Other things seemed to confirm this opinion.  Later, when the children returned from recess, the young stranger had instantly become a popular idol, and had evidently dispensed her favors and patronage generously.  The elder Bromly girl was wearing her lace veil, another had possession of her handkerchief, and a third displayed the rose which had adorned her left ear, things of which the master was obliged to take note with a view of returning them to the prodigal little barbarian at the close of school.  Later he was, however, much perplexed by the mysterious passage under the desks of some unknown object which apparently was making the circuit of the school.  With the annoyed consciousness that he was perhaps unwittingly participating in some game, he finally “nailed it” in the possession of Demosthenes Walker, aged six, to the spontaneous outcry of “Cotched!” from the whole school.  When produced from Master Walker’s desk in company with a horned toad and a piece of gingerbread, it was found to be Concha’s white satin slipper, the young girl herself, meanwhile, bending demurely over her task with the bereft foot tucked up like a bird’s under her skirt.  The master, reserving reproof of this and other enormities until later, contented himself with commanding the slipper to be brought to him, when he took it to her with the satirical remark in Spanish that the schoolroom was not a dressing room—­Camara para vestirse.  To his surprise, however, she smilingly held out the tiny stockinged foot with a singular combination of the spoiled child and the coquettish senorita, and remained with it extended as if waiting for him to kneel and replace the slipper.  But he laid it carefully on her desk.

“Put it on at once,” he said in English.

There was no mistaking the tone of his voice, whatever his language.  Concha darted a quick look at him like the momentary resentment of an animal, but almost as quickly her eyes became suffused, and with a hurried movement she put on the slipper.

“Please, sir, it dropped off and Jimmy Snyder passed it on,” said a small explanatory voice among the benches.

“Silence!” said the master.

Nevertheless, he was glad to see that the school had not noticed the girl’s familiarity even though they thought him “hard.”  He was not sure upon reflection but that he had magnified her offense and had been unnecessarily severe, and this feeling was augmented by his occasionally finding her looking at him with the melancholy, wondering eyes of a chidden animal.  Later, as he was moving among the desks’ overlooking the tasks of the individual pupils, he observed from a distance that her head was bent over her desk while her lips were moving as if repeating to herself her lesson, and that afterwards, with a swift look around the room to assure herself that she was unobserved, she made a hurried sign of the cross.  It occurred to him that this might have followed some penitential prayer of the child, and remembering her tuition by the padres it gave him an idea.  He dismissed school a few moments earlier in order that he might speak to her alone before Mr. Hoover arrived.