Miss Tabitha gave a quick frown and a sharp glance of her gray eyes
at her, then she continued setting her copy. "That child's up to
something," she thought, while she wrote out in her beautiful shaded
hand, "All is not gold that glitters."

Comfort went forward to the stove, which was surrounded by a ring of
girls and boys. Matilda Stebbins and Rosy were there with the rest.
Matilda moved aside at once when she saw Comfort, and made room for
her near the stove.

"Hullo, Comfort Pease!" said she.

"Hullo!" returned Comfort.

Comfort held out her numb right hand to the stove, but the other she
kept clenched in a little blue fist hidden in her dress folds.

"Cold, ain't it?" said Matilda.

"Dreadful," said Comfort, with a shiver.

"Why don't you warm your other hand?" asked Matilda.

"My other hand ain't cold," said Comfort. And she really did not
think it was. She was not aware of any sensation in that hand, except
that of the gold ring binding together the third and fourth fingers.

Pretty soon the big girl with red cheeks came in. Her cheeks were
redder than ever, and her black eyes seemed to have caught something
of the sparkle of the frost outside. "Hullo!" said she, when she