s and draw her
rapidly towards the gate where the surrey waited. Judith and Cecile
followed. The crowds of astonished, and for the moment silenced,
children fell back before them.

Once she had taken her action, Sylvia saw that it was the only one
possible. But she was upheld by none of the traditional pride in a
righteous action, nor by a raging single-mindedness like Judith's, who
stalked along, her little fists clenched, frowning blackly to right
and left on the other children, evidently far more angry with them
than sympathetic for Cecile. Sylvia did not feel angry with any one.
She was simply more acutely miserable than she had ever dreamed
possible. The distance to the surrey seemed endless to her.

Her sudden rush had taken Camilla so completely by surprise that
not until they were at the gate did she catch her breath to ask
laughingly: "What in the world's the _matter_ with you, Sylvia? You
act so queer!"

Sylvia did not answer, every nerve bent on getting Camilla into
safety, but a little red-headed boy from the second grade, who could
scarcely talk plainly, burst out chantingly, pointing his dirty
forefinger at Camilla:

"Nigger, nigger, never die,
Black face and shiny eye,
Curly hair and curly toes--
_That's_ the way the nigger goes!"

There was a loud laugh from the assembled children.

Camilla wavered as though she had been struck. Her lovely face turned
ashy-gray, and she looked at Sylvia with the eyes of one dying.

From the deepest of her nature, Sylvia responded to that look. She
forgot the crowd,--boldly, unafraid, beside herself with pity, she
flung her arms about her friend's neck, hiding the white face on her
shoulder. Judith ran up, blazing with rage, and pulled at Camilla's
arm. "Don't give in! Don't give in!" she screamed. "Don't cry! Don't
let 'em see you care! Sass 'em back, why don't you? Hit that little
boy over the head! Sass them back, why don't you?"

But Camilla only shook her head vehemently and shrank away into the
carriage, little Cecile stumbling after, the silent tears streaming
down her face. The two clasped each other, and the surrey drove
quickly away, leaving the Marshall girls standing on the curb.

Judith turned around and faced the crowds of enemies back of them.
"Nasty old things!" she cried, sticking out her tongue at them. She
was answered by a yell, at which she made another face and walked
away, pulling Sylvia with her. For a few steps they were follo