> + +<p>“Is your sister ill?” asked Edna</p> + +<p>“She is never very well. When she +was a little girl, younger than you, she fell +and hurt her spine. She has never been +well since, and at times suffers very +much.”</p> + +<p>“How was she this morning?” asked +Edna sympathetically.</p> + +<p>“She was much better. I left her sitting +on the porch in the sun. She can +walk only a few steps, you see, and sometimes +has to be lifted from place to +place.”</p> + +<p>“Who lifts her?” Edna was much +interested at this peep into Miss Newman’s +life.</p> + +<p>“I do when I am there, for I know just +how to do it without hurting her.”</p> + +<p>“Will she sit there all day where you +left her?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Oh, no, for she has a wheeling chair +and the old woman who lives with us can +wheel her in when she is ready to go.”</p> + +<p>“Tell me some more.” Edna leaned +her elbows on the table and looked at her +teacher with a wistful look. She did feel +so very sorry for this poor sister who +could not walk.</p> + +<p>“She is a very cheerful, bright person,” +Miss Newman went on, “and everyone +loves her. She is very fond of children +and is continually doing something for +those in the neighborhood. It is far from +being a wealthy street, and back of us +there are many very poor people. At +Christmas we had a tree for the ones who +couldn’t have one at home, and my sister +made nearly everything on it, such pretty +things they were, too. There was a +present for each child.”</p> + +<p>“I think that was perfectly lovely,” +said Edna. This was the kind of thing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> +that appealed to her. “What is your +sister’s name?”</p> + +<p>“Her name is Eloise.”</p> + +<p>“I think that is a beautiful name. I +should like very much to see her.”</p> + +<p>“She would like very much to see you, +for she knows every one of my class, and +asks about each one when I go home. +You see she cannot go out into the +world where I go, I have to take what I +can of it to her.” It was evident that +this was the subject which was nearest to +the teacher’s heart, and that when talking +of it she showed the gentlest side of her +nature. “How would you like to go +home with me this afternoon to see her, +you and Dorothy Evans?”</p> + +<p>“I would love to go, but are you sure +she would like to have us come?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t know of anything that would +please her more. She has never seen one +of my pupils and has often longed to, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> +as I told you she has to see the world +through my eyes, and anything that interests +me interests her.”</p> + +<p>“I’ll tell Dorothy as soon as she comes +and I will ask Celia if I may go. Thank +you, Miss Newman for inviting us.” +Then a number of girls came in and +school was called to order before Edna +had a chance to speak to her sister.</p> + +<p>At recess, however, the matter was +talked over, both Agnes and Celia listening +attentively. “I don’t think they +ought to go home with Miss Newman,” +decided Agnes, “for she probably has +dinner as soon as she gets home and it +would make extra trouble. If they could +go later it might be all right. I’d better +go and talk to Miss Newman myself, +then we can tell better what can be done.” +She went off and soon came back to say +that she had arranged to go with the little +girls later in the afternoon. “We can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> +take a car from there which will connect +with our line and in that way we shall not +have to come all the way back into the +city.”</p> + +<p>But a better arrangement than that was +made, for when Margaret and Jennie +heard of the affair they were so eager to +be included in the party, that Miss Newman +noticing their wistfulness, asked if +they, too, would come. “There is nothing +my sister likes better than to have +a company of children around her to +whom she can tell some tale. She is a +great one for that, and often has as many +as a dozen children on the porch,” she +told them.</p> + +<p>“Then, I will tell you what we can do,” +said Jennie. “I know mother will say +we may all go in the motor-car, and I can +take you girls home just as well as not. +I will call mother up now and tell her all +about it.” So in a few minutes the whole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> +matter was arranged by telephone. The +three little girls, Edna, Dorothy and Margaret +were to go home with Jennie to +luncheon and then they would make the +start from there.</p> + +<p>“That is just like the Ramseys,” said +Agnes, “they always come forward at +just the right moment and do the thing +that makes it pleasantest all around. +Now we can go home at the usual time, +Celia feeling perfectly safe about the +girls.”