: d|M|
 
 TJCSB LIBRARY
 
 DORA AND THE ANGEL.
 
 THE MAIfDEJIHOO SERIES. 
 
 DAISY TRAVERS; 
 
 OB, 
 
 THE GIRLS OF HIYE HALL. 
 
 BY 
 
 ADELAIDE F. SAMUELS, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "DICK AND DAISY STORIES," "DICK TRAVEBS ABROAD," ETC. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 LEE & SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM, 
 1876.
 
 COPYRIGHT BT 
 LEE AND SHEPABD, 
 
 1876. 
 
 Elcctrotyped by C. C. Morse & Son, Haverhill, Mass.
 
 TO 
 LILIAN TRASK HARLOW, 
 
 OF QTJIHCY, MASS., 
 
 This (Book is Affectionately (Dedicated 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 HIVE HALL, AND How IT CAME TO EXIST, . 11 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY, ...... 24 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? . .42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHEERY-STONES, AND MRS. HODGES METHOD, . 56 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 LUCY " ROOMS " WITH DORA, .... 79 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 DORA " PAYS " DAISY, 100
 
 8 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 A SURPRISE FOR "AuNT DAISY,", . . . 114 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 AWARDING THE PJRIZE, ..... 124 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 PETS, 133 
 
 CHAPTER 5. 
 
 A GIPSY FORTUNE-TELLER, . . . .152 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 POOR DORA, 169 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM, 181 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 UNDER ANNE'S WINDOW, , 197 
 
 * CHAPTER XIV. 
 THE READING CLUB, 207 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 BELLE CLEVERLY, ...... 221 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 AT MRS. JOHNSON'S, 240
 
 CONTENTS. 9 
 
 CHAPTEK XVII. 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAR, 251 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 NEVER COMING BACK, . . . . . 269 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONCLUSION, . . . . . . .276
 
 DAISY TRAYERS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HIVE HALL, AND HOW IT CAME TO EXIST. 
 
 jHAT a bright, sunshiny morning it 
 was ! and what a curious, prying thing 
 the sun is, anyhow ! How it did try 
 to squeeze the whole of itself into Hive Hall 
 school-room on this particular morning. It could 
 not, of course, but so much of it never succeeded 
 in getting in before. It was all over the room, 
 in squares, angles, and bars, and every shape 
 you could think of. Doubtless it knew that this 
 morning Daisy intended to make her first speech 
 to the twenty-five children who were watching 
 her so curiously, as she stood in a great patch 
 of sunshine upon the platform. It was well for 
 .her, that the sun did shine ; a cloudy morning 
 
 11
 
 12 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 would have lowered her spirits, and perhaps, 
 deprived her of the courage to say what she 
 wanted to. 
 
 Daisy Travers was the adopted grand-daughter 
 of a wealth} 7 " old man, named Milly, who looked 
 upon her as perfection, and who would no more 
 have thought of refusing to comply with any 
 of her whims, than he would have forgiven 
 any one for underrating her beauty or goodness. 
 
 She was nearly sixteen ; small, but faultless in 
 form ; with a sad, sweet face, deep blue eyes 
 and hair well, it was light, long and naturally 
 curly ; poor words to express all its beauty. 
 
 Her short struggle with poverty had awakened 
 in her a sympathy for the poor, that few girls 
 of her age can understand. Her last charitable 
 whim, the founding of Hive Hall, was one that 
 would be likely to cause her much trouble, 
 and anxiety, but if carried bravely through, her 
 compensation would be evident. The twenty-five 
 children before her had been taken from miser- 
 ably-conducted country poor-houses, and bound 
 to grandfather Milly : why they were there we 
 will let Daisy tell. 
 
 " You are all here, at last : " said she, flashing 
 a glance over the faces before her : " and now I
 
 HIVE HALL. 13 
 
 am going to tell you why you are here ; but 
 first I will tell you a true story that you will 
 all be able to understand. Once upon a time 
 there was a very little girl who lived with her 
 father, and mother, and brother, in a country 
 town, not a great many miles from here. She 
 was a very happy little girl. All of you, I am 
 sure, know what it is to be happy. Just think 
 of some time when you were very happy, indeed, 
 then believe that this little girl was just so 
 happy all the time, until one day her father 
 died ; very soon after that her mother died also, 
 and she was told that her brother would have 
 to leave her, and go out into the world to seek 
 his fortune, while she, all alone, must go to the 
 poor-house. Then was ever there such an 
 unhappy little girl as she. She had heard such 
 dreadful stories about that poor-house. She 
 would never be able to sleep there, she knew, 
 but would lie every night with her eyes wide 
 open, waiting for something dreadful to happen. 
 She was so frightened, and cried so at the 
 thought of going there, that at last her brother 
 resolved to take her with him, and they would 
 seek their fortunes together. Then in her great 
 joy, she thought of those less fortunate than
 
 14 DAISY TR AVERS, 
 
 she, and made a vow to herself that if it was 
 ever in her power to make even a few of them 
 happy, she would do it," here Daisy paused to 
 take breath. Twenty-five pairs of eyes, were 
 fixed earnestly upon her face, but she did not 
 feel now as though they belonged to strangers ; 
 no, they belonged to those whom she had thought 
 of, and planned for, in her mind for months, and 
 years. " They were very fortunate, this brother 
 and sister," continued Daisy. " They were soon 
 adopted by a good man, who proved to be very 
 rich, and became so fond of his adopted grand- 
 children that he would deny them nothing they 
 might ask of him. So it was now in this girl's 
 power to "perform what she had vowed to do. 
 Her good fortune did not make her forget that 
 vow, you will believe, when I tell you that I 
 am that girl, and have gathered you here to 
 befriend you. This, henceforth will be your 
 home, and I will try to make it all that a home 
 can be. You have all of you, I think, seen girls 
 and boys whom you have envied ; they were well 
 clad, while you were in rags ; they were well 
 fed, while you were hungry ; they were petted, 
 and rewarded, and Santa-Glaus never forgot them 
 Christmas time. Henceforth you will be well
 
 HIVE HALL. 15 
 
 clad, well fed, petted, and rewarded, and Santa- 
 Glaus will never forget to -visit Hive Hall." 
 How the sun did rush into the room ! One 
 would think all the children were sun-struck, 
 they sat so still; and how it did make their 
 eyes shine, as they listened to Daisy. 
 
 " I will do everything that can be done for 
 you," continued she, " and all I ask in return 
 is, that you will love each other, and me, as I 
 shall love you ; and that you will honestly try to 
 do the best you can, always. If you will do that, I 
 shall have cause to be proud of this school, and 
 I want to be proud of it. I want to see you 
 grow up into men and women that anyone would 
 be proud to know. I want to be able to say 
 one of these days, when some one is telling me 
 about a great man, and his works, ' why, that's 
 one of my boys ! ' and when I hear every one 
 talking about some woman, who is making a 
 glorious name, I want to be able to say, ' yes, 
 she is one of my girls ! ' But more than all, I 
 want to know that you are every one good, and 
 true : I want to feel always that I can trust 
 you; then I can pity the world if it should 
 never know you. Now, boys and girls, if you 
 feel like giving three cheers for Hive Hall, you
 
 16 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 need not be afraid of making a noise," and Daisy 
 smilingly withdrew, just in time to escape the 
 full sound of such a cheer ! The like was never 
 uttered by twenty-five pauper children before. 
 
 " She shall have cause to be proud of me ! " 
 exclaimed one bright boy, looking with much 
 satisfaction upon his neat clothes. 
 
 " And me ! " 
 
 " And me ! " 
 
 " And me ! " sounded from every side of the 
 room. 
 
 " Don't make fools of yourselves ! " petulantly 
 exclaimed the girl who had come the very first 
 day. " Just keep still, and see what she wants 
 of us. I've heard fine talk before. It's my 
 opinion she's something like crazy Bet, where I 
 came from. ' Dora,' she'd say to me, 'Dora, 
 your dress is 'bout gin out, that's a fac,' Dora! " 
 Then she'd go on to tell how I'd soon have a 
 new one, and she'd get it for me, if I'd only 
 get the key to the store-room, and go in, an' 
 steal her some tea an' sugar. If I stole tea an' 
 sugar for her once, I stole it a hundred times, 
 but all the dress I ever got was made out of a 
 meal-bag." 
 
 " But you have one now ? " said the boy who 
 spoke first.
 
 HIVE HALL. 17 
 
 " Yes, an' it's such a dreadful good one I 
 can't get it through my head what she'll expect 
 me to do for it. Shouldn't wonder if she wanted 
 me to steal all-out-doors, for this dress." 
 
 "I don't believe she'll want us to steal. She 
 is good, I know, for she talks just the way my 
 mother did, ever so long ago, before she died," 
 spoke up a pale-faced girl, of seven years, or 
 thereabouts. 
 
 " Besides she is rich, and what should she 
 want us to steal for. She isn't like your crazy 
 Bet. She can buy any thing if she wants it! " 
 argued the first speaker. 
 
 " I've seen rich people before to-day, I guess. 
 It was only last summer that a rich lady came 
 to me, an' wanted me to pick her some barberries 
 to preserve. I was two days pickin' urn, an' 
 scratched the skin all off my hands. She said 
 she'd give me a new dress for um, but she never 
 did, an' she kept my box, too, that I picked 
 um in. You can't tell me any thing about rich 
 folks." 
 
 "You came here first, didn't you? Well, has 
 she ever treated you bad, or asked you to do 
 any thing that was mean?" questioned the first 
 speaker, while the other children, who were 
 
 2
 
 18 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 beginning to forget Daisy's speech, listened atten- 
 tively. 
 
 " No, she never did, as yet, that's what makes 
 me think it'll be a regular 'stonisher when it 
 does come. I'd do a good deal to keep these 
 fine clothes, an' live as I have for the last two 
 weeks, but I can tell you I'd feel safer with 
 crazy Bet, any day." 
 
 " Say, Dora, what do they want such a thick 
 table for? " questioned an intelligent looking 
 girl who stood near the one addressed, pointing 
 at the piano. " It looks to me as though it was 
 hollow. They'll lock some of us up in it, some 
 day, I'll bet." 
 
 " That ain't a table," replied Dora, " that's a 
 hand-organ. I saw one at that rich lady's house, 
 I was telling about. They can make music come 
 out of it." 
 
 One little fellow was about to inform them 
 that it was a piano, when the door opened, and 
 the teacher, followed by Daisy, entered the 
 school-room. She, the teacher, was a pleasant- 
 faced, middle-aged woman, to whom Daisy had 
 become already very much attached. 
 
 " This is Mrs. Burns, your teacher," said 
 Daisy, addressing the scholars. " She is going
 
 HIVE HALL. 19 
 
 to tell you now how she intends to teach 
 you." 
 
 " Perhaps you had better tell them ; I am 
 sure you can make them understand better than 
 I can," said Mrs. Burns, to Daisy. 
 
 "Very well, then ; sit down ; or first let me 
 have a piece of chalk, if you have some handy, 
 and I will try to illustrate my meaning on the 
 black-board." The chalk was soon in Daisy's 
 hand. " Now I will draw you a picture of one 
 kind of a teacher, and the way she teaches," 
 said she, turning to the board. " I will first 
 draw a ladder, which we will call the ladder of 
 learning. I will now draw a picture of a little 
 child just ready to step upon the first round of 
 the ladder ; and here's another child half through 
 school, or half way up the ladder. Now I draw 
 a picture of the teacher not your teacher, 
 remember who comes up with spectacles on, 
 and a stick in her hand, and falls to beating 
 the two children as they go up the ladder. How 
 she makes her stick fly. The children don't 
 want to go up now, but she makes them ; she 
 wont let them stop to take breath ; and if they 
 manage wearily to climb a round or two faster 
 than usual, that is an encouragement for her to
 
 20 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 beat the harder, until they reach "the top ; and 
 then they are so tired, and glad to be through 
 with it all, that, instead of striking out to the 
 right, or the left, they tottle over on the other 
 side of the ladder, fall down, and forget nearly 
 all they have learned. Now I'll draw a picture 
 of your ladder, and the way you are going up 
 it. There it is, and you can just imagine that 
 you are all of you here at the foot, ready to 
 take your first step up. Here stands Mrs. Burns. 
 She hasn't any stick in her hand, but her hands 
 are ready to help you up ; and here is something 
 hanging from this fir.t round that's worth climb- 
 ing for. It will take just three months to climb 
 the first round. At the end of that time we will 
 have a holida}^ and the boy and girl who have 
 had the most perfect lessons, in those three 
 months, shall receive a prize ; but there are some 
 of you who will deserve a prize, because you 
 will work for it as hard as the one who' will 
 get it, and will lose it only because you have 
 not the power to remember your lessons as well 
 as the lucky one ; and so, that you may all 
 stand on equal ground, I have decided to give 
 out two prizes, just alike, to the girls, and two 
 to the boys : one for perfect lessons, and the
 
 HIVE HALL. 21 
 
 other for good conduct. Now, I will show you 
 what the prizes will be, and you can decide for 
 yourselves if they are worth striving for." So 
 saying, Daisy left the school-room, but soon 
 returned, holding in her hands a perfect little 
 ship, two feet in length ; and, to judge from the 
 exclamations of the boys, as she carried it among 
 them, for their inspection, they thought it would 
 be worth striving for. 
 
 "These sails can be furled, and here is an 
 anchor that will be strong enough to hold it in 
 a gale. I have another ship, just like this one, 
 for the other prize, and there is a beautiful pond, 
 not far from here, where the two boys who get 
 them, may sail them, without danger to them- 
 selves. I am very curious to know which two of 
 all these boys, will get them. Mrs. Burns, will 
 you show the girls what their prize will be ? " 
 continued Daisy, addressing the teacher. 
 
 " Certainly," was the' reply, and Mrs. Burns 
 left the room. Returning in a few minutes, she 
 caused a great excitement among the girls, for 
 in her arms was the most wonderful doll they 
 had ever seen. It had real hair, and eyes that 
 would open and shut ; and was dressed so hand- 
 somely. But that was not all. The cunningest
 
 22 DAISY TRA VBRS. 
 
 little trunk, with a lock and key, and full of 
 more clothes for dollie, made the prize complete. 
 Mrs. Burns took out all the dresses, and exhib- 
 ited them, then folded them away again in the 
 trunk, and turned the key in the lock ; not 
 omitting to say that there was another doll and 
 trunk exactly like that she had in her hand; 
 and at the end of three months, the girl who 
 had learned her lessons the best would receive 
 one, and the girl who had behaved the best 
 would receive the other. Then Daisy and the 
 teacher went out with the prizes, and left the 
 scholars for a while, that they might have a 
 talk about them. 
 
 " Now, what do you think about it, Dora ? " 
 questioned three or four girls, as soon as they 
 had gone. 
 
 " It's dreadful queer, any way." 
 
 " Perhaps you think she'll want you to steal 
 ' all-out-doors,' now ? " questioned the boy who 
 had been the first to speak before, and whose 
 name was Edgar Ford. 
 
 " I will tell you what crazy Bet would say 
 she will want me to do, if she was here." 
 
 " What would she ? " 
 
 " Why, she'd pull her white hair all down
 
 HIVE HALL. 23 
 
 over her face, then she'd say, * I tell you what, 
 Dora, she'll want you to go up and bring down 
 the moon, then she'll want you to drive the man 
 out of it with a broom-stick. Then she'd, crazy 
 Bet would, tell me not to do it, because she 
 tried to do it once, herself, an' the moon rocked 
 over on her. That's how she came to be moon- 
 struck." 
 
 " Are you going to try to get one of the 
 dolls ? " interrogated a small girl who stood near 
 her. 
 
 u Land, no ! I couldn't get a lesson an' I 
 couldn't behave. But I should like to get it, 
 just to break its head open, to see what makes 
 its eyes open an' shut. It's dreadful queer how 
 it does that." 
 
 " Oh-o-o ! " groaned all the girls. " Break 
 that beautiful doll ! " 
 
 " What's it good for, anyhow ! " 
 
 " Don't tell her ! Don't have any thing to 
 say to her!" exclaimed a quiet-appearing girl 
 named Anne Porter, indignantly.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY. 
 
 PRESENTLY the dinner bell sounded, and 
 the children were not slow to accept 
 the invitation to that meal. In a won- 
 derfully short space of time, they were all in 
 the dining-room, enjoying themselves as only 
 those who know what it is to be hungry, .can 
 enjoy themselves when a good meal is put before 
 them. 
 
 Grandfather Milly was there, trotting up and 
 down between the long tables, " seeing," as he 
 said, " if the children knew how to eat." He 
 decided they did, and that was the only thing 
 they did know. 
 
 After dinner the children had permission to 
 go out of doors, or amuse themselves in their 
 own rooms or in the school-room, as it was 
 Saturday, and work would not really begin till 
 the next Monday morning. 
 24
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY. 25 
 
 It was such a pleasant day, nearly all pre- 
 ferred to go out of doors. Dora was the only 
 one who returned to the school-room. 
 
 The sun had nearly gone. Two or three rays 
 remained upon the front desks, as though to 
 watch Dora. On entering, she closed the door 
 after her, then seated herself on the step of the 
 platform, and placing her chin in her hands, 
 rested her elbows upon hep knees. For a long 
 time she sat perfectly still, looking straight 
 before her. Then she turned her head, and her 
 gaze rested upon the piano. After looking at it 
 for a few minutes, she arose and approached it. 
 Then a careful survey of all its parts followed. 
 Doubtless she was looking for the handle, to 
 turn it, as she had seen organ-grinders turn the 
 handle of an organ ; but of course her search 
 was fruitless, and she soon turned from it in 
 disgust, and approached the teacher's desk ; this 
 she tried to open, but it proved to be locked. 
 Stepping down from the platform she walked to a 
 window, and looked down upon the children 
 who appeared to be enjoying themselves in the 
 yard below. For a while they claimed her 
 attention, then she discovered that she was very 
 near the door through which Daisy and the
 
 26 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 teacher had carried the prizes. Opening the 
 door softly, she - looked into the next room ; no 
 one was there. Entering, the first thing that 
 caught - her eye was a long, green pasteboard 
 box, on a chair ; this she opened immediately, 
 and, behold ! there lay the beautiful wax doll ! 
 " Crazy Bet always said I'd be lucky some 
 day, an' now what am I, I'd like to know ? " 
 said she aloud, taking out the doll by its pink 
 silk sash. " Now we'll see what makes it wink. 
 I wonder how she made it go ? Oh, I see ! Yes, 
 I can do it. That's the queerest ! It must look 
 funny inside, and I'd like to see it. Perhaps I 
 can take the head off, an' stick it on again, 
 some way. It would be fun to fix it so only 
 one eye'll open. Can't get the head off without 
 breaking it all to smash, that's a sure thing ; 
 but if I had a knife or somethin', I could dig a 
 piece out of the back, under the hair, an' it 
 would never be noticed." With that Dora cast 
 her eyes around the room, in search of a " knife 
 or something," and, unfortunately, a pair of 
 scissors were in plain sight upon the table. 
 " Just the thing," continued she, as she took 
 them up, and looked at them ; then, seating her- 
 self in the chair, she placed the doll across her
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITT. 27 
 
 lap, face downwards, and began her operations. 
 But she had not imagined it would be so tender, 
 and the beautiful prize, in less than a minute, 
 was without a head-; all that remained whole of 
 the handsome face was two glass eyes. 
 
 " January, February, March ! Won't the girls 
 groan when they know it ? If I had a tater, or 
 turnip, or somethin', I'd make a head an' put 
 these eyes in." And there was something like 
 consternation in Dora's face, as she looked at 
 the little pile of rubbish in her lap, then held 
 up the gaily dressed doll, which was all perfect 
 but the head, making a happy caricature of 
 some of our fashionable belles. 
 
 A step sounded in the school-room. Some 
 one was there, and would discover her, with 
 the broken doll. Quickly and noiselessly she 
 returned it to the box, and covered it up, then 
 she glided into a closet, and closed the door 
 after her, just as Daisy entered the room. 
 
 " Guess they won't find out who did it just 
 yet," said she to herself, nestling down in a 
 dark corner. An' they can't say I did it, when 
 they didn't see me. If they say I did, I'll say 
 I didn't; then they'll have to lay it to the 
 worms. Stands to reason, worms will eat a
 
 28 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 doll's head off if it's kep' in a box for three 
 months ; they'd eat mine off in half that time." 
 
 "Why," exclaimed Daisy, aloud, for it was 
 she who entered the room, " I thought that doll 
 had been put away. I'm glad the girls didn't 
 come in here, for I don't want them to see it 
 again till it's given as a prize. There's the key 
 left in the closet door, too ! How careless ! 
 
 "Oh, she's goin' to lock me in, is she ? Not 
 if I know it," thought Dora, and stepping out 
 'of the closet, she astonished Daisy, by suddenly 
 appearing at her side. 
 
 " Why, how you startled me ! I did not hear 
 you come in." 
 
 "Can I do any thing for you?" questioned 
 Dora, looking at the box. 
 
 " Yes, if you want to," replied Daisy, sur- 
 prised at the question, coming from one of her 
 most doubtful pupils, and very glad to encourage 
 the feeling that she thought had prompted it. 
 " You can take that box and put it on a shelf in 
 this closet. I'll open the door for you. Be very 
 careful, because there is something in it that 
 will break, if you let it fall." 
 
 " Oh, I shan't let it fall," replied Dora, ready 
 to laugh aloud at her own smartness, as she took
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY. 29 
 
 up the box and carried it to the closet. But 
 fortune was against her, that day. On lifting 
 up the box, one end of it hit the shelf, and 
 down it fell, but she managed to catch it before 
 it touched the floor. 
 
 "There!" exclaimed Daisy, in dismay, as she 
 saw it falling. 
 
 " Jt didn't hurt it any, I caught it," said Dora, 
 hastily placing it upon the shelf. 
 
 " No, it could not have got broken. The 
 prize doll is in it. Perhaps I should have told 
 you before, and you would have been more careful. 
 I think I'll see if the dress got disarranged, 
 because it will never do to give it all rumpled 
 up to the little girl who will work hard to get 
 it," 
 
 " It didn't get rumpled, I know. It went 
 straight down, an' didn't tip up a bit," said Dora, 
 making an attempt to shut the door. 
 
 " It's always best to be sure," replied Daisy, 
 taking down the box, and opening it. 
 
 " Why, it is broken ! " she exclaimed in aston- 
 ishment, as her eyes fell upon the headless doll. 
 
 " It did break after all; didn't it ? " said Dora, 
 with a very emotionless face. 
 
 " Yes, but that fall never broke it, and scat-
 
 30 DAIS T TRA VERS. 
 
 tered the ,pieces about, as they are scattered 
 here, besides putting a pair of scissors on top. 
 I want you to tell me the truth, now, Dora, 
 without fear; have you had this doll before, 
 to-day ? " 
 
 " No mum," was .the dogged reply. 
 
 " You are quite sure ? Look me in the face 
 now. What ? You will not ? that looks bad. 
 Where were you when I came into the room?" 
 
 " Down stairs." 
 
 " With the other children ? " 
 
 " Yes mum." 
 
 ' Halloo! what's all this about ? " interrogated 
 grandfather Milly, putting his head in at the 
 door. "What's the trouble?" 
 
 " Come in, grandpa. Dora, you can go up to 
 your room, now, and I want you to think of 
 what you have been telling me. If you decide 
 you haven't told me everything just as you 
 should have done, and want to tell me, you'll 
 find me here till supper time." 
 
 " I didn't know but the worms might a' done 
 it," said Dora, looking straight into Daisy's eyes. 
 
 " What worms ? " 
 
 " The worms as eats folks after they're dead. 
 You see it was kinder as though it was dead 
 an' buried, shut up in that box."
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITT. 31 
 
 " You can go ! " said Daisy, very decidedly, 
 holding the door open for her to pass out. 
 
 " Now what's it all about ? " questioned the 
 old man, who knew by the expression on Daisy's 
 face that something had gone wrong. 
 
 For an answer Daisy showed him the headless 
 doll, then repeated the conversation that had 
 passed between herself and Dora, and told him 
 her suspicions. Poor Daisy ! she had expected 
 sympathy, and was not at all prepared for the 
 burst of laughter that followed. 
 
 " I did not think you could be so unkind as 
 to laugh about any thing so serious," said she, 
 reproachfully, and nearly ready to cry. 
 
 " Can't help it, Daisy. It's laughable to see 
 you ready to cry over the first fib, and you are 
 not sure yet that it is a fib, either ; it might 
 have been the worms: ha! ha! ha! " 
 
 To this Daisy made, no reply, but walked to 
 the window, and looked out. 
 
 " Come, Daisy, I'll promise not to laugh any 
 more. You haven't told me half yet. Are you 
 quite sure she did it ? " said the old man, ready 
 enough to stop, on seeing that Daisy was really 
 very much distressed. 
 
 " I am very sure she did. I think she must
 
 32 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 M* 
 
 have been here before I "came in. I don't see 
 how she could have come in at the door without 
 my seeing her ; and she seemed so anxious, too, 
 to put the box away, without having it opened." 
 
 " Why not ask some of the children if she has 
 been with them since dinner." 
 
 "I will go and question some of them. Wait 
 here till I come back," said Daisy, as she left 
 the room ; returning again in less than ten minutes. 
 
 " It's just as I supposed," said she, walking 
 to the table, and looking seriously at the broken 
 doll. She has not been down stairs since dinner, 
 and I know she was not in her room, because I 
 went through all the rooms just before I came 
 in here, to see if they were in order, and she 
 was not there, then." 
 
 " Well, then, of course she did it, and was 
 afraid to own to it, which is not at all surpris- 
 ing, considering the way she has been brought 
 up. I should have been very much surprised if 
 she had told the truth about it. I hope you did 
 not expect they would all prove to be ready- 
 made angels." 
 
 "Of course not, grandpa. I don't suppose I 
 should have minded it so much, if it had not 
 followed so soon after my speech. I thought
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITT. 33 
 
 that would prove forcible enough to keep them 
 steady for the rest of the day, at least," replied 
 Daisy, with an attempt to smile. 
 
 " I don't believe the speech was ever yet made 
 that influenced all its hearers for a day ; so don't 
 get discouraged, so quick." 
 
 " Discouraged ! Of course I am not that, only 
 there is something about that girl that I cannot 
 understand, and I want to understand her. I 
 want to understand every one of them, so I 
 shall know just how to manage them.". 
 
 "You can't expect to understand them all in 
 a day." 
 
 " I know it ; but if I understand her as well 
 as I do some of them, I should know what to 
 do with her now, which I don't ; and it will not 
 do to let this affair rest, will it?" 
 
 " To tell the truth, Daisy, I don't know what 
 will be the best thing to do," replied Mr. Milly, 
 after a pause, in which, in his perplexity, he 
 first wiped his face with his handkerchief, then 
 rubbed it all over his head, as though his head 
 was bald, which it was not, thereby causing 
 it to appear as though a skein of white silk was 
 tangled up all over it. 
 
 " Grandpa, come here ! " suddenly exclaimed 
 
 3
 
 34 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 Daisy, who had gone to the window, and was 
 looking out. 
 
 "What is it?" interrogated the old man, 
 trotting up, and looking out over her shoulder. 
 
 " Don't you see ? There she is, now, racing' 
 across the yard, and screaming louder than any 
 of them." 
 
 " Sure enough ! I thought I heard you telling 
 her to go up to her room ? " Grandpa looked 
 at Daisy, and Daisy looked at grandpa. The old 
 man tried hard not to laugh, but he did not 
 succeed. Indeed he looked so very comical try- 
 ing not to look merry, that Daisy could not 
 but laugh herself. 
 
 " Doesn't that prove, now, just how much 
 that girl cares for what I say," said she, at last, 
 turning again to the window, and watching Dora, 
 who was now running towards a small girl, who 
 was seated upon the grass, watching a group of 
 children, who were playing nearer the school- 
 house. As Dora drew near the small girl, she 
 Dora, suddenly sprang into the air, passed over 
 her head without touching her, and came down 
 before her, much to the small girl's astonishment, 
 and her own evident amusement. 
 
 "What shall I do with her, grandpa?" inter-
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITT. 35 
 
 rogated Daisy, after she had breathlessly watched 
 that performance. 
 
 " I should say a little oil of birch wouldn't 
 hurt her much, but I believe you are resolved 
 not to use that kind of medicine. So suppose 
 you pretend not to see her, and to-night we'll 
 talk it over." 
 
 Daisy was in the dining-room at Hive Hall, 
 the next Monday morning, arranging some plants 
 in the bay-window. She had brought several 
 pots of fuchias and geraniums, from her collection 
 at home, for the window, and she was planting 
 some seeds in a green box, when Dora opened 
 the door, and Daisy called her to her. 
 
 " Now it's coming ! " thought Dora to herself. 
 " I don't care what it is, I'll steal it if I can, 
 but I rather 'spect it'll be too much for me." 
 
 " How do the flowers look ? " said Daisy, 
 noticing her eyes rested upon them with evident 
 
 " Ilan'some. I never saw any like um before." 
 
 " Do you like flowers ? " 
 
 " Yes. There used to be lots in the woods 
 back of the poor-house." 
 
 " Do you know, Dora, I have been thinking 
 this seed is very much like you, in some respects,"
 
 36 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 continued Daisy, holding up a little brown seed 
 for Dora to see. 
 
 " Like me ? " repeated Dora, looking Daisy in 
 the face for the first time since she entered the 
 room. 
 
 " Yes ; and I will tell you why. My brother 
 sent me this seed from Africa, a great country, 
 hundreds of miles from here. He wrote to me 
 that the plant he took it from he found growing 
 in the midst of a dense forest, where it was so 
 crowded and overpowered by stronger, and 
 larger plants, that it could scarcely find room 
 enough to grow at all. It should have been a 
 handsome bush, with many flowers all over it, 
 whereas only two or three little branches could 
 struggle up to the light, and on one of them 
 was a flower, on another this little seed, which 
 if it had been allowed to fall there, would have 
 made even a worse bush than the other. But 
 it was taken off and sent here, to me ; and here 
 it will have all the room it wants to grow in, 
 all the sunshine it wants, and all the nourish- 
 ment it wants. Now don't you think it will be 
 a very queer, ungrateful seed, if it doesn't do 
 the very best it can, to grow up into a strong, 
 handsome bush that will bear many flowers. It
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITT. 37 
 
 would be unnatural to suppose that it won't do 
 so well here, as it would have done there, wouldn't 
 it?" 
 
 "Yes; but why is it like me?" 
 
 " Don't you see ? Don't you think your case 
 is very much the same? Think of that little 
 plant, then think of yourself at the poor-house, 
 where you were overpowered by coarse, perhaps 
 wicked, men and women, who would have 
 crowded you down so you would have grown 
 up very bad indeed. But now you are here, 
 where very much more will be done for you 
 than will be done for that seed. Won't it be 
 strange if you do not do as well as the seed 
 does? Won't it be strange if you do not grow 
 up into a good woman ? " 
 
 "The seed may never come up, anyhow," said 
 Dora, who had never heard such talk before, 
 and did not look as if she liked it very well. 
 
 " Very true ; and so may you never grow up. 
 You may die, you know, as well as the seed ; 
 and you wouldn't want to die without ever having 
 tried to be good, would you ? " 
 
 " I'm not going to die right off." 
 
 "How do you know that? You may die 
 within a month. You may die to-day."
 
 38 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 "I don't want to talk any longer. I guess 
 I'll go out." 
 
 " You may go out, but first I want to tell you 
 one thing: If I see this seed coming up a homely, 
 scraggy, ill-shaped plant, I shall not take much 
 pleasure in caring for it. But if I see it come 
 up graceful, and handsome, I shall be glad to 
 tend it every day. So it is with you, Dora. I 
 want to see you begin handsomely, and you can, 
 by confessing that you broke that doll, Saturday. 
 Don't be afraid of being punished for doing it, 
 for you will not be. Now I will leave you ; and 
 remember, as soon as you decide that you will 
 begin handsomely, come to me, and see if I am 
 not very glad to know it," then without another 
 word, Daisy planted the seed, and left the room. 
 
 " Gorry, how she did run on ! " exclaimed 
 Dora, drawing a long breath of relief, as soon 
 as the door had closed after her. " She can put 
 it stronger than crazy Bet, any day. An' she 
 never said a word about my stealin' for her. I 
 wonder if all she wants of me is to be good ? 
 That would be harder'n stealin' ! Couldn't do it 
 anyhow. I'm a born nuisance, everybody always 
 said so, an' I can't help it. Crazy Bet said 
 some folks were born poets, an' some born
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY. 39 
 
 painters, an' I can't think of all the ways she 
 said people were born, but I can remember that 
 I was a born nuisance, an' she said I'd ought to 
 be thankful for it ; anyway, I can't help it. I 
 wonder why they don't call her Crazy Daisy 
 here. I'm sure she's as crazy as Bet, only I 
 hain't seen her tear round yet ; but I guess her 
 turns don't come so often as Bet's did. She 
 looked all down to the heel, just the way crazy 
 Bet used to when she asked me to steal some 
 tea for her. I wonder, if I should tell her I 
 broke the doll, it would brighten her up like the 
 tea used to brighten up Bet. I've a good mind 
 to try. But I guess I'd better see how the seed 
 comes up first, or else she'd get mad. If the 
 seed comes up han'some, then I must come up 
 han'some ; that means I must tell her I broke 
 the doll. Dear ! dear ! it's dreadful hard work 
 getting along with crazy folks, anyhow. But it 
 is ever so much better here, than it was there, 
 because., in the first place, if she gets tearing, I 
 shan't be afraid of her, 'cause she ain't big 
 enough to hurt anybody ; then there's such a lot 
 to eat, an' such spankin' clothes ! The only way 
 I could get along with crazy Bet was to agree 
 to everything she said. That's the way I'll have
 
 40 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 to do with crazy Daisy, or whatever her name 
 is. If she's very crazy, an' I think she is, now, 
 she'll watch that seed like a cat watching a 
 mouse, an' I'll have to watch it, too, so if it 
 comes up han'som, I c%n get on her good side, 
 by sayin' I broke the doll. But s'pose it don't 
 come up ? Then she'll say it died, an' she might 
 try to kill me, too, 'cause she thinks I'm just 
 like it ; crazy Bet would. Guess I'll go out an' 
 see 'f I can't hunt- up some kind of seeds to stick 
 in with that one, so something '11 come up, 
 she'll never know the difference." 
 
 But Dora did not find any. As the days past 
 by, she began to show considerable anxiety in 
 regard to the seed Daisy had planted. Instead 
 of leaving the dining-room immediately after 
 every meal, as the other children did, she would 
 walk up to the bay-window, to see if it had yet 
 started from the ground. Her evident anxiety 
 did not pass unnoticed by Daisy, who began to 
 think her " lecture " might have done some 
 good after all ; and she was quite sure of it, 
 when two little green leaves made their appear- 
 ance in the box in the bay window, Dora came 
 to her and said, without any prevarication, and 
 suddenly enough to astonish Daisy : 
 
 "I did break that doll."
 
 DORA'S CURIOSITY. 41 
 
 " I knew you did, at first, Dora, but I am 
 very glad you have at last found courage 
 enough to tell me so," replied Daisy; and Dora, 
 watching her face, thought it did light up even 
 more than crazy Bet's used to when she received 
 the much-prized tea. 
 
 For some time Daisy talked to her very earn- 
 estly and kindly, to encourage her in well- 
 doing, then hurried home to tell Grandfather 
 Milly, of her " great success." If she could have 
 known what Dora's thoughts were after she had 
 left her. 
 
 "I knew it!" said that individual to herself, 
 as soon as she was alone. " She's worse'n crazy 
 Bet; but land! I know how to manage her!"
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HEE ? 
 jORA?" 
 
 " Yes, mum." 
 
 "Mrs. Burns has given me a very 
 bad report of you." 
 
 " That's good of her. I thought she was too 
 stingy to give anybody any thing." 
 
 " Mrs. Burns is an excellent woman, and does 
 her duty wonderfully well. I expected better of 
 you, after what you told me in the dining-room. 
 It seems the seed has the most gratitude, after 
 all. It has come up, and is growing nicely, to 
 pay me for all the care I've taken of it ; but 
 everything I do for you seems to "make you 
 worse. Why did you pound poor Kate Wrenton, 
 who is so much smaller than you are, so unmer- 
 cifully?" 
 
 " I pounded her 'cause I couldn't help it, any 
 more'n the seed could help coming up ; but I'd 
 42
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? 43 
 
 just as live ask her pardon as not, now ; bring 
 her here an' see if I wouldn't." 
 
 " What good would that do, now ? She will 
 be sore and lame for a week at least." 
 
 " It's her own fault, anyway ; she wouldn't 
 stop foolin' when I told her to, an' she got me 
 mad." 
 
 " I'm afraid you have a very bad temper 
 Dora." 
 
 " 'Spect I've got a pretty bad one ; but then 
 crazy Bet used to say that a knife or any thing 
 else wasn't any good 'less' it had a temper." 
 
 " I don't want you to mention crazy ' Bet's 
 name again while you are at Hive Hall ! Do 
 you understand that?" 
 
 " Come, now, you needn't be so hard on 
 crazy Bet, 'cause you're crazy yourself, you 
 know." 
 
 " I think I must have been very crazy, 
 indeed, when I took such an ungrateful girl as 
 you are to bring up, hoping to make a good 
 woman out of her," and Daisy, who could hold 
 back her tears no longer, sat down and began 
 to cry. 
 
 "Oh, come, I wouldn't do that," said Dora 
 "Went worth, in dismay, going up to her. " I'll
 
 44 DAIS T TR AVERS. 
 
 call you Aunt Daisy, if you want me to, an' 
 not the other name ; an' I won't tell anybody I 
 found it out. Nobody knows it here but me, 
 I'm sure." 
 
 "Found what out? Knows what?" questioned 
 Daisy, looking at the girl before her in bewil- 
 derment. 
 
