Kitty Trenire

ery trying. It was not at all easy for an

been lost, and in the second, she had never really "kept house" in the true meaning of the term, and it really was a great relief to find the meals appearing regu

om in getting up and going to bed, in their goings and comings; for Aunt Pike believed, quite rightly, of course, in punctuality and early rising, and keeping oneself profitably employed, and she disapproved strongly

of tea as of old. "And if anybody can't have a bit of a clack sometimes," groaned poor Jabez, "nor a cup of tea neither, why he

and Dr. Trenire. The latter was too busy just then to realize the changes going on

hich annoyed him extremely. To Betty, who was to have been her special companion, she showed no desire to attach herself, but to Kitty she clung in a most embarrassing fashion, monopolizing her in a way that Kitty found most irksome, and made Betty furious,

itter groans over what might have been had they been alone. They thought longingly of the exc

me time, sitting around a table in a room in a house, when one can enjoy them e

. "You would have indigestion if you didn't have your meals at regular hours.

"and you wouldn't either, Anna, if you didn't think so much about it." Which was tr

ty somewhat for all the pleasure and excitement he had shown up to that point. "If it hadn't been for Aunt Pike and Anna I beli

esolutely. He spoke in an off-hand manner, and made a show of looking over her bookshelves whilst he was speaking. But Kitty understood, and in her he

med almost too great to be borne. It was so great that the girls were really almost glad when the

re everything and everybody would be quite, quite different." But Kitty could not agree to thi

walk from Dr. Trenire's house. It was quite a small school, consisting of about a dozen pupils only, several of whom wer

ds always remarked to the parents of new pupils. "We want it to be

hat it is almost a point of honour with some girls never to admit-until they have left it-that school is anythin

ey been sent amongst older girls and stricter teachers, where they would not have been the leading pupils and young ladies of social importance. They laughed and scoffed at the usual simple tastes and amusements of schoolgirls, and, one being seventeen and the other eighteen, they considered themselves women, who, had it not been for thei

hings, and laughed and sneered at people in a way that hurt Kitty's feelings. Yet now, so great was her nervous dread of the school and all the strangers she would have to meet, she felt quite pleased

so that we shan't look silly standing about not knowing what to do. They won't let the others treat us as they tre

ous and fidgety in her manner, but she said nothing; and whether she greatly d

air of calm indifference, and appeared almost rudely contemptuous. Anna, though outwardly by far the most nervous of the three, had her plans ready and her mind made up. She was not going to be put upon, and she was not going to let any one get the better of her; at the same time she was going to be popular; though how she was going to manage it all she could not decide until she saw her fellow-pupils and had g

nd had taken a dislike to herself, but liked Kitty and Betty; that Netta Anderson was Miss Richards's favourite pupil, and that she herself did n

ty it was all dreadful, and she went through it weighed down by a gloomy de

alling, but to Kitty it was the most awful ordeal she had ever experienced. "Having teeth out is nothing to it," she said afterwards, and her relief when it was over was so intense that she thoug

s doing so well, and-and that they would put me in the same class as you! Of c

een shamed by it, but Anna's remarks and apologies roused her to a s

so fond of me, but I feel all the time that she doesn't like me a bit really, and she will work night and day now to get ahead of me." Which was exactly what Anna meant to do. "But," she added, with determination, "I will show her that

ected to be placed below Anna, and the blow was a great one. "But I'll-I'll beat her," declared Betty hotly. "I will. I don't believe she is so awful

rds was warned that she would find Dr. Trenire's daughters backward and badly taught, and entirely unused to discipline or control. "Of course the poor dear doctor had not been able to give them all the attention they needed, and he was such a gentle, kind father, perhaps too kind and gentle, which made it rather trying for others. It was to be hoped that dear Miss Richards would not find

ng-blocks from the outset, and, unfortunately, they were not the girls to s

had been lavished on her. Miss Richards and Miss Melinda did not doubt it; they declared that it was evident at the first glance, and

idea, a very foolish one, of course, that she could only work when alone and quiet, say in her bedroom, or in the barn, or lying in the grass in the garden, or in the woods. All of whic

he time. The sound alone drove Kitty nearly distracted, while the sitting up so primly to the table seem

n a bit. I dare say it is silly of me, but my own way doesn't do any one any

ay for a young lady to sit to her studies, and it will strengthen not onl

oks to bed with her, and there, far into the night, and early in the morning, she struggled bravely not only to learn, but to learn how to l

her persevere as she did at this time, and she got on well until Anna, wh

long plaits down her back, tapped softly in the dead of night at her mother

summons. "What is the matter? Are you ill? I thought you were

the girls. I saw a light shining under their door,

used her cousins, and have given them at least a chance of escape from burning or suffocation. Now, too, instead of running with her mother to their help, she crept into the bed and lay down, appa

ing where all the children's rooms were, and flinging herself on Kitty's door, had burst it open before either Betty or Kitty could realize wha

ho is ill? Father? Tony?" But at the violent change in her aun

girl, setting the place on fire and risking our lives, and wa

really can't-learn them downstairs, Aunt Pike, with Anna whistling and hissing all the time; it is no use. I have tried and tried

o say that you are in the

nestly, "we always h

did not allow it?" cr

ference to

dly. "I had never heard you say anything about it; an

he dark house to me quite white and trembling. She was afraid your room was on fire, and was dre

r knees. When Anna's name was mentioned her eyes began to sparkle. "If Anna had come in

to her mother," sa

fire at all, and I'll tell her so when I get her by herself." Aloud she said, "I wonder what made her get

or see any behaviour of this kind again, I shall have you to sleep in my room, and put Anna in here

footsteps had ceased to sound-"no, I don't think, I

r," groaned Kitty; "but I-I won't

t her too," s

e is a relation," sai

and for the future I shan't count her one at all

se things than was Betty. "We never did her any harm. Perhaps she can't help

telling us what to do, and that it is good for us to

that Anna is mean; she thinks

misquoted Betty complacently; "at least, that is what

r shock, perhaps more severe than the one she had had d

n't really think our room was on fire last night, and every one but Aunt Pike knows you were only sneaking.

re." A remark which stung Miss Betty sharply, for though she did not like either Lettice or Maude Kitson, she resented the way in which they had gone over to Anna, with whom Lettice in particular had st

as Betty did by it, she felt a sense of relief that Anna had cea

th Anna." But Kitty could not see that. She did not care for Lettice, but it never occurred to her that her behaviour was wors

have avoided the catastrophe to which they were all hastening. But, of course, if you have no suspicions of people, you cannot be on your guard against

to get rid of me. I know why she wanted to, though: she had a letter to post and didn't want me to se

o think she should want to get rid of you while she posted a l

-letters to people she isn't allowed to write to-and she takes letters to her. She does really, Kitty, and I think

eve the girls make up stories, and you shou

and if Lettice does such things, Anna ought not to help he

o. Don't tell me any m

to do everything that i

never takes any notice

y bad-nothing to make

seen anyth

ng," said Betty gravely; "and I wish you would s

can I say?" cried Kitty distract

and let her see that we won't," said B