</p> + +<p>Therefore about three o’clock on this +bright afternoon in May they set forth +in the automobile which was to take them +to Miss Newman’s and call for them later. +Through a very unfamiliar part of the +city they went till they came to a short +street with a row of small houses on each +side. Each house had a garden in front +and a porch. In the very last one which +had more ground around it than the rest,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> +Miss Newman lived. The porch was +covered with vines and in the garden +there was a perfect wealth of flowers. A +bird-cage in which a canary was singing, +hung near the window. One end of the +porch was screened by a bamboo shade. +It was a very pretty nesty little place. +Huddled down in a chair, with her head +supported by pillows was Miss Eloise who +smiled up at the girls as Miss Newman +brought them forward one after another. +Miss Eloise had a much more lovely face +than her sister. Her eyes were beautiful, +she had quantities of wavy dark hair, a +sweet mouth and a delicate nose. The +hand she held out was so small and fragile +that when Edna clasped it in her plump +fingers it seemed almost as if she were +holding the claws of some bird.</p> + +<p>“So this is Edna,” she said. “She +looks just as I thought she did. Dorothy +I know her by her hair, and Margaret<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> +because she is the tallest of them, so of +course the one left must be Jennie. I am +so pleased to see you all. Sister, will you +wheel me just a little further back so +there will be more room for us all?”</p> + +<p>Miss Newman was quick to spring to +her sister’s side, wheeling the chair at just +the right angle, settling the pillows, and +then passing her hand caressingly over +Miss Eloise’s dark locks. The girls +could not imagine her so tender.</p> + +<p>“I hope you are feeling well to-day,” +began Edna to start the conversation.</p> + +<p>“Who wouldn’t feel well in such glorious +weather. It is such a beautiful +world, and has so many interesting things +in it. How is your sister, Edna?”</p> + +<p>“She is very well,” replied Edna, surprised +that Miss Eloise should know she +had a sister.</p> + +<p>“And yours, Dorothy? I hear she is +such a sweet, pretty girl.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>Dorothy likewise surprised, made +answer that Agnes was very well and +would have come with them but that the +four of them came in the Ramseys’ motor-car.</p> + +<p>“And wasn’t it fun to see it come whirling +up?” said Miss Eloise. “It was the +very first time a motor-car ever came to +our door, and I was excited over it. I +think it was very sweet of Mrs. Ramsey +to give me this pleasure, and, Margaret +I cannot tell you how I enjoyed the +flowers you used to bring to sister in the +winter. Your mother must have the loveliest +greenhouse. I never saw such fine +big stalks of mignonette. We shall have +mignonette a little later, for our flowers +are coming on finely. As for the books +you all gave sister at Christmas they have +been a perfect feast. I am so glad to +have you here and to be able to thank +you for all the things you have done to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> +make the long winter go more quickly for +me.”</p> + +<p>The girls looked at one another. If +they had known what their little gifts +were to mean, how many times they +could have added to them. They had not +a word to say for they had not understood +how a little ripple of kindness may widen +till it touches an unknown shore.</p> + +<p>“Now tell me about your club,” Miss +Eloise went on. “I should so like to hear +what you did at the last meeting. Sister +tells me all she can, but she doesn’t have +a chance to learn as much as I should +like. I am so greedy, you see. I am like +a child who says when you tell it a story, +and think you have finished, ‘Tell on.’ I +am always crying ‘Tell on.’ It is the +most beautiful club I ever heard of and I +am sorry I am not a little girl at your +school so I could belong to it and enjoy +the good times with you.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“But, darling, you have your own little +club,” said her sister, “and you are always +thinking of what you can do for others.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, I know, but I live in such a tiny +little world, and my ‘little drops of water, +little grains of sand’ are such wee +things.”</p> + +<p>“They mean a great deal more than you +imagine,” said her sister gently. “I am +sure I could never live without them.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, that is because you make so much +of me and what I do. She is a great +sister,” she said nodding to the girls. +“She is a regular Atlas because she has +to bring her world home on her back every +day to me. Yes, indeed. Perhaps you +don’t think I am aware of all that goes on +in that school-room. Why I even know +when one of you misses a lesson, and if +you will let me tell you a secret, I actually +cried the day Clara Adams did the caricature.