Part 14 (2/2)

She uncovered her face and looked up as a familiar voice said, ”Why, Ruby, where are you going so fast? I was just coming to look for you.

But are you crying? Why, what is the matter?”

But Ruby was crying so hard that Aunt Emma could not understand what she said. She could only make out that it was something about courtesying, so she led Ruby up to her room, and quieted her down a little, and would not let her talk about her trouble until her hair was brushed and her face washed.

”I might have taught you how to courtesy before school-time this morning if I had only thought of it in time,” Aunt Emma said. ”But now you must n't cry about it any more, Ruby. Of course it would have been better if you had tried to do as the other girls did, but now all you can do is to tell Miss Chapman that you are sorry and that you will not do so any more, and you must not fret any more about it. I will show you now, and then you will courtesy as nicely as any one else, before you have to do it again.”

”But, Aunt Emma, what made the girls do it?” asked Ruby. ”If the first girl had not done it none of the others would have had to, would they?

And I don't think it is one bit nice, and I don't see what they want to do it for. And oh, Aunt Emma, you ought to have seen how beautifully Maude courtesied. She did it the very best of all the girls, and I don't see how she knew about it, for I am sure she never did it before.”

”I will tell you why the girls do it,” Aunt Emma answered. ”It is one of the rules of the school that when a scholar goes out of a room where there is a teacher, she must courtesy to the teacher as she leaves the room. That is intended as a mark of respect. Yesterday school had not begun, and so no attention was paid to it, but to-day everything is going on as usual as nearly as possible. It happened to be one of the old scholars who went out of the room first to-day, and so she knew about it. If it had been a new scholar Miss Chapman would have spoken to her about it. But remember, Ruby, even in the afternoon, if you are in the sitting-room with a teacher, to courtesy when you leave the room. It will not be at all hard after I show you how, and I would not like you to forget it.”

”Oh, dear,” groaned Ruby. ”I never heard of anything so funny. Must I go and courtesy to you every time I go out of this room, Aunt Emma?

Why, it will take all my time courtesying.”

Aunt Emma laughed.

”Well, I think you may be excused from that when we are alone in the room together,” she answered. ”If I am in charge of the girls downstairs or in the school-room, then you must of course do just as you would if any other teacher was there, but up here I will excuse you, as I suppose it would seem like a good deal to you to remember a courtesy every time you went in or out of the room. Now I will show you. Look here;” and Aunt Emma courtesied.

Ruby was very much pleased to find that it was very easy to draw one foot behind the other and make a courtesy, and she was quite proud of her new accomplishment when she had practised it a few times.

”And now, Ruby dear,” said Aunt Emma, looking at her watch, ”there is just time before dinner for you to go and tell Miss Chapman you are sorry that you left the school-room in that way. She will not scold you, I am sure, so you need not be afraid to go and speak to her. She is in her own room at the end of the hall, and you had better go at once so as to have time before the bell rings.”

”And then I will make a beautiful courtesy when I come out of her room, shall I?” asked Ruby, quite ready to go, since she would have a chance to show how nicely she could courtesy now.

Aunt Emma smiled.

”Yes,” she answered.

Tap, tap, tap, went Ruby at Miss Chapman's door, and when she heard the teacher call, ”Come in,” she opened the door and walked in quite bravely.

Miss Chapman was sitting in her large chair by the window looking over some books.

She held out her hand to Ruby.

”Well, my dear,” she said kindly.

”Please ma'am, I came to tell you that I am very sorry I ran out of school without courtesying,” said Ruby, rather shyly, looking at the beautiful white hair while she was speaking, and wondering if when she herself grew to be an old lady she would ever have such beautiful fluffy hair, and if she should wear a little white cap.

”Why did you do so, Ruby?” asked Miss Chapman.

Ruby hung her head.

”I did not know how to courtesy,” she answered presently. ”And I was afraid I should fall down if I tried, it looked so hard, and I was afraid the girls would laugh at me if I tried and tumbled over; and it was so dreadful to have them all looking at me, and then know that I could n't do it, that I just could n't help running. But I know how now. Aunt Emma taught me, and I won't ever forget it now. Please excuse me for this morning.”

”Yes,” Miss Chapman answered. ”I can quite understand how it happened this morning, and I am glad you will never do so again. I hope you are going to be a good little girl, Ruby, and progress nicely in your studies. You have had a good teacher and have been well taught, and know how to apply yourself, so I shall hope that you will stand well in your cla.s.ses.”

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