Glory and the Other Girl

GLORY

and Ifie

OTHER GIRL

ANNIE

HAMILTON

DON NELL

OTHER GIRL

<•■■ I" O. •• »•

DAVID C COOK PUBLISHING COMPANY

PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHING HOUSE AND MAILING ROOMS, ELGIN. ILLINOIS

GLORY AND THE

i^

BY

ANNIE HAMILTON DONNELL

Copyright,
By David C. Cook Publishing Co.
Elgin, Illinois.

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

"By ANNIE HAMILTON DONNELL.

CHAPTER I.

GLORY ran in the last minute to bid Aunt Hope
good-by. That was the one thing that she never

forgot.

"Good-by, auntie. I'm off, but I'm not happy.
Happy! I'm perfectly mis-er-a-ble ! If only I had
passed last year! To think I've got to go back to
that baby seminary, and the other girls will have
entered at Glenwood ! Oh, dear! I'll never be able
to catch up."

" There, dear, don't ! Keep brave. Remember what
a pleasant vacation we've had, and this is such a lovely
day in which to begin all over. I wouldn't mind
* beginning over ' again to-day !"

Aunt Hope was smiling up at her from the cushions
of the big couch, but Glory's lips trembled as she
stooped to gather the thin little figure into her strong

girlish arms.

c< 3

4 GLORY AND THE OTHER OIRL.

' Auntie ! Auntie ! If you only could !" the girl cried
wistfully. "If you could only take my place! It
isn't fair that we can't take turns being well and
strong. But, there," she made a wry face to hide
her emotion, " who'd want to be poor me to-day and
go back on that horrid train to that horrid, horrid
school !"

' Glory Wetherell, I believe you're lazy !" Aunt
Hope laughed. "A Wetherell lazy! There, kiss me
again, Disappointment, and run away to your ' horrid
train ' !"

But out on the landing Glory paused expectantly,
taking a rapid mental account of stock in readiness
for the coming questions. " She'll call in a minute,"
the girl thought tenderly, waiting for the sweet, feeble
voice. ; The day auntie doesn't call me back I shan't
be Gloria Wetherell!"

"Gloria!"
Yes'm. Here I am. I've got my books, auntie."

"All, Glory?"

" Every single one."

"All right, dear!" came in Aunt Hope's soft voice.
And Glory went on downstairs, smiling to herself
triumphantly. Such luck! When had she been able
to answer like that before?

"Gloria!" again.
Yes, auntie. Oh ! oh ! yes, I did forget my mileage
book, auntie. I'll get it this minute. But, auntie,"—

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 5

Glory stopped at the foot cf the stairs. Her dis-
comfited laugh floated upward to the pale little invalid
— " I've felt of my head and it's on. I didn't forget
that ! Cood-by."

tk Dear girl— my Little Disappointment!" murmured
the invalid, sinking back on her pillows, with a tender
sigh. "Will she ever grow heedful? When will she
come to her own?"

Oddly enough, at that moment Glory was saying to
herself, as she hurried down the street, li I wish she
wouldn't call me her ( Disappointment ' like that-
dear auntie! There's any quantity of love in it, but
I don't like the sound of it. It reminds me of the
trains I've missed, and the books I've forgotten, and —
oh, me! — all the lessons I haven't learned! I wish
auntie didn't care so much about such things—/
don't !"

It was a splendid September day. The sweet, sharp
air kissed the girl's fresh cheeks into blushes and sent
her feet dancing along with the very joy of locomo-
tion. In spite of herself Glory began to be happy.
And the girls were at the station to see her off — that
was an unexpected compliment. They ran to meet
her excitedly.

" Quick, quick, Glory ! We've ' held up ' the train
as long as we can !" they chorused. " Didn't you
know you were late, for pity's sake? And it's the
Crosspatch Conductor's day, too— we've had an awful

<•> GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

time coaxing him to wait I But he's a real dear, after
all."

' Give me your books — help her on, Judy! There,
take 'em quick! Good-by."

" Our sympathies go-o with — yo-oo-ou !"
The chorus of gay voices trailed' after her, as she
stood alone on the platform. With a final wave of her
book-strap she went dolefully inside. Suddenly the
September getting-ofT intoxication oozed out of her
ringer-tips. She tumbled into the nearest seat with a
sigh. It was even worse than she had anticipated.

1 I wish the girls hadn't come down," she thought
ungratefully. " Sending their condolences after me
like that ! I guess I could see the triumph in Judy
Wells' face, and Georgia Kelley's, and all their faces.
They were hugging themselves for not having to go
back to the seminary. Nobody's got to but just poor
me. I declare, I'm so sorry for you, Glory Wetherell,
that I think I'm going to cry!"

The " girls," all four of them, had graduated the
previous spring. Only heedless, unstudy-loving Glory
had lagged over into another year, and must go back
and forth from little Douglas to the Center Town
Seminary all by herself. Every morning and every
night — the days loomed ahead of her, not to be num-
bered or borne. Well, it was hard. No more merry
chattering rides, as there had been last year when the
girls were her companions. No more gay little car-

"our sympathies go-o with yo-oo-ouI

8 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

feasts on the home trips, out of the carefully hoarded
remnants of their dinners.

4 I wish I'd kept up in mathematics and things I"
lamented Glory, gazing at the flying landscape with
gloomy eyes. 'If I'd known how this was going to
feel, I'd have done it if it killed me. Think of a
year of this ! Two times three quarters of an hour
is an hour and a half. Let me see — in the three terms
there'll be three times sixty-five days. Three times
sixty-five is " — Glory figured slowly — "one hundred
and ninety-five days ! An hour and a half in one
day — in one hundred and ninety-five days there will
be — oh, forever!" groaned Glory. She sat and looked
into the year to come with a gloomy face. In spite
of herself she multiplied one hundred and ninety-five
by one and a half.

" That's the number of hours you're going to sit
here on a car-seat, is it?" she demanded of herself.
" It's a nice prospect, isn't it? You'll have a charm-
ing time, won't you? Aren't you glad you didn't
keep up in things ?"

It did. not occur to Glory that she might employ the
time in study. Studying very rarely " occurred ' to
Glory, anyway. She went back and forth from little
Douglas to the Centre Town ' Seminary for Young
Ladies" because of Aunt Hope. Aunt Hope wanted
her to, and Aunt Hope was a dear. She would do
even that for Aunt Hope !

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 9

The slow local train lurched on between grainfields
and cattle-dotted pastures, and the pretty, dainty little
maid on the back seat sat on, with the plaintive face
of a martyr. In spite of herself the Other Girl smiled.
The Other Girl was not dainty, nor was she pretty
unless she smiled. The uptwitch of her mouth-
corners and the flash of white teeth helped out a
great deal. She had never had occasion to laugh
much in her fifteen years of life, but now and then
she smiled — when she saw girls playing martyr, for
instance !

' It's funny, if she only knew it," the Other Girl
thought. There she sits feeling abused because she
has to go to school — oh, my goodness, goodness ! She
feels that way, I'm certain she does! It's printed in
capitals on her face. Diantha Leavitt, do you hear? —
there's a girl back there feeling abused because she's
got to go to a Young Ladies' Seminary! If you don't
believe me, turn square round and look at her."

