Bonus

"Oh, good gracious me! don't call me Miss O'Hara. I'm Biddy to my friends—Biddy O'Hara, at your service—great fun, too, I can tell you. You ask my father what he thinks of me. Poor old gentleman, I expect he's crying like anything this minute without his Biddy to coddle him. He said I wanted polishing, and so he sent me here. I have never been in England before, and I don't at all know if I will like it. By the way, what's your name? I didn't quite catch it.""No, it was that wild Irish girl's doing. I really don't know what to do with her.""I'm very busy, Olive; I wish you'd go away!"

"And what's the darling's name?" asked Bridget.

"Thank God for that, my darling," said Mrs. Freeman. She put her arm round the young girl, kissed her tenderly, and drew her away from Bridget."O Bridget!" exclaimed the little girls, starting back in affright.

Bonus

In about ten minutes' time Bridget came into the room without knocking. Her hat was still swinging on her arm; there was a wild-rose color on her cheeks; her eyes had a certain excited, untamed gleam in them.

"Now, my dear child, will you come into the house with me? I ought to be in the schoolroom now."

The girls took their places at the table—grace was said, and the meal began.

"Come now, Janet," she said, "confession is good for the soul—own—now do own that you cordially hate the new girl, Bridget O'Hara."

"Yes, what is it?"