all of her frills and bows, this girl had a sour demeanor and nasty attitude that no amount of finery could cover.
When the long, dreadful school day had ended, Trissy looked at Sarah with a sly grin, “See ya tomorrow.”
“No you won't. I wouldn't come back here if it were the only school on earth!”
“That's a good girl, you did learn something today, didn't you? Stay with your own flea-bitten kind!”
Sarah stomped away. She might have to put up with this kind of torment at home but she wasn't about to put up with it at school too! She would just quit.
Sarah noticed Trissy watching her as she met up with Greta and Shane. Knowing that the girl liked Shane, she smiled slyly at her as she curled her arm around his. Sometimes it really didn't pay to be rich and snooty. Oh, how Trissy would love to be walking home with Shane Thompson, Sarah knew she really did like him, fleas and all!
Later that evening Sarah sat at home feeling both furious and heartbroken. Her school days seemed to be over. She felt like she couldn't take up a spot in the free school and yet Eagleton School was out of the question. She'd rather die a long, tragic death than to go back around that Trissy Eastland!
“If you're not going to do anything but pout around all day, go on back to the free school. I'll give them the money we'd have had to pay for you to go to Eagleton,” Marion said.
Sarah's face lit up. “Do you mean it?” She ran to her mother and threw her arms around her.
“Yes, yes. Settle down now and do some work.” Marion broke free of her embrace.
“Yes, ma'am.” Sarah backed away.
The next morning, Sarah eagerly ran to meet up with her friends. “Hey you two!” she called out. “Guess what? I'm coming back to the free school!”
“Really?” Both Shane and Greta's faces lit up.
“Yeah! Isn't it wonderful?”
“I knew you wouldn't like that other school!”
“It was bad enough not having you two there, but having to put up with that mean miss prissy girl Trissy made it even worse.” Sarah looked around, “Hey, where's Vivian? Isn't she coming to school today?”
“No, she's not coming to school again, ever!” Shane announced. “She says that now she's thirteen she's done with school.”
“Learning isn't something you can grow out of,” Sarah replied.
“She never liked school much anyway. She'd rather court,” Greta said.
“It's still sad, though.”
“No, it's not. I like that she's not in school anymore... gives us some relief from her bossy self!” Shane laughed.
Sarah thought about it. What if Nathan and Cora were in school with her, too? She remembered how happy she was that they had chosen not to go. School was a place just for her. “I know how you feel,” she said. “I like it that my sister and brother choose not to come, too!”
The three somewhat liberated friends walked on toward school together. They talked about digging for the lost treasure. Rumor was, that fifty some odd years ago a stingy man had buried his life savings in three old churns. Then he took the fever and died without ever revealing his hiding place. Everyone knew the churns were buried somewhere around these parts. But just exactly where, no one could figure out. One fellow had dug the lower end of his pasture slap off, creating a deep gorge.
“I know where I'd like to dig,” Shane exclaimed. “No one has ever thought of this place and no one ever would,” he proudly boasted.
“Where different would you dig?” Sarah asked.
“Don't tell anyone. It has to be our secret. You two promise not to tell?”
“We won't tell.” They assured him. Shane leaned in and whispered.
“In the stream bed. The old man's house wasn't far from the stream and who would ever have thought to look there?”
“You just did.” Greta giggled.
“That's because I'm smart!”
“Wouldn't the constantly moving water have uncovered them by now?” Sarah asked.
“No, not if he placed big boulders on top of them or
When the long, dreadful school day had ended, Trissy looked at Sarah with a sly grin, “See ya tomorrow.”
“No you won't. I wouldn't come back here if it were the only school on earth!”
“That's a good girl, you did learn something today, didn't you? Stay with your own flea-bitten kind!”
Sarah stomped away. She might have to put up with this kind of torment at home but she wasn't about to put up with it at school too! She would just quit.
Sarah noticed Trissy watching her as she met up with Greta and Shane. Knowing that the girl liked Shane, she smiled slyly at her as she curled her arm around his. Sometimes it really didn't pay to be rich and snooty. Oh, how Trissy would love to be walking home with Shane Thompson, Sarah knew she really did like him, fleas and all!
Later that evening Sarah sat at home feeling both furious and heartbroken. Her school days seemed to be over. She felt like she couldn't take up a spot in the free school and yet Eagleton School was out of the question. She'd rather die a long, tragic death than to go back around that Trissy Eastland!
“If you're not going to do anything but pout around all day, go on back to the free school. I'll give them the money we'd have had to pay for you to go to Eagleton,” Marion said.
Sarah's face lit up. “Do you mean it?” She ran to her mother and threw her arms around her.
“Yes, yes. Settle down now and do some work.” Marion broke free of her embrace.
“Yes, ma'am.” Sarah backed away.
The next morning, Sarah eagerly ran to meet up with her friends. “Hey you two!” she called out. “Guess what? I'm coming back to the free school!”
“Really?” Both Shane and Greta's faces lit up.
“Yeah! Isn't it wonderful?”
“I knew you wouldn't like that other school!”
“It was bad enough not having you two there, but having to put up with that mean miss prissy girl Trissy made it even worse.” Sarah looked around, “Hey, where's Vivian? Isn't she coming to school today?”
“No, she's not coming to school again, ever!” Shane announced. “She says that now she's thirteen she's done with school.”
“Learning isn't something you can grow out of,” Sarah replied.
“She never liked school much anyway. She'd rather court,” Greta said.
“It's still sad, though.”
“No, it's not. I like that she's not in school anymore... gives us some relief from her bossy self!” Shane laughed.
Sarah thought about it. What if Nathan and Cora were in school with her, too? She remembered how happy she was that they had chosen not to go. School was a place just for her. “I know how you feel,” she said. “I like it that my sister and brother choose not to come, too!”
The three somewhat liberated friends walked on toward school together. They talked about digging for the lost treasure. Rumor was, that fifty some odd years ago a stingy man had buried his life savings in three old churns. Then he took the fever and died without ever revealing his hiding place. Everyone knew the churns were buried somewhere around these parts. But just exactly where, no one could figure out. One fellow had dug the lower end of his pasture slap off, creating a deep gorge.
“I know where I'd like to dig,” Shane exclaimed. “No one has ever thought of this place and no one ever would,” he proudly boasted.
“Where different would you dig?” Sarah asked.
“Don't tell anyone. It has to be our secret. You two promise not to tell?”
“We won't tell.” They assured him. Shane leaned in and whispered.
“In the stream bed. The old man's house wasn't far from the stream and who would ever have thought to look there?”
“You just did.” Greta giggled.
“That's because I'm smart!”
“Wouldn't the constantly moving water have uncovered them by now?” Sarah asked.
“No, not if he placed big boulders on top of them or
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