el," said Madame.

"She worked so hard over her geography lesson," said Miss Parmalee, "and
she got the Amazon River in New England and the Connecticut in South
America, after all; but she was so sweet about it, she made me want to
change the map of the world. Dear little soul, it did seem as if she
ought to have rivers and everything else just where she chose."

"And she tried so hard to reach an octave, and her little finger is too
short," said Miss Acton; "and she hasn't a bit of an ear for music, but
her little voice is so sweet it does not matter."

"I have seen prettier children," said Madame, "but never one quite such
a darling."

Miss Parmalee and Miss Acton agreed with Madame, and so did everybody
else. Lily Jennings's beauty was quite eclipsed by little Lucy, but
Lily did not care; she was herself one of little Lucy's most fervent
admirers. She was really Jim Patterson's most formidable rival in the
school. "You don't care about great, horrid boys, do you, dear?" Lily
said to Lucy, entirely within hearing of Jim and Lee Westminster and
Johnny Trumbull and Arnold Carruth and Bubby Harvey and Frank Ellis, and
a number of others who glowered at her.

Dear little Lucy hesitated. She did not wish to hurt the feelings of
boys, and the question had been loudly put. Finally she said she didn't
know. Lack of definite knowledge was little Lucy's rock of refuge in
time of need. She would look adorable, and say in her timid little fluty
voice, "I don't--know." The last word came always with a sort of gasp
which was alluring. All the listening boys were convinced that little
Lucy loved them all individually and generally, because of her "I
don't--know."

Everybody was convinced of little Lucy's affection for everybody, which
was one reason for her charm. She flattered without knowing that she did
so. It was impossible for her to look at any living thing except with
soft eyes of love. It was impossible for her to speak without every tone
conveying the sweetest deference and admiration. The whole atmosphere
of Madame's school changed with the advent of the little girl. Everybody
tried to live up to little Lucy's supposed ideal, but in reality she had
no ideal. Lucy was the simplest of little girls, only intent upon being
good, doing as she was told, and winning her father's approval, also her
cousin Martha's.

Martha Rose was quite elderly, although still good-looking. She was not
popular, because she was very silent