"Good-Bye" to the Old Life. 1
CHAPTER II.
Traveling Companions. 6
CHAPTER III.
At Lavender House. 13
CHAPTER IV.
Little Drawing-Rooms and Little Tiffs. 19
CHAPTER V.
The Head-Mistress. 28
CHAPTER VI.
"I am Unhappy." 32
CHAPTER VII.
A Day at School. 35
CHAPTER VIII.
"You have Waked me too Soon." 47
CHAPTER IX.
Work and Play. 54
CHAPTER X.
Varieties. 62
CHAPTER XI.
What was Found in the School-Desk. 74
CHAPTER XII.
In the Chapel. 88
CHAPTER XIII.
Talking over the Mystery. 95
CHAPTER XIV.
"Sent to Coventry." 102
CHAPTER XV.
About Some People who Thought no Evil. 107
CHAPTER XVI.
"An Enemy Hath Done This." 114
CHAPTER XVII.
"The Sweets are Poisoned." 123
CHAPTER XVIII.
In the Hammock. 129
CHAPTER XIX.
Cup and Ball. 136
CHAPTER XX.
In the South Parlor. 143
CHAPTER XXI.
Stealing Hearts. 151
CHAPTER XXII.
In Burn Castle Wood. 155
CHAPTER XXIII.
"Humpty-Dumpty had a Great Fall." 168
CHAPTER XXIV.
Annie to the Rescue. 173
CHAPTER XXV.
A Spoiled Baby. 180
CHAPTER XXVI.
Under the Laurel Bush. 188
CHAPTER XXVII.
Truants. 193
CHAPTER XXVIII.
In the Fairies' Field. 198
CHAPTER XXIX.
Hester's Forgotten Book. 204
CHAPTER XXX.
"A Muddy Stream." 212
CHAPTER XXXI.
Good and Bad Angels. 218
CHAPTER XXXII.
Fresh Suspicions. 221
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Untrustworthy. 227
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Betty Falls Ill at an Awkward Time. 233
CHAPTER XXXV.
"You are Welcome to Tell." 241
CHAPTER XXXVI.
How Moses Moore Kept His Appointment. 247
CHAPTER XXXVII.
A Broken Trust. 252
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Is She Still Guilty? 259
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Hester's Hour of Trial. 265
CHAPTER XL.
A Gypsy Maid. 272
CHAPTER XLI.
Disguised. 278
CHAPTER XLII.
Hester. 284
CHAPTER XLIII.
Susan. 289
CHAPTER XLIV.
Under the Hedge. 293
CHAPTER XLV.
Tiger. 297
CHAPTER XLVI.
For Love of Nan. 303
CHAPTER XLVII.
Rescued. 310
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Dark Days. 313
CHAPTER XLIX.
Two Confessions. 318
CHAPTER L.
The Heart of Little Nan. 326
CHAPTER LI.
The Prize Essay. 334
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A WORLD OF GIRLS.
CHAPTER I.
"GOOD-BYE" TO THE OLD LIFE.
"Me want to see Hetty," said an imperious baby voice.
"No, no; not this morning, Miss Nan, dear."
"Me do want to see Hetty," was the quick, impatient reply. And a sturdy
indignant little face looked up at Nurse, to watch the effect of the last
decisive words.
Finding no affirmative reply on Nurse's placid face, the small lips
closed firmly--two dimples came and went on two very round cheeks--the
mischievous brown eyes grew full of laughter, and the next moment the
little questioner had squeezed her way through a slightly open door, and
was toddling down the broad stone stairs and across a landing to Hetty's
room. The room-door was open, so the truant went in. A bed with the
bed-clothes all tossed about, a half worn-out slipper on the floor, a
very untidy dressing-table met her eyes, but no Hetty.
"Me want Hetty, me do," piped the treble voice, and then the little feet
commenced a careful and watchful pilgrimage, the lips still firmly shut,
the dimples coming and going, and the eyes throwing many upward glances
in the direction of Nurse and the nursery.
