pride in her appearance, and she felt her shortcomings in this line
quicker and more acutely than most girls of her age.

She faced the school on Monday morning and found it not so hard as she
had supposed. Miss Cramp welcomed her kindly, and put her through
quite a thorough examination to decide her grade. The Darrowtown
schools had been so good that Ruth was able to take a high place in
this one, and the teacher seated her among the most advanced of her
pupils, although Ruth was younger than some of them.

The fact that Ruth was well grounded in the same studies that the
scholars at this district school were engaged in, made a difficulty
for her at the start. But she did not know it then. She only knew that
Miss Cramp, seating her pupils according to their grade, sent her to
an empty seat beside one of the largest girls-- Julia Semple.

A good many of the girls stared at the new-comer with more than
ordinary attention; but Julia immediately turned her back on her new
seatmate. Ruth did not, however, give Julia much attention at the
time. She was quite as bashful as most girls of her age; and, too,
there were many things during that first session to hold her
attention. But at recess she found that Julia walked away from her
without a word and that most of the girls who seemed to be in her
grade kept aloof, too. As a stranger in the school the girl from the
Red Mill felt no little unhappiness at this evident slight; but she
was too proud to show her disappointment. She made friends with the
younger girls and was warmly welcomed in their games and pastimes.

"Julia's mad at you, you see," one of her new acquaintances confided
to Ruth.