Dorothy Daintys Gay Times | Page 4

in to greet Aunt Charlotte. It was a
fixed rule at the private school that there should never be any haste in
reaching places in the schoolroom.
"It matters not that you are little girls, or that you are at school," Mrs.
Grayson would say; "let me always have the pleasure of seeing you
enter the class-room in as gentle a manner as you would enter a
drawing-room," and her pupils took pleasure in doing as she wished.
The broad window-seats were banked with flowering plants, and as the
children took their places they thought it the brightest, cheeriest
schoolroom in the world.
As if to show that he also had a place in Aunt Charlotte's class, Pompey
ran across the floor and sprang up into a space on one window-seat
between two large flowerpots, where he could enjoy a sun-bath.
Katie Dean, with her little Cousin Reginald, now entered, just in time
to avoid being late.
"I thought you said your cousin was coming," whispered Mollie, but
Aunt Charlotte had opened her Testament, and was commencing to
read, so Nina only shook her head, and Mollie saw that she must wait
until recess to know what Nina would say.
"'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of
God,'" read Aunt Charlotte, and every girl looked towards Flossie
Barnet, who was always trying to say a pleasant word of an absent

friend, or to coax two playmates, who had become estranged, to be fast
friends again. Often they had heard her Uncle Harry say: "Flossie,
you're a peacemaker." Her hands were clasped, and her blue eyes were
full of interest in the verse which Aunt Charlotte was reading. Her red
lips moved.
"'They shall be called the children of God,'" she whispered, and in her
gentle little heart she determined to be, if possible, more kind and
loving than ever before, toward her playmates.
Little Reginald had failed to understand the verse, and sat staring at
Aunt Charlotte with round eyes. He was a handsome little fellow, with
soft flaxen curls, and a smart, sturdy figure, and as he looked up into
Aunt Charlotte's face, he seemed like a pudgy cupid whom some one
had dressed in a sailor suit.
Singing followed the reading, and all through the two merry songs
which they sang, Reginald watched Aunt Charlotte, and wondered over
the verse which she had read. When the arithmetic lesson was over,
Aunt Charlotte asked if any one had a question to ask.
Katie Dean wished to hear an example explained, and when it had been
made clear to her, Reginald held up his hand.
"What is your question?"
"What's 'peacemakers'?" he asked.
Aunt Charlotte explained the verse, and Reginald listened, but it was
easy to see that he was disappointed.
"Do you understand now what the peacemakers are?" Aunt Charlotte
asked.
"Yes'm," said Reginald, "but I wish I didn't."
"And why?" questioned Aunt Charlotte.
"'Cause I thought grandma was a peacemaker," Reginald said, "for she's

piecin' a silk patchwork quilt, an' papa said she'd be blessed glad when
it's done."
Aunt Charlotte was the only one who did not laugh, but the small boy
was not at all vexed.
"You needn't laugh," he said to Katie, "for you've seen her makin'
pieces out of silk, an' what's the difference between makin' pieces an'
peacemakin'?"
CHAPTER II
ARABELLA AT SCHOOL
When recess time came Mollie had forgotten to ask Nina if her cousin
was to be a pupil, and it happened that neither of the others questioned
her.
They were in the midst of a game of hide-and-seek, when Mollie, who,
with Nina, was hiding behind a large rosebush, looked up just in time
to see the garden gate open.
"Look!" she whispered.
"Why, that's Arabella!" said Nina, "but why has she brought her Aunt
Matilda with her?"
"I guess she didn't," whispered Mollie, "it's likely her Aunt Matilda's
bringing her."
Nina stifled a laugh, and they saw the two go along the walk, and enter
the cottage.
Flossie, who had been "it," ran quite around the house, and the others
"ran in," Reginald loudly shouting, "All in, all in!"
Flossie returned, laughing gaily to think that they had all got in free.
Then they commenced to talk of the new pupil, and quite forgot their

game.
The schoolroom windows were open, and Aunt Matilda's shrill, piping
voice could be plainly heard, but the children were not near enough to
know what she was saying.
They saw her turn to go, and then, when she reached the door, she drew
something from her bag, and placed it in Arabella's hand.
"What do you s'pose she's giving her?" whispered Nina.
"Peppermints!" said Mollie, but although she had whispered it, she felt
that Dorothy had heard it, and knew that