No pursuit as yet, and great, great hope of finding Hetty somewhere in
the down-stair regions. Ah, now, how good! those dangerous stairs had
been descended, and the little voice calling in shrill tones for Hetty
rang out in the wide hall.
"Let her come to me," suddenly said an answering voice, and a girl of
about twelve, dressed in deep mourning, suddenly opened the door of a
small study and clasped the little one in her arms.
"So you have found me, my precious, my dearest! Brave, plucky little Nan,
you have got away from Nurse and found me out! Come into the study now,
darling, and you shall have some breakfast."
"Me want a bicky, Hetty," said the baby voice; the round arms clasped
Hester's neck, but the brown eyes were already traveling eagerly over the
breakfast table in quest of spoil for those rosy little lips.
"Here are two biscuits, Nan. Nan, look me in the face--here, sit steady
on my knee; you love me, don't you, Nan?"
"Course me do," said the child.
"And I'm going away from you, Nan, darling. For months and months I won't
see anything of you. My heart will be always with you, and I shall think
of you morning, noon and night. I love no one as I love you, Nan. You
will think of me and love me too; won't you, Nan?"
"Me will," said Nan; "me want more bicky, Hetty."
"Yes, yes," answered Hester; "put your arms tight round my neck, and you
shall have sugar, too. Tighter than that, Nan, and you shall have two
lumps of sugar--oh, yes, you shall--I don't care if it makes you
sick--you shall have just what you want the last moment we are together."
Baby Nan was only too pleased to crumple up a crape frill and to smear a
black dress with sticky little fingers for the sake of the sugar which
Hetty plied her with.
"More, Hetty," she said; "me'll skeeze 'oo vedy tight for more."
On this scene Nurse unexpectedly entered.
"Well, I never! and so you found your way all downstairs by yourself, you
little toddle. Now, Miss Hetty, I hope you haven't been giving the
precious lamb sugar; you know it never does suit the little dear. Oh,
fie! baby; and what sticky hands! Miss Hetty, she has crumpled all your
crape frills."
"What matter?" said Hester. "I wanted a good hug, and I gave her three or
four lumps. Babies won't squeeze you tight for nothing. There, my Nancy,
go back to Nurse. Nurse, take her away; I'll break down in a minute if I
see her looking at me with that little pout."
Nurse took the child into her arms.
"Good-bye, Miss Hester, dear. Try to be a good girl at school. Take my
word, missy--things won't be as dark as they seem."
"Good-bye, Nurse," said Hester, hastily. "Is that you, father? are you
calling me?"
She gathered up her muff and gloves, and ran out of the little study
where she had been making believe to eat breakfast. A tall, stern-looking
man was in the hall, buttoning on an overcoat; a brougham waited at the
door. The next moment Hester and her father were bowling away in the
direction of the nearest railway station. Nan's little chubby face had
faded from view. The old square, gray house, sacred to Hester because of
Nan, had also disappeared; the avenue even was passed, and Hester closed
her bright brown eyes. She felt that she was being pushed out into a cold
world, and was no longer in the same snug nest with Nan. An intolerable
pain was at her heart; she did not glance at her father, who during their
entire drive occupied himself over his morning paper. At last they
reached the railway station, and just as Sir John Thornton was handing
his daughter into a comfortable first-class carriage, marked "For Ladies
only," and was presenting her with her railway ticket and a copy of the
last week's illustrated newspaper, he spoke:
"The guard will take care of you, Hester. I am giving him full
directions, and he will come to you at every station, and bring you tea
or any refreshment you may require. This train takes you straight to
Sefton, and Mrs. Willis will meet you, or send for you there. Good-bye,
my love; try to be a good girl, and curb your wild spirits. I hope to see
you very much improved when you come home at midsummer. Good-bye, dear,
good-bye. Ah, you want to kiss me--well, just one kiss. There--oh, my
dear! you know I have a great dislike to emotion in public."
Sir John Thornton said this because a pair of arms had been flung
suddenly round his neck, and two kisses imprinted passionately on his
sallow cheek. A tear also rested on his cheek, but that he wiped away.