dal,"
said Miss Denyse. "Mother told me all about it as soon as she knew who
the child was."

"Somebody else had the hardest of it," said Miss Parks; "_that's_ a story
for us girls. Mother says she was one of the brightest and sweetest girls
in all the city; she used to drive around with her father, and her
wedding day was set, the cards were out, and then it came out that he had
to go to state-prison instead. She gave up her diamonds and everything of
value he had given her. She was to have lived in the house we live in
now; but he went to prison and she went somewhere and has never been back
for any length of time until this year, and now she has his little girl
with her."

Miss Prudence! Was that Miss Prudence's story? Was she bearing it like
this? Was that why she loved poor little Prue so?

"Bring some water, quick!" Marjorie heard some one say.

"No, take her to the door," suggested another voice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, so sorry!" This was Miss Parks.

Marjorie arose to her feet, pushed some one away from her, and fled from
them all--down the schoolroom, though the cloak-room out to the fresh
air.

She needed the stiff worth-wester to bring her back to herself. Miss
Prudence had lived through _that!_ And Prue must grow up to know! Did
Miss Prudence mean that she must decide about that before Prue could come
to school? She remembered now that a look, as if she were in pain, had
shot itself across her eyes. Oh, that she would take poor little Prue
back to California where nobody knew. If some one should tell _her_ a
story like that about her own dear honest father it would kill her! She
never could bear such shame and such disappointment in him. But Prue need
never know if Miss Prudence took her away to-day, to-morrow. But Miss
Prudence had had it to bear so long. Was that sorrow--and the blessing
with it--the secret of her lovely life? And Mr. Holmes, the master!
Marjorie was overwhelmed with this new remembrance of him. He was another
one to bear it. Now she understood his solitary life. Now she knew why he
shrank from anything like making himself known. The depth of the meaning
of some of his favorite sayings flashed over her. She even remembered one
of her own childish questions, and his brief, stern affirmative: "Mr.
Holmes, were you ever in a prison?" How much they had borne together,
these two! And now they had Prue to love and to live for. She would never
allow even a shadow of jealousy of poor little P