Tillie did not like the lies she had to tell, but she knew she had already perjured her soul beyond redemption and one lie more or less could not make matters worse.

“I found it in the road.”

“How much did you find?”

“Fi’ cents.”

“You hadn’t ought to spent it without astin’ me dare you.  Now I’m goin’ to learn you once!  Set up.”

Tillie obeyed, and the strap fell across her shoulders.  Her outcries awakened the household and started the youngest little sister, in her fright and sympathy with Tillie, to a high-pitched wailing.  The rest of them took the incident phlegmatically, the only novelty about it being the strange hour of its happening.

But the hardest part of her punishment was to follow.

“Now this here book goes in the fire!” her father announced when at last his hand was stayed.  “And any more that comes home goes after it in the stove, I’ll see if you ’ll mind your pop or not!”

Left alone in her bed, her body quivering, her little soul hot with shame and hatred, the child stifled her sobs in her pillow, her whole heart one bleeding wound.

How could she ever tell Miss Margaret?  Surely she would never like her any more!—­never again lay her hand on her hair, or praise her compositions, or call her “honey,” or, even, perhaps, allow her to help her on Fridays!—­and what, then, would be the use of living?  If only she could die and be dead like a cat or a bird and not go to hell, she would take the carving-knife and kill herself!  But there was hell to be taken into consideration.  And yet, could hell hold anything worse than the loss of Miss Margaret’s kindness?  How could she tell her of that burned-up book and endure to see her look at her with cold disapproval?  Oh, to make such return for her kindness, when she so longed with all her soul to show her how much she loved her!

For the first time in all her school-days, Tillie went next morning with reluctance to school.

III

“What’s hurtin’ you, Tillie?”

She meant to make her confession as soon as she reached the school-house—­and have it over—­but Miss Margaret was busy writing on the blackboard, and Tillie felt an immense relief at the necessary postponement of her ordeal to recess time.

The hours of that morning were very long to her heavy heart, and the minutes dragged to the time of her doom—­for nothing but blackness lay beyond the point of the acknowledgment which must turn her teacher’s fondness to dislike.

She saw Miss Margaret’s eyes upon her several times during the morning, with that look of anxious concern which had so often fed her starved affections.  Yes, Miss Margaret evidently could see that she was in trouble and she was feeling sorry for her.  But, alas, when she should learn the cause of her misery, how surely would that look turn to coldness and displeasure!