was the
first time Miss Brooks had ever punished her, and in spite of her anger,
sorrowful tears gathered in her eyes. She didn't mind being hurt, but to
have Miss Brooks punish her seemed more than she could bear. The teacher
carefully drew her chair out on the platform in front of the whole
school, and sitting down in it, took Tabitha on her knee.

"Now, Tabitha, you must sit in my lap until you will tell Jerome that
you are sorry. He has begged your pardon like a man, and it is worse
than impolite to refuse to do the same to him; it is wicked."

The scholars giggled. Instantly the tears were dried, the brown face
grew white and tense, the whole slender body rigid with passion, and
with unseeing eyes Tabitha stared straight ahead of her, refusing to
speak.

Thinking the child would see fit to do as she was told after a few
moments of meditation, the teacher rapped for order, took up her book
and called the next class for geography. But Tabitha's anger had
swallowed up every other emotion, and all that afternoon she sat on Miss
Brooks' knee, taking satisfaction in making herself as heavy as possible
and in stepping on the teacher's toes as often as they came within
reach.

It was an uncomfortable session for the whole school; Carrie took the
punishment as keenly as if she had been the culprit and grieved herself
sick over her friend's unhappiness; and the teacher was almost as
sorrowful. The reproachful look in the black eyes haunted her until
several times she was on the point of allowing the girl to take her
seat, but each time came the thought, "If I let this offense go
unpunished, I will soon have the whole school defying me. No, she must
obey, even if it is little Tabitha, and Jerome to blame." So she held
the furious rebel until the clock pointed to the hour of closing, and
then with the cold words, "You may go, now," she dismissed her, half
expecting the girl would linger and penitently ask her forgiveness; when
she meant to be very firm and make her see the error of her ways, but at
last to accept her apology and let the matter drop. To her hurt
surprise, however, Tabitha bundled into her wraps and bounced out of the
building without waiting even for Carrie, the loyal; and with heavy
heart the woman turned back to the little duties which must be attended
to before she could go to her home.

The rain had ceased, but little puddles stood in every hollow, and as
the schoolhouse was at the foot of the hill, i