 " Oh, never mind, if you don't remember. 
 Isn't there something you want me to do, 
 now ? " 
 
 " You know very well," replied Daisy, " that 
 all I want you to do, is to try to be a good 
 girl ; and you will not do that. For a punish- 
 ment you must remain here in my study till 
 bed-time. You cannot go down to supper with 
 the other children, but will have bread and 
 water here," and Daisy arose to leave the room, 
 thoroughly out of -patience with this girl who 
 was sure to disturb the whole school, some way, 
 every day. After Daisy left the study, Dora 
 stood listening, till she could no longer hear her 
 receding footsteps, then she approached the door 
 with the intention of going out, also ; but she 
 very soon discovered that she was securely 
 locked in. 
 
 " She did that well I " said she, at last, after
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? 45 
 
 satisfying herself that the door could not be 
 opened. " Crazy Bet would have left the door 
 open, after that speech. She looked almost, 
 when she went out, as if she -wasn't crazy after 
 all; but then Bet used to look so, too, at times. 
 Any way, she won't catch me again, in a hurry, 
 as slick as she did this time. Wonder if I 
 couldn't get out the window. Guess not it's 
 a leetle too high. Never mind, I haven't seen 
 all there is to be seen here yet," so saying, 
 Dora walked up to Daisy's writing desk, opened 
 it, and became very much interested in its con- 
 tents. After satisfying her curiosity there, she 
 curled herself up in the easy chair for a nap, 
 where we will leave her for a while, and follow 
 Daisy, who, as soon as she reached home, sought 
 her grandfather, to inform him of what had hap- 
 pened at the school, and ask his advice. 
 
 " What ? Dora gave a little girl a dreadful 
 pounding ? Why, I thought you said only the 
 other day that you had talked her into trying 
 to be good ? " 
 
 " It was only so many words wasted. I wish 
 you would come up to the Hall and talk to her. 
 Perhaps she would pay more attention to you 
 than she does to me." 
 
 - Not likely."
 
 46 DAISY T RAVERS. 
 
 " But you will try, won't you ? She's the 
 strangest girl I ever saw. She seems to want 
 to do all she can to please me while I am with 
 her, but just as soon as she's out of my sight 
 she forgets all her promises, and it seems as 
 though she couldn't act bad enough." 
 
 " She isn't trying for one of the prizes, 
 then?" 
 
 " No, indeed. I don't believe a doll could be 
 bought that would be handsome enough to 
 induce her to try to win it." 
 
 " If she doesn't like dolls, why not ask her 
 what she would like, then, tell her she can have 
 whatever she wants if she'll work for it." 
 
 " I might try that, and if it doesn't succeed 
 in making a change in her, I'm sure I don't 
 know what I shall do with her." 
 
 " Then keep her a close prisoner." 
 
 " I thought of that. She is locked up now, 
 in rny study." 
 
 " I'd keep her there, till she promises to 
 do better. She mustn't be allowed to influence 
 the other children." 
 
 " Until she promises to do better ! Oh, grandpa, 
 you do not know her yet. If I should ask her 
 to promise to do better, she would, without any
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? 47 
 
 hesitation, whatever ; and in less than half an 
 hour I would hear that she had done some- 
 thing dreadful, again. She is a thoroughly bad 
 girl. Lying seems to come natural to her, and 
 I'm sure if she liked the looks of any thing, she 
 would not hesitate to steal it. Making allow- 
 ance for the way she was brought up, it seems 
 as though she might show a little gratitude, 
 when she is treated well." 
 
 " Well, well, Daisy, don't get discouraged 
 because you've got one exceedingly black sheep 
 in your flock. She may come out all right in 
 the end, if we can find out how to manage 
 her." 
 
 " Are you coming up to the Hall this after- 
 noon, grandpa? " 
 
 " Yes, I think I'll step in and take a look at 
 your prisoner." 
 
 " I wish you would, and talk to her, too. I've 
 used all my eloquence on her to no purpose." 
 
 " I'll go up with you, and hear what she says 
 about something else for a prize." 
 
 " "Why not come now, and stop in the school- 
 room a while to see how the other scholars pros- 
 per?" 
 
 This Mr. Milly agreed to do, and they were
 
 48 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 soon iii the school-room at Hive Hall, where 
 Daisy's charity scholars were all assembled but 
 one. 
 
 Daisy could not help thinking that her school, 
 so far, was a success, notwithstanding Dora, as 
 she looked upon the children who had improved 
 wonderfully in one short month. Grandfather 
 Milly thought so, too, and had a smile for every 
 child that looked up at him, as he sat in the 
 chair on the platform, listening to a class of 
 small scholars, who were making a dreadful piece 
 of work of their spelling lesson. 
 
 " I will take the boy and girl, who have had the 
 best lessons to-day, to ride in the pony-phaeton, 
 and the boy shall drive the ponies," said Daisy, 
 just before leaving the school-room. This she 
 always tried to do pleasant days, and found it 
 worked wonderfully well ; for very proud, indeed, 
 were the boy and girl who had earned the right 
 to step into the stylish little phseton, when it 
 stopped at Hive Hall purposely for them ; and 
 didn't they know just how the other children 
 envied them, as they watched them ride away. 
 
 Grandpa Milly, and Daisy, after leaving the 
 school-room, entered the study, and saw Dora, 
 curled up in an easy chair, apparently sound 
 asleep.
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER f 49 
 
 " She is asleep," said Daisy, bending over her. 
 " She isn't a bad-looking girl, is she ; what a 
 pity she will not behave as well as she looks. 
 Would you wake her up?" But Mr. Milly's 
 opinion about it was not necessary, for, at that 
 moment Dora became wide awake so suddenly, 
 that Daisy could not help wondering if she had 
 been asleep, or had only been feigning sleep. 
 There was something in her eyes, as they 
 searched Daisy's that the latter could not under- 
 stand ; a puzzled, questioning look, that must have 
 been returned by one equally puzzled and question- 
 ing, but no chance for an explanation followed, 
 as at that moment a knock was heard at the door, 
 and opening it a very small boy wanted to know 
 if Daisy would return to the school-room, as 
 Mrs. Burns wanted to ask her advice about 
 something she had forgotten to mention when 
 she was there. 
 
 "I'll be back in a minute," said she to grand- 
 father Milly, as she turned to go, leaving the 
 old man alone with Dora. For some minutes 
 they sat looking into each other's faces, without 
 speaking a word. Grandfather, Milly was the 
 first to break the silence, by saying, sarcastically : 
 
 " You're a pretty girl, now don't you think 
 you are? " 4
 
 50 DAISY TRAVERS. 
 
 " She just said so, didn't she ? an' I guess 
 she'd ought to know. Who are you, any way ? 
 One of the overseers of the poor, I reckon." 
 
 " I don't know but I might call myself that," 
 replied Mr. Milly, with a laugh. 
 
 " Thought so. She calls you gran' father ; you 
 are not her gran'father, are you ? " 
 
 ' Not her own grandfather, but " 
 
 " She thinks you are, eh ? " 
 
 "She thinks I make her a very good one." 
 
 "Does she ever git into a tantrum?" 
 
 "A what?" 
 
 " Does she ever have a turn, or tantrum, or 
 whatever you call it." 
 
 " Never, if by that you mean to ask if she 
 has a temper. She is always just as good and 
 amiable as you h-ive always seen her. Is it pos- 
 sible you do not understand her? " 
 
 "I'jjguess, Mr. Overseer, I understand her just 
 a IceUe fo'. better' n you do, if it conies to that," 
 replied Dora, sitting back in her chair, with a 
 satisfied air, as though she had at last settled 
 some question to her satisfaction. 
 
 " Come now, tell me what you think of her ? " 
 questioned the old man, both amused and curious. 
 
 " Wouldn't you like to have me, now ? " 
 
 " Yes, very much."
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? 51 
 
 " Well, I won't, then. I've seen overseers 
 before. If she never has tantrums, it's 'cause 
 you don't know what I do. Soou's you find 
 that out, she'll have um fast enough, I bet. 
 Guess I won't give you a chance to spit your 
 spite on her, every time you get mad. While 
 Dora was delivering this speech, grandfather 
 Milly sat looking at her in open-mouthed aston- 
 ishment ; then, with an exclamation he could 
 not suppress, he arose to his feet, just as Daisy 
 entered the room. 
 
 " What's the matter, grandfather ? " said she. 
 
 '"I want to speak to you a minute," he replied, 
 as he led her across the room, so that Dora 
 might not hear what he had to say. 
 
 " What is it ? " said Daisy, looking question- 
 ingly into his face. 
 
 " I've found out what's the trouble with that 
 girl." 
 
 " What is ? " 
 
 " She's crazy ! Mad as a March hare ! " 
 
 " Nonsense! " 
 
 " I believe it. If you could have heard her 
 talk just now, you'd have said so yourself." 
 
 "As though I haven't talked to her every 
 day, since she's been here, and I never sa.w any
 
 52 DAIST TRA VERS. 
 
 signs of craziness, unless a disposition to be bad 
 may be called that. I'm going to ask her, now, 
 if she wouldn't rather have something else for a 
 prize." 
 
 " Let me ask her." 
 
 " Very well, you can if you want to." 
 
 " I've been thinking," continued Mr. Milly, 
 turning to Dora, " that perhaps the reason why 
 you are not trying for a prize, with the other 
 children, may be because you don't care for dolls, 
 even if they are handsome. What would you 
 like better ! " 
 
 " Why, I should rather have a hand-organ, if 
 I was to have any thing." 
 
 " A what ? " 
 
 " A hand-organ. A real one, with a handle, 
 such as I seen a man turning once." 
 
 Grandfather Milly looked at Daisy, whose 
 eyes told him to say she might have one, if she 
 could earn it. 
 
 " Very well, then, you shall have one if you 
 will be a reasonably good girl for two months. 
 On the very day the other girls receive their 
 dolls, you shall have a hand-organ if you deserve 
 
 it." 
 
 "Could I get one as easy as that?" 
 
 'Yes."
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER > 53 
 
 " Land ! Then I don't want one. Like as 
 not I'd get tired of turning the old thing the 
 first day." 
 
 " Then you won't try for any prize ? " 
 
 " What do I want to try for any prize for ? 
 I'm all right. Never was so comf table in my 
 life," and Dora, unconscious of grandfather's 
 suspicions, looked first at her clean hands, then 
 at her neat, well-fitting dress, which she 
 smoothed out with evident satisfaction. 
 
 " No, you're not right. You are all wrong, 
 Dora," said Daisy, speaking for the first time. 
 "I was in hopes you would try for something. 
 I am very, sorry to see you so blind to what is 
 for your own good." 
 
 " Did you want me to try for a hand- 
 organ ? " 
 
 " Of course I did." 
 
 " Then I'll try, for you, truly, 'cause I like 
 you, better'n ever I liked Crazy Bet." 
 
 " Do you really like me ? " 
 
 " Yes, I do," and there was no mistaking the 
 truth of what she said then. 
 
 " I am very glad of thf^j, because if you do 
 really like me you will surely try to please me, 
 and earn a prize, won't you ? " 
 
 " Jus' see 'f I don't."
 
 4 DAIS T TR AVERS. 
 
 " I cannot put much faith in your promises. 
 You said you would try to be good before." 
 
 " An' I did try." 
 
 "But if you do not try harder, you cannot 
 have the hand-organ, and will have to be a 
 prisoner in this room every day, until you do 
 try ; how would you like that ?" 
 
 " Why, that would be fun, if you'd just let 
 me keep the key. Let's take it won't you ? " 
 
 " Certainly not. But I hope I shall not have 
 to use it long against you." 
 
 " You might lock me in some day, an' forget 
 all about me, 'n I'd starve to death, like 's 
 not." 
 
 " I shall not forget you, but it will be better 
 for you if you decide not to be locked in." At 
 those words Dora arose and crossed the room, 
 then beckoned to Mr. Milly to come to her. 
 
 " 'Tisn't going to do." said she to him in a 
 low tone, that Daisy might not hear. " Tisn't 
 going to do to let her lock me up in here. I 
 could get the key away from her, easy enpugh, 
 but I might hurt her, an' I don't want to do 
 that. Couldn't you^nanage to get it away from 
 her, somehow, an' let me out ? " 
 
 "I should be very glad to let you out, but it
 
 WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH HER ? 55 
 
 must be as she says ; when you decide to behave 
 yourself, you are free." 
 
 " How 'm I going to try for the hand-organ, 
 unless I'm out? " 
 
 " You can begin to try for that to-morrow, 
 but the first time you break any of the rules, 
 you will be locked in here again, to stay for a 
 long time." With that Mr. Milly joined Daisy, 
 and they left the room together, locking the 
 door after them. 
 
 " What did she say ? " questioned Daisy, while 
 descending the stairs. 
 
 " She wanted me to get the key away from 
 you, and let her out. She also said she could 
 get it away from you herself, but was afraid of 
 hurting you. She's a queer girl, any way. One 
 minute I think she's crazy, and the next I think 
 she's altogether too smart for us. One thing is 
 certain, it will never do to let her be with the 
 other children unless she improves."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHERRY-STONES, AND MRS. HODGE'S METHOD. 
 
 AKE up. Anne Porter ! wake up ! 
 What a sleepy-head you are, any 
 way ! " 
 
 "Who is it? What's the matter ?" 
 *' Get up an' dress yourself, an' I'll tell you 
 while you're dressing." 
 
 " Who says I'm to get up ? " 
 " I do." 
 
 " Guess I won't get up for you, Dora Went- 
 worth, an' I'll tell Mrs. Burns in the morning 
 how you come into my room nights and wake 
 me "up." 
 
 " Stupid ! I suppose I must tell you first, an' 
 waste time, an' I thought you the smartest girl 
 in the school, too, that's why I came to you. I 
 found out something this morning that's worth 
 knowing. In that big orchard that's next to our 
 yard, there's the biggest cherry-tree I ever saw, 
 56
 
 CHERR r-S TONES. 57 
 
 an' it's just loaded down with great white-heart 
 cherries. I couldn't get at one, 'cause there was 
 a man watching me, as though he couldn't think 
 what I was there for, any how. That's the 
 beauty of being a girl ! If I'd been a boy he'd 
 have known what I was there for, fast enough, 
 and set the dog on me. As it was, he only 
 looked. So I thought I'd go back an' wait till 
 night, an' get all I wanted. I'm goin' now, an' 
 you can go with me, if you want to." 
 
 " I don't want to," was Anne's decided reply, 
 as she nestled back under the bed-clothes. 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Because, it would not be right." 
 " Perhaps you think if you got found out 
 you'd lose the prize," sarcastically. 
 " Of course I should." 
 
 " Well, you'll lose it, any way, I can tell you 
 that ; an' you'd ought to lose it if you think an 
 old doll is better'n one's fill of white-heart 
 cherries. But you won't get found out. I know 
 how to open the front door without makin' a 
 bit of noise. Come, hurry up, an' dress, can't 
 you ? " and Dora took hold of Anne's shoulder 
 with the intention of helping her out of bed. 
 " If you don't go out of my room, Dora, I'll
 
 58 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 scream, and wake up everybody in the house ; 
 and you must promise you'll not go out to-night 
 too, or I'll tell, as it is ! " 
 
 " I always thought you was a mean old pig 
 now I'm sure of it. Of course I can't go unless 
 you go, too. You see I was kinder 'fraid to go 
 alone, on account of ghosts and goblins ; but I 
 knew if I took such a homely piece as you are, 
 along, they'd be glad enough to keep out of 
 our way. 
 
 " You are the very worst girl at Hive Hall ! 
 Everybody knows that." 
 
 " An' you're the worst lookiii' one. I can be 
 as good as you any day I want to ; but I'd like 
 to see you make yourself good-lookin'. You 
 can go to sleep now, and dream of your prize ; 
 I won't trouble you again." With that Dora 
 returned to her own room, where she seated 
 herself at the window, and looked out into the 
 bright moonlight, towards the orchard in which 
 were the coveted -cherries. Once she glanced 
 upwards into the starry sky, and wondered if 
 what she had heard so many times lately about 
 God, was true. If he really did make her, and 
 make all things, or was it all talk. Wouldn't 
 this beautiful night be just the same without
 
 CHERRT-STONES. 59 
 
 Him ? Who is He ? What is she herself ? were 
 some of the questions she would have liked to 
 have had answered to her satisfaction, just then, 
 while looking up into the starry sky; but the 
 next moment all such thoughts vanished as her 
 gaze returned to the orchard. 
 
 " Just wait till she goes to sleep, an' see 'f I 
 don't have some ! " said she to herself. " I won't 
 be piggish, neither, see 'f I am. I'll give her a 
 part of* all I get ; yes, she shall have all the 
 stones," and Dora could be seen smiling to her- 
 self in the moonlight. She's gone to sleep, again, 
 by this time," continued she, after a pause. 
 " Guess I'll try now, an' see 'f I can't get out 
 without waking up the whole house, an' every- 
 body in it," so saying she stole softly out into 
 the long passage, then down the stairs, and 
 noiselessly slid back the bolt that fastened the 
 front door. She had no sooner closed the door 
 softly behind her, when a white-robed figure 
 descended the stairs, after her, and going to the 
 door, shot the bolt in its place securely locking 
 her out. 
 
 "There!" said Anne to herself for it was 
 she as she returned to her room. "She'll 
 have all night to eat cherries in now, an' I
 
 60 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 hope she'll get enough of them. The hateful 
 thing to call me homely ! I wonder if she calls 
 herself handsome, with those old goggle eyes of 
 hers. Won't she be mad when she finds she's 
 locked out ! Now I can go to sleep with some 
 comfort," and Anne returned to her bed in a 
 much better frame of mind than she had been 
 in when she left it. 
 
 In the meantime Dora had secured a seat in 
 the cherry tree, where all the fruit she could 
 wish for was within her reach ; and after eating 
 all she wanted, she filled her hat full to take 
 home to enjoy in her own room. She had been 
 a little frightened at first, as it was the first 
 time she had ever undertaken such an enterprise 
 in the night ; but now, as she returned, all fear 
 had left her, and she walked along leisurely, 
 holding her hat full of cherries before her. 
 
 Climbing the high wall, and saving her cher- 
 ries, was a difficult matter, but she accomplished 
 the feat at last, and soon after was softly 
 lifting the latch to the front door of Hive Hall. 
 
 " How the door sticks ! " said she to herself, 
 after spending some strength upon it, to no 
 purpose. " I bet it'll make a noise when I open 
 it. Here goes, anyhow," and Dora, after placing
 
 CHERRT-STONES. 61 
 
 her hat full of cherries upon the stone step, 
 endeavored, with all her strength, to force open 
 the door. " It's locked, as true as the world ! 
 was her next low exclamation, when her effort 
 proved unsuccessful. " Anne Porter did that, 
 fast enough," continued she, seating herself upon 
 the step, and commencing to eat cherries, after 
 a careful glance around in the moonlight. Well, 
 she's smarter'n I thought she was, any way. I'd 
 ought to save some cherries for her, that's a 
 fact, to pay her for not bein' afraid to go down 
 stairs in the dark. Wait till I get in, an' I'll 
 reward her, see 'f I don't." With that, Dora 
 arose to her feet, and taking up a small stone, 
 began to knock upon the door with it. 
 
 Presently a light was visible in the house- 
 keeper's sleeping-room, then a window was opened 
 and " Who's there ? " came down to Dora, who 
 was concealed from view by the porch. " Who's 
 there, I say ! " was repeated in a shrill voice, 
 but Dora remained perfectly quiet. " I think I 
 must have been dreaming," were the next words 
 heard, then the window was closed. 
 
 Dora remained perfectly quiet, for perhaps 
 five minutes, then she began to tap softly upon 
 the door again, with the stone. A few minutes
 
 62 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 later she heard steps descending the stairs, then 
 she quickly picked up her hat, and crouched 
 close to the house, in the shadow of the porch. 
 
 Presently the door was cautiously opened. " I 
 don't understand it ; I'm sure I heard somebody 
 knock," said the house-keeper, after looking out, 
 and perceiving no one ; then she stepped softly 
 to the end of the house, and peered around the 
 corner in the direction of an old shed that looked, 
 in the moonlight like a lurking-place for robbers, 
 leaving the door open that she might retrace 
 her steps, at a moment's notice. 
 
 She had no sooner reached the end of the 
 house, than Dora darted in the door, up the 
 stairs, and entered her own room, where she 
 pushed the cherries under the bed, then jumped 
 into it, all dressed as she was. Fortunately for 
 her, her sleeping companion was a very small 
 girl, and a sound sleeper. 
 
 She listened and heard the house-keeper return. 
 A quarter of an hour passed then she arose, 
 and moved towards Anne's room. Anne proved 
 to be sound asleep. 
 
 " Land ! " exclaimed Dora under her breath, 
 as she bent over to look at her. " She knew 
 I'd be back to treat her, that's why she went 
 to sleep with her mouth open."
 
 CHERR T-S TONES. Q Q 
 
 " Marrow-bones, cherry-stones, bundleumjig ! " 
 continued she, aloud, as she dropped a handful 
 of cherry-stones into Anne's open mouth, then 
 hurried back to her own room. 
 
 Poor Anne was awake in a minute, and, 
 sitting up in bed, began to spit, and cough out 
 the stones, frantically. 
 
 "What's the matter?" questioned her room- 
 mate,- awaking for the first time that night, and 
 looking at her companion in alarm. 
 
 "I don't know I'm sick. Call Mrs. 
 Burns or somebody." 
 
 " What's that you're spitting out ? " 
 
 " My teeth, I guess. No, it can't be, 'cause 
 I can feel them all in. It must be the croup. 
 People ajways choke, when they have the 
 croup. I'm choking to death! Can't you call 
 somebody !" 
 
 Lucy Stone, such was her name, rolled out of 
 bed. It was much easier for her to roll out 
 than .to step out, she was so fat and round. As 
 she passed the window, on her way to the 
 teacher's room, her face could be very plainly 
 seen in the moonlight. She was not a homely 
 girl, neither was she a handsome one. Her nose 
 was as round as a nose could possibly be, and
 
 Q DAISY TRACERS. 
 
 her mouth was nothing but a little, round hole. 
 Perhaps her eyes were rounder than usual, 
 to-night, as she thought of going the whole 
 length' of the long passage in the dark, to the 
 teacher's room frightened her a little. 
 
 Lucy was not at all smart, and would never 
 be able to earn the prize for perfect lessons ; 
 and, though there was not a better dispositioned 
 girl in the whole school, every one knew she 
 would not take the prize for good behavior, as 
 that included a neat, and orderly appearance, in 
 regard to dress, and Lucy's toilet was always 
 far from perfect. It was too bad it should be 
 so, you will say, when you know that not one 
 of the girls wanted to possess one of those 
 beautiful dolls half so much as Lucy did. 
 
 She soon succeeded in arousing Mrs. Burns, 
 and that motherly woman was presently bending 
 over Anne, with a lamp in her hand. 
 
 "What's the trouble, Anne? Lucy tells me 
 you are sick," said she. 
 
 " I think it's the croup," replied Anna^ in a 
 faint voice, lying back on the pillow. 
 
 " Nonsense. I might believe that of Lucy, 
 but you are altogether too thin, to be troubled 
 with that disease."
 
 CHERRT-STONES. 65 
 
 " I nearly choked to death, an' lots of hard 
 stuff come out of my mouth." 
 
 "Hard stuff?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "Where is it?" 
 
 " It must be all over the floor." 
 
 " I don't see anything but cherry-stones." said 
 Mrs. Burns, stooping down, and flashing the 
 light all around. 
 
 " Cherry-stones ? " repeated Anne, sitting up 
 quickly, and looking down at the floor. 
 
 " Where in the world did you get so many 
 cherries ? " questioned Mrs. Burns, looking 
 severely at her. 
 
 "I didn't -get any," replied Anne, lying down 
 again, as the truth flashed across her mind. 
 " It's that Dora Wentworth." 
 
 " Dora Wentworth, again ? " 
 
 " Yes. She came in here a long time ago, an' 
 wanted me to get up, an' go after cherries, in 
 the big orchard, near here. I said I wouldn't 
 go, an' made her promise she wouldn't, but I 
 s'pose slie did go, after all, an' when she came 
 back, she must have come in here, an' put those 
 stones in my mouth, when I was asleep/' 
 
 Anne did not think it was necessary to say 
 
 5
 
 66 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 anything about herself getting up and locking 
 her out. 
 
 Mrs. Burns looked troubled, after hearing her 
 explanation, and she left the room without a 
 word. 
 
 " Did she really go after cherries, all alone in 
 the dark? " questioned Lucy, her eyes very round, 
 indeed, after Mrs. Burns went out. 
 
 " Dark ! " repeated Anne, sarcastically. " I 
 don't think its very dark out, do you?" 
 
 * But it's night, you know." 
 
 " What of that ? " 
 
 " I don't see how she dared to do it." 
 
 " What a coward you are, anyway, Lucy," 
 remarked Anne, all the while thinking how she 
 felt when she went down stairs to lock the door. 
 
 " Why didn't you go with her, when she asked 
 you, if you wasn't afraid ? " 
 
 " Do you think I'd steal ? " 
 
 " Oh, I forgot the cherries don't belong to us." 
 
 " You forget everything you'd ought to remem- 
 ber," scornfully. 
 
 " I know I do ; if I didn't I'd stand a chance 
 of getting one of those b'eautiful dolls. Oh, 
 dear ! I wish I could get one." 
 
 " It isn't at all likely you will ; you miss, every
 
 , * 
 
 CHERRT-STONBS. 67 
 
 day, you know, and you are never half fit to be 
 seen. I'm trying for both prizes. I don't expect 
 to get them both, but if I should, I'd let you 
 take one of the dolls, once in a while ; an' we 
 could play visiting with them, then." 
 
 " Oh, wou]d you ? That would be splendid. 
 I hype you will get both prizes. Wouldn't it be 
 nice to have them both here, in our room ? " 
 
 " You could help me to get them, if you want 
 to." 
 
 " How ? " 
 
 " You know -it's my turn, every other day to 
 make our bed, and sweep an' dust the room. 
 If you'd do it every day, I'd have all that time 
 extra to study, an' fix myself in." 
 
 " Of course I'll do it. I like to make the bed, 
 and dust and sweep, and am always glad when 
 my day to do it comes round. You shall have 
 all the time to study, and fix up in, and I will 
 help you every way I can, if you'll only tell me 
 just what you want me to do." 
 
 " Do you know how to curl hair ? " 
 
 " Dear me ! no ; why ? " 
 
 "Because I wanted you to curl mine." 
 
 " Your hair doesn't curl, does it ? " 
 
 " No ; but I didn't know but you could make 
 it."
 
 gg DAIS T TRA VERS. 
 
 "Perhaps I can; I'll try, anyway." 
 " If you do I'll look ever so much better and 
 stand a better chance of getting a prize ; because 
 if I go down every morning, looking real nice, 
 and with my hair curled, Mrs. Burns will give 
 me a credit for it, I know." With that, Anne 
 turned over and went to sleep, while Lucy lay 
 awake for some time, wondering if it would be 
 possible for her companion to take both the 
 prizes, and hoping it would be. 
 
 The next morning Anne was awakened by 
 feeling the fresh air from the open window blow- 
 ing upon her face, and hearing a noise as if 
 some one was sweeping the carpet, vigorously. 
 Opening her eyes she beheld Lucy Stone, in her 
 night-dress, and looking very warm, at that, 
 sweeping the room. 
 
 " What in the world are you doing, so early ? " 
 said Anne, fretfully. 
 
 " It isn't very early, an' I thought if I was to 
 try to curl your hair I'd better get this work 
 out of the way." 
 
 "Has the first bell rung yet?" 
 "No, but I expect to hear it, every minute." 
 " I never was so sleepy in my life : but I sup- 
 pose I may as well get up, now. I don't believe
 
 CHERR r-S TONES. 69 
 
 we'll see Dora Wentworth in the school -room 
 to-day," continued Anne, looking at the cherry- 
 stones on the carpet, and yawning fearfully. 
 
 " I wonder what they'll do to her." 
 
 " Lock her up, very likely, as they did yes- 
 terday, an' feed her on bread an' water till she 
 forgets how cherries taste. It'll serve her right, 
 too. She's the hatefulest girl I ever set eyes 
 on." 
 
 " I like her. She knows a lot." 
 
 " Oh, does she ! contemptuously." 
 
 " I mean compared to what I know. An' 
 truly, I think she might take a prize, if she 
 wanted to, 'cause she can remember her lessons 
 so easy, when she wants to. The other day 
 Emma Goodwin an' I were studying together, 
 an' she listened to us a little while. She never 
 looked at her own book, once, I know ; an' 
 when she came to recite, she had her lesson 
 better'n either of us." 
 
 " Which isn't saying much ; you two are the 
 worst scholars in school." 
 
 " She was always real good to me, too," con- 
 tinued Lucy, after a pause, in which she swept 
 away, aimlessly. Lots of times I don't know 
 that my dress isn't buttoned up straight behind,
 
 70 DAIS T TRA VERS . 
 
 until she comes up to me an' says, 'Roily, you 
 don't like black marks an' you're good for one. 
 Stan' still while I fix you.' Then she'll button 
 it up right for me. That's .more'n any other 
 girl ever did for me, anyway," continued Lucy, 
 perceiving that Anne was inclined to laugh. 
 
 " There's the first bell, now ! " exclaimed Anne, 
 springing from bed. "Hurry up, an' finish 
 sweepin', an' make the bed. By that time I'll 
 be ready for you to curl my hair. It's your 
 morning to fix the room, anyway, this morning, 
 isn't it ? " 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Never mind if it isn't done very well, then, 
 only hurry." 
 
 " I'm hurrying as fast as I can." 
 " That's right.- I'll be ready for you, as soon 
 as you are for me." 
 
 The first bell woke up Dora, who sprang our 
 of bed, and began to dress, immediately. " If I 
 thought," said she to herself, " they'd find out 
 about the cherries I wouldn't make the bed. 
 Oh, come to think of it, 'tisn't my morning to 
 make it. Here, child, wake up ! " continued she, 
 taking hold of her room-mate's shoulder, and 
 shaking it roughly. At that moment the door
 
 CHERR T-STONES. 71 
 
 opened, and Daisy Travers looked in upon her. 
 
 "Good morning," said she, turning about 
 quickly, a little surprised at such an early visit 
 from her. Daisy was on her way to the city, 
 and had stopped at the Hall to give Mrs. Burns 
 a book she had asked for the day before, and 
 that good woman had informed her of Dora's 
 midnight proceedings. 
 
 " 1 am surprised and grieved to hear another 
 bad report of you, so soon," said Daisy, looking 
 reproachfully at Dora, without replying to her 
 * good morning,' as she stepped into the room. 
 
 " What did they teU you, now ? I'll bet they 
 made it out worse than it was," replied Dora, 
 sitting down on the edge of the bed, and casting 
 a searching look into Daisy's eyes, which the 
 latter could not understand. She had received 
 that look so often of late, that it was beginning 
 to puzzle her exceedingly, as she had noticed it 
 was never bestowed upon anyone but herself; 
 but she was too much offended to ask the mean- 
 ing of it this morning. 
 
 " They could not have made it out much 
 worse than it was, if it is true at all ; and those 
 cherries in your hat prove that it is." 
 
 " Have some ? They're just the nicest ever
 
 72 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 you tasted," said Dora, taking up the hat, and 
 offering its contents to Daisy. 
 
 " I don't care for stolen fruit, and this little 
 girl must not see them when she wakes up. 
 Open the window and throw them out." 
 
 " Why, that would be a wilful waste, an' 
 'wilful waste makes woful want.' It would be 
 woful, now, wouldn't it, to have me wanting 
 them cherries, an' they down in the mud ? " 
 
 " Let me have the hat ! " and Daisy, before 
 Dora could guess at her intention, had snatched 
 the hat from her hand, and thrown the cherries 
 out of the window. 
 
 "If you wasn't crazy, I'd pound you for that ! '' 
 exclaimed Dora, very much excited. 
 
 " Crazy ? " repeated Daisy, suddenly remem- 
 bering what her grandfather had said to her the 
 day before, then laughing at the thought, as 
 soon as it came. " Do you think Tm crazy ? " 
 
 " I know you are, an' you know it, too, if 
 nobody else here does: an' I hope it'll make 
 you as mad to hear me say so, as it used to 
 crazy Bet ! " and there was a half doubtful, half 
 defiant look in Dora's eyes, as she watched the 
 effect of her words upon Daisy. 
 
 " How long have you thought that of me ? "
 
 CHERRT-STONES. 73 
 
 questioned the latter, quietly concealing her 
 surprise. 
 
 " Ever since I've been here. S'pose I can't 
 tell a crazy person when I've lived with one all 
 my life ? " 
 
 " What makes you think I'm crazy ? Is it 
 because I've treated you kindly ? " 
 
 "No," replied Dora, her eyes falling beneath 
 Daisy's, " but you act an' talk at times, just as 
 Bet used to. Perhaps you're not so far gone as 
 she was, but you will be when you're as old." 
 
 " Did you ever know anyone that wasn't 
 crazy ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Name some one that you are quite sure isn't 
 crazy." 
 
 " Mrs. Hodges, as has charge of the poor-house. 
 No one ever said she was crazy." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " Oh, because ; she was smart, she was ; she 
 could make us all mind, even to crazy Bet her- 
 self." 
 
 " Could she make you mind ? " 
 
 " I used to think it would be best for me to." 
 
 "What would she do if you didn't mind." 
 
 "Make me black an' blue all over," replied
 
 Y4 DAIST T RAVERS. 
 
 Dora, confident that Daisy wasn't large enough 
 to prove her saneness that way, if she should 
 try. 
 
 By this time the little girl in bed was awake, 
 and listening to all that was said. 
 
 " Come, Maria, I want you to get up and 
 dress yourself as quickly as you can," said Daisy 
 to her; then taking Dora's dress, she spread it 
 across a chair, sat down upon it, and, taking a 
 note-book from her pocket she tore from it a 
 leaf, and began to write something upon it with 
 a pencil ; Dora watching her curiously the while. 
 
 Presently Maria was dressed, and Daisy, giving 
 her the paper, said: 
 
 " I want you to take that to Mrs. Shote, the 
 house-keeper ; you'll find her in the kitchen, I 
 think. You need not come back again." 
 
 " It's my morning to make the bed, aunt 
 Daisy," said the small girl, stopping half way to 
 the door, on remembering that she would be 
 likely to get a black mark, if her room wasn't 
 in order, when the house-keeper went through 
 the rooms, to see that everything was as it should 
 
 be in them. 
 
 " Never mind. I will tell Mrs. Shote to attend 
 to it this morning," replied Daisy, and Maria
 
 CHERR r-S TONES. 75 
 
 left the room, very glad to get rid of that much 
 work, so easily. 
 
 Dora still sat upon the edge of the bed, sur- 
 veying her feet, and watching Daisy, who 
 appeared to be unconscious of her presence, as 
 she sat drawing on her gloves. 
 
 Presently Dora stepped down upon the floor, 
 and approached her, with: 
 
 " I'd like my dress ; you're on it." 
 
 " You can't have it yet." 
 
 " I must. I want to dress myself, an' go 
 down stairs." 
 
 " You cannot." 
 
 "Cannot? why?" 
 
 " Because, I'm going to convince you soon, by 
 Mrs. Hodge's method, that I'm not crazy. Here 
 is Mrs. Shote, now," continued Daisy, as the 
 stout form of the house-keeper entered the room. 
 " Good morning, Mrs. Shote. I see you are 
 prompt, and understood my note," continued 
 Daisy, as her eyes rested upon a long, thin rattan, 
 in the house-keeper's hand. " This is the girl." 
 
 " Indeed, I m glad you've resolved to punish 
 her, at last, Miss," said Mrs. Shote, bending the 
 rattan between her two hands, and looking, with 
 evident satisfaction on the consternation visible
 
 76 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 on Dora's face. " I've had four girls to bring 
 up, an' they wouldn't have been the smart 
 women they are now, if I hadn't used the rod 
 on 'em pretty freely." 
 
 " How did you punish them, when they 
 deserved it ? " 
 
 " Why, I'd just tie them to the bed-post an' 
 belabor their shoulders well, with a stick that 
 wasn't near so comfortable as this one." 
 
 " If Dora must be punished, and she says, 
 herself, it's the only way to make her mind, I 
 would rather you would punish her on her 
 hands. If she will not submit to that, then she 
 must be tied to the bed-post. How shall it be 
 Dora ? " and Daisy turned, and looked into 
 Dora's face, for the first time since the house- 
 keeper entered the room. 
 
 Dora returned the look, with such an expression 
 of bitter disappointment. She was convinced at 
 last and the knowledge was anything but 
 pleasant to her that Daisy was sane. As sane, 
 even, as Mrs. Hodges ; there could no longer be 
 any doubts about it ; for Bet, good old, crazy 
 Bet, would never talk like that about having 
 her punished ; but would save her from being 
 punished, instead, as she had often done, taking 
 all the blame upon herself.
 
 CHE R R Y-S TONES. 77 
 
 " What are you going to whip me for, any- 
 how ? I don't see as I did anything very dread- 
 ful," said she, at last, looking at the formi- 
 dable form of Mrs. Shote, then again at the 
 rattan in her hand. 
 
 "Hear that, now!" said that woman,, address- 
 ing Daisy, with an incredulous smile. " A girl 
 that would get up in the dead of the night, an' 
 walk near a quarter of a mile, to steal cherries, 
 not to say anything of disturbing peaceable 
 people, an' making them get up, doesn't know 
 what she's to be whipped for ! " 
 
 " If there was any other way of convincing 
 you that you must do better, you should not 
 be punished that way," said Daisy, seriously. 
 You will not listen to reason, and cannot 
 appreciate kind treatment, and your promises to 
 do better are worse than none. Do not wait 
 any longer, Mrs. Shote," and Daisy, very much 
 excited inwardly, but outwardly very calm, 
 motioned for Mrs. Shote to begin, then walked 
 to the window, and looked out, for she could 
 not see it done. 
 
