Daisy Bell owned Helen now. She was her chum, her comrade. They could not always be together, of course, and Daisy was a great favorite with other girls. Indeed, sometimes Helen wondered why she should have chosen her so exclusively when there was a little world of adorers to pick from. She could not have understood in her broad-minded nature that occasionally Daisy longed to make her jealous by a show of fondness for someone else. Miss Craven would not come to her room unless it was the afternoon of Miss Bell's music lessons. She was one of Mr. Griffin's pupils. "But I am alone here and you can come to me. I am so glad to be alone. I don't see how I could stand a girl about!" declared Miss Craven. "Unless," smiling a little, which she did quite often now, to Helen, "unless it was you." "And I am not the most charming girl in the school," Helen replied in her eager, wholehearted fashion. "If you only _would_ let yourself be friendly with them." "I'm satisfied with you and Miss Aldred. I like her very much, and most, I think, because she is beyond twenty. You see I am not young, and that makes the difference." "Miss Reid will be nineteen in June, about the time she graduates, and several of the girls are nearly eighteen or over." "But they will have finished their education. I have only just begun mine," protestingly. "Then there will be the more years to study," with a bright joyous emphasis. "It's like a climb up a mountain, perhaps the Alps or the Andes, when you have to come back and try over the next day, and a good many days, only it grows easier all the time." "Do you know what I heard one of the girls call me?" and Miss Craven flushed so deep a red it was almost brown. Helen flushed, too, but she asked nonchalantly, "What?" "An old maid! And she said she didn't know what I wanted to come to school for. I would never know enough to teach. Do you suppose she would dare call Miss Aldred an old maid?" "Oh, the girls do call each other that, and they don't mean anything," said Helen lightly. "They were talking _about_ me, not to me. It doesn't make me a day older, I know, but it keeps me from being friendly and at home, don't you see? My way is paid as well as theirs--it costs me more, for I have private lessons. I have as good right to the school as anybody, whether I want to teach or not." Helen looked at her in amazement. She had never seen so much spirit in her face. If she could be roused, not by anger merely, but some potent power. Happiness and love might do it. "Oh, now I have offended you----" "No, you have not offended me at all. You looked so spirited that I could not help admiring you. It is a very mean thing for girls to make ill-natured comments on each other. I wish they did not. I do not see why they cannot pick out the nice things instead and say them over." Helen had made several protests about this matter. She corrected the subject of Miss Craven's age with spirit.