ELMA.
Kitty Malone was admitted to a low form at Middleton School, her
acquirements being the reverse of distinguished. This fact did not give
her the smallest sense of discomfort. On the contrary, she was pleased;
and although her fellow-scholars were all younger and smaller than
herself, she soon became a sort of queen among them, laughing and joking
with them, and flying round the playground with half a dozen small girls
at her heels, feasting them with unlimited chocolate and telling them
stories. She soon got through her somewhat easy lessons, and was wilder
and more incorrigible than ever. The only sober moments she seemed to
enjoy were when she was with Bessie; for Bessie Challoner took a sincere
interest in her, and was very anxious to get her into a higher form,
where she would be with girls nearer her own age, and would thus be
forced to submit to more discipline than she could enjoy with the
younger girls. Bessie also hoped great things from the Tug-of-war
Society, and soon told Kitty that she was to be asked to become a
member.
"I will certainly join when I am asked," answered Kitty. "I have not the
least idea what you are all driving at, but I'll become a member if it's
to be in the same society with you, my darling duck of a girl!"
Bessie then read her a copy of the rules.
"Why, then, you can't expect me to adhere to the first of them," was
Kitty's answer. "It's no, it's no to that, Bessie. I wouldn't tell a lie
for any earthly thing, and I could not drive myself to the head of that
class. Why, I wouldn't take the place from sweet little Agnes Moore for
all the world. Why it's tears I'd bring to the pretty eyes of the
creature. Oh, I couldn't get ahead of her. I'd just as lief be at the
tail--just as lief."
"But, Kitty, have you no ambition?"
"Well, no, dear, I don't think I have. I never could see the fun of
taking a prize from another; it's no use I'll be in the society, not the
least bit."
"Well, all the same it would do you good," said Bessie, "for you know
you love your father, and you said you would try to acquire knowledge to
please him."
"Oh, where's the good of reminding me of that," said Kitty, looking very
thoughtful and somewhat pensive. "Why did you come out with it, Bessie,
aroon; it's fretting the heart out of me you are. Dear old dad! there's
nothing I wouldn't do for him."
"I am glad I did remind you, Kitty, for you know you have come here to
learn."
"Ah, dear, I'll shut my ears if you talk any more in that sort of way,"
said Kitty. "If I must learn, I must; but don't be reminding me of it,
there's a good creature--it's play out of school if it's work in."
"Much work you do, Kitty! Why, I always see you laughing and winking
and twinkling your eyes, and pushing your feet about."
"Pushing my feet about! And is it to keep them in a corner I would,
pretty feet like mine! Why, they are meant to be seen. That's the only
reason why I object to a long dress, because it does not show so much of
the feet and ankles. Ah, sure it's dear little ankles I have, as neat
and trim as you please."
"Kitty, you are getting wilder than ever."
"Well, darling, I'll cool down if you'll just let me give you one of my
big hugs."
"I really can't; my ribs are quite sore. You must not do it to-day. I
told you, you might once a week, but no oftener."
Kitty sank down on the nearest chair and looked comically miserable.
"Go on with the next rule, Bessie," she said, after a moment. "I want to
belong to the Tug-of-war because it's close to you I'll be, darling.
What's the next rule?"
Bessie read it out to her.
"Why, now, it's the pink of a lady I am myself," said Kitty. "I was
always told I was; I don't mind that rule in the least. There won't be
much of a tug-of-war there; if Kitty Malone is to be a lady, why, a lady
she is. I wish you could hear Aunt Honora and Aunt Bridget talking about
our ancient family and our long and royal descent. Go on, Bessie; that's
not so bad as taking the prize from poor little Agnes. What's Rule
III.?"
Rule III. was read aloud to Kitty, who shook her head solemnly several
times.
"Now, to be frank with you," she said, "there's only one bond between
Alice and me, and that is we do make a froth of the things in our
drawers; and if we are both to struggle against our besetting infirmity,
it will go hard with us; but there, it will be fun to see her struggling
to be tidy and all to no purpose. I think I'll join on that account. I
shall like to see her fighting her drawers. I know if I'm put to it I
can keep mine twenty times tidier."
