Part 2 (1/2)
CHAPTER IV.
THE INJURED GIRL.
MISS GRANT was very much pleased with Frankie's kindness to Hitty; and she hoped Nelly would see how lovely it made him appear, and try to imitate him.
When the school closed, Hitty felt so grateful to Frankie for showing her the figures, that she stood by him in the closet, to see whether she could not do something for him. His cap was on a low hook, where he could reach it; but the scarf he wore with it, was hung up higher. Hitty saw him trying to jump and catch the end to pull it down, and she said quickly, ”I can reach it. I will get it for you;” and she gave it to him with a bright smile.
”Thank you,” said Frankie, pleasantly.
When they were out by the gate the scarf blew off, and Hitty ran to pick it up, when Nelly s.n.a.t.c.hed it from her, and said, ”Let alone my cousin's things, you ugly girl;” at the same time she gave Hitty a rough push to get her out of the way.
I do not think Nelly was so very wicked as to wish really to hurt the little girl, but she was angry, because her conscience was telling her she had done wrong.
She heard Hitty scream, but she ran on, pulling Frankie along, though he urged her to go back, and see what was the matter with the poor girl.
”No, no!” she cried; ”I don't like Hitty, and I don't want to walk with her.” Then she began to talk about Ponto, and said she wished he would come and carry her basket for her.
Almost always, when Nelly went home from school, she and Frankie ran up stairs to the chamber where Mrs. Gray sat at work; but now she proposed that they should play in the garden with the dog.
The lady heard their voices, and wondered they did not come in to see her before they began to play. In about fifteen minutes she heard some one ring the bell at the back door, and presently Sally came up stairs into her room, leading a little girl by the hand.
It was. .h.i.tty, but with such a great swelling on her forehead that Mrs.
Gray did not at first recognize her. Her eyes were red and swollen with crying, and even now she could scarcely keep back her sobs.
As she came in, she walked straight across the room to the lady, and put a note into her hand.
Mrs. Gray opened it, and read with great sorrow the following words: ”Nelly pushed this little girl against the stone post, at the school house gate. I am exceedingly grieved, and as I cannot see Nelly to-night, I have sent Hitty to you. Please do what you think best in the case.”
”Come here, poor child,” said the lady, tenderly; ”that is a dreadful bunch on your forehead. How did it happen?”
”I was picking up your little boy's scarf when it fell off his neck, and Nelly s.n.a.t.c.hed it away, and pushed me so hard that I fell against the post. She called me names, too;” and Hitty began to sob again.
”What did Frankie do?” asked his mamma.
”Nothing at all, ma'am. It's very kind to me, he was.”
The lady bade the child sit down. She then went to the closet and poured some arnica from a bottle into a bowl of water, and after wetting a cloth in it, bound it upon the forehead of the child. Then she rang the bell, and sent Margie to find Nelly and bring her into the house.
While she was waiting, she talked with Hitty, and soon became as much interested in her as the teacher had been.
Presently Nelly came in, followed by her cousin. She started and blushed when she saw Hitty; but Frankie ran to the little girl, asking, ”What is the matter with your head? Have you hurt yourself?”
”No,” replied Hitty; ”she did it,” pointing to Nelly.
”Look here,” said her aunt, raising the cloth and pointing to the swelling, which was half as large as an egg.