t me to associate with the children of the factory people.
She'll find plenty of friends of her own kind."

"But you hurt her feelings," protested Lucy.

"Oh, no, I didn't," carelessly; "besides, if I did, she'll forget all about
it. I had to let her know that she couldn't stay with us. Do you want a
stranger like that to hear everything we're saying?"

"I feel as if I ought to go and find her and see if she has somebody to eat
with."

"Very well, Lucy. If you go with her, I can't go with you, that's all. You
can take your choice."

The final tone in Ada's voice destroyed Lucy's courage. The little girls
were very fond of one another, and Lucy was entirely under strong-willed
Ada's influence.

Ada was a most attractive little person. Her father, the owner of the
factory, was the richest man in town; and to play on Ada's wonderful piano,
where you had only to push with your feet to play the gayest music, or to
ride with her in her automobile, were exciting joys to her friends. She
always had money in her pocket, and boxes of candy for the entertainment of
other children, and Lucy was proud of her own position as Ada's intimate
friend. So when it came to making a choice between this brilliant companion
and the gingham-clad daughter of a factory hand, Lucy Berry's courage and
sympathy oozed away, and she sat back on the window-seat, while Ada began
talking about something else.

This first school-day was Alma Driscoll's introduction into the world
outside of her mother's love. She had never felt so lonely as when
surrounded by all these girls, each of whom had her intimate friend, and
among whom she was not wanted. She could not help feeling that she was
different from the others, and day by day the wondering eyes grew shy and
lonely; and she avoided the children out of school hours, bravely hiding
from her mother that the gingham apron, which always hid her faded dress,
seemed to her a badge of disgrace that separated her from her daintily
dressed schoolmates.

Such was the state of affairs when St. Valentine's day dawned. Alma's two
weeks of school had seemed a little eternity to her; but this day she could
feel that there was something unusual in the air, and she could not help
being affected by the pleasurable excitement afloat in the room. She knew
what the big white box by the door was for, and when, after school, Miss
Joslyn was appointed to uncover and distribute the valentines, Alma found
herself followin