ng to run away and come home."

Aunt Emma looked at Maude, when she heard the little girl talking this
way, and began to feel sorry that she had come, if she was going to say
such naughty things. She did not want Ruby to have for a friend a
little girl who would be more likely to help her get into mischief than
to help her be good.

Maude looked up and saw Miss Emma's eyes fixed upon her with grave
disapproval, and then she remembered that she had been talking about
running away before one of the teachers.

"Oh, I don't really mean that," she said. "I won't run away, for papa
said if I stayed and was good he would give me a watch that really goes
and keeps time, for Christmas."

"I am glad you did not mean it," said Miss Emma. "You need not be
afraid of being unhappy if you are good and obey the rules. Of course
you will miss your mamma and papa for a little while, but you will soon
be so interested in your studies and play that you will be contented, I
hope. Our little girls are all very happy after the first few days."

Just then they entered the gate, and Ruby felt quite shy as she took
hold of her aunt's hand, and stayed close beside her.

There were so many strange little girls that Ruby thought she would
never get acquainted with all of them. She was not used to feeling
shy, but then she had never seen so many strangers before. They went
up the steps, upon the shaded porch,--where two little girls were
sitting in a hammock reading, and looked as if they were birds in a
nest,---and rang the bell. Aunt Emma raised the great knocker upon the
front door and rapped loudly.

Ruby was quite interested in looking at the knocker while they were
waiting for the door to be opened. It was a lion's head, and it looked
very fierce with its open mouth and sharp teeth. She wondered if she
could reach it and rap with it if she stood on tiptoe, and she was just
going to ask Aunt Emma to let her try, when the door opened, and a maid
took them into the parlor.

Ruby looked about her with wondering eyes. So this was boarding-school.

CHAPTER XII.

MAKING ACQUAINTANCE.

They did not have to wait long for Miss Chapman, the principal of the
school, to come in. Almost before the girl had closed the parlor door,
and before Ruby had had time to do much more than glance about the
room, the door opened again, and the dearest and sweetest of Quaker
ladies came in. She had on a plain gray dress, and a white
hand