Part 17 (2/2)

After Ruby's punishirls had shown that they noticed thecurl, lest they should be sent up to the platfor about it, so Miss Ketchum did not discover her loss until she went to her roo she sahen she entered her roo upon her bureau She looked at it wonderingly for a moment, and then put her hand up to her head One curl was in its place, but there was the other lying upon the bureau She had forgotten to put it on

Looking at herself in the glass, Miss Ketchuh she was very muchwithout knowing that she had not finished dressing She understood Ruby's behavior then

Going back to the school-room she sat down at her desk and called Ruby to her

”Ruby, dear, you did not intend to be disorderly thisin class, did you?” she asked

Ruby burst into tears, and hid her face In aon her teacher's shoulder

”Indeed I did n't,” she answered, between her sobs ”I never thought of such a thing I was just going to tell you what an adverb was, and when I looked up I saw--I saw--”

”That ed properly?” asked Miss Ketchum

”Yes' to do I had laughed I ao home I never was bad in school before, and I did not hed, Miss Ketchu to, truly I did n't”

”Ruby, dear, I feel as if it wasaway the little girl's tears ”Now you o out to play and I will hear your lesson so up to ood mark, if you know it, just as if you had recited it in class I shall not consider that you have done anything wrong this hed if you had had time to think about it for a moment But you will try after this always to be quiet, will you not?”

”Yes ' Miss Ketchum's kiss, she wiped her eyes and ran out to play, happier than she had had any idea that she could ever be again

She thought to herself that she would never s should happen as that Miss Ketchum should leave both of her curls off at once When she went out to play she found that the girls were disposed to

”It was too bad for anything, Ruby Harper, that you had to get into trouble all on account of Miss Ketchuirls

”I don't wonder you laughed If you had seen it before you ht have been able to help it, but to look up and see her hair looking that as enough to h, whether they meant to or not

”Miss Ketchum kno that I did not mean to,” Ruby answered ”I truly could not help it, but you see if I airls kneas,” answered her friend, colad she let you out instead of keeping you in all recess”

Ruby was quite happy again now, and when she had a moment in which to run up and tell Aunt Emma that Miss Ketchuhty, she felt hed, even if she did not intend to, and she wanted torudeness; so she ather all the caterpillars she could find anywhere, and give them to Miss Ketchum, to show her how sorry she was, and how happy she would like to make her

That afternoon, as soon as she had finished practising, she took an earden She was quite sure that in the vegetable garden she would find ever so reat brown ones, crawling lazily about in the sun, sreen ones, that travelled about more actively, and upon the tomato-plants Ruby found some that she was quite sure Miss Ketchuly

She was a very happy little girl as she filled her box, feeling al for herself with every caterpillar that she captured and put into her box

After she had put as many as thirty or forty in their prison she found it was quite hard to put one in without another co quite as fast Before the bell rang for study hour, however, she had captured fifty-five, and fifty-five caterpillars looked like a great many when Ruby carefully opened one side of the box and peeped in Ruby wrote upon the top of the box, in her very best hand, ”For Miss Ketchum, with Ruby's love,” and then she punched little holes in the cover that her caterpillars ht have some air to breathe

She ran upstairs to Miss Ketchum's room, which was over one end of the schoolhouse, and knocked at the door, which was partly opened No one answered, and Ruby knocked again She pushed the door open a little farther and looked in, and found that Miss Ketchue of the study hour that afternoon, and she had probably gone downstairs Ruby laid the box on the bureau, and ran away as the bell rang to call the scholars together, feeling quite delighted at the thought of Miss Ketchue an addition to her ”ht she would not tell Miss Ketchum about it, but let her have the pleasure of a surprise when she should go up to her rooently than Ruby that afternoon, for she wanted toin every way that she could; and the thought of the caterpillars walking about in their prison, all ready to make Miss Ketchulad; so she felt like singing a little song as she studied her graraphy

The day which had begun so disastrously was going to have a very pleasant ending after all, and Ruby no longer felt as if she irls had come into the school-room after recess Miss Ketchum had said what Ruby had not in the least expected her to say, that she had found out why Ruby laughed, and if she had known sooner she would not have sent her out of the class for it, as she felt as if it was her own fault instead of Ruby's, and that therefore, she should give Ruby perfect marks for deport school-ti her before the school that she ive her teacher the least bit of trouble, but would always be good, and learn her lessons perfectly, so that she should never have any occasion to reprove her

CHAPTER XIX