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear, oh, dear,” Edna could not +help sighing aloud while the other girls +looked as much ashamed as if they had +done the thing themselves. However, +when Miss Eloise saw this she broke into +a laugh and began to tell them of some +very funny thing she had seen from the +porch that morning, then followed one +funny tale after another till the girls +were all laughing till the tears ran down +their cheeks. Miss Eloise had the drollest +way of telling things, and the merriest +laugh herself. After a while Miss Newman +went inside and presently came out +with a tray on which were glasses of +lemonade and a plate of small cakes. +These were passed around, and much enjoyed.</p> + +<p>“Now tell them one of your stories,” +said Miss Newman to her sister.</p> + +<p>“Shall I make up a new one or shall I +tell them one of the old ones?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Tell them the one the Maginnis children +like so much.”</p> + +<p>The children settled themselves in +pleased anticipation, and a marvelous +tale they listened to. Miss Eloise had a +wonderful gift of story-telling and made +every incident seem real and every character +to stand out as vividly as if he or +she were actually before them. The +children listened in wrapt attention. She +was a wonder to them.</p> + +<p>The tale was scarcely over when up +came the motor-car with Mrs. Ramsey in +it. She stepped out and came in the gate +and up to the porch. “I wanted to come, +too, Miss Newman,” she said. “I hope +you don’t mind.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, mother,” cried Jennie, “you are +just too late to hear the most beautiful +story ever was.”</p> + +<p>“Now isn’t that too bad?” said Mrs. +Ramsey. “I feel guilty to interrupt this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> +pleasant party, but I am afraid I shall +have to take these girls home for it is +getting late.”</p> + +<p>However, she did not hurry them and +there was time for her to have a little talk +with both Miss Newman and Miss Eloise. +Just as she was about to take her leave +she asked, “Do you think you would be +able to take a little ride in the motor-car, +Miss Eloise, if I were to come for you +some day?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, sister, could I?” Miss Eloise +turned to Miss Newman, her eyes like +stars. “I haven’t been off this street for +years,” she said to Mrs. Ramsey.</p> + +<p>“We would be very careful,” said Mrs. +Ramsey, seeing that Miss Newman looked +doubtful. “The man could wheel the +chair out to the car and could lift her in. +It runs very smoothly and we would not +go too fast nor on any of the streets which +are not asphalt.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Oh, sister!” Miss Eloise looked as +pleadingly as any child.</p> + +<p>“I have never wheeled her further than +the corner,” said Miss Newman, “for fear +of the jolting when we had to go over the +curb, but some day when she is feeling her +best—”</p> + +<p>“You will let me know—” put in Mrs. +Ramsey eagerly. “Of course you will go, +too, Miss Newman, and as soon as you +think she has gone far enough we can +come back. You know it is quite smooth +and the riding easy going even as far as +Brookside.”</p> + +<p>“Why that is our station,” spoke up +Edna.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Ramsey nodded and smiled, and +they said their good-bys leaving Miss +Eloise feeling as if a new world were to +open to her.</p> + +<p>Of course Mrs. Ramsey listened to a +full account of all that had gone on dur<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>ing +the afternoon, and was deeply interested +in the two sisters. “I just love Miss +Newman,” declared Dorothy. “She is +the sweetest thing to her sister.”</p> + +<p>“They just adore one another,” Jennie +told her mother. “Miss Newman seems +like some one else when I think of her +now. I am so glad we went.”</p> + +<p>“So am I,” replied her mother.</p> + +<p>“And Miss Eloise knows all about our +club and is so interested in it,” Edna +remarked. “Girls, we must always tell +Miss Newman about the meetings after +this so she can tell Miss Eloise all that +goes on.”</p> + +<p>“Of course we must,” they agreed.</p> + +<p>“I know something better than that you +could do,” Mrs. Ramsey told them. +“Why not make Miss Eloise an honorary +member as you did Nettie Black? I think +you could stretch your rule far enough not +to make it out of the way to have one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> +grown up person, when it is such a character +as Miss Eloise. She could be the +exception who will prove the rule.”