Produced by Malcolm Farmer, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net A CITY SCHOOLGIRL AND HER FRIENDS BY MAY BALDWIN Author of 'Corah's School Chums,' 'Two Schoolgirls of Florence,' 'Sarah's School Friend,' 'The Girls' Eton,' &c. WITH SIX COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS By T. J. Overnell LONDON: 38 Soho Square, W. W. & R. CHAMBERS, LIMITED EDINBURGH: 339 High Street 1912 Edinburgh: Printed by W. & R. Chambers, Limited. [Illustration: She ran off, turning round to wave her hand to her sister.] CONTENTS. I. HARD FACTS II. THE NEW LAIRD OF LOMORE III. FRIENDS IN NEED IV. UPS AND DOWNS V. THE NEW LIFE VI. IN LONELY LODGINGS VII. KIND-HEARTED LONDONERS VIII. GOOD MANNERS IX. THE ENTERPRISE CLUB X. BLEAK HOUSE HOSTEL XI. 'THE RANK IS BUT THE GUINEA'S STAMP' XII. 'SAVE' XIII. YOUNG HOUSE-HUNTERS XIV. OFF TO A HOME AGAIN XV. EVA'S PRESENTIMENT XVI. VAVA'S BUSINESS LETTER XVII. A SUNDAY AT HEATHER ROAD XVIII. STELLA'S SURPRISING REQUEST XIX. THE JUNIOR PARTNER XX. VAVA ON FRIENDS XXI. EVA'S CONDUCT AND ITS SAD EFFECTS XXII. DANTE'S IDYLL XXIII. STELLA'S PRIDE XXIV. BADLY BEGUN AND MADLY ENDED XXV. UNDER A CLOUD XXVI. MORE CLOUDS XXVII. THE VALUE OF A GOOD CHARACTER XXVIII. VAVA GETS A SHOCK XXIX. THINGS STRAIGHTEN OUT LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. She ran off, turning round to wave her hand to her sister 'Vava,' said Stella, 'do not say such dreadful things' 'I'm quite well, thank you, Mr. Jones; but my algebra isn't.' 'My lamb, you should not answer your sister as you do' 'Where have you been, Vava Wharton?' demanded Miss Briggs Stella goes to the prize distribution A CITY SCHOOLGIRL AND HER FRIENDS. CHAPTER I. HARD FACTS. 'These are the facts, Miss Wharton; hard facts no doubt, but you wished for the truth, and indeed I could not have hidden it from you even if I had wished to do so.' So said a keen but kindly faced old gentleman, as he sat in an office surrounded by despatch and deed boxes which proclaimed his profession to be that of a lawyer. The young lady to whom these remarks were addressed, and who was a pretty girl of twenty-one, dressed in deep and obviously recent mourning, now replied, with a sad smile, 'But I did not want you to hide anything from me; I wanted to hear the truth, Mr. Stacey, and I thank you very much for telling it to me. Then I may understand that we have just fifty pounds a year to live upon between the two of us?'