een at their house, which was a
very magnificent mansion on the hill overlooking the lake. He had a
sister older than himself, whose name was Madeline, and she had four
silk dresses besides dozens of other kinds. And this Horace had been
sick, so when Hannah's father and mother went into town with the butter
and eggs on Saturday they had brought him back with them to stay on the
farm and drink plenty of milk until he should get strong again.

The new boy was the center of interest during the morning. The girls
were all admiration, and the Cleggs rose in popular favor, to be the
envied of all the school. Enthusiasm amongst the boys was much milder.
John Gordon and Charles Stuart MacAllister were scarcely enthusiastic
at all. John privately informed his friend that any fellow of
twelve--and he must be that if he wasn't thirteen--who would wear a
white collar and velvet rig-up like that to school must be a baa-lamb,
and ought to stay home and sit on his mother's knee. The Pretender
discovered, to their further disgust, that the stranger could play a
piano. This innocent accomplishment raised a strange feeling of
irritation in the breast of Charles Stuart. He mentally resolved to
watch the new boy, and if he showed signs of becoming too popular he
would take him out behind the woodshed and settle him.

But to the school, as a whole, the new boy was all that could be
desired. Even Miss Hillary shared in the popular adulation and smiled
upon him at every chance. He was such a nice boy, no teacher could
resist him. He had evidently been brought up on morals and manners,
for when Miss Hillary dropped her brush he sprang from his seat and
handed it to her before she could stoop for it.

Altogether things went very pleasantly that first day, so pleasantly
that in the afternoon Lottie Price dared to hold up her hand and ask if
they mightn't have a spelling match. Now no one had ever heard of such
a thing on any day but Friday, and Jessie Robertson and Teenie
Johnstone nudged each other. Lottie Price was the most disagreeable
girl in Forest Glen School; indeed, all the Prices were noted for their
capacity for making mischief. Lottie had not spoken to the girls in
her class for three days, and her two chief rivals understood this move
for a spelling match. Jessie whispered to Teenie that it was just like
Lottie Price. She was the best speller in the school and wanted to
show off before the new boy.

To the surpri