ad been no sound in Jerry's room because she had been standing
rigid in the window, staring with burning, angry eyes out into the
darkness. Her beautiful, happy world, that she had thought so full of
kindness and good-fellowship, had turned suddenly upside down! "Charity
girl----" She did not know just what it meant, but it made her think of
homeless, nameless, unloved waifs--motherless, fatherless, dependent
upon the world's generosity. Her hand went to her throat--_charity
girl_--was not her beloved Sunnyside, with Sweetheart and Little-Dad,
richer and more beautiful than anything on earth? And hadn't she always
had----Like a flash, though, she saw herself in the queerly-fashioned
brown dress that had seemed very nice back at Miller's Notch, but very
funny when contrasted with the pretty, simple serge dresses that the
other girls at Highacres wore. Perhaps they had all thought she _was_ a
"charity girl," a waif brought here by Uncle Johnny. To be sure, her
schoolmates had welcomed her into all their activities, but perhaps they
had felt sorry for her and, anyway, it _had_ been after Uncle Johnny had
given her the Christmas box----

She looked down at the dress she wore--it was the school dress that had
been in the box. Perhaps she should not have taken it--taking it may
have made her a charity girl. She should never have come here. It was
costing someone money to send her to Highacres and to feed her; and
often Mrs. Westley gave little things to her--and none of this could she
repay!

With furious fingers Jerry unfastened and tore off the Christmas dress.
From its hook in her clothes closet she took down the despised brown
garment. Her only thought, then, was to sort out her very own
possessions, but, as she collected the few things, the plan to go
away--anywhere--took shape in her mind. She would go to Barbara Lee
until her mother could send for her!

Then her door opened slowly. On the threshold stood Gyp in her red
dressing-gown. It was not so dark but that Gyp could see that Jerry wore
her old brown dress and that she held her hat in her hand. With one
bound she was at her friend's side, holding her arm tightly.

"Jerry, you're _not_ going away! You're _not_----"

"I've--got--to. I _won't_ be----"

"You're _not_ a--whatever Isobel said! She's horrid--she's jealous of
you because Dana King and--and _everybody_ thinks you're the most
popular girl at Lincoln. Peggy Lee said she heard a crowd of girls
saying so