Dorothy Daintys Gay Times | Page 3

after, he saw little Reginald fall off his bicycle,
and you ought to have seen how tenderly he picked him up, and
brushed off the dust, and he was quite as gentle as mamma would have

been."
"Oh, he's just fine," said Mollie, "and I do wish he would visit our
school on a day when Arabella's aunt would be there! I love to see him
when he looks at her. Someway he seems so very respectful, and yet his
eyes laugh."
"Well, it's just a few days now before school begins, and what fun we'll
have," said Flossie, "and perhaps Arabella will invite her aunt to one of
our entertainments; if she does, I'm just sure Uncle Harry would go."
"Oh, come here this minute, every one of you," called a cheery voice,
and Nina Earl stepped through an opening in the hedge.
"Why, how surprised you look! I've been over to the stone cottage to
call for you, Nancy, and Aunt Charlotte said that you were with
Dorothy, so I ran across the lawn. I could hear you all talking, and I
was wild to tell you something."
"Oh, tell it, tell it, Nina!" cried Mollie.
Nina looked back through the opening in the hedge.
"She's just saying 'good-morning' to Aunt Charlotte," she said, "and let
me tell you something; she's been all over the stone cottage, looking
into this thing and peeping into that, till I'd think Aunt Charlotte would
be wild. It's Arabella's aunt, and she says she came to learn if the house
was a healthy one to be in, and to see if the plumbing was all right."
Dorothy's sweet eyes suddenly flashed.
"Doesn't she think my papa would keep Aunt Charlotte's house as
comfortable as ours?" she said.
"Oh, 'tisn't that!" laughed Nina, "she said she felt obliged to find out if
the cottage was a healthy place for a private school to be in, before she
could say that Arabella might belong to the class! Did you ever hear
anything like that?"

"Well, what makes her let Arabella come to our school?" queried blunt
little Mollie; "she could go to the public school. I guess we wouldn't
mind."
"Mamma says we must be kind to Arabella," said Dorothy, "so I think
we mustn't speak like that." "I'll be kind to her when she comes," said
Mollie, "because your mamma wishes it, but now, before school begins,
I'm going to say that I just wish Arabella was going to the other
school."
The others felt, as Mollie did, that the class would be quite as pleasant
if Arabella attended the public school, but they did not like to say so.
* * * * *
The few days of waiting were past, and now the first day of school had
come. The door of the pretty stone cottage stood wide open, as if
assuring a welcome to the little pupils who would soon arrive, while
the sunlight streamed in across the hall, giving a cheery greeting.
On the rug sat Pompey, the cat, his fine coat sleek and glossy, and his
white bosom as pure as much washing could make it. His paws were
snugly tucked in, and he purred softly to himself as if he knew that it
was nearly time for the pupils to arrive, and remembered that the little
girls had been very fond of him.
In the cheery sitting-room, which was used as a schoolroom, sat Aunt
Charlotte Grayson, looking over some books which lay upon the table.
Her soft gray gown and broad lace collar were most becoming, and she
looked every inch the gentlewoman that she really was. She had once
been Mrs. Dainty's governess, and now, as mistress of a thriving private
school, she was independent and happy. The class was not a large one,
but the little pupils belonged to families who were well able to pay
generously for fine instruction, and her home at the stone cottage was a
loving gift from Mr. and Mrs. Dainty. Mrs. Grayson had permitted
Dorothy and Nancy to call her "Aunt Charlotte," and now it had
become the loving title by which all her pupils addressed her.

She was eager to have her little class assemble, and, wondering if they
were late, she looked at her watch.
"Quarter of nine," she said, and as if he understood what she had said,
Pompey blinked up at the tall clock, yawned, and looked at the door.
The sound of merry voices made him prick up his ears. A moment
more, and Dorothy and Nancy, Mollie and Flossie, Nina and Jeanette
Earl ran up the steps and in at the open door. Pompey received his
usual number of love-pats, and then the girls, having hung their hats
and coats in the hall, walked quietly