The Other Girl was sitting sidewise on her seat
to give her a slanting view from under her shabby
sailor of the trim little tailor-made figure on the back
seat. She had been watching it ever since the train
drew out of Douglas. She had recognized it at once
as one of the five trim, girlish figures that had got on
at the same place the previous spring. School-books
and schoolgirl nonsense tell their own story, and,
besides, hadn't they always got ofT at Centre Town,

10 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL,

and wasn't there a Young Ladies' Seminary there?
You could put two and two together if you didn't
study arithmetic— if your name was only Diantha
Leavitt and you worked in the East Centre Town
rubber factory, instead of going to school.

The Other Girl's admiring eyes had taken in all the
dainty details of gloves, tiny chatelaine watch, and
neat school satchel out of which protruded green and
brown books. With a fierce little gesture the Other
Girl had slid her own hands under her threadbare
jacket. They were reddened and rough.

" I should like to know if she can smell rubber clear
back there," she thought. " You ought to go ahead
to the front o' the car, Diantha Leavitt. Don't you
know dainty folks don't like the smell of rubber? Oh,
my goodness — goodness — goodness! I wish I could
get out o' the reach of it for one day in my life!
Q ne day—doesn't seem like asking a great deal, does

it?"

She straightened and turned her back to the dainty
girl of luxury on the rear seat. She would not look
again. But straight ahead, on the very front of the
car, her gloomy, roaming gaze was stayed. What was
this she saw? The pretty, plaintive face of the school-
girl, in the mirror! She could not get away from it.
The two pairs of blue eyes seemed to be looking
directly into each other, but the Other Girl's were full
of ansry tears. The Other Girl sat up, straight and

GLORY AND THE OTHER (URL. 11

defiant, and stared ahead unswervingly. Mentally she
was taking a scornful inventory of her own shahbiness.

" My feather is perfectly straight; — it rained Satur-
day night, and I haven't had any time to curl it over
the poker. It doesn't belong on a sailor, anyway, but
it's better than a hole right into your hair! It covers
up. My jacket collar is all fringy round the edges,
and the top button is split. My necktie has been
washed four times too often — ugh! I smell rubber!"

Glory consulted her little chatelaine watch impa-
tiently.

" I hope we're most there !" she sighed. " If this
hasn't been the longest ride! I know one thing — I
shall bring my crochet-work to-morrow, and my tat-
ting, and my knitting-work, and my — patchwork!
There's more than one way to ' kill ' time" She smiled
to herself a little. From the cover of the tiny watch
Aunt Hope's picture looked up at her, smiling too.
Glory nodded back to it.

" Yes'm, I've got everything — I haven't forgotten
a thing. And I'm going to be good," she murmured,
as she shut the sweet face out of sight.

The train slowed up. Glory was feeling better
because of the little draught of Sweet Face Tonic,
and she was even humming a tune under her breath
when she stepped down on to the platform. She
stepped daintily along with her pretty head held up
saucily and her skirts a-flutter. It wasn't so bad,

12

GLORY AND Till] OTHER (URL.

after all, once off that horrid train— good riddance to
it! Let it go fizzing and puffing away. The farther

the better —

Suddenly Glory stood still and gazed downward at
her empty hands, then at the fading curl of white
smoke up the track. Her face was a study of dismay.

" Oh ! oh ! That horrid train has carried off my
books!" she cried

CHAPTER II.

CA LORY swung about on her toes and marched
J away to the Centre Town ticketman, whom she

knew a little.

" Mr. Blodgett," she cried, " what do you do when
you get off the train and your books don't?"

The pleasant old face twinkled at her out of the
little window. Mr. Blodgett's acquaintance with
Glory had been enlivened by a good many such crises
as this. In his mind he had always separated her
from the other Douglas young misses as " The Fly-
away One."

" Forgot 'em, eh? Got carried off, did they? Well,
that's a serious case. You'll have to engage a coun-
sel, but I ain't sure you'll get your case. Looks to
me as if the law was on the other — "

" Mr. Blodgett," laughed Glory, ' 4 I don't want to
get my ' case ' — I want my books ! What do folks
do when they leave things— umbrellas or something—
in their seats?"

" Never left an umbrella yourself, of course?"

13

14 GLORY AND THE OTHER OIRL.

" Ye-es — three," admitted Glory, " but I never dia
anything — just let 'em go. This time it's my school-
books, you see. It's different. I don't see how I'm

going to school without any books."

" Sure enough. Well, I'll see what I cai do for
you, my dear. I'll telegraph to the conductor to take
'em in charge and deliver 'em to you at your place,
in the morning. How's that?"

" Oh, thank you, Mr. Blodgett. You're a regular
dear — I mean you're very kind."

' Don't change it, my dear. The first is good
enough for me," the old man laughed. He was think-
ing what a refreshing little picture his small window
iramcd in. Was it like this his little girl would have
Iboked if she had grown into girlhood? He gazed
i.fter The Flyaway One wistfully.

It was still early in the morning, and Glory loitered
about in the crisp September sunshine with an hour
of time to " kill." There was but one early train to
Centre Town, and that left Douglas at seven. It had
not been so bad, of course, when the other girls came,
too, but now ! — Glory sighed pensively. So many
things were bad now. The sun might just as well be
snuffed out like a candle and it be raining torrents,
for all the joy there was in living!

" That was my fourth Latin lexicon," Glory ex-
claimed suddenly, with a vivid vision of Aunt Hope's
grieved face. " I left two out ti the rain, and lost

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

15

a lot of leaves out of another, and now this one's gone
on a tour! Poor auntie! I guess she might as well
keep right on calling me Little Disappointment."

It was an unp'ropitious beginning for the new term.
Glory was obliged to refuse three times to recite, on
the plea of her lost books, and double lessons loomed
ahead of her dismally. But not for long— Glory never
allowed " making up " to dispirit her unduly. Study-
ing, anyway, was a nuisance, and the less time you let
it give you the blues, the better. If you hadn't any
books you couldn't study— naturally. Then why gloom
over it a whole day?

"Well, dear?" Aunt Hope said that night, as they
sat in the twilight together; * well, the beginning and
the ending are the first day. How has it been ? You
look happy enough— I can feel the corners of your
mouth, and they turn up!" The slender, cool fingers
traveled over the girl's face in their own privileged

fashion.

Glory remembered the books and drew down her

lips hastily.

" I've been naughty, auntie," she confessed softly.

" Oh, Glory '.—again ?"

" Yes'm, I'm afraid so. I'm afraid I've— lost some-
thing."

Aunt Hope drew a long, patient breath before she
spoke. Her fingers still lingered on the smooth cheeks
and then wandered slowly to the tangle of soft hair.

1G

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

The little girl half hidden from her by the dusk was
so dear to her !

" Tell me about it, Little Disappointment,'* Aunt
Hope said at length. And Glory told' her story peni-
tently.

