Chapter Nine

by Kate J. Neily
Edited and Revised by Amber Moeller

There was no opportunity, after school was dismissed in the afternoon, for Nelly to say anything more to the class in general on the subject of the proposed present to Miss Kavanagh, for no pupils were allowed to remain in the school house after three o'clock, except those who were detained by the teachers. She spoke of it again, however, to Annie and Alice, whose way home lay partly the same as hers; and they agreed with her so entirely, that she felt quite confident of accomplishing her purpose, and went home with a lighter heart than she had had since that unhappy Christmas Eve.

Her mother noticed the change with pleasure, when Nelly ran up into her room, and she said, kindly, --

"I think it has brightened you up, my dear, to get back to school, and see the girls again. Were they glad to see you? and how did Miss Kavanagh like her shawl?"

"She couldn't help liking it, of course," answered Nelly, shortly, and turning away so that her mother could not see how the blood sprang to her face, as she added this implied falsehood to the long list of her deceptions; and Mrs. Morgan, knowing how irritable Nelly had been since her illness, forbore to notice her ungracious manner, or to press her with questions as to its cause.

Meanwhile, although Nelly felt a little uneasy at the thought of this new deceit, she comforted herself with the sure hope that the morrow would put an end to the possibility of any of her falsehood being discovered. Miss Kavanagh would have the shawl, and her mother would never know but that it was Nelly's own free gift; she would have the money to replace the shoes, would buy the on her way home that very afternoon, and put them away in the drawer, just where the others had been kept; and there, at last, would be the happy end of all her troubles and all her anxieties.

Nelly felt quite light-hearted and cheerful as she thought over all this, and considered herself really quite a smart and clever girl to manage to get out of her difficulties so easily. She surprised and delighted her father by letting him hear her singing gaily, as he came into the dining room to tea; and he pulled her ear playfully, and kissed her, and said he was glad to get back his daughter again; that he thought it had been another little girl staying in the house since Christmas, whom he did not like half so well as his Nelly.

Nelly tried to laugh at this, but that fatherly kiss, so full of trust and affection, filled her heat with shame at the thought of how she was even then practicing to deceive; but she had to conceal this feeling, and keep up her merry manner, and soon she forgot again all about her wrong doing, and was really as care free as she seemed.

She went to bed that night without a single prayer for forgiveness, -- with scarcely a thought of needing it, -- and started off to school the next morning with a light step and a hopeful heart. Several girls were gathered in one corner of the classroom as she entered, discussing something of pleasant interest, evidently, by the eager look on their faces; Nelly joined them, hoping that the purchase of the shawl was the matter under consideration.

But she was mistaken; the topic of interest seemed to be the discussion of a party, which had been promised by her mother to Fanny Archer, one of the oldest girls in the class. Fanny, a very important look on her pretty face, was giving particulars of the coming event in a confidential tome to the circle of admiring friends.

"I don't want you to talk much about it," she was saying, as Nelly came up, "for I don't want to hurt any one’s feelings, and yet, of course, I can't invite all the class. My mother wouldn't wish me to be intimate with some of these girls; and besides, there would be too many of them, with all my other friends." Then, seeing Nelly approaching, she said, quickly, "Hu-ush! I haven't decided about her yet;" and immediately there was a significant silence, and Nelly found herself received with rather cool looks by the whole company of fickle-hearted adherents.

How she burned inly with indignation! But it would be bad policy to betray her feelings; so she smiled brightly, gave a pleasant good morning to the girls, and then took her seat at her own desk, and soon appeared to be absorbed in study.

But she was not even looking at her book; her eyes were full of passionate tears, and she was thinking, angrily, how did anyone in that class dare to leave her out in any plan for pleasure, when she had so long been acknowledged as its leader in all such matters; when she lived in a nicer house, and wore richer clothes, and moved in better society than almost any of them! These were the standards by which Nelly judged, and she supposed every one else did the same; and judging by those, how did Fanny Archer dare to hesitate about inviting her to her house?

Could she possibly know anything? Nelly grew pale at the mere thought. But no; of course she did not; how could she? And she should ask her to her party; Nelly vowed that to herself; she would manage it some way; and when it was all over, she would manage also to punish the impertinent creature for the slight she had dared even to think of putting upon her!

Such were the thought which surged in Nelly's angry bosom, while she seemed so quietly absorbed in study; and, meanwhile, the rooms had gradually filled up, and school was about to be opened. She tried at recess to gather the girls round her as she had done yesterday, but succeeded only poorly. Popularity at school is as variable as everywhere else; and today Fanny Archer's party was the only subject of interest to the chosen ones, to whom she condescended to be confidential about it.

