The Rebel of the School

f against intrusion. She then flung herself on the bed, put her two arms under her head, and gazed out of the window. Her heart was beating w

in Ireland go, very well off. His tenantry adored him. He got in his rents with tolerable regularity. He was a good landlord, firm but also kind and indulgent. A real case of distress was never turned away from his doors, but where rent could be paid he insisted on the cottars giving him his due. He kept a rather wild establishment, however. His wife was an Irishwoman from a neighboring county, and had some of the most careless attributes of her race. The house got along anyhow. There were al

s consulted, and of course tabooed the entire scheme; in the end, however, the elder ladies carried the day. Miss O'Flynn took her niece to Dublin with her, and gave her an expensive and very unnecessary wardrobe; and Mrs. O'Hara, having heard a great deal of Mrs. Tennant, who had Irish relatives, decided that Kathleen should go to the Great Shirley School, where she herself had been educated long ago. Everything was arranged in a great hurry. It seemed to

e a real desperate burst of naughtiness. What shall I do that will mos

was made up for by the adoration of about twenty young cousins who were a

aid to herself. "He is different from the others. I wouldn't like to see that sort of sorry look in his dear dark-blue eyes. Oh, I mustn't think of Michael now. When I was going away he sai

There came a rattle at

athleen; let me in,"

replied Kathleen in he

be back at school by half-pas

But, after all, my naughtiness needn't make that

and returned to her old position. Alice came qu

t lie on the bed in

ans

lock the door. It is my

ed on the window; they were brimful

rli

n't talk to me in

honey,

o wi

nly sprang upr

't know the sort of expression it has when it seems to be kissing the sea. We have a ghost at Carrigroha

about ghosts. Nobody bel

arrigrohane in the summer, and then see

, Kathleen; aren't

nk you,

ation or I would stay and argue with you. It is an awful pity to have

aste of breath for you to talk so long to

aid Alice. "I am very

ou so mu

an down

of trouble with that terrible girl. She is lying now on the bed with her outdo

ry welcome, Alice. We must bear with

I can't stay another minute. You had better keep a sort of general eye on her, mother, for there's no saying what she will do. She ha

e quick home, for I have a great

here were evident signs of a stampede through the window, for it stood wide open, and there were marks of not too clean boots on the drugget, and a torn piece of ivy just without. The window was twenty feet from the ground, and K

difficult problem to solve in these expensive days. She had on purpose moved close to the Great Shirley School in order to avail herself of its cheap education for Alice. The boys went to another foundation school near by;

at a wild, undisciplined, handsome creatu

essed. She had been working in various ways ever since six o'clock that morning,

e, against which she leant. By-and-by she saw a girl walking leisurely up the road; she was a shabbily dressed and rat

school, don't

athleen. She was a very fresh foundation girl, and recognized something

leen, "can you tell me where that swe

, whose name was Susan Hopkins. "

een. "She is a great deal m

irl f

-day. You are in an awfully low class. Do you like sitting with the li

's eyes

our name?"

I am on the foundation at Great Shirley. It is a big ris

ink, on the contrary, that I am very rich. Did you ever hear of a girl who lived in a cas

y Hopkins. "That d

re to go to the town on a message for her mother had com

at home. I come from the land of the mountain and the

you Irish?"

d to say t

k anything of

don't

e," continued Susy, "for I

icked; I could hate any one who opposes me. I want some one to help m

ome you look when you flash

iff, pokery girl called Cassandra Weldon. You have such strange names in your country. That horrid, prim Cassandra chose to correct me when I came into school, and she has t

Hopkins, who lived in the most modest way, an

can. I know where Miss Weldon li

want

ome, she will be at Cass

can take

lessed

ht; come

e me the diamond s

in silver-real silver. My old nurse had it made for me, and I

ank you, Miss-I f

Kathleen

fficult name to say. M

ins. As long as I am in England I must consort, I see, with all kinds of p

r-looking. Each house consisted of two stories, with a hall door in the middle and a sitting room on each side. There were three windows overhead, and one or two attics in the roof. The houses were very compact; they were new, and were called by ambitious names. For instance, the house where the Weldons live

Weldon would never take the very least notice of me

have been telling me, the foundation girls must be particular

sy, her eyes sparkling. "There are a h

umber. And Ruth Cr

isn't a bit better

ove her

n the rest of us," re

ll, to make a fuss about you, and to

mongst us; there's

ould be a tremendous bit of n

if you do, I will tell the others. We

lose a letter with your brooch. Good-bye n

wings to her feet, ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. She felt very much elated and really pleased. In the whole course of her life she had never met a gi

'd have quite a party of our own in the school if she took us up. And s

uci in a very smart, imperative manner. A l

t Miss O'Hara has called and would be glad

rew. Presently

in, miss. She is sitting in the drawing-room

u," said

bay-window with French doors; these opened on to a little flower-lawn. At one side of the house was a tiny conservatory full of bright flowers. Compared

cold sea. I am lonely, too. I want Ruth Craven. May I sit down a minute while your servant fetches her? I like Ruth Craven. She is very p

interest at the handsome, striking-looking girl. "I quite understand your being lonely. I wa

e you when y

should like to be kind to you, Miss O'Hara. Cassandra has been telling me about you. You

er of them," said Kath

looked a lit

my daughter

lways tell the truth. I don't want her. I like you, and wish that I lived with you, and that you'd have Ruth Craven inst

