Part 18 (1/2)
”No one could be more honest and truthful than Betty,” said Kitty proudly. ”She wouldn't dream of saying I was there if I wasn't.”
”But your father, or your aunt--”
”They were both out,” said Kitty. ”Anna saw me go to the schoolroom, and saw me begin my lessons, and I never moved until father came to me.”
So Anna was called.
”Can you support your cousin's statement that she was in the schoolroom all the evening, and never once left it?”
Anna was about to say ”yes,” when she hesitated, and grew very red and confused. ”I--I couldn't say,” she stammered, and those listening thought she was embarra.s.sed by her desire to s.h.i.+eld Kitty, and at the same time tell the truth. Kitty looked at her with wide, horrified eyes. Surely Anna would say why she could not give the required a.s.surance. But only too soon the conviction was borne in on her that Anna did not mean to tell, and Anna was an adept at saying nothing, yet conveying a stronger impression than if she had said much.
Those looking on read in Kitty's horrified eyes only a fear of what Anna might admit, and opinion was strengthened against her.
”Speak out frankly, Anna,” said Miss Richards encouragingly. ”Did you notice her absence?”
”She--a--Kitty wasn't there once when I went back to the room,” murmured Anna, apparently with great reluctance.
Kitty's head reeled. She could not believe that she had heard aright.
Anna was not only concealing her own guilt, but was actually fastening it on to her. ”I think I must be going mad, or going to faint,” she thought to herself. ”I can't take in what they are saying.”
”But, Anna,” she cried, in her extremity forgetting judge and jury, ”you know father had come to me with Miss Richards's letter. I was with him when you came in.”
”No,” said Anna, with a look of injured innocence, ”I didn't know.
You didn't tell me. Of course I--I knew you were somewhere,” she stammered lamely. ”I don't say you were out of the house, only--well I couldn't say you were in the room if you weren't, could I?” with a glance at Miss Richards for approbation, and a half-glance at Kitty, whose gray eyes were full of a scorn that was not pleasant to meet.
Kitty could not speak for a moment, her indignation and disgust were too intense. She felt herself degraded by stooping to ask for evidence as to her own innocence.
Miss Melinda whispered to Miss Richards. Miss Richards looked at Kitty and bade her turn round. Kitty, wondering, obeyed.
”How do you account for the fact that your dress is splashed to the waist with mud?” Miss Richards asked frigidly. ”Yesterday was quite fine until after you had all gone home from school, then heavy rain fell.”
Poor Kitty. Here was Nemesis indeed! Two days ago that skirt had been put aside to be brushed, and now, to-day, without giving a thought to the mud on it, she had put it on and worn it. With crimsoning cheeks she wheeled around. ”That mud has been there for days, Miss Richards,”
she said shamefacedly. ”I ought to have brushed it yesterday, but I didn't, and to-day I forgot it.” But she saw and felt that no one believed her, and Betty, the only one who could have borne out her words, was not there.
”You can all go back to your cla.s.ses--all but Katherine Trenire,” said Miss Richards, ignoring her speech; and the girls, with looks of sympathy or alarm, filed out, leaving Kitty alone.
”Now, Katherine,” said Miss Richards firmly, ”be a sensible, honest girl and tell the truth, and my sister and I will consult together as to the punishment we feel we must inflict. We do not wish to be too severe, but such conduct must be punished. Now, tell us the truth.”
”I have told the truth,” said Kitty proudly, ”and I have no more to tell. Lettice can clear me if she likes, so can--the girl who was with her, but I can't do any more. If you won't believe me, what can I do?”
and suddenly poor Kitty's proud eyes filled with tears.
Miss Melinda took this as a sign of relenting. She thought confession was coming, and unbent encouragingly. ”There, there, that is better, Katherine. Now be advised by us, and get this dreadful load off your mind. You will be so much happier when you have.”
Kitty drove back her tears and her weakness, and her gray eyes grew clear enough to show plainly the hurt and the anger which burnt in her brain as she listened to this insulting cajoling, as she termed it in her own mind.
”How dare you!” she cried indignantly. ”How dare you fasten it on to me! I know who the girl was, and she knows that I know, but you _want_ to believe that I did it, and--and you can if you want to. You are both very wicked and unjust, and--and I will never set foot in your house again!” And Kitty, beside herself with indignation, her head very erect, her face white, her eyes blazing, marched out of the room and out of the house, and not even her mud splashes could take from the dignity of her exit.
CHAPTER XII.
THOSE DREADFUL STOCKINGS.