</p> + +<p>“But, Mrs. Ramsey, she couldn’t come +to the meetings.” Dorothy reminded +her.</p> + +<p>“No, but you could take turns in going +to her; I mean you could appoint a committee +of two to go to her each week and +tell her about the previous meeting, then +once in a while when she felt able, you +could meet at her house.”</p> + +<p>“What a perfectly fine plan,” cried +Edna. “Will you tell Agnes and Celia +about it, Mrs. Ramsey?”</p> + +<p>“Why certainly, if you like.”</p> + +<p>“Now? This afternoon when you take +us to our houses, Dorothy and me?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t see any objection.”</p> + +<p>The upshot of this was that Miss Eloise +was admitted to the club to her intense +delight. After Agnes and Celia had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> +to see her they were so enthusiastic that +all the girls in the club by twos and threes +paid her visits, and she came to know +them every one.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<p class="desc">THE FLOWER PLAY</p> + + +<p>As the time approached for the flower +play to be given attention there was considerable +anxiety on the part of those who +had taken it in hand. Ben declared that +while he could do the main part of the +work all right, he must have help of the +girls in certain directions. “I’m no good +at all when it comes to dialogue,” he told +them. “I can do the mechanical part, +get the thing into shape for the stage, give +you the general plot and all that, but +you’ll have to do the dialogue.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, but Ben,” said Agnes, “suppose +we can’t.”</p> + +<p>“Then it will have to fall through.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>The girls looked very sober over this; +they realized that Ben was giving them +more than they had any right to expect, +and they could not ask him to give his +studies second place. “Well,” said +Agnes rather dolefully, “we’ll have to do +the best we can.”</p> + +<p>“Angels can do no more,” returned Ben, +“and since you are so near to that class of +beings you ought to be able to do something +pretty fine.”</p> + +<p>The compliment had the effect of bringing +a smile to Agnes’s face and so the +matter rested for that day. However, it +was a subject which could not be allowed +to rest for very long as the time was fast +approaching when the parts must be given +out for the girls to study. “And there +will have to be ever so many rehearsals,” +said Agnes woefully to Celia as they were +talking it over together on the Conways’ +porch.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span></p> + +<p>“We don’t seem to make a bit of headway,” +said Celia. “What we have +written sounds so silly and flat. I’m +afraid it will never be the kind of thing +we hoped for.”</p> + +<p>“Ben has a lovely little plot and all the +ideas he has given us about the scenes and +the dressing of the characters and the +funny situations are mighty good,” returned +Agnes, “it does seem as if between +us all we ought to be able to do the rest +when we have eighteen regular members +in the club and two honorary ones.”</p> + +<p>Edna who was sitting on the top step +listening attentively to all this, looked up. +“Why don’t you ask Miss Eloise to help +you? She would love to, and she tells +such beautiful, beautiful stories, you +know.”</p> + +<p>“That is a brilliant idea,” returned +Agnes, “but she says she can never write +them, she can only tell them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“But couldn’t she tell what to say and +one of you write it down?”</p> + +<p>Agnes looked at Celia and Celia looked +at Agnes. “She has struck it, I do believe,” +cried Celia.</p> + +<p>“Edna, honey, you are a child worth +knowing,” said Agnes. “The idea of your +thinking of such a simple way out of the +trouble when the rest of us were fumbling +around for ideas. Of course that can be +done, and as you say, I have no doubt but +that Miss Eloise will be perfectly delighted +to do anything she can for the club. +Where is Ben? Do hunt him up, Edna, +that’s a good child.”</p> + +<p>As Edna generally knew Ben’s haunts +she was not long in finding him. He was +much interested in what she had to say, +threw down the book he was studying and +went with her to join the girls. He was +really very anxious to please them all and +would go to almost any lengths to do it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Ben,” cried Agnes as he came up on +the porch. “Isn’t that a fine scheme that +Edna has thought of?”</p> + +<p>“I should smile, and I have thought of +just the stunt to get it in shape the quickest. +If one of you girls will go with me +to present me to the lady, I can take down +what she says in shorthand and knock it +off on the type-writer afterward. Then +we’ll all get together, you two girls, Miss +Eloise and yours truly, and we’ll put the +whole thing into shape in double-quick +time. How does that strike you?”