hasn't beauty she has only one
other chance in the world--and that is to be brilliant. I _do_ try to be
clever--but it's no good."

Dot kissed her.

"When you are grown up you'll look different," she said. "You'll wear
long trailing dresses--and--do your hair like this--and----"

But Alma sprang to her feet.

"What a croaker I am," she said. "I _never_ told this to any one
before. Thea--it is my very _biggest_ secret. You'll never tell any one,
will you? Never! never! Father says if I'm good I'll be beautiful enough
for _him_. But oh, I wish I were you!"

"And _I've_ been wishing I were you," said Dot.

"I suppose," said Alma, with one of her most wistful looks, "I suppose
we're _meant_ to be ourselves for some reason. And we must make the best
of ourselves just as we are!"

And the two girls kissed each other tenderly.

"I've to be an elder sister," said Dot, with a sudden thought towards
Mona Parbury.

"And I've to be an only child," said Alma, "and we've both to make the
best of our state of life--eh?"

CHAPTER XIV

JOHN'S PLANS

On Monday morning Betty took the road to school with running feet. A
fear was at her heart that John Brown had set out upon his expedition
into the world this day. Had gone--and left her behind! Had begun "life"
and left her at school!

And it must be confessed that she liked the thought of two waifs facing
the world together, very much better than one.

She was not at all disturbed (when it was over) about the interview with
her grandfather. It had not, like its predecessor, sent her to bed
weeping and ashamed and resolved upon the expediency of "turning over a
new leaf."

She had been vexed that her grandfather had had so short a sleep--and
that John had not given her warning of his approach--as he had promised
to do.

And she was very much distressed to find she had left her pink bonnet
behind her. Her mother had discovered its loss when giving out the
week's clean one, and had insisted upon her searching every corner in
the house for it.

"It's was Dot's," said Mrs. Bruce. "Dot never lost a bonnet in her life.
You will have done with bonnets soon, but yours will do for Nancy. I
expect you left it at school, you tiresome child."

It certainly would have electrified Mrs. Bruce if her small daughter had
confessed to her bonnet's whereabouts. But Betty's scrapes were many and
various at this period of her life, and it never entered into her head
to tell them