school-house--and have it over--but Miss Margaret was busy writing
on the blackboard, and Tillie felt an immense relief at the
necessary postponement of her ordeal to recess time.

The hours of that morning were very long to her heavy heart, and
the minutes dragged to the time of her doom--for nothing but
blackness lay beyond the point of the acknowledgment which must
turn her teacher's fondness to dislike.

She saw Miss Margaret's eyes upon her several times during the
morning, with that look of anxious concern which had so often fed
her starved affections. Yes, Miss Margaret evidently could see
that she was in trouble and she was feeling sorry for her. But,
alas, when she should learn the cause of her misery, how surely
would that look turn to coldness and displeasure!

Tillie felt that she was ill preparing the way for her dread
confession in the very bad recitations she made all morning. She
failed in geography--every question that came to her; she failed
to understand Miss Margaret's explanation of compound interest,
though the explanation was gone over a third time for her especial
benefit; she missed five words in spelling and two questions in
United States history!

"Tillie, Tillie!" Miss Margaret solemnly shook her head, as she
closed her book at the end of the last recitation before recess.
"Too much 'Ivanhoe,' I'm afraid! Well, it's my fault, isn't it?"

The little girl's blue eyes gazed up at her with a look of such
anguish, that impulsively Miss Margaret drew her to her side, as