Chapter I.

BESSIE, ALICE, GWIN, ELMA.

Bessie! Bessie!

"Yes, mother,"replied Bessie Challoner."You'll be late for school, child, if you are not quick."

"Bessie!"shouted her father at the top of his voice from below stairs.

"Bessie; late as usual."

"I am really going, father; I am just ready,"was the eager reply. Bessie caught up her sailor hat, shoved it carelessly over her mass of thick hair, and searched frantically round her untidy bedroom for the string bag which contained her schoolbooks.

"Oh, Bessie, you'll get into a scrape,"said Judy, one of her younger sisters, dancing into the room."Why, you are late. I hear the schoolbell ringing; it will stop in a moment."

"Don't worry me, Judy,"cried Bessie."Do you know where my bag is?"

Judy ran into the middle of the room, turned round, and began to laugh ecstatically."Do you know where it is, you little good-for-nothing? Have you put it hiding?"

"Yes, yes, yes,"screamed the child, jumping up and down in her joy.

"Then, if you don't give it to me at once, I'll—"

But Judy had dodged her and was out of the room. Up to the attic flew the child, and after her dashed Bessie. The bag was found in the corner of the linen-cupboard. Bessie aimed a frenzied blow at Judy, who once again dodged her, then the schoolgirl ran downstairs and was out of the house.

"Bessie, for shame!"said her brother, who was standing smoking his cigarette in a very lazy manner in the garden."Why, you'll never get full marks."

"Don't,"said Bessie."I feel quite hunted between you all."

She had got on the highroad now, and could walk away in peace. She was a tall girl, somewhat bony-looking at present, with a face which showed abundance of intellect, large dreamy eyes, a wide mouth, a flat nose, a long chin. Bessie was certainly not at all a pretty girl; but, notwithstanding this fact, there were few of all the pupils at Middleton School who approached her in popularity. She was clever without being a scrap conceited, and was extremely good-natured, doing her work for the pleasure of doing it and not because she wanted to outstrip a schoolfellow. She was conscientious too, and would have scorned to do a mean or shabby thing; but she was hopelessly untidy, careless to a fault, late for school half her days, getting into countless scrapes and getting out of them as best she could—the butt of her class as well as the favorite, always true to herself and indifferent to the censures or the praise of her fellow-creatures.

"We ll, Bess, is that you? Do wait for me,"called out a panting voice in the distance.

Late as she was, Bessie stopped. It was never her way to leave a fellow-creature in the lurch.

A girl with dancing eyes and rosy cheeks came panting and puffing round the corner.

"I just caught a sight of the red ribbon with which you tie your hair,"she said."I am so glad you are late; I am too, and I am quite ashamed of myself."

"Why in the world should you be ashamed of yourself, Alice?"asked

Bessie."I don't suppose you meant to be late."

"Of course not; but I shall lose my mark for punctuality; and you know, Bessie, I am feverishly anxious to get a move, and to—to win the scholarship at the midsummer break-up."

Bessie yawned slightly.

"Come on, Alice,"she said;"I am disgracefully late as usual, and we need not make matters worse. I suppose we must wait in the hall now until prayers are over."

"It's too bad,"said Alice."I'll tell you afterward how it happened, Bessie. I am glad you waited for me. They always scold you so much for being late that they will not take so much notice of me. May I slip into my place in form behind you?"

"If you like,"said, Bessie.

They entered the great schoolhouse, turned down a long corridor, deposited their hats and jackets on the pegs provided for the purpose, and went into the schoolroom just when the pupils were filing into their different classes.

Both girls had marks against their names for unpunctuality. Alice frowned and fidgeted, turned scarlet, glanced nervously at her fellow-pupils, but Bessie took the matter with her wonted calm. Soon she forgot all about it. She became absorbed in her different studies, each one of which she had prepared with extreme attention. As she answered question after question her great, full, dreamy eyes seemed to lighten with hidden fire, her face lost its plainness, the intellect in it transformed it. One or two other girls in the class watched her with a slight degree of envy.

Bessie was very high up in the school. As usual she quickly rose to the head of the form; this position she kept without the slightest difficulty during lesson after lesson.