There never was a more splendid girl in all the world, but she requires to b

room in the company of Cassandra. Kathleen sprang up the minute she saw Ruth, ru

py when I am with you. Don't mind those others; let them stare all they like. I am going to take you foundation girls up. I have made up my mind. We will have a rollicking good time-a splendid time. We will be as naughty as we like, and we will let the others see what we are made of. It will be war to the knife between the foundation girls and the g

know that you are an Irish girl, and you must be lonely. I shall be very pleased if you will join Ruth and me in our walk. We are going for a walk across the common.-We sha

r darling,'" said Kathleen in her rudest tone. "It is Ruth I wa

am ever so sor

won't come when I h

Miss Weldon

may be to a person, we don't enter a strange house and snatch that person out of it. It isn't our way; and I don't think-you will

om Mrs. Weldon to Cassandra, and then she looked

e lonely if I were in the midst of the mountains, and if I could see the streams and the blue sea. I don't know why Aunt Katie O'Flynn sent me to this horrid place. I wish I was back in the old country. They don't talk as you talk in the old country and they don't look as yo

nd tell me about the old country and the

ead fiercely, and the ne

man. "I see she is about to heap unhappiness on

th. "She is very impu

but I foresee that she is up to all sorts of mischief. She do

ent. She loo

ve no end of schemes in my head. I mean to

rossing the common arm-in-arm. In the interest

eft the house she ran

tay," she thought. "Oh, dear, my heart is in my mouth! I

at basket of stockings before her. The remains of a roug

your tea. I want Maria to clear the tea-things away,

customed to things of that sort at home. She sat down, helped herself to a thic

haven't touched any,

old water, please,

board, filled a glas

essed you to live in England? You had all the world to cho

it," said

I never saw such a worn-out p

s. Tennant, with a smile; "but as a

an awful age, isn't it? I mean, you wan

shall not want a crutch. I shall be forty in two

ding those horrid stockin

oesn't help to keep

ed to cobble for old nu

't like you to

n darn, y

f you would. Here is worsted, and here is a needle

ings for the Tennant boys. She did not darn well; but then, Mrs. Tennant was not particular. She certainly-although she said she would not-did cobble these stoc

k so terribly tired; and I don't think you ought to have this horrible work to do. I'd like to do it for you,

undatio

ley School, and I am going-No, I can't explain. I will stop here instead of runn

you are a most ex

r of us fallen we'd have been dashed to pieces on the cobble-stones forty feet below. Mother saw me when I was half-way across, and she gave a shriek. It nearly finished me, but I steadied myself and got across. Oh, it was jolly! I am going to set some of the foundation girls at that sort of thing. I expect I shall have great fun with them. It is principally because my affinity won't have anything to do with me; she is attaching herself to

lice's step, and she felt a certain vindictiveness as she turned the ke

this sort of thing any longer. I want to get into my room; I want t

" whispered Kathleen to

cially busy, and I really must hav

aded poor Alice. "If you want your share of

ing religiously to my own half. I have the straight window, and you h

d Alice again, "an

; don't thin

ng of a pen quite audible. "This is intolerable," thought Alice. "She is the most awful girl I ever heard of. I shall be late. Mary Addersley and Rhoda Pierpont are

darl

a Weldon's? She is so nice, and so is her moth

s?" called

erhaps they will

was silence, and the scratching of the pen continued. Alic

hy, my dear Alice, h

locked me out of my bedroom. I was so looking forward to a nice little supper with Cassandra and the other girls! Kathleen won't let me in; she real

I haven't

my? I shall be so miserable

to one girl by herself. I think Kathleen will be all right when we really get to know her; but she is very undiscip

here and give up my supper. I can't go like this, all untidy, and my hair so

if I can persuade he

ment her voice penetrated to Kathleen's ears, she jumped to her fee

r voice," she said.

e wants to get in to get her clothes. It is her r

I am privately engaged in my own half of t

hleen, she can't

meekly, "so I don't see that she has any cause to com

e very uncomfortable by going on in

athleen coaxingly. "I really am awfully sorry, but there is no help fo

door, and the scratchin

d lion. Mrs. Tennant admitted tha

from the lock. She won't shut you out another time. Make the best of i

s a perfect hor

was now seven, and the girls were to call for Alice at half-p

ross expression on her face. David came up to her at once; he was the favorite, and people said he had a way with him

And where's the li

eak about her," said Alice.

tiresome girl. She has locked the door of their mutual bedroom, and declines to open it; she

d. Ben burst

hat is Irish

you all the rest of my life," said

ne could tell she is just trying it on. She'll get tire

" and Mary Addersley and Rhoda Pierpont

e said, and he ran upstairs. David was very musical; indeed, the soul of music dwelt in his eyes, in his voice, in his very step. He might in some respects have been an Irish boy himse

aw

trick's Day in the Morning." Kathleen trembled. Her eyes filled with tears. David was now whistling ri

led out. "What are

d David, "and if I like to whistle through the keyhole

and flung it open. The tears

You are stabbing me-stabbing me. Oh! oh! oh!" and

am going to be chummy with you. Don't be so lonely. Give Alice he

most miserable. Oh, Garry Owen, Garry Owen!

d felt quite bashful. There was nothing for it but to take out

e old, worn-out stables. There is a loft over one, and I keep apples and nuts there

er eyes filling with laughter, and

want you to tell me all you can

boy, you are!" and she kissed him on his forehead. David took her hand and led

d; "the girls have come and

u in.-She must go, David, the poor dear. It would be cruel

lone," sa

rs, but Kathleen

ou. No, that isn't the shoe you want; here it is. And gloves-here's a pair, and they're neatly mended. Which hat did you say-the one with the blue scarf round it? Isn't it a pretty one? You put that on. Aunt Katie O'Flynn is going to send me a box of clothes fro

inute, sweet and gentle and affectionate the next. She hated Kathleen for having humiliated and annoyed her; and she