</p> + +<p>“Ben, you have saved our lives. When +can you go to see Miss Eloise? This afternoon? +It is Saturday and you haven’t +anything on hand more important than +foot-ball, have you?”</p> + +<p>“Do not speak slightingly of my +athletic sports, if you please. However, +I can forego the delights of being mauled +for one afternoon, I reckon, and am at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> +your service, fair lady. When shall you +want to start?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, right after luncheon, I think; as +early as possible so as to have a good long +afternoon. I do hope Miss Eloise is feeling +fairly well to-day.”</p> + +<p><a name="tn231" id="tn231"></a><ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: missing opening bracket in the original text">“Miss Newman</ins> says she is better all the +time nowadays, since she has so much +more to interest her,” piped up Edna. +“She told me yesterday that she had not +had one of those dreadful attacks for ever +so long.”</p> + +<p>“Then let us hope for the best,” answered +Ben.</p> + +<p>It was exactly as Edna had predicted; +Miss Eloise entered into the plan with the +greatest eagerness, and when Ben had +opened up his plot to her and had showed +her how he had planned the scenes she +said she would take a few minutes to think +it over and then she thought she could +give him some of the needed dialogue, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> +before they left Ben had taken down as +much as was necessary for this first time, +promising to come back for the rest.</p> + +<p>“I’ll get this into shape and bring it +with me,” he told Miss Eloise.</p> + +<p>“And we can make copies so as to give +out that much for the girls to learn,” said +Agnes.</p> + +<p>They returned in high spirits, and for +some time Ben’s type-writing machine +was heard clicking away. The characters +had already been talked over and the +principle ones given out. Ben had +chosen very pretty fantastic names for +the various flowers who were to be represented. +Jennie was to be Pussy Willow; +Edna, Pinky Blooms; Dorothy, Daisy +White; Agnes, Rose Wild; Celia, Violet +Blue, while Ben, himself was to be the old +giant, Pine Knot, who lived in a swamp. +It had been found necessary to introduce +some of the boys into the play so Charlie<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> +and Frank Conway, Steve and Roger +Porter were pressed into service. Charlie +was to be Sassy Fras; Frank, +Winter Green; Steve, Cran Berry, while +Roger was to be the giant’s henchman, +Pine Needles.</p> + +<p>The play was not to be for a week after +school closed that they all might have +plenty of time for its preparation without +interfering with their school work. +There was never very much fuss made +over the closing by Uncle Justus, so there +was not that excitement. Mr. Horner +did not believe in showy commencements, +and when the girls were graduated they +simply received their diplomas after a few +simple exercises, and then the school was +dismissed. Therefore, the play was the +great subject of conversation among the +scholars. The girls who were already in +the club were triumphantly sounding its +praises to those who were not, while<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> +those who were not in were clamoring for +entrance. However, it had been decided +that no more new members would be admitted +until fall, as there was already +enough heart-burning over the players +and their parts. The giving out of these +had been left entirely to Miss Eloise who +had chosen as she thought best, so there +was at least no one of the girls to accuse of +partiality. Margaret in the very beginning +announced that her mother did not +want her to take part and that she did +not care to herself, as she was to have the +fun of entertaining them all at her house, +and moreover, she “couldn’t act any more +than a broomstick.”</p> + +<p>Of all the girls who felt the most bitter +probably Clara Adams was the one who +was chief among them. It was the greatest +grievance she had ever known, in the +first place not to take part in such a thing +and in the second not even to be invited<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> +to the entertainment. Each girl in the +club was allowed to ask two persons, and +each one taking part in the play was allowed +the same privilege, therefore, with +her two brothers among the characters +and her sister as well, Edna was free to ask +anyone she chose. Mr. and Mrs. Horner +had received an invitation from the whole +club, so had Miss Newman, and the other +teachers, and many of the pupils who +were outside the charmed circle were invited +by their schoolmates who were free +to give invitations, only Clara Adams was +not considered for a moment by anyone, +and she was very miserable over the fact. +If ever she regretted her past disagreeable +treatment of her school fellows, it +was now, but she would not have admitted +this even to herself, although in her heart +of hearts she was conscious of it being +so.