"I am now coming to Rule IV.," said Bessie; this she read aloud with
some qualms, for she disliked it so very much herself. Kitty's eyes
flashed with pleasure.
"Now, that is after my own heart," she cried, "fashionable dresses are
they, and hair done up in style. Mavourneen! mavourneen! you will have
to wear a fringe!"
Kitty burst into peals of laughter.
"Oh, Bessie," she said, "I have just been longing to attack that head of
yours. I'll bring my little tongs along, and I'll curl up such a lovely
fringe on your great intellectual forehead."
"You'll do nothing of the kind," said Bessie, clasping her hands over
her head to protect her thick, long hair.
"But you must, mavourneen, you must if you join the Tug-of-war Society.
Oh, it's beautiful you'll look! And I tell you what it is, Bessie, I'll
lend you the patterns of my new sleeves--those that are all crinkled
from above the elbow down to the wrist, and puffed ever so much at the
top, with little tucks, and little insertions, and little--"
"Kitty, I won't listen to you for another moment. I shall try to dress
as neatly as I can, and perhaps I must twist my hair into a more stylish
coil at the back of my head, but beyond that I absolutely refuse to go."
"Well, it's a delicious rule," said Kitty Malone, "and I hope I'll work
you round after a bit, Bessie. It seems but fair that if I yield to you
with regard to the other rules you ought to yield to me about Rule IV. I
am sure if I do take the prize from poor little Agnes Moore, and if I
never speak a word of slang, and if I keep my abominable drawers as neat
as a new pin, and all my clothes in perfect order, that you on your part
ought to wear a good thick, heavy fringe, and have your hair pointed out
ever so far at the back in the way it is worn in the present day. I'd
love to do it; and you have magnificent hair, Bessie, aroon! so you
have."
"I must ask you to leave me now, Kitty," was Bessie's answer. "You are a
very funny girl, and there is a great deal that I like in you; but I
cannot neglect my studies even for you."
"Oh, bother your studies!" answered Kitty.
Bessie, however, was quite in earnest, and Kitty had to leave her.
The next day there was another meeting at Gwin Harley's house, and the
members of the Tug-of-war Society were formally initiated into the
mysteries of what they had undertaken. About ten girls joined in all,
and it was decided to limit the number to these until the end of the
present term. In addition to the four chief rules it was also clearly
understood that the members were all to be absolutely faithful the one
to the other, that no member of the Tug-of-war Society was to speak
against another member; on the contrary, she was to uphold her through
thick and thin, to help her if possible, to aid her in moments of
difficulty, and to rejoice with her in moments of triumph. Once a week
the members were to meet at each other's houses. There they were to have
tea together, to discuss the rules if necessary, but at any rate to have
a pleasant time. As the summer advanced picnics were to be inaugurated
on Saturdays, and fun of some sort or another was to be the vogue.
Kitty, who had dressed herself for this auspicious occasion in a dress
of the palest blue, with a silver sheen running in zigzag lines all over
it, whose black hair was curled up on her forehead and coiled
fantastically round the back of her head, whose eyes were shining and
wreathing themselves in all sorts of smiles, could scarcely restrain her
spirits while the rest of the girls were debating on the rules.
Finally Gwin laid a little box on the table, and asked the new members
to subscribe their half-guinea each. Each girl dropped her
half-sovereign and sixpence into the box with the exception of Elma,
who, coloring a little, said she would bring it to Gwin the next day. No
one made any remark, as it was well known in the school that Elma was
anything but well off, and Gwin privately resolved to subscribe for her
without saying anything about it.
Then the girls had tea in Gwin's own private sitting-room, and afterward
they wandered about the lawns, and returned home in the cool of the
evening. On this occasion Elma found herself side by side with Kitty
Malone. Kitty was walking quietly; she had exhausted some of her
emotions during the hours that she had played tennis, and laughed and
chatted with the other members of the Tug-of-war Society, and when Elma
put her hand on her arm, and looked up at her half-timidly and
half-beseechingly, Kitty stopped short, and said in her hearty, frank
voice:
"And what may you be wanting with me, Elma? Is it a favor I can do you;
because if it is I am sure you are welcome to it with all the pleasure
in life."
