So saying, the kind friend to this couple took his departure, and Mrs.
Driscoll"s eager fingers tore open the envelope.
At the first four words, "It"s all right, Nettie," she crushed the paper against her happy eyes and then hugged Alma.
It _was_ all right. Mr. Driscoll had a position at last, and by the time summer should come he was sure they could be together again.
After the letter had been read and re-read, the two washed and put away the supper dishes with light hearts, and the next morning Mrs. Driscoll went off smiling to the factory, leaving a rather excited little girl to finish the morning work and arrange the lunch in the tin pail which was to be opened beside Miss Joslyn"s desk.
There were two other excited children getting ready for school that morning. They had both slept on their troubles, but were very differently prepared to meet the day. Ada Singer"s mental att.i.tude was, "I"ll never give in, and Lucy Berry will find it out."
Lucy felt comforted, but there remained now the great step of eating lunch with Alma and being punished by Ada in consequence. Her heart fluttered at the thought; but she was going to try not to think of herself at all, but to do right and let the consequences take care of themselves.
"There isn"t any other way," her mother said to her at parting. "Anything which you do in any other spirit has simply to be done over again some time."
"Not one error-fairy shall cheat me to-day," thought Lucy stoutly, and then a disconcerting idea came to her: supposing Alma shouldn"t come to school at all!
But Alma was there. Ada Singer, too, wearing a charming new dress and with a head held up so stiffly that it couldn"t turn to look at anybody. Frank Morse, from his seat at the back of the room, looked curiously from one to another of the three girls and shook his head at his book.
At the first recess Ada Singer spoke to him as he was going out. "Wait a minute, Frank. It is so mild to-day, mother is coming for me after school with the auto. We"re going to take a long spin. Wouldn"t you like to go?"
"Yes, indeed," replied Frank; "but don"t you want to take Lucy in my place?" He was a little uncomfortable.
"If I did I shouldn"t ask you," returned Ada coolly.
"All right. Thank you," said Frank, but as he joined the boys on the playground he felt still more uncomfortable.
Lucy Berry, as soon as the recess bell had sounded, had gone straight to Alma. Her cheeks were very red, and the brown eyes were full of kindness.
Alma looked up in shy pleasure at her, a little embarra.s.sed because she didn"t know whether to thank Lucy for the valentines or not.
The latter did not give her time to speak. She said: "I came to see if you won"t eat your lunch with me to-day."
Alma colored. How full the world was of kind people! "I"d love to," she answered, "but I think Ada wants to have you all alone and"--
"But I"d like it if you would," said Lucy firmly, "because I want to get more acquainted. My mother is coming to see yours on Sunday afternoon, too."
"I"m real glad she is," replied Alma, fairly basking in the light from Lucy"s eyes. "I"d love to eat lunch with you, but Miss Joslyn invited me to have it with her to-day."
"Oh!" Lucy"s gaze grew larger. "Why, that"s lovely!" she said, in an awed tone.
They had very little more time for talk before the short recess was over.
As the children took their way to their seats, Alma was amazed to see Ada Singer pa.s.s Lucy without a word, and even turn her head to avoid looking at her. The child had watched this close friendship so wistfully that she instantly saw there was trouble, and naturally thought of her invitation from Lucy as connected with it.
At the long recess, thoughts of this possible quarrel mingled with her pleasure in the visit with Miss Joslyn, who was a charming hostess. Many a girl or boy came to peep into the forbidden schoolroom, when the report was circulated that Alma Driscoll was up on the platform laughing and talking with the teacher and eating lunch with her in the cosy corner.
Miss Joslyn insisted on exchanging a part of her lunch for Alma"s, spreading the things together on the white napkin, and chatting so eagerly and gayly that the little girl"s face beamed. She soon told the teacher about the good news that came after she left the night before, and Miss Joslyn was very sympathetic. "It"s a pretty nice world, isn"t it?" she asked, smiling.
"Yes"m, it"s just a lovely world to-day, only--only there"s one thing, Miss Joslyn."
"What is it?"
"I think Lucy Berry and Ada Singer have had a quarrel."
"Oh, the inseparables? I guess not," the teacher smiled.
"Yes"m. The worst is, I think it"s about me. Could I go out in the dressing-room to get my handkerchief, and see if they"re on their usual window-sill?"
"Yes, indeed, if it will make you feel easier."
So Alma went out and soon returned. Lucy and Ada were not on their window-sill. Each was sitting with a different group of girls.
Miss Joslyn saw the serious discomfort this gave her little companion, and persuaded her away from the subject, returning to the congenial theme of Mr. Driscoll"s new prospects.
But as soon as recess was over, Alma"s thoughts went back to Ada Singer, for she felt certain that whatever had happened, Ada was the one to be appeased. The child could not bear to think of being the cause of trouble coming to dear, kind Lucy.
When school was dismissed, Ada Singer, her head carried high, put on her things in the dressing-room within a few feet of Lucy, but ignoring her presence. "I love her," thought Lucy, "and she does love me. Nothing can cheat either of us."
Ada went out without a look, and waited at the head of the stairs for Frank Morse. Alma Driscoll hastened up to her.
Ada drew away. Alma needn"t think that because she had shared Miss Joslyn"s luncheon she would now be as good as anybody.
"Can I speak to you just one minute?" asked the little girl so eagerly, yet meekly, that Ada turned to her; but now that she had gained attention, Alma did not know how to proceed. She hesitated and clasped and unclasped her hands over the gingham ap.r.o.n. "Please--please"--she stammered, "don"t be cross with Lucy. She felt sorry for me, but I"ll never eat lunch with her,--truly."
"You don"t know what you"re talking about," rejoined Ada coldly.
"Yes, she does." It was Frank Morse"s voice, and Ada, turning quickly, saw him and Lucy standing a few feet behind her. The four children were alone in the deserted hall.
"Here," went on Frank bluntly, "I want you two girls to kiss and make up."
Ada blushed violently as she met Lucy"s questioning, wistful look.
"Are you coming down to the auto, Frank?" she asked coolly. "Mother will be waiting."
"Oh, come now, Ada, be a good fellow. If you and Lucy want to put on the gloves, I"ll see fair play; but for pity"s sake drop this icy look business. Great Scott, I"m glad I"m not a girl!"
The genuine disgust in the boy"s tone as he closed did disturb Ada a little, and then Lucy added at once, beseechingly:
"Oh, it"s like a bad dream, Ada, to have anything the matter between us!"
"Whose fault is it?" asked Ada sharply. "Why did you fly at me so yesterday?"
Both girls had forgotten Alma who, like a soberly dressed, big-eyed little bird, was watching the proceedings in much distress.
"You just the same as accused me of sending Alma the "comic,"" continued Ada.
"Oh, _didn"t_ you send it?" cried Lucy, fairly springing at her friend in her relief. "I don"t care what you do to me then! I deserve anything, for I really thought you did."
Her eloquent face and the love in her eyes broke down some determination in Ada"s proud little heart, and raised another, perhaps quite as proud, but at least with an element of n.o.bility. She foresaw that the dishonesty was going to be more than she could bear.