" But I think it will come out all right, auntie, truly,"
she ended. " I shall get them again to-morrow morn-
ing. Mr. Blodgett said he'd telegraph to have the
Crosspatch Conduc — I mean the conductor — bring
them with him to-morrow. It isn't likely anybody
would steal a school satchel of books!" The bright
voice ran on, quite gay and untroubled again. But
Aunt Hope put up her hand and felt about for the
laughing lips, to hush them. It had grown dark in the
room.

" Glory, I am going to tell you a story," Aunt Hope
said quietly. " You are to sit a little closer to me
and listen like a good little girl. Don't speak, dear."

" I won't, auntie."

" There was another girl once," began Aunt Hope's
gentle voice. " She had two things she loved espe-
cially — an Ambition and a Brother. She spelled them
both with capitals, they were so dear to her. Some-
times she told herself she hardly knew which one she
loved the better. But there came a time when she
must choose between them, and then she knew. Of
course it was the Brother. She put the Ambition
away on a high shelf where she could not go to it too

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 17

often and cry over it. * Stay there awhile/ she said.
1 Some day I shall come and take you down and live
with you again. Just now I must take care of my
Brother/

" For the girl and her Brother were all alone in the
world, and she was the older. He was a little thing,
and she was all the mother he had. For fifteen years
she took care of him, and then one day she found
time to take the Ambition down from the high shelf-
she had not had time before. She took it down and
clasped it in the old way to her breast. ' Oh, ho!' she
laughed— she was so glad!— ' Oh, now I have time
for you! You and I will never part again.' And she
was as happy as a little child over a lost treasure. It
did not seem to dismay her because she was not a girl
any longer. Women could have Ambitions, she said.
And what did she do but get out her study books
and wipe off the 'dust of years! It lay on them dis-
couragingly thick and white, but she laughed in its

face.

" That was because she did not know. Sometimes
it is better not to know. Do you think it would have
been kind to let her know on that first sweet day?
At any rate she never lost that day. She had it with
her always afterward— the one beautiful, long day she
and her Ambition spent together again, after she took
it down from the shelf. They spent it all among the
dusted books.

18 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

The next day there was a terrible accident, and
when it was over and this other girl, who had grown
to ti woman, was lying in a dark room that some-
how seemed to be full of a dull pain, she heard her
Brother and a doctor talking outside. She heard every
word. Then she knew what was coming to her. She
could tell what to expect.

Well, she put the Ambition back, away back in
her heart, and it has been there ever since. She lets
it come to the front sometimes — but only once in a
very great while."

The quiet voice ceased speaking, and Glory, with
a little stifled sob, hid her face in the pillows. She
understood.

' Oh, I forgot something in the story," Aunt Hope
went on presently, her cheek against Glory's hair. " I
forgot the best part! The Brother took care of the
girl after that. He was the mother then. Even after
he had a home of his own and a little baby, it was just
the same. But he had to go away for years at a time,
and the baby's mother was dead, so it came about that
the girl— or rather woman; she is a woman now— had
the little baby almost always to herself. It was beau-
tiful, beautiful, until the little mischief took it into her
head to grow up. Even then it wasn't so very bad!
For, don't you see, she would fall heir to the Ambition
by and by ? So the woman was always hoping. And
she hasn't quite given up hoping yet."

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

19

There was silence in the big, dark room. Glory got
to her feet. Her voice trembled as she began to
speak, and she hurried over the words as if she were
afraid she might cry.

4 I'm going clown to Judy's to — to get her books.
Then I'm coming home and — and study, auntie.
Good-by," she stumbled.

" Good-by, dear," said Aunt Hope, softly.

" It was hard to tell her the story like that," she
thought, half repenting. * Glory understands things
instantly, and they hurt. But she is so precious — I
had to tell it!"

That night Glory's light burned a good deal later
than it ever had before, and Glory's bright head bent
doggedly over Judy's books. Glory and Aunt Hope's
beloved Ambition were so close that night that they
almost touched each other. Not quite.

It was dull and bleak next day, and Glory was tired.
The fierce little spark of energy seemed to have flick-
ered out altogether.

' Don't say ' good-by, dear,' — say, ' Qood-by, Dis-
appointment,' ' she said at Aunt Hope's couch the last
moment.

" Good-by, dear/' said Aunt Hope.

The early morning train was in the little station
when Glory got there. She had just time to whisk
up the steps on to the platform. The Crosspatch Con-
ductor swung himself up after her. Glory eyed his

20 GLORY AND THE OTIIEK GIRL.

empty hands with distinct disappointment.

'Haven't yon got my books?" she panted, out of
breath with her hurrying.

E Nary a book," the conductor said shortly.
' Couldn't find 'em. Went through the whole train.
Weren't any books. You'll have to hang on to 'em
next time, young lady."

( I don't see how I can if I can't find 'em," sighed
the 'young lady." She went into the car and sat
down heavily. Oh, it was too bad! She had been
so sure the conductor would have them for her. She
didn't want to lose them — not now, after that story.
Oh, poor auntie!

There were not many early morning passengers.
Among others Glory noticed an old man and two
young men with dinner pails, an old lady without
one, and a girl in a shabby jacket. She hadn't any
dinner pail in sight, anyway. She sat in the seat
ahead of Glory and pored over a book. She seemed
buried — lost — in it.

Glory sat on the edge of her seat with her elbow
on the window-sill and her chin in her hand. Her
glance wandered gloomily around the car and came
to rest at last on the open page of the Other Girl's
book.

What — What! Glory leaned forward and gazed
intently at the open page. On the margins were words
scrawled carelessly in — her— handwriting! The odd,

THAT WAS HER BOOK.
21

22 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

perked-np letters were unmistakable. Who else ever
wrote like that? Who ever made M's and capital S's
like that?

Glory got suddenly to her feet. That was her book
the Other Girl was poring over — hers!

CHAPTER III.
|"LL trouble you for my book," a clear, stiff

i

voice said.

The Other Girl came to her senses abruptly.

"Oh! Why!" she stammered, her lean little face
flooding- crimson. u Oh, is it you ? Oh, I didn't know
we'd got to Douglas — oh, wait, please wait! Please
let me explain." She kept tight hold of the book and
faced Glory pluckily. "You must let me explain.
Maybe you think I can't, but I can. I'm not a

thief!"

" I don't care for any explanation, but I'd thank you
for my books," Glory said loftily. " I suppose you've
got the rest. too. They were all together."

" I have them all,' the Other Girl returned quietly.
The crimson in her cheeks had faded to a faint pink.
She gazed up at Glory with steady eyes.

" But I cannot give them up till yon let me explain,"
she persisted. " You've got to let me. Do you sup-
pose I'm going to let you go away with my good name
as though I would steal your books" They were lying

"'!
.- • >

24 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

on the seat — I saw you had forgotten them — I took
care of them for you — I was going to give them back
to you this morning, but I got interested in doing that
sum and didn't know we'd got to Douglas yet.
There !"

She sprang to her feet and forced the books into
Glory's hands, her own fingers quivering as she did
it. Suddenly Glory forgot her heroics and began to
laugh.