Nelly had not yet been asked to join her councils, but she knew that the surest way to make herself desirable was to appear quite indifferent; and she compelled herself to seem unconscious that anything unusual was going on, though burning all the time with indignation at being left out, and being exceedingly vexed besides that this provoking party should come up just now to turn all the girls' heads, and make it more difficult than ever to interest them about a present for Miss Kavanagh. If she could not manage to speak to them at noon, she was afraid the chance of obtaining relief from her trouble through them would be forever gone!

Meanwhile, Fanny Archer had debated the question whether or not she should invite Nelly to her party, with several advisers, among them Maggie Lang; and, as usual, her kind-hearted influence had been thrown in the scale of the good-natured thing, and Fanny had decided that, although Nelly had certainly behaved in a very selfish and unlady-like way on reception day, still she had been severely punished, and should not have the further mortification of being left out in the cold by her.

So, as they were passing out of the classroom at their dinner hour, Fanny went up to Nelly, and informed her, in a confidential whisper, that she would be happy to have the pleasure of her company at her house on Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of January. Nelly's black eyes sparkled with triumph as she heard this, she thought, exultingly, --

"Ah, she dared not leave me out, after all!" But she merely expressed her thanks, and said she would be happy to attend, then parting with Fanny, who lived sufficiently near the school to go home to her dinner, she hastened into the little side room, eager for the chance of speaking to the girls while Fanny was absent.

But she found it almost impossible to get any one to listen to her. The chosen few, who were conscious of the honor of being on Fanny's list of guests, were too busy discussing, in whispered tones, the all-important subject of what they should wear to the party, and the words "blue tarlatane," "white muslin," "pink silk," and so on, and so on, flew back and forth like shuttlecocks. The unfortunate many who had not been honored with an invitation, partly guessed and partly overheard what was going on, and withdrew themselves to hold an indignation meeting in one corner of the room, from whence they cast glances of pretended scorn and indifference at their more favored rivals.

Both parties were too much occupied with this exciting subject to feel inclined to interest themselves specially about their teacher; and when Nelly at length took advantage of a comparative lull in the busy buzz of whispering, to say, in her most insinuating tone, "Well, girls, what conclusion have you come to about the present for dear Miss Kavanagh?" it fell even flatter than yesterday.

There was an ominous silence for a moment, and them one of the girls said, carelessly, --

"O, we can't be bothered thinking about that now, Nelly. We've got something else on our minds, if you haven't."

Nelly would not appear to notice the sneer implied in these words. She only thought, "I hadn't intended to go to the party; but I'll go now, if I die for it, just to prove to them all that that impudent Fanny Archer did not dare to leave me out."

"O, I guess you will find that I have the same thing on my mind which is weighing so heavily on yours," she said, with a smile; "but, then, it needn't hinder us from thinking about the other matter, too. There isn't much thinking necessary. It's only to decide what the present shall be, and bring ten cents apiece to pay for it."

"My father says he don't approve of the scholars being taxed so all the time," put in another girl, rather coarsely. "He says his school taxes are heavy enough already."

"Yes, and the trustees don't approve of it either," said yet another dissenting voice. "And I don't believe Miss Kavanagh would care about a present that had to coaxed out of the girls. I know she wouldn't like it if she knew it."

"And I don't believe she wants a shawl to wear in the house, anyhow," said yet anther doubter. "She always laughs, and calls us little old women, when she sees us bundled up in the schoolroom."

Nelly listened to all these objections with a contemptuous smile.

"Then you all really mean to refuse?" she asked, scornfully.

"O, well, we've just got through fussing over one present, and we don't feel like beginning it all again. Let's talk of something else," said one of the girls, in a decided tone, as to put an end to the discussion; and Nelly, though burning with anger and disappointment, did not dare express her feelings too openly, for hear of exciting suspicion that she herself had some special interest in disposing of the shawl.

She could only shrug her shoulders, and curl her lip in a contemptuous way, and rise and leave the room. The girls understood this well enough, and various not very complimentary remarks were exchanged about her, as soon as the door had closed. But Nelly knew and cared nothing about these; the disappointment for her sure hope of obtaining the money that day was a great blow, and she went back to her desk too full of anxiety and wretchedness to think of anything else. She made up her mind to try the shops again; and this she did again and again on her way home, with no better success than before; and at length, tired and discouraged, she was glad, as the last resort, to leave the unfortunate shawl in the care of the fine old lady who had promised to dispose of it, if possible, and go home to cry out all her disappointment, and anxiety, and anger in the solitude of her own room.

To be continued ...

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