w. Wasn't it enough
that I and my family lived on her, that I must come to her on purpose
to rile her with my talk about college--_college!_ these beggars!--and
laugh in her face? "What did you come for? Who sent you? Why do you
stand there staring? Say something! _College!_ these beggars! And do
you think I'll keep you till you go to college? _You_, learning
geometry! Did you ever figure out how much rent your father owes me?
You are all too lazy--Don't say a word! Don't speak to me! Coming here
to laugh in my face! I don't believe you can say one sensible word.
_Latin_--and _French_! Oh, these beggars! You ought to go to work, if
you know enough to do one sensible thing. _College!_ Go home and tell
your father never to send you again. Laughing in my face--and staring!
Why don't you say something? How old are you?"

Mrs. Hutch actually stopped, and I jumped into the pause.

"I'm seventeen," I said quickly, "and I feel like seventy."

This was too much, even for me who had spoken. I had not meant to say
the last. It broke out, like my wicked laugh. I was afraid, if I
stayed any longer, Mrs. Hutch would have the apoplexy; and I felt that
I was going to cry. I moved towards the door, but the landlady got in
another speech before I had escaped.

"Seventeen--seventy! And looks like twelve! The child is silly. Can't
even tell her own age. No wonder, with her Latin, and French, and--"

I did cry when I got outside, and I didn't care if I was noticed. What
was the use of anything? Everything I did was wrong. Everything I
tried to do for Mrs. Hutch turned out bad. I tried to sell papers, for
the sake of the rent, and nobody wanted the "Searchlight," and I was
told it was not a nice business. I wanted to take her into my
confidence, and she wouldn't hear a word, but scolded and called me
names. She was an unreasonable, ungrateful landlady. I wished she
_would_ put us out, then we should be rid of her.--But wasn't it funny
about that tidy? What made me do that? I never meant to. Curious, the
way we sometimes do things we don't want to at all.--The old lady must
be deaf; she didn't say anything all that time.--Oh, I have a whole
book of the "AEneid" to review, and it's getting late. I must hurry
home.

It was impossible to remain despondent long. The landlady came only
once a week, I reflected, as I walked, and the rest of the time I was
surrounded by friends. Everybody was good to me, at home, of course,
and at school; and