"The Peases don't have any more than other folks," said still another
big girl. The little crowd dispersed with scornful giggles. Comfort
turned redder and redder. Rosy and Charlotte and Sarah were looking
at her curiously; only Matilda stood firm. "You are all just as mean
as you can be!" she cried. "She has got a gold ring!"

Matilda Stebbins put her arm around Comfort, who was fairly crying.
"Come," said she, "don't you mind anything about 'em, Comfort. Le'ss
go in the school-house. I've got a splendid Baldwin apple in my
dinner-pail, and I'll give you half of it. They're mad 'cause they
haven't got any gold ring."

"I have got a gold ring," sobbed Comfort:

"Honest and true,
Black and blue,
Lay me down and cut me in two."

That was the awful truth-testing formula of the village children.

"Course you have," said Matilda, with indignant backward glances at
the others. "Le'ss go and get that Baldwin apple."

Comfort went with Matilda; but it took more than a Baldwin apple to
solace her; and her first day at school was a most unhappy one. It
was very probable that the other scholars, and especially the elder
ones, who had many important matters of their own in mind, thought
little more about her and her gold ring after school had begun; but
Comfort could not understand that. She had a feeling that the minds