"Don't you ever get a cup of coffee for breakfast?" she asked of
Sally, who sat next to her.

"Oh, no, never, but sometimes we have cocoa, on real cold
mornings."

Clematis turned up her nose a little. She did not care much for
oatmeal.

"I like doughnuts and coffee a great deal better," she said.

"Huh, you won't have any doughnuts and coffee round here," said
Jane. "You'd better eat what you have."

Clematis took her advice, and had just finished her bread, when the
bell sounded.

"Now, Clematis," said Miss Rose, "you are going to stay here for a
while anyway, so you must take your part in the daily work."

"Yes'm."

"I think you said yesterday you would like to help Katie in the
kitchen."

"Oh, yes'm," said Clematis. She had been thinking of Deborah and
longing to see her.

"Well, let's go down and see what Katie can find for you to do."

There was Deborah, sleeping under the edge of the stove. Clematis
took her while Miss Rose was asking Katie.

"This little girl thinks she would like to have some work down here
in the kitchen, Katie. Is there anything you would like her to do?"

"Ah, no thank you, Miss Rose, she wouldn't be any use at all."

Clematis looked up. She did not feel very happy.

"Why, don't you think she could help you?" Miss Rose looked
surprised.

"No miss, she is no use at all. Yesterday I asked her to peel some
potatoes, but she never lifted a finger. She said she didn't know
how."

"Why, Clematis, I am surprised."

"Well," said Clematis, "if you never learned to peel potatoes, would
you know how to do it?"

"Yes, I think I should. Katie would have shown you, if you had been
willing to try."

Clematis hung her head, and buried her face in Deborah's soft fur.

"You see, miss, she's of no use to me. She don't want to work at
all. Her cat, now, is a worker. She caught a big rat in the night."

"Well then, Clematis, we shall have to ask Mrs. Snow to find you
something else to do."

Clematis dropped her kitten, and the tears ran down her cheeks, as
she followed Miss Rose upstairs.

Katie looked after her with a sad smile.

"She'll have a hard row to hoe round here, believe me," she said to
herself.

Mrs. Snow frowned when Miss Rose told her.

"I am very sorry," she said. "She may work with Jane, then, in the
dormitory. Jane is a good worker and can teach her."

Poor Clematis was rather frightened when she heard that she was to
work in the dormitory. She was afra