She had entered the Shirley School when quite a little child, had gone steadily up through the different classes and the various removes, until she found herself nearly at the head of the s

f had been a teacher long ago in the Great Shirley School. Cassandra and her mother, therefore, wer

y excellent accomplishments, she was distinctly musical. Her musical talent very nearly amounted to genius. If in the future she could not play in public, she resolved at least to earn her living as a music teacher. Mrs. Weldon hoped that Cassandra would do more than this; and, to tell the truth, the girl shared her mother's dreams. Besides music, she had

and her nose the reverse of classical. She had bright intelligent brown eyes, however, a nice voice, and a pleasant way. Cassandra was looked up to by all her fellow-students, and this not because she was rich,

of late she had exhibited a sense of almost unwarrantable jealousy when any other girl showed a preference for her special friend. Florence was a very nice girl, but jealousy was her bane. She thought a good deal of herself, for her father was a rich man, and only took advantage of the Great Shirley education because it was incomparably the best in the place. There was no rule against any one attending the school, and he had long ago secured a niche in it for his favorite daughter. Florence loved i

nt to the foundation girls, and this trait in her frie

ecial conversation. Her neat satchel of school-books was slung on her arm. She wore a very dark-blue serge dress, and her white sailor-hat looked correct and pretty on her shining brown hair. Cassandra, with her face beaming as the sun, made a sort of figure-head for the smaller girls. Presently three foundation girls entered the gates side by side and glanced up at her. This trio formed perhaps the most objectionable set in the school. One was called Kate

and then nodded to one an

aid Kate, "that Cass

ud voice. Cassandra heard her, but

the foundation at all. If you only knew the snubbing she gave me yeste

n. "She may snub you as much as she lik

lara Sawyer. She snuggled close up to K

. Do you know, I offered to walk home with her yesterday, an

ncing tones which she supposed Ruth Craven ha

oup at this moment. Her name was Rosy Myers. "You always have a joke among you th

and perhaps we'll

later the four were sucking peppermint toffee and makin

-the person you are laug

ow 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 noth

said Cassandra suddenly

and gazed up at Cassandra wit

ss Weldon calmly. "I presume yo

ou will excuse me, Cassie, but I never saw a girl more chock

efer 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 yesterd

you really mean that you would in

ike her face. Don't let her hear you giggling, please, Kat

ors of the school were now thrown open, and th

herself within a yard or two of Ruth Craven. She was examining Ruth with great care, but not at all from the unkind point of view; hers was a sympathetic aspect. That little old serge dress made something come up in Cassandra's throat, and she longed beyond words to give her a better dress. Ruth's hat

ve to have such a face as that, and such hair as

me into view. Alice was accompanied by a tall, showily dressed girl. The girl had a very vivid color in her cheeks, intensely bright and roguish dark-blue e

ave off clutching me by the arm, Alice, my honey, for see my new companions I will. Ah, what a crowd of girls!-colleens we cal

hush!" said Alice.

It doesn't matter to me. I mean to talk t

ung forward, pushed a couple of Great Shirley girls ou

country. Ah, though! it's lonely I'm likely to be, isn't it, deary? You don't deny me the pleasure of your society when I tell you that in all this v

ding girls. Ruth turned very red, t

"but perhaps you had better n

have it. She's meant to dance on the tops of the mountains, and to gather flowers in the bogs. She's made to dance and joke and laugh, and to have a gay time. Ah! my people at home made a fine mistake when they sent me t

s had entered the great hall, wh

ost I'd be in a place of this sort. Let me clutch on to y

at her tall companion in some aston

hey'll keep me here. I have no learning, an

called the indignant voic

rew round with laughter. Sh

said, and then she glanced ro

smiles, the smiles became titters, and the titters roars. Th

ss, it's a beautiful country! Were you never there? If you could only behold her purple mountains, and let yourself go o

tand impertinent questions, and I expect the schoolgirls to be order

een O'Hara; and as they passed from the great hall,