 Four sharp quick strokes on each upraised 
 hand, and it was over. Then Daisy was ready 
 to cry ; but Dora's eyes were dry, and flashed 
 angrily into the house-keeper's face. Two or
 
 78 DAIS r TRA VERS. 
 
 three quick gasps, were the only signs she gave 
 that she suffered pain. 
 
 " That's enough for to-day, I guess. The next 
 time will take me longer ; but if you're wise 
 there won't be any next time." With that 
 parting admonition Mrs. Shote left the room. 
 
 Daisy, as soon as the door closed after the 
 house-keeper, turned from the window, and looked 
 at her young protege ; she was looking at the 
 red lines upon her hands, and must have felt 
 Daisy's gaze upon her, for presently she raised 
 her head, and flashed her eyes into Daisy's. 
 
 In another moment Daisy had both the red, 
 scarred hands in hers, and was rubbing them 
 pityingly. 
 
 " Poor, poor, hands ! I'm so sorry for them," 
 said she, at last. "I'm so sorry, but what could 
 I do, Dora ? " 
 
 " I s'pose I can finish dressing myself, now, 
 can't I ? " returned Dora, pulling away her hands, 
 and avoiding Daisy's eyes. 
 
 " Certainly," replied Daisy, repelled and dis- 
 appointed. 
 
 " How about locking me up ? " 
 
 " You will not be locked up. When you 
 deserve to be punished again, Mrs. Shote will 
 attend to you," so sa\ r mg, Daisy left the room.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 LUCY " BOOMS " WITH DOKA. 
 
 iHAT'S the matter with her hair?" 
 Dora, to Lucy Stone, referring 
 Anne Porter, half an hour later, 
 as the children were leaving the dining-room. 
 
 " I tried to curl it for her, an' it wouldn't 
 curl, then I tried to comb it smooth, an' couldn't, 
 'cause the bell rang so quick, an' we had to go 
 down. She'll get a black mark, her hair looks 
 so. I'm awful sorry." 
 " Sorry ? " 
 
 " Yes ; cause she's trying for both prizes." 
 " Is she, though ! It's like her to want both. 
 If I were you I'd rumple her hair up every 
 morning, for her." 
 
 " No you wouldn't, 'cause she's promised me 
 if she gets both the dolls she'll let me take one, 
 once in a while." 
 
 " How good of her ! Why don't you try to 
 
 79
 
 80 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 get one of the dolls, yourself, if you like it so 
 well as all that?" 
 
 " I couldn't get one, I know. I can't remem- 
 ber my lessons if I study ever so hard." 
 
 " You might get one for good behavior, for 
 you never do anything out of the way, Roily." 
 
 " But I get marks for not looking good." 
 
 " Let's look at you ! Well, you do look as 
 though a cow had . tossed you, that's a fact. I 
 tell you what, Roily : that old pig Porter musn't 
 get both those prizes. If you'll come into my 
 room every morning, I'll fix you up handsome, 
 see'f I don't ; then you'll surely get one of um." 
 
 " Oh, will you ? But no, it's against the 
 rules for us to go into each other's rooms, to ask 
 for help, when we have a room-mate to help us 
 about anything." 
 
 " I'd laugh to see Anne Porter helping you 
 about anything. Did she ever offer to ? " 
 
 " No, but she's always real good-natured." 
 
 " If you think so you must see yourself reflected 
 in her brassy face. Did she have anything to 
 say about cherries, this morning ? " 
 
 " Oh, Dora, I know all about that. How 
 could you do it ? " 
 
 "Do what?"
 
 LUCY BROOMS" WITH DORA. 81 
 
 " Get up in the night, an' go off after cher- 
 ries?" 
 
 " How could you get up in the morning, an' 
 eat your breakfast ? What's the great difference ? 
 She didn't mention that she was much obliged 
 to me for anything, did she ? " 
 
 " No, but she thought she was sick in the 
 night, an' made me call Mrs. Burns ; then she 
 saw the cherry-stones an' told her all about it. 
 She said you would be locked in the study, 
 to-day." 
 
 " She must have been so glad, when she said 
 it. Here's Mrs. Burns ; I'm going to speak to 
 her," continued Dora, as the teacher entered the 
 school-room, where they now were, to sound the 
 bell that would call all the children to their 
 books. 
 
 " Good morning, Mrs. Burns," said Dora, step- 
 ping upon the platform, near the teacher's desk. 
 
 " Good morning," replied Mrs. Burns, very 
 much surprised, for it was the first time this 
 pupil had ever voluntarily addressed her. " Can 
 I do anything for you?" 
 
 " I want to know if Lucy Stone can room 
 with me, instead of Maria Kurd ? " 
 
 "I don't think a change would be allowed. 
 
 6
 
 82 DAIS r TRA VERS. 
 
 The probability is, if you should change room- 
 mates, the other children would suddenly dis- 
 cover that they wanted to change, too, which 
 would mix matters up considerably ; but I'll 
 speak to Miss Travers about it, and it will be 
 as she says, of course." With that Mrs. Burns 
 turned to speak to another scholar Avho was 
 standing near her, and Dora passed on towards 
 her seat. 
 
 "What are they going to do with you for 
 what you did last night ? " said Anne Porter, 
 stopping her, as she passed her desk. 
 
 " Do ? Why you never saw how they did 
 take on about it." 
 
 " It was enough to make them, I should 
 think," replied Anne, curling her upper lip 
 scornfully. 
 
 . " So I think, but I didn't expect they would 
 be quite so glad." 
 
 "Glad?" 
 
 " Yes, that there's one girl in school who isn't 
 afraid of her own shadow." 
 
 " That sounds likely, doesn't it ! " and Anne's 
 lip curled higher. " I don't see why they didn't 
 lock you up." 
 
 " Lock me up ! Why they've given me the
 
 LUCT" ROOMS" 1 WITH DORA. 83 
 
 run of the house, an' I'm to have preserves 
 every meal, if I want um. I'm to do just as I 
 want to for two months, an' at the end of that 
 time I'm to have a hand-organ. Think of that ! " 
 
 " A hand-fetter more like, such as they put on 
 people's hands when they take them to prison. 
 What were you saying to Mrs. Burns ?" 
 
 " I was telling her you'd ought to have a credit 
 this morning on account of your hair. It's really 
 very becoming to you, the way it's fixed." 
 
 " You needn't trouble yourself about my credits, 
 I shall have enough of them," and Anne tossed 
 her head angrily, though she appeared to be 
 trying to find something that was on a map 
 hanging on the wall. But Dora wasn't much 
 interested in maps, and would not take her eyes 
 from her (Anne's) hair to look at it. 
 
 " Lucy says you expect to get both prizes." 
 
 " I'm sure I shall get one. I'm the only girl 
 here that can get a lesson." 
 
 " That does get a lesson, you mean." 
 
 " No, I mean that can get one." 
 
 " Well you are smart, for your kind. I tell 
 you what, Anne, they promised me a hand-organ, 
 but didn't say anything about a monkey. Per- 
 haps you'll be good-natured, about that time,
 
 84 DAIST TR AVERS, 
 
 an' won't mind trotting 'round while I grind." 
 At that moment the bell sounded, and the chil- 
 dren took their seats, to begin to study the 
 lessons for the day. 
 
 " She hates me, now, worse'n crazy Bet used 
 to hate spiders," said Dora to herself. " I always 
 used to think," continued she, "that I couldn't 
 get a lesson out of a book ; now I'm going to 
 try. Wouldn't it be better'n cherries, if I could 
 help Lucy to get one of those prizes. She likes 
 dolls; I don't. But I don't like to be told I 
 can\ do a thing till I've tried. Everybody told 
 Mrs. Hodges she couldn't stop a hen from set- 
 ting ; but land ! she did, by chopping its head 
 off. If I can't get lessons as well as Anne 
 Porter, my head ought to be chopped off, true's 
 preaching." With that Dora took out a book, 
 and began to study, much to Mrs. Burns won- 
 der ; even the children noticed her unusual 
 conduct, and glanced towards her eyery once in 
 a while, thinking, perhaps, she was plotting some 
 new mischief. 
 
 After the lessons were through for the day, 
 Daisy drove up to the Hall, in the pony phaeton 
 as usual, to take the boy and girl who had 
 recited the best, and the boy and girl who had
 
 LUCY " ROOMS " WITH DORA. 85 
 
 behaved the best, to ride. Dora was standing 
 at the window, when she drove up, but on 
 perceiving her, she immediately left the school- 
 room, and went up stairs to her own apartment. 
 
 "I think I have a little surprise for you," 
 said Mrs. Burns to Daisy, as the latter entered. 
 
 " A surprise ? " repeated Daisy, noticing that 
 Dora was absent, and dreading to hear what 
 would follow. 
 
 " Yes, in regard to Dora." 
 
 "I dos't think it will surprise me much. I'm 
 prepared to hear almost anything about her, 
 always." 
 
 " Well, then, I haven't had cause to reprove 
 her once to-day ; and her lessons have been 
 perfect." 
 
 " Is that, indeed, true, Mrs. Burns ? " said 
 Daisy, very much surprised, after all. 
 
 " Yes, she and Lucy go to ride with you, 
 and little Martin, here, and Edgar." 
 
 "Where is she, now?" 
 
 " Perhaps she has gone to her room, to put 
 on her hat. She went out a minute ago." 
 
 " You don't know how glad I am to hear that 
 of her, Mrs. Burns. I was beginning to be 
 afraid we could do nothing with her," said Daisy,
 
 86 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 in a low tone, that the children might not hear. 
 "She is gone long, isn't she? I think I'll go 
 up and speak to her, as the others are ready to 
 go," continued Daisy, immediately proceeding 
 up stairs to Dora's room. 
 
 Opening the door softly she looked in. Dora 
 was sitting by the open window, thinking ho\v 
 easy it was, after all, to have perfect lessons, 
 and feeling very well satisfied with herself, 
 indeed. 
 
 Don't you want to go to ride, Dora? " said 
 Daisy, as the former turned to see who had 
 opened the door. 
 
 *' I don't like to ride. Let one of the little 
 ones go in my place," was the reply. 
 
 Daisy, disappointed again, turned to leave 
 her, thinking it best to appear perfectly satisfied 
 with her decision, when she was arrested by 
 her saying : 
 
 " Has Mrs. Burns said anything about Lucy 
 Stone rooming with me ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 " She said she would. I want to know if 
 Lucy can room with me, instead of Maria ? " 
 
 " If Lucy is willing, yes." 
 
 " That's all right, then. An' I guess I'll try
 
 LUCY " ROOMS " WITH DORA. 87 
 
 for one of the dolls instead of the hand-organ, 
 if it isn't too late." 
 
 "I'm very glad to hear it, and of course it 
 isn't too late." 
 
 " If I should get one I s'pose I can do what 
 I've a mind to with it, can't I ? " 
 
 " Certainly." 
 
 "That's all I wanted to know." With that 
 abrupt dismissal, Dora turned to the window 
 again, and Daisy, more puzzled than ever, left 
 her to herself. 
 
 An hour after, Lucy came up, with : 
 
 "Oh, Dora, how did you do it?" 
 
 "Do what?" 
 
 " Get me to room with you ? You don't know 
 how glad I am ; an' Anne Porter is furious, 
 because I said I'd do her work, while she studied 
 and fixed herself, an' now I'm going to be with 
 you. She says I'm worse than you are." 
 
 " I'm obliged to her. I'd no idea she though 
 so well of me. She can get Maria to do her 
 work, that is if she can wake her up in time ; 
 I think after she tries that a spell, she'll prefer 
 to do her own work." 
 
 "Why wouldn't you go to ride with us? 
 We had a splendid time. Aunt Daisy talked to
 
 88 DAIST TRAVERS. 
 
 us all the way, an' told us ever so many things 
 we didn't know before. Then we tied the ponies 
 to a tree, an' took a long walk through the 
 woods. An' we found a crow's nest with five 
 young crows in it." 
 
 " I would have liked the crows." 
 
 " No, you wouldn't. They are homely things, 
 an' most all mouths." 
 
 " I don't think they're homely. I had one, 
 once, an' it was so tame it would follow me 
 just like a kitten. I got it out of the nest 
 when it was little, an' had it for months, before 
 anyone found it out, till one day fatty Hodges, 
 Mrs. Hodge's husband, caught it trying to run 
 away with his hammer, to hide it. He tried to 
 kill it, but I managed to get it away, an' I 
 kept it close for a long time, till Mrs. Hodges 
 missed her silver thimble. She said it was silver, 
 though it smelt of brass horridly. Then she 
 said the crow had stolen it, an' hid it away, 
 where no one could ever find it ; so she watched 
 me when I went to feed my crow, an' followed me 
 to find out where I kept it, an' when she found 
 out she got her dog, an' set him on it. He 
 killed it. Bit it right through the head." 
 
 "Oh, that was too bad!"
 
 LUCT " ROOMS " WITH DORA. 89 
 
 44 Crazy Bet said she'd go with me an' try to 
 find another crow's nest ; but I didn't want 
 another crow ; I knew it would get killed like 
 the first. Crow's nests are hard to find. I don' 
 see how you found one to-day." 
 
 44 Why, we saw the old crow, an' Aunt Daisy 
 said it had a nest somewhere near, she could 
 tell by the way it acted. If we walked in one 
 direction, it would fly at us, an' make a dreadful 
 noise, but if we turned about, an' walked another 
 way it wouldn't notice us ; so we walked towards 
 it, till we found the nest. It was on top of a 
 great high tree. Edgar wanted to go up an' 
 look in it, an' Aunt Daisy said he might. Then 
 he brought down one of the young birds for us 
 to see, an* took it back again, after we had seen 
 it. Don't you wish you had been with us ? " 
 
 44 "What do you think of Aunt Daisy, as you 
 call her ? " interrogated Dora, slightly changing 
 the subject. 
 
 44 What do I think of her ? " repeated Lucy. 
 
 "Yes, do you like her?" 
 
 44 As though anyone could help liking her, 
 when she's so good. Don't you like her ? " 
 
 44 1 did like her." 
 
 44 Don't you now ? "
 
 90 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " If you keep on asking so many questions, 
 Lucy, you'll know more'n your head can hold. 
 You had better begin to bring your things in 
 here, an' call Maria to take her's out. It'll be 
 supper time in a minute." 
 
 Lucy came down the next morning, looking 
 very neat and pretty. 
 
 " Oh, I think I understand it now ! " said 
 Anne, to herself, on seeing her. " That's all 
 Dora Went worth's work. She's determined I 
 shan't get both of the prizes, an' as she can't 
 get one herself, she's going to help Lucy to get 
 one, out of spite. I don't care. I'm sure of 
 one, anyhow, if she did have perfect lessons 
 yesterday. She'd have to work pretty hard to 
 catch up with me, after all the time she's lost. 
 I guess I'll keep on trying for both ; she'd be 
 so mad if I got them. I wonder where she is ? 
 She wasn't down to prayers." But Anne did 
 .not have to wonder long, for at that moment 
 Dora came down, looking as though she had 
 dressed herself in a hurry ; but her face was 
 radiant. 
 
 " She's been up to more mischief. All the 
 worse for her,"* continued Anne to herself, 
 then aloud, as Dora passed near her, "you
 
 LUCT " ROOMS " WITH DORA. 91 
 
 have got a mark for not being down to prayers." 
 
 " Have I ? " said Dora, innocently. 
 
 " Yes ; and you'll doubtless have another for 
 not being half dressed." 
 
 " That's good. I always did like marks of 
 all kinds. I expect to make my mark, some 
 day, don't I, Mark? " and Dora turned abruptly 
 to a small boy, with a very wide mouth, which 
 was now stretched to its utmost extent ; while 
 Anne tossed her head, contemptuously, and 
 walked off. " There, that'll do, Mark. Don't 
 grin any more. You make me think of a box 
 that opens on hinges, an' I feel as though I 
 wanted to take hold of your nose an' open you, 
 when I see your mouth stretched way round 
 like that. Say, Mark, have you got a knife 
 you'll let me take ? " 
 
 " A knife ? " 
 
 "Yes; a knife." 
 
 "I never had a knife in my life." 
 "How in the world have you lived so long? 
 But perhaps you took a dinner-knife, when you 
 wanted to whittle. I've often done that, myself ; 
 but I found a splendid three-bladed knife one 
 day in the street. I forgot to bring it with me 
 when I came here, though, an' I never missed
 
 92 , DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 anything so much in my life, as I've missed 
 that. Have any of the boys got one, do you 
 know ? " 
 
 " Don't b'lieve they have. I never saw them 
 have one." 
 
 " Well, if I were you, instead of trying to 
 win an old toy ship for a prize, I'd speak out, 
 an' say I'd rather have a 'knife. Twelve boys, 
 an' not a knife in the crowd ! " 
 
 "I've got one," said Edgar Ford, who had 
 heard the conversation between the two, stepping 
 up, and searching his pockets for the desired 
 article. 
 
 " Let me take 'it ? " 
 
 "For how long?" 
 
 " A week, perhaps." 
 
 " I don't care ; only have it handy, in case I 
 should want it before that time." 
 
 " All right." 
 
 " Dora ? " called Mrs. Burns, who had been 
 informed by Anne that Dora was borrowing a 
 knife, and who was made nervous by the know- 
 ledge. " Dora ? " 
 
 Yes'm." 
 
 " What is that you have in your hand ? " 
 
 " Edgar says it's a knife," replied Dora, open-
 
 LUCT" ROOMS " WITH DORA. 93 
 
 ing it. " But I should say it's a screw-driver, 
 seeing the point's gone, an' both edges are alike." 
 
 "Is that your knife, Edgar?" said Mrs. B. 
 
 " Yes, ma'am." 
 
 " Take it back, then. I wouldn't like to trust 
 Dora with a knife. She might get angry with 
 one of the little girls, and do her a harm with 
 it." 
 
 " That knife couldn't harm a fly," returned 
 Dora, " but land ! you can have it back. I'd 
 as soon try to whittle with the latch of a door 
 as with that," and Dora returned the knife, and 
 walked away, looking very much disappointed. 
 
 Lucy heard the whole and started to follow 
 her. " Dora," said she, taking her by the arm, 
 as she was going out. " Dora, come up to our 
 room a minute." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "I'll tell you when we get there." 
 
 " But we can't hear the study-bell there." 
 
 " I believe you're trying for a prize, Dora. I 
 saw you studying yesterday as though you were, 
 an' now you're so particular about hearing the 
 study-bell." 
 
 " Bother the prize ! I'm only trying to see 
 what I can do."
 
 94 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 " Well, come up to our room a minute, there 
 is plenty of time. I've got something I want to 
 show you." 
 
 "I'm there, then." 
 
 A minute later, Lucy was kneeling before the 
 bureau in her room, opening the drawer that 
 held all her earthly possessions. Taking out a 
 small box, she opened it, and took from it some- 
 thing that was carefully wrapt up in paper. 
 
 " There ! " said she, handing it to Dora, "you 
 can take that, because you'-ve been so good to 
 me. I'd give it to you, only it used to be my 
 brother's, an' it's all I've got to remember him 
 
 by." 
 
 Dora removed the paper, and exposed to 
 view an ordinary, two-bladed pocket-knife. 
 
 " I'm just as glad as I can be ! " exclaimed 
 she, opening the blades to see if they were in 
 a good condition. " It's just what I wanted." 
 
 " You won't do any Harm with it ; will you ? " 
 said Lucy, suddenly remembering what Mrs. 
 Burns *had said. 
 
 " I won't take it out of this room, Holly ; an' 
 I won't take it at all, if you are afraid of me." 
 
 " Dear, me ! I wasn't thinking about myself, 
 at all. Tell me what you're going to do with
 
 LUCT" ROOMS " WITH DORA. 95 
 
 it ? " and Lucy sat down upon the floor, clasp- 
 ing her hands over her knees, and looking 
 inquiringly up into Dora's face. 
 
 " I don't mind telling you, if you'll keep 
 still about it. See what I found this morning ! " 
 and Dora drew from under the bed, a block of 
 wood nearly a foot square. 
 
 " I don't think that's a very big find," said 
 Lucy, after one glance at it. 
 
 " Just look at it. There's not a knot in it, 
 nor a crack." 
 
 " What of that ? What's it good for, any- 
 how?" 
 
 " Just you wait, an' you'll see. What kind 
 of an animal does Anne Porter remind you of ? " 
 
 " What kind of an animal ? " repeated Lucy, 
 inquiringly, wrinkling up her round face, in a 
 puzzled manner, as she looked at Dora for an 
 explanation. 
 
 " Yes ; don't everybody remind you of some 
 kind of an animal ? I've found out, at last, 
 what she's like ; she's just like the old speckled 
 pig they had at the poor-house, going round 
 sticking her nose into everything, an' trying to 
 get everything for herself. She looks like it, 
 too, about the eyes. Land ! I could almost
 
 96 DAIST TRA VERS. 
 
 hear her grunt, this morning, when she was so 
 glad 'cause I got a mark." 
 
 " What's that to do with the block ? " 
 
 " I'm going to cut a pig out of it, an' write 
 on it, ' a good likeness of Anne Porter.' Then 
 I'll put it in her desk. Won't she be mad when 
 she sees it ! I'll bet she -won't eat any pork 
 for a month afterwards." 
 
 " You can't cut a pig out of that block," said 
 Lucy, incredulously. 
 
 " Wait an' see if I can't. I've cut out things 
 before to-day, I guess. If I cut out Mrs. 
 Hodge's face once, I cut it out a dozen times. 
 She always knew it was meant for her face, 
 though I always made it look worse'n she did, a 
 purpose." 
 
 " Didn't it make her mad ? " 
 
 " I guess so, though I never happened to be 
 'round when she found it. I used to sly into 
 her room, when she was eatiii' dinner, an' put 
 it on the bureau, right front of the looking 
 glass, where she'd see it, first thing, when she 
 went up to comb her hair. Crazy Bet said she 
 thought her husband made it an' put it there, as 
 he used to be whittling 'bout all the time ; an' 
 she'd make him step round lively, for a week
 
 LUCT " ROOMS " WITH DORA. 9J 
 
 afterwards, every time. But then he'd make us 
 step 'round lively, in turn, so I didn't make 
 much by it, an' gave up doing it, after a 
 while." 
 
 " We'd better go down, now ! " exclaimed 
 Lucy, suddenly springing to her feet, as she 
 thought it must be time for study. And Dora, 
 after carefully hiding the block and knife under 
 the bed, followed her to the recitation room, 
 which they reached not a minute too soon. 
 
 That day also, Dora's lessons were perfect, 
 to the surprise of all but herself. But Anne was 
 not at all alarmed. She felt quite sure that 
 Dora could not now catch up with her, even 
 if she herself did miss occasionally, and rather 
 enjoyed witnessing her late attempts. 
 
 This day as the day before, Dora refused to 
 take a ride with Daisy, and the latter did not 
 urge her to go. Lucy lost her ride by some 
 small misdemeanor ; so after lessons were over, 
 both the girls went up to their room together, 
 where Dora pulled out the block, and sitting 
 down by the window, began to whittle away at 
 it, while Lucy seated herself on the floor before 
 her, to watch her proceedings. 
 
 " I don't see why you wouldn't take your 
 
 7
 
 98 DAISY TRAVERS. 
 
 ride," said Lucy, at last, after watching for ten 
 minutes and perceiving no signs of a pig in the 
 block in Dora's hands. " If you don't like Aunt 
 Daisy, you'd ought to be ashamed of yourself, 
 after what she's done for you, an' you're the 
 only one in the school that doesn't think she's 
 splendid." Dora stopped whittling, and looked 
 at Lucy, a little surprised at her unusual earn- 
 estness. 
 
 "Did I say I didn't like her ? " 
 
 " You act it plain enough, without saying 
 it." 
 
 " There's no love lost, anyway ; so don't fret 
 about it, Roily, you'll lose flesh if you do." 
 
 " Then you don't like her ? " 
 
 " No, I don't, if you must know. I rather 
 guess I hate her. She isn't much older'n I am, 
 anyway, an' the idea of her telling Mrs. Shote 
 to do what she did. If I ever get a chance to 
 pay her back, I will ; see'f I don't ! " 
 
 " Oh, Dora, you wouldn't harm Aunt Daisy ! " 
 and Lucy's round eyes opened very wide with 
 amazement. 
 
 " Can't tell till I get a chance. Guess I'd like 
 to give her just as good as she gave me, anyhow. 
 Now see. here, Roily, I don't want to get mad
 
 LUCT " ROOMS " WITH DORA. QQ 
 
 with you, an' nothing '11 make me unless you 
 keep on talking about Aunt Daisy. The one 
 that made that knife didn't have common sense ! 
 Might'a known such a shaped handle as that 
 would blister anyone's hands," continued she, 
 dropping the knife and block in her lap, and 
 looking at the blister that had come already 
 upon her hand. 
 
 Lucy made no reply, but the expression upon 
 her face showed that Dora had fallen greatly in 
 her estimation. Presently she arose and left 
 the room. 
 
 " I don't suppose, now," said Dora to herself, 
 as soon as she had gone, winding her handker- 
 chief around the handle of the knife to protect 
 her hand. " I don't suppose now, she'll ever like 
 me again as well as she did. Nobody ever did 
 like me but Crazy Bet, an' perhaps she wouldn't 
 if she hadn't been crazy. I almost wish I was 
 back again with her. I wonder if she misses 
 me, an' if she ever gets any tea, now. Poor, 
 old Bet ! " then, after a pause, u I wasn't sure 
 that I hated Aunt Daisy before, but now I'm 
 sure of it."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DORA " PAYS " DAISY. 
 
 ^UNT DAISY." 
 
 [fg "Well, Lucy? What is it?" and 
 Daisy took both of Lucy's plump little 
 hands in her own, and smiled down into her 
 round face ; for of all the girls at Hive Hall 
 this was her" favorite. 
 
 " I want to tell you- something." 
 "Well, I'm listening." 
 "It's about Dora." 
 "What about her?" 
 
 " I want you to be careful, an' not give her 
 a chance to hurt you ; because she would, I 
 know, if she should get you alone." 
 
 " Oh, Lucy, I'm sorry to hear you talk like 
 that. I thought you and she were going to be 
 great friends, and was very glad of it. What is 
 the trouble between you ? " 
 
 " There's no trouble, an' we are friends ; but 
 100
 
 DORA " PATS " DAISY. 101 
 
 she said she'd pay you back for what you did 
 to her, an' I know she'll keep her word. She 
 was always real good to me, an' I wouldn't 
 have told, only I don't want you to get hurt." 
 
 " Did she say what it was I did to her ? " 
 
 " No. You will not do anj'thing to her for 
 saying what she did, will you ? " 
 
 " Certainly not. And, Lucy, though it would 
 have been better if you had tried to reason with 
 her and convince her that she was wrong, 
 instead of coming to me and repeating what she 
 had told you in confidence, and what, perhaps, 
 she did not mean at all ; nevertheless, I am very 
 glad you did tell me, for it may be the means 
 of making us understand each other. Now run 
 along ; there's the supper-bell." 
 
 A surprise awaited the children, in the shape 
 of a treat ; for after they had finished their usual 
 supper, in came Mrs. Sliote with a great basket 
 of white-heart cherries, and every plate was 
 heaped high with the delicious fruit, that had 
 been picked from the very tree on which Dora 
 had made her midnight raid. 
 
 Dora, on seeing them, did not appear so 
 delighted as the other children did, and seemed 
 to eat them with reluctance.
 
 102 DA 1ST TR AVERS. 
 
 " I guess Dora don't like cherries," said one 
 little girl to Anne Porter. 
 
 " Why ? " said Anne, who knew better. 
 
 " 'Cause she eats them as though she didn't," 
 was the reply, as the speaker held up two to 
 eat at once. 
 
 " Oh, that's because she didn't steal them." 
 
 "Steal them?" said the first speaker, loud 
 enough for Dora to hear. 
 
 " Yes ; wait till we go out, an' I'll tell you 
 all about it." 
 
 " I don't want you to ever mention that matter 
 again," said Daisy in a low tone to Anne ; she had 
 been standing behind them, and had heard all 
 then walking over to Dora, who was now eating 
 her cherries with evident satisfaction, she bent 
 down, and putting her face close to Dora's, said : 
 
 " I want you to come up to my study as soon 
 as you have finished your cherries ; I will only 
 keep you a few minutes," then she went out, 
 and left the children to themselves. 
 
 Dora sat until she had finished her last cherry ; 
 then she went up to her room, and, pulling out 
 her block from its hiding-place, began to whittle. 
 She worked away at it, diligently, for perhaps 
 ten minutes, looking very ill at ease, and dissat-
 
 DORA " PATS " DAISY. 103 
 
 isfied. Presently she arose, and putting back 
 the block and knife, said to herself : u I may 
 as well hear what she's got to say, anyway. 
 She'll bring Mrs. Shote in to me, if I don't, I 
 suppose. I wish I was back with Mrs. Hodges 
 an' crazy Bet oh, don't I!" With that Dora 
 proceeded towards Daisy's study. 
 
 The door was open when she reached it, and 
 Daisy was sitting by the window waiting for 
 her. She arose, as Dora entered, and, going to 
 the door, shut it, and turned the key in the 
 lock. 
 
 " I did not do that, Dora, to lock you in," 
 said she, perceiving that Dora noticed the act, 
 " but to lock everybody else out. I asked you 
 to come up here to give you a chance to pay 
 me ; you'll find the same rattan on the desk 
 there, that Mrs. Shote used on you. Why don't 
 you hurry ? " for Dora hesitated. " Is it possible 
 you don't want to pay me, after all ? " 
 
 No, it was not possible, for Dora went imme- 
 diately to the desk, and taking the rattan, 
 approached Daisy with it, trying to look as 
 though everything was just as it *hould be. 
 Daisy held out her hand. What a tender, little 
 white hand it was! Dora could not help com-
 
 104 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 paring it to her own, which were rough, and 
 coarse, from doing hard work at the poor-house. 
 Well, this hand was tender, and would feel the 
 pain all the more. Down came the rattan relent- 
 lessly upon it. Once ! twice ! three times ! Then 
 Dora stole a look into Daisy's face. She stood 
 it bravely. This would decide if she would ever 
 have any power over this girl, and she scarcely 
 felt the pain, her thoughts were so busy imag- 
 ining how it would end. The fourth time Dora 
 hesitated, but it was only for a moment ; down 
 went the rattan again, and with that blow she 
 realized for the first time all that hand had done 
 for her ; realized the difference between her life, 
 now, and what it had been before that hand 
 was held out to help her. Up went Daisy's 
 other hand, and down went the rattan upon that, 
 but this time it descended hesitatingly, and Daisy 
 felt no pain ; presently she looked into the face 
 before her to see why another blow did not 
 follow, and their eyes met. Then down went 
 the rattan upon the floor, and down went Dora 
 after it, all in a bunch, crying as though her 
 heart would break. 
 
 Daisy took up the rattan, and held it towards 
 her, saying :
 
 DORA "PAYS" DAISY. Page 104.

 
 DORA " PATS " DAIST. 1Q5 
 
 "You have not finished yet ; there are three 
 more, you know." 
 
 " Take it away ! Go away, can't you, an' let 
 me be alone, for a little while," was the broken 
 reply. 
 
 "Tell me," first, if we are even, now, Dora?" 
 said Daisy, kneeling down upon the floor beside 
 her. A gasping sob was the only reply. 
 
 "Tell me, Dora, are we even, now?" and 
 Daisy's hand fell softly upon the arm that was 
 trembling with emotion. 
 
 "No no! oh, go away, till I get over this." 
 " I'm so sorry we are not, Dora. I'm afraid 
 you'll always hate me." 
 
 " What do you want to talk like that, for, 
 when you hate me, you know you do ! " said 
 Dora, hotly, lifting her flushed face. 
 
 " I hate you, Dora ? You do not believe that, 
 I'm sure. Have I ever given you cause to think 
 that, since you've been here ? " down went 
 Dora's head again, and a low moan was the 
 only reply. 
 
 " Tell me, Dora, if you have had cause to 
 think I hate you ? " 
 
 " No, no ! but I hate myself ! I hate myself ! 
 I hate myself ! " and Dora snatched Daisy's poor,
 
 106 DAIS T TRA VERS. 
 
 red hand, that was resting lightly on hers, and 
 pressed it passionately to her wet, hot face. 
 
 " You have no cause to do that, either, Dora, 
 for I know that you have a good, loving heart. 
 But you have had a hard time of it, poor child ! 
 and it's no wonder you mistrusted my feeling for 
 you. You will no longer doubt, will you, that 
 I want to be a true friend to you, and you 
 can't tell how much I want you to like me in 
 return," said Daisy, the tears chasing each other 
 down her own cheeks, now. 
 
 "I shall always have it to think of what I 
 did to you, just now." 
 
 " It was the very best thing that could have 
 happened, Dora. You might have gone on mis- 
 understanding me for I don't know how long ; 
 and losing your rides, too," continued Daisy, 
 with a little laugh. " You will not refuse to go 
 to ride with me to-morrow, will you ? if you 
 earn the right to." 
 
 "I never should have refused, only " 
 
 " Only what? " for Dora hesitated to complete 
 her sentence. 
 
 " I was sure you hated me, an' wouldn't care 
 to have me with you." Daisy bent down, at 
 that, and pressed upon Dora's forehead the first
 
 DORA " PATS " DAIST. 107 
 
 kiss she had given her since she had been at 
 Hive Hall. 
 
 " If I had known that but never mind, you'll 
 not think it again. Dry your eyes, now, Dora. 
 They'll be wondering what has become of us, 
 and they must not see us looking like this, 
 without an onion to show as the cause," said 
 Daisy with a laugh, that did not agree with the 
 expression upon her face. Then thinking that 
 Dora would regain her composure sooner if alone, 
 she arose and put on her hat, concealing her 
 face as much as possible behind her veil ; then 
 taking a book from a stand, she placed it upon 
 the desk, saying : 
 
 " I must go, now, Dora," you can stay here 
 as long as you want to. Here is a book full 
 of nice pictures, that you can look at, if you 
 wish to." 
 
 Half an hour later, Dora entered her own 
 room, " looking kind of queer," so Lucy, who 
 had been waiting for her, and wondering where 
 she could be, said to herself, as she entered. 
 
 " Where have you been ? I thought you were 
 in a hurry to get that pig done. You'll never 
 get it done at this rate. I can't see any sign 
 of a pig yet."
 
 108 DAIS T TJt AVERS. 
 
 " I guess I won't make a pig," replied Dora, 
 taking the block that Lucy had been looking 
 
 " There ! I knew you'd have to give it tip ! " 
 and Lucy's face expressed her disappointment. 
 
 " "What are angels ? Lucy." 
 
 " Angels ? Why don't you know ? Angels 
 are in heaven." 
 
 " But what are they ? " 
 
 " Why, everybody that's real good, when they 
 die they go to heaven, an' are angels," 
 
 " Do you think it would please a lady, if I 
 should cut an angel out of this block, an' give 
 it to her, an' tell her she'll be an angel some- 
 time ? " 
 
 " Why, I don't know," replied Lucy, hesi- 
 tatingly. "^That's as much as to say she ain't 
 one now, an' it might make her mad." 
 
 " I thought you said they couldn't be angels 
 till they died." 
 
 " So they can't ; not real angels ; but lots of 
 folks think they're angels, an' sometimes, if any- 
 one is very good, they're called angels before 
 they die. Like a woman that used to live in 
 the town I came from ; everybody said she was 
 an angel."
 
 DORA " PATS " DAIST. 1Q9 
 
 " Then how would it do to cut out an angel, 
 an' make it look as much as I can like the one 
 I'm going to give it to, an' put her name on 
 it?" 
 
 " She'd like that. But you're not going to 
 cut an angel out of that block, are you ? " 
 
 " Yes.'-' 
 
 " That's the greatest ! get a pig half made, 
 then make it into an angel ! " 
 
 44 The pig wasn't half made. You don't know 
 anything about it." 
 
 44 1 know that if the one you give the angel to, 
 
 
 
 should hear how it was made, she'd think you 
 meant to tell her she's pig inside, an' angel 
 out." 
 
 " Lucy Stone, do you see anything about that 
 block that looks like a pig ? " said. Dora, her 
 eyes flashing. 
 
 44 Not a thing ; I only see a hump." 
 
 44 It's nothing but a block of wood, is it ? " 
 
 44 That's all." 
 
 44 Well, I'm going to make an angel out of 
 that block of wood, an' don't you dare to say 
 anything more about a pig." 
 
 Anne was not at all satisfied with Maria 
 Hurd for a room-mate. She was too young to
 
 HO DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 talk to, and too lazy to be any help at all ; so 
 Anne was resolved that she would have Lucy, 
 with her good-natured face and willing hands 
 back again. She felt quite sure that she could 
 easily induce her to return, for by this time she 
 was doubtless tired of Dora, and her disagreeable 
 ways, and would be only too glad to leave her, 
 if asked to do so. 
 
 " She must be getting well punishexl for going 
 away," thought Anne, one morning, while stand- 
 ing before the glass, combing her hair. " I think 
 I'll let her stay there a while longer, so she'll 
 get enough of it. Then I'll make her think 
 that I don't care whether she comes back or 
 not ; but if she really wants to she can, I'll tell 
 her. Then won't she be glad enough to make 
 the bed every morning, an' sweep out the room 
 for me. In the meantime," continued Anne to 
 herself, casting a look at Maria, who was seated 
 upon the floor tying her shoes, and looking very 
 sleepy, indeed. " In the meantime perhaps I 
 can get that girl to do something, by threaten- 
 ing to send her back to Dora ! I never thought 
 of that," and Anne turned from the glass to try 
 the experiment. 
 
 " Maria ? " Maria looked up without speak-
 
 DORA " PAYS " DAISY. \\\ 
 
 ing, and without stopping the work she was 
 eiiGracjed at. 
 
 o o 
 
 " How would you like to go back to Dora's 
 room ? " 
 
 " Makes no odds to me where I go." replied 
 Maria, yawning fearfully, and resting her chin 
 on her knee the while. 
 
