idn't learn
much."

"Thank you, marm."

Then Miss Rose took Clematis out of the office, while Mrs. Snow
talked with Mr. Smith.

All the afternoon Clematis wondered what they were going to do with
her.

After supper Miss Rose called to her, as the children were going to
the playroom.

"Clematis," she said, "do you think that if you stayed here you
could work real hard, and learn to do as the other children do?"

"Yes'm."

"Very well. Mrs. Snow finds that we can keep you here. I will try to
teach you myself, so you can catch up with the other children."

"Yes'm," said Clematis.

That is all she said, but she was so glad, that she could not sleep
for a long time after she went to bed.

She lay awake thinking, and thinking, of the things she would learn
to do, so she might go at last to the country, the land of flowers,
and grass, and birds; the land where white clouds floated always in
a blue, blue sky.

CHAPTER IX

THE SECRET

The next morning Clematis did better in helping Jane with the beds,
and before many mornings had passed she learned so well that Miss
Rose praised her for her work.

When she wanted to stop trying, and wanted to get up without washing
her face and hands, and cleaning her teeth, she would look out the
window at the hill beyond the river.

It seemed to smile at her and say:

"Don't forget the beautiful country, little girl. Remember the birds
and the flowers. Do the best you can."

But there were so many things to do that it seemed to poor Clematis
as if she would never learn half of them.

When she tried to help in setting the table, she dropped some
plates.

She said things that made the other girls cross, for she had never
learned to play with other girls, and she forgot that she could no
longer do just as she pleased.

Worst of all, she did not always pay attention to study, and when
Miss Rose left her to do some numbers, would be looking out of the
window, instead of working on her paper.

So the days went on, and spring was almost over.

The dandelions had all blossomed and grown up tall, with white caps
on their heads, and there were no other flowers in the yard.

One day Clematis found something which made her almost as happy as
if she had found some flowers.

At first she thought she would keep it a secret, and tell no one
about it. Then she thought how good Jane had been to her, so she
went up to her when she was standing alone.

"Say, Jane, if I