" I never got interested in doing a sum," she cried.
" I wish you'd tell me how you do it."

The laugh was infectious. The Other Girl laughed
too. Unconsciously she moved along on her seat and
as unconsciously Glory sat down.

"Oh, it's so easy to be interested!" breathed the
Other Girl eagerly. Her eyes shone with enthusiasm.
" You just have to open the book."

" I've opened a book a good many times and never
got interested. Never was — never am — never shall be
interested."

The Other Girl laid her rough red fingers on the
books.

"Don't!" she said, gently. "It sort of — hurts to
hear anyone talk that way. It all means so much to
me. I had just begun history when — " She caught
herself up abruptly, but Glory was curious. Was there
ever a stranger " find " than this? — a girl in a shabby
coat, with rough, red hands, who liked history !

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

25

"Yes, yon had just begun when — "

" When I had to stop," went on the Other Girl,
quietly. " I think I felt sorriest about the history,
though it broke my heart to give up Latin. I don't
know what you'll think, but I translated six lines in
your Cicero last night. I did — I couldn't help it. I
haven't the least idea I got them right, but I trans-
lated them. 91

Decidedly this was interesting. Couldn't help trans-
lating Cicero ! Glory gasped with astonishment. She
faced squarely about and gazed at her shabby little
neighbor.

E Where do you go to school ?" she demanded.
Wherever it was, she was thinking that was the school
Aunt Hope would like her to go to.

" At the East Centre Town rubber factory," the
Other Girl smiled wistfully. " And oh, dear ! that
makes me think — can you smell rubber?"

Glory sniffed inquiringly. She certainly could
detect a whiff of it somewhere. " Yes — yes, I think
I do," she said.

" Then I'm going ahead. It's me," the Other
Girl cried sharply. " I ought to have remembered. /
wouldn't enjoy sitting beside a rubber factory if I
was somebody else — if I was you. I forgot — I'm
sorry."

She stood up and tried to pass out into the aisle
in front of Glory, but Glory would not let her.

26 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

" Sit down, please — please. I don't smell it now,
and anyway I like it. It's a variety. I'm tired of the
perfume of white violets! If you don't mind, I wish
you'd tell me some more about when you had to —
stop, you know. I suppose you mean stop going to
school, don't you?"

" Yes. It was when my father was killed in an
accident. I had to stop then. There's only mother
and me and ' Tiny Tim.' I went to work in the rubber
factory — it was six months ago. I had just begun
getting really into study, you know."

The quiet voice was unsteady with intense wistful-
ness. The Other Girl's eyes were gazing out of the
car window as if they saw lost opportunities and
yearned over them. Glory could not see the longing
in them until they turned suddenly toward her and
she caught a wondering glimpse of it.

" We had never had much, you see, but after father
was killed— after that there was only mother and me,
and mother is sick. So of course I had to stop going
to school. I should like to have had enough so I could
teach instead of working in a factory — "

This much said, the Other Girl shrank into herself
as if into a little shabby shell. The distance between
the two girls seemed abruptly to have widened. All
at once Glory's hands were delicately gloved and the
Other Girl's bare and red ; Glory's dress trim and beau-
tiful, and the Other Girl's faded and worn; Glory's

GLORY AllD THE OTHER GIRL

jacket buttons rich and handsome, the Other Girl's
top button split. It seemed all to have happened in
a moment when the Other Girl woke up. How
could she have forgotten herself so and talked like
that !

1 1 wish — if you'd just as lief — you'd go back to
your seat now," she said. " I — I never talked like
that before to a stranger, and I ain't like you, you
know. I've explained about the books. I studied
them last night, but I don't think I hurt them any."

" I guess you did them good," laughed Glory,
brightly. " I expect to find an inspiration between the
pages — why, actually, I feel a little bit (oh, a very
little) of interest already in history. How delighted
Aunt Hope would feel if she knew ! — No, I'm not
going back to my seat. Why, here's Centre Town !
Did you ever see such a short ride ! I've got to get off
here, and I wish I hadn't— oh, dear ! Good-by."

Out on the platform Glory waved her books at the
girlish face in the car window. The friendly little act
sent the Other Girl on to the East Centre Town rubber
factory with a warm spot in her heart.

" She's splendid, Diantha Leavitt, but don't you go
to presuming on that wave!" she said to herself,
severely. This minute I believe you're presuming!
You're looking ahead to seeing her again to-night
when you go home, and getting another wave — it's
just like you. I know you ! A little thing like that

•28 OLOliY AND THE OTHER (URL.

turns your head round on your shoulders !"

A little thing ! Was it a little thing to have beauti-
ful, breezy Glory wave her books at you? To have
her nod and smile up at your window ?

All day long the Other Girl smiled over her petty,
distasteful work, and Glory's face crept in between
her tasks and nodded at her in friendly fashion. She
watched for it breathlessly at night, when the train
stopped at Centre Town. And it was there on the
platform; it came smiling into the car and stopped
at her seat! By the time Little Douglas was reached
the two girls were friends.

' Auntie," Glory cried, dropping down by her aunt,
" would you believe you could get to love anybody in
two three-quarters of an hour? Well, I did to-day."
And then she told her aunt of the girl in the sailor hat.
" Her clothes were shabby — oh, terribly shabby. I
thought her dreadful at first, till I found out — now
I love her. You would, too."

"And who is she really? What is her name?"
" I don't know her name ! Think of it, auntie, I
love her and may be her name's Martha Jane! /
don't know. But I don't care — I shall keep right on
liking her. And so will you, because she studies his-
tory because she likes it. Likes it ! Says she'd rather
study it than not ! It's a fact."

"I love her!" exclaimed Aunt Hope, fervently,
and then they both laughed. And Glory told all that

1 LIKE YOUR NEW FRIEND," SHE SAID.
29

30 JLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

she knew about the Other Girl. Aunt Hope smoothed
Glory's hair. It was the way she did when she
approved of things.

" I like your new friend. I'm glad you left the
books in the car," she said. ' But there's more to the
sad little story. It's to be continued, Glory. You
must find out the other chapters. There will be plenty
of time if you go back and forth together. And,
dear, if you sit beside her in the car perhaps you will
learn to love books, too."

"Never!" Glory laughed. "It isn't the age for
miracles, auntie. The most you can hope for is that
I'll learn to study. That's bad enough !"

" Well, kiss me, Little Disappointment, and run
away. I wrote your father to-day, and what do you
think I told him?"

" That I was a very good girl and he was to send
on that ring right off ; that you were actually worried
about me, I was studying so hard ; that — "

" That you were a dear girl," Aunt Hope laughed
softly. "Now off with you!"

In the middle of the night Glory woke out of a
dream that she was at the tip-top head of the geometry
class, and in Latin the wonder of Centre Town Semi-
nary for Young Ladies. The moonlight was stream-
ing in on her face and found it laughing at the
absurdity of the dream.

" The dream belongs to the Other Girl, not me.

