Part 60 (1/2)

”But you cannot be happy always alone like that,” Miss Clifford observed.

Beth was silent.

Miss Clifford looked at her earnestly for a little, then she shook her head.

”I tell you what I will do if you like, Miss Clifford,” Beth said upon reflection. ”I will form a family of my own.”

Miss Clifford smiled. ”Ah! I see you are ambitious,” she said, ”but, my dear child, a sixth girl can't expect to have that kind of influence.”

”It is not ambition,” Beth answered, ”for I shall feel it no distinction, only a great bother. Nevertheless, I will do it to show you that I am not shunned; and to please you, as you do not like me to wander alone.”

A week or two later Beth appeared in the garden with six of the worst girls in the school clinging to her, fascinated by her marvellous talk.

Miss Clifford sent for her again. ”I am sorry to see you in such company,” she said. ”Those girls are all older than you are, and they will lead you into mischief.”

”On the contrary, Miss Clifford,” Beth replied, ”I shall keep them out of mischief. Not one of them has had a bad mark this week.”

Then Miss Clifford sent for Miss Smallwood, the mistress of the sixth.

”What do you make of Beth Caldwell?” she asked.

”I can't make anything of her,” Miss Smallwood answered. ”I think she tries, but she does not seem able to keep up with the other girls at all. She seldom knows a lesson or does a sum correctly. I sometimes think she ought to be in the eighth. But then occasionally she shows a knowledge far beyond her years; not a knowledge of school work, but of books and life.”

”How about her themes?”

”I don't know what to think of them; they are too good. But she declares emphatically that she does them all out of her own head.”

”What sort of temper has she?”

”Queer, like everything else about her. Not unamiable, you know, but irritable at times, and she has days of deep depression, and moments of extreme elation.”

”Ah!” Miss Clifford e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, and then reflected a little. ”Well, be patient with her,” she said at last. ”If she hasn't exceptional ability of some kind, I am no judge of girls; but she is evidently unaccustomed to school work, and is suffering from the routine and restraint, after being allowed to run wild. She should have been sent here years ago.”

CHAPTER x.x.xI

From the foregoing it will be seen that Beth made her mark upon the school from the day of her arrival in the way of getting herself observed and talked about. She was set down as queer to begin with, and when lessons began both girls and mistresses decided that she was stupid; and queer she remained to the end in the estimation of those who had no better word to express it, but with regard to her stupidity there soon began to be differences of opinion.

At preparation one evening she talked instead of doing her work, and gradually all the girls about her had stopped to listen.

”Gracious!” Beth exclaimed at last, ”the bell will go directly, and I've not done a sum. Show me how to work them, Rosa.”

”Oh, bother!” Rosa rejoined. ”Find out for yourself! My theme was turned, and I've got to do it again.”

”Look here,” said Beth, ”if you'll do my sums, I'll do your theme now, and your thorough ba.s.s on Thursday.”

”I wish to goodness you wouldn't talk, Beth!” Agnes Stewart exclaimed.

”We shall all get bad marks to-morrow.”

”Then why do you listen?” Beth retorted.