re laughing about!" said another girl, running up
to the group at this moment. Her name was Rosy Myers. "You always have a
joke among you three, and I want to share it. Do say--do say! I've got a
lot of toffee in my pocket."

"Hand it out, Rosy, and perhaps we'll tell you," said Kate.

Rose produced a packet of sticky sweetmeat, and a moment later the four
were sucking peppermint toffee and making themselves thoroughly
objectionable to their neighbors.

"But what about the girl--the person you are laughing about?" asked
Rose.

"Oh, it's that stupid, tiresome Ruth Craven," answered Hannah. "Why,
she's nobody. The governors and the mistress ought not to allow such a
girl in the school. It's all very well to be on the foundation, but
there are limits. Why, her old grandfather kept nothing better than a
huckster's shop. It doesn't seem right that a girl of that sort should
belong to this school, and then take airs."

"But the question is," said Cassandra suddenly, "does she take airs?"

The girls all stopped talking, and gazed up at Cassandra with
astonishment in their faces.

"I have overheard you," said Miss Weldon calmly. "I presume you are
alluding to Miss Craven?"

"We are talking about Ruth Craven," said Kate Rourke; "and you will
excuse me, Cassie, but I never saw a girl more chock-full of pride. She
is so conceited that she is intolerable."

"I heard of her yesterday, but have not had an opportunity to form any
estimate of her character," continued Cassandra. "I should prefer that
you did not call me Cassie, if you please, Kate. I will watch her and
find out if I agree with you. I only noticed yesterday that she is
remarkably pretty. I will ask her to walk home with me to-day and have
tea. I should like to introduce her to mother."

"Well, I never!" said Hannah. "And you really mean that you would
introduce that girl to Mrs. Weldon?"

"I think so. Yes, I am almost certain. Here she comes. I like her face.
Don't let her hear you giggling, please, Kate; it is very unkind to make
a new girl feel uncomfortable."

Kate smothered a laugh and turned away. The doors of the school were now
thrown open, and the girls disappeared by their special entrances.

It was just at that moment that Ruth in her shabby dress, but with her
sweet and most beautiful face, joined the group of girls who were going
into the school. She was without a companion. The other girls went in
by twos, each clinging to her special crony.