Alice, muddled already by that mark for unpunctuality, got through her work badly; as Bessie rose in the class Alice went down. At the end of the morning's work the two girls were far as the poles asunder.

"I can't think how you do it,"said Alice, coming up to Bessie during recess, and linking her hand through her arm."You never seem to mind disgrace at all."

"Of course I mind disgrace,"answered Bessie."Come out into the playground, won't you Alice? We can't talk in here."

They went out and began pacing up and down the wide quadrangle devoted to the purpose. Other girls passed them two and two, each girl talking to her special companion.

"How very handsome Gwin Harley looks this morning,"said Alice, pausing in her grumbling to gaze at a slender and lovely girl who passed them, walking with another dark-eyed, somewhat plain girl of the name of Elma Lewis.

"I wish she was not such friends with Elma,"said Bessie."I like Gwin very much indeed; I suppose every one in the school does."

"Catch Elma not making up to her,"said Alice."Why, you know Gwin is as rich as ever she can be; she has a pony-carriage of her own. I cannot make out why she comes to Middleton School."

"Because it is the best school in the neighborhood,"said Bessie somewhat proudly."It is not a question of money, nor of anything but simply of learning; we learn better at Middleton School than anywhere else; there are better teachers and—"

"But such a rum lot of girls,"said Alice."Of course we all go in sets, and our set is quite the nicest in the school; but all the same, I wonder a rich man like Mr. Harley allows Gwin to come here."

Gwin and Elma drew up at that moment in front of the other two.

"Bessie,"said Gwin,"I saw you carrying everything before you this morning. But,"she added hastily,"that is neither here nor there. I shall never be a great learned genius like you, but I shall admire geniuses all the same. Now, I want to say that Elma is coming to tea with me this afternoon, and will you both come as well? We have a good deal to talk over."

Bessie's face lightened.

"I should like it very much indeed,"she said;"but you know I must get through my studies first."

"Oh, you won't take long over them."

"Yes, but I shall,"answered Bessie;"there is a very stiff piece of German to translate this afternoon. I can manage French and mathematics of course, and—"

"Oh, don't begin to rehearse your different studies,"said Gwin, holding up her hand in a warning attitude."I don't care in the least what you learn, Bessie; I want you to come. Because,"she added,"you are such an honest creature."

"Why should not I be honest?"said Bessie, opening her eyes wide."I have never had any temptation to be anything else."

"My dear Bessie, you are too painfully matter-of-fact,"said Elma."Gwin meant that your nature is transparent—it is a beautiful trait in any character."

"We ll, Bessie, will you come or will you not?"interrupted Gwin.

"Yes, I'll come. I'll manage it somehow,"said Bessie. I can't resist the temptation."

"And you too, Alice?"said Gwin, turning to Alice Denvers, who was watching Bessie with envious eyes.

"I don't suppose mother will let me. I am ever so vexed,"said Alice.

"But why not, dear; you have nothing special to do to-day?"

"We ll, I had a bad mark for unpunctuality, and—"

"What does that signify?"

"But listen; I have gone down several places in class. Father and mother are so particular; they seem to think my whole future life depends upon my position in school. Of course I know we are not very rich, like you—"Here she flushed and hesitated.

Gwin Harley flushed also.

"When you talk like that,"she said,"I feel quite ashamed of being well off. I often long to be poor like—like dear little Elma here."As she spoke she patted her somewhat squat little companion on her arm."But never mind, girls; I am not one of those who intend to throw away all my money; that is one reason why I want to have a good talk this afternoon. You must come, Alice; you simply must."

"But there is another reason,"said Alice."Kitty Malone is coming to-day."

"Kitty Malone! Who in the name of fortune is she?"

"Oh, a wild Irish girl."

"Truly wild, I should think, with that name.'Kitty Malone, ohone!'I seem to hear the refrain somewhere now. Isn't there a song called'Kitty Malone'?"

"The re is a song called'The Widow Malone,'"said Bessie;"don't you know it? You read all about it in'Harry Lorrequer.'"

"But who is Kitty Malone, Alice?"

"I say a wild Irish girl."

"And what has she got to do with you?"