 " Which do you like the best me or Dora ? " 
 " Don't like neither of you too well." 
 " It seems as though you might tell which of 
 us you like best, but if you won't then which 
 of us do you think's the smartest ? " 
 
 " Dora, by a long chalk," replied Maria, 
 arising to -her feet and walking towards the 
 door t 
 
 " It's a waste of time trying to talk to an 
 idiot," observed Anne, contemptuously, turning 
 to the glass again. 
 
 "What's an idiot?" questioned Maria, paus- 
 ing. 
 
 " Look in the glass, an you'll see one." 
 " I'm looking, but I only see your face ! " 
 " Go down stairs, if you're going ! Do you 
 hear ? " and Anne stamped smartly upon the 
 floor. Maria opened the door suddenly, looking 
 very much bewildered at the turn affairs had
 
 1 i 2 DAIS T TRA VERS. 
 
 taken, and there stood Dora, and Lucy, laughing 
 to themselves. Anne no sooner saw them, than 
 she slammed the door in their faces, but not 
 before Maria had time to get out. 
 
 " See here Maria," said Dora, in a low tone, 
 taking hold of Maria's shoulder. " Just say 
 what you want me to do for you, an' I'll do it, 
 see'f I don't; 'cause you did that well, you 
 know you did." 
 
 " Let me alone, can't you ? " said Maria, 
 shrinking away, and frowning. " I ain't done 
 nothing to nobody, an' I just wish folks would 
 
 let me alone." 
 
 
 
 "Oh, I'll let you alone, if that's all ; but 
 you're too modest. You might have asked 
 more, an' got it." 
 
 With that Dora joined Lucy, laughing, and 
 they went down stairs together, leaving Maria 
 , to follow at her pleasure. 
 
 A week later Anne thought it was time to 
 hint to Lucy that she could room with her 
 again, if she wanted to, and was not a little 
 surprised when Lucy refused to take the hint. 
 But after thinking awhile, she came to the con- 
 clusion that Lucy was angry because she had 
 not asked her to return before. " I shan't hint
 
 DORA " PATS " DAI ST. H3 
 
 to her again," said she to herself. " She'll have 
 to come to me, now, an' ask me to let her come 
 back : that's all she'll make by it," and Anne 
 thought, with satisfaction, of how reluctantly she 
 would appear to give her consent, when she 
 should ask it of her. 
 
 But Anne was never to experience that grati- 
 fication, for a wonderful friendship had sprung 
 up between the two girls, since Lucy was made 
 aware of Dora's changed feeling for Aunt Daisy ; 
 and the knowledge that the angel, that was now 
 nearly completed was intended for Daisy, kept 
 Lucy in a fever of anxiety for fear it would 
 prove a failure after all. 
 
 8
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A STJKPBJSE FOB "AUNT DAISY." 
 
 }HERE; Lucy, it is done ! " 
 
 " All done ? Let me see it now," 
 and Lucy held -out her hand to 
 receive the image that was at last completed. 
 
 " It don't look so good as I wanted it to," 
 said Dora, with a sigh, " for the old knife got 
 dull, an' I didn't have anything to sharpen it 
 on. But I guess it'll do." 
 
 " I think it is splendid ! an' it looks ever so 
 much like Aunt Daisy, too ; only wasn't it too 
 bad that knot in the wood happened to be 
 there; it nearly spoilt one ear." 
 
 " Never mind, it isn't so bad as though it had 
 been on the face." 
 
 " I don't see how you could make the wings 
 so well," and Lucy scrutinized first one wing, 
 then the other, while Dora watched her, with a 
 pleased expression upon her face. 
 114
 
 A SURPRISE FOR AUNT DAIST. H5 
 
 " Oh, that was easy enough to do," said she, 
 " I remembered just how my old crow's wings 
 looked, you see." 
 
 " Are you going to give it to her, to-day ? " 
 
 "Yes. I wish I. had a box, or something to 
 put it in. You don't know of anything, do 
 you ? 'cause I don't like to give it to her right 
 out plain." 
 
 " You might wrap it up in a paper. I've got 
 & nice white piece that I'll give you, that'll be 
 just the thing," and Lucy went to the bureau 
 where she kept all her treasures, for the paper. 
 
 " There she goes, now ! " exclaimed Dora, 
 glancing out of the window, and seeing Daisy 
 walking down the road away from Hive Hall. 
 " If we could only give it to her now, it would 
 be 'foetter'n giving it where all the children 
 could see it, an' wonder what it is." 
 
 " So we can. Here's the paper : hurry up an' 
 do it up, an' run down with it ! " 
 
 Dora took the paper, and wrapt the image 
 in it, but instead of going down to give it to 
 her, she sat watching her retreating form. 
 
 "Why don't you go, if you're going?" said 
 Lucy, giving her an impatient push. 
 
 " I guess I won't give it to her, after all, and 
 Dora began to unwrap the paper from the image."
 
 116 DAIST TR AVERS, 
 
 " Not give it to her ? Why ? " 
 
 *' 'Cause she might think I was making fun 
 of her. The face don't look much better'n 
 those I used to make of Mrs. Hodges, a'purpose 
 to make her mad." 
 
 " Dear, me ! Give it to me, an' Pll give it to 
 her, an' tell her 'tain't half so good as you could 
 have done if the knife hadn't been dull," and 
 before Dora could hinder her, Lucy was down 
 stairs, and out in the street, running towards 
 Daisy, with the image held high above her 
 head, and calling *' Aunt Daisy ! Aunt Daisy ! " 
 at the top of her voice. 
 
 Aunt Daisy stopped, at the first call, and 
 waited for the round, waddling figure to come 
 up to her, and presently Lucy stood before her, 
 all out of breath. 
 
 " There ! " said she as soon as she could speak, 
 putting the image in Daisy's hand. " There's 
 something Dora made for you. She could have 
 made it ever so much better, only the knife 
 got dull," with "that, Lucy turned to retrace her 
 steps, without waiting to hear Daisy's opinion 
 of it ; and Dora, watching from her window, 
 saw Daisy remove the paper from the image, 
 then walk slowly on.
 
 A SURPRISE FOR AUNT DAIS T. H7 
 
 " She didn't throw it away, anyhow, an' she 
 didn't seem to act as though she was mad ; 
 maybe she'll like it, after all. "What did she 
 say ? " continued she, aloud, as Lucy entered, 
 all red and hot, from running. 
 
 " I didn't stop to hear. I was afraid Mrs. 
 Burns would see me, an' give me a mark, for 
 going away without permission. 
 
 " I guess she wouldn't give you a mark for 
 going that little distance, to speak to Aunt 
 Daisy," replied Dora, in a disappointed tone. 
 
 " How would she know how far I'd been, if 
 she saw me come running up the street." 
 
 " She'd know you wouldn't go very far, with- 
 out your hat." 
 
 " I didn't think of that," replied Lucy, provoked 
 at her own dullness. 
 
 " Grandfather Milly," said Daisy, as soon as 
 she reached home, to that old gentleman, who 
 was seated on the piazza trying to create a dis- 
 turbance between Bruno and puss, by drawing 
 the latters unsheathed claws over Bruno's nose. 
 " Grandfather Milly, do you remember how you 
 laughed when I ventured to say that one of my 
 pupils might prove to be a genius, and if prop- 
 erly educated might become famous ! "
 
 118 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Ha ! ha ! ha ! Don't make me laugh again, 
 Daisy! don't!" 
 
 " Then you don't believe that there's one born 
 genius among my twenty-five scholars ? " 
 
 " You haven't discovered one, have you ? " for 
 something in the expression on Daisy's face 
 made him curious. 
 
 "/ should call the one that made that, a gen- 
 ius," and Daisy put the image in grandfather 
 Milly's hand, triumphantly. 
 
 " Did one of the children make this ? " said 
 he, with an amused smile. " An angel, with 
 wings, and a chignon. Why, I believe it looks 
 something like you, Daisy ; and here's your 
 name carved in at the bottom. That's what I 
 call a neat compliment ! " 
 
 " My name isn't there, is it ? " said Daisy, 
 taking the image again. " Sure enough I and I 
 believe it does look like me. For a minute 
 Daisy's eyes twinkled merrily; then a mist 
 gathered over them, so that she could scarcely 
 see the image in her hand. 
 
 "Which one of them did it; I don't think I 
 could guess, if I were to try ? " said grandfather 
 at last, breaking the reverie she had fallen into. 
 
 " I know you couldn't guess. Dora did it." 
 
 " You don't mean it I "
 
 A SURPRISE FOR AUNT DAISY. H9 
 
 " The very last ono you would have thought 
 of, isn't it ? " 
 
 " What are you going to do with her ! send 
 her to Italy ? " and Daisy thought the old man 
 looked very much as though he was laughing, 
 now ; but then he was always laughing. 
 
 " I'll give the school a holiday, to-morrow and 
 she shall go with me to Boston ; and I'll take 
 her through every art gallery I know of. Then 
 I'll bny her a set of sculptor's tools, and see what 
 she'll do with them." 
 
 The next morning as the children had begun 
 their studies, in came a servant from Mr. Milly's, 
 with information that Mrs. Burns was to give 
 them a holiday, and that Dora Wentworth was 
 to dress herself in her best, and return with 
 him. 
 
 Lucy followed Dora up to their room to assist 
 her in dressing. 
 
 "What do you suppose it's for?" questioned 
 Dora, putting on her best dress that Lucy got 
 out for her, and which she had never had occa- 
 sion to wear before, on a week day. 
 
 " Oh, I know what it's for ! Aunt Daisy was 
 pleased with the angel, as I knew she'd be, an' 
 is going to take you somewhere to have a good
 
 120 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 time. I never was so glad in my life ! " and 
 unselfish Lucy bustled around, helping Dora. 
 
 " I guess I'm glad, too. I feel just as I did 
 one day at the poor-house, when I saw a hen's 
 nest with fifteen eggs in it, then slipped, an' 
 fell in it, an' smashed um all." 
 
 " I want you to remember everything you see, 
 an' do, an' have, so you can tell me all about 
 it, as soon as you get back." 
 
 "I wish they'd asked you to go, too." 
 
 " Dear me ! why should they ? I couldn't 
 make an angel, like you did, if I should try till 
 the cows came home. There ! now you are all 
 ready." 
 
 " It doesn't seem strange, at all, for me to be 
 dressed up, lately," remarked Dora, as she viewed 
 herself in the glass, with satisfaction. " I wish 
 crazy Bet could see me now, just to see 'f she'd 
 know me. I know she wouldn't, 'less I spoke." 
 
 Down stairs all the children appeared to be 
 delighted, that they were to have a holiday, 
 except Anne, who could not understand why 
 Dora was to go to Mr. Milly's house, dressed 
 in her best. She walked up and down the hall, 
 feelinj very disagreeable, till the two girls came 
 down stairs, then, as soon as Dora had gone, 
 she flew to Lucy, to find out what ifc meant.
 
 A SURPRISE FOR AUNT DATS T. 121 
 
 " Why in the world did they send for her, 
 Lucy ? I should think she was going to be pun- 
 ished for something, only they wouldn't want 
 her dressed up for that." 
 
 " I guess Aunt Daisy's going to take her 
 somewhere to have a good time," replied Lucy. 
 
 " Take her somewhere ? Why, she's the worst 
 girl in school." 
 
 " I guess not. She hasn't done anything bad for 
 a month, an' you know it," and Lucy's round 
 eyes almost expressed anger, for a moment. 
 
 " What of that ? I never did anything bad." 
 
 " I didn't say Aunt Daisy's going to take her 
 'cause she's been good, did I ?" 
 
 " Well, what is she going to take her for, 
 then? It always takes you an hour to answer 
 a question." 
 
 " I don't think Dora'd like to have me tell 
 you. I'll ask her, an' if she says she doesn't 
 care, I'll tell you all about it, to-night." 
 
 " You needn't. If you're so weak that you 
 can't answer a question without asking ' Dora ' 
 if you may, you're to^ be pitied." And Anne 
 walked away, unable to express, in her move- 
 ments, all the contempt she felt for poor Lucy, 
 who looked after her, wondering why she wasn't
 
 122 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 as good-natured towards her as she used to be. 
 
 About four o'clock that afternoon Dora returned 
 and hurried up to her room with a good-sized 
 bundle under her arm. At a sight of her radi- 
 ant face, Lucy's became almost as radiant. " I 
 knew you'd have a good time," said she. 
 
 " A good time! Oh, Roily, you don't know 
 anything about it ! " replied Dora, throwing her 
 bundle on the bed, and taking off her hat, which 
 Lucy took, and put away, before Dora had a 
 chance to do it herself. 
 
 " I know I don't ; but you're going to tell me 
 all about it, you know." 
 
 " I wish I could, but I can't." 
 
 " Can't ? " and over Lucy's face came a cloud 
 of disappointment. 
 
 "No. How could I tell you, so you'd see 
 things as I saw them ? Oh, Roily ! If you 
 could have seen all the men, an' women, an' 
 children, an' dogs, an' horses, an' everything, all 
 carved out of stone that I saw to-day, you'd 
 just as lives be blind all the rest of your life, I 
 know ! " 
 
 Lucy looked doubtful. 
 
 " An' angels \ Roily ! How I wished I could 
 have had the old thing I made, just long enough
 
 A SURPRISE FOR AUNT DAISY. 13 
 
 to smash it. But that ain't the best of it ! Aunt 
 Daisy said maybe, sometime, I'd be able to make 
 as good as any I saw to-day, if I'd try ; an' I'm 
 just agoing to try, see 'f I don't ! " 
 
 " Didn't j r ou see anything else ? What's in 
 that bundle ? " questioned Lucy. 
 
 " That's what I'm to try with. Did you ever 
 see anything like those ! " and Dora untied the 
 bundle, and held the tools before Lucy's won- 
 dering eyes. " I guess I can do a little better 
 with these, than I could with your knife. Ah ! 
 Roily ! But if it hadn't been for your knife, I 
 shouldn't have got these, that's certain. 
 
 Presently she dropped the set of tools upon 
 the bed, and going to the door, opened it, just 
 in time to see Anne Porter hurrying from it to 
 her own room. 
 
 . " That Anne Porter has been at the door, 
 listening all this time ! " said she, to Lucy, as 
 she closed the door again and returned to the 
 tools. " Well, I guess I can make a pig, now 
 an' I'll make it look like Anne Porter, too ! see 
 'f I don't."
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AWABDING THE PKIZE. 
 
 T last the long-talked-of day arrived, in 
 which the four prizes were to be awarded 
 to the four most deserving children at 
 Hive Hall. 
 
 There were to be no lessons that day, and 
 the prizes would not be given out till afternoon; 
 so the children had ample time to spare, after 
 donning their holiday clothes, in which to dis- 
 cuss among themselves the prizes, and those who 
 would be most likely to receive them. 
 
 One of the boys, Edgar Ford, the best scholar 
 among them, was sure of one of the ships, and 
 his face was radiant in consequence, as he 
 walked around, trying not to look impatient. 
 
 Anne, too, felt almost sure of receiving a 
 prize, but not quite sure as she had felt a month 
 ago. Who would take the prizes for good beha- 
 viour none of them could guess, as their con- 
 124
 
 A WARDING THE PRIZE. 125 
 
 duct had been, on an average, about the same, 
 excepting Dora ; she received more black marks 
 the first month than any of the others received 
 in the whole three. 
 
 Never was the sound of the bell so welcome 
 before, as it was when Mrs. Burns rung it at 
 two o'clock, to call all the children to their 
 places in the school-room. 
 
 Grandfather Milly had the seat of honor on 
 the platform, and Daisy was flitting here and 
 there, now speaking to this child, now to that, 
 and now to Mrs. Burns, but never in the same 
 place longer than two minutes at a time. While 
 before them all, on the teacher's desk, were the 
 two handsome, perfect ships, and the two large, 
 wax dolls, with their extra dresses packed neatly 
 away, and locked up in the trunk beside each. 
 
 After :a few words from Daisy, to the schol- 
 ars, Mrs. Burns proposed to read the names of 
 the three girls that had gained the highest per 
 cent, in their studies ; and taking up a paper 
 she read from it first the name of Anne Porter, 
 who had sixty-eight per cent. Anne looked 
 important, then glanced at the dolls and won- 
 dered if one wasn't a little better than the 
 other, and hoped she would get the best one ;
 
 126 DAIST TR AVERS, 
 
 but she had no time to think more about it, for 
 Mrs. Burns had read the name of Dora Went- 
 worth, who had seventy per. cent, in her studies. 
 "How's that, Anne Porker?" was Dora's 
 inward exclamation, as she stole a side glance 
 at Anne to see what effect the last name had 
 upon her, but Anne had suddenly discovered a 
 long scratch on her desk and was trying to rub 
 it out. 
 
 " I rather 'spect neither of us'll get it," con- 
 tinued Dora, to herself, 'cause there's another 
 name to come yet ; but, land ! it's all the same 
 to me, so long as I'm two ahead of 3^011, Porker. 
 Next time don't tell a body she can't do a thing 
 till she's tried to do it. That's the greatest ! " 
 exclaimed she, almost loud enough to be heard, 
 for Mrs. Burns had read the name of Ella 
 Myers, who was a quiet, unobtrusive girl, , who 
 had never mentioned that she was trying for a 
 prize, and none of the other girls had ever mis- 
 trusted such a thing. In fact, if they had been 
 asked, any day, if Ella Myers had failed that 
 day, they could not have told, so little notice 
 did they take of her, and of what she did. 
 
 " Ella Myers," said Mrs. Burns, " has eighty- 
 two per cent, and is entitled to the prize, which
 
 A WARDING THE PRIZE. 127 
 
 she will please come and receive." Ella walked 
 up to the teacher's desk, looking very red in 
 the face, indeed, and received the gaily dressed 
 doll, with its trunk full of clothes, from Aunt 
 Daisy. She was about to return to her seat, 
 when Mr. Milly said : " I make a move that 
 you all give three cheers for Ella Myers ; only, 
 boys, don't be noisy about it." 
 
 The boys were noisy about it, but no one 
 seemed to mind it much. So were the girls, all 
 but Anne, whose lips moved, and that was all. 
 
 After order was restored, Mrs. Burns pro- 
 ceeded to read the names of the three girls 
 whose deportment had been the best. Ella 
 Myers had sixty-five per cent., Anne Porter had 
 eighty-two, and Lucy Stone had eighty-five. 
 
 "Three cheers for Roily!" shouted Dora, 
 springing to her feet, as soon as the last name 
 with its per cent, was read. 
 
 " Hush ! Dora ; all in good time," said Daisy, 
 who could not help smiling at Dora's impulsive- 
 ness ; while the boys who were about to give 
 the cheers at her bidding, subsided, with a laugh 
 among themselves. 
 
 Then Lucy went to receive her prize, very 
 happy indeed; and she was cheered even louder
 
 128 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 than Ella had been, because she was more of a 
 favorite, and because the boys knew it was now 
 their turn, and they would not be much longer 
 in doubt as to which among them would 
 receive the ships. 
 
 . For the first prize Mrs. Burns said she would 
 only read one boy's name, and that was Edgar 
 Ford, who had ninety per cent. All the other 
 boys were so far behind him, she was ashamed 
 to read their names with their per cent. So 
 Edgar went to receive his prize, and was cheered 
 as he deserved to be. 
 
 The other prize went to a poor pale-faced 
 boy, who had had the misfortune . to lose one 
 leg ; and as he hobbled up to receive the ship, 
 his face glowing with pleasure, not one, among 
 them all, had the heart to envy it of him. 
 
 After that Daisy told them that three months 
 from that day they would receive four more 
 prizes ; and as she could not tell what each one 
 would rather have, she would let those who 
 earn the right to a prize, say what the prize 
 shall be, provided it does not exceed in value 
 ten dollars. 
 
 To make the day still more pleasant, and one 
 to be looked forward to, she had provided a
 
 A WARDING THE PRIZE. 129 
 
 basket of luscious great oranges, which she now 
 exposed to view. Then dismissing the children, 
 each was supplied with one, as they passed 
 out. 
 
 " Well, Roily, you got a doll, after all didn't 
 you ? " said Dora to Lucy, as the two went up 
 to their room. 
 
 " Oh, Dora, I never expected to get one, and 
 I'm sure I shouldn't have got this, if it hadn't 
 been for you, fixing me up mornings." 
 
 " Anne looked blue, didn't she ? " 
 
 " Yes. It was too bad, wasn't it, that she 
 didn't get one, when she was trying for both ? " 
 
 "Too bad? Not a bit of it. It served her 
 just right, I think, for being so piggish." 
 
 " I mean to tell her she can take mine, some- 
 times, if she wants to, an' will be very careful 
 of it," said Lucy, putting the doll on the bed, 
 and viewing it with pride ,nd satisfaction. 
 
 "You are going to let her take it?" said 
 Dora, not a little surprised. 
 
 " Yes. Wouldn't you ? " 
 
 " Don't ask me what P d do. But 1 11 tell 
 you what, crazy Bet would say about it if she 
 was here." 
 
 "What would she say? " 
 
 " Roily ! Roily ! don't cast pearls before swine ! "
 
 130 DAIS T TR AVERS. 
 
 Lucy looked puzzled, but she did not question 
 her meaning, as a more important matter sud- 
 denly occurred to her. 
 
 " Wasn't you trying for a prize, too, Dora ? " 
 interrogated she. 
 
 "Me? Don't think it. Wliat I was trying 
 to do, I did. I only wanted to convince Anne 
 Porker that she isn't so much smarter than 
 other people." 
 
 "You don't like her at all, do you?" 
 
 "I like her better'n she likes me, to-day. 
 I'm just as sure of that, as I am that that doll's 
 head'll break just about as easy as you can 
 smash an egg." 
 
 " Oh dear ! I wouldn't have it break for the 
 world ! " and at the thought, Lucy lifted up the 
 doll, and made a softer bed for it on the pillow, 
 while Dora took out her tools, and began to 
 work." 
 
 " What would you want for a prize the next 
 time ? " said she, to Lucy, after a while. 
 
 " Dear me ! " exclaimed Lucy, almost drop- 
 ping the trunk of clothes she had been admir- 
 ing, in her surprise at the question. " I'm not 
 going to try for another prize. I've got all I 
 want now. I couldn't get one again, neither, 
 I know ; an' if I could I'd feel mean to take
 
 A WARDING THE PRIZE. 131 
 
 two prizes, when the other girls are trying so 
 for one." 
 
 " "Well, if I was going to try for a prize, I'd 
 try for something that was alive. Such as a 
 bird, or a dog, or monkey ; something that 
 would know me, an' like me." 
 
 " Then I know what you'd better try for." 
 
 " What ? " 
 
 " A parrot. They're just the funniest birds 
 you ever saw." 
 
 " I've heard of them, but never saw one." 
 Dora had learned to say them, instead of 'um. 
 
 " I saw one, once. He could say almost any- 
 thing, and could laugh, an' whistle tunes." 
 
 " I wonder if they know much ? " 
 
 " I guess they do. The lady that owned the 
 one I saw, used to have a woman come every 
 week to do the washing ; an' she always used 
 to put the parrot in the room with her, so he 
 could watch her, an' tell if she stopped washing, 
 and wasted her time ; an' he'd always tell if she 
 did, then the lady'd get another woman to do 
 her washing." 
 
 " Like as not he'd lie about it, just for the 
 sake of seeing a new face. But I'd like one, 
 ever so mucli." 
 
 " I know YOU would."
 
 132 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Wouldn't I make it call pig ! pig ! pig ! 
 every time Anne Porker went by." 
 
 " Dear me ! Dora, you are always thinking of 
 something to make Anne Porter mad ! I wish 
 you wouldn't. I don't see how you can. \liate 
 to have anyone mad with me." 
 
 " Of course you do. That's because you're 
 not like the kind of an animal I'm like. 'Spect 
 I must be like a porcupine, but you are just 
 like a little rabbit, that wouldn't harm anybody, 
 an' only wants to get out of everybody's way; 
 while I'm always in everyories way, an' sure to 
 hurt those I touch." 
 
 " You never hurt me," said Lucy, with a 
 laugh. 
 
 " Of .course not, 'cause you never gave me a 
 chance. Whoever heard of a porcupine hurting 
 a rabbit. The rabbit knows enough to keep out 
 of the way of such an ugly thing." 
 
 " Did I ever keep out of your way ? " 
 
 * No ; an' it's so queer you don't, I believe 
 it's causing my quills to drop out. I'm suie I 
 haven't got so many to hurt with, as I used to 
 have, before I knew you. If I'm with you much 
 longer, who knows but they'll all go."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PETS. 
 
 YEAR had passed away since the twenty- 
 four pauper children entered Hive Hall, to 
 f YVY be P r vided for, and educated, by Daisy 
 Travers. 
 
 Every . three months four prizes had been 
 bestowed on them, and many of the children, in 
 choosing what their prize should be, followed 
 Dora Wentworth's example, and chose pets. 
 Some of the animals chosen by the boys, such 
 as rabbits, and Guinea pigs, multiplied so fast 
 that Daisy thought it best to have a place built 
 for them, instead of having each boy's room 
 denied by rude boxes containing them. So a 
 building was erected in the yard, half of which 
 was furnished with large, wire cages, to accom- 
 modate the boy's pets ; while the other half had 
 a glass roof, and was furnished inside with one 
 wide shelf, which was partitioned off into twelve 
 
 133
 
 134 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 parts by wire trellis-work, and each girl owned 
 one of these parts for her own plants, which 
 she was encouraged to care for to the best of her 
 ability. 
 
 Opposite the flower-shelf, the day our story 
 opens, hung four canaries which four of the girls 
 had been fortunate enough to secure as prizes, 
 while in a corner, chained to a cross-bar, was a 
 green parrot, that Dora had succeeded in win- 
 ning. She was delighted with Polly, at first, 
 and spent hours trying to teach her to talk ; but 
 Polly seemed adverse to talking about anything but 
 herself. She would say " Polly ! Pretty Polly I 
 Beau-u-u-tiful Polly ! " and " How do you do, 
 Polly ? " but as soon as Dora would try to teach 
 her the name of Anne Porter, or, as she tried 
 to make Polly say it, " Anne Porker ! pig ! pig ! 
 pig ! " Polly would scream fearfully, and she 
 would be glad to desist, though she never quite 
 gave up the hope of teaching her it, in time. 
 
 Anne Porter was standing very near Polly 
 this day, tending her plants, of which she had 
 some very fine specimens, when three little girls 
 eritered, and going up to her, one of them said i 
 
 ^ Anne, are you going to try for a prize, this 
 time ? "
 
 PETS. 135 
 
 "Of course I am," replied Anne, transferring 
 a trowel-full of earth from a basket to a flower- 
 pot. " I'll have a new dress this time, an' a 
 handsome one, too." 
 
 " A dress ? Why, we can have all the dresses 
 we need, without getting one that way." 
 
 " All we need, perhaps, but not all we want. 
 I want to dress better than the rest of the girls, 
 and I'm going to, too." 
 
 "You might give us a chance to get a prize 
 this time, you've had so many." 
 
 " I don't hinder you." 
 
 " You know we can't get one if you big girls 
 try. Dora Wentworth, an' Lucy Stone, an' Ella 
 Myers have all said they wouldn't try this time, 
 but would give us small girls a chance." 
 
 " More fools they," said Anne, with a laugh. 
 " And I'll stand all the better chance of getting 
 one myself." 
 
 "Anne Poster!" called another small girl, 
 looking in the door-way at that moment ; she 
 was doubtless on $ie errand the others were. 
 
 " Anne Porter ! " Polly, at the sound of that 
 name, dropped a piece of bread she was eating, 
 and held her head on one side, waiting, perhaps, 
 for the sentence to be finished, as Dora always
 
 136 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 finished it ; and when it was not, thinking 
 doubtless, she could do better herself, she sud- 
 denly screamed out, " Anne Porker ! pig ! pig I 
 pig ! " then, elated at her success, she uttered 
 a shrill cry, and repeated it all, just as Dora 
 Wentworth entered. 
 
 " You taught that bird to say that ! " exclaimed 
 Anne, white with rage, turning to Dora, as she 
 entered. 
 
 " Polly knows a thing or two, without being 
 taught," replied Dora, with a smile that angered 
 Anne all the more. 
 
 " What do you mean by that ? " 
 
 " She know's the right time to say the right 
 thing ; or she knows its almost dinner-time ! an', 
 as I often give her a little piece of roast pork 
 at dinner-time, 'cause she likes it so, she wants 
 to know if I've got ' any pork, eh ? pig, pig, 
 pig,' that's her way of asking for it." 
 
 " There's that for your knowing bird ! " and 
 Anne lifted her trowel suddenly, and threw it 
 at Polly, cutting short what .she was about to 
 say into " Anne Pork " then off she tumbled 
 from her roost, and was held dangling in the 
 air by her chain. 
 
 Dora flew to Polly's relief, while Anne, hoping
 
 PETS. 137 
 
 the bird would die, made good her escape but 
 of doors. 
 
 " Polly ! Polly ! pretty Polly ! " said Dora 
 holding up the bird, and trying to undo the 
 chain, at, the same time, while the four small 
 girls stood around, and looked on without saying 
 a word, until Dora had freed the parrot, then 
 one of them ventured to ask if she was hurt. 
 
 " I guess not much," replied Dora, feeling if 
 there were any broken bones ; while Polly turned 
 one eye up to look in her face, and muttered 
 faintly "pretty Polly." 
 
 " Yes, you are a pretty Polly, so you are. 
 I'll never doubt it again," said Dora, then she 
 laughed to herself, as she smoothed down the 
 rumpled feathers. 
 
 "What are you doing with Polly," said Lucy 
 Stone, coming in at that moment, her round 
 good-natured face all of a glow, as it almost 
 always was. 
 
 " I say ! " said Dora, addressing the small 
 girls, " will you four run out a little while ? 
 Lucy, an' I want to talk together." The four 
 small girls went out willingly enough, looking 
 knowingly at each other the while. 
 
 " What is it ? " questioned Lucy, as soon as 
 they had gone.
 
 138 DAIST TRA VERS. 
 
 " Oh, the jolliest news ever you heard. You 
 know what I've been trying to teach Polly for 
 so long ? " 
 
 "About Anne?" 
 
 " Yes. She said it off to-day, just as well as 
 I could say it myself; right before Anne, too. 
 Wasn't she furious ! I tried to convince her 
 that Polly was talking about her dinner, but 
 she wouldn't believe it, which only goes to 
 prove she is a pig, or she wouldn't be so sensi- 
 tive about it. What do you think she did ? she 
 threw her trowel at Polly, and knocked her off 
 the roost with it. Sweet-tempered, isn't she? " 
 
 "I'm sorry Polly said it," said Lucy, with a 
 very serious face. 
 
 " That's like you. After I was nearly a year 
 teaching her to say it, as soon as she does say 
 it, you're sorry." 
 
 " I'm sorry for your sake. Don't you remem- 
 ber how you couldn't use your sculptor's tools 
 that Aunt Daisy gave you, for such a long time, 
 because the first thing you carved out with them 
 was a pig, with Anne's name to it, which you 
 put in her desk. Like as not Anne will make 
 a great fuss about what the parrot said, and 
 maybe they'll take it away from you, an' give
 
 PETS. 139 
 
 it to one of the boys, because you teach it to 
 say such spiteful things." 
 
 " I wouldn't mind that much, if they gave it 
 to Edgar Ford. He'd enjoy hearing Polly say 
 it, quite as much as I would," replied Dora, 
 with a laugh. 
 
 " Dora Wentworth; teacher wants to see you ! " 
 said a little girl putting her head in at the door. 
 
 " There ! I told you so ! " exclaimed Lucy, 
 in a voice of dismay. 
 
 " She didn't let grass grow under her feet 
 that time, that's a fact. Don't turn gray on 
 my account, Roily, till I get back ; an' keep an 
 eye on Polly, will you ? Some stray pig might 
 come along, an' eat her; pigs will eat anything, 
 you know," with that Dora followed the small 
 messenger to Mrs. Burns the teacher. 
 
 Half an hour later she returned. 
 
 " Well ? " said Lucy, questiouingly. 
 
 " Well ! " replied Dora, " they're going to 
 send Polly to Boston, to-morrow, and change 
 her for a parrot that's not so highly educated. 
 Anne Porker knows it, an' she's going 'round, 
 smacking her lips, as though she'd just swal- 
 lowed a fine mess of swill. Just wait till I 
 think how I'll be even with her." 
 
 " Oh, Dora, I do wish you'd let it drop, where
 
 140 DAIS T TRA VERS. 
 
 it is, and not try to be even with her again. 
 Every bit of trouble you have is caused by that 
 trying to be even with her. I don't think 
 she was so much to blame to-day. If it hadn't 
 been for what you taught Polly there wouldn't 
 have been any trouble." 
 
 " How did she know Polly meant her. I 
 explained it to her, good-natured enough, but 
 she wouldn't believe me. If I was to blame, 
 why didn't she throw the trowel at me ? Then 
 I could have caught it, an' thrown it back at 
 her, for her to catch, an' throw again. We 
 might have played trowel, till, like as not, we 
 became the best of friends. Instead of that she 
 must throw it at Polly, who wasn't a bit to 
 blame, then, thinking she might have hurt her, 
 an' I would tell, she must rush and tell her 
 story first, so as to get all the blame on me. 
 I'll get an ugly, green toad, an' put it in her 
 bed, see'f I don't ! . Won't she squeal when she 
 lies down on it ! " 
 
 " If you do, everyone will know you did it, 
 an' you'll only be punished for it." 
 
 " I s'pose every one would know I did that," 
 replied Dora, thoughtfully, " but never mind, I'll 
 think of something." 
 
 " Dora."
 
 PETS. 141 
 
 " Well, Roily, have you thought of something 
 to save me the trouble? That's good of you." 
 
 " Do you remember once of calling yourself a 
 porcupine, with quills to hurt every one that 
 came near you ? And you said I had caused 
 some of your quills to drop off. How I wish 
 they would all drop off, then you couldn't hurt 
 yourself; for you do hurt yourself more than 
 anyone else, Dora." 
 
 " Now you're talking, Roily. Whoever heard 
 of a porcupine without any quills ! I'd want 
 one to defend myself with." 
 
 " I'll tell you what I've been thinking of, 
 Dora. I'll let you have one quill to defend 
 yourself, if you'll let me pull all the others out," 
 said Lucy, her face radiant with a new idea. 
 
 " How'll you go to work to do that ? " inter- 
 rogated Dora, with a laugh. 
 
 " Why, every time you are going to do some- 
 thing that you really ought not to, you know, 
 I'll get you to promise me that you won't do it, 
 an' I'll call that pulling out a quill. Now, if 
 you'll promise not to trouble Anne for what she 
 did to-day, that will be the first one out." 
 
 " Pulling that one out would hurt like sixty. 
 I guess you'll have to call that the quill that's 
 going to stay in."
 
 142 DAIS T TIf AVERS. 
 
 Dora's room, at Hive Hall now presented a dif- 
 ferent appearance than it did a year ago. Then 
 there was no way of distinguishing it from the 
 sleeping apartments of the other children, now, 
 every available place in it was adorned with some 
 figure or figures carved from wood or plaster, 
 by Dora ; while upon the window-seat, where 
 she had just been admiring it, was a nearly 
 completed statuette, which was intended to rep- 
 resent Una and the lion. 
 
 This Dora considered her great triumph. She 
 had tried to make it as near like one she had 
 seen in Boston, as possible, and she felt sure 
 she had succeeded well ; though a critic would 
 doubtless have said the lion looked more like, a 
 Newfoundland dog, and Una resembled too 
 strongly the wash-woman style of beauty to be 
 interesting. Nevertheless Dora was proud of it, 
 and so was Lucy, her friend and room-mate ; 
 and so, also, was Aunt Daisy, who watched 
 Dora's sculptural attempts with interest. 
 
 Dora was now standing before the bureau in 
 her room, from the open drawer of which she had 
 just taken a clean linen collar to wear with her 
 best dress ; for it was Sunday morning, and she 
 was preparing to go to church.
 
 PETS. 143 
 
 Every once in a while she would cast a sat- 
 isfied glance towards Una. 
 
 " What are you going to do with it, when 
 it's done?" questioned Lucy, looking over the 
 top of the towel she was rubbing her round 
 face with, and trying to wink and blink out 
 the soap-suds she had got in her eyes. " You'll 
 have to take down Spring, an' put it up there," 
 and Lucy looked at a small bracket in a corner, 
 on which was a wooden figure of a girl very 
 plentifully supplied with flowers. 
 
 " I've been thinking I'll give it to Aunt 
 Daisy, she likes it so well ; an' I haven't given 
 her anything since I gave her the angel." 
 
 " Dear me ; I wish I could make something 
 to give her, too." 
 
 " Why don't } r ou embroider a handkerchief 
 or something, an' give it to her. I should think 
 you might ; you can sew better than any girl in 
 school. 
 
 " Don't you say a word, an' I'll do it ! " ejac- 
 ulated Lucy, joyfully. " I've got a bran-new 
 handkerchief of my own, that I can take, an* 
 I can get embroid'ry cotton from Mrs. Burns ; 
 she uses lots of it. You're the best girl ever I 
 saw to think of things." 
 
 " You like to sew, don't you ? "
 
 144 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 " Of course I do. I'd rather sew than do 
 anything." 
 
 " I don't see how you can like it. The idea 
 of picking away at soft cloth. If it was some- 
 thing hard, now, like wood or stone, there 
 wouldn't be so much wonder. I rather guess 
 Anne Porker won't be at church to-day," con- 
 tinued Dora, with a meaning smile. 
 
 " Why do you guess that ? This pleasant day, 
 too ! Catch her to stay away if she could. 
 Besides, don't you know she's got a new hat ? 
 Made it all herself. She asked Aunt Daisy for 
 some ribbon an' roses, then she made just such 
 a hat out of hers, as she saw in a shop window 
 in the village. I tell you it's gay." 
 
 " For all that, Lucy, you can take my word 
 for it, she won't be at church to-day, or if she 
 is there, she'll look mad." 
 
