and really I'm getting quite good at catching the ball and shooting at goal!"
"I guess Robert was pleased that it rained so tha t you couldn't play," said Joan.
"Well, Joan, that's the funny part-he was there to watch-and when it rained and we all went off the field, he came up and said it was bad luck and he was sorry,"
said Elizabeth, "I really was surprised. And somehow I felt rather mean."
"Wait till he plays a few more tricks, then you won't 48
feel so mean!" said Joan,
But no more tricks were played. Kathleen hadn't the
heart to think of any more. She had seen somebody else publicly punished for her own wrong -doing, and she was beginning to despise herself. She hated Jenny and Elizabeth, but it was a miserable sort of feeling now, not a
fierce red-hot feeling,
"I'm a dreadful person!" thought Kathleen in despair.
"I'm plain and spotty and pale, I'm dull and slow, and now I'm mean and deceitful and cowardly That's the
worst of beginning to do horrid things-.they make you feel horrid yourself, and then you can't ever be happy any more. I'm not fit to be at a school like Whyteleafe, where the children are happy and joLly -and where even a boy like Robert, who's been hateful to others, can turn over a new leaf and begin again!"
Poor Kathleen! It had seemed such fun, and so clever, at first, to think out nasty little tricks to get Jenny and Elizabeth into trouble-but now that she had found that mean ways make a mean person, she hated herself.
"And it's much worse to hate yourself than it is to hate somebody else," thought Kathleen. "Because you can never get away from yourself. I wish I was a happy honest sort of person like Nora or John."
Kathleen was really unhappy. She went about looking so miserable that the girls felt sorry for her.
"Don't you feel well?" asked Elizabeth,
"I'm all right," said Kathleen, and walked off with her head drooping like a sad little dog.
"What's up, Kathleen? For goodness' sake, smile a bit!" cried Belinda. "You're enough to turn the milk sour! Have you had bad news from home, or something?"
"No," said Kathleen, "I just don't feel like smiling, that's all. Leave me alone."
Her work was so bad that Miss Ranger began to be worried What in the world could be the matter with the girl? She looked as if she was worrying about something. Miss Ranger managed to get Kathleen alone for a few minutes, and spoke to her gently.
"Kathleen, my dear-is there anything wrong? Your work has gone to nieces this week, and you look so miserable. Can't you tell me what's wrong? I may be able to help."
Kathleen felt the tears coming into her eyes when she heard Miss Ranger speaking to her so kindly. She turned her head away.
"Nobody can help." she said in a funny muted voice, "Everything's gone wrong. And nothing and nobody can put It right."
"My dear child, there are very few things that can't be put right, if only you will give somebody a chance to help," said Miss Ranger. "Come now, Kathleen-what's wrong?"
But Kathleen wouldn't tell her. She shook her head obstinately, and Miss Ranger gave it up. She could not like Kathleen, but she fell very sorry for her, 49
Then Kathleen made up her mind to do a very foolish thing . She would run away-right away home-but first she would tell Elizabeth and Jenny all she had done.
She would confess to them, so that Robert would be
cleared of blame. She could at least do that, She wouldn't despise herself quite so much if she owned up.
"Though it will be awfully difficult," thought poor Kathleen. "They will look at me in such a horrid way-they will call me names-and everyone in the school will know how awful I have been. But still, I shall have run away by then, so I shan't mind."
That evening, after tea, Kathleen went up to Jenny. "Jenny," she said, "I want to speak to you and Elizabeth alone. Where's Elizabeth?"
"She's in the gym," said Jenny, surprised. "We'll go and get her. What do you want, Kathleen?"
"I'll
"I guess Robert was pleased that it rained so tha t you couldn't play," said Joan.
"Well, Joan, that's the funny part-he was there to watch-and when it rained and we all went off the field, he came up and said it was bad luck and he was sorry,"
said Elizabeth, "I really was surprised. And somehow I felt rather mean."
"Wait till he plays a few more tricks, then you won't 48
feel so mean!" said Joan,
But no more tricks were played. Kathleen hadn't the
heart to think of any more. She had seen somebody else publicly punished for her own wrong -doing, and she was beginning to despise herself. She hated Jenny and Elizabeth, but it was a miserable sort of feeling now, not a
fierce red-hot feeling,
"I'm a dreadful person!" thought Kathleen in despair.
"I'm plain and spotty and pale, I'm dull and slow, and now I'm mean and deceitful and cowardly That's the
worst of beginning to do horrid things-.they make you feel horrid yourself, and then you can't ever be happy any more. I'm not fit to be at a school like Whyteleafe, where the children are happy and joLly -and where even a boy like Robert, who's been hateful to others, can turn over a new leaf and begin again!"
Poor Kathleen! It had seemed such fun, and so clever, at first, to think out nasty little tricks to get Jenny and Elizabeth into trouble-but now that she had found that mean ways make a mean person, she hated herself.
"And it's much worse to hate yourself than it is to hate somebody else," thought Kathleen. "Because you can never get away from yourself. I wish I was a happy honest sort of person like Nora or John."
Kathleen was really unhappy. She went about looking so miserable that the girls felt sorry for her.
"Don't you feel well?" asked Elizabeth,
"I'm all right," said Kathleen, and walked off with her head drooping like a sad little dog.
"What's up, Kathleen? For goodness' sake, smile a bit!" cried Belinda. "You're enough to turn the milk sour! Have you had bad news from home, or something?"
"No," said Kathleen, "I just don't feel like smiling, that's all. Leave me alone."
Her work was so bad that Miss Ranger began to be worried What in the world could be the matter with the girl? She looked as if she was worrying about something. Miss Ranger managed to get Kathleen alone for a few minutes, and spoke to her gently.
"Kathleen, my dear-is there anything wrong? Your work has gone to nieces this week, and you look so miserable. Can't you tell me what's wrong? I may be able to help."
Kathleen felt the tears coming into her eyes when she heard Miss Ranger speaking to her so kindly. She turned her head away.
"Nobody can help." she said in a funny muted voice, "Everything's gone wrong. And nothing and nobody can put It right."
"My dear child, there are very few things that can't be put right, if only you will give somebody a chance to help," said Miss Ranger. "Come now, Kathleen-what's wrong?"
But Kathleen wouldn't tell her. She shook her head obstinately, and Miss Ranger gave it up. She could not like Kathleen, but she fell very sorry for her, 49
Then Kathleen made up her mind to do a very foolish thing . She would run away-right away home-but first she would tell Elizabeth and Jenny all she had done.
She would confess to them, so that Robert would be
cleared of blame. She could at least do that, She wouldn't despise herself quite so much if she owned up.
"Though it will be awfully difficult," thought poor Kathleen. "They will look at me in such a horrid way-they will call me names-and everyone in the school will know how awful I have been. But still, I shall have run away by then, so I shan't mind."
That evening, after tea, Kathleen went up to Jenny. "Jenny," she said, "I want to speak to you and Elizabeth alone. Where's Elizabeth?"
"She's in the gym," said Jenny, surprised. "We'll go and get her. What do you want, Kathleen?"
"I'll
Similar Books
