Instantly Lizzie Upton’s eyes were fixed upon Ella, who colored scarlet; and quickly changing the conversation, she commenced talking about her adventure of the evening before, and again the “magnificent-looking stranger, with his perfectly splendid eyes,” was duly described.

“Oh, yes,” said Jenny, who generally managed to talk all the time, whether she was heard or not.  “Yes, Mary told me about him.  He was in her school yesterday, and if I were going to describe George Moreland, I could not do it more accurately than she did, in describing Mr. Stuart.  You never saw George, did you?”

“No,” said Ella pettishly, “but seems to me Mary is dreadful anxious to have folks know that Mr. Stuart visited her school.”

“No, she isn’t,” answered Jenny.  “I told her that I rode past her school-house yesterday, and should have called, had I not seen a big man’s head protruding above the window sill.  Of course, I asked who he was, and she told me about him, and how he saved you from a broken neck.”

Ella’s temper, never the best, was fast giving way, and by the time the company were all gone, she was fairly in a fit of the pouts.  Running up stairs, and throwing herself upon the bed, she burst into tears, wishing herself dead, and saying she knew no one would care if she were, for every body liked Mary better than they did her.

Miss Porter, who stood by, terribly distressed of course, rightly guessed that the every body, on this occasion, referred merely to Mr. Stuart and Lizzie Upton.  Ella was always jealous of any commendation bestowed upon Mary seeming to consider it as so much taken from herself, and consequently, could not bear that Lizzie should even think well of her.  The fact, too, that Mr. Stuart had not only visited her school, but also walked home with her, was a sufficient reason why she should he thoroughly angry.  Miss Porter knew that the surest method of coaxing her out of her pouting fit, was to flatter her, and accordingly she repeated at least a dozen complimentary speeches, some of which she had really heard, while others were manufactured for the occasion.  In this way the cloud was gradually lifted from her face, and erelong she was laughing merrily at the idea, that a girl “so wholly unattractive as Mary, should ever have made her jealous!”

CHAPTER XVIII.

A NEW PLAN.

The summer was drawing to a close, and with it Mary’s school.  She had succeeded in giving satisfaction to the entire district with the exception of Mrs. Bradley, who “didn’t know why Tim should be licked and thrashed round just because his folks wasn’t wuth quite so much as some others,” this being, in her estimation, the only reason why the notorious Timothy was never much beloved by his teachers.  Mr Knight, with whom Mary was a great favorite, offered her the school for the coming winter, but she had decided upon attending school herself, and after modestly declining his offer, told him of her intention.