 " Oh, Dora ! you haven't done anything to 
 her, have you, on account of the parrot ? " 
 questioned Lucy, her face growing suddenly 
 sober. 
 
 " No, I haven't done anything to "her : though 
 I'm tempted to, everytime I think of poor Polly, 
 and look at the old parrot I've got now, that 
 can't do anything but bark like a poodle dog.
 
 PETS' 145 
 
 If he'd only grunt like a hog, instead, there'd 
 be some fun in it." 
 
 " Then what makes you think she won't be at 
 church ? " 
 
 " I dreamed she wouldn't : that's all." 
 
 " Oh, that's nothing," returned innocent Lucy 
 re-assured, " I often dream dreams that don't 
 come true, in fact I don't believe I ever dreamed 
 one that did come true." 
 
 Half way to church Dora stopped short, and 
 stood irresolute. 
 
 " What are you stopping for ? " interrogated 
 Lucy, who was walking beside her. 
 
 " Una ! I left her on the window-seat, an' 
 the window's open. You don't suppose she'll 
 fall out, do you ? " 
 
 " Of course not ; how can she ! unless the 
 lion should take a notion to roar, an' frighten 
 her," replied Lucy, with a laugh. 
 
 While Dora and Lucy were dressing them- 
 selves for church, Anne and her room-mate, 
 Maria Hurd were going through the same per- 
 formance. 
 
 " I don't believe the people at church, to-day, 
 will think I belong to this school, when they 
 come to see me with my new hat on," said Anne,
 
 146 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 pinning on a pink bow, and arranging it to suit 
 her. 
 
 Maria, who never had much to say, made no 
 reply, and Anne having arranged the bow to her 
 satisfaction, took down from a shelf the box 
 that contained her new hat. 
 
 " O ! goodness me ! what's in it ! " ejaculated 
 she, after having placed the box on a chair, and 
 removed the cover. 
 
 " What is in it ? " questioned Maria, with 
 more curiosity than she usually exhibited. 
 
 " O, I don't know ! Some dreadful, horrid 
 things ; just look." 
 
 " Why, them's young rats ! " exclaimed Maria, 
 who had no idea of grammar, on seeing what 
 
 was in the hat. 
 
 * 
 
 " Rats ! " screamed Anne. 
 
 " Yes. I don't believe they're a week old 
 yet ; see, their eyes ain't open. 
 
 " O, goodness me ! how could they get in 
 there ? " 
 
 " I don't know, I 'spect there must be an old 
 rat in the room, somewhere, an' she made her 
 nest in your hat ; like as not she's " under the 
 bed or bureau, now. No, she ain't, neither," 
 continued Maria, after a careful search. " 'Spect 
 she must have gone out of the door."
 
 PETS. 147 
 
 " Oh ! dear, dear ! I'm afraid they v'e spoilt 
 my hat ! What shall I do with the horrid 
 things, they'd ought to be killed." 
 
 " Tip them into the box-cover, an' I'll take 
 them up in the attic. There's a nest up there, 
 with four more in it, just like these ; I found 
 it yesterday, an' was going to tell the house- 
 keeper about it, but forgot it. I'll put there 
 these along with them up there, an' tell her 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " There they are ! Take them away ! " 
 exclaimed Anne, tossing them into the box- 
 cover, where they immediately began to kick 
 and squirm. 
 
 "I'm afraid my handsome new hat is spoilt!" 
 said Anne, to herself, as soon as Maria had left 
 the room. " There's a great stain on the rib- 
 bon just where it will show. Oh, dear ! I 
 shall have to have more ribbon, an' make it all 
 over again. I can't go to church to-day, that's 
 certain." And tears of vexation gathered in 
 Anne's eyes, as she pulled the trimming off the 
 hat before putting it away. 
 
 " It's the curiousest thing ever I saw ! " 
 exclaimed Maria, re-appearing. " Those four 
 young rats I saw up in the attic yesterday are
 
 148 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 gone, an' I'll bet those that were in your hat 
 are the same ones." 
 
 " What ! " ejaculated Anne, sharply, a sus- 
 picion of the truth beginning to dawn in her 
 mind. " How could they get in my hat ? " 
 
 " Like as not one of the girls found them, 
 an' put them in for fun." 
 
 " Well, if that's how they came there, you 
 can just remember its all your fault, Maria Kurd, 
 that my hat is spoilt. You should have killed 
 them when you saw them, or else told Mrs. 
 Shote, so she could have had them killed. 
 Hurry up, an' go to church. I don't want to 
 see you again to-day." 
 
 " Served her right if her hat is spoilt ! " mut- 
 tered Maria to herself, as she went down stairs. 
 " The old cross-patch ! guess she can take care 
 of her rats herself, another time." 
 
 Anne remained in her room until every one 
 in the house had gone to church, then, after 
 waiting a while to make sure none would return 
 for anything, she sought Dora's room. 
 
 " Did any one ever see such a mess of rub- 
 bish ! " said she, to herself, on entering, looking 
 with contempt on Dora's statuettes. " Ah," con- 
 tinued she, to herself, going to the window, and 
 taking up " Una and the Lion," " thin is the
 
 PETS. 149 
 
 one I heard her talking about. She's been a 
 long time working on this. How careless of 
 her to leave it on the window-seat, just where 
 the least touch would knock it out and break it. 
 I mean to see just how easy it will fall out." 
 Then placing it where it was before, she gave 
 it a slight push, and watched it as it fell to the 
 ground, where it broke in many pieces. 
 
 " There ! " said she, as she started to return to 
 her own room. " It's my opinion she'll be 
 longer putting that together, than I'll be fixing 
 my hat." 
 
 " Why, Roily," exclaimed Dora, on her return 
 from church, " you put Una away, didn't you, 
 after all? That was good of you when I for- 
 got it ; but it gave me such a start not to see 
 it on the window-seat when I came in." 
 
 " Put it away ? " repeated Lucy, looking over 
 Dora's shoulder as she entered, her round eyes 
 very round indeed. "I didn't touch it!" 
 
 "You didn't? Then that Anne Porker has 
 got it, an' has hid it out of spite ; there was no 
 one else to take it, an' it couldn't go without 
 hands. I'll have it again, if it's in her room, 
 as soon as she goes down to dinner ; an' I won't 
 mind rumpling up her things much, either." 
 
 " Perhaps it fell out of the window, said
 
 150 DAISr TR AVERS. 
 
 Lucy, as she went to the window and looked 
 out. " Oh, Dora, it's down there, all broken to 
 smash ! " 
 
 " Don't say so, Roily ! it's something else you 
 see I threw a lot of plaster out there yester- 
 day ; " but nevertheless Dora went to the win- 
 dow and looked out, to be sure Lucy was 
 wrong. A moment was long enough to con- 
 vince her she wa,s not ; then she drew in her 
 head, and sank down in a chair, without a word. 
 
 " I'm so sorry, Dora ! " said Lucy, with tears 
 in her eyes. " If I had only thought to put it 
 away for you ! " 
 
 " Never mind, Holly, you're not to blame. 
 That's my pay for taking it out on Sunday. 
 Aunt Daisy told me never to touch my work on 
 Sunday, an' I never did before." 
 
 "It won't take you so long to do another, like 
 it, will it?" 
 
 " I'm not going to do another one like it. 
 I couldn't. I shouldn't feel as I did when I 
 was making that." j. 
 
 " You think so now, but in a day or two I 
 know you '11 think differently. Why, this is just 
 like what Anne put in her new hat ! " exclaimed 
 she, stooping down, and picking up an artificial
 
 PETS. 151 
 
 flower. The next moment she could have bit 
 her tongue for saying it. 
 
 " So she was in here, an' did it, after all. I 
 thought it was strange it could fall out with- 
 out help," said Dora, her eyes flashing. 
 
 " Oh, no ; I don't believe she was in here, 
 and I'm sure she wouldn't do anything so mean 
 as that," said the little peace-maker. " It might 
 have been in the entry, and we might have 
 brought it in on our dresses, you know." 
 
 " Humbug ! what's the use of saying that 
 when you know better ! " 
 
 " Have you done anything to her since since 
 Polly was taken away ? " 
 
 " Nothing to deserve such mean treatment in 
 return." 
 
 " What did you do ? " 
 
 " I put some young rats in her new hat. I 
 donH 'believe they hurt it any, an* if they did, 
 it could be easily fixed. It isn't as though it 
 took months to make a hat." 
 
 "_Oh, Dora, I told you not to have anything 
 more to do with her, but you wouldn't heed 
 me. You always get the worst of it." 
 
 " We'll see who gets the worst of it the next 
 time," replied Dora, quite frightening poor Lucy 
 with her earnestness.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A GIPSY FOBTUNE-TELLER. 
 
 WEEK passed by, and Dora still mourned 
 the loss of her statuette, and grew morose 
 and unlike herself, because she had no 
 opportunity to satisfy her desire to "be even" 
 with Anne, in all that time. 
 
 Lucy had done her best to discourage her in 
 her design, but all to no purpose. Aunt Daisy 
 was grieved on learning that the statuette was 
 broken, but had no suspicion of the cause 
 of its destruction, for Dora and Lucy had kept 
 the secret so well, that even Anne felt quite 
 sure she was not suspected. 
 
 It was Saturday afternoon. Hive Hall was 
 nearly deserted, for all the children but Anne 
 and Dora had gone on a picnic in the woods. 
 Anne had remained behind to trim her hat, and 
 make it even " handsomer than it was before," 
 as she said to herself ; while Dora remained 
 152
 
 Tin: GYPSEY FORTDNK-TELLER. Pago 153.
 
 A G IPS T FORTUNE-TELLER. 153 
 
 because she knew she would not enjoy herself 
 with the other children, if she went, and pre- 
 ferred to be by herself. 
 
 She had wandered about aimlessly, feeling 
 very disagreeable, indeed, the most of the after- 
 noon, and was now standing by the gate, at the 
 entrance of Hive Hall, looking up the way, to 
 catch the first view of the children when they 
 should return. 
 
 So busy was she with her thoughts that she did 
 not hear steps approaching in the opposite direc- 
 tion, and could have screamed with fright when 
 a harsh, disagreeable voice close to her ear, said : 
 
 " Give me money, money, in my hand, little 
 girl, an' I'll tell }*our fortune!" Dora, turning 
 quickly, beheld the most repulsive looking gipsy 
 woman she had ever seen. She was large and 
 angular, with a face that expressed wickedness, 
 
 avarice and cunning. 
 
 
 " I haven't any money!" replied Dora shortly. 
 
 " No money ! an' live in such a nice house as 
 that ! You can get some if you try, I know." 
 
 "No I can't. Aunt Daisy never gives us 
 money. She buys everything we need, for us, 
 herself." 
 
 " Well, then, if you can't give me money, I'll
 
 154 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 take clothes instead. Come, now, I know you've 
 got a dress that you'd give me, for the sake of 
 having your fortune told. A fine fortune yours 
 will be, but I'll not tell a word till you give 
 something." 
 
 "I- wouldn't dare to give my dresses away." 
 
 " You don't look to be such a coward. Well, 
 then, a pair of shoes would do, or a hat." 
 
 " Or a hat ! " what a thrill as those words 
 passed through Dora's frame. 
 
 " I haven't got any to give away," said she, 
 after a minute's pause." But there's a girl up 
 at the Hall, there, that has just finished a hand- 
 some hat, an' you can get it, if you want it." 
 
 "Will she give it to me, if I tell her for- 
 tune ? " 
 
 " No, she wouldn't give it to you, because 
 she thinks too much of it, but you could take 
 it, couldn't you ? " returned Dora, avoiding the 
 gipsy's sharp eyes. 
 
 " Ah, I understand," replied the gipsy, with 
 a satisfied chuckle. " She is a bad girl, an' has 
 wronged you ; an' to punish her you want her 
 to lose her hat. That is good ! Where shall I 
 find her?" 
 
 Dora looked towards Hive Hall. Mrs. Shote,
 
 A GIPSY FORTUNE-TELLER. 155 
 
 the housekeeper was in her own room, seated 
 by the window, sewing. To approach the house 
 by the front way*, without being seen by her, 
 would be impossible. 
 
 " You will have to go up the drive-way and 
 'round the house to the back. I will be at the 
 back door to let you in." 
 
 " Will there be anybody there ? " said the. 
 gipsy, hesitating. 
 
 " There is no one in the house but Mrs. 
 Shote, there, an' the girl, who is in another 
 part of the house. You can get out of the way 
 before she can let Mrs. Shote know, if you are 
 smart." 
 
 " I'm not afraid of her letting Mrs. Shote 
 know for a while when I'm done with her," 
 replied the gipsy, looking very much gratified, 
 Dora thought. 
 
 " You will not harm her ? " said she growing 
 suddenly suspicious. " I will not let you in, 
 unless you promise you will not harm her." 
 
 " I won't hurt her. I'll have to gag her, an' 
 tie her, for it wouldn't be well for me to get 
 caught taking her hat ! " with that, the gipsy 
 turned, and walked up the way, with quick, 
 long steps, as though impatient to begin the
 
 156 DA IS T TRA VERS. 
 
 undertaking. Dora watched her for a moment, 
 feeling not wholly satisfied with what she was 
 about to do, then she walked slowly towards 
 the house, entered, and passed through it to the 
 back door; on opening that, there stood the 
 gipsy on the step. 
 
 " I was here before you, after all," said she 
 with a leer. 
 
 " You'll have to hurry. The whole school will 
 return in a minute," said Dora, for the gipsy 
 did not seem in a hurry now, but flashed her 
 sharp eyes here and there, in a manner that 
 puzzled Dora exceedingly. Nothing seemed too 
 small for her notice. Even the locks to the 
 doors and windows were scrutinized. After a 
 while her curiosity seemed to be satisfied, and 
 she followed Dora, who ascended the stairs, and 
 designated Anne's room by a gesture ; then after 
 the gipsy entered it, she hurried down stairs 
 again, and stood waiting in the entry for her to 
 return. 
 
 Anne had just finished trimming her hat, and 
 was holding it out at arm's length, to admire it, 
 when the gipsy entered. 
 
 " Who are you ? an' what do you want here ? " 
 said she, as soon as her astonishment would 
 allow her to speak.
 
 A GIPST FORTUNE-TELLER. 157 
 
 " I want to tell your fortune, little girl. Give 
 me some money, an' I'll tell it for you," replied 
 the gipsy, going towards her. 
 
 " I haven't any money." said Anne, rising 
 from her seat, and moving towards the door. 
 
 " No money ? well, I'll make something else 
 do, then. Give me that dress, hanging there 
 an' I'll tell it for you," said the gipsy, moving 
 herself towards the door, and placing her hand 
 on the knob. 
 
 " That's my best dress. I couldn't give it 
 away if I wanted to, which I don't," replied 
 Anne, decisively. 
 
 " That hat that's in your hand, then. I tell 
 you you won't have another chance to know 
 what the future has in store for you ; whether 
 you'll be rich or poor, high or low. Ah, I see 
 you've changed your mind, an' will give me the 
 hat." 
 
 "No you can't have this hat!" said Anne, 
 putting it behind her, for the gipsy had stretched 
 out her hand to receive it. "But you can have 
 those stockings on the bureau there, if you'll 
 tell it for that." 
 
 " Stockings ? well sit down in that chair, an' 
 I'll tell it for you," replied the gipsy, taking the
 
 158 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 stockings, while Anne sat down, feverish with 
 curiosity and expectation. 
 
 " You can't have that, too ! " exclaimed she, 
 for the gipsy had taken her skipping-rope from 
 a nail, where it was hanging. 
 
 "I sha'n't keep it. I want it but a minute" 
 replied the gipsy, then like a flash the stockings 
 were forced into Anne's mouth, and she, strug- 
 gling and unable to scream for assistance, was 
 tied hand and foot, then lashed to the chair. 
 
 " Your future is soon told," said the gipsy, 
 bending over her with a leer as soon as she was 
 secured." You'll always be unfortunate, but 
 this is one of your worst days ; be thankful it 
 has come, an' will soon be over," with that, she 
 took up the hat that Anne had dropped, then 
 took down the best dress, and with them left 
 the room. 
 
 "You didn't hurt her, did you?" interrogated 
 Dora, pale and uneasy, when the gipsy descended 
 the stairs. 
 
 " Bless you bonny eyes, no. Shall I tell your 
 fortune. 
 
 " No ; I don't want to hear it. Hurry an' get 
 away from here that's all I want," and Dora, 
 not noticing the dress, that was rolled up, and
 
 A GIPSY FORTUNE-TELLER. 159 
 
 tucked away under the gipsy's arm, conducted 
 her to the door through which she had entered, 
 and watched her, until her form disappeared 
 from sight, then she left the house, and walked 
 rapidly down the street to meet the children 
 returning from the picnic. 
 
 Dora walked on and on. " Why were they 
 so long coming ? " thought she to herself, and 
 at every step, her fears in regard to Anne in- 
 creased. What if the gipsy had hurt her? She 
 had listened and had heard not the slightest 
 sound. Surely Anne must have had time to 
 make one outcry, unless she had been taken by 
 surprise and knocked senseless. Perhaps she was 
 tying on her room floor now, insensible ! Per- 
 haps oh, what a chill came over Dora at the 
 thought and a cold sweat started from every 
 pore Perhaps she was dead! 
 
 She quickened her steps into a run, then 
 paused abruptly. 
 
 " I won't go any farther," said she to herself. 
 "I'll go back, an' send Mrs. Shote to her 
 room ; maybe I will be too late to help her if 
 she is hurt. Oh, whatever made me do such a 
 wicked thing ! " at that moment a distant shout 
 reached her ears and looking, she beheld the
 
 160 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 school-children returning. "I may as well wait 
 for them, now," said she. " A few minutes 
 can't make a great difference, either way," and 
 Dora seated herself upon a stone, by the road- 
 side, to await the children's approach, looking 
 anything but happy. Poor girl ! she had yet to 
 learn that revenge is not for us ; that there is 
 One who knows all our wrongs, great and small, 
 and has promised to repay them. 
 
 " Oh, Dora ! " exclaimed Lucy, who was one 
 of the first to come up to where Dora was 
 seated. "You don't know what a good time 
 we've had all the afternoon? I wish you had 
 been with us." 
 
 "I wish I had, too,"' replied Dora, soberly, 
 looking into the bright animated face before 
 her. 
 
 " Well, you look as though you did, I must 
 say. It's your own fault that you didn't go. I 
 knew you'd be sorry for it." 
 
 " It's too late to talk about it now: let's get 
 home as soon as we can." 
 
 " What's your hurry ? I think its splendid 
 here. Did you ever see such a red sunset." 
 
 " Bother the sunset, to-night ; the other chil- 
 dren will all get home before we do, " and Dora 
 arose and walked on.
 
 A GIPST FORTUNE-TELLER. 161 
 
 " You are the strangest girl I ever saw. Some 
 evenings you can't look at the sunset long 
 enough, even when it isn't half as handsome as 
 it is now," said Lucy, as she walked along by 
 her side. 
 
 " One can't always feel the same." 
 
 " Why didn't you come along to the woods 
 if you wanted to so bad? you would have found 
 us all there ; you couldn't have missed us. If I 
 had known yo\i felt so about it, I'd have come 
 back after you." 
 
 " For goodness sake, Lucy, don't talk any 
 more about it. I know you would ; you're the 
 best girl I ever knew. I don't care about the 
 picnic. I've got the blues, I guess. I want to 
 get home too to get some supper." 
 
 " Oh, if that's all," replied Lucy, with a 
 laugh, " you'll soon be yourself again." 
 
 Dora's steps began to grow slower, as they 
 drew near Hive Hall. She would soon know all 
 now. Maria Hurd, Anne's roommate, was one 
 of the first to enter. Dora watched her as she 
 ascended the stairs to her room, to remove her 
 hat and brush her hair, before appearing at the 
 supper table. 
 
 Then Dora entered, and stopped at the foot of 
 
 11
 
 162 DAISY TRA VERS. 
 
 the stairs to listen, while the other children 
 brushed by her, on their way to their rooms. 
 
 No unusual sounds greeted her listening ears. 
 Presently Maria re-appeared, looking fresh and 
 clean. Dora looked inquiringly into her face, 
 as she descended the stairs, but her face was as 
 expressionless as usual; what could it mean? 
 Dora decided to remain in suspense no longer; 
 she would look into Anne's room herself; but 
 an awful thought suddenly arrested her steps in 
 that direction. What if the gipsy had mur- 
 dered Anne, and hid the body where Maria 
 could not see it when she entered the room! 
 It must be so, thought Dora, and she bowed 
 her head on the banister in an agony of remorse. 
 
 For a while she stood motionless ; then, sud- 
 denly resolving to know the worst, she ascended 
 the stairs, and opening the door looked into 
 Anne's room ; a minute was long enough to 
 prove to her that Anne was not there. Very 
 much puzzled she closed the door, and walked 
 towards her own room ; Lucy was just coming 
 out of it, as she approached. 
 
 " You look as though you'd seen a ghost, 
 Dora ! I never saw you so pale before ; are 
 you sick ? "
 
 A GIPSY FORTUNE-TELLER. 163 
 
 " Sick ? no. What a foolish child you are. 
 Run along down. I'll be down as soon as I 
 brush my hair,' ' and Dora entered her room, and 
 shut the door almost in Lucy's sympathizing 
 face. She did not attempt to brush her hair, 
 however, but sank down in a chair, and there 
 remained for she knew not how long. 
 
 She, was disturbed at last, by Lucy, who 
 bounced into the room, exclaiming : 
 
 " Oh, Dora, have you heard the news ? " 
 
 " What news ? " said Dora, starting suddenly. 
 
 " About Anne Porter." 
 
 *' I haven't heard anything about her," Dora 
 managed to articulate. "What about her? " 
 
 " Why you came near losing her, before you 
 got even with her," replied Lucy, with a laugh. 
 
 " Came near losing her ? " and Dora began to 
 breathe again. 
 
 " Yes ; it's the strangest thing ever you heard 
 of. Don't you think, a horrid old gipsy woman, 
 you'd ought to hear Anne describe her, went 
 into her room this afternoon an' wanted to tell 
 her fortune. How I wish I'd been here ; I'd 
 have had mine told." 
 
 " Well, what did she do ? " questioned impa- 
 tient Dora.
 
 164 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Anne told her she didn't have any money, 
 then she wanted her best dress, or hat instead, 
 and Anne would not give them to her, of course ; 
 so then she took a pair of stockings that were 
 on the bureau, an' forced them into Anne's 
 mouth, so she couldn't cry out, then tied her 
 into a chair, and walked off with the best dress 
 and that unfortunate hat." 
 
 " Was Anne hurt ? " 
 
 "No, not at all; only her jaws are stiff." 
 
 " I'm glad ! " exclaimed Dora, with a sigh of 
 relief. 
 
 "Glad of what?" 
 
 " I'm glad she glad the gipsy took away her 
 best dress, an' that hat." 
 
 " Don't be in such a hurry. Aunt Daisy took 
 her to the village and bought her a new hat, 
 the one she saw, and tried to make hers like ; 
 then she took her home with her, and gave her 
 a dress ; one she used to wear herself, I guess, 
 but I tell you it's gay. Won't she feel big, 
 to-morrow ? Why, you'd think she'd done some- 
 thing wonderful, herself, by the way she is put- 
 ting on airs, and every one is making much of 
 her." 
 
 " What do you mean by ' making much of 
 her.' "
 
 A GIPST FORTUNE-TELLER. 165 
 
 " Why, Mrs. Shote took her into her own 
 private room, an' gave her lots of nice things to 
 eat ; then Mrs. Burns took her off to her room, 
 an' I don't know what she gave her, but she 
 came out looking pleased enough; an' Aunt Daisy 
 says she wants her to spend the evening with 
 her, at her house." Dora greeted this informa- 
 tion with a low whistle. 
 
 " Yes," continued Lucy, with a laugh, " it 
 won't be of any use for us to speak to her for 
 a month, she wouldn't answer us, if we did, she 
 feels so big." 
 
 " You forget that I don't speak to her." 
 
 " Dear me ! so you don't. I don't see how 
 you can help it, at such a time as this, though ; 
 I couldn't. I wish I hadn't gone to the picnic. 
 Perhaps I should be of some consequence, now, 
 if I hadn't. How is it the gipsy didn't touch 
 you, when she got into the house ? or wasn't 
 you here ? " 
 
 " I was out nearly all the afternoon. Did any 
 of the other girls lose anything ? " 
 
 " No ; Mrs. Shote went through all the rooms 
 to see if anything else was stolen. She thinks 
 the gipsy must have got frightened, an' left 
 before she had time to take anything else ? "
 
 166 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " You didn't say who first saw Anne after the 
 gipsy left her ? " 
 
 " Aunt Daisy. She was going to ride and 
 stopped here, to see if we had left our rooms in 
 good order. When she opened Anne's room 
 door, there was Anne tied in a chair, an' nearly 
 choked to death with the stockings in her mouth. 
 She must have taken on dreadfully about her 
 hat an' dress, for Aunt Daisy took her to the 
 village for a new hat as soon as she had told 
 Mrs. Shote about it all." 
 
 " Well, I don't want to hear any more about 
 it. I'm going down to supper." 
 
 "Supper? Why, supper was over an hour 
 ago." 
 
 "It was?" 
 
 " Yes. Wasn't you down to it ? " 
 
 " It's likely I'd say I was going down to it 
 now if I was." 
 
 " Nobody noticed that you wasn't there, we 
 were all having such a talk about Anne and the 
 gipsy. Did you fall asleep ? " 
 
 " I suppose so," and Dora turned her face to 
 the window. 
 
 "Never mind, Dora; I'll go down and tell 
 Mrs. Shote that you fell asleep and didn't hear
 
 A GIPSY FORTUNE-TELLER. 167 
 
 the supper-bell, an' to give me something for 
 you to eat. It will taste all the nicer, eating it 
 here. I'll tell her I didn't eat anything myself, 
 there was so much talk going on, so she can 
 give enough for two." With that, generous, 
 unsuspecting Lucy left the room. 
 
 Dora, as soon as she was alone, began to 
 meditate on how differently the gipsy affair had 
 ended from what she had expected. Anne had 
 certainly gained by it. The only one that lost 
 by it was Aunt Daisy, whom Dora loved more 
 than any one else in the world. The only one 
 that had really suffered by it was herself, while 
 she was in suspense as to Anne's fate. 
 
 " Open the door, Dora ! " called Lucy, return- 
 ing; and Dora arose to open it, letting in her 
 room-mate who held a waiter on which were two 
 glasses of milk, some sandwiches, and two slices 
 of cake. 
 
 " Now won't we have a jolly time all by our- 
 selves. Mrs. Shote was good-natured enough for 
 anything. Just turn that chair around, so I can 
 put this on it; I'm tired of holding it." 
 
 * There ! you always have to tell me what to 
 do, but you always know just what to do with- 
 out being told, Roily," said Dora, as she placed
 
 168 DAISY TR AVERS, 
 
 the chair to receive the waiter. "I should have 
 gone to bed hungry, to-night, if it hadn't been 
 for you." 
 
 " And I should have gone to bed hungry if it 
 hadn't been for you ; so we're even," replied 
 Lucy with a laugh. "That cake, so Mrs. Shote 
 told me, is some she took <out for Anne, but 
 Anne couldn't eat it, she had had so many other 
 things. It's splendid ! Full of plums ! " 
 
 " You eat it all, Roily ; I don't want any of 
 it " said Dora, pushing it to Lucy's side of the 
 waiter. 
 
 " Why not ? " questioned Lucy, her round eyes 
 opening in surprise. 
 
 " Because, I don't. There goes Anne Porker," 
 continued she, casting a glance out of the win- 
 dow. 
 
 " Yes," replied Lucy, " she's on her way to 
 Aunt Daisy's. How she does swing that new 
 dress of hers, an' isn't that hat a beauty ? "
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 POOR DORA. 
 
 I HAT night Lucy was awakened by hear- 
 ing Dora moaning and talking in her 
 sleep, as though under the influence of 
 a terrible nightmare. 
 
 " Wake up! wake up, Dora f" said she, sitting 
 up in bed, and shaking her suffering companion 
 vigorously. " Wake up, you frighten me." 
 
 " I told you not to hurt her ! I told yon not 
 to hurt her ! " mourned Dora. 
 
 " Nobody's getting hurt but yourself. Wake 
 up ! " and Lucy, with one great effort, pulled 
 Dora into a sitting position. 
 
 " What's the matter ? " said she, in bewilder- 
 ment, awake at last. 
 
 " I should say what's the matter. You've 
 been having bad dreams." 
 
 '"It was' only a dream !" and Dora with a 
 sigh of relief, fell heavily back upon her pillow. 
 
 169
 
 170 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Only the nightmare, you mean. It frightened 
 me to listen to you. I don't see what made you 
 have it, when T ate all the cake. What did you 
 think had got you." 
 
 " I don't know," replied Dora, sitting up again 
 to cast a frightened look around the moon-lit 
 room. 
 
 "I do, then ; you thought that gipsy had got 
 you ; you said as much in your sleep." 
 
 " What did I say? " questioned Dora, earnestly. 
 
 " I couldn't make out half ; you were scolding 
 the gipsy, furiously, though, and telling her not 
 to hurt somebody ; I suppose you meant yourself 
 by the way you were moaning." 
 
 "I suppose so," replied Dora, with another 
 sigh of relief; then a silence fell between the 
 two girls which was broken, at last, by Dora. 
 
 " Roily ! " 
 
 " What." 
 
 " How would you get even with Anne Pdrt 
 Porker, if you were in my place ? " 
 
 " I wouldn't try to get even with her, at all." 
 
 " That's easy for you to say, when she hasn't 
 done anything to you. But just ttiiuk if she 
 should destroy something of yours that you had 
 been a long time making, and thought a great 
 deal of, wouldn't you want to get even with her?'*
 
 POOR DORA. 
 
 " If I did, like as not she'd destroy something 
 else, to pay me back. That's all the good it 
 would do." 
 
 " Oh, well, Roily, you may say what you 
 have a mind to, but /know if she should destroy 
 that handkerchief you are working for Aunt 
 Daisy, you'd be as mad as I was when she threw 
 Una an' the lion out the window." 
 
 "I should feel bad to lose the handkerchief, 
 now it's nearly done ; but she wouldn't destroy 
 it without cause, I know." 
 
 " Do you think she had cause to destroy Una 
 an' the lion ? " 
 
 " Didn't you put rats in her new hat ? " 
 
 " I don't think that was cause enough for her 
 to destroy what I had been so long making." 
 
 " Perhaps not ; but she wouldn't stop to think 
 of that, if she was mad." 
 
 " That's right ; make it out that I'm the only 
 one to blame, in everything. I believe you're 
 more her friend, now, than you are mine. You 
 had better go an' room with her." To that 
 speech Lucy made no reply. She was pained 
 by it, Dora knew, and she repented of having 
 said it a moment after. " I wonder if I'll always 
 hurt those I do like, an' help those I don't,"
 
 172 DAIST TRA VERS. 
 
 said she to herself, turning her face to the wall, 
 with a sound that was suspiciously like a sob. 
 Lucy heard it, and one of her plump hands fell 
 on Dora's shoulder caressingly. 
 
 " I know you didn't mean that. Dora, but I 
 do think you are to blame, for you must see,* 
 yourself, if you hadn't put the young rats in her 
 hat, Una would be whole now." 
 
 " But my parrot ? " 
 
 " You would have her now if you hadn't 
 taught her to say what you did. Then you know 
 you made the pig, and put it in Anne's desk, 
 with her name on it, for no cause, whatever." 
 
 " It was a good likeness of her, anyway ; an' 
 I did it for fun ; that was cause enough." 
 
 " She didn't like it, if it was for fun ; you 
 must have known she wouldn't stand that kind 
 of fun long. I wish you had had your fun with 
 me instead of her, I wouldn't have cared if 
 you had made a dozen pigs, and put my name 
 on them all." 
 
 " There wouldn't have been any fun in it 
 unless you cared. What was that noise ? " 
 
 " I didn't hear anything." 
 
 " I did ; it sounded as though some one was 
 creeping along in the passage, outside the door." 
 replied Dora, in a whisper.
 
 POOR DORA. 173 
 
 "Everybody is in bed and asleep long ago," 
 said. Lucy, holding her breath to listen. 
 
 " There ! did you hear it, then ? " 
 
 " I heard something ; what was it ? " 
 
 "I don't know. What if it should be rob- 
 bers ! " whispered Dora, sitting up erect. 
 
 " Oh, Dora ! you'll frighten me to death before 
 morning, I know you will ! What would robbers 
 want here ? " 
 
 "Hush! there it is again! " 
 
 " I heard it. Oh, dear me ! what are you 
 going to do ? " 
 
 " I'm going to find out what it is." 
 
 " Don't ! don't Dora ! Lie down an' keep 
 still, can't you ? " 
 
 " No, I can't. If it's a robber, he is taking off 
 Aunt Daisy's property, an' I won't lie still an' 
 see that done. Let me alone, Holly, I only want 
 to see what it is." 
 
 " But if it should be a robber ! " whispered 
 Lucy, relaxing her hold on Dora. 
 
 " Let's have the sheet ! 1*11 make off I'm a 
 ghost, till I can get in Mrs. Shote's room ! She'll 
 know what to do. Hurry ! " With that, Dora, 
 impatient at Lucy's slowness in comprehending 
 her, jerked off the sheet, and throwing it over
 
 174 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 her head, softly approached the d or, and, cau- 
 tiously opening it, passed out into the passage. 
 
 It was quite dark there, save where the moon- 
 light struggled in through the long window at 
 the end ; but it was light enough for Dora to 
 see that a robber had evidently been at work 
 there ; for the doors, to the long row of closets 
 opposite the sleeping apartments, were open, and 
 the closets, which contained the children's clothing 
 were empty, or nearly so. 
 
 " There has been a robber here ! " said Dora 
 to herself, " but he's gone, now ; or like as not 
 he's down stairs, this minute, stealing more. I'll 
 wake up Mrs. Shote, as quick as I can." With 
 that Dora hurried along the passage ; half way 
 through it, she felt herself suddenly seized from 
 behind ; then, before she had time to articulate 
 a sound, a strong hand was around her throat 
 and a gag forced roughly into her mouth, 
 stretching her jaws apart painfully. Then she 
 was wound up and tied in the sheet she had 
 thrown over her head, and placed noiselessly 
 upon the floor, where she lay powerless to move 
 or cry out, and resembling in form an Egyptian 
 mummy. 
 
 Her eyes were free, however, and she made
 
 POOR DORA. 175 
 
 use of them. She was soon sure that the robber 
 was no other than the gipsy woman she had let 
 into the house that afternoon ; and that she had 
 an accomplice was evident, for all the articles 
 stolen had been thrown from the window which 
 was open, to some one outside. 
 
 Poor Dora was very miserable while lying there, 
 watching the gipsy, (for that individual had 
 resumed her work as soon as Dora had been 
 disposed of,) and knowing she was now power- 
 less to prevent what would not have hap- 
 pened had not she, herself, opened the way for it. 
 
 And Lucy, all alone in bed, awaited Dora's 
 return with feverish anxiety, not understanding 
 why she could still hear that sound as if some 
 one was softly creeping up and down the pas- 
 sage, and not courageous enough to try to 
 discover the cause of it, as Dora had done. 
 
 After a while the gipsy, afraid to remain 
 longer, or satisfied with what she had taken, 
 descended the stairs to make her escape out of 
 the house ; and Dora, as soon as she had gone, 
 began to roll herself over and over down the 
 passage, until she reached her own door; fortu- 
 nately she had not latched it when she left her 
 apartment, and now, rolling up against it, it
 
 176 DAISY TRA VERS. 
 
 flew open, and after a few unsuccessful efforts 
 she managed to roll herself into the room. 
 
 Lucy's ear had been quick to catch the strange^ 
 muffled sound that Dora made as she rolled 
 along ; her alarm became greater on hearing it, 
 but when it paused before her own door, she 
 sat up in bed, her eyes distended by fright, and 
 fixed upon the door, which soon flew open ; then 
 the awful thing, she could not make out what 
 it was, rolled into the room, and opening her 
 mouth she uttered scream after scream. 
 
 Almost simultaneously a voice was heard in 
 the yard below, shouting, " Help ! help ! thieves! " 
 then the sound of wheels, and of a horse gallop- 
 ing rapidly away, followed, and presently Hive 
 Hall was all ablaze with lights. 
 
 It was some time after the gag was removed 
 from Dora's mouth, before she could speak, then 
 she could only say, " The gipsy has stolen every- 
 thing ! " when she began to cry, as she had never 
 cried before, and no further information could 
 be gained from her. Then Lucy was called 
 upon to explain matters, which she did, to the 
 best of her ability, as soon as she recovered 
 from her astonishment at discovering that the 
 awful thing that rolled into her room was only 
 Dora, after all.
 
 POOR DORA. 177 
 
 " What is to be done ! " said Mrs. Burns 
 to Mrs. Shote, wringing her hands. "The robbers 
 have taken the things off in a wagon, for I heard 
 the sound of wheels ; it would be useless to send 
 in pursuit of them, even if there was anyone we 
 could send. What is to be done ? " 
 
 " Who was it that called for help down in 
 the yard ? " questioned Mrs. Shote, flashing her 
 e3 T es around upon the children, who stood huddled 
 together, awe-stricken. " Don't any of you 
 know?" But the children only looked into each 
 other's faces, and replied not. 
 
 " I'll run down, and try to discover what it 
 meant." And Mrs. Shote, who could not under- 
 stand the meaning of the word fear, descended 
 the stairs, and, opening the hall door flashed 
 the rays of the light she was holding into the 
 yard, just as a horse and wagon entered it. 
 
 " Whoa, Dobbin ! " said the driver, stopping 
 the horse before the door, and throwing the 
 reins over his back. " You're a great deal better 
 on the trot than you look to be, that's a fact ! " 
 
 " Edgar Ford ! " exclaimed Mrs. Shote, nearly 
 dropping her lamp in her surprise at seeing the 
 driver was one of the school-boys. " What does 
 this mean ? " 
 
 12
 
 178 . DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Don't be in too much of a hurry ; help me 
 with these duds, first, then I'll tell you. What 
 in the world do those girls do with so many 
 clothes ! " With that, Edgar began to gather 
 up in his arms dress after dress, from the bottom 
 of the wagon, while the children and Mrs. 
 Burns, and the servants came flocking down to 
 see who Mrs. Shote was talking to. 
 
