exclaimed. "The br--" she checked herself and virtuously closed
her lips. "I'm so sorry, Tillie, that I got you into such a
scrape!"

Tillie thought Miss Margaret could not have heard her clearly.

"He--burnt up your book yet, Miss Margaret!" she found voice to
whisper again.

"Indeed! I ought to make him pay for it!"

"He didn't know it was yourn, Miss Margaret--he don't uphold to
novel-readin', and if he'd know it was yourn he'd have you put out
of William Penn, so I tole him I lent it off of Elviny
Dinkleberger--and I'll help you Fridays till it's paid for
a'ready, if you'll leave me, Miss Margaret!"

She lifted pleading eyes to the teacher's face, to see therein a
look of anger such as she had never before beheld in that gentle
countenance--for Miss Margaret had caught sight of the marks of
the strap on Tillie's bare neck, and she was flushed with
indignation at the outrage. But Tillie, interpreting the anger to
be against herself, turned as white as death, and a look of such
hopeless woe came into her face that Miss Margaret suddenly
realized the dread apprehension torturing the child.

"Come here to me, you poor little thing!" she tenderly exclaimed,
drawing the little girl into her lap and folding her to her heart.
"I don't care anything about the BOOK, honey! Did you think I
would? There, there--don't cry so, Tillie, don't cry. _I_ love