She was a self-tormentor.  It was plain that the poor child made herself very miserable by believing that everybody possessing a strong back and lively legs felt his or her superiority to her and delighted in “showing off” before her.  The girl of the Red Mill felt only pity for a sufferer possessing such an unfortunate disposition.

She tried to turn the conversation always into pleasant channels.  She held Mercy’s interest in the Red Mill and her life there.  She told her of the broods of downy chicks that she cared for, and the butter-making, and the household tasks she was able to help Aunt Alviry about.

“And don’t you go to school?” demanded Mercy.

“I am going now.  I hope this spring and summer to prepare myself for entering the Cheslow High.”

“And then you’ll be in town every day?” said Mercy, with one of her occasional wistful looks.

“I hope to.  I don’t know how I will get here.  But I mean to try.  Miss Cramp says if I’ll come two or three times a week this summer, after our school doses, that she will help me to prepare for the High School exams., so I can enter at the beginning of the fall term.

“I know Miss Cramp,” said Mercy.  “She lives on this street.  You’ll be so busy then that you’ll never get in to see me at all, I suppose.”

“Why, I can come much oftener,” cried Ruth.  “Of course I will.”

If Mercy was pleased by this statement, she would not show it.

“I studied to enter High,” she said, after a little silence.  “But what’s the use?  I’ll never go to school again.  Reading books isn’t any fun.  Just studying, and studying, and studying doesn’t get you anywhere.”

“Why, I should think that would be nice,” Ruth declared.  “You’ve got so much chance to study.  You see, you don’t have to work around the house, or outside, and so you have all your time to devote to study.  I should like that.”

“Yah!” snarled Mercy, in her most unpleasant way.  “That’s what you say.  I wish you were here to try it, and I could be out to the Red Mill.”  Then she paid more softly:  “I’d like to see that mill and the river—­ and all the things you tell about.”

“You wait!” cried Ruth.  “I’ll ask Uncle Jabez and Aunt Alviry.  Maybe we can fix it so you could come out and see me.  Wouldn’t that be fine?”

“Yah!” snarled the cripple again.  “I’ll never get that far away from this old chair.”

“Perhaps not; but you might bring the chair with you,”, returned Ruth, unshaken.  “Wait till vacation.  I’ll not give up the idea until I’ve seen if it can’t be arranged.”

That the thought pleased Mercy, the cripple could not deny.  Her eyes shone and a warmth of unusual color appeared in her thin cheeks.  Her mother came in with a tray of cakes and lemonade, and Mercy became quite pleasant as she did the honors.  Having already eaten her fill at the doctor’s, Ruth found it a little difficult to do justice to this collation; but she would not hurt Mercy’s feelings by refusing.