The Rebel of the School

The Rebel of the School

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Rebel of the School, by Mrs. L. T. Meade This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Rebel of the School
Author: Mrs. L. T. Meade
Release Date: May 16, 2005 [EBook #15839]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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The Rebel of the School BY
MRS. L.T. MEADE
AUTHOR OF
"MISS NONENTITY," "THE SCHOOL FAVORITE," "MERRY GIRLS OF ENGLAND," "LITTLE MOTHER TO THE OTHERS," ETC.
CHICAGO
M.A. DONOHUE & COMPANY

MRS. L.T. MEADE SERIES
BAD LITTLE HANNAH A BUNCH OF CHERRIES CHILDREN'S PILGRIMAGE DADDY'S GIRL DEB AND THE DUCHESS FRANCIS KANE'S FORTUNE A GAY CHARMER A GIRL OF THE PEOPLE A GIRL IN TEN THOUSAND THE GIRLS OF ST. WODES GIRLS OF THE TRUE BLUE GOOD LUCK THE HEART OF GOLD THE HONORABLE MISS LIGHT OF THE MORNING LITTLE MOTHER TO OTHERS MERRY GIRLS OF ENGLAND MISS NONENTITY A MODERN TOMBOY OUT OF FASHION PALACE BEAUTIFUL POLLY, A NEW-FASHIONED GIRL REBELS OF THE SCHOOL SCHOOL FAVORITE A SWEET GIRL GRADUATE THE TIME OF ROSES A VERY NAUGHTY GIRL WILD KITTY WORLD OF GIRLS THE YOUNG MUTINEER
List Price $1.00 Each

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Sent to Coventry! 5
II. High Life and Low Life 17
III. The Wild Irish Girl 26
IV. The Home-Sick and the Rebellious 34
V. Wit and Genius: the Plan Propounded 58
VI. The Poor Tired One 72
VII. The Queen and Her Secret Society 79
VIII. The Box from Dublin and Its Treasures 93
IX. Conscience and Difficulties 106
X. The Wild Irish Girl's Society Is Started 112
XI. The Blouse and the Robbery 126
XII. Tom Hopkins and His Way with Aunt Church 136
XIII. Aunt Church at Dinner, and the Consequences Thereof 150
XIV. Ruth Resigns the Premiership 171
XV. The Scholarship: Trouble Is Brewing 177
XVI. Kathleen Takes Ruth to Town 192
XVII. Miss Katie O'Flynn and Her Niece 204
XVIII. Susy Hopkins Persuades Aunt Church 220
XIX. Ruth's Troubles and Susy's Preparations 230
XX. The Governors of the School Examine Ruth 242
XXI. The Society Meets at Mrs. Church's Cottage 253
XXII. Ruth's Hard Choice: She Consults Her Grandfather 263
XXIII. Ruth Will Not Betray Kathleen 275
XXIV. Kathleen and Grandfather Craven 281
XXV. Kathleen Has a Good Time in London 294
XXVI. The Right Side of the Ledger 308
XXVII. After the Fun Comes the Deluge 314
XXVIII. Who Was the Ringleader? 321
XXIX. End of the Great Rebellion 334
THE REBEL OF THE SCHOOL
CHAPTER I.
SENT TO COVENTRY!
The school was situated in the suburbs of the popular town of Merrifield, and was known as the Great Shirley School. It had been endowed some hundred years ago by a rich and eccentric individual who bore the name of Charles Shirley, but was now managed by a Board of Governors. By the express order of the founder, the governors were women; and very admirably did they fulfil their trust. There was no recent improvement in education, no better methods, no sanitary requirements which were not introduced into the Great Shirley School. The number of pupils was limited to four hundred, one hundred of which were foundationers and were not required to pay any fees; the remaining three hundred paid small fees in order to be allowed to secure an admirable and up-to-date education under the auspices of the great school.
There came a day in early autumn, shortly after the girls had reassembled after their summer vacation, when they streamed out of the building in groups of twenties and thirties and forties. They stood about and talked as girls will.
The Great Shirley School, well as it was managed, had perhaps a larger share than many schools of those temptations which make school a world--a world for the training either for good or evil of those who go to it. There were the girls who attended the school in the ordinary way, and there were the girls who were drafted on to the foundation from lower schools. These latter were looked down upon by the least noble and the meanest of their fellow-scholars.
There was a slight rain falling, and two or three girls standing in a group raised their umbrellas, but they still stood beside the gates.
"She's quite the very prettiest girl I ever saw," cried Alice Tennant; "but of course we can have nothing to do with her. She entered a week ago. She doesn't pay any of the fees; she has no pretence to being a lady. Oh, here she comes! Did you ever see such a face?"
A slight, shabbily dressed little girl, with her satchel of books slung on her arm, now appeared. She looked to right and left of her as though she were slightly