Katherines Sheaves | Page 8

also on the lookout for her, and
approaching her with the graciousness which was her chief charm,
observed:
"Miss Minturn, I have made a place for you at my table. Until you
become better acquainted and choose your permanent seat, you shall sit
close under the shelter of my wings."
"And a very friendly shelter, I am sure, I shall find it; you are very
good," Katherine replied, with quick appreciation.
The teacher led her to her place, and, while they stood waiting for the
professor to give the signal to be seated, introduced her to two or three
of the girls in their vicinity.
Katherine keenly felt, and Miss Reynolds noted with increasing
displeasure, the quickly averted eyes and cool acknowledgment of
these introductions; but the principal drew out his chair, and
Katherine's momentary feeling of awkwardness was covered by the
confusion of getting into place. But for her teacher she would have had
a very lonely and silent meal; for after one or two efforts to engage her
nearest neighbor in conversation had been coldly repulsed, the tactful
woman threw herself into the gap and the two chatted socially until
they arose from the table.
"She is a dear, sweet girl, and I am going to nip this nonsense in the
bud," Miss Reynolds observed to herself on the way upstairs, where, in
the main hall and parlors, the students usually spent an hour, socially,
after the evening meal. But as she presented her charge, here and there,
she only became more indignant in view of frigid salutations and a
general stampede wherever they made their appearance, not to mention
the scarlet spots that settled on Katherine's cheeks and her unnaturally
brilliant eyes, although, in other respects, she appeared perfectly serene
and self- possessed.

"Please do not trouble yourself any further on my account, Miss
Reynolds," she said, when she observed the look of dismay on her face
as she glanced around the almost empty room they were in. "I
understand the situation perfectly; they have all learned that I am a
Christian Scientist, and, having conceived an erroneous idea of what
that means, are avoiding me."
"It is the most absurd, cruel and unjust treatment of a stranger I ever
heard of," returned her companion, with flashing eyes, "and I shall
make it my business to see that there is a radical change before another
day goes by."
"Please do not," Katherine pleaded, earnestly. "I would much prefer
that matters be left to adjust themselves; any interference would only
serve to intensify the antagonism against me; and I am sure when the
girls come to know me better, they will at least realize that I
am--harmless," and there was a gleam of genuine amusement in her
eyes as she concluded.
"You are a brave little girl," said her teacher, with a glow of tenderness
at her heart and a suspicious moisture in her eyes. "But"--with a
resolute straightening of her graceful figure--"I am not going to have
you left to yourself on this your first evening at Hilton, so come with
me to my room and we will have a nice time by ourselves."
"Oh, I should like that," said Katherine, eagerly, "if it will not
encroach--"
"It will not," smilingly interposed her new friend, and, slipping an arm
around her, she spirited her away to her pleasant room, where they
spent a delightful hour together.
When the eight o'clock study bell rang, Katherine returned to her own
quarters, where she found her roommate already absorbed, apparently,
in the preparation of to-morrow's lessons; for, as she entered, the girl
merely glanced up from her book without speaking, then fastened her
eyes again upon the pages before her.

Katherine sat down by her own table and soon forgot everything but the
work on hand, although, at first, she had experienced a sense of discord
and friction in the atmosphere. The hour passed in absolute silence until
the next bell rang, when Miss Minot closed her books and abruptly left
the room.
Katherine was not sorry to be left alone, and bringing forth from her
trunk her Bible, "Science and Health," and "Quarterly," began to study
her lesson for the coming Sunday. She spent half an hour or more in
this way, then sat reading from her text-book until Sadie returned.
Katherine greeted her with a smile as she entered and inquired:
"What is the retiring hour, Miss Minot?"
"Ten; and every light must be out at half-past," was the somewhat curt
response.
Then, after an irresolute pause, she walked over to Katharine, and
picking up the book she had just laid down, asked:
"What is this that you were reading? Oh! it is that dreadful book I've
heard so much about."
"It doesn't seem dreadful to me," returned her companion,