“Yes, but I mind,” said Elizabeth, “I shall think better of myself if I do this, Really I shall.” “All right,” said Robert. “Thanks. I only wish you were coming to watch, Elizabeth,” “I hope you shoot heaps of goals!” said Elizabeth, and went on with her planting. It was hard work. The crocus corns had come, and big patches of grass had to be lifted before the crocuses could be planted underneath. Then there were all the daffodil and tulip bulbs to plant too, though they were much easier to bury in the soil of the beds.
“There’s so much to do and so little time to do it all!” sighed Elizabeth. “I would like to ride oftener-and I would like to garden all day long-and I’d like to have more music-lessons-and I’d like to spend more time with the rabbits-and I’d like to play games oftener. I wish I was like you, John-and only had one favourite thing to do, instead of about twenty!” “Welt, I dare say you have a more exciting time than I have,” said John seriously. “Mr. Johns is always saying I ought to do something else besides gardening in my spare time, because I shall become dull.” “I don’t think you’re a bit dull!” cried Elizabeth, “1 love to hear you talk about gardening!” “Yes-because you like gardening and understand it,” said John, “But to those who don’t, I expect I do seem dull! You think of something else for me to do, Elizabeth.” “Well, what about riding?” said Elizabeth. “I never see you on horseback, Get Robert to take you out on Captain sometimes-he’d like that, and you’d enjoy it.” The week went by, and Friday came, The School Meeting was to be held again that night. The children filed in as usual, not so grave as last time, for there were no serious matters to be discussed to-night. They always enjoyed the Meetings. They liked ruling themselves, making their own laws, and seeing that they were kept.
The extra money was put into the box. Kenneth proudly put in a whole pound-note from one of his uncles Peter put in five shillings. Then the week’s pocket-money was given out.
John Terry asked for money for the new crocus corms and it was given him. He also asked for money for a new garden fork, a smaller one than the one he used.
“Peter is going to help with the digging,” he said, “and our fork is too big for him, We’ve never had one suitable for the younger ones.” That money was given out also, Richard asked for money to buy a gramophone record of a violin performance. He was anxious to play the same piece himself, and Mr. Lewis had said that if he could get the record and hear how a great master played the piece it would help him. William granted the money at once. The whole School was becoming very proud of Richard, for he played both the piano and the violin beautifully. He sat down, pleased.
“Any complaints or grumbles?” asked William.
Leonard got up. He looked rather apologetic. “This is rather a silly grumble,” he said. “It’s about Fred. He does snore so at night-and, you see, I have to get up early in the morning to milk the cows, so if I am kept awake by the snoring, I can’t seem to make myself get up in time, We’ve all told Fred about it, but he can’t help it. So what can we do?” Fred stood up. “I’ve had a bad cold,” lie said. “I think I’ll be all right when it’s quite gone. Shall I go and sleep in the sanatorium by myself till Matron says I don’t snore any more?” “Yes, I should,” said William, smiling. “It’s about the funniest grumble we’ve ever had, I think, But Leonard must get his sleep or we shan’t get our breakfast milk!” Everyone laughed. William tapped on the table with his hammer.
“Before we dismiss,” he said, “Elizabeth has something to say. Stand up, Elizabeth.” Elizabeth stood up, red in the face. She had been thinking about what she had to say, and she said it straight out, without stammering or stopping.
“I want to say this,” she began. “Last week I accused Robert of playing some mean tricks on me and on Jenny.
You all believed me, and you said that Robert shouldn’t play in the match as a punishment. Well, I was wrong.
It wasn’t Robert after all. It was somebody else,” “Who was it? Tell us!” cried a dozen voices indignantly. William rapped on the table and everyone was quiet.
“Wait a minute, Elizabeth,” said William, “I want to say something. This is what I have to say: Rita and I, as judges, have decided that for the present we shall not give you the name of the child who did the tricks. You know that in certain cases it is sometimes best not to refer the matter to the whole School. Well, this h one of them. I hope you will be satisfied that we are doing this for the best.” “Of course!” cried half n dozen voices, for the head girl and boy were much liked and admired.
Poor Kathleen was sitting on her form with her knees shaking! She could not help thinking that the whole School must know it was she who had been so horrid. She looked down at the floor, and wished that a hole would come there so that she might go down into it and disappear! Jenny and Joan were sitting on each side of her, warm and comforting. They could feel Kathleen shaking and they were sorry. Well-it was a good thing that the Judges had decided to say no more about that! Elizabeth was still standing up. She had a few more words to say. She waited for silence and then went on.
“I haven’t got much more to say-except that I am most awfully sorry for what I said, and that in future I will always be careful to be quite sure before I accuse anybody. Robert was very nice about it indeed.” She sat down, William was about to rap on the table to dismiss the Meeting, when Robert got up. He looked cheerful and bright, quite a different boy from the last Meeting! “May I say something, William?” he asked. “It’s this.
Elizabeth is letting inc play in Saturday’s match instead of her, to make up for saying wrong things about me.
Well, I think that’s very decent of her, and I want the School to know about it!” “Good old Elizabeth!” cried somebody. Everyone thought that Elizabeth had behaved justly and rightly. The girl could feel this, and she was happy.
Then the Meeting was dismissed, and the children filed out to do what they liked for the half-hour before supper. Joan sat down to write to her mother. Jenny put on the gramophone and made up a dance in the middle of the floor, much to the amusement of the others. Elizabeth went to practise in one of the music-rooms, Robert began to read a book on horses.
Kathleen took up her sewing. She had spent all the money she had on two handkerchief-cases to embroider, One was to be for Jenny, and the other for Elizabeth, Rita had said that it was possible to make up for nasty things by doing something nice-so she was doing it! “We learn a lot of things besides lessons at Whyteleafe School,” thought Kathleen, as she sewed, And she was right! *** Saturday came, marvellously bright and sunny. There was a frost in the morning, and the grass glittered white. But it disappeared in the sun, and everyone agreed that it was a perfect day for the match.
Elizabeth tried her very hardest to be glad that it was such a fine day. It was lucky for Robert; but she couldn’t help feeling disappointed that she wasn’t playing. She had missed playing the Saturday before because it rained- and now that it was so fine, she couldn’t play! “Well,” she said to herself, “it’s your own fault, Elizabeth Allen; you shouldn’t have been so foolish-then you would have been playing to-day!” She went up to Robert when she saw him. “Fm glad it’s fine for you, Robert,” she said, Robert looked at her and knew what she was feeling.
“I wish you were playing too,” he said, “Never mind- it will be your turn next time!” The day kept fine. All the team who were going to play were in a great state of excitement. Nora was playing, and she told the others that Uphill School had never been beaten by Whyteleafe yet.
“If only we could beat them just this once!” she said. “But I hear they’ve got an awfully good team. Eileen says they haven’t lost a match yet this term. They really are frightfully good, All 1 hope is they let us get one goal!” “Oh, Nora! We must get more than that!” cried Peter, a strong, wiry boy who was in the team. He was a marvellous runner and catcher. “For goodness’ sake let’s put up a good show!” “We’ll do our best,” said Robert, The morning went slowly by. Dinner-time came and the team could not eat very much, for they were all so excited. Elizabeth knew how she had felt the Saturday before, Oh, how she did wish she was going too! It was so terribly disappointing-but she was glad that she had been big enough to give up her place to Robert.