e little blue dress,"
said the largest girl, who was quite famous at embroidery, and had
partly promised to instruct Cordelia Running Bird in her work that day.

"And I shall not help her make the little red dress, as she will be
wanting me next week," resolved a south dormitory bed girl, Emma Two
Bears, who was standing in the doorway. Emma was the most experienced
dressmaker of the large girls' class and was generous, as a rule, in
helping younger girls. "I am sorry now that I cut and made the little
blue waist, but I did not think she would so soon be wishing me a
cripple."

"And you need not praise the little blue and red dresses if she gets
them done; but I am sure she cannot," gloried Hannah Straight Tree.

"Ee! We will not. We will call them ugly issue goods," said one of the
girls.

"Or watch her little sister in the Jack Frost song," said another.

"We will shut our eyes!" exclaimed another.

"And the middle-sized and short girls need not choose Susie in the
games," came from another.

"We will tell them not to. They will choose Dolly," cried a fifth.

"But Dolly looks so horrid, I am much ashamed of her," was Hannah
Straight Tree's answer.

Cordelia Running Bird heard the fierce discussion through the open door,
near which she knelt at work, and the bitter tears ran down her face.

When at length her work was done as well as she was able, and the last
stair wiped, she went back upstairs on tiptoe to inspect her floor and
see if it was dry. She was met by Hannah Straight Tree on the upper
landing, carrying a pail of scrub water, mixed with ashes, from the
dormitory. Hannah set it on the top stair, and then glanced wickedly at
Cordelia through half-closed eyes that meant mischief.

"What if I should tip it over?" she said.

"Ee! You must not. It would freeze, and I should have to scald my hands
with too hot water, thawing it!" exclaiming Cordelia Running Bird,
rushing to prevent her.

In her haste to keep the pail from being overturned Cordelia hit it with
her foot, upsetting it herself. The stairs were deluged with the
contents, Hannah Straight Tree fell back with a laugh. "Now see what
you have done yourself! I did not spill one drop. You cannot say I
did."

Cordelia Running Bird burst into upbraiding exclamations in Dakota,
which, because they wished them to learn to speak English, was a
forbidden language in the school except on Sundays and on holidays. By
an odd mishap of memory