"I kind of knew it," she confided. "For I dreamed it all, two nights
running. Both times I had on the Pink Dress, and both times it was
Doc. I'm so happy it's Doc."

And over her head the other two looked in each other's eyes.




CHAPTER III

LIKE A SINGING BIRD


She was fourteen, going on fifteen; and the world was a fascinating
place. There were people who found Cherryvale a dull, poky little
town to live in, but not Melissa. Not even in winter, when school
and lessons took up so much time that it almost shut out reading and
the wonderful dreams which reading is bound to bring you. Yet even
school-especially high school the first year-was interesting. The
more so when there was a teacher like Miss Smith, who looked too
pretty to know so much about algebra and who was said to get a
letter every day from a lieutenant-in the Philippines! Then there
was ancient history, full of things fascinating enough to make up
for algebra and physics. But even physics becomes suddenly thrilling
at times. And always literature! Of course "grades" were bothersome,
and sometimes you hated to show your monthly report to your parents,
who seemed to set so much store by it; and sometimes you almost
envied Beulah Crosswhite, who always got an A and who could ask