 Dora followed the others, thinking perhaps 
 the gipsy had been caught. As soon as her 
 eyes fell upon Edgar, taking the dresses and 
 other articles from the wagon, her face became 
 radiant. " Did you get them all ? " called she, 
 hysterically. 
 
 " Everything," replied Edgar. 
 
 " Not one lost ? " 
 
 "Not one." 
 
 "How did you get them? How did you do 
 it ? " questioned many voices. 
 
 " Tell me what to do with this horse, first ? " 
 said he to Mrs. Shote. 
 
 Whose is it ? " 
 
 "The thieves had it, that's all I know." 
 
 " Dear me ! dear me ! " exclaimed Mrs. Burns, 
 wringing her hands again. 
 
 " Can't you tie it in the shed there, till
 
 POOR DORA. 179 
 
 morning ? " said Mrs. Shote, walking towards the 
 shed, herself, holding her light so he could see, 
 and shielding it from the wind with her hand. 
 
 Edgar led the horse after her, and soon had 
 him securely fastened in the open shed ; then 
 they both returned to the house, and entered it. 
 
 " Now, Edgar, we want you to explain this 
 mysterious affair," said Mrs. Burns, whose patience 
 was almost exhausted. 
 
 " It is easy enough to do that," replied Edgar. 
 "I was awake when I heard that team stop by 
 the gate, and I got up and looked out of the 
 window, to see what it was after, at that time 
 of night. I saw two figures get out of it and 
 approach the house, going round to the back 
 door. I watched for them to return, and after 
 a while one came back carrying a large bundle, 
 which he put in the wagon. I couldn't make 
 out what it meant, so I opened the window 
 and slid down to the ground by the lightning- 
 rod, and crept around the house* The entry 
 window upstairs was wide open, and one of the 
 robbers was standing under it, catching the 
 things the other robber threw out to him." 
 
 " Sakes alive ! " ejaculated Mrs. Shote, lifting 
 her two hands.
 
 180 DA 1ST TR AVERS. 
 
 " I knew I couldn't get back into the house 
 without letting them see me," continued Edgar, 
 " and it wouldn't do to try to awake you all, 
 for they could easily get away with what they 
 had, before you could get your wits together ; 
 so I thought I'd just go 'round to the wagon, 
 and hide near it, till they got in all they intended 
 to take, then when I saw them both coming 
 towards it, I'd jump in m} r self, and drive off, 
 first shouting loud enough to wake you all up, 
 so the robbers wouldn't think of trying their 
 luck a second time ; all of which I did, and 
 here I am, after having had a jolly ride. That 
 horse must understand his business well, for as 
 soon as I got into the team and took up the 
 reins, off he went, as though fifty policemen 
 were after him. He nearly upset me twice while 
 going 'round corners ; but I managed to get 
 back without spilling the dry goods." 
 
 "You did well, Edgar. I don't see how you 
 could have done better," said Mrs. Burns, after 
 he had ceased speaking. " Aunt Daisy shall 
 hear of your brave conduct, to-morrow. And 
 now, children, you had better return to your 
 beds ; you need not fear robbers again to-night. 
 Mrs. Shote will see that the doors and windows 
 are securely fastened."
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ; 
 
 CAUGHT IN A : JTOEM. 
 
 following morning the whole school 
 clustered around Edgar, to hear him tell 
 over again his adventure with the rob- 
 bers. 
 
 Dora would have received as much attention 
 as he, had she been talkative in regard to her 
 encounter with the thief, but she was very ret- 
 icent concerning it, and all her answers were 
 short and unsatisfactory. 
 
 Edgar had just finished speaking, and the 
 children were looking at him in silent admiration, 
 when Dora suddenly broke the silence, by say- 
 ing : 
 
 " Do you want my parrot, Edgar ? " 
 " Don't I, though ! I'll give } T OU four white 
 mice, and a Guinea pig, if you'll swap," was 
 the reply. 
 
 " You can have it for nothing. I don't want 
 181
 
 182 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 your white mice, or Guinea pig ; they're too 
 stupid." 
 
 ' Then what do you give your parrot away 
 for?" 
 
 " I know," said a small boy, looking wise ; 
 "it's because you got back her best dress, that 
 the robbers took ; she wants to pay you ; don't 
 you see ? " 
 
 " I don't believe that, because Dora doesn't 
 care so much about dresses, as she does about 
 pets, I know. If it was Anne, now, I'd believe 
 you," said Edgar, with a smile. 
 
 " It's a pity about ' Anne,' " said that indi- 
 vidual, with a toss of her head, and a sneer. 
 " I'd like to know if I ever made such a fuss 
 about a dress, as she made last night on account 
 of hers." 
 
 " It wasn't on account of my dress. My jaws 
 ached," said Dora, hotly. 
 
 " Mine didn't ache enough to make me cry, 
 an' I was gagged for a longer time than you 
 were." 
 
 " Your jaw bones are tougher than mine. I 
 can't help comparing them to the one Samson 
 slew his thousand with, that we were reading 
 about."
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 183 
 
 " Dora ! " said Mrs. Burns, severely. " That 
 remark was uncalled for, and unladylike." 
 
 "And, unfortunately, true," replied Dora, 
 though not loud enough for Mrs. Burns to hear ; 
 then turning to Edgar, she continued : " What 
 was it you said you wanted me to carve out for 
 you, the other day ? " 
 
 " You said you wouldn't have time to do it," 
 returned Edgar. 
 
 " I shall have plenty of time now, and will 
 do it for you." 
 
 " Will you ? That's good of you. I wanted 
 you to carve out a figure-head for my ship." 
 
 " I'll do it, if you can tell me what it's to be 
 like." 
 
 " I've got a picture of one, that you can go 
 by. I'd like to have it just like the picture, if 
 you can make it." 
 
 " Where is the picture ? " 
 
 " I'll get it for you." With that Edgar hur- 
 ried away to his desk, and began a search among 
 papers and books for the picture which he soon 
 found, and returned with it to Dora. 
 
 " I can make you one like it," said she, after 
 looking at it a minute. " Don't forget to take 
 your parrot ; you had better get her now, and 
 put her with your other pets."
 
 184 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Do you really mean it ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " All right, then. Much obliged." 
 
 " What are they going to do with that horse 
 you took last night ? " 
 
 "Why, don't you know about it? " 
 
 "No; I haven't heard any thing." 
 
 " The robbers came back again, after we had 
 gone to bed, and took it off; or at least we 
 suppose so, for the horse and team were gone 
 this morning, when I went down to look at 
 them." 
 
 " Did they steal any thing that time ? " 
 
 " Not a thing. Of course they wouldn't dare 
 to, so soon after getting found out." 
 
 " Do you suppose they'll ever come here 
 again ? " questioned Dora, nervously. 
 
 " I don't believe they will. If .they do Mrs. 
 Shote will see that they don't get in. I heard 
 her say that she was going to have patent locks 
 to all the windows and doors, and wires put 
 up every night, in the entry, so if any one 
 should run against them in the dark, bells will 
 ring." 
 
 " I am glad of that." 
 
 " I should think you would be. You got the 
 worst of it, last night."
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 185 
 
 " That's nothing new ; I always get the worst 
 of it," replied Dora, as she turned to walk away. 
 
 " I don't see what made Dora give away her 
 parrot. I thought she thought every thing of it," 
 said a girl named Emma Goodwin to Anne 
 Porter. 
 
 " No doubt she thought every thing of her 
 other parrot, for she had taught it to be as dis- 
 agreeable as she is, herself," replied Anne, 
 disdainfully. " She can't teach this one what 
 she would like to, so she doesn't want it." 
 
 " That must be it. I wonder what made her 
 cry so last night." 
 
 " She was frightened nearly out of her wits ; 
 which proves she isn't so brave as she'd like to 
 have people believe. I thought it was on 
 account of her dress being stolen, at first, but 
 she hasn't got pride enough to care whether she 
 has a dress or not." 
 
 "I don't know about that. I was watching 
 her when she came down stairs to see Edgar, 
 when he came last night. She did look as 
 though she would like to die, till Edgar told us 
 that he had got every thing back from the rob- 
 bers ; then you should have seen how her face 
 changed and she was ready to laugh at anything.
 
 186 DAISr TRA VERS. 
 
 I couldn't help wondering if the change in her 
 was on account of her dress being safe." 
 
 " Pshaw ! she was getting over her fright, and 
 trying to make us believe she wasn't frightened, 
 after all. I can read her like a book." 
 
 " Perhaps that was it ; though I don't think 
 it was any thing to be ashamed of if she was 
 frightened. Dear me ! I know I should have 
 been frightened, if I had been in her place." 
 
 " Well, you don't try to make everybody 
 think you are brave, as she does. Don't you 
 remember how she got up in the middle of the 
 night, last summer, and went off after cherries ? 
 .She didn't care for the cherries. She only wanted 
 to show off." 
 
 "Roily," said Dora, who was talking with 
 Lucy, at the other side of the room. " Just 
 look at Anne Porker ! What will you bet she 
 isn't talking about me?" 
 
 " What makes you think she is ? " said Lucy, 
 glancing at Anne. 
 
 " I can tell by her upper lip ; it always goes 
 up like that when she's saying something good 
 about me. You see it's hard for her to say 
 any thing good about any one, an' when she docs, 
 by accident, I suppose the words burn her lips,
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 187 
 
 as they come through ; that's why she sticks 
 her upper lip up so. You'd almost think she 
 was sneering, wouldn't you ? but land ! she isn't. 
 Let's go up an' ask her what she's saying. Will 
 you ? " 
 
 " I thought you didn't speak to her at all," 
 replied Lucy, who liad her own reasons for 
 wishing to keep Dora and Anne apart as much 
 as possible. 
 
 " I spoke to he^r to-day the first time for a 
 long while ; an' I really enjoyed it." 
 
 " I don't want you to speak to her again 
 to-day." 
 
 " Why not ? " 
 
 " One reason is because it's Sunday, and if 
 
 p 
 
 you began to talk with her you might forget 
 that." 
 
 " What's the other reason ? " 
 
 " No good can come of your talking to her, 
 when you two can't agree in any thing." 
 
 " Well, Roily, to please you, I'll agree not to 
 speak to her at all." 
 
 " You don't know how glad I am." 
 
 " Yes I do ; an' I'm going to tell you some- 
 thing that will make you more glad." 
 
 " What is it ? "
 
 188 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Last night I resolved that I would never try 
 to get even with her again." 
 
 " Oh, Dora ! I did not expect to hear that ! 
 and I'm so glad, for your sake, because you've 
 been in trouble ever since you began to try to 
 get even with her, I believe." 
 
 " You have no idea how much." 
 
 " Haven't I ? Well, I know enough. How 
 came you to make that good resolve ? " 
 
 " I happened to think she is such a mean pig, 
 if I should get even with her, that would make 
 me on a level with her, or a mean pig, too. 
 Don't you see ? " 
 
 " So it would," replied Lucy, with a laugh. 
 " I'm glad you happened to think of that." 
 
 " I want two of you, girls, to go to the vil- 
 lage for me, on an errand ; who will go ? " said 
 Mrs. Burns, one oppressively warm afternoon, a 
 few days later. 
 
 Instantly a dozen hands were raised. 
 
 " I only want two to go ; Dora Went worth 
 and Anne Porter, I think, can go the quickest. 
 You will have to hurry, for it looks as though 
 a thunder-shower is coming up, and I shouldn't 
 want you to get caught in it." 
 
 Dora and Anne both were about to decline
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 189 
 
 going, but thought better of it, for a walk to 
 the village was much to be preferred to spending 
 the afternoon in that hot school-room, studying. 
 
 " I needn't speak to her," said Dora to herself. 
 " I'll walk along on the opposite side of the 
 street, as though I didn't know her." 
 
 " If she speaks to me, I wont answer her," 
 reflected j^.nne. " I don't think I'll lose a nice 
 walk to the village just because she's going, 
 too." 
 
 Mrs. Burns' motive for choosing Dora and 
 Anne, was, doubtless, because she knew they 
 were not over friendly towards each other, and 
 for that reason would go all the quicker ; while 
 two good friends would be likely to talk and loiter 
 by the way. 
 
 They had soon received their directions and 
 had started on their way ; Dora immediately 
 crossing to the right of the street, on leaving 
 Hive Hall, much to Anne's satisfaction, for the 
 left side was the shadiest. 
 
 As they walked along, Dora watched th^ black 
 clouds that were rapidly gathering in the heavens, 
 and Anne watched the fashions, on the people 
 she passed. So they reached the village, did 
 their errand, and had started to return, when
 
 190 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 Dora felt a large drop of rain on her face. 
 Looking up she saw that the sky was very black, 
 indeed, and that they must hurry if they would 
 escape a wetting. She was about to say as 
 much to Anne, but changed her mind and quick- 
 ened her steps nearly to a run. 
 
 Anne did not need to be told to hurry. She 
 had felt a large drop of rain descend on her 
 best hat, and, after pulling out her handker- 
 chief and covering her hat with it, she quick- 
 ened her steps also. 
 
 " Oh, dear ! " said she to herself, " a mile an' 
 a half farther before we reach Hive Hall. I 
 shall get wet through, I know ; there's not a 
 house near to go into. How I wish I hadn't 
 come. I might have known I'd have bad luck, 
 with her for company." 
 
 " I can't keep up that trot, from here to Hive 
 Hall," muttered Dora. "I'm in for a wetting, 
 any way, so I might as well take things easy 
 an' enjoy it." 
 
 " Anne Porter may as well stop running. Here 
 comes the rain, now ! " and down it came, in 
 torrents, wetting them both through to the skin 
 in a minute. 
 
 " Oh, dear me ! dear me ! dear me ! " moaned
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 191 
 
 Anne, as she still hurried on. Mrs. Burns had 
 no business to send me on her errands when it 
 looked so much like rain. I'll tell Aunt Daisy 
 all about her. My new hat is spoilt again, an' 
 I'm the most unfortunate girl in the world ! 
 Oh ! " the last exclamation was caused by a ter- 
 rific peal of thunder, which followed immediate- 
 ly after a vivid flash of lightning. 
 
 " I can't go any farther. I shall be struck 
 by lightning! I know I shall!" said Anne, in 
 terror, as another blinding flash and thunder 
 peal made her pause irresolute. 
 
 " That struck near here " said Dore coming 
 up to where she was standing, awed into for- 
 getfulness of the animosity between them. 
 
 " Oh, what shall I do ! I shall be struck, I 
 know I shall ! " and Anne, when another peal 
 of thunder came, sank to the ground, too fright- 
 ened to try to go farther. 
 
 " Don't do that f " said Dora, taking hold of 
 her shoulder. " We can get home in less than 
 half an hour if we try ; or there is an old barn 
 not far from here, that we can stay in till the 
 storm is over. Come, I say ! " and Anne, 
 scarcely knowing what she did, arose slowly to 
 her feet and followed Dora, who walked up the
 
 192 DAISY TR AVERS, 
 
 street for a few rods, then turned into a lane, 
 that led to an old forsaken barn; this she 
 entered, and Anne, glad of any shelter, fol- 
 lowed her, sinking down upon the floor immedi- 
 ately on entering ; her dripping clothes forming 
 a pool around her. 
 
 " This is better than being out in the rain, 
 any way," said Dora, " though we couldn't get 
 any wetter if we should try. Like as not we'H 
 have to stay here all night." 
 
 "All night!" repeated Anne, after another 
 peal of thunder had spent its fury. 
 
 " Yes, unless it clears off, or you cease to be 
 afraid to go on." 
 
 " I should die to stay here all night, an' I 
 cannot go on," and Anne wrung some water 
 out of her dress, then put the dress back in 
 the water again, in her excitement. 
 
 " I don't believe this will last all night ; if it 
 should look like it, an hour ' from now, I think 
 we had better start on again, for it would be 
 as bad in the end, staying here all night in 
 these wet clothes, as it would to go on, and get 
 struck." 
 
 " It's all Mrs. Burns' fault ; she had no right 
 to send us when it looked so much like rain."
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 193 
 
 " She didn't think it would rain so soon ; she 
 wouldn't have sent us if she had thought so, I 
 know," replied Dora. 
 
 "Oh, dear! dear! it's growing worse and 
 worse ! " said Anne, hiding her face in her wet 
 dress to shut out the sight of the lightning, that 
 was now flashing almost incessantly, while -the 
 thunder rattled and rolled overhead angrily. 
 
 " I've a mind to " but Dora's sentence was 
 never finished; for at that instant the old barn 
 was struck by lightning, and both the girls were 
 prostrated, insensible. 
 
 " The old barn was struck that time. See ! 
 it's all afire so quick !" exclaimed a farmer in a 
 blue frock, to a companion, as the two men 
 were hurrying along the street, in. the direction 
 of the village. 
 
 " Sure enough ! They'll see the light at the 
 village, and get the engine out for nothing 
 unless we hurry, an' let them know what's a 
 burning." 
 
 *' Nothing in it worth saving, is there ? " 
 
 " Not a thing. I looked in it only this morn- 
 ing, an' it's as empty as a dry well. Come on ! 
 with that the two men hurried along, casting 
 now and then a glance behind them at the 
 
 13
 
 194 DAIST TRAVERS. 
 
 flames, that were spreading fast over the old 
 barn, with more curiosity than concern in their 
 faces, for there was nothing in it worth saving ! 
 Ah ! had they only been less sure of that, and 
 had taken the trouble to look in at the door to 
 prove the words true, what would have been 
 their surprise on seeing the two girls lying upon 
 the floor, unconscious of the flames that were 
 approaching them nearer every minute. 
 
 Five minutes passed away, and Dora opened 
 her eyes to the flames that were hissing and 
 leaping before her. For a while she moved not, 
 thinking it all a dream, till a hot cinder . fell 
 upon her face, and burned her; then smarting 
 with pain she sat up, and looked around her. 
 Where was she ! What did it mean ! She could 
 not tell till her eyes rested on Anne's motion- 
 less form, then memory returned. 
 
 The barn had been struck by lightning ! Was 
 Anne dead ? were her first thoughts ; and stag- 
 gering to her feet she approached her uncon- 
 scious schoolmate, and all her fright vanished 
 when she found that she was breathing. 
 
 Taking hold of her shoulder, she began to 
 shake her with a will. 
 
 " Come to, can't you ? We haven't got a
 
 CAUGHT IN A STORM. 195 
 
 minute to lose ! Don't you s e the barn is on 
 fire?" shouted Dora, in her ear; but Anne's 
 eyes would not open. 
 
 "There ! we can't get out by the door, now," 
 exclaimed Dora, as a part of the frame-work fell, 
 completely closing the door-way. " What can 
 be done ! The roof will fall on us in another 
 minute. I could easily get out the window ; 
 but it would be dreadful to go an' know she is 
 getting burned up. If I could only lift her up 
 an' throw her out." With that Dora dragged 
 Anne to the window, but all her strength was 
 not enough to enable her to lift the unconscious 
 form to the desired height. 
 
 She turned to see how fast the flames were 
 raging, and as she looked a cold sweat started 
 from every pore ; then suddenly stooping, she 
 picked up a burning cinder. 
 
 " One brought me to my senses perhaps this 
 will do the same by her," said she, as she pressed 
 it against the palm of Anne's hand. A sigh, 
 and Anne's eyes opened. 
 
 " Get up, quick ! Don't you see the barn is 
 on fire ! " shouted Daisy, shaking her vigorously, 
 and almost before Anne could realize the state 
 of affairs she was out of the window, where she 
 fell to the ground unconscious again.
 
 196 DAISY TRA VERS. 
 
 In a second Dora was out after her, and tak- 
 ing her by the shoulders began to drag her 
 away from the burning building. She was not 
 a minute too soon, for scarcely had she succeeded 
 in getting her a few rods away, when the roof 
 fell in with a crash. 
 
 " We are out of that, any way ; thanks to a 
 cinder ! " said she, to herself, as she paused to 
 look at the burning building. " Now what shall 
 I do ? " Shall I leave her here and go to the 
 Hall for help, or stay here with her till she 
 comes to ? I guess I'll stay here. With that 
 Dora sat down on the ground beside Anne, to 
 wait until she should regain her" senses. 
 
 Half an hour passed away, and still there was 
 no sign of returning consciousness ; and all that 
 time down poured the rain, and the thunder 
 and lightning raged furiously. 
 
 "I wonder what they think has become of us 
 at the Hall," mused she. " They must think 
 we are at the village, with Mrs. Genning. If I 
 had thought she would be so long coming to, 
 I'd have gone for help at first. I've a mind 
 to start, as it is. Maybe she won't come to now 
 before I get back." And after looking once 
 more into the face of unconscious Anne, Dora 
 hurried away.
 
 SAVED FROM THE FLAMES. Page 190.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 UNDER ANNE'S WINDOW. 
 
 i 
 
 T was a bright, sunshiny morning ; the air 
 was fresh and cool as it made its way 
 through the open window, into the "sick- 
 room " at Hive Hall, where Anne Porter was 
 lying, watching the birds on the great elm tree, 
 that was so near she could hear the rustling of 
 its leaves, as they were stirred by the wind. 
 
 " What restless, dissatisfied things birds are ! " 
 thought she to herself, as she watched them, 
 and noticed that not a minute could pass between 
 their coming and going. " What if they had to 
 stay in one place for three weeks as I have had 
 to. But I shan't have to stay here much longer. 
 Aunt Daisy said to-day that I was getting well 
 fast, and would soon be able to go down stairs/ 
 She promised me, too, that some of the girls 
 could come in to see me, to-day. Dear, me! I 
 wish some of them would come in now. I 
 
 197
 
 198 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 wonder what they've been about all the time 
 I've been sick." Anne suddenly stopped musing, 
 for she had caught the sound of a step outside. 
 " It's one of the girls," said she to herself. " I 
 wonder which one it is ? " and a flush of plea- 
 sure came over her pale face at the thought of 
 seeing one of her young friends again ; but when 
 the door opened, and Dora Wentworth entered, 
 her face expressed nothing but vexation. 
 
 " I am glad you are well enough to have vis- 
 itors, at last," said Dora, approaching the bed, 
 and holding out her hand, which Anne took no 
 notice of. 
 
 " Where are all the rest of the girls ? It's 
 very strange they should let you be the first one 
 to come to see me," said she, petulantly. 
 
 " I saw Aunt Daisy before the others did, 
 and she told * me that you were better. The 
 other girls will be in as soon as they know it, 
 and I want to have a little talk with you before 
 they come." 
 
 " I suppose you want to tell me how you 
 saved my life the day of the storm. Aunt Daisy 
 told me all about it, so there's no use telling 
 me again." 
 
 " I didn't come to tell you that."
 
 UNDER ANNE^S WINDOW. 199 
 
 " Perhaps you came in to ask if my hand 
 smarted much. It was like you to burn me like 
 that, when I was unconscious." 
 
 " Don't you know why I did it ? " 
 
 " Of course I know." 
 
 " You don't think I did it out of malice, do 
 you," for there was something in Anne's tone 
 that Dora did not like. " That burn was the 
 only thing that saved your life. I couldn't have 
 got you out of the barn if it hadn't been for 
 that." 
 
 *' Well, then, give the credit to the burn, if 
 it was the only thing that saved my life, and 
 don't take so much to yourself. It was big 
 enough to save my life, that's a fact, and the 
 scar will never go away, I know. I dread see- 
 ing the other girls for it will be nothing but 
 ' Dora Wentworth saved your life ! Dora Went- 
 worth saved your life ! ' for a year, at least I 
 can imagine just how much you've praised your- 
 self up to them, for what you did, or pretended 
 to do." 
 
 Dora's eyes flashed angrily, at this ungrateful 
 speech, and a cutting reply nearly escaped her, 
 but she turned abruptly and walked to the win- 
 dow. " I don't believe Roily, herself, could
 
 200 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 stand such talk as that, without answering back," 
 soliloquized she. " If Aunt Daisy could have 
 heard her then she wouldn't blame me so much, 
 I guess, if I can't do what she wants me to. I 
 wish I was deaf, just while I'm with her. It 
 must be awful easy for deaf people to keep from 
 quarrelling. But Dora Wentworth, you forget 
 yourself! you are a missionary, she's a savage; 
 you must expect to hear such talk from her." 
 With that Dora lifted her head proudly, and 
 approached the bed again. 
 
 " I came to ask your pardon for all the mean 
 things I ever did to you," said she, to Anne. 
 
 " Ask my pardon ? " repeated Anne, incredu- 
 lously. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " It's like you to do that, unless you are 
 thinking of something else you are going to do 
 that will put all the rest of your mean acts in 
 the shade," said Anne, suspiciously. 
 
 " I'm never going to do another mean act if 
 I can help it, and I think I can. You don't 
 know what the meanest thing was I ever did 
 to you." 
 
 " Yes, I do. You put that nest of horrid rats 
 in my best hat. But I got even with you."
 
 UNDER ANNE'S WINDOW. 201 
 
 " I know you did, and to get even with you 
 in turn, I told that gipsy to steal your hat." 
 
 "You did? You told her to steal it? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Oh, you mean, bad, wicked girl ! Won't I 
 tell Aunt Daisy of that ! " 
 
 "She knows it already." 
 
 " I don't believe it. If she knew it she 
 wouldn't have you here, any longer ; she'd send 
 you back to where you came from. I wish she 
 would ! I wish she would ! " 
 
 "But she does know all about it, for I told 
 her myself." 
 
 " That sounds likely, doesn't it ? You only 
 say that to keep me from telling her. I wish 
 she would come in this minute ; but I shall tell 
 her when she does come!" 
 
 " Tell her, by all means. You'd never get 
 well unless you did. But I came in to ask your 
 pardon for doing it ; have I got it ? " 
 
 " No, you have not ! " 
 
 " That's all I wanted to know. Of course it's 
 all the same to me, whether I have or not." 
 
 With that Dora left the room, and, running 
 down the stairs, seated herself on the chair in 
 the entry, then pulled out her handkercheif to 
 fan herself with.
 
 202 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 "Dora Wentworth, you did well!" solilo- 
 quized she. " You might have done better, per- 
 haps, if you had been like Aunt Daisy. iShs 
 could have talked it into her in no time, and 
 left her crying great tears of repentance ; but 
 I did well by just holding my tongue, when I 
 could have said so much." Dora was so busy 
 fanning herself and soliloquizing, that she did 
 not notice Aunt Daisy's approach until that 
 individual stood beside her. 
 
 " I want to hear how it turned out," said she 
 placing a hand on Dora's shoulder, and smiling 
 down into her flushed face. 
 
 " It didn't turn out as you would have made 
 it. She's just twice as mad with me as she 
 ever was before." 
 
 "And you?" 
 
 " I did everything you told me to, as well as 
 I could." 
 
 " And she is angry with you now ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " She forgave you, though, of course." 
 
 " No, she didn't." 
 
 " Then she is meaner than I took her to be, 
 and your ' mission ' will be more difficult than 
 1 thought, at first."
 
 UNDER ANNE'S WINDOW. 203 
 
 " I'm afraid it can't be done by me, Aunt 
 Daisy." 
 
 "Discouraged so soon, Dora?" 
 
 " I wouldn't be, if I wasn't so much like her 
 myself. It was dreadful hard for me to keep 
 from saying all I wanted to." 
 
 " What did you want to say? " 
 
 
 
 " I wanted to tell her just what I thought of 
 her, in the sharpest words I could think of. I 
 didn't, though, it wouldn't have done her any 
 good if I had." 
 
 " Ne. The only way to do her good is the 
 way I told you. It wouldn't be so hard for you 
 Dora, if you thought less of yourself, and more 
 of her." 
 
 " If you would only talk to her a little 
 while." 
 
 " But I don't intend to. I want you, all 
 alone, to do this good work, Dora, as much for 
 your sake, as for hers, remember. Now I will 
 leave you, for here comes Lucy." With that 
 Aunt Daisy turned away, just as Lucy, all out 
 of breath from running, joined Dora, saying : 
 
 " What in the world are you doing all alone 
 in this hot entry? Oh, I see! Aunt Daisy has 
 been talking with you."
 
 204 DAIST TRAVERS. 
 
 "Sit down, Roily. I want to tell you some- 
 thing." 
 
 " Sit down here, when I'm nearly roasted now ! 
 No, I thank you ; come out under the- elm tree ! 
 there's a splendid breeze there, and it's so nice 
 and shady. I've got the funniest book out there, 
 too, that you ever set eyes on." 
 
 Without reply, Dora arose to follow Lucy, 
 and they were soon comfortably seated beneath 
 the great elm that grew so near Anne's window. 
 
 " Now, what was it you wanted to say ? " 
 said Lucy, picking up a book from the grass, 
 that she had been reading, before she went in 
 search of Dora. 
 
 " I wanted to tell you about Anne Porter." 
 
 It was strange that neither of them noticed 
 that the open window before which a great 
 branch of the tree was dancing, belonged to 
 Anne's room, arid Anne herself was near enough 
 to hear every word they said. 
 ' " Have you seen her ? " questioned Lucy. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "What did you say to her, and she to you. 
 I want to hear all about it, now I'm sure you 
 didn't get in a quarrel." 
 
 " We didn't have a very long conversation.
 
 UNDER ANNE'S WINDO W. 205 
 
 I didn't feel like doing missionary work when I 
 found her such an ungrateful savage." 
 
 " Was she ungrateful ? " 
 
 " I should think so. She didn't even thank 
 me for what I did for her, and she pretends to 
 think that I burned her hand out of malice." 
 
 "Oh, Dora, she knows better than that!" 
 
 " Then I asked her pardon for all the mean 
 things I had ever done to her, and she wouldn't 
 pardon me! " 
 
 " You did ask her pardon? " exclaimed Lucy, 
 in astonishment. 
 
 " Yes ! it sounds queer, doesn't it." replied 
 .Dora, with a smile. 
 
 " I didn't think you would ever do that, and 
 I don't believe I would have done it if I had 
 been in your place. I suppose that quill will 
 grow out again now." 
 
 " No it won't. I must expect such things if 
 I'm to be a missionary. I felt mad when I was 
 with her, but I got over it in no time. If 
 there's any such a thing as making her as good 
 a girl as you are, Roily, I'm going to do it. I 
 promised Aunt Daisy I would." Lucy listened 
 to those words with much satisfaction on her 
 round, good-natured face. Not so, Anne. "Oh,"
 
 206 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 exclaimed she, with an angry jerk at the bed- 
 clothes, " no wonder the girls were no more 
 pleased to know I'm getting well, if that's the 
 way she goes round talking about me. What a 
 hateful, hypocrite she is! I know, now, why she 
 asked my pardon ! Trying to make them all 
 think she's a saint ! Won't I show her up when 
 I get well ! and I must get well fast, or there'll 
 be no chance for me."
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE BEADING CLUB. 
 
 |HE children at Hive Hall, especially the 
 girls, were in a flutter of excitement, 
 for one of their number was soon to 
 leave them, to attend a boarding school, miles 
 away, where he could receive better instruction 
 than good Mrs. Burns could give him ; for Aunt 
 Daisy had decided that Edgar Ford must be fitted 
 to enter college, much to his satisfaction, and to 
 the secret satisfaction of most of the boys ; for, 
 with his quick understanding, and excellent 
 memory, he gave them no chance to win any of 
 the prizes that were given out for good scholar- 
 ship. 
 
 All the girls, but Dora Wentworth, spent 
 their spare minutes working book-marks and 
 handkerchiefs for him, as parting gifts ; Dora 
 was busy carving him an ink-stand that was as 
 original in design as it was amusing, for it was 
 a burlesque on Edgar himself. 207
 
 208 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 It represented a very small boy, with a very 
 large head, who was seated on a pile of books, 
 and many books were scattered about all around 
 him ; his chin rested upon his hands, and his 
 elbows upon a large book that was in his lap ; 
 upon his face was an exaggerated smile that 
 was supposed to represent contentment. In his 
 head she had ingeniously placed the bottle that 
 was to contain the ink. 
 
 " Do you think you can get it done in time 
 to give him before he goes ? interrogated Lucy 
 Stone, who was standing beside Dora, as she 
 worked, a few days before Edgar's departure. 
 
 " Of course ; it's almost done now. Do you 
 think it looks like him ? " said Dora, holding 
 the ink-stand out at arm's length for inspection. 
 
 " Yes ; only it isn't near so good-looking," 
 replied Lucy. " He would like it better if it 
 looked just like him, I know." 
 
 " It's likely I'd want him to admire himself 
 every time he dipped his pen in the ink. I 
 made it as bad-looking as I could just to take 
 the conceit out of him." 
 
 " Perhaps he'll think you are making fun of 
 him, when he sees it, an' will get mad." 
 
 " He's got too much sense for that ; he isn't
 
 THE READING CLUB. 209 
 
 like Anne Porter. He'll laugh at it, an' like it 
 better than anything else he gets, perhaps. I 
 wonder if I can't make his nose look worse, 
 without spoiling his expression. Think I'll try 
 it anyway." 
 
 " Do you know what Anne made for him ? " 
 
 " No ; what did she ? '* 
 
 "A book-mark with a cat on it, worked in 
 green silk." 
 
 " Ha ! ha ! she should have worked a pig 
 instead, then he would have her picture to 
 remember her by." 
 
 " I thought you had given up calling her a 
 pig, Dora." 
 
 " I have, to her face, but to you what's the 
 odds ? You know what she is as well as I do. 
 Aunt Daisy said I could make her generous and 
 noble, by being generous and noble myself, in 
 all my dealings with her. I have done the best 
 I could, and treated her just as well as I knew 
 how, ever since she got well, and you know 
 just how much good it has done. She hates me 
 worse than she did when I used to do every- 
 thing I could to plague her. Aunt Daisy was 
 wrong for once, but I promised her I wouldn't 
 give up trying to make a saint out of her, so I 
 
 14
 
 210 DAISY TRA VERS 
 
 can't give it up till I convince her it can't be 
 done." 
 
 " What do you think of the reading club ? " 
 
 " Reading club ? " repeated Dora, inquiringly. 
 
 " Yes ; haven't they said anything to you 
 about it?" 
 
 " I haven't heard an^hing about any reading 
 club." 
 
 " I don't see how you could have helped hear- 
 ing about it, for the girls, and boys, too, are 
 talking about it all the time. Dear me ! then 
 you are not a member ! That's all Anne Porter's 
 doings, of course." 
 
 " You seem to know what you're talking 
 about. I'm thankful for that," said Dora, with 
 a comical look of perplexity. 
 
 " The oldest scholars have formed a reading 
 
 o 
 
 club," explained Lucy. " Aunt Daisy approved 
 of the plan, and she said we could have the 
 hall two evenings out of every week to meet in. 
 We are to read stories and play games, mid 
 Aunt Daisy said she would get Mr. Milly to 
 come often, and play on the violin, while Mrs. 
 Burns plays on the piano for us." 
 
 " How long have they been talking about 
 it ? " questioned Dora, the expression upon her
 
 THE READING CLUB. 211 
 
 face proving that she was surprised at the infor- 
 mation. 
 
 " Nearly a week. They are to have their 
 first meeting to-morrow evening." 
 
 " Why didn't you say something to me about 
 it, before ? " 
 
 " I don't know ; unless it was because we 
 talked so much about Edgar's going away, and 
 the ink-stand, I didn't think to mention it. I 
 was sure you knew all about it, too, and would 
 speak to me about it when you felt like it." 
 
 " Are you a member ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but I won't be one unless they ask 
 you." 
 
 " I don't want you to lose any fun on my 
 account, Roily. I wonder if Aunt Daisy knows 
 that I'm left out in the cold." 
 
 " I don't believe she does. She wouldn't have 
 such actions, I know. She'll make them take 
 you in, if you tell her." 
 
 " Then I'll not teU her. It isn't likely I'd 
 want to go to their old club if they don't want 
 me. That accounts for the way the girls have 
 acted for two or three days past ; I'd see them 
 talking together fast enough about something, 
 but just as soon as I'd join them, they'd begin
 
 212 DAIST TRAVERS. 
 
 to talk about the weather. I couldn't under- 
 stand it at all; now it's plain enough. Anne 
 Porter has succeeded in setting all the girls 
 against me." 
 
 "All, Dora?" 
 
 "Of course I know she couldn't do anything 
 with you ; and I'm all right so long as the best 
 girl in school stays by me. How I should enjoy 
 all this if I wasn't tied by my promise to Aunt 
 Daisy." 
 
 "Enjoy it?" 
 
 "Yes. It would be just what I'd like, this 
 being left out in the cold by such a crowd. I'd 
 manage to astonish them some way, every time 
 the club met." 
 
 " Aunt Daisy has just come in ; I'm going 
 down to speak to her," said Lucy suddenly turn- 
 ing to leave the room. 
 
 " Roily, stop ! don't say anything to her about 
 their not asking me to join the club." 
 
 " That's what I want to speak to her about." 
 
 " If you do, Roily " 
 
 " Well, what if I do ? Isn't it better for her 
 to know it now, than to let her miss you, the 
 first evening the club meets, then have her se'nd 
 for you ? You'd feel nice, then, wouldn't you, 
 to have to go in before them all?."
 
 THE READING CLUB. 213 
 
 " Do you think she would really send for me, 
 if she didn't see me there?" 
 
 " Of course she would." 
 
 " Well then, tell her, if you want to, only be 
 sure to add that I wouldn't join the club any 
 way, for the world. If you don't make her 
 believe that, you won't do me a bit of good, 
 Roily." 
 
 Without replying, Lucy left the room to seek 
 Aunt Daisy, who was talking with Mrs. Burns 
 in the school-room. School had been dismissed 
 for some time, and not a scholar was present^ 
 much to Lucy's satisfaction, as she entered, and 
 waited for Aunt Daisy to finish her conversa- 
 tion with Mrs. Burns, before speaking to her. 
 
