know, but sort of killing and fascinating. She's always getting into
the most awful scrapes. Mrs. Florence would had expelled her long
ago, if she hadn't been such a favorite; and Mr. Redding's daughter,
beside. He's a member of Congress, you know, and all that; and Mrs.
Florence is quite proud of having Rose in her school.

"Berry Searles is so funny!" she continued. "His mother is a horrid
old thing, and always interfering with him. Sometimes when he has a
party of fellows in his room, and they're playing cards, we can see
her coming with her candle through the house; and when she gets to his
door, she tries it, and then she knocks, and calls out, 'Abernathy, my
son!' And the fellows whip the cards into their pockets, and stick
the bottles under the table, and get out their books and dictionaries
like a flash; and when Berry unlocks the door, there they sit, studying
away; and Mrs. Searles looks so disappointed! I thought I should die
one night, Mary Andrews and I laughed so."

I verily believe that if Dr. Carr had been present at this conversation,
he would have stopped at the next station, and taken the girls back to
Burnet. But he did not return from the smoking-car till the anecdotes
about Berry were finished, and Lilly had begun again on Mrs. Florence.

"She's a sort of queen, you know. Everybody minds her. She's tall,
and always dresses beautifully. Her eyes are lovely; but, when she
gets angry, they're perfectly awful. Rose Red says she'd rather face
a mad bull any day than Mrs. Florence in a fury; and Rose ought to
know, for she's had more reprimands than any girl in school."

"How many girls are there?" inquired Dr. Carr.