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

31

She's the one that ought to have the chances, too.
I wish I could help her — why ." Glory sat up in bed,
wide awake. Something had occurred to her.

" Why, of course. Why didn't I think of it before !"
she said aloud. " I'll ask Aunt Hope — no, T _'ll do it."
And then she tumbled back into the pillows to think-
out her plan. If the Other Girl could have known !

CHAPTER IV.

TWO things prevented the immediate divulging
of Glory's plan. She chafed at them both im-
patiently. On the way to the train the next morning
Judy Wells waylaid her. That was one.

" I'm going, too," Judy announced cheerfully. " Of
course you're delighted — I knew you would be ! You
see, I was taken violently homesick for the old Semi-
nary, so I thought I'd run along with you and spend
the day. I tried to work up a little enthusiasm in the
other girls, but it was no use."

At any other time Glory would have been delighted
enough at Judy's lively company, but to-day she
wanted to propose her new plan to the Other Girl in
the threadbare clothes. Judy would be dreadfully in
her way about doing that. She would have to put it
off a day. Glory never liked to put things off.

The other thing that interfered was the tiny boy
she found sitting beside the Other Girl when she got
on the train. He was almost too small to interfere
with anything! Such a bit of a creature, in trousers

32

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

33

almost too short to deserve the name ! And beside
him was tilted a tiny crutch that instantly suggested
Tiny Tim to Dickens-loving Glory. Then she remem-
bered that the Other Girl had spoken of a " Tiny
Tim " the day before. So the Other Girl must have
read Dickens, too.

' Here's a good seat," Judy said, dropping into the
one just ahead of the two shabby figures.

Glory nodded cordially as she passed them, but how
could she do any more ? She could not introduce Judy
when she didn't know the Other Girl's name herself!
And, besides — well, Judy was not the — the kind to
introduce to her. Instinctively Glory recognized that.

In between Judy's gay chatter, bits of child-talk
crept to Glory's ears from behind, with now and then
a quiet word from the Other Girl. She found herself
listening to that with distinctly more interest than to
Judy.

' Now let's play it, Di," the child-voice piped
eagerly, and there was a little clatter of the tiny crutch
as it was tucked away out of sight under the seat.

" Can't see it now, can you?"

" Not a splinter of it, Timmie."
' I guess not ! An' you wouldn't ever s'pose any-
body was lame, would you? Not met*

"You! The idea, Timmie!"

The child-voice broke into delighted laughter.

" Well, then let's begin. Play I'm very big, Di— oh,

U GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

'normous! You playin' that? An' play both my legs
are twins — of course you must play that. An' that
I could run down this car if I wanted to, faster'n — oh,
faster'n ever was ! Just lickety-split, you know ! You
playin' it?"

Glory could not hear the low reply, but the child-
voice was clear enough.

" Now s'posin' that man 'cross the car got up an'
came back here — play he did — an' said up real loud,
' See here, boy, you 'mind me of when I was young. /
was big an' straight an' had twin legs, too!' Oh, my!
s'posin' that, Di ! Play it! You playin' it?"

The Other Girl's voice rang out, sharp with wist-
fulness.

Glory's eyes filled suddenly with tears. It must
be such a hard play to play with Tiny Tim !

" Play I wear ve-ry big boots an' my mother has a
dreadful time keepin' my pants up with my legs. ' Oh,
how that boy does grow !' she keeps a-sighin' an'
a-sighin', while she's lettin' 'em down. Play once she
cried, he grew so fast ! — Diantha Leavitt, you're look-
in' right straight out the window! I don't believe
you're playin' at all, one speck. I'm goin' to get my
crutch an' be lame again, so there!"

" Mercy! what are we sitting here in the sun for!"
Judy suddenly exclaimed. ' I say we go over there
on the shady side. It'll burn us all up."

" Let it," said Glory. ' k I like it. But go over there,

u

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 38

dear. I'll stay here and get a nice pinky-brown!
Good-by till Centre Town/'

She was glad when Judy was gone. In an instant
she had wheeled about toward the two behind her,
t nodding at the tiny boy in a friendly way.

f "Is that your little brother?" she asked of the

Other Girl.

Tiny Tim answered for himself.

" I'm her little brother now, but I was big a little
speck of a while ago. Di went an' stopped playin',"
he said in an aggrieved tone. The Other Girl laughed
tenderly.

" He's the greatest boy for ' playin' things,' aren't
you, Timmie? Yes, he's my brother. I bring him
with me once in a great while for a change. He likes
the ride on the cars and he takes care of himself beau-
tifully while I'm at work. Then at nooning we play
picnic, don't we, Timmie?"

There was no time for further talk then.

When the return trip came, Judy filled all the home
ride with her lively spirits. So it was not until the
^ next morning that Glory found her opportunity to

broach her new idea to the Other Girl. She came
breezily into the car and sat down beside the quiet
figure with a sigh of relief.

" I'm glad my friend Judy isn't homesick for the
Seminary to-day, as she was yesterday," she laughed.
" And I'm a little glad you didn't bring your brother.

36 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

You see, there's something I want to talk about, and,
if you don't mind, I'll begin this minute."

Mind ! — the Other Girl mind how soon this dainty,
beautiful girl "began"! She stole an admiring look
at the natty costume and upward into the bright, sweet
face. But what was this that her companion was
saying? A gasp of astonishment came to her as she
sensed the words that were being spoken rapidly.

" I thought it all out in bed, night before last. Oh,
I hope you'll like it! / think it's a lovely plan. You
see, we'll have two three-quarters — an hour and a half
a day. We can study together going down, and com-
ing back I'll tell you all I learned in my classes —
don't you see? You don't speak. I'm afraid you
don't like it."

"Like it?— oh, if it's what I think! If it's— that!
But I'm afraid I don't quite understand. I don't dare
to understand !"

Glory clapped her hands gayly.

" It's plain as a b c," she said. " You long to go
to school and can't — I don't long to and can! Now
here's my idea that I evolved with my thinking-cap —
I mean night~c&p — on! Let's go to school together.
We can pore over the horrid old books on the train,
mornings and nights, and I can try and remember
all the teachers tell me at the Seminary during the
day. Aunt Hope will be overjoyed to have me try
to remember anything! And, don't you see, anybody

GLORY AND THE OTHER OIRL. 37

who worships history and can't let a Latin book alone,
could keep up easy enough with a dull thing like me."
Glory paused for breath. She was still laughing
with her eyes. But at sight of the radiance in the
lean, brown face of the Other Girl, she sobered in
sudden awe. To be as glad as that for a chance to

learn !

"You understand all right now, don't you?" Glory
said gently, and her gloved fingers stole across to
the Other Girl's uncovered ones and rested on them
reassuringly.

" Yes, now I dare to — but oh, it takes my breath
away!" the Other Girl cried. " It's such a beautiful,
beautiful thing for you to do ! Do you think I don't
know that? Do you think I won't do my very best?
Why, I can study in the rubber factory, too ! I mean
I can carry the geometry propositions in my head — I
know I should remember every line and every letter —
and work them out noontimes and in all the betweens."

