"Very well, Mr. Smith. I think you have done a good deal to keep her as long as you have. She was well fed, even if she didn't learn much." "Thank you, marm." Then Miss Rose took Clematis out of the office, while Mrs. Snow talked with Mr. Smith. All the afternoon Clematis wondered what they were going to do with her. After supper Miss Rose called to her, as the children were going to the playroom. "Clematis," she said, "do you think that if you stayed here you could work real hard, and learn to do as the other children do?" "Yes'm." "Very well. Mrs. Snow finds that we can keep you here. I will try to teach you myself, so you can catch up with the other children." "Yes'm," said Clematis. That is all she said, but she was so glad, that she could not sleep for a long time after she went to bed. She lay awake thinking, and thinking, of the things she would learn to do, so she might go at last to the country, the land of flowers, and grass, and birds; the land where white clouds floated always in a blue, blue sky. CHAPTER IX THE SECRET The next morning Clematis did better in helping Jane with the beds, and before many mornings had passed she learned so well that Miss Rose praised her for her work. When she wanted to stop trying, and wanted to get up without washing her face and hands, and cleaning her teeth, she would look out the window at the hill beyond the river. It seemed to smile at her and say: "Don't forget the beautiful country, little girl. Remember the birds and the flowers. Do the best you can." But there were so many things to do that it seemed to poor Clematis as if she would never learn half of them. When she tried to help in setting the table, she dropped some plates. She said things that made the other girls cross, for she had never learned to play with other girls, and she forgot that she could no longer do just as she pleased. Worst of all, she did not always pay attention to study, and when Miss Rose left her to do some numbers, would be looking out of the window, instead of working on her paper. So the days went on, and spring was almost over. The dandelions had all blossomed and grown up tall, with white caps on their heads, and there were no other flowers in the yard. One day Clematis found something which made her almost as happy as if she had found some flowers. At first she thought she would keep it a secret, and tell no one about it. Then she thought how good Jane had been to her, so she went up to her when she was standing alone. "Say, Jane, if I tell you a secret will you promise not to tell anybody else?" "Sure, I'll promise," said Jane. "What is it?" Clematis looked around. The other children were playing games. "Come over here," she said. She led Jane to the big board fence which stood at the back of the yard. Then she got down on her knees and took hold of one of the boards. It was loose, and she could pull it out. "See, look through there," said Clematis, in a low voice.