Winding Paths | Page 3

all, sometimes getting off scot free, and sometimes finding herself
uncomfortably pilloried before the rest of the school, to be
cross-questioned and severely admonished at great lenght before being
"sent to Coventry" for a stated period.
But, had she only known it, there were many chicken-hearted girls who
envied her even her disgrace, for the sake of the dauntless, shining
spirit of her that nothing ever crushed. And as for being "sent to
Coventry", well, Hal and Lorraine easily coped with that through the
twopennyworth system.
If an offender was sent to Coventry, any other girl who spoke to her
had to pay a fine of twopence, and if either of these two glay spirits
found themselves doomed to silence, they persuaded such of the others
as were "game" enough, to have occasional "twopennyworths".
Of the two, Hal was far the greater favourite; she was in fact the
popular idol; for though the girls were full of admiration for Lorraine,

and not a little proud of her, they were also a little afraid of a wit that
could be sharp-edged, and perhaps resentful too of that nameless
something about her striking personality that made them feel their
inferiority.
Hal was quite different, and her unfailing spirits, her vigorous
championing of the oppressed, or scathing denunciation of anything
sneaky and mean, made them all look up to her, and love her, whether
she knew or not.
Even the governess felt her compelling attraction, and would often, by
a timely word, save her from the consequences of some forgetful
moment. At the same time, the one who warned Miss Walton against
the possible ill results of the girl's growing love for Lorraine little
understood the nature she had to deal with.
When Hal found herself in the private sanctum, being gently
admonished concerning a friendship that was thought to be growing too
strong, she was quick instantly to resent the slur on her chum. She had
been sent for immediately after "evening prep.," and having, as usual,
inked her fingers generously, and rubbed an ink-smudge across her face,
to say nothing of really disgracefully tumbled hair, she looked a
comical enough object standing before the impressive presence of the
head mistress.
"Really, Hal," Miss Walton remonstrated, "can't you even keep tidy for
an hour in the evening?"
"Not when it's German night," answered outspoken Hal; "where to put
the verbs, and how to split them, makes my hair stand on end, and the
ink squirm out of the pot."
Miss Walton tried to look severe, remarking: "Don't be frivolous here,
my dear"; but, as Hal described it later, "she looked as if having so
often to be sedate was beginning to make her tired."
But when she proceeded to explain to Hal that neither she nor her sister
were easy in their minds about her growing devotion to Lorraine, Hal's

expressive mouth began to look rather stern, and neither the
ink-smudges nor the tousled hair could rob her of a certain naïve
dignity as she asked, "Are you implying anything against Lorraine?"
"No, no, my dear, certainly not," Miss Walton replied, feeling slightly
at a loss to express herself, "but I have never encouraged a violent
friendship between two girls that is apt to make them hold aloof from
the others, and be continually in one another's society. And in this
instance, Lorraine being so much older than you, and of a temperament
hardly likely to appeal to your brother, as a desirable one in your great
friend -"
"I am not asking Dudley to make her his great friend -"
"Don't interrupt me, dear. I am only speaking of what I am perfectly
aware are your brother's feeling concerning you; and seeing you have
neither father nor mother, I feel my responsibility and his the greater."
"But what is the matter with Lorraine?" Hal cried, growing a little
exasperated. "She is not nearly so frivolous as I am, and works far
harder."
Miss Walton hesitated a little. "We feel she is naturally rather
worldly-minded and ambitious, whereas you -" She paused.
"Whereas I am a simpleton," suggested Hal, with a mischievous light in
her eyes. "Well, then, dear Miss Walton, how fortunate for me that
some one clever and briljant is willing to give me her friendship and
help to lift me out of my slough of simpletondom!"
Miss Walton looked up with a reproof on her lips, but it died away, and
a new expression came into her eyes as she seemed to see something in
this unruly pupil she had not before suspected. Hal still looked as if a
smothered sense of injustice might presently explode into hot words;
but in the meantime the air of dignity stood its ground in spite of
smudges and untidiness.
Neither spoke for a moment,