" You needn't do that," Glory said, " you could copy
the lesson off on a piece of paper — no, I'll tell you!
I'll get Judy's books for you. Oh, there are plenty
of ways to manage. Now let's begin. There's time
left to make a start, anyway."

" Wait," the Other Girl said quickly, " I hate to
waste a minute, but I've got to say something. I
want you to know what it may mean if you do this
for me. It may mean luxuries for my sick mother

38 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

and — a chance for my little ' Tiny Tim.' Do you know,
my teachers said if I could only keep on I might
get a place to teach. Think of it ! Do yon know, some
doctors told mother once that there was a little chance
of straightening Timmie's bad leg, if we had the
money. Oh, do you know, this may mean things like
that! Do you think I'm not thankful to you?"

The impetuous words flowed out in a hurried
stream, and the eyes of the Other Girl, as they looked
into Glory's, shone through a dazzle of happy tears.
For a moment after the eager voice ceased neither
girl made a sound. Then it was Glory who spoke.

"Why!" she cried with a long breath, "Why, I

didn't know it could mean anything like that ! I
thought it would just mean getting a little learning.
I didn't know there were things like that at the other
end of it."

Glory had lived a little less than sixteen years, but
they had been " different " from the years the Other
Girl had lived. Aunt Hope had been all the suffering
she had ever seen— Aunt Hope, smiling and brave, on
her silken pillows. Until that sad little story the other
night, she had scarcely connected anything sorrowful
or hard to bear with Aunt Hope.

The beautiful autumn weeks multiplied to months,
and Glory's plan prospered thriftily. The lessons went
on steadily through the morning and afternoon rides.
The Other Girl's face was set toward a possible, splen-

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 39

did time to come ; Glory's was set toward patience and
gentleness. For it was not always easy to give up the
hour and a half each day to the distasteful work that
she so cordially hated. At first, I mean; strangely
enough, after a while things changed. Glory woke
up one day to find herself keenly interested in a knotty
problem. She could hardly wait to get her head beside
the Other Girl's, to see if together they could not

solve it.

" Think of it, auntie ! Is it me, or am I somebody
else?" she laughed, hurrying in to kiss Aunt Hope
good-by. " Think of me in a hurry to get an answer

to a problem !"

" Yes, it's you, dear. It's Glory Glorified !" laughed
back the sweet voice. Then she drew the girl's bright
head down beside her. " It's gone, dear. The Am-
bition out of my heart. It's passed to somebody else—
to you, I think, Glory— yes, I'm confident! You've
got it this minute !"

And Glory understood. She went away wondering
if it could be true that she, Gloria Wetherell, had a
real ambition in life.

" Auntie hasn't called me Disappointment for a
long time," she mused happily, as she sped down the
frosty street with the nip of keen air on her cheeks
and the tonic of it in her lungs. Her mind hurried
back to the knotty problem. She and the Other Girl
were still at work on it that night, coming home. It

H
it

40 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

happened that it had not been taken up in the recita-
tion that day.

It looks so easy and it isn't," sighed Glory.
But we're bound to solve it," the Other Girl cried.
The two heads were close together, and the Cross-
patch Conductor smiled as he passed them. He had
been watching them with a good deal of interest for
a long time. This time he turned and came back.
" Tough one, eh ?" he said.
"Awfully!" laughed Glory.

" But we're going to get it," smiled the Other Girl,
going back to the front. The Crosspatch Conductor
stood regarding Glory gravely.
" Helping her along, eh ?"
' No," answered Glory, " she's helping me.''
Another wrestle with the problem, and still another
-—then an exciting moment when victory seemed in
sight. Closer drew the brown heads— more earnest
grew the eager voices. " We've got it !"

" Goody !" cried Glory. " Just in time, too, for here
we are at — "

Her face sobered. She got to her feet in a sudden
panic. What was this strange little place they were
drawing into ? Those woods, the houses and the trees
— they were not Little Douglas.

"I've been carried by!" gasped Glory. "I wasn't
noticing. There isn't any other train back to-night—
I tell you I've been carried by. This isn't my home!"

"i've been carried by!" gasped glory.

41

CHAPTER V.

AS GLORY stood on the desolate little platform,,
realizing that she had been carried by her own
station, she presented a picture of dismay. For an
instant the Other Girl stood regarding her with inde-
cision. Then with a slight flush she stepped to Glory's
side, and, placing her hand on her arm, said :

Yon have been carried by your home, but you
have not been taken by mine. Come with me; you
will not mind much." There was a shy pleading in
the Other Girl's tone. On the instant of offering hos-
pitality to this dainty new friend, an acute perception
of the barrenness of it overswept and dismayed her. In
a flash she saw the patch on the seat of Tim's trousers,
and instantly an array of mismatched cups, nicked
plates and cracked pitchers, passed before her vision.
Had the dainty Glory in all her life eaten from a
nicked plate?

But instantly she rallied and was her own sweet
self.

" It is only a little way. We will try to make you

42

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 43

comfortable," the Other Girl said hurriedly. Her
thoughts seemed to have occupied a long time, and
she feared her invitation might have seemed lacking
in cordiality. Glory scanned her face, then said :

There isn't any train back to-night — not one. I
can't go back. If you are sure it will not be a trou-
ble — But what will Aunt Hope do? She will be so
worried !"

The train was wriggling into motion, and Glory
caught sight of the Crosspatch Conductor on one end
of the platform. She ran toward him wrathfully.

"Goodness! You here/" he cried.
You carried me by!" Glory cried. " I don't think
it was very nice in you !" Then she laughed at the
honest dismay in his grim face. The train was under
way and she had to raise her voice to call after him.
' Never mind ! I'm going with my friend. I'll — for-
give — you!"

"Oh, I'm glad you said that!" the Other Girl ex-
claimed earnestly. " I'm glad you said * my friend.'
Come, it's this way, just around one corner."

But Glory hesitated. " Is there any chance any-
where to telephone?" she asked. "I've got to send
word to auntie. She would worry all night long, I
know she would. I never stayed away from her but
once before, and that time I telephoned. There's c
wire in our house, you know."

The Other Girl reflected. " There's one at th

44 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

store/' she said, " but it's quite a walk. I don't mind
it myself. I love to walk. But you — "

"But I do, too!" Glory laughed, tucking her hand
through the shabby jacket sleeve in the friendliest way.
"And if I didn't, do you suppose it would matter?
I'd walk to a telephone that had Aunt Hope at the
other end of it, if I had to go on one foot!"

"Like Tiny Tim," the Other Girl smiled gently.
" But Timmy can walk as fast as anybody. He makes
that little crutch of his do almost anything but skip."

" Skip ! Oh, how I used to skip when I was little !
I can remember it as plain !"

" I don't believe I ever was young. At any rate, I
never skipped," added the Other Girl thoughtfully.

" Never skipped ! Then it's time you did. It's
never too late to — skip. Come on, I'll show you how."

Gayly they went skipping down the stretch of snowy
roadway, with their arms around each other. The
crisp air reddened the tips of their ears and patted
their backs approvingly. For once, at any rate, the
Other Girl was young.

