customarily but to-night her rest was fitful and troubled. She kept dreaming strange dreams that caused her to twitch in her sleep and give que

to death for forgetting; some awful harangue that she had been doomed to deliver before Delia and a vast crowd of other people, all of whom were staring at her regretfully and murmuring to one another that it was a shame such a hoyde

ady stream of conversation until long after midnight, and even then the govern

excitement and I keep you up till all hours pressin' you with questions that you ain't fit to answer, just as if we wouldn't have time a

a," she cried, hurriedly; "it can only be for a year at most. You said it wo

's sole response. "And may you

ushed out the masses of shining hair and woven them into a long, ruddy braid behind. Then she smoothed the pillow lovi

y halls she was glad to see that there was no light in the

the faithful soul, and was soon snoring peacefully her

o the ticking of her watch beneath her pillow-to the muffled chime of the tall clock in the room below-to the gentle rattle of plaster inside the wal

ned noiselessly, the hinges gave a faint whine, and there on the threshold stood a white-robed figure, ghastly and spectral in the pallid light that fell upon it from the cloud-free

Miss Blake, not da

tly it sighed. Then it raised its head and spo

t wanted should come and push herself like this into my dear old home! What does she know of the way I feel? I can never tell her how I hat

ised and wrung in a way

save me from this awful woman. Turn her out of the house. Make her go back where she came from.

in a struggling gasp of dre

all dragged into that ugly little

vulsively while it showed plainly that it was confused in its

ing Nan in her nightmare. Of course now she knew better. For surely she was not "tall and lanky," and her hair was certai

er eyes are

uted for joy. But who cou

if some one doesn't come and rescue me from this terrible person. T

arms and wagged a threatening forefinger, while it mumbled some unintelligible warning in a voice th

bted was a somnambulistic trance. But when the white-robed figure turned slowly about and retraced its steps to the threshold, she started u

ed was reached the phantom scrambled into it, dragged the blankets closely a

ervousness. It was an hour or more before she felt herself growing drowsy, but at

rritable. She found Delia in the kitchen, preparing a

and eggs, and scallops, and fried potatoes, too! Oh, no! we're not making any fuss for t

lips together a

no attempt to serve her, and she was too proud to ask. Happily the delay was not too serious, and the governess

g!" said the

g!" snap

m thoroughly ashamed of myself. I beg your pardon. But I was ve

hing," said Nan. "I never g

e made no

t, her eyes laughing mischievously as though in

sponded Nan, un

drea

k her head no

u your dream," ventured the governess,

encourage

some awful creature-oh, qui

lifted

u appealed to her touchingly, something after this style: Alas, A

idn't! Delia listened. She told on me. You're making fun of me

so roughly that it fell to the ground with a bang, and ru

m her place and tried

ll about it." But the girl fled past her, flinging her hand passionately away and spurni

o the governess' eyes, b

. "She ain't always like this. She's sorter upset just now. She don't mean any h

e in league against her. What can she mean? Why, I was only repeating some nonsense she said in her sleep last night, and I thought she would be a

tely thought on the subject she woul

says. She's quick as a flash, but she's got a good, big heart

is the way she is going to be. That is not what I am here

she had seen it. But at noon, when she returned, the governess' face was as placid as ever. She and Delia were discussing the p

tely betrayed her-Nan. Had "gone back on her" in the most flagrant fashion. It was the meanest thing she had ev

ning?" Miss Blake asked, aff

ntinued: "It is so cold now there ought to be good skating

ut this time there was a gl

together too fine for one who skates as indifferently well as I do. I am sure you

r taught me-to do figures and things. I don't know any one who

o beautifully made me feel as though I were particularly awkward, and I really did keep in the background because I was so ashamed of my clumsy performances. Perhaps t

eyes g

the 'Steamer,' quite near here. Lots of people skate on it, and it's lovely fun. And there's a place the other side

ss Blake, casuall

The correction, howeve

nice for me to bob, and-and t

y have seen it done in a rough way, or by rough persons.

es. She was thinking as

the weather holds, we may have some very good sport, you and I. Don't you think so? And now run upstairs and smooth your hair

s in obedience to the governess' command almost before she was aware, a

n came the fir

ing, namely, to push her chair aside when she had f

ure there is no necessity for your running away again. We must pay each other the respect to remain seated until we hav

recognized beneath all the kind sugge

r chair back

sitting at the table after I'm through. You can eat

myself am willing to do. We must be courteous to each other, and if you had not finishe

t to stay and I-I won't!" declared

o old to be treated with discourtesy and disrespect. If you are willing to behave in a rude manner and bear the reproach that you will deserve, why, well and good-

the girl that for the first time in her life she had encountered determination outside of her own. It challenged her from every line in the governess' little figure. Fo

he rose, and, going into the kitchen, said a few words to Delia-words t

. You have a brave spirit to set yourself against Nan. I wouldn't have

well what I can do, but I shouldn't know if I did not have you to help

and a large crate such as is used for the shipment of bicycles. Delia gazed at it in wonderment. Did the governess use a wheel? If so, what would Mrs. Newto

d lounged there luxuriously, while above her head the new governess was tripping to and fro, "putting her room to rights," Nan suspected. She wondered about that room. She would have

drawing her chair nearer the lamp, co

emphasis Nan noticed and did n

pled and untidy, her hands were obviously soiled. Miss Blake remarked on none of these thing

nd the governess seated hers

of the table in stif

alled, ignoring Miss Blake, exce

ke was not t

t was the impression you conveyed to me at luncheon. If you have ch

. She was speechless with rage. Her face alternately f

vehemence. "You've no right here. When my father co

n a paroxysm of ang

that her relish of it was not great. Every mouthful seemed to choke her.

is striving with Nan. She'll never

erness shoo

. Lying there cross and unhappy, she heard sounds of voices in Miss Blake's room. Occasionally t

d down stairs with an air of nonchalance that was

ntly upstairs, and Nan was too stubborn to call her down. She prowled about the closets and cupboards until she discovered some cold oatmea

aimed, "how I h

ad "cleaning for dear life," as she expressed it. After a brief experience of the cold and discomfort of open windows and clouds of dust, Nan gave up trying to talk to Delia and wandered out of the parlor as disconsolately as she had wandered into it. By an

e want there," w

condition because she had not dared inquire again after the way she had been

she dies will that be because I left her on the ground

long, but it was luncheo

e friend Ruth Newton is better, and her mamma says she would be grateful to you and me if we would come in once in a while

ssion flitted a

she announced. "She does

ew off her gl

n in her judgment of you the other day. She says that she is willing to apologize for some of her accusations, and she ha

uite willingly, and what was more, remained respectfully seated in her