to find out my score or two of very dear friends who have eaten ice-cream at our house.  I hope I may have a chance to wait on ’em.  I’ll do it with the air of a princess,” she concluded, assuming a preternatural dignity, “and if they put on airs I’ll raise the price of the goods, and tell them that since they are so much above other people they ought to pay double price for everything.  I don’t believe they’ll all turn up their noses at me,” she added, after a moment, her face becoming wistful and gentle in its expression as she recalled some favorites whose whispered confidences and vows of eternal friendship seemed too recent to be meaningless and empty.

The poor child would soon learn that, although school-girls’ vows are rarely false, they are usually as fragile and transient as harebells.  She had dropped into a different world, and the old one would fade like a receding star.  She would soon find her that her only choice must be to make new associations and friendships and find new pleasures; and this her mercurial, frank, and fearless nature would incline her to do very promptly.

With Mildred it was different.  The old life was almost essential to her, and it contained everything that her heart most craved.

Her courage was not Belle’s natural and uncalculating intrepidity.  She would go wherever duty required her presence, she would sacrifice herself for those she loved, and she was capable of martyrdom for a faith about as free from doctrinal abstractions as the simple allegiance of the sisters of Bethany to the Christ who “loved” them.  Notwithstanding the truth of all this, it has already been shown that she was a very human girl.  Brave and resolute she could be, but she would tremble and escape if possible.  Especially would she shrink from anything tending to wound her womanly delicacy and a certain trace of sensitive Southern pride.  Above all things she shrank from that which threatened her love.  This was now her life, and its absorbing power colored all her thoughts and plans.  Both conscience and reason, however, convinced her that Belle was right, and that the only chance for the vigorous, growing girl was some phase of active life.  With her very limited attainments, standing behind a counter seemed the only opening that the family would consider, and it was eventually agreed upon, after a very reluctant consent from her father.

CHAPTER XVII

BELLE LAUNCHES HERSELF

Only the least of Belle’s difficulties were past when she obtained consent to stand behind a counter.  With her mother she made many a weary expedition through the hot streets, and was laughed at in some instances for even imagining that employment could be obtained at the dullest season of the year.  As soon as their errand was made known they were met by a brief and often a curt negative.  Mrs. Jocelyn would soon have been discouraged, but Belle’s black eyes only snapped with irritation at their poor success.  “Give up?” she cried.  “No, not if I have to work for nothing to get a chance.  Giving up isn’t my style, at least not till I’m tired of a thing; besides it’s a luxury poor people can’t indulge in.”