</p> + +<p>“I’m not coming back here to school<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> +next year,” she announced to Edna one +day. The two had little chats once in +a while and, to do Clara justice, she did +her best to be pleasant whenever Edna +gave her the chance.</p> + +<p>“Oh, aren’t you? Why not?” asked +Edna.</p> + +<p>Clara was silent for a moment, then +she said, quite honestly, “My father can’t +afford to send me to such an expensive +school. I suppose I shall have to go to +the public school.” Then in a new accession +of pride, “Anyhow, father likes the +public school better.”</p> + +<p>“Oh,” Edna could not truthfully say +she was sorry, for the fact, though she +was sorry for the girl. She told the other +girls what Clara had said and the gist of +most of the responses was “Good riddance +to bad rubbish.” So it did not +look very favorable for an enthusiastic +farewell to poor Clara in the way of at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span>tentions +to a departing friend. If anyone +thought of her at all it was Edna, and +she was too busy with all her other interests +to give much regret to Clara.</p> + +<p>It was only when her mother asked her +one day, “Has anyone invited Clara +Adams to the great meeting of the club +when you are to wind up the year with +such a flourish?” that her conscience began +to prick her.</p> + +<p>“Nobody has asked her,” she answered, +“and she is dying to come. She isn’t +coming back to school next year, you +know.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I think you told me that. I feel +very sorry for her. Of course, she is not +at all the kind of child I should choose +for a companion for my little girl, but I +am very glad you have tried to be kind to +her, though I cannot say I regret her leaving +the school you attend.”</p> + +<p>Edna was silent for a moment and so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> +was her mother who presently asked: +“Have you given out all your invitations, +dear?”</p> + +<p>“No, mother, I still have one.”</p> + +<p>“Whom did you send the other to?”</p> + +<p>“Miss Martin. She and her father +were so nice to me at the fair you know, +but one of the other girls has invited Mr. +Martin.”</p> + +<p>“I see. That was certainly a very +good choice for you to make.”</p> + +<p>“I can’t quite decide about the other +one,” Edna went on. “I want to give it +to the one who wants it most, of the two +girls at school who would love to have +it.”</p> + +<p>“Is one of them Clara Adams?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, mother, no. Nobody wants her.” +Then after a silence, “I suppose she +wants to come badder than anyone else, +but—mother, do you think, do you really +think I ought to invite her?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“Why, my dear, that is for you to +decide.”</p> + +<p>“Oh, dear,” Edna gave a long sigh. +Never in her life had she been more put +to it to make up her mind. “I don’t +want to one bit,” she declared after a +moment’s thought. “All of the girls will +be down on me and say I am a silly goose +and all that.”</p> + +<p>“It is probably your very last chance +of doing her a kindness as she will possibly +not cross your path again,” Mrs. +Conway reminded her.</p> + +<p>Edna drew a longer sigh than before. +The situation was getting harder and +harder. “Mother,” she said with a woebegone +face, “why do the rightest things +always be the hardest ones?”</p> + +<p>“I don’t think they always are, dear +child. Is this so very hard?”</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes. I think it is the hardest +thing I most ever had to do. Even last<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> +year when those things about Louis worried +me so, I didn’t mind so much, for I +was really fond of Louis. He was my +cousin and it seemed more as if I ought +to.”</p> + +<p>“Well, dearie, suppose you think over +it a while. You can keep back your invitation +till the very last minute, you know, +for if you do decide to let Clara have it, +she will be glad to accept even at the +eleventh hour, I am sure.”</p> + +<p>“Suppose she should say horrid mean +things and stir up a fuss as she does so +many times, I should feel so badly.”