ed, that I want to keep all my acquaintances to
myself. I have no desire to do that. It was because I feel responsible
for the girls and boys in my care, and I was troubled lest perhaps you
had been foolish--"

Margaret paused. She could see by the bright hardness of the girl's eyes
that she was accomplishing nothing. Rosa evidently did not believe her.

"Well, Rosa," she said, suddenly, putting an impulsive, kindly hand on
the girl's arm, "suppose we forget it this time, put it all away, and be
friends. Let's learn to understand each other if we can, but in the
mean time I want to talk to you about the play."

And then, indeed, Rosa's hard manner broke, and she looked up with
interest, albeit there was some suspicion in the glance. She wanted to
be in that play with all her heart; she wanted the very showiest part in
it, too; and she meant to have it, although she had a strong suspicion
that the teacher would want to keep that part for herself, whatever it
was.

But Margaret had been wise. She had decided to take time and explain the
play to her, and then let her choose her own part. She wisely judged
that Rosa would do better in the part in which her interest centered,
and perhaps the choice would help her to understand her pupil better.

And so for an hour she patiently stayed after school and went over the
play, explaining it carefully, and it seemed at one time as though Rosa
was about to choose to be Puck, because with quick perception she caught
the importance of that character; but when she learned that the costume
must be a quiet hood and skirt of green and brown she scorned it, and
chose, at last, to be Titania, queen of the fairies. So, with a sigh of
relief, and a keen insight into the shallow nature, Margaret began to
teach the girl some of the fairy steps, and found her quick and eager to
learn. In the first lesson Rosa forgot for a little while her animosity
and became almost as one of the other pupils. The play was going to
prove a great means of bringing them all together.

Before Friday afternoon came the parts had all been assigned and the
plans for the entertainment were well under way.

Jed and Timothy had been as good as their word about giving the teacher
riding-lessons, each vying with the other to bring a horse and make her
ride at noon hour, and she had already had several good lessons and a
long ride or two in company with both her teachers.

The thirty-mile ride for Friday, then, was