At the " store," Glory telephoned to Aunt Hope.
It was quite a while before she could make connec-
tions with the private wire, but she waited patiently.

" Hello !" she called, her voice unnecessarily high-
pitched. "I'm Glory. Is this you, James? Well,
tell auntie I got carried by — carried by! What? Yes,
I'm all safe. I'm with my fr — Why, auntie, that's

•• it's never too late to SKIP COME ON ! "

45

4<i GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

you ! I hear your voice ! You ought not to have
walked out into the hall ! Yes, I'm just as ' all right '
as I can be. I'm going home with Diantha. What?
Oh, yes, I knew you'd feel safe about me, then. I
sha'n't tell Diantha. It would puff her up! Yes, I
wore my rubbers. Yes, I've got my muffler. No, my
cold's better. Take care of yourself, auntie ; good-by.
Oh, no, wait! You still there, auntie? Well, the
reason I got carried by was because I was so buried
up in a problem. Isn't that funny for Glory? Good-

by."

Tiny Tim met them at the door of a little brown
house near the station. His eyes widened with aston-
ishment at sight of Glory. Then his glance traveled
to his sister in evident uneasiness.

"My!" he ejaculated slowly, "I've e't up the last
cooky r

Glory laughed out merrily. "Oh, I'm so glad!"
she said, ' for I don't like cookies unless there's a
hole in them."

" These had holes. I've e't up the last hole, too."

"Oh, dreadful! But I'll tell you what, Timmie— if
you'll let me come in and stay all night, I'll promise
not to eat anything but a slice of bread and butter.
We could cut a hole in that and play it was a cook — "

" The bread's gone, too. I've e't up — "

" Timothy Leavitt, are you going to let us in ?"
laughed his sister, though there were two red spots

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. '47

blooming in her cheeks. What would Timmie say
next! She led the way through the tiny hall into a
big, bright room whose centerpiece was a frail, smil-
ing- little woman with a lapful of calico bits. She held
out both her hands to Glory.

" Don't tell me who she is, Diantha. As if I didn't
know ! My dear, my dear, I am very glad you have
come. I have hoped you would, ever since your path
crossed Dis, and — "

" Glorified it, mamma."

" Yes, glorified it— that is it. Take off your things,
dear, and just feel snug and at home."

And thus the little home opened its arms to dainty
Glory. The welcome extended was as gracious and
as perfect a hospitality as could have been found in
the grandest home in the land. There was no luxury
or even plenty. But Glory saw instantly there was the
happiness that goes with love. It was her awakening.
A new wonder filled the girl's heart that poverty and
happiness could live together like this. While Di was
busy she mused.

" I thought poor people fretted and grumbled. I
know I should. / shouldn't be sunshiny and nice like
this. And they open their doors into their poor, bare,
empty rooms and bid me welcome just as beautifully
as Aunt Hope would do to our house. It is beautiful.
Just beautiful ! It's a bit of heaven right down here
in this little unpainted house."

48 ' GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

Diantha put on a big apron and rolled up her sleeves.
" I'm going- out and make some muffins," she smiled.
" Timmie, you stay here."

" Yes," said Glory, " Timmie'll stay with me. Can't
we play something — we two?"

" Uncrutchit!" demanded Tiny Tim eagerly.

"Un — what? I don't believe I ever played that."

" No, 'course not. You ain't got any old crutch to
un."

Glory looked helplessly at the gentle mother, who
smiled back at her quietly. But in the sweet voice,
when it spoke, there was depthless wistfulness.

" Timmie means play he hasn't any crutch — that
he doesn't need one, you know," explained the sweet
voice. ' Un-crutch-it ' is his favorite play. He puts
the crutch out of sight — "

" This way," cried Timmie, clattering the little
crutch under the sofa in hot haste. " That's uncrutch-
ing, don't you see? Now I'm uncrutched. You play
I'm very big an' tall an' my legs match. Every little
while you must look up an' say, ' Mercy me ! how that
child grows !' "

The little play went on until supper was ready.
Then the little crutch came out again and was put into
active service.

It was a strange meal to Glory. She told Aunt
Hope afterward all about it.

" It was just as quiet and nice-behaved and beau-

QLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 49

tiful as any supper, only there wasn't anything to
eat ! Oh, auntie, you know what I mean ! You know
I mean there were the muffins (they were splendid)
and the tea and dried apple sauce. I had more than I
could eat. But you don't know how I wanted to fill
that pale little lady's plate with some of our chicken
and gravy and set by her plate a salad, after she'd
worked all day. And pile Tiny Timmie's plate tumble-
high with goodies! It made me ashamed to think
of all the beautiful suppers of my life that I've taken
without even a ' Thank you, God.' "

The two girls went to bed early and lay talking, as
girls have done since girls began. The topics of talk
drifted through the different lessons into personal sub-
jects.

u Do you know, I'm hoping!" the Other Girl burst
out softly, with a little quiver of her thin body under
the quilts. " I began to last night. I'm going to do it
right from now on. Maybe it's silly, but I am."

"Is it a riddle?" asked Glory.

"Oh, don't you understand? I thought you must,
because I did! I mean I'm hoping to pass the ex-
aminations for the next grade next summer. That's
just what I'm doing, Glory Wetherell."

" Why, that's nothing! I am going to pass, too. If
I get through the seminary I am going to Smith Col-
lege some day."

"And if I pass for the eighth grade I'm going to

50

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

keep right on studying for the first grade in high-
school. Miss Clem says I can. I talked with her the
other night. She says she'll help. Oh, Glory, there is
no end to this road you have started me on."

" I am glad," said Glory. " Auntie says for folks
to keep on when they're doing well enough, and not
fret about the other end of the road. One never
knows what's on ahead or what may happen."

" And if I ever get to be anybody, Glory Wetherell,
remember it's you who started me."

After a while the subdued chattering ceased, and the
two girls fell asleep, Glory to dream that she and her
new friend graduated together from the Centre Town
Seminary, in beautiful twin white dresses, and that
Aunt Hope was there and clapped her thin, white
hands (but they were round and pink-tinted in the
dream) when she heard Glory's valedictory.

The Other Girl's dream was of longed-for luxuries
for the patient mother and legs that matched for Tiny
Tim. Both dreams came to an end in a startling way.

CHAPTER VI.

GLORY and Diantha were awakened from their
rosy dreams by a sharp voice calling, " Fire !
Fire!" They started up in affright, only to find
little Timmie perched on the foot of the bed, cry-
ing monotonously, "Fire! Fire!" and interspersing
his fire-alarm with brisk drummings of his crutch
against the footboard. But though he had alarmed
the girls, he himself did not look alarmed.
" Fire ! Fire ! Fi— "

"Timothy Leavitt, where is it? Tell me quick !"
his sister gasped breathlessly.

" In the kitchen. Fire ! Fire ! Fi— "
"The kitchen? What part of it?— where?"
" In the stove. / built it," Timmie said in an
aggrieved tone, but his eyes were glinting with mis-
chief sparks. " I built it hours ago, an' you didn't
get up— an' you didn't get up! I didn't s'pose we'd
ever have breakfast unless I wokened you up."

