Calista's eyes flashed. "I declare I will!" said she, with sudden fire and emphasis. "I will go to Mr. Settson this very day and ask him to find me a place where I can work for my board and enough to clothe me. At least I should have enough to eat, and not be taunted and insulted every hour as I am now." Miss Druett turned her head and looked at Calista, who met the gaze without flinching. She seemed to think matters had gone far enough. "Come, come, don't let me hear any such nonsense as that!" said she. "If I should tell Priscilla she would turn you out of the house, and never let you into it again." "Let her!" returned Calista. "I haven't had such very nice times there that I should regret it very much." "Suppose your aunt had never taken you at all, do you know where you would have been? You would have gone to the poor-house." "Well, suppose I had, what worse should I have been? I should have had enough to eat and something to wear, and what more do I have now?" "You have your school for one thing." "Yes, I know I do, thanks to you. You are good to me—sometimes." Miss Druett smiled in a curious, sudden fashion, with flash of white teeth and a light in her dark gray eyes under black brows and lashes, which gave quite a new aspect to her face. "Then if I am good to you—sometimes—have a little patience for the sake of those times," said she. "Don't you think I would do more for you if I could? As for the frocks, I know you need them, and I will see what I can bring to pass; but don't you say a word about them to your aunt. She is in one of her bad moods to-day. Here we are, I declare. Where will you stop?" "Oh, at the school-house. I suppose I must walk home. I don't mind though; it will be cool and pleasant after five o'clock." It wanted half an hour of school time, but Calista found Miss McPherson's school-room filled with girls all talking together, as it seemed. As she entered somebody said, laughing,— "Catch her giving anything. You might as well ask old Miss Stanfield herself." "Hush," said two or three voices, and Calista felt sure they had been talking of her. "Here is Calista," said one of the girls. "How early you are! Did you walk?" "No, I rode in with Miss Druett. What are you all talking about?" "Oh, about this new plan for furnishing the parsonage house. Haven't you heard?" "Not a word. How should I?" "Of course she hasn't," said Belle Adair. "Well, you know Mr. and Mrs. Lee lost all their furniture when the old parsonage was burned." "Yes, of course. Every one knows that." "Well, the ladies of the congregation are going to furnish the new parsonage from top to bottom with linen and everything needful, and the young ladies—Miss Jessy McPherson and Miss Alice Settson and that set—are going to hold a fair to buy some of the bed-room furniture." "A fair!" repeated Calista. "What kind of a fair? I don't know what you mean."