of the
ark?"

Cassy looked wonderingly about to discover the "image." The girl who had
spoken was gazing directly at her with a twinkle in her eyes. Her
companion said, "Hush! she'll hear," and the two laughed under their
breath, not jeeringly, but only as if they really could not help it.

A "queer image"? Was she "queer"? Cassy asked herself.

All at once it flashed across her that her gown was certainly very
unlike the crisp, ruffled dresses around her. Those flimsy satin ribbons
did look as if Mrs. Noah might have worn them. A hot flush sprang to
Cassy's cheeks. She began to almost wish she had not come, such a sense
of loneliness rushed over her.

She was even more forlorn when the school was presently called to order,
for every other girl was blessed with a seat-mate, and Cassy sat quite
by herself.

When recess-time came she followed the others into a large back yard,
and stowed herself meekly away in a corner to watch the fun. She tried
to console herself by the thought that she could not have run about even
had she been asked to join in the game of "tag," for the new shoes
pinched her feet sadly. For all that, she was almost glad when one girl
stumbled against her and fairly trod on her toes, for she turned so
quickly, and begged her pardon so heartily, that it was worth bearing
the pain for the sake of the notice.

Cassy was sure that all the girls were good-natured. They were only busy
with their own affairs, and what claim had the stranger upon any one of
them?

When noon came, and Cassy went home to dinner, she put a brave face on
the matter. She knew it would break her father's heart to know how keen
had been her disappointment. So she spoke of the large school-room, and
of the classes in which she had been placed; and Mr. Deane nodded
approval, while his wife put her head on one side to see if that
changeable silk could not bear to be taken in a little in the biases.
How could Cassy tell her that the gown was "queer"? How could she even
mention that her shoes were coarse, and that they hurt her feet?

"Perhaps the girls will speak to me to-morrow," she thought, patiently.

But they did not. Again Cassy sat in her corner quite alone. In vain she
told herself that it was "no matter," in vain she "played" that she did
not care.

"I sha'n't mind it to-morrow."

To-morrow came, and it was just as hard as to-day.

At last one morning at recess it did seem as though she could not bear
it any long