“Very well, I'll turn her over to the primary.” The school-bell sounded;
Hale left with a parting prophecy--“You'll be proud of her some day”--at
which June blushed and then, with a beating heart, she followed the
little man into his office. A few minutes later, the assistant came
in, and she was none other than the wonderful young woman whom Hale had
called Miss Anne. There were a few instructions in a halting voice and
with much clearing of the throat from the pale little man; and a moment
later June walked the gauntlet of the eyes of her schoolmates, every one
of whom looked up from his book or hers to watch her as she went to her
seat. Miss Anne pointed out the arithmetic lesson and, without lifting
her eyes, June bent with a flushed face to her task. It reddened with
shame when she was called to the class, for she sat on the bench, taller
by a head and more than any of the boys and girls thereon, except
one awkward youth who caught her eye and grinned with unashamed
companionship. The teacher noticed her look and understood with a sudden
keen sympathy, and naturally she was struck by the fact that the new
pupil was the only one who never missed an answer.
“She won't be there long,” Miss Anne thought, and she gave June a smile
for which the little girl was almost grateful. June spoke to no one, but
walked through her schoolmates homeward, when school was over, like a
haughty young queen. Miss Anne had gone ahead and was standing at the
gate talking with Mrs. Crane, and the young woman spoke to June most
kindly.
“Mr. Hale has been called away on business,” she said, and June's heart
sank--“and I'm going to take care of you until he comes back.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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