The Staying Guest

ittle study; but the out-of-doors child grew very restive in the restraint and confineme

ong-willed, Miss Priscilla Flint was also of no pliable nature, and she finally succeed

r distant district school-whenever she could not

he bright hours only, she eliminated as much a

rough the lanes, and she enjoyed them so leisurely that she was a half-hour

puzzles. Though this was not exactly in line with the teacher's methods of discipline, yet it was overl

desk, and kept lying in her sight any new toy or

r dog with her; but the teacher's discretion did not extend as far as this, a

ird at

assiduity, Miss Priscilla announced that she w

rom the long school afternoon, with its horrid "general exercises," by the simple method of rising from her seat and walking out at the door. The teacher saw her do this, but allowed her feeling of relief to blu

ed out of school into the fields, and drawing a l

nd I've walked all around it. Such a big, fair, soft afternoon, and the sunlight is raining down all over it, a

Miss Flint, "I wish to talk t

ybird, dropping int

ry up yo

t to go a

foolishness; I want to say that that wretch

ll, now I wonder where we can stay? Would they take us to board down at the hotel? I don't

, Lavinia. I tell you th

know; I'm only wondering where we can go, for whithersoe

hoose; but that dog shall not r

bird, leaning her chin on her hand and gazing

Miss Priscilla, "and he's such

g," said Ladybir

nything, he sits up and stares at me, and those brown eyes of his blink through that ridiculous fringe of hair, an

at Miss Flint very steadily, "you haven

ean?" said her

that, it's really my conscience inside of me telling me I'v

hat there was a modicum of truth in her niece's re

ia, that you ever thou

orry as sorry! But sometimes I don't know it until I see that Cloppy-dog staring at me, and then I realize what's up; and so

iece very sternly; "I consider it is not settled, and will not be until t

rom her chair with great dignity, "I will

la, dryly, "and take yo

to Cloppy, and swinging the dog up

sited Cloppy on his favorite cushioned chair. She then seated herself on a low ottoman directly in fro

d my Aunt Priscilla well enough to know that when she clicks her teeth and waggles her head over her glasses like that she's m

h his wispy locks of hair at Ladybird, who gazed steadily back at him al

man-servants, or maid-servants, or cattles or strangers within our gates. Why, Cloppy, if they tried to take you away from me, I'd-I'd kill them! Yes, I would! I'd kill them all, and burn the house down, and I'd-oh, I'd even break the buds off of Aunt Priscilla's Lady Washington geranium! Cloppy, don't

loppy-dog, i

ssing and shaking him to emphasize her remarks; but Cloppy, being used to hi

tention to it: you mean that I ought not to let my angry passions rise; but I guess you would too if you had an Aunt Priscilla like mine! Suppose y

n fact,-and you mean I'm a bad, ungrateful girl to act like this, and you mean that no decent dog would act so. Well, I suppose they wouldn't; I

Ladybird's mind, the glory of it appealed to h

se it would spoil all the goodness of my deed. Of course my duty is to my aunt-my dear aunt who feeds and clothes me, and lends me her roof to keep off the rain; and though she has asked me for the apple of my eye a

n atmosphere of conscious rectitude, Ladybird gathered up Cloppy

obey you; I'm going to take Cloppy aw

, looking up from an article she was read

th dignity, "that since you sa

Priscilla, half absent-mindedly,

this is the goodest thing I have ever do

gain deep in her boo

ed, but her purpose strengthened by a certain contrary

ut I'm not going to show it, for I detest people who act mart

d that's a great deal worse! I'm ground under her iron heel, and crushed beneath her yoke, and chastised with her scorpions; but I'll bear it