ghtly.

"They were talking _about_ me, not to me. It doesn't make me a day
older, I know, but it keeps me from being friendly and at home, don't
you see? My way is paid as well as theirs--it costs me more, for I have
private lessons. I have as good right to the school as anybody, whether
I want to teach or not."

Helen looked at her in amazement. She had never seen so much spirit in
her face. If she could be roused, not by anger merely, but some potent
power. Happiness and love might do it.

"Oh, now I have offended you----"

"No, you have not offended me at all. You looked so spirited that I
could not help admiring you. It is a very mean thing for girls to make
ill-natured comments on each other. I wish they did not. I do not see
why they cannot pick out the nice things instead and say them over."

Helen had made several protests about this matter. She corrected the
subject of Miss Craven's age with spirit.

"You will never make me believe that," Miss Mays had exclaimed with
unnecessary vigor.

"Mrs. Aldred has the register, ask her."

"Oh, Miss Craven may have said that was her age. And who knows anything
about her? She keeps to herself as if there was something not
quite----" ending with a disagreeable emphasis.

"Girls," began another, "we all know if there was anything wrong or
discreditable she would not be here. I do not call her an attractive
girl, but if we do not like her we can let her alone. She lets us alone.
We can't say she has forced herself in our society."

"A vote of thanks from one for speaking up for her," said Helen gayly.
"And, of course, Mrs. Aldred knows."

"And Miss Grant, the baby of the school, has been taken into confidence.
Pray do enlighten us. Did she come from India or the Fiji Islands, where
education is sadly neglected?"

"For all information on the subject, I refer you to Mrs. Aldred."

Helen was angry, but she kept her temper. The ridiculous side of it all
occurred to her, and another thought--What if Uncle Jason should come
striding into the hall when half the girls were standing around? What
would they say about her? How could girls be so mean and ungenerous?

This had happened some days before the talk. And now, after a moment or
two of silence, Helen said to Miss Craven, "There is a verse in
Proverbs, I think I heard it read in church one Sunday, 'He that would
have friends must show himself friendly.'"

"I don't want any friend but you."

There was a great tr