The Unclassed

s the gathering-time after the dinner-hour, and Miss Rutherford herself was as yet out of sight; but thi

terrified eyes. At length one more thoughtful than the rest sped away out of the room, and stood at the bottom of the stairs, calling out her teacher's name as loud as she could. A moment, and Miss Rutherford came hastening down, with alarmed aspect, begging to be told what

it? Who's that lying on the floor? H

ing consciousness; a moan came from her at intervals. She had for support the lap and arms of a little girl, perhaps two years younger than herself. Heedless of the flowing blood, this child was pressing her pale cheek against that of the wounded one, whose name she kept murmuring in pitiful accents,

ce for a doctor-Dr. Williams in Grove Roa

brace. The other pupils all looked fearfully h

and beginning to wipe away some of the blood with her handkerchief.

been pressed against. But it had become self-controlled; the dark eyes looked straight forward with

ord. I have killed Harr

How, c

e slate, Miss Rutherf

e pushed Ida Starr aside, and, with the help of a servant-girl who had by this time appeared in the room, raised the sufferer into a chair, and began to apply what remedies suggested themselves. The surgeon, whom several of the children had hastened to seek, only lived a few yards away, and his assist

shall only be away twenty minutes, at the most. Ida Starr, you will go up into my sitting-room, and remain

es was led out. Before leaving the house, Miss Rutherford whispered to the servant

ad returned within the twenty minutes, and the first thing she did was to walk along all the benches, making a comment here, a correction

y those ignorant of the locality; in point of fact a dingy street, with a mixture of shops and private houses. On the front door was a plate displaying Miss Rutherford's name,-nothing more. That lady herself was middle-aged, grave at all times, kindly, and, be it added, fairly competent as things go i

then raised her head, looked at the faces before h

se their hands who actually saw the blow struck, and overheard all that led to it. You understand, now? One, two, three-seven altogether, that

iss Rutherford seemed for a time to be on the point of making some new address to the school before the children departed, but eventually she decided t

oor was closed and quiet, "you are the eldest.

stained, red-eyed; the eager look, the trembling lips spoke some intimate cause of sympathy. Before the girl addressed had

rford, is Harri

with a shocked look. "No, my

pleaded the child, with an

ly not. Now be quiet, M

dated. Harriet had copied a sum in class from Ida's slate-she was always copying from somebody-and the teacher, who had somehow detected her, asked Ida plainly whether such was not the case. Ida made no reply, would not speak, which of course was taken as confirmatory evidence, and the culprit had accordingly received an imposition. Her spleen, thus aroused, Harriet vented upon the other girl, wh

inquired Miss Rutherford, all at

ed her a

that

id she got her living in the streets. And it isn't true. Id

ooked down an

stions," she said presently. "Run away

er age, had remained behind, and was lookin

she asked, "and-and walk home

tarr is in disgrace. She will not go home ju

aud Enderby walk along the streets homeward, ever turning

ing-room. The culprit was standing i

sked the teacher gravely

d want me to, M

re to me

humbly. She came up, still holding her hands behind her, and stood with downcast eyes. The hair which hung down over her shoulders was dark brown, her eye-brows strongly marked, the eyes themselves r

at Harriet's hurt is not as serious as we feared at f

no motion,

o idea that you were so passionate. Had you no thought w

onverse; no word wa

ome back till I send for you. Tell your mother just what you have done, and

half raised her face, but could not resolve to meet her teacher's eyes. On the permission to go being repeated, she left the room in silence, descended the stairs with the slow steps of an ol

re called Boston Street, close to the west side of Regent's Park, and here she entered a chemist's shop, over which stood the name Smales. A middle-aged man of very haggard and feeble appearance stood behind

madam; much better, I hope a

ands together feverishly the while, and making

her for a f

round here, madam, and-and to excuse our poor sitting-room. Thank you, thank you. Harriet, my dear, Miss Rutherford has ha

curtains. As the eyes got accustomed to the dimness, one observed that the floor was covered with very old oil-cloth, and that the articles of furniture were few, only the most indispensable, and all very shabby. Everything seemed to be dusty and musty. The only approach to an ornament wa

a way which did not seem the genuine utterance of pain. After a few sympat

f it were not necessary. But I must ask you plainly what reason you had for speaki

eturned Harriet sullenly,

that? Who has told yo

cited that Harriet owed her ideas on the subject to

say, then?" asked

answered the girl, speaking evidently with a very clear understanding of what these accusations meant. T

gs about any one again, whoever may tell you. It is our duty never to speak ill of others, you know; least of all when we know that to do

ewed to the chemist her sincere

f such a thing," she said. "The child who

, apologies, and thanks, and shufflin

er. Ida had not shown any especial brilliancy at her books, but the child's character was a remarkable one, and displayed a strength which might eventually operate either for good or for evil. With careful training, it seemed at present very probable that the good would predominate. But the task was not such as the schoolmistress felt able to undertake, bearing in mind the necessity of an irreproachable character for

hat this would be both painful and useless. It was difficult even to write, desirous as she was of somehow mitigating the harshness of this sentence of expulsion. After half-an