</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe she would do that because +she would be enjoying herself and +would probably be on her best behavior. +If you like, I will see that she sits next +to me which would be quite right if she +should be your guest, and it will not spoil +my pleasure if she should make disagreeable +remarks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>Edna went over and leaned her elbows +on her mother’s lap, looking up in her +face and asking. “What would you say +to yourself if she made disagreeable remarks?”</p> + +<p>“I should say, ‘Never mind; I am so +happy that my own darling little girl +made the sacrifice of asking her that nothing +else matters much.’”</p> + +<p>“And you wouldn’t say anything to +her?”</p> + +<p>“I should, no doubt, say several things +to her,” replied Mrs. Conway kissing the +eager face uplifted toward hers.</p> + +<p>Edna went over to the window and +stood there a long time, but she saw none +of the things she looked out upon. She +was having a sharp struggle. Clara and +her mother against all the girls in the +club, that was the way it seemed to be, +but finally the former conquered and she +went back to where her mother still sat.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> +“Mother,” she said firmly, “I am going +to invite Clara. I have made up my +mind. Will you please ask Agnes and +Celia to take my part?”</p> + +<p>“My blessed child, of course I will. +What sort of a Golden Rule would it be +that allowed a little girl to be chidden for +carrying out its precepts. <a name="tn242" id="tn242"></a><ins class="correction" title="Transcriber's Note: original has 'As president, of your club'">As president +of your club</ins>, Agnes will surely see that +you are acting upon its principles, and +Celia, too, must see it. They must not +let their enjoyment and their love of +harmony make them forget that part.”</p> + +<p>Then Edna snuggled very close to her +mother and felt comforted. “I am not +going to keep her from knowing,” she +said. “I’ll tell her first thing, so she can +have the fun of looking forward to it.” +When Edna did a thing there was no +doing it by halves.</p> + +<p>Therefore it was a surprised and delighted +Clara who received her invitation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> +the next day, and to Edna’s great satisfaction +all the good in the girl rose to the +occasion. “I think you are the very +sweetest girl I ever knew, Edna Conway,” +she said, “and I am sorry, I really am, +that I haven’t always been friends with +you. I was horrid, often I was,” and this +was Edna’s compensation.</p> + +<p>Such a flutter and flurry and whispering +and giggling there was on that afternoon +when everything was in readiness for the +little flower play. There was quite a large +audience gathered on the smooth green +lawn where seats had been placed for +them. The shrubs and flower beds with +trees beyond made a fine background for +the stretch of terrace, which became a +stage for the occasion. Jennie in a fuzzy +grayish brown frock with a hood, made +a dear little Pussy Willow, Edna in pink +with her rosy cheeks was the very picture +of Pinky Blooms, Dorothy’s golden head<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> +made a lovely centre for Daisy White, +while as for Ben, the big giant, he was the +roughest, toughest old Pine Knot one +could imagine.</p> + +<p>“If only Miss Eloise could be here to +see us,” said Edna as she peeped from +behind the leafy screen which hid the +flower fairies from view.</p> + +<p>Dorothy was peeping, too, and presently +she exclaimed, “She is here! Oh, +Edna, she is here! See, they are bringing +her now!” And sure enough, there +in her wheeled chair was Miss Eloise, her +lovely face all smiles as her sister and +Mr. Ramsey pushed her chair along.</p> + +<p>“I do believe Mrs. Ramsey brought her +out,” cried Edna.</p> + +<p>“She did,” Jennie told them, “I didn’t +tell, because I thought it would be such +a nice surprise for everybody.”</p> + +<p>A surprise it was indeed, and because +of her presence, or because it is generally<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> +so, they all did much better than at any +of their rehearsals and received such applause +as quite overpowered them. Then +Mr. Ramsey raised a call for “Author! +Author!” So after some little delay +Ben, still in his giant’s dress, was brought +around and wheeled Miss Eloise out to +the very front where she was given +another round of applause and more +flowers than she could hold. She quite +forgot herself in her anxiety that Ben +should receive what was due to him and all +unmindful of the large audience, she +cried out, “Oh, but I did so little; it is +all Ben’s plan!”</p> + +<p>Then Ben was cheered, and in the midst +of such very special demonstrations he +beat a retreat.