at the edges, and,
though scarcely a word it contained was confided to the others, Betty
read it again and again with compressed lips and frowning brows, and an
air of seriousness that nearly drove them frantic.

There was not much in it either to give rise to all this.

"Dearest Betty," wrote Kitty, "I have so much I want to say that I don't
know what to say first. I am very lonely, but one day and night are
over, and one of the girls is very nice, I think. She is called Pamela
Peters, and I want to bring her home with me for the holidays, because
she has no father or mother, or home, or anything but a guardian, a very
cross old man, and I want her to see what jolly times we have. I think
I shall like another girl too, called Hope Carey. She is quite little,
about your age, and is very unhappy. Her mother was very ill when she
left home, and she is always thinking about her and fretting. I think
it was very cruel to send her back until her mother was better. I do
feel so sorry for her.

"One of the first things I did was to take off my gray stockings and put
them all away. I shall give them to one of the maids. It is lovely to
be without the hateful things. I wonder what you are all doing at this
very minute, and if you are thinking of me. I am always thinking of you
all the time, and saying, 'Another minute gone, another hour gone,' but
it only seems to make the time pass more slowly. I have a bedroom to
myself, I am glad to say, and it looks very nice with my things about
it, but of course I don't really care for it at all. I think Miss
Pidsley isn't as nasty as I thought she was when Aunt Pike was with her.
I think she is ill, or worried, or something, and not so very cross.
Miss Hammond, the other principal, is a dear. I like her very much.
We are all going out shopping one day with Miss Hammond. We are allowed
to go on one Wednesday afternoon each month. Sometimes she takes the
girls to see something, or to a concert, instead of going shopping.
I do not want to buy anything for myself, but I think I shall get some
flowers for Miss Hammond, and something for Hope, she is so unhappy, and
she has very little pocket-money. We go for excursions in the summer
and have theatricals at Christmas, and you and father will be invited to
those. It is rather nice, isn't it? But of course I don't take any
real interest in it. I hate being here, but I am going to work hard to
make the time pass. I hope Ann