"She is coming to board with us. She is going to join the school, and mother is to have the charge of her. A precious bore I shall find it."

"When did you say she was coming?"asked Gwin eagerly.

"I expect she is at home by now; she was to arrive this morning."

"Delightful!"said Gwin, clapping her hands,"she shall come too. I want beyond anything to become acquainted with a real aborigine, and of course any girl called Kitty Malone hailing from the sister-isle must belong to that species. Bring the wild Irish girl with you by all means, Alice; and now, as you have no manner of excuse, I'll say ta-ta for the present."She kissed her pretty hand lightly to the two girls, and went on her way, once more accompanied by her faithful satellite, Elma.

"Isn't she fascinating?"said Alice;"aren't you quite in love with her,

Bessie?"

"Dear me, no,"answered Bessie Challoner."I never fall in love in that sort of headlong fashion; but all the same,"she added,"I admire Gwin very much, only I do wish she would not take up with Elma."

"So do I,"said Alice.

"It was very kind of her to ask us,"continued Bessie,"and I for one shall be delighted to go. I have not the least doubt that in a big house of that sort they have'Household Encyclopaedia,'and I want to look up the article on magnetic iron ore."

"Oh, what in the world for?"cried Alice.

"I am interested in magnets, and—but there, Alice why should I worry you with the sort of things that delight me. I am going, and that is all right. You will be sure to come too; won't you Alice?"

"Yes, I must manage it somehow; and as Gwin has asked Kitty Malone it won't make it quite so difficult. I know mother would not let me leave Kitty this afternoon, for it is, from the money point of view, a great thing for us her coming. Her people are quite well off, although they are Irish. They live in an old castle on the coast of Donegal, and Kitty has never been out of the country in which she was born. They are paying mother very well to receive her, and mother is ever so pleased. Of course it's horrid for me for she will be my companion morning, noon, and night; we are even to sleep in the same room. It was that that made me late for school this morning, and got me that horrid, horrid mark for unpunctuality."

"But why? I don't understand,"said Bessie.

"We ll, you see, I put it off until the last minute. I know it was all my fault; but I would not empty the cupboard in the corner of the room, although mother told me to do so at intervals for the past week. We ll, mother came in this morning and found it choke full—you know the sort of thing, full to bursting, so that the door wouldn't shut—and she said that I should empty it before I went to school. I told her I should be late, and mother said it was a just punishment for me. Didn't I bless Kitty Malone! But of course I set to work, and I scrambled out the things somehow. Of course I am in hot water, and father is so terribly particular; but I will try and come. Yes, I'll try and come, and I'll bring Kitty."

"Very well; if you are going we may as well go together,"said Bessie.

"Gwin never mentioned the hour she had tea; but I suppose if we are at

Harley Grove by five o'clock it will do."

"Yes, I should think so,"said Alice in a dubious voice."It is a pity she did not mention the hour. The re she is still hobnobbing with Elma. I'll just run across the quadrangle and ask her."

Alice left her companion, obtained the necessary information from Gwin, and came back again."She says if we are with her sharp at five it will do quite well, and we are to stay until nine o'clock, then we can all go home together."

"Delicious!"said Bessie."I love being out late. I hope there will be a moon, and that there won't be many clouds in the sky, for I want to examine the position of some of the planets. Did I tell you, Alice, that Uncle John has a telescope through which I can see the asteroids?"

"What on earth are they?"cried Alice, yawning as she spoke.

"Oh, the very small planets."

"Then, my dear, I hope you will see them. But really, Bessie, I can't run round nature as you do—your intellect is quite overpowering; one moment you want to get up information with regard to magnetic iron ore, and the next you confound me with some awful observation about asteroids. Good-by, Bessie; good-by. I shall be late for dinner, and then no chance of going to the fair Gwin's this afternoon."

"We ll, if you do go, call for me,"shouted Bessie after her;"I'll wait for you until half-past four, then I'll start off by myself."

"Yes, yes, I'll come if I can, and bring Kitty also if I can."

"Be sure you don't fail. I'll look out for you."

Alice put wings to her feet and set off running down the dusty road, and

Bessie more soberly returned home.