“I call it jolly decent of Robert to come and watch you play in his place,” said Nora. “I think that’s a big and generous thing to do. It’s funny that a boy able to do a big thing like that should be mean enough to play horrid tricks. It makes me wonder if he really did do them, after all!” Elizabeth picked up her lacrosse stick, She had felt so sure Robert wouldn’t come near the match, She was quite wrong. And now suppose that, as Nora said, Robert hadn’t done all the things she thought he had-suppose he was being punished unfairly? And all because of her! It wasn’t a very nice feeling.
“Oh well, never mind! I’m jolly well going to enjoy my first match!” said Elizabeth to herself, and she ran Out of the pavilion into the field, But what a disappointment-it was beginning to rain! The teams stared up into the sky in dismay. Surely the rain wasn’t going to be much? Surely it would soon stop?
It would be too bad if they couldn’t play.
The children all crowded into the pavilion to wait, The rain fell more and more steadily. It pelted down. The clouds became lower and blacker-there really was no hope at all! “I’m afraid the match is off,” said Mr. Warlow, “Go to the gym and we’ll arrange games for the visiting team,” The children ran helter-skelter to the school. Elizabeth ran too, sadly disappointed. It was too bad! Her very first match, and the rain had spoilt it! A voice spoke in her ear. “Elizabeth! Bad luck! I’m sorry!” The girl turned-and saw that it was Robert who had spoken! He had run off to join the others, so she couldn’t answer, Elizabeth stood still, astonished. Robert! Fancy Robert saying that! She simply couldn’t understand it, “Elizabeth! Do you want to be soaked to the skin?” cried Miss Ranger’s voice. “What are you doing standing out there like that? Come along at once, you silly child!” And into the school with the others Elizabeth went, very much puzzled, and not knowing quite what to do about it! KATHELEEN! OWNS UP.
EVERYBODY was disappointed that the match was off, especially the players themselves, The rain poured down all the afternoon, Mr. Johns and Miss Ranger got some games going in the gym, and the Visitors enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Joan was sorry for Elizabeth’s disappointment. She slipped her arm through her friend’s. “Elizabeth, never mind! There’s another match next Saturday. Maybe you’ll be able to play in that instead.” “Perhaps,” said Elizabeth, “But it really is bad luck that it rained to-day. I’ve been practising so hard, and really I’m getting quite good at catching the ball and shooting at goal!” “I guess Robert was pleased that it rained so that you couldn’t play,” said Joan.
“Well, Joan, that’s the funny part-he was there to watch-and when it rained and we all went off the field, he came up and said it was bad luck and he was sorry,” said Elizabeth, “I really was surprised. And somehow I felt rather mean.” “Wait till he plays a few more tricks, then you won’t feel so mean!” said Joan, But no more tricks were played. Kathleen hadn’t the heart to think of any more. She had seen somebody else publicly punished for her own wrong-doing, and she was beginning to despise herself. She hated Jenny and Elizabeth, but it was a miserable sort of feeling now, not a fierce red-hot feeling, “I’m a dreadful person!” thought Kathleen in despair.
“I’m plain and spotty and pale, I’m dull and slow, and now I’m mean and deceitful and cowardly That’s the worst of beginning to do horrid things-.they make you feel horrid yourself, and then you can’t ever be happy any more. I’m not fit to be at a school like Whyteleafe, where the children are happy and joLly -and where even a boy like Robert, who’s been hateful to others, can turn over a new leaf and begin again!” Poor Kathleen! It had seemed such fun, and so clever, at first, to think out nasty little tricks to get Jenny and Elizabeth into trouble-but now that she had found that mean ways make a mean person, she hated herself.
“And it’s much worse to hate yourself than it is to hate somebody else,” thought Kathleen. “Because you can never get away from yourself. I wish I was a happy honest sort of person like Nora or John.” Kathleen was really unhappy. She went about looking so miserable that the girls felt sorry for her.
“Don’t you feel well?” asked Elizabeth, “I’m all right,” said Kathleen, and walked off with her head drooping like a sad little dog.