</p> + +<p>Clara established by Mrs. Conway’s +side had not a word of anything but +praise and delight, and after the little +players came out to mix with their friends<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> +she sought out Edna. “It was the loveliest +thing I ever saw,” she told her, “and +I do thank you for letting me come.”</p> + +<p>“She was really very decent,” said the +girls, looking after her as she started for +home with her mother who called for her.</p> + +<p>Edna watched her out of sight, a feeling +of pity mingled with gladness in her +heart. And so Clara Adams passed out +of her life, for before another year the +entire family had moved out west, and +the places which saw Clara Adams saw +her no more.</p> + +<p>The stars were coming out before they +all left Mrs. MacDonald’s. The guests +had taken their departure earlier and had +been as complimentary as anyone could +desire. Miss Eloise, tired but very +happy, had gone off with the Ramseys +in their motor-car. Edna, Dorothy and +Margaret walked down to the gate to +watch the sunset, all yellow and glowing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span></p> + +<p>“Miss Newman looked almost pretty,” +said Dorothy. “She had such a dear +frock on and her hair is much nicer the +way she wore it to-day. I shall feel so +very different about having her for a +teacher next year.”</p> + +<p>“So shall I,” agreed Edna.</p> + +<p>Moggins, Margaret’s cat had sought +them out and was rubbing up against his +little mistress. “Oh, you poor dear, I +don’t believe anyone has thought to give +you your milk,” said Margaret. So she +went off with the cat in her arms.</p> + +<p>Then “Where are you, Dorothy?” +cried her sister, and Dorothy scampered +off that she might not be left behind on +the homeward walk.</p> + +<p>Edna walked slowly toward the house. +Halfway up the walk she met Uncle Justus. +“I was just coming for you to walk +home with me,” he told her. “Your aunt +and I are going to stay all night.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span>”</p> + +<p>“I’m glad of that,” Edna replied slipping +her hand into his.</p> + +<p>They walked on toward the road, quite +silent for a few moments, till Edna looking +up, said, “Uncle Justus, I think you +have a perfectly lovely school.”</p> + +<p>He smiled down at her.</p> + +<p>“I have some perfectly lovely pupils,” +he answered with a smile.</p> + + +<p class="desc">THE END</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="tnote"> +<h2><a name="TRANSCRIBERS_NOTE" id="TRANSCRIBERS_NOTE"></a>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE</h2> + + +<p>The original language, punctuation and spelling have been retained, +except where noted. A Table of Contents has been added at the beginning of the book.</p> + +<p>The following changes were made to the original text (the original text +is on the first line, the correction is on the following line):</p> + +<ul> +<li><a href="#tn23">Page 23</a>: you, do <b>you?’</b><br /> +<i>changed into</i>: you, do <b>you?”</b></li> + +<li><a href="#tn27">Page 27</a>: to <b>say. Wouldn’t</b> you like to know what<br /> +<i>changed into</i>: to <b>say: Wouldn’t</b> you like to know what</li> + +<li><a href="#tn34">Page 34</a>: didn’t stay but came over to <b>us.” She</b><br /> +<i>changed into</i>: didn’t stay but came over to <b>us. She</b></li> + +<li><a href="#tn55">Page 55</a>: the next time,” said <b>Agnes, and</b> after<br /> +<i>changed into</i>: the next time,” said <b>Agnes, “and</b> after</li> + +<li><a href="#tn108">Page 108</a>: right away,” declared <b>Nettie, for</b> it takes<br /> +<i>changed into</i>: right away,” declared <b>Nettie, “for</b> it takes</li> + +<li><a href="#tn117">Page 117</a>: “I’ll wait,” he <b>said, and</b> if you will<br /> +<i>changed into</i>: “I’ll wait,” he <b>said, “and</b> if you will</li> + +<li><a href="#tn161">Page 161</a>: make you an honorary <b>member, Agnes said.”</b><br /> +<i>changed into</i>: make you an honorary <b>member,” Agnes said.</b></li> + +<li><a href="#tn167">Page 167</a>: time this <b>morning.</b><br /> +<i>changed into</i>: time this <b>morning.”</b></li> + +<li><a href="#tn231">Page 231</a>: <b>Miss</b> Newman says she is better all the<br /> +<i>changed into</i>: <b>“Miss</b> Newman says she is better all the</li> + +<li><a href="#tn242">Page 242</a>: precepts. As <b>president, of</b> your club,<br /> + <i>changed into</i>: precepts. As <b>president of</b> your club,</li> +</ul> +</div> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's A Dear Little Girl at School, by Amy E. Blanchard + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A DEAR LITTLE GIRL AT SCHOOL *** + +***** This file should be named 28966-h.htm or 28966-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/9/6/28966/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emanuela Piasentini and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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