the short hairs curled. She was flushing pink from nervousness. Timidly she glanced at Laura.
Unless Laura would take her as a seatmate, she must sit alone in the empty seat.
Quickly Laura smiled, and patted the seat beside her. The new girl's great brown eyes laughed joyously.
She laid her books on the desk and sat down beside Laura.
When Miss Wilder had called the school to order, she took the record book and went from desk to desk, writing down the pupils' names. Laura's seatmate answered that her name was Ida Wright, but she was called Ida Brown. She was the adopted daughter of Reverend Brown and Mrs. Brown.
Rev. Brown was the new Congregational minister who had just come to town. Laura knew that Pa and Ma did not like him very much, but she was sure she liked Ida.
Miss Wilder had put the record book in her desk and was ready to begin school, when the door opened again. Everyone looked to see who had come tardily to school on this First Day.
Laura could not believe her eyes. The girl who came in was Nellie Oleson, from Plum Creek in Minnesota.
She had grown taller than Laura, and she was much slimmer. She was willowy, while Laura was still as round and dumpy as a little French horse. But Laura knew her at once, though it was two years since she had seen her. Nellie's nose was still held high and sniffing, her small eyes were still set close to it, and her mouth was prim and prissy.
Nellie was the girl who had made fun of Laura and Mary because they were only country girls, while her father was a storekeeper. She had spoken impudently to Ma. She had been mean to Jack, the good and faithful bulldog, who was dead now.
She had come late to school, yet she stood looking as if the school were not good enough for her. She wore a fawn-colored dress made with a polonaise.
Deep pleated ruffles were around the bottom of the skirt, around her neck, and falling from the edges of the wide sleeves. At her throat was a full jabot of lace.
Her fair, straight hair was drawn smoothly back from her sharp face, and twisted into a tall French knot.
She held her head high and looked scornfully down her nose.
“I would like a back seat, if you please,” she said to Miss Wilder. And she gave Laura a nudging look that said, “Get out and give me that seat.”
Laura sat more solidly and firmly where she was, and looked back at Nellie through narrowed eyes.
Everyone else looked at Miss Wilder to see what she would do. Miss Wilder cleared her throat nervously.
Laura kept on looking at Nellie, till Nellie looked away. She looked at Minnie Johnson, and said, nodding toward Minnie's seat, “That place will do.”
“Will you change, Minnie?” Miss Wilder asked. But she had promised that Minnie might sit there.
Slowly Minnie answered, “Yes, ma'am.” Slowly she picked up her books and went forward to the vacant seat. Mary Power did not move, and Nellie stood waiting in the aisle; she would not go around the seat to the place that Minnie had left.
“Now, Mary,” Miss Wilder said, “if you will move over and make room for our new girl, we will all be settled.”
Mary stood up. “I'll go with Minnie,” she said shortly. “I'd rather.”
Nellie sat down smiling. She had the best seat in the room, and the whole desk for her own use.
Laura was meanly glad to hear her tell Miss Wilder, for the record book, that her father was living on a claim north of town. So Nellie herself was a country girl now! The n suddenly Laura realized that Pa was moving to town for the winter; she and Carrie would be town girls.
Miss Wilder rapped the desk with her ruler, and said, “Attention, boys and girls!” The n she made a little speech, smiling all the time.
She said, "Now we are all ready to begin the school term, and we're all going to do our best to make it a success, aren't we? You know you are all here to learn as much as you possibly can, and I am here to help you. You must not look upon me as a taskmistress, but as a friend. We are
Unless Laura would take her as a seatmate, she must sit alone in the empty seat.
Quickly Laura smiled, and patted the seat beside her. The new girl's great brown eyes laughed joyously.
She laid her books on the desk and sat down beside Laura.
When Miss Wilder had called the school to order, she took the record book and went from desk to desk, writing down the pupils' names. Laura's seatmate answered that her name was Ida Wright, but she was called Ida Brown. She was the adopted daughter of Reverend Brown and Mrs. Brown.
Rev. Brown was the new Congregational minister who had just come to town. Laura knew that Pa and Ma did not like him very much, but she was sure she liked Ida.
Miss Wilder had put the record book in her desk and was ready to begin school, when the door opened again. Everyone looked to see who had come tardily to school on this First Day.
Laura could not believe her eyes. The girl who came in was Nellie Oleson, from Plum Creek in Minnesota.
She had grown taller than Laura, and she was much slimmer. She was willowy, while Laura was still as round and dumpy as a little French horse. But Laura knew her at once, though it was two years since she had seen her. Nellie's nose was still held high and sniffing, her small eyes were still set close to it, and her mouth was prim and prissy.
Nellie was the girl who had made fun of Laura and Mary because they were only country girls, while her father was a storekeeper. She had spoken impudently to Ma. She had been mean to Jack, the good and faithful bulldog, who was dead now.
She had come late to school, yet she stood looking as if the school were not good enough for her. She wore a fawn-colored dress made with a polonaise.
Deep pleated ruffles were around the bottom of the skirt, around her neck, and falling from the edges of the wide sleeves. At her throat was a full jabot of lace.
Her fair, straight hair was drawn smoothly back from her sharp face, and twisted into a tall French knot.
She held her head high and looked scornfully down her nose.
“I would like a back seat, if you please,” she said to Miss Wilder. And she gave Laura a nudging look that said, “Get out and give me that seat.”
Laura sat more solidly and firmly where she was, and looked back at Nellie through narrowed eyes.
Everyone else looked at Miss Wilder to see what she would do. Miss Wilder cleared her throat nervously.
Laura kept on looking at Nellie, till Nellie looked away. She looked at Minnie Johnson, and said, nodding toward Minnie's seat, “That place will do.”
“Will you change, Minnie?” Miss Wilder asked. But she had promised that Minnie might sit there.
Slowly Minnie answered, “Yes, ma'am.” Slowly she picked up her books and went forward to the vacant seat. Mary Power did not move, and Nellie stood waiting in the aisle; she would not go around the seat to the place that Minnie had left.
“Now, Mary,” Miss Wilder said, “if you will move over and make room for our new girl, we will all be settled.”
Mary stood up. “I'll go with Minnie,” she said shortly. “I'd rather.”
Nellie sat down smiling. She had the best seat in the room, and the whole desk for her own use.
Laura was meanly glad to hear her tell Miss Wilder, for the record book, that her father was living on a claim north of town. So Nellie herself was a country girl now! The n suddenly Laura realized that Pa was moving to town for the winter; she and Carrie would be town girls.
Miss Wilder rapped the desk with her ruler, and said, “Attention, boys and girls!” The n she made a little speech, smiling all the time.
She said, "Now we are all ready to begin the school term, and we're all going to do our best to make it a success, aren't we? You know you are all here to learn as much as you possibly can, and I am here to help you. You must not look upon me as a taskmistress, but as a friend. We are
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