"You are a good-natured girl, Kitty," said Elma; "I always felt that
from the very first. Shall we drop a little behind the others? The fact
is I don't want every one to hear what I am going to say to you."
"If it is a secret, darling, don't tell it to me," said Kitty, "for I
cannot keep it. I always say so quite frankly. I say to each person who
comes to me with a private confidence, 'Confide nothing in Kitty Malone,
for Kitty Malone is a sieve.'"
"Oh, but it would never do for you to be that," said Elma, who was
somewhat alarmed and secretly greatly disgusted. "A girl is not worth
her salt if she tells what is confided to her by another girl; and of
course, now that you have become a member of the Tug-of-war Society, if
you are found blabbing any of our secrets at Middleton School I don't
know what will happen!"
"I wonder what would happen!" cried Kitty; "it would be quite nice to
find out. Do tell me, Elma."
"How can I when you don't understand," said Elma. "You would be wanting
in all honor; none of us ten girls would speak to you again."
"Wouldn't Bessie Challoner, the darling?"
"Certainly not. She could not; none of us could."
"I shouldn't like that," said Kitty thoughtfully. "I did not know, when
I joined the Tug-of-war, that I was to be burdened with secrets. And am
I not to explain to any of the other girls why I am moving heaven and
earth to get to the very head of the class? Am I not to breathe the real
reason, when I am taking poor little Agnes Moore's place, and breaking
her heart, the pretty lamb? Is that so?"
"You certainly are not," said Elma. "Dear me, Kitty, what a very
extraordinary specimen you are!"
"Well, don't scold me, for pity's sake," said Kitty. "I am so sick of
every one telling me that I am an extraordinary specimen. In Ireland
they think I am a very fine specimen; but here! oh, it's nothing but
holding up of hands and rolling up of eyes, and 'Oh, dear, let us get
out of her way!' and 'Oh, dear, how queer she looks in her grand
clothes!' and--and----"
"Do stop talking, Kitty. You are the most awful rattlepate----"
"There, now, on you go," said poor Kitty. "I'm a rattlepate, am I? It
seems that I can never speak but I get into somebody's black books."
"You don't get into mine, I am sure," said Elma. "But I think you ought
to be greatly obliged to me for telling you what is your plain duty with
regard to the Tug-of-war Society. It is just like a secret society; our
rules are our own, and not a soul who is not a member must know anything
about them."
"Well, I won't tell," said Kitty. "When I say a thing I stick to it. I
won't split--there I that's flat and I suppose I am obliged to you,
Elma."
"Yon ought to be," answered Elma. "Why, what a terrible scrape you would
have got into. And now, then, Kitty, I have something else to tell you."
"Well, and what is it?" asked Kitty.
"First, are you not pleased that you are a member of the Tug-of-war
Society?"
"To be sure I am. I think it is awfully nice of all you girls to ask me
to join."
"It is a great distinction," continued Elma; "a new girl like you, one
who is not known a bit in the school! Out of the whole school we have
only selected ten, including the founders, and you are one. You ought to
think yourself in rare luck."
"So I do."
"And you ought to be very grateful."
"So I am."
"But do you know whom you ought to be grateful to?"
"Well, I suppose to Bessie."
"Not a bit of it; it is to me you ought to be grateful. But for me you
would not be a member of the Tug-of-war Society."
"But for you, Elma?"
"No."
"Was it you who got me asked to join?"
"I was the one who insisted on your being asked to join us. I put it
plainly to Bessie and to Gwin, and they quite agreed with me. Alice was
the only one who voted against you."
"Oh, just like her, spiteful thing!" said Kitty, coloring with
annoyance. "Well, I am sure, Elma, I am obliged to you, and if there's
anything I can do--"
"I am coming to that," said Elma; "it's not much, but if you could--"
"Could what? Why, I'll do anything. Is it one of my gowns you want to
borrow?"
"No, no. What extraordinary ideas you hare!"
"Oh, there you begin again," said Kitty. "I never can speak right. Well,
what can I do for you, Elma?"
"If you could--just until next Monday--if you could lend me some--some
money," said Elma, coloring as she spoke, her voice faltering, and her
eyes seeking the ground.