made Rose walk beside her, as if she were a criminal in custody.

The bath-house was a neat place, with eight small rooms, well supplied
with hot and cold water. Katy would have found her bath very nice, had
it not been for the thought of the walk home. They must look so absurd,
she reflected, with their sponges and damp towels.

Miss Jane was as good as her word. After dinner, Rose was sent for by
Mrs. Florence, and had an interview of two hours with her: she came
out with red eyes, and shut herself into her room with a disconsolate
bang. Before long, however, she revived sufficiently to tap on the
drawers and push through a note with the following words:--


"My heart is broken!
"R.R."


Clover hastened in to comfort her. Rose was sitting on the floor,
with a very clean pocket-handkerchief in her hand. She wept, and
put her head against Clover's knee.

"I suppose I'm the nastiest girl in the world," she said. "Mrs.
Florence thinks so. She said I was an evil influence in the school.
Wasn't that un--kind?" with a little sob.

"I meant to be so good this term," she went on; "but what's the use?
A codfish might as well try to play the piano! It was always so, even
when I was a baby. Sylvia says I have got a little fiend inside of me.
Do you believe I have? Is it that makes me so horrid?"