“What’s up, Kathleen? For goodness’ sake, smile a bit!” cried Belinda. “You’re enough to turn the milk sour! Have you had bad news from home, or something?” “No,” said Kathleen, “I just don’t feel like smiling, that’s all. Leave me alone.” Her work was so bad that Miss Ranger began to be worried What in the world could be the matter with the girl? She looked as if she was worrying about something. Miss Ranger managed to get Kathleen alone for a few minutes, and spoke to her gently.
“Kathleen, my dear-is there anything wrong? Your work has gone to nieces this week, and you look so miserable. Can’t you tell me what’s wrong? I may be able to help.” Kathleen felt the tears coming into her eyes when she heard Miss Ranger speaking to her so kindly. She turned her head away.
“Nobody can help.” she said in a funny muted voice, “Everything’s gone wrong. And nothing and nobody can put It right.” “My dear child, there are very few things that can’t be put right, if only you will give somebody a chance to help,” said Miss Ranger. “Come now, Kathleen-what’s wrong?” But Kathleen wouldn’t tell her. She shook her head obstinately, and Miss Ranger gave it up. She could not like Kathleen, but she fell very sorry for her, Then Kathleen made up her mind to do a very foolish thing. She would run away-right away home-but first she would tell Elizabeth and Jenny all she had done.
She would confess to them, so that Robert would be cleared of blame. She could at least do that, She wouldn’t despise herself quite so much if she owned up.
“Though it will be awfully difficult,” thought poor Kathleen. “They will look at me in such a horrid way- they will call me names-and everyone in the school will know how awful I have been. But still, I shall have run away by then, so I shan’t mind.” That evening, after tea, Kathleen went up to Jenny. “Jenny,” she said, “I want to speak to you and Elizabeth alone. Where’s Elizabeth?” “She’s in the gym,” said Jenny, surprised. “We’ll go and get her. What do you want, Kathleen?” “I’ll tell you when Elizabeth is with us,” said Kathleen, “We’ll go into one of the music practice-rooms.
We’ll be alone there.” Very much puzzled, Jenny went with Kathleen to find Elizabeth. They soon found her and called her. Elizabeth went with them, surprised and rather impatient, because she had been having some fun with Belinda and Richard, Kathleen closed the door and faced the other two. “I’ve got something to say to you both,” she said. “I’ve been very unhappy, and I can’t bear it any more, so I’m going to go home. But before I go I want to own up to something. Don’t blame Robert for all those tricks-I did them all! Elizabeth and Jenny stared at Kathleen as if they couldn’t believe their ears. Kathleen had done all those things-hidden the books, taken Jenny’s mice, dirtied the garden tools, muddled the drawers? Oh, the horrid, horrid creature! “I knew you would look at me like that,” said Kathleen, tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, “I expect I deserve ~t. but before I go, I’d like to tell you something else. You are both pretty and jolly and clever, and everyone likes you. I’m plain and pale and spotty and dull, and I can’t help it. But you don’t know how I’d like to be like you! I envy you, and I can’t help disliking you because you’re all the things I’m not, You were very unkind once, Jenny, when you imitated Mam’zelle and me having a quarrel, but “I’m sorry about that,” said Jenny at once. “I didn’t know you’d come into the room, I don’t wonder you wanted to pay me out for that, Kathleen. But you shouldn’t have got Elizabeth into trouble, too.” “Well, I’ve paid myself out, too!” said Kathleen. “I don’t like myself any more than you like me, I know I’m simply horrid, and that’s why I’m going home. My mother loves me, even though I’m not as pretty and nice as other girls are. And she will perhaps understand and forgive me for running away.” There was a silence. Elizabeth and Jenny simply did not know what to say, They were shocked at Kathleen’s confession-end Elizabeth especially felt very angry because in a had blamed Robert for things he hadn’t done, and that was terrible, “Well, Kathleen, alt I can say is it’s a jolly good thing you had the sense to own up,” said Jenny at last, “I think more of you for that. But, my goodness, you’re a spiteful mean person, i must say! Don’t you think so, Elizabeth?” “Yes, I do.” said Elizabeth, “And you’ve made me get Robert into trouble-and I’ll have all that to put right.