 She did not have to wait long. Aunt Daisy's 
 business with the teacher was soon completed, 
 ancl she approached Lucy with that smile which 
 made it so easy for all the children to go to her 
 with their troubles. After learning that Lucy 
 had something private to communicate, she led 
 her away to her study, where she usually heard 
 all the children's complaints. 
 
 Ten minutes later Lucy was with Dora again. 
 " What did she say about it ? " questioned the 
 latter, as she entered.
 
 214 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 " She wants to see you right away." 
 
 " What for ? " 
 
 "That I don't know. You'll have to tell me 
 when you come back. I'll take care of the ink- 
 stand for you. Hurry ! so as not to keep her 
 waiting." With ihat Lucy took Dora's work 
 from her hands, with an air of authority that 
 proved irresistable. 
 
 " I'm going, only don't let anything happen 
 to that; I couldn't make another, you know," 
 cautioned Dora, as she left the room. 
 
 Lucy sat down to await her return, with the 
 ink-stand in her hand. It claimed her attention 
 for a while, then she arose and placed it care- 
 fully on the bureau, and opening a drawer, took 
 from it her own work, which proved to be a 
 handkerchief, on which she was embroidering 
 the name of Edgar Ford, in fancy letters. She 
 worked at that an hour, then the supper bell 
 rang, and she arose to brush her hair, before 
 going down, just as Dora rushed into the room, 
 her face radiant. 
 
 " What did Aunt Daisy say ? " questioned 
 Lucy, turning; as she was tying back her hair, 
 to look in Dora's face as she entered. 
 
 " Oh, such fun, Roily, if I can only do it I " 
 was Dora's incomprehensible answer.
 
 THE READING CLUB. 215 
 
 " What are you going to try to do ?" 
 
 " I can't tell you now. Wait till after sup- 
 per. I wouldn't tell you then, if I could help 
 myself, because I'm so afraid you'll let it out ; 
 for its a dead secret, Roily." 
 
 "A dead one?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " That's all I want to know about it. You 
 can keep it to yourself," replied Lucy, who was 
 just a little offended with Dora, for speaking as 
 though she doubted her ability to keep a secret. 
 
 " Oh, but I can't keep it to myself ; you have 
 got to be let into it, or else you'd spoil all the 
 fun." 
 
 "I'd spoil all the fun?" 
 
 " I don't mean intentionally, of course, Roily. 
 You'd spoil it without meaning to, or knowing 
 what you were doing. But it's no use trying to 
 make you understand until you hear the whole. 
 Won't I have to make sure Anne Porter isn't 
 listening, when I tell you ! Are [you ready to 
 go down to supper ? " 
 
 " Yes, but you are not. How your hair does 
 look." 
 
 " Where's the brush ? There ! I can't bother 
 any more with it, now," and Dora, after draw-
 
 216 DAISY TRAVERS. 
 
 ing the brush quickly over her hair, once or 
 twice, expressed her readiness to go down stairs. 
 
 As the two girls entered the dining-room, 
 Aunt Daisy entered it also through another door. 
 The other children were all in their places, and 
 looked inquiringly at Aunt Daisy, as she entered, 
 for it was something unusual to have her with 
 them at supper-time. Going up to Lucy, she 
 said, in a tone loud enough for all to hear: 
 
 " Dora wanted me to tell you, Lucy, that you 
 mustn't think of leaving the reading club on her 
 account. I am very sorry, as all will be, to 
 know that one of the best readers isn't willing 
 to join the club ; but we mustn't . be selfish. 
 .Dora is ambitious to be a great artist one of 
 these days, and she cannot waste her time read- 
 ing stories and playing games." 
 
 " Perhaps she'd join if we should ask her," 
 said Anne Porter, sarcastically, for the benefit of 
 the members of the club. 
 
 " Oh, no, indeed she wouldn't," replied Aunt 
 Daisy, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in 
 Anne's voice. " I tried my best to persuade her 
 to, and it's useless to tease her any more. You 
 will lose by it, of course ; but, when you con- 
 sider how much she is gaining, you will not be 
 so selfish as to want her with you, I know."
 
 THE READING CLUB. 217 
 
 This speech caused Anne's face to turn red 
 with anger ; she wanted to reply, but did not 
 dare to, for fear of seriously offending Aunt 
 Daisy. 
 
 Dora took her place at the table, with an air 
 that convinced them all that she knew nothing 
 about their plan of not letting her become a 
 member of the reading club. 
 
 " Some one got the start of you, that time, 
 Anne ! " said a girl, named Emma Goodwin, as 
 Aunt Daisy left the dining-room, which she did 
 after a few more words to Lucy. 
 
 " It will be all the same in the end, no mat- 
 ter which got the start," replied Anne, signifi- 
 cantly. 
 
 " I don't see how you can make that out," 
 replied Emma. 
 
 " What are you talking about ? " inquired 
 Dora, looking up with a very innocent expres- 
 sion on her face. 
 
 " Nothing much. Why don't you want to 
 join the club?" said Emma, with a sly wink to 
 a girl near her. 
 
 " Because it's bad enough to have to read in 
 school, without reading two evenings out of 
 every week ; and you know I don't like to play
 
 218 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 games. Nothing would tempt me to join 
 unless " 
 
 " Unless what ? " questioned two or three girls, 
 for Dora looked unusually serious. 
 
 " Unless you were going to have refresh- 
 ments." 
 
 " Refreshments ? " 
 
 " Yes ; cake and lemonade, for instance, just 
 before it's through." 
 
 " I don't believe Aunt Daisy would let us 
 have that," said Emma, thoughtfully. 
 
 " Neither do T believe she would ; that's why 
 I'd rather be at work in my own room. I'm 
 going to begin a life-size bust of Aunt Daisy, 
 next week." 
 
 " So you're going to be a great sculptoress, 
 one of these days," said Mrs. Shote, the house- 
 keeper, with a broad smile. " You didn't know 
 that I am a poetess, did you ? " 
 
 " You a poetess ? " exclaimed Dora in surprise, 
 while all eyes were instantly fixed on the house- 
 keeper's face. 
 
 " Yes. I'll tell you how I came to know it. 
 I used to keep house once for a family that had 
 a little girl. Well, that little girl used to be 
 near crazy about poetry ; so one day she comes
 
 THE READING CLUB. 219 
 
 to me, an' says she, 4 Mrs. Shote, I'm going to 
 be a poetess, when I grow up.' Says I, ' Jennie, 
 can you tell me what poetess means ? ' She 
 looked mad for a minute, then says she : ' A 
 poetess means one who loves beans,' then she 
 flounced away, but she never said anything more 
 to me about being a poetess, an' I've called 
 myself one ever since, for I am fond of beans 
 that's a fact." As soon as the laugh that fol- 
 lowed the housekeeper's definition of a poetess 
 had subsided, Anne Porter said, sarcastically : 
 *' Perhaps our great artist can tell us what 
 sculptoress means." 
 
 " Oh, yes," replied Dora, smiling quietly. " A 
 sculptoress is one who can bust anybody's 
 head." 
 
 " An elegant definition ; but I must say it 
 suits your case, exactly," replied Anne, with a 
 sneer. 
 
 " They are usually smart enough to get along 
 without the help of a porter \ " interposed Lucy, 
 who knew that Dora's tongue was tied by her 
 promise to Aunt Daisy. 
 
 " Was anybody speaking to you ? " inter- 
 rogated Anne Porter, angrily. "If you are not 
 more civil you shall not be a member of the 
 reading club."
 
 220 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Who says so ? " questioned Lucy, with a 
 good-natured smile on her round face." 
 
 "I do. I am the one that got it up, and I'm 
 president of it." 
 
 " It won't be a great while before you are 
 the only member, then," Lucy was about to 
 reply, but Dora's foot came down upon hers 
 with such force, under the table, that the words 
 died away into a low cry of pain, that Anne 
 took for an exclamation of surprise at the infor- 
 mation she had just given her, which pacified 
 her, greatly. 
 
 " We couldn't get along without Lucy ! " said 
 one of the members, to which the others imme- 
 diately agreed, for she was a general favorite 
 with them all. 
 
 Lucy arose from the table without making a 
 reply, and in a few moments the dining-room 
 was quite deserted. 
 
 As soon as Dora and Lucy reached their own 
 room, Dora pushed the bed up against the door, 
 then sat down near the window to whisper to 
 Lucy her great secret.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 BELLE CLEVERLY. 
 
 next evening at seven o'clock, the 
 members of the reading club were all 
 assembled in the hall, at Hive Hall, 
 and that room presented a lively appearance. 
 The lamps were all lighted, and Mrs. Burns was 
 playing a sprightly melody on the piano, while 
 some thirty neatly dressed boys and girls [only 
 nine of which belonged to the school, the others 
 being children who resided in the neighborhood,] 
 were talking, and laughing together ; for the 
 president had not yet called the club to order. 
 Presently Aunt Daisy entered, leading a richly 
 dressed girl by the hand. 
 
 " This is a little friend of mine, who is visit- 
 ing me. Don't let her presence interfere with 
 your enjoyment. She can sit on the platform, 
 here, beside Mrs. Burns, where she won't be in 
 anybody's way," explained Aunt Daisy, as she 
 
 221
 
 222 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 placed a chair near Mrs. Burns, for her young 
 friend. 
 
 "Who is she?" "Did you ever see her 
 before?" "What's her name?" "Isn't she 
 dressed to kill ? " were some of the whispers 
 that passed around among the children, as 
 they looked at the stranger. While Anne Porter, 
 whose passion for fine clothes was well known, 
 looked on her with admiring eyes. 
 
 " Why don't you ask her to join us ? " whis- 
 pered Lucy Stone, to Anne. 
 
 "Yes, that's so," said Ella Myers, who had 
 heard Lucy's whisper, as she stood beside Anne. 
 " Nobody wants her sitting up there, staring at 
 us, all the evening." 
 
 Anne went immediately up t& Aunt Daisy, 
 saying: "We would be pleased to have your 
 friend join us if she would like to." 
 
 ' This is the president of the club, Anne 
 Porter, Belle Cleverly," said Aunt Daisy, intro- 
 ducing the two. " You heard what Anne said, 
 would you like to join them ? " 
 
 " Indeed, I should, very much, Miss Porter," 
 replied Belle, to Anne's great delight. It was 
 the first time she had ever been called Miss 
 Porter, and to have that title conferred upon
 
 BELLE CLEVERLT. 223 
 
 her for the first time by such a handsomely- 
 dressed young lady, was gratifying, indeed. 
 
 " If you will come with me I will introduce 
 you to some of them," said she, and Belle 
 immediately pushed her neatly gloved hand 
 through Anne's arm and walked with her, 
 towards the centre of the hall. 
 
 " I'll introduce you to our head boy, first," 
 said Anne. " That is the one, at the right. He 
 is a great scholar, and is going away to a higher 
 school, to-morrow." 
 
 " I don't want to be introduced to him," said 
 Belle. " I don't like to talk with smart scholars. 
 I'm always afraid they'll try to find out how 
 much I know ; and, to tell the truth, it's as 
 much as I can do to tell which came first 
 Henry VII or Henry VIII. " Who is that fat, 
 good-natured looking girl ? " 
 
 " That is Lucy Stone. I'll introduce you to 
 her, if you say so." 
 
 " Yes. Dear me ! I wish you weren't the 
 president! " 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Because I don't suppose I'll have any chance 
 to talk with you, you'll have so much to do ; 
 and I'd a great deal rather talk with you, than
 
 224 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 with any one else that's here, for it seems to 
 me as though we had known each other for a 
 long while, I really should think you belonged 
 to our school, you dress so much better than 
 any one else that's here." 
 
 Anne flushed with pleasure at this flattering 
 remark from Aunt Daisy's gaity-dressed young 
 friend. She was better dressed than were the 
 other children at Hive Hall ; for, as all the 
 scholars, when they had won a prize for good 
 scholarship or deportment, were allowed to 
 decide what the prize should be, she had always 
 chosen some article of dress, while the others 
 preferred pets, games, toys, etc. She had com- 
 pared her appearance with theirs, this evening, 
 many times before, but never with so much sat- 
 isfaction as now ; but she had no chance to 
 reply to Belle's remark, for they had stopped 
 before Lucy Stone, who looked at the stranger 
 with something like fright in her round eyes. 
 
 " Miss Cleverly, Lucy Stone," pronounced 
 Anne, with an air that would have done credit 
 to a Fifth Avenue belle ; it proved too much 
 for Lucy's gravity, however, for her frightened 
 look suddenly vanished, and she greeted Miss 
 Cleverly with a half-suppressed snicker. Anne
 
 BELLE CLEVERLT. 25 
 
 turned red with anger, but Belle's look of 
 astonishment brought Lucy to her senses. 
 
 "I am happy to make your acquaintance," 
 said she, holding out one of her plump, dim- 
 pled hands, which Belle merely touched with 
 the tip end of her gloved fingers ; then putting 
 her hand again in Anne's arm she walked her 
 away. 
 
 " That is an exceedingly ill-bred girl, I should 
 say," said she, as soon as they were out of 
 Lucy's hearing. " She doesn't do Daisy much 
 credit." 
 
 " The fact is she has got, for her friend, one 
 of the worst girls in school, and, of course, she 
 is learning her ways fast." 
 
 " Is that so ?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " "Who is the worst girl in school?" 
 
 " Her name is Dora Wentworth." 
 
 " Can't you point her out to me ? " 
 
 " Oh, she isn't here. Of course I wouldn't 
 let her become a member of the club." 
 
 " Of course not. I didn't think when I spoke. 
 Where is she ? " 
 
 " Up stairs in her own room, whittling away 
 at an old block of wood." 
 
 " Whittling ? " 15
 
 226 DAISr T RAVERS. 
 
 " Yes ; she would like to make every one 
 believe that she is going to be a great sculp- 
 toress, one of these days, so she whittles all the 
 time to convince us." 
 
 " I shouldn't think Daisy would let her waste 
 her time so." 
 
 " Oh, Aunt Daisy likes to have her ; it keeps 
 her out of mischief, you know." 
 
 " So it must. Dear me ! I should think you 
 would be tired to death being with such girls. 
 You ought to go to school where I go ; all the 
 girls are perfect ladies, and dress every day as 
 well, if not better, than I am dressed to-night." 
 
 " I don't see how you find time to dress so 
 every day," said Anne, looking at Belle's elabo- 
 rate toilet with a sigh. 
 
 " Oh, that's all we have to do. We don't do 
 much studying, I can tell you, unless it is to 
 study the fashions. But they are all looking at 
 you as though they expected you to do some- 
 thing," continued Belle, for Mrs. Burns had 
 stopped playing, and all eyes were fixed on the 
 president, who immediately led Belle to a seat, 
 then stepped upon the platform, and called the 
 meeting to order. Then followed the reading of 
 prose and poetry, and after that Mrs. Burns
 
 BELLE CLEVERLT. 227 
 
 took her seat at the piano again, which act the 
 children seemed to consider as a signal for them 
 to resume their conversation, which they did, 
 with renewed vigor. 
 
 "Which do you think is the best reader?" 
 said Anne Porter to Belle Cleverly, as she took 
 a seat beside her. 
 
 " Your best scholar, by all means. What did 
 you say his name was ? " 
 
 " Edgar Ford ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he's the best reader I ever heard, if 
 he does belong to this school." 
 
 Anne looked towards Edgar, and was silent. 
 She had asked the question hoping to hear her 
 own name mentioned, for she had done her best 
 to read effectively ; however she soon consoled 
 herself with the thought that Belle was no 
 scholar, and so could not be capable of judging 
 correctly. 
 
 " What a queer voice that Belle Cleverly has 
 got," said a tall, thin girl to Lucy. 
 
 " What's the matter with her voice ? " inter- 
 rogated Lucy. 
 
 " It sounds to me as though she had some- 
 thing in her mouth. She doesn't seem to want 
 to get acquainted, much, after all."
 
 228 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " The way I acted discouraged her from being 
 introduced to any one else, I suppose. I wish I 
 didn't have to laugh just when I ought not to," 
 said Lucy, her face almost serious. 
 
 " What made you laugh, then ? " 
 
 " The way Anne introduced us. I never saw 
 such airs as she did put on." 
 
 " She'll be likely to put on airs after this, 
 since Aunt Daisy's friend has taken such a 
 liking to her. Whom does she remind you 
 of?" 
 
 " Who do you mean ? " Miss Cleverly ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " I don't know. Does she remind you of any 
 one?" 
 
 " Yes ; she looks like Dora Wentworth to 
 me." 
 
 "I should think she did; with that low fore- 
 head, and white face! She isn't half so good 
 looking as Dora, I think." 
 
 " I think she's better looking ; but it's too 
 bad she's got such a dreadfully queer voice. It 
 makes me nervous to hear her talk." 
 
 " I didn't notice anything out of the way 
 about it." 
 
 "You must be deaf, then. There, the presi-
 
 BELLE CLEVERLY. 229 
 
 dent has left her ! Why don't you go up and 
 speak to her? You are the only one that has 
 been introduced." 
 
 " I'd be afraid she wouldn't answer me." 
 
 " I would want to, if I were you, just to 
 prove that you have some manners, if nothing 
 else." 
 
 "Very well, then; I'll go and speak to her, 
 and I shan't grow gray if she doesn't answer 
 me." With that Lucy walked over toward the 
 stranger, and took the seat beside her that Anne 
 had just vacated. 
 
 Anne who had gone to speak with Aunt 
 Daisy about starting some games, was gratified 
 to see that Lucy was treated in a cool or indif- 
 ferent manner by the fashionable BeUe, and as 
 soon as possible she returned to her side, pre- 
 ferring her company to joining in the game. 
 
 " Are you going to make Aunt Daisy a long 
 visit ! " said she as she returned to Belle. 
 
 " I shall stay till after Christmas." 
 
 " That will be nearly a month." 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " I wish the girls here were more like the 
 girls that go to your school ; then you would 
 enjoy coming to our club every time it meets."
 
 230 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " I should enjoy it, as it is. I like to watch 
 them, and hear them read ; and if I do not 
 interfere with your duties as president, I should 
 be glad to come every time." 
 
 " Of course you do not interfere with my 
 duties as president. What I have to do is easily 
 done." 
 
 " Aren't you going to join in the game with 
 your stylish friends ? " said Belle, with a depre- 
 cating smile. 
 
 " Oh, no ; I do not care to play," replied 
 Anne, who had always enjoyed having her share 
 in a game before. 
 
 " I shouldn't think you would, they are so 
 rude." Then pulling out the handsomest little 
 gold watch Anne had ever seen, she looked at 
 it carelessly, and continued : " Half past eight. 
 Daisy said she was going home at that time, 
 because Mr. Milly isn't very well. I shall have 
 to say good-by," and rising, she held a gloved 
 hand for Anne to shake. 
 
 " I shall look for you at our next meeting." 
 
 " I shall be here if nothing happens." 
 
 Ten minutes afterwards, as Anne was sitting 
 all alone, watching her companions, and think- 
 ing of the new acquaintance she had made, a 
 girl came up to her, saying :
 
 BELLE CLEVERLY. 31 
 
 " Come, Anne, we want just one more to 
 play this game." 
 
 " I don't want to play. I detest such child- 
 ish games." 
 
 " You played it only yesterday, you know 
 you did ! " 
 
 " Well, I played it then to please you. You 
 can't expect me to do it every day." 
 
 " Won't she come ? " questioned the waiting 
 children, as their companion returned. 
 
 " No ; " replied the girl, she says she detests 
 such childish games, and her pug nose went up t 
 half an inch higher." 
 
 " Nice president she is, I don't think," 
 exclaimed a boy in disgust. 
 
 " Let's send for Dora, just to plague her," 
 said Ella Meyers. 
 
 " Dora wouldn't come down, I know," said 
 Lucy quickly. " She's just as busy us she can 
 be." 
 
 " Then we'll have to play something else," 
 said Edgar Ford, but Mrs. Burns came to the 
 rescue, and proved that she did not detest 
 childish games, by taking the vacant place her- 
 self, so good-naturedly, that the children enjoyed 
 it more than they would have done, had Anne 
 joined them instead.
 
 32 DAIST TR AVERS, 
 
 The next morning, at an early hour, Mr. 
 Milly's carriage stopped at Hive Hall, to take 
 Edgar and his baggage to the depot. 
 
 He had been greatly surprised, after break- 
 fast, by the number of gifts he had received 
 from the girls. He counted eighteen book-marks, 
 fourteen handkerchiefs, and something that he 
 had been told were slippers, but what earthly 
 good they were, he could not see, as there were 
 no soles to them. He was about to put all 
 those articles in his trunk, when Dora approached 
 him with a paste-board box in her hand, that 
 was securely tied up. This she offered to him, 
 saying it was a parting gift from her. 
 
 Edgar looked at the box suspiciously for a 
 moment, then with a knowing smile, shook his 
 head. 
 
 " What ! won't you take it ? " said Dora, 
 incredulously. 
 
 " Let's see what's in it first." 
 
 " No, sir ! it mustn't be opened until you 
 arrive at school." 
 
 " If I didn't know you pretty well, Dora, I 
 might take it ; then I'd wish I hadn't, when I 
 opened it, and found it full of ground worms, 
 or something equally interesting."
 
 BELLE CLEVERLY. 233 
 
 "Edgar Ford!" 
 
 " Exactly." 
 
 " Do you really think I'd do anything so 
 mean as that ? " 
 
 " Perhaps you don't remember what you had 
 on the Christmas tre'e for me last year, a good- 
 looking box enough, full of soap." 
 
 "Well, soap is a good thing, isn't it?" 
 
 " But it was soft-soap, remember. I was 
 called by that name so long, I don't care to get 
 a new one, thank you." 
 
 " Honestly and truly, this is nothing of the 
 kind; and if you don't take it you'll be sorry, 
 that's all, for I'll just show it to you then burn 
 it up ; see if I don't." Dora's manner was so 
 earnest, that Edgar was partly convinced; and 
 he took the box, reluctantly. 
 
 " Will it break if it drops ? " said he. 
 
 " Yes ; so be careful of it." 
 
 "Then it's bad eggs that's in it." 
 
 " Give it back to me, if you think so." 
 
 " No, I won't, but I'll make sure no one is 
 around when I open it." 
 
 " You can do that, and welcome. Now let 
 me see you put it in your trunk." 
 
 " They were standing in the entry where his
 
 234 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 trunk had been taken, and Edgar immediately 
 stooped down and unlocked it, then packed 
 away the book-marks, handkerchiefs, slippers, 
 and the box from Dora. 
 
 " You will write and let me know how you 
 like it, won't you ? " said she, with a satisfied 
 smile, after the trunk had been locked again. 
 
 " Oh, yes, of course." 
 
 " Good-by, then, for here is the carriage," and 
 at that moment the carriage stopped at the door. 
 Aunt Daisy was in it, for she was going to 
 accompany Edgar as far as the depot, to give 
 him some parting words of good advice. 
 
 Edgar assisted the driver to strap his trunk 
 to the back of the carriage, then, entering it, 
 he was driven away, with the sound of many 
 " good-bys " ringing in his ears, from the chil- 
 dren who had assembled to see him off. 
 
 " What was in that box that Dora "Went- 
 worth gave him ? " said Anne Porter to Lucy, 
 as soon as the carriage was out of sight. 
 
 " A present," replied Lucy. 
 
 " I supposed it was ; but can't you tell me 
 what kind of a present ! " 
 
 " The handsomest one he had from us, I 
 think."
 
 BELLE CLEVERLY. 235 
 
 " Your opinion isn't worth much," replied 
 Anne, sarcastically, as she turned to walk away. 
 She would have given much to know what the 
 box contained, but it would never do to let 
 Dora learn that she was at all interested in any 
 thing she did. 
 
 " What did she say was in the box ? " ques- 
 tioned Maria Hurd, [who had heard what Anne 
 said, but not Lucy's answer, ] as Anne 
 approached her. 
 
 " She didn't say. Soft soap, very likely. You 
 couldn't expect it would be much, from her. 
 He was foolish to take it." 
 
 " He is going to write to her, and let her 
 know how he likes it, whatever it is." 
 
 " He is ? " 
 
 " Yes, I heard him say so, just before he 
 went. But I think I know what's in the box." 
 
 " What ? " 
 
 " She bought some oranges down town, yes- 
 terday, and when she saw I saw them, she said 
 she would give me one, only she had bought 
 them for somebody, and there were scarcely 
 enough to give, as it was." 
 
 " That is it, then. Strange I didn't think of 
 it before ! She pretended that those oranges
 
 236 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 were for Mrs. Johnson's little girl, who is sick. 
 Didn't I tell you she was a mean hypocrite ? 
 That was done to make Aunt Daisy think she's 
 awfully good, to spend her money for poor sick 
 girls ; don't you see ? " 
 
 " Did she tell you that she bought them for 
 Mrs. Johnson's girl ? " 
 
 " She didn't ; Lucy did. Lucy is getting to 
 be just as bad as she is. I never was so morti- 
 fied in my life, as I was when I introduced Miss 
 Cleverly to her last evening. It's a wonder she 
 took such a liking to me as she did, when she 
 saw what kind of girls I'm obliged to associate 
 with," and Anne bestowed a contemptuous 
 glance at Dora and Lucy, who were approach- 
 ing, arm in arm, and talking away as though 
 they had just met after a long separation, and 
 there was lots of news to tell on both sides. 
 
 " I say, Dora ! won't you tell me what you 
 gave Edgar for a present ? " said Ella Meyers, 
 who came after them, and placed her hand on 
 Dora's shoulder. 
 
 " Certainly : a caricaturical receptacle for writ- 
 ing fluid," replied Dora with a laugh. 
 
 " What's that ? " said Ella, looking puzzled. 
 
 "I'll tell you," interposed Anne, scornfully.
 
 BELLE CLEVERLT. 237 
 
 " Those oranges that we all supposed were 
 intended for Edith Johnson, was Dora's present 
 to Edgar." 
 
 " Who told you so ? " said Dora. 
 
 " Miss Cleverly, I guess/' said Lucy, with a 
 laugh. 
 
 " Never mind who told me. I know it, and 
 that's enough ; and I want the other girls to 
 know it, too, so they won't have a doubt about 
 your being just what I told them you were." 
 
 " What did you tell them I was ? " 
 
 " A. mean hypocrite." 
 
 "Dora's face turned red with anger, and she 
 would have forgotten all about her promise to 
 Aunt Daisy, had not Lucy, her good angel at 
 all times, pressed her arm warningly, and tried 
 to pull her away. 
 
 " I don't see why you should work so hard 
 to turn all the girls against me," said she, calmly, 
 after a struggle with her temper, in which she 
 
 % 
 
 was victorious. " It's a queer way of showing 
 your gratitude to me for saving your life, I 
 must say. 
 
 " There it is again ! I wonder how many 
 more times I've got to be reminded of what, 
 perhaps, you never did. It's easy enough for
 
 238 DAIST TRA VERS 
 
 you to say you saved my life, when there was 
 no one near to prove you didn't, and I was 
 unconscious." 
 
 " Do you think you would have got out of 
 the burning barn if it hadn't been for me ? " 
 
 " I am not sure that I was ever in it. I was 
 frightened by the thunder and lightning, I know : 
 but whether I was outside or inside the barn 
 when I fainted away, I have only your word to 
 prove." 
 
 " Then you are not ungrateful only forget- 
 ful," said Dora, who could not help speaking 
 sarcastically. 
 
 At that moment the recitation bell was heard, 
 which put an end to the altercation. 
 
 After school Ella Meyers, who wanted to make 
 sure that Dora's present to Edgar had been 
 oranges, said to Anne : 
 
 " Will you come with me to Mrs. John- 
 son's ? " 
 
 "What for?" said Anne, twisting her head 
 around, to see that her dress was fashionably 
 arranged behind. 
 
 "To see Sarah." 
 
 " No ; I don't care about seeing her." 
 
 " Do come ! I want to find out if Dora was 
 there yesterday."
 
 BELLE CLEVERLT. 239 
 
 " Oil ! " said Anne, who began to compre- 
 hend Ella's motive for going. She would not 
 have hesitated a moment had she been quite 
 sure that Dora had not given Sarah the oranges ; 
 as it was she said, doubtingly : " But it's such 
 a horrid place to go to ! Mrs. Johnson is always 
 washing, and the smell of soap-suds is strong 
 enough to scent one through for a week." 
 
 " Well, if you won't go with me, Maria will," 
 and Ella turned away to go in search of the 
 girl she had named. 
 
 " I'll go, then, if you want me to," said 
 Anne, jerking out the words as though she was 
 somewhat provoked.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 AT MRS. JOHNSON'S. 
 
 f |RS. JOHNSON lived half a mile beyond 
 Hive Hall, in a little tumble-down red 
 house, that could boast of a piazza in 
 front, on which as Anne and Ella approached 
 it a thin old cat and four kittens were sleep- 
 ing, all unconscious that their mistress was a 
 very poor woman, who could scarcely spare the 
 saucers of milk they received every morning and 
 night ; and that often, while they were enjoying 
 it, she had seriously thought of tying them all 
 up in a bag together with a stone for company, 
 and dropping them in the pond that was so 
 conveniently near the back of the house. 
 
 " Scat ! " exclaimed Anne, who disliked all 
 kinds of pets, giving them a quick push with 
 her foot, which caused Puss and her four young 
 ones to roll off the piazza step, before they had 
 time to open their eyes. Puss soon picked her- 
 240
 
 AT MRS, JOHNSONS. 211 
 
 self np and walked away, whisking her tail 
 angrily ; but the kittens lay just where they had 
 fallen, too astonished to move for some time. 
 
 At Ella's knock Mrs. Johnson opened the* 
 door. She was a small thin-faced woman, whose 
 skin looked as though it. had been intended for 
 a larger person, it hung so loosely, and showed 
 so many wrinkles. 
 
 "Is Sarah better to-day?" interrogated Ella, 
 as soon as the door was opened. 
 
 "Won't you walk in and see her? She never 
 will be any better in this world," said Mrs. John- 
 son, with a weary sigh, holding the door open 
 wide for the two girls to pass in ; then she con- 
 ducted them along a narrow passage to the 
 kitchen, where Sarah, her only child, was lying 
 upon the lounge, in the last stages of consump- 
 tion. 
 
 Her face brightened up, as the two girls 
 entered, but it immediately grew dull and life- 
 less again when she saw who her visitors were. 
 She had doubtless been expecting some one 
 else. 
 
 " How do you do Sarah ? " said Ella, going 
 towards her, and offering her hand, while her 
 eyes sought the stand, near the lounge, on 
 
 16
 
 242 DAIS T TR AVERS. 
 
 which were two glasses containing medicine, and 
 three oranges on a plate. 
 
 Sarah took the extended hand, but made no 
 reply. 
 
 " She doesn't like to talk much, it sets her a 
 coughing," apologized her mother, as she thrust 
 her arms into a wash-tub after some clothes, 
 that she immediately began to rub. Anne then 
 approached the sick girl, and offered her hand 
 without speaking ; and a shiver passed through 
 her frame as the thin white fingers closed 
 around her own. 
 
 Sarah then opened her lips and said some- 
 thing. 
 
 "What did she say?" questioned Anne, of 
 Ella. 
 
 "She wants to know if Dora is coming," 
 interposed Mrs. Johnson, " Dora Wentworth, 
 from your school. She comes nearly every day 
 and reads to her ; an' her visits do her more 
 good than the medicine, I think." 
 
 " Was she here yesterday ? " said Ella with a 
 look in Anne's face. 
 
 " Indeed she was, an' brought her those nice 
 oranges. You mustn't expect she can come 
 every day, Sarah." Sarah was not satisfied with
 
 AT MRS. JOHNSOWS. 243 
 
 that reply from her mother, but looked inquir- 
 ingly into Anne's face. 
 
 " I couldn't tell you whether she's coming or 
 not," said Anne, in reply to the look. 
 
 " If you will get me a book, I will read to 
 her," said Ella, addressing Mrs. Johnson. 
 
 " Dear ! dear ! where could the likes of me 
 get books ? Dora always brings a book with 
 her." 
 
 " Then it's of no use for us to stay longer," 
 said Anne, "as it hurts her to talk, and we 
 have nothing to read to her." 
 
 " I hope you'll be better the next time I 
 come ; for I'm coming again, and the next time 
 I'll not come empty-handed," said Ella, taking 
 the wasted hand again in her own, and feeling 
 ashamed that she had been out-done in well- 
 doing by one whom she had been induced to 
 believe ill of. 
 
 " So Dora isn't a hypocrite, after all," said 
 she, as soon as Anne and herself were in the 
 street again. " I think we have all treated her 
 shabbily, and I, for one, mean to tell her so. I 
 always thought it was strange, if she was all 
 you said she was, that Aunt Daisy should think 
 so much of her."
 
 244 DAIS T TR AVERS. 
 
 " You can side with her, if you want to. 
 You'll only get laughed at by the other girls ; 
 they know what she is as well as I do," said 
 Anne, with a toss of her head. 
 
 " They only know what you told them, I 
 believe ; and I've got something to tell them, 
 now." 
 
 " So you're going to make a great talk about 
 her visiting Sarah Johnson ? " 
 
 "I'm going to tell them all about our visit." 
 
 " If you do you'll be sorry for it, for I'll have 
 you turned out of the club ; so you'll lose a 
 great many good times for nothing; for they all 
 know that she*goes there, and they know what 
 she goes there for, too ; she only does it to 
 show off, and make folks think she's an angel." 
 
 Ella made no reply, for at that moment, as 
 they turned a corner, Lucy and Dora, the insepa- 
 rable friends, were seen walking towards them, 
 rapidly. Presently the four girls were opposite 
 each other, and the expression on each one's 
 face was worthy of notice. Lucy's round, good- 
 natured face expressed perfect happiness, if ever 
 a face did. Dora's was thoughtful, Ella's 
 troubled, and Anne's expressed proud defiance, 
 as she passed the two without a sign of recog- 
 nition.
 
 AT MRS. JOHNSON'S. 245 
 
 " Where are you going ? " said Ella, pausing 
 and addressing them. 
 
 " To the widow Johnson's. Want to come ? " 
 replied Lucy. 
 
 " I've just come from there, but I'll go with 
 you, if you say so." 
 
 " Oh, we say so, only you'll have to make 
 yourself useful, if you come ; for the widow 
 wouldn't want us to take up her whole kitchen 
 without paying for the use of the room." 
 
 " What could I do ? " questioned Ella, as she 
 turned and walked beside Lucy. 
 
 " I can't tell till we get there. What was 
 the widow doing -when you were* there?" 
 
 " Washing, as usual." 
 
 " She must have had a big wash to be so late 
 about it. You and I can help her clear up, 
 while Dora reads to Sarah." 
 
 " What ? " said Ella, inquiringly. " Clear 
 up ? " 
 
 " Yes ; hang out the last of the clothes, clear 
 away the tubs, and fix the room up spanking 
 nice, while Mrs. Johnson takes home the clothes 
 she washed yesterday." 
 
 At that reply Ella's face took on such an 
 expression of consternation that Lucy laughed
 
 246 DAIST TRA VERS. 
 
 outright, and Dora, laughing also, said : "I don't 
 think Ella will enjoy going with us, after all." 
 
 " I'd get my dress all soiled, wouldn't I, 
 doing such work ? " said Ella. 
 
 "You can roll up your sleeves, can't you? 
 and Mrs. Johnson will lend you a big apron 
 that you can tie round your neck, an' it will 
 reach to the floor, and so cover your dress all 
 up ; but perhaps you'd better turn about and go 
 with Anne ; she'd never speak to you again if 
 she should see you in such an apron, that's a 
 fact," said Lucy, laughing at the thought of 
 the contempt that would be visible on Anne's 
 face, if she should see Ella with her sleeves 
 rolled up, and such an apron on, doing the 
 widow Johnson's work. Ella thought of it, too, 
 and some of Lucy's spirit seemed to take pos- 
 session of her as their eyes met. 
 
 " I don't care," said she. " My going with 
 you two now, and leaving her to go home alone 
 is something she won't get over very soon. 
 But I won't care if you and I can be friends." 
 
 " As soon as you are Dora's friend, you are 
 mine," replied Lucy. 
 
 " I'll not only be Dora's friend, but will try 
 to make all the girls know her, as I know her
 
 AT MRS. JOHNSOWS. 247 
 
 now, if she has a mind to be good-natured, and 
 forget how shabbily I have treated her." 
 
 " You treated me shabbily?" inquired Dora. 
 " I didn't know it if you have." 
 
 " I took sides with her against you, and voted 
 you out of the club, and believed everything 
 
 she said about you." 
 
 
 
 " You wasn't to be blamed for that ; she 
 meant to turn all the girls against me, and I 
 knew she would ; but it didn't worry me any, 
 as I knew you all must find her out in time. 
 I expect she will change, too, in time, and like 
 me as well as she does anyone, which isn't say- 
 ing much." 
 
 " I don't know about that," said Ella, " I 
 guess she'll never like you as well as she likes 
 Miss Cleverly." 
 
 " Who's Miss Cleverly ? " questioned Dora. 
 
 " Why, haven't you heard about her ? She's 
 a friend of Aunt Daisy's, who is visiting her ; 
 she was at our club, last evening, and she and 
 Anne became great friends at once. I should 
 have thought Lucy would have told you about 
 her, as you room together. I and Emma talked 
 about her for a long while after we went to 
 bed."
 
 248 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 "What was there to talk about?" 
 
 " Oh, dear ! if you could have seen how she 
 was dressed, you wouldn't ask that ! I never 
 saw a girl dressed so richly in my life before." 
 
 "Then you may be sure it wasn't Miss Clev- 
 erly, that Aune took a liking to, but her clothes," 
 replied Dora. " Miss Cleverly, wouldn't have 
 been noticed by Anne if she had been poorly, 
 dressed, I know. What do you think about it 
 Lucy?" 
 
 " I think just as you do. Miss Belle Cleverly 
 in a calico dress would have been beneath Anne's 
 notice." 
 
