horse. The minute she was released she flew into the kitchen, seized
the algebra, and rushed like a whirlwind to the gate, where good
little Clover stood patiently waiting, though all ready herself, and
terribly afraid she should be late.

"We shall have to run," gasped Katy, quite out of breath. "Aunt Izzie
kept me. She has been so horrid!"

They did run as fast as they could, but time ran faster, and before they
were half-way to school the town clock struck nine, and all hope was
over. This vexed Katy very much; for, though often late, she was always
eager to be early.

"There," she said, stopping short, "I shall just tell Aunt Izzie that it
was her fault. It is _too_ bad." And she marched into school in a very
cross mood.

A day begun in this manner is pretty sure to end badly, as most of us
know. All the morning through, things seemed to go wrong. Katy missed
twice in her grammar lesson, and lost her place in the class. Her hand
shook so when she copied her composition, that the writing, not good at
best, turned out almost illegible, so that Mrs. Knight said it must all
be done over again. This made Katy crosser than ever; and almost before
she thought, she had whispered to Clover, "How hateful!" And then, when
just before recess all who had "communicated" were requested to stand
up, her conscience gave such a twinge that she was forced to get up with
the rest, and see a black mark put against her name on the list. The
tears came into her eyes from vexation; and, for fear the other girls
would notice them, she made a bolt for the yard as soon as the bell
rang, and mounted up all alone to the wood-house roof, where she sat