ecstatically. "Do you know where it is, you little good-for-nothing?
Have you put it hiding?"

"Yes, yes, yes," screamed the child, jumping up and down in her joy.

"Then, if you don't give it to me at once, I'll--"

But Judy had dodged her and was out of the room. Up to the attic flew
the child, and after her dashed Bessie. The bag was found in the corner
of the linen-cupboard. Bessie aimed a frenzied blow at Judy, who once
again dodged her, then the schoolgirl ran downstairs and was out of the
house.

"Bessie, for shame!" said her brother, who was standing smoking his
cigarette in a very lazy manner in the garden. "Why, you'll never get
full marks."

"Don't," said Bessie. "I feel quite hunted between you all."

She had got on the highroad now, and could walk away in peace. She was a
tall girl, somewhat bony-looking at present, with a face which showed
abundance of intellect, large dreamy eyes, a wide mouth, a flat nose, a
long chin. Bessie was certainly not at all a pretty girl; but,
notwithstanding this fact, there were few of all the pupils at Middleton
School who approached her in popularity. She was clever without being a
scrap conceited, and was extremely good-natured, doing her work for the
pleasure of doing it and not because she wanted to outstrip a
schoolfellow. She was conscientious too, and would have scorned to do a
mean or shabby thing; but she was hopelessly untidy, careless to a
fault, late for school half her days, getting into countless scrapes and