The Rebel of the School

was sitting up for her; he opened the door. The hall

mething for. I say! I do feel happy! I never had all that lot of bullion in the whole course of my life before. Are you right now, Kathleen-can you slip upstairs without making any noise? Don't forget that the step j

you. You are a broth of a boy. What do you say to Carrigrohane in the summer, and a gun a

bolster carefully manipulated had done its work; it had never occurred to Alice that the form in the bed was anything but the living form of Kathleen O'Hara.

ess. The idea which she had formulated in the old quarry spread like wildfire amongst the foundationers; but Kathleen was de

ot have our next meeting until I have drawn up the rules, and I should like Ruth Craven to help me. She has got sense. I don't want the thin

n to have hopes of her. About a week after her arrival at Myrtle Lodge the box which Aunt Katie O'Flynn was sending from Dubl

put here?" said Alice, springin

ra, care of Mrs. Te

mething here to fit you, Alice. Wouldn't you like it? We are going to tea to-night to Mrs. Weldon's, and Ruth Craven is to be there. The darling girl-I will give her something.

ve the box taken up to our room; but I don't think you'll have any time to open it at present. You have promised to

e ones that will suit me. You can go to your horrid, stupid lessons if you like, but it won't be Kathleen O'Hara who will accompany you. Perhaps the poor tired one would like to have a pleasant afternoon

e marched on to her room

said. "I sha'n't be going out again until I go to Mrs. Weldon's.

I am extremely sorry that the trunk has come. You were settling

ing," said Kathleen,

now, with all these silly gewgaws, you will be worse titan ever. But

g; they were not made for you.

u were to give them. I hope

per sort," said Kathle

bad taste. We are not going to have a large party-just one or two of the mistresses and little Ruth Craven, who, although she is a fo

test preacher, with the most long-winded sermons, that ever entered a hou

to her basin, washed her h

any chance of getting through I must not idle a single moment. I grieve to say that a box of finery has arrived for Kathleen-most unsuitable, f

er pretty things? I like to see girls nicely dressed. It is a great trial to me to be ob

re as Rich as Cr?sus, I should not wish, while I

ut don't be too hard on the little girl. Ah! here

ightly, and she looked so merry and mysterio

am expecting to have the most wonderful joy all the afternoon that was ever given a girl. Ah, then, it's illeg

d David. "You must no

tone. "I assure you she doesn't annoy me in the least. Sometimes I think t

metaphor, too,

ace, and her merry eyes glanced from Mrs. Tennant's face to Alice's, and from Al

, and she caught David by the one hand and Ben by

"She will ruin the boys in addition to all her other mischief

een as she is, you would find her quite a

, and I need not be back in the house until it is time to dress to go to Mrs. Weldon's. I declare th

s more than difficult at the present moment. But very soon afterwards

" said Kathleen. "Tire

call me by that name. You

s and good cream.-Now then, boys, lift up that trunk. Be aisy with it, so that you won't hurt it. Take it up to my bedroom and put it on the floor. Maybe there's something in it for you, or maybe there isn't-Mrs. Tennant, acushla! you will come along upstairs with me at once. You can bring your mending ba

then Ben saucily perched himself on the foot of one of the beds; while David, having brought up a hammer and screwdriver, proceeded to lift the lid of the b

off now,

t," said Ben. "I w

something nice for you when you

oon dress, a morning dress-they seemed simply endless. Then there were frills and ribbons and veils; there were two great, big, very stylish-looking hats, with long plumes; and there was a little toque made of crimson velvet, which Kathleen decla

, my dear Mrs. Tennant, let us come and examine everything. Do you think I am u

e you don

er! and for having a thing done in style, bless her! I should like you to see her. It's splendacious she is entirely when she's dressed up in her best-velvet and feathers and laces and

re several treasures in it: a necklet of glittering white stones, another of blue, another of

thleen, and she slipped the ring on

inger too, be

finally explored, Kathleen began to so

e, and so are these white and gray and pink shirts. And this blue bodice is quite nice for the evening, and so is th

er. A slight frown ca

ay some of these things? Do you see this dozen of blouses, all

at, Kat

I sent a line to Aunt Katie to get a dozen of the very prettiest blouses she could. Of course there are a lot more me

quisitely trimmed with blue embroidery flecked with pink silk. The blouse had

ce in one of these?" said Kathleen, gazin

. She is too pale for blue,

and a rose-oh, so exquisite! And see how it is made, with all these teeny tucks and the embroidery let i

n very well with Alice. I wish it were different

tep, and she wouldn't take a joke out of me if it was to save her life. To please Alice I'd have to be the primmest of the prim, and always stooping over my horrid lessons, and the end of it there'd be no more of poor Kathleen O'Hara-- it's dead and in her grave sh

Kathleen described the sort of girl sh

, and you could give it to her? She'd look so sweet in this pink blouse when she went to tea at her chosen friends. She'd be almost pretty if she

ty, and unlike anything she could afford to buy for her only d

. Say you went to a jumble sale and bought it; you paid one-and-twopence-halfpenny for it. That's the right figu

e didn't know it came from you. She would not only wear it, but she would delight

n it to you, dear. And now, see, here is something for your sweet self. I

a little pink strip of velvet fastened under the brim. This she put with trembling fingers on Mrs. Tennant

nd I can't take it back, for you know perfectly well that

t will A

, 'it is mine, and I mean to wear it.' Oh, I'

hink you w

w I must consider whom I am

y were all allotted a treasure out of that famous box. And there was a thick albert chain made of solid silver for Ben, and a keyless silver watch for Dav

. Kathleen had decided that they were to call themselves "The Wild Irish Girls," and this title was neatly engraved on the little badges, which were of the shape of hea

t with the finery for my dear, darling chosen ones

her heart, as she expressed it, and it was a very happy girl who dressed to go to the Weldons' that evening. Kathleen was intensely affectionate, and would have don

alf of them in brown, and a few old dowdies will perhaps be in black

em. Altogether it was a very bizarre and fascinating little figure that appeared that evening at the Weldons' hall door. Over her showy dress she wore a long opera-cloak, so that at first her splendors were not fully visible. This gaily dressed little person entered a room full of sober people. The effect was somewhat the same as though a gorgeous butterfly had flown into the room. She lit up the dullness and made a centre of attraction-all eyes w