tell you when Elizabeth is with us," said Kathleen, "We'll go into one of the music practice-rooms.
We'll be alone there."
Very much puzzled, Jenny went with Kathleen to find Elizabeth. They soon found her and called her. Elizabeth went with them, surprised and rather impatient, because she had been having some fun with Belinda and Richard, Kathleen closed the door and faced the other two. "I've got something to say to you both," she said. "I've been very unhappy, and I can't bear it any more, so I'm going to go home. But before I go I want to own up to something. Don't blame Robert for all those tricks-I did them all!
Elizabeth and Jenny stared at Kathleen as if they
couldn't believe their ears. Kathleen had done all those things-hidden the books, taken Jenny's mice, dirtied the garden tools, muddled the drawers? Oh, the horrid, horrid creature!
"I knew you would look at me like that," said Kathleen, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, "I expect I deserve ~t. but before I go, I'd like to tell you something else. You are both pretty and jolly and clever, and everyone likes you. I'm plain and pale and spotty and dull, and I can't help it. But you don't know how I'd like to be like you! I envy you, and I can't help disliking you because you're all the things I'm not, You were very unkind once, Jenny, when you imitated Mam'zelle and me having a quarrel, but "I'm sorry about that," said Jenny at once. "I didn't know you'd come into the room, I don't wonder you wanted to pay me out for that, Kathleen. But you shouldn't have got Elizabeth into trouble, too."
"Well, I've paid myself out, too!" said Kathleen. "I don't like myself any more than you like me, I know I'm simply horrid, and that's why I'm going home. My mother loves me, even though I'm not as pretty and nice as other girls are. And she will perhaps understand and forgive me for running away."
There was a silence. Elizabeth and Jenny simply did not know what to say, They were shocked at Kathleen's confession-end Elizabeth especially felt very angry because in a had blamed Robert for things he hadn't done, and that was terrible, "Well, Kathleen, alt I can say is it's a jolly good thing you had the sense to own up,"
said Jenny at last, "I think more of you for that. But, my goodness, you're a spiteful mean person, i must say! Don't you think so, Elizabeth?"
"Yes, I do." said Elizabeth, "And you've made me get 50
Robert into trouble-and I'll have all that to put right.
I wish to goodness you'd never come to Whyteleafe
School, Kathleen!"
"I wish it too," said Kathleen in a low voice. "But I shan't be here much longer!"
She opened the door and slipped away down the passage She went to the stairs and ran up, tears pouring down her face. She had owned up-and it had been even worse than she had expected! Now she would get her things and go.
Elizabeth stared at Jenny, and the two were just going to talk about Kathleen's confession, when Joan came
along. "Hallo!" she said in surprise. "What are you two doing here looking so fierce? What's happened?"
Elizabeth poured everything out to Joan. "Now don't you think Kathleen is a mean, deceitful, spiteful girl?" she cried. "I'd never have thought anyone could be so horrid."
Joan looked thoughtful. She remembered how unhappy
and lonely she herself had been once in the summer term, when everything had gone wrong. She could guess how
Kathleen felt, And how very miserable she must be to
think of running away!
"Look here," said Joan, "don't think of how mean and spiteful Kathleen's been. Think instead of how it must feel to be plain and jealous and dull, as Kathleen is, and to be unhappy and ashamed as well! Elizabeth, you were helped last term, and I was helped too. I'm going to help Kathleen! She hasn't been mean to me, so I don't feel angry about things as you do. I just feel sorry."
She ran out of the room, Jenny looked at Elizabeth.
They both knew at once that Joan was right.
We'll be alone there."
Very much puzzled, Jenny went with Kathleen to find Elizabeth. They soon found her and called her. Elizabeth went with them, surprised and rather impatient, because she had been having some fun with Belinda and Richard, Kathleen closed the door and faced the other two. "I've got something to say to you both," she said. "I've been very unhappy, and I can't bear it any more, so I'm going to go home. But before I go I want to own up to something. Don't blame Robert for all those tricks-I did them all!
Elizabeth and Jenny stared at Kathleen as if they
couldn't believe their ears. Kathleen had done all those things-hidden the books, taken Jenny's mice, dirtied the garden tools, muddled the drawers? Oh, the horrid, horrid creature!
"I knew you would look at me like that," said Kathleen, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, "I expect I deserve ~t. but before I go, I'd like to tell you something else. You are both pretty and jolly and clever, and everyone likes you. I'm plain and pale and spotty and dull, and I can't help it. But you don't know how I'd like to be like you! I envy you, and I can't help disliking you because you're all the things I'm not, You were very unkind once, Jenny, when you imitated Mam'zelle and me having a quarrel, but "I'm sorry about that," said Jenny at once. "I didn't know you'd come into the room, I don't wonder you wanted to pay me out for that, Kathleen. But you shouldn't have got Elizabeth into trouble, too."
"Well, I've paid myself out, too!" said Kathleen. "I don't like myself any more than you like me, I know I'm simply horrid, and that's why I'm going home. My mother loves me, even though I'm not as pretty and nice as other girls are. And she will perhaps understand and forgive me for running away."
There was a silence. Elizabeth and Jenny simply did not know what to say, They were shocked at Kathleen's confession-end Elizabeth especially felt very angry because in a had blamed Robert for things he hadn't done, and that was terrible, "Well, Kathleen, alt I can say is it's a jolly good thing you had the sense to own up,"
said Jenny at last, "I think more of you for that. But, my goodness, you're a spiteful mean person, i must say! Don't you think so, Elizabeth?"
"Yes, I do." said Elizabeth, "And you've made me get 50
Robert into trouble-and I'll have all that to put right.
I wish to goodness you'd never come to Whyteleafe
School, Kathleen!"
"I wish it too," said Kathleen in a low voice. "But I shan't be here much longer!"
She opened the door and slipped away down the passage She went to the stairs and ran up, tears pouring down her face. She had owned up-and it had been even worse than she had expected! Now she would get her things and go.
Elizabeth stared at Jenny, and the two were just going to talk about Kathleen's confession, when Joan came
along. "Hallo!" she said in surprise. "What are you two doing here looking so fierce? What's happened?"
Elizabeth poured everything out to Joan. "Now don't you think Kathleen is a mean, deceitful, spiteful girl?" she cried. "I'd never have thought anyone could be so horrid."
Joan looked thoughtful. She remembered how unhappy
and lonely she herself had been once in the summer term, when everything had gone wrong. She could guess how
Kathleen felt, And how very miserable she must be to
think of running away!
"Look here," said Joan, "don't think of how mean and spiteful Kathleen's been. Think instead of how it must feel to be plain and jealous and dull, as Kathleen is, and to be unhappy and ashamed as well! Elizabeth, you were helped last term, and I was helped too. I'm going to help Kathleen! She hasn't been mean to me, so I don't feel angry about things as you do. I just feel sorry."
She ran out of the room, Jenny looked at Elizabeth.
They both knew at once that Joan was right.
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