 " Perhaps you are right," said Ella, though t- 
 fuUy. 
 
 " We'll prove it, some day. But there's Mrs. 
 Johnson at the window ! She sees us coming, 
 and she's grinning all over her face, way up 
 into her gray hair! There she goes now, after 
 the aprons ! " 
 
 "I'm ready for one," said Ella with a laugh. 
 
 " You'll say its right down good fun when 
 you get into it. And then to see her old face 
 light up when everything has been done as well 
 as she could do it herself ! It's too bad that 
 Sarah isn't a strong girl like one of us ! " The
 
 AT MRS. JOHNSON^ S. 249 
 
 latter part of Lucy's sentence was delivered in 
 a low tone that Mrs. Johnson might not hear 
 it, for the three girls had stepped upon the 
 piazza, and, without knocking they opened the 
 door and walked into the kitchen, where Mrs. 
 Johnson greeted them with a smile from behind 
 the wash-tub. 
 
 In a very few minutes the girls had sent her 
 away, and taken possession of the room. Dora 
 had brought a book from the Hive Hall library, 
 which was full of pictures. This she gave to 
 Sarah to look at while they were " clearing up." 
 Then Lucy disappeared with the basket of 
 clothes that were ready to hang out, while Dora 
 and Ella cleared away the tubs ; by the time 
 that was done Lucy returned, and all three set 
 to work to tidy up the room, while the "inerry 
 jests at Ella's awkwardness brought a flush of 
 pleasure to the sick girl's cheeks. 
 
 When everything was in order, Dora took the 
 book she had brought, and seated herself beside 
 Sarah to read aloud, until Mrs. Johnson returned, 
 which she did in the course of half an hour, 
 looking very grateful for the help her young 
 visitors had given her. 
 
 " What kind of a time did you have ? " said 
 Lucy to Ella, on their way home.
 
 250 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " A splendid time," replied Ella, with a laugh, 
 as she thought of all that had been done. " If 
 you always have as much fun it's better than 
 going to the club, to go with you." 
 
 " Meanwhile Anne walked back to Hive Hall, 
 angry enough, at first, at Ella's desertion, but 
 she soon consoled herself with the thought that 
 the next evening the club would meet, and she 
 would see Miss Cleverly again, whose company 
 was much to be preferred to Ella's, or any of 
 the girls at Hive Hall.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAB. 
 
 LE TTER for Dora Wentworth ! " said 
 Mrs. Burns, holding up the epistle 
 in sight of the whole school, as the 
 children were filing out of the recitation room, 
 one afternoon, a few days later. 
 
 Dora stepped up to the teacher's desk, as she 
 was passing out, and received it, amid the won- 
 dering gaze of all her companions, for it was 
 the first letter that had ever been received by 
 any of them. 
 
 " Come up to our room, Roily ! " said she, as 
 she passed into the entry, and ran up stairs, 
 holding the letter as though afraid of wrinkling 
 it. 
 
 " Oh, are you going to let me help read it ? " 
 said Lucy, delightedly, as she followed her. 
 
 " Of course. Here we are ! Let's lock the 
 door, so no one can come in while we are read- 
 
 251
 
 252 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 ing! I didn't think he'd write so soon, did 
 you ? " 
 
 "Who is it from?" 
 
 " Edgar Ford." 
 
 " Is it ? I forgot all about that he was going 
 to write. Do hurry and let us see what he has 
 to say ! " and Lucy took a seat beside Dora on 
 the bed, as curious to know what the letter 
 contained as was the one to whom it was 
 addressed. After opening it carefully. Dora 
 began to read as follows: 
 
 "DEAR DOHA : I have just finished a letter 
 to Aunt Daisy, and will write to you, as I 
 promised to let you know how I liked my pres- 
 ent. I think it is splendid ! I opened the box 
 that night, and was very careful to have no one 
 near when I opened it. I might have saved 
 myself the trouble. I am using it now, and if 
 there is more ink on this paper than is necessary 
 you may know it is caused by my liking to dip 
 my pen in the ink so often. The likeness is 
 good, too, and looks like me ; only I must say 
 I think it's a little flattered. But as you made 
 it, that is to be expected. 
 
 I like going to school here very much ; and I 
 like the boys, too, only I have to keep my eyes 
 open, or they'll get the best of me. The first 
 night I came, after I had gone to bed, and to
 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAR. 53 
 
 sleep, they came into my room, and tied ropes 
 to each corner of the sheet, then passed them 
 over hooks on the wall, and pulled the sheet, 
 with me in it, way up in the air ; then took 
 away the bed from under me. They did their 
 work so carefully, that they did not wake me 
 up, and I might have slept all night, as though 
 in a hammock, only the sheet was an old one, 
 and I went through, down down into what 
 I thought was the ocean, but it proved to be 
 only a wet blanket that they had spread there 
 for me. I kept my eyes about me in the morn- 
 ing, and the boy that came up to me before 
 them all, and asked me so politely if I had 
 slept well, I knew was the one that originated 
 that little plot, and I have not yet decided how 
 to reward him for his ingenuity. Perhaps you 
 can think of some way for me to do that, as 
 you were always good at thinking of anything 
 in that Hue. 
 
 I have no time to write more to-day. Think 
 of some way for me to get even with that boy, 
 and send your letter in Aunt Daisy's care. 
 
 EDGAR FORD. 
 
 nollowcliffe School. 
 
 " Are you going to answer it?" said Lucy, as 
 soon as Dora had finished reading. 
 
 " Of course." 
 
 " And tell him how he can get even with 
 that boy ? "
 
 254 DA IS r TRA VERS. 
 
 " What ! after my experience at getting even ? 
 It's not likely. I'll write and tell him he'd 
 better let things be just the way they are, unless 
 he wants to feel as though he had suddenly 
 made the acquaintance of all the hornets in a 
 hornet's nest, and then not have the satisfaction 
 of killing one. Only rogues should play at 
 getting even ; good people always get the worst 
 of it. What do you think Aunt Daisy told me 
 last night, Roily ? " and Dora, as she spoke, 
 folded her letter carefully away, then took from 
 the table a tool and began to work away at the 
 eyelids on the bust of Aunt Daisy. 
 
 " I don't know ; what did she ? " said Lucy. 
 
 " You couldn't guess if you were to try a 
 year ; so I'll take pity on you, and tell you. 
 She and Mr. Milly are going to Europe next 
 year, if nothing happens." 
 
 " I've heard of that before." 
 
 "But that isn't all. They were both in here 
 yesterday, it seems, while I was in the school- 
 room ; they came to criticise that," continued 
 she, with a nod towards the busts ; " and some 
 one came with them, too." 
 
 " Someone ? Who do you mean by some- 
 one ? "
 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAR, 255 
 
 " A real sculptor ! " Lucy's round eyes grew 
 rounder, as she looked her surprise, but she 
 made no reply. 
 
 " Yes," continued Dora, " a real sculptor ! 
 Aunt Daisy said she brought him just to see 
 that. I felt dreadfully when she told me. I 
 wouldn't have cared if it had only been done ; 
 but to have him see such eyelids as those were 
 yesterday ! I hadn't got the edge done, and 
 they looked more like baker's rolls than they 
 did like eyelids. But Aunt Daisy said that he 
 liked it, and now she says that I'm going to 
 Europe with her, when she goes." 
 
 " You going to Europe ? " exclaimed Lucy. 
 
 " Yes ; going to Italy, where I can study the 
 great masters. She is going to introduce me to 
 some of the famous woman artists, and maybe I'll 
 not come back to America for years. " 
 
 " Oh, dear ! dear ! " 
 
 " What's the matter ? " 
 
 " I don't see how you can say anything like 
 that, as though you enjoyed saying it." 
 
 " I never enjoyed saying anything so much in 
 my life, and that's the truth, Roily. The only 
 thing I'm sorry about is that you can't go with 
 me. If you had only stuck to painting as I 
 told you to, you might go to."
 
 256 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 " Stuck to painting ! Didn't I use up the 
 box of paints that Aunt Daisy gave me for a 
 Christmas present, and no one ever went into 
 ecstacies over anything I ever painted. Aunt 
 Daisy would say, ' that's very good Lucy ; very 
 good indeed," and that's the last I ever heard 
 about it. I often wonder how she came to say 
 so much, when I look at some of the roses I 
 painted ; they look more as though ripe cherries 
 had fallen on the paper and got smashed there, 
 than they looked like roses." 
 
 "But you could have done better in time." 
 
 " In a lifetime, perhaps, but I don't expect 
 to have but one lifetime, and I wouldn't spend 
 it that way for the world, even if I had moun- 
 tains of paint to do with as I please." 
 
 " Well, Roily, just as soon as I get rich I'll 
 come back after you, and we'll live together the 
 rest of our lives." 
 
 " Perhaps I'll get rich first. If I do I'll go 
 over after you, and put an end to your stone- 
 cutting," replied Lucy, with a laugh. 
 
 " Then you've decided on what you're going 
 to be ? " 
 
 " Yes ; I'm going to be a dressmaker. I'm 
 good at sewing, you know, and that's the only 
 thing I am good at. I'd rather be a teacher
 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAR. 257 
 
 like Mrs. Burns, only I'm not smart enough, and 
 I don't think it's so profitable, either ; dress- 
 makers make piles of money. Ella is going to 
 be a teacher ; did you know it ? 
 
 " No ; is she ? " 
 
 " Yes ; so Aunt Daisy is going to give her a 
 better education than she can get here, as she 
 is giving Edgar Ford." 
 
 " The other boys are all going to learn trades 
 I suppose." 
 
 " Yes ; I heard Aunt Daisy say so." 
 
 "I wonder what Anne Porter will be?" 
 
 "A milliner." 
 
 " Land ! I might have known without asking. 
 She'll be happy if she has all the laces and rib- 
 bons she wants to trim her hats with. I'll visit 
 her when I come home from Italy, and buy the 
 best hat she has in her store. I'd find all man- 
 ner of fault with it before I bought it, of 
 course," and Dora laughed softly to herself. 
 " Then," continued she, " I'd call on you to 
 get a dress made. You wouldn't know me, of 
 course." 
 
 "Wouldn't I?" 
 
 "No; how could you? I'd be a woman, you 
 know. I wouldn't let you know who I was till 
 the dress was done, for fear you'd slight it. I
 
 258 DAIS r TRA VERS. 
 
 can imagine just how you'd talk to your assis- 
 tant : ' This dress is for Dora Wentworth ; get 
 it done as soon as you can, and you needn't be 
 over particular, because she doesn't know the 
 difference between running and hemming, or 
 stitching and felling.' ' 
 
 " That's just the way I'd talk if you'd try 
 not to make yourself known ; for I should know 
 you if you were a woman, and I'd make that 
 dress set like like well, like the skin on 
 Mrs. Johnson's face ; there'd be just as many 
 wrinkles in it, I can tell you." 
 
 " What would I be doing all the time you 
 were making the dress ? " 
 
 " You'd be waiting for it to be done, and 
 thinking I didn't know you." 
 
 " That's where you're mistaken. I could tell 
 at first how that dress was going to set, and if 
 it didn't suit me, I'd go right to work and make 
 the awfulest homely bust of you I could make, 
 out of plaster; then I'd do it up and take it to 
 you when I went for the dress, and ask you if 
 you wouldn't be willing to take your pay in 
 trade, as I really couldn't afford to give money 
 for such a piece of work." 
 
 " I wonder," said Lucy, laughing, " if we 
 really could do anything like that, if we should
 
 A LETTER FROM EDGAR. 259 
 
 meet after not having seen each other for 
 years." 
 
 " It's not likely. I couldn't keep back from 
 rushing at you and shaking you out of your 
 shoes, I know. To-night is club night, isn't 
 it ? " questioned Dora, suddenly changing the 
 conversation. 
 
 " Yes ; and you have no idea, Dora, how- 
 much the girls want you to join. Ella has been 
 telling them some of the greatest things about 
 you and me and Anne Porter. They have 
 nearly all turned against Anne, and no wonder, 
 for she is getting to be so unbearably proud 
 since Belle Cleverly makes so much of her, she'll 
 scarcely speak to any of them. They all voted 
 you into the club, yesterday, and were indig- 
 nant enough with her when she wouldn't give 
 her consent for you to join. They'll turn her 
 out and vote you president, yet, by the way 
 they're going on now." 
 
 " For mercy's sake, Roily, don't let them 
 think of such a thing ! if you do, they'll spoil 
 all the fun. Talk to them, and tell them I 
 wouldn't join, anyway ; that I've got too much 
 work to do. Keep them quiet till after Christ- 
 mas, when Miss Cleverly will take her grand 
 departure ; then I don't care what they do."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 
 
 DON'T know what I shall do, after you 
 are gone ! " The speaker, Anne Por- 
 ter, was walking up and down the, 
 hall, arm in arm with Belle Cleverly, this Christ- 
 mas eve, and the last evening of Belle's visit 
 to Aunt Daisy. 
 
 The members of the club were scattered in 
 groups all over the hall, talking and laughing 
 together, and perfectly unconscious that their 
 president .was very unhappy, indeed. They 
 might not have cared if they had known it, for 
 she had ceased to be a favorite with them, and 
 few took the trouble to look at her as she 
 passed by, arm in arm with Miss Cleverly, who 
 was dressed this evening richer than ever 
 before. 
 
 "I'm sure of one thing," continued Anne, "I 
 shall not have anything more to do with this 
 club." 260
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 261 
 
 " You'll not ? " asked Belle, in some surprise 
 righting her dress by a graceful movement of 
 her disengaged hand. 
 
 " No, indeed. I believe I hate every one of 
 them. They haven't a thought above a snail's. 
 A snail doesn't seem to trouble itself much 
 about how it looks, and no more do they." 
 
 "A snail couldn't look any better if it tried, 
 could it ? " said Belle, with an attempt at a 
 smile. Laughing aloud was something she never 
 indulged in. 
 
 " But they could, and that's where they're 
 beneath a snail, I think. Besides, they are 
 beginning to make a fuss because Dora Went- 
 worth isn't allowed to join. I suppose they'll 
 work till they get her in, then, of course, I 
 won't have anything more to do with it." 
 
 " I wish I could have seen her before I 
 went." 
 
 " You do ? " 
 
 " Yes. I'm curious to know what she looks 
 like, I've heard so much about her." 
 
 " She's a very common-looking girl, I can 
 assure you. Coarse, and with no more style 
 than a than a I don't know what," said 
 Anne, who was not good at thinking of a
 
 262 DAIS r TRA VERS. 
 
 similie. "But who did you hear speak of her? 
 I'm sure I haven't mentioned her since the first 
 evening you came." 
 
 " Daisy and Mr. Milly speak about her occa- 
 sionally." 
 
 "They do?" 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " What in the world do they find to say 
 about her ? " 
 
 " They were talking yesterday about taking 
 her to Europe with them." 
 
 "Taking her to Europe?" repeated Anne. 
 "What for?" 
 
 " Oh, so she can study, and become a sculp- 
 toress ; I think that's what they said she was 
 going to be. Did you ever see any of her 
 work?" 
 
 " Work !" scornfully. " I should call it play ! 
 Yes, I've seen a specimen of what, perhaps, she 
 calls work," said Anne, thinking of the pig 
 carved out of wood and labelled Anne Porker, 
 that she had found in her desk, one morning, 
 over a year ago. 
 
 " What do you think of it ? " 
 
 " Don't ask me. I'm no judge of such things. 
 It's my opinion if Aunt Daisy is going to take
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 263 
 
 her to Europe, she is going to take her there 
 just to get rid of her." 
 
 "Do you. really think so?" 
 
 " Yes; and I think the sooner she gets her 
 there, the better, too." 
 
 " She must be very disagreeable to make you 
 dislike her so." 
 
 "She is." 
 
 " In what way ? " 
 
 " In every way ; but I happen to know that 
 she's a hypocrite, which makes her more disa- 
 greeable to me." 
 
 " Tell me all about how you came to find that 
 out, will you? You speak so positively you 
 must v have proof. Let's go and sit over there 
 in the corner, where no one will hear what we 
 are taking about. There ! now tell how you 
 came to find out she's a hypocrite. I like to 
 listen to anything like that ; it's as good as 
 reading a story." 
 
 " We never liked each other, from the first of 
 our coming here," began Anne, after the two 
 were seated. " But at first she used to show 
 her dislike plainly enough. She was always 
 ready to say something disagreeable to me, on 
 every occasion; and when she couldn't plague
 
 264 DAIST TR AVERS. 
 
 me by talking, she'd think of something to do, 
 such as carving out a pig and naming it Anne 
 Porker, and putting it in my desk ; and teach- 
 ing her parrot to call me names ; and putting a 
 whole nest of young rats in my best hat. I 
 can't begin to tell you half the disagreeable 
 things she did, and laughed over, but the great- 
 est of them all was her telling an old gipsy 
 woman to go into my room and steal my best 
 hat and dress. I was in my room when the 
 gipsy came, and she nearly killed me ; then she 
 came back that night, and stole all the chil- 
 dren's clothes, but Edgar Ford managed to get 
 them back again." 
 
 " It's a wonder my friend Daisy let her stay 
 here, after that," Said Belle, apparently much 
 interested. 
 
 " Aunt Daisy didn't know she had anything 
 to do with the gipsy's coming for a long time 
 afterwards, then she found it out someway; and 
 what do you think this Dora Wentworth did ? 
 She convinced Aunt Daisy that I was the only 
 one to blame all the time ! " 
 
 " I don't see how she could do that." 
 
 " Well she did. Everything seemed to hap- 
 pen to help her, too. Don't you think, one day
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 265 
 
 we were both sent to the village on an errand, 
 and we got caught in a fearful thunder-storm. 
 We went into an old barn for shelter and that 
 was struck by lightning, and we were both 
 knocked senseless. Dora came to first and saw 
 the barn was all on fire, and there was no way 
 to get out except by a small window, as the 
 door was closed by burning timbers; she said 
 she tried to lift me up to the window, but 
 couldn't; then when she saw that the burning 
 roof would soon fall in, she took a red-hot brand 
 and burned my hand with it to bring me to ; 
 it did bring me to ; there's the scar now. I 
 can just remember of crawling through the win- 
 dow, and she after me, then the roof fell in, and 
 I fainted away again." 
 
 " Then she was the means of saving your life, 
 after all. I thought somebody said that was all 
 a story made up by her, and you two never 
 went into the barn." 
 
 " I was the one that said so, I guess." 
 
 " Did you say so ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "What for?" 
 
 "Because I don't like to let her know I think 
 she saved my life."
 
 266 DAISY TR AVERS 
 
 " You really think she did, don't you ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. If I had been in the barn a min- 
 ute longer nothing could have saved me, I 
 know." 
 
 " Then why not tell her so ? " 
 
 " Because it would gratify her too much." 
 
 "I don't see how that could be; but go on. 
 You haven't told me yet how you came to know 
 she was a hypocrite." 
 
 " I'm coming to that. After the storm, I was 
 fearfully sick for a long while; but one day, 
 when I was getting better, into my room came 
 Dora, and she asked my pardon for all the mean 
 things she had ever said or done to me." 
 
 " I think that was noble of her." 
 
 " I don't." 
 
 " You don't ? why ? " 
 
 " Because she only did it to show off ; and 
 make Aunt Daisy and the girls think her a 
 saint, and me a sinner ; for she knew all the 
 time I wouldn't pardon her, because, knowing 
 her as I did, I would be sure to think she was 
 only hatching some new plot to plague me." 
 
 " Did you think so ? " 
 
 " Yes, of course I did." 
 
 " And that was why you wouldn't pardon 
 her?"
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 267 
 
 " Yes ; don't speak so loud ! I do not want 
 them to hear what we are talking about; 
 and after she went out of my room she went to 
 Aunt Daisy, first, and told her how ungrateful 
 I was after she had saved my life, then she told 
 all the girls about it, and made me out an awful 
 creature." 
 
 "But she might have been sincere when she 
 asked your pardon, and might have really wanted 
 to make up with you." 
 
 " Ah, no ! didn't I hear her tell Lucy Stone, 
 under my window, not ten minutes after that, 
 she was going to turn missionar}^ with me for 
 the savage, and that she had promised Aunt 
 Daisy that she would make me as good a girl 
 as there was at Hive Hall ! " 
 
 Belle Cleverly started suddenly, and cried 
 out, as she looked into Anne's face. 
 
 " What's the matter? " questioned Anne, 
 solicitously. 
 
 " Nothing. I was thinking what a fool she 
 was." 
 
 " Who ? " 
 
 " Why, that Dora Went worth, to let you hear 
 her say that." 
 
 " I was very glad I did hear her, I can tell
 
 68 DAISY TRAVERS. 
 
 you. I knew just how to meet her after that. 
 I succeeded in turning all the girls against her, 
 but she managed to make friends with Ella, 
 lately, and Ella is doing her best to make her 
 a favorite again. Let her do it. I don't care, 
 now, for since I've known you there's not one 
 of them I'd care to have for a friend." 
 
 " But you won't have me for a friend after 
 to-night." 
 
 " I shall have you for a friend, if I don't see 
 you very often. You will visit Aunt Daisy 
 next year, won't you ? " 
 
 " No," replied Belle, with a thoughtful 
 expression on her face, as she turned it towards 
 the children in the centre of the hall. 
 
 " That is strange," said Anne, disappointedly. 
 " Haven't you had a good time while you've 
 been here ? " 
 
 " I never had a better." 
 
 "Then why not come again?" 
 
 " Because I can't. You will know why before 
 I go." 
 
 "I'm sorry. I was thinking I could look for- 
 ward to your next visit, if it didn't come for a 
 year. You are only jesting about not coming 
 again, I know."
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 269 
 
 " Belle ! Belle ! " called Aunt Daisy, at that 
 minute, approaching them. " You take up all 
 the president's time, so she can't attend to her 
 duties. The children are anxious to play some- 
 thing, but they don't know what ; can't you or 
 Anne suggest something?" 
 
 " Won't there be any reading this evening ? " 
 said Belle. 
 
 " No ; I thought, as it is Christmas eve, we'd 
 better omit the reading this time, and let them 
 do whatever they choose." 
 
 " I'm sure I can't think of anything for them 
 to do," said Anne, fretfully, for Belle's informa- 
 tion had dampened her spirits for the evening. 
 
 " Well, then, Belle, if she can't think of any- 
 thing we may as well have that transformation 
 scene now, that we were talking about. Anne, 
 Ella, and Emma, I want you all to go in that 
 closet and assure yourselves that there is no 
 other way that one could escape from it but 
 through the door," said Aunt Daisy, opening the 
 closet door mentioned. 
 
 t; Why, of course we know that there isn't ! " 
 said the three girls, looking into Aunt Daisy's 
 face, questioningly. 
 
 " Are you quite sure of it ? "
 
 270 DAISr TR AVERS. 
 
 " Yes ; sure ! " 
 
 "And are all the other children sure?" 
 
 One boy, with more curiosity than the rest, 
 entered the closet to investigate, but came out 
 soon with the information that " he couldn't see 
 any other way out, 'cept through the door." 
 
 " And are you sure there is no one in it? " 
 continued Aunt Daisy. 
 
 " Course we are ! can't we see into every cor- 
 ner ? " exclaimed a little girl. 
 
 " I want you all to be quite sure both that 
 there is no other way of getting out, and that 
 there is no one in there now, because I'm going 
 to present to you a transformation scene. 
 Come, Belle," and Aunt Daisy gently pushed 
 Belle into the closet, then shut the door and 
 locked it. 
 
 For two minutes the children all stood per- 
 fectly still, with their eyes on the closet-door, 
 not knowing what to expect. Presently a soft 
 knock was heard inside, and Aunt Daisy opened 
 the door, presenting to view that which caused 
 the members of the reading club to hold their 
 breath in astonishment. They had seen Belle 
 Cleverly, not three minutes before, dressed as 
 only Belle Cleverly could dress, standing where
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 271 
 
 now stood a very plainly dressed girl! Who 
 was she ? Could she be Belle ? and was it pos- 
 sible that dress alone could change her like that, 
 were some of the thoughts that flashed through 
 their minds, but they had not time to put them 
 in words, before Anne, who was standing near 
 Aunt Daisy, suddenly* exclaimed. 
 
 " Dora Went worth ! " instantly the other 
 children took up the cry, and " Dora Went- 
 worth ! Dora ! " escaped from every mouth in 
 the hall. 
 
 " How did she get there ? " " Where is 
 Belle?" questioned some, who did not under- 
 stand the affair ; but Anne, after one look at 
 the pile of rich clothing upon the floor, under- 
 stood it all perfectly, and without another word 
 she turned and left the hall. 
 
 " Dora Wentworth ! Was it really you all 
 the time ? " said Ella, who was not yet willing 
 to admit that she had been so greatly deceived. 
 
 " It wasn't anybody else," replied Dora, 
 emerging from the closet. 
 
 "Not even Belle Cleverly!" said Lucy, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 " I was as much deceived as any of the chil- 
 dren," said Mrs. Burns. I don't see how she 
 did it ! "
 
 272 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 "She did it cleverly!' 1 ' 1 replied Aunt Daisy, 
 with a merry laugh, in which the children 
 joined. 
 
 " Lucy, you didn't seem to be surprised at 
 all!" said Ella, looking into the round eyes that 
 had not grown rounder with surprise when the 
 closet door was opened. 
 
 " I knew it all the time ; that's why," was 
 the reply. 
 
 "Then it was mean enough in you not to tell 
 me, when we were such friends." 
 
 " I had promised not to, that's why I didn't ; 
 but I wanted to, ever so many times ; especially 
 when you said that Belle Cleverly was better- 
 looking than Dora Weutworth. 
 
 " Well, she was. I won't take that back, 
 anyway." 
 
 " Oh, it's all the same now, whether you do 
 or not," said Lucy, laughing as usual. 
 
 " Where's Anne ? " interrogated Aunt Daisy, 
 who had just become aware of Anne's absence. 
 
 "True enough! where's the president?" said 
 Ella, looking over the hall. 
 
 " She's gone after Belle Cleverly ! " said a 
 bright-appearing girl, and the remark caused a 
 general laugh, for all knew the feeling that
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 273 
 
 existed between Anne and Dora, and they could 
 partly imagine what a state of mind Anne must 
 be in at that minute. 
 
 Dora's eyes sought Aunt Daisy's for a moment, 
 then without a word she left the hall and pro- 
 ceeded towards Anne's room. 
 
 She opened the door softly, but could see 
 nothing, as there was no lamp burning there, and 
 the room was as dark as a moonless night could 
 make it. 
 
 Guided by the sound of stifled sobs, Dora 
 crossed the room, and laid a hand softly upon 
 Anne's shoulder. 
 
 " Who is it ? " said the latter, starting sud- 
 denly, and swallowing a sob. 
 
 "It is I Dora." 
 
 " How dare you come in here ? I should 
 think you'd be contented with what you've done 
 for to-night ! " and Anne was now too angry to 
 sob. 
 
 " What have I done that's very dreadful ? 
 Come, Anne ! you liked me as Belle, why not 
 like me as Dora, and let's be friends ; it's time 
 we were, I'm sure." 
 
 " Dora Wentworth, I hate you ! What have 
 you done ! You have made me the laughing- 
 stock of the whole school and village, too ! "
 
 DAISY TR AVERS, 
 
 " I don't think so." 
 
 " No, you know it ! " 
 
 " If I have, it will be easy to turn the laugh 
 on them. All you'll have to do is to go back 
 to the hall with me, and treat me just as you 
 have treated Belle Cleverly. They'll think, then, 
 that you knew it all the time." 
 
 " Are you going out of this room, Dora Went- 
 worth ? " 
 
 " Not till I've explained two or three things, 
 anyway. It's all a mistake, Anne, all the way 
 through. 1 was mistaken in you, and you in 
 me, especially when you think I wasn't sincere 
 when I asked your pardon that time. I was ; 
 for I was truly sorry for what I had done ; and 
 I thought you knew it, too, but was too mean 
 to pardon me after I had asked it of you. How 
 was I to know that you mistrusted my motive ? 
 and it was no great wonder I called you a sav- 
 age, was it ? " 
 
 " I don't want to hear any of your explana- 
 tions ! If you'll leave me alone, in my own 
 room that's all I'll ask of you." 
 
 " Anne, you're foolish I You'll only just make 
 yourself the laughing-stock of them all ? " 
 
 " Let them laugh ! What do I care ? I hate 
 them all, nearly as much as I hate you ! "
 
 NEVER COMING BACK. 275 
 
 " It's a shame, Anne, that we two can't^be 
 as good friends all the time, as we were while 
 I was Belle Cleverly." 
 
 " Where did you get all those fine clothes ? " 
 
 " Aunt Daisy got them for me." 
 
 " She knew all about it ? " 
 
 " She was the one that told me to do it. 
 Where are you going ? " for Anne had arisen, 
 and was groping in the dark for the door. 
 
 " Where are you going ? " repeated Dora, on 
 receiving no answer. 
 
 " Do you think I'm going to stay longer in 
 the same room with you ? " replied Anne, at last, 
 hotly. 
 
 " Oh, if that's all, I'll go, and you can stay." 
 With that Dora brushed by Anne in the dark, 
 ran down stairs, and entered the hall again. 
 
 " Well ? " said Aunt Daisy, questioning!}-, 
 going up to her as she entered. 
 
 " It's just as I expected it would be ; its use- 
 less to think that she and I will ever be 
 friends."
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 n 
 
 "LL the scholars but Anne had assembled 
 early in the dining-room, the next morn- 
 ing, waiting for Aunt Daisy to make 
 her appearance and open the door to the room 
 in which was the wonderful Christmas tree. 
 
 "It's my opinion," said Dora, who was seated 
 on a window-seat, keeping a sharp lookout down 
 the road for Daisy. " It's my opinion Anne 
 won't feel comfortable when she comes in. Let's 
 all see if we can't treat her just as though 
 nothing had happened." 
 
 A general laugh from the scholars followed 
 this speech. 
 
 " I, for one, am going to ask her if she does 
 not think you did it well," said Lucy." 
 
 " No, don't ! I am sure Aunt Daisy would not 
 like to have you allude to it again," entreated 
 Dora. 
 
 276
 
 CONCLUSION. 277 
 
 " Well, then, let's only say, whenever we do 
 anything well, we did it cleverly" said Emma 
 Goodwin, with a laugh. 
 
 " See here, girls, we were all mistaken in 
 Anne, every one of us, and I most of all. I 
 didn't understand her any better than she under- 
 stood me. The reason she wouldn't pardftn me 
 that time, was because she didn't think I was 
 sincere in asking her pardon. She thought I 
 was planning some new way to plague her, 
 while I thought she refused because she was so 
 mean. Now, I'll tell you what ! you have all 
 wanted me to carve your bust for you, but I 
 couldn't carve all, so I didn't carve any. Now, 
 I'll agree to carve a splendid bust of the one 
 who succeeds the best in treating Anne just as 
 though nothing unusual had happened. Here 
 she comes ! Look sharp, now, for I'm watching 
 you I " 
 
 Aunt Daisy and Anne, the latter looking proud 
 and distant, entered the school-room very soon 
 after Dora finished speaking, and presently the 
 door that had been watched so impatiently by 
 the scholars, was opened. 
 
 It would be useless to try to describe that 
 Christmas tree and the presents that were on it,
 
 278 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 and around it ; and impossible to picture the 
 joy the children of Hive Hall felt as the gifts 
 were bestowed upon them by Aunt Daisy ; but 
 most of my young readers will be able to under- 
 stand it all, from their own experience. 
 
 Anne was made glad by the present of a 
 handsome new dress, and within an hour she 
 began to show signs of what the girls called 
 " coming round," and they did their best to 
 encourage her. 
 
 Later in the day Dora was surrounded by a 
 demonstrative group of children, each one of 
 which claimed the right to that bust she had 
 promised to make. 
 
 " I can't decide which one deserves it the 
 most," said she, good-naturedly ; " suppose you 
 draw lots to see who shall have it." 
 
 " That would be a mean way," said Ella. 
 " Those who didn't do anything would stand as 
 good a chance of getting it, as those who really 
 exerted themselves. Didn't I " 
 
 " I know you did," interrupted Dora, " but 
 two or three others did as well." 
 
 " Draw lots, I say ! " said Emma Goodwin, 
 who had done nothing but grin. 
 
 " That's the only way to settle it," said Lucy.
 
 CONCL US I ON. 279 
 
 " Let's wait till Anne conies back, and let her 
 draw, too," for Anne had left the room a minute 
 before. 
 
 " We'll agree to that," said Ella, laughing. 
 " I'll cut strips of paper enough, and the one 
 who draws the shortest will be the lucky one." 
 
 A piece of paper was soon produced, and the 
 strips were arranged ready for drawing when 
 Anne returned. 
 
 " You are* just in time, Anne," said Ella. 
 "Dora has promised to make a handsome bust 
 of one of us, and will give it to the one she 
 makes it of. We are going to draw lots, now, 
 to see whose she will make. Come, girls, every- 
 thing is ready. Who's going to draw first ? " 
 Four or five strips were instantly drawn by as 
 many different hands, but the short strip was 
 not among them. 
 
 " There, now," exclaimed Ella, " I guess you 
 all wish you hadn't been in such a hurry, but 
 had waited till your turns came properly. Hare, 
 Anne, you are the best-behaved one here ! you 
 can draw next." 
 
 " I don't care about it," said Anne, folding 
 her arms, and looking at the strips of paper 
 Ella held before her.
 
 280 DA 1ST TR AVERS. 
 
 "Oh, yes ! draw ! just for the fun of it ! " 
 urged Ella ; and Anne, thinking she would not 
 be very likely to draw the short strip, com- 
 plied. 
 
 " The short strip ! " " The short strip ! " 
 " Anne has got it ! " was the shout that fol- 
 lowed, as she looked at the paper she had 
 drawn. 
 
 " Any one can have it that wants it. I'm sure 
 I don't care for it," said she, when the noise 
 had partly subsided. 
 
 " Oh, no ! nobody else wants it," interposed 
 Lucy. " You drew it, fair and square, and Dora 
 is bound to carve a handsome bust of you, and 
 give it to you. Don't say anything more about 
 it till yon see it ; then if you don't want it my 
 name isn't Lucy Stone ! " 
 
 Aunt Daisy, entering at that moment, put a 
 stop to the conversation. 
 
 t; Wasn't it odd," said Lucy, that night, to 
 Dora, after they had gone to their room and 
 were preparing to retire, looking very tired 
 indeed, after the excitement of the day. 
 " Wasn't it odd that Anne should draw that 
 short strip." 
 
 " Odd enough."
 
 CONCLUSION. 281 
 
 " If I were you I'd flatter that bust." 
 
 "I was thinking about that. I've tried for 
 over a year to be friendly with Anne for Aunt 
 Daisy's sake, and nothing I could do would 
 please her. But that bust is what's going to do 
 it! I'll make it a great deal better-looking than 
 she is, then if she doesn't think as much of me 
 ever after, as she thought of Belle Cleverly, I'm 
 mistaken in her, that's all." 
 
 Time proved that Dora was not mistaken in 
 her. The bust was finished to perfection, and 
 presented to Anne, who warmed towards Dora 
 immediately upon receiving it. She takes such 
 good care of it, that it will, doubtless, be as 
 perfect as ever when she is old, and bent, and 
 wrinkled; then, perhaps, on Christmas days, 
 when she is surrounded by her grandchildren, 
 she will take it out to show them how she 
 looked when she was a girl. 
 
 Time did more than prove Dora was not mis- 
 taken in Anne. It drove all the children, one 
 after another, from Hive Hall, and scattered 
 them far and wide, but not before they were 
 made strong enough to take up their life-work 
 without faltering. 
 
 One more scene, and then our story is ended.
 
 282 DAISY TRAVERS. 
 
 It was Christmas eve, ten years later; and Hive 
 Hall was ablaze with light, for its former 
 inmates always have a "reunion" there, on that 
 evening. It was yet early, and young men and 
 women were continually arriving ; but ten years 
 had worked such a change with them it would 
 be hard to recognize any of them as our old 
 friends. 
 
 They were assembled in the large room that 
 was formerly used as a school-room, and all 
 seemed to be talking, laughing, shaking hands, 
 and congratulating each other. But one couple 
 had separated from the others and seated them- 
 selves in a remote corner of the room; we will 
 try to get near enough to hear what they say, 
 and perhaps we can recognize them by their 
 conversation. 
 
 "If I go back to Italy " were the first 
 words audible, spoken by the lady, who had 
 our old friend Dora's laughing eyes. 
 
 "If you go back!" repeated the gentleman, 
 whose bearded face we do not remember seeing 
 before. 
 
 "Yes; if I go back, I'll" 
 
 "But I thought I said in my last letter you 
 must not go back!"
 
 CONCLUSION. 283 
 
 "Did you?" with a little laugh, u you always 
 were famous for saying unreasonable things, 
 Edgar Ford! Doesn't Aunt Daisy look hand- 
 some to-night ? " 
 
 "Yes; she's coming this way. Shall I tell 
 her we have decided to be married in the 
 spring ? " 
 
 " There you are, unreasonable again ! What 
 is to become of my art, and all my dreams of 
 fame ? " 
 
 " Your art will live all the same, I'll give you 
 my word ; and as for your dreams of fame, we 
 can grow famous together ; its ever so much 
 the best way." 
 
 We could not hear Dora's reply, but know 
 that, in the spring, there was a wedding at 
 Hive Hall, in which they were the chief 
 actors. 
 
 Aunt Daisy is a middle-aged woman now, 
 with boys and girls of her own, and nephews 
 and nieces, too, as large as the children who 
 first appeared at Hive Hall; and every Christ- 
 mas she has them all together at the Hall, with 
 the men and women who still call her " Aunt," 
 and their children ; and a merry time they have. 
 
 Every year she is more and more convinced
 
 284 DAISY TR AVERS. 
 
 that Hive Hall was a success, as she beholds 
 how prosperous and happy those who were 
 its inmates are, and compares them to what 
 they might have been, had its doors never been 
 opened to receive them.
 
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