" You bad little boy ! So you went and made us
think there was a fire?"

51

52

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

"Well, there is— I built it, so there!"

Glory was still laughing periodically over their
fright, when they got to the station to take the train.
She had the picture of innocent-faced Timmie still in
her mind, and the monotonous drumming of his little
crutch, between his alarms, in her ears.

"'Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!'" she sang laughingly.
" Didn't the little scamp give us a fine scare, though!
But he woke us up!"

' Oh, yes, he woke us up," answered the Other Girl,
grimly.

After morning recitations, the Principal of the Cen-
tre Town Seminary had a caller in her office. It was
Glory, with a pretty little air of pleading about her.
She came in, in answer to the Principal's " Come,"
and stood, a suppliant, in the doorway.

' Are you busy? Ought I to go away?" she asked.
" You see, I've got quite a lot to say."

Then say it, my dear," the Principal smiled pleas-
antly. " Sit down in that chair and begin."

' Well, then — oh, Miss Sweetwater, can't my friend
graduate with me? I mean, if you let me graduate —
or if you don't let me — I mean can't she graduate,
anyway? She is a splendid scholar, and — and she
needs to graduate somewhere! You'll let her, won't
you ?"

The Principal smiled. " Who is your friend,
Glory?" she asked.

53

54 GLORY AND THE OTHER QIRL.

: She's Diantha Leavitt, and she works in the rubber
factory, and studies just awfully at home, and I help
her some going and coming on the train."

' Oh, she is not one of the Seminary girls, then ?
She has never been here? Dear child, how do you
think she can graduate if she has never been here to
school ?"

Glory's eager face fell. " I didn't know but you'd
let her," she said, slowly. " She's just as smart as can
be. I'm just sure she can pass the examinations. It
would mean so much to Diantha to pass. I'm sorry
I troubled you, Miss Sweetwater— I didn't know."

But the kind-hearted Principal detained Glory and
drew out the whole wistful little story of the Other
Girl. At the end, she said, " I am glad to know of her.
Such a girl must be encouraged. I will keep mindful
of her and see if I cannot help her in some way."

Thank you. I hope you can help her. She wants
to do so much if she can ever get to earning. It
seems as though almost anyone could learn if they
had a mother to help, and a Tiny Tim. There's an
Aunt Hope. I can do it for her. I'm glad I've got
to work. And thanks to Di, I do not stand so bad a
show of graduating—with a great deal of honor, too.
Dear old Di!"

More of the late winter days snowed past, and
there came, by and by, hints of spring— faint sugges-
tions of green in the bare, brown spots, whiffs of

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL 55

spring tonic in the air and clear little bird-calls over-
head. New courage was born in Glory's heart and
the Other Girl's, and both studied harder and harder
with each day that went by. The Crosspatch Con-
ductor took note of the two brown heads bent over
the book and wondered behind his grim mask.

" What is it, anyhow ?" he asked one day, late in the
spring, stopping before them in the aisle.

The two pairs of eyes met his laughingly. ' Oh—
things. Splendid things !" Glory said. " Certificates
and diplomas some day, and sick folks with glad faces,
and little boys with twin legs ! Isn't that enough to

'?"

pay

"Umphr the Crosspatch Conductor muttered in
his beard, and strode on down the aisle. But he beck-
oned Glory aside that night on the home trip and
questioned her about the Other Girl. Glory told him
the whole story in a few hurried words.

"That's why she's studying so hard," she wound
up, out of breath. " She wants to get it all and some
day be a teacher."

"And you're helping her," the Crosspatch Con-
ductor said, gruffly.

" Mercy, no ! She's helping me. That's why I'm
studying so hard! I don't see what you mean— oh!
In the very beginning, you mean? That? I'd for-
gotten there ever was a time when I helped her. I
spose I might have a little, at first."

56 GLORY AND THE 0711 Ell (URL.

The conductor put his big hand on Glory's shoulder
with a touch as light and caressing as that of a
woman.

" You're the right kind, both o' you," he said. " It
never comes amiss to help anybody. I've half a mind
to try a little of it myself. See here, don't you tell
her and go to raising hopes, but it kind of seems to me
as though I knew a place where she could teach right
away. I know a boy who hasn't any mother that
wants to learn things. She'd make a pretty good
sort of a teacher for a little feller who can never go
outdoors and get the sunshine, and all that, now
wouldn't she?"

"Oh, are you sure there is such a boy? Can you
get him for Diantha? Would it pay her money-
lots of it?"

" Easy! Easy! Don't go too fast. It wouldn't pay
her a fortune, 'cause fortunes ain't found like hazel
nuts, growing on bushes. But it ought to pay her
pretty tolerable. I'm sure enough about the boy ;" and
a sad look came into the conductor's eyes. " He hasn't
any mother, you see, and it's prettv hard for the little
chap."

"Is he your boy?" asked Glory, putting her little
hand on the conductor's sleeve and looking sympa-
thetically up into the grave eyes.

The conductor nodded. " He's mine, and his grand-
mother says he ought to be learning things— poor

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

57

Dan ! That girl over there wouldn't be a very bad one
to help him get hold, now would she?"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! What will she say? Why, if I had

a little boy and he couldn't go out into the sunshine,
and he wanted to learn, I'd rather have Diantha's little
finger to help him with than the whole of some folks.
You don't know Di."

The conductor laughed. " I guess I haven't been
watching you two this winter without finding out
something," he said, his eyes holding a twinkle. Then
the old, gruff manner came back to him and he added
brusquely, " But there, don't you go to countin' the
chickens before they're hatched. I'll have to talk with
grandma first ; maybe she'd rather have a sort of cir-
cumspect person."

" But your Danny wouldn't — you said his name was
Dan," said Glory, her face one sea of dimples, and
her eyes like diamonds. " 'Most seems as if a little
boy who couldn't go out in the sunshine ought to have
the one he'd like best with him. He wouldn't care
much for a — a circumspect person, would he?" asked
Glory, a merry twinkle in her eyes.

'There now, you go along!" said the conductor,
laughing in spite of himself.

But Glory did not " go along " until she had caught
the big hand and squeezed it between her soft little
palms as it was extended to help her down to the
Douglas platform.

58 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

That night Glory could hardly wait to get to Aunt
Hope.

1 Oh, auntie, won't it he splendid if she gets that
place !" she cried when she had unfolded the beau-
tiful plan at which the conductor had hinted.

" But you mustn't set your heart on it, Glory. The
grandmother may not think that so young a girl will
do for the boy."

4 She will when she sees Diantha, auntie — I am just
sure of it. Di is so strong and helpful, and so cheery,
and so full of courage, and never thinks of herself,
but always of others."

1 Well, dear, we will leave it in the good Father's
hands, and just ask him to bring it out in the way
that is best for all."

June and all its glory was touching the world, and
the sweet air, full of the perfume of rose and honey-
suckle, crept in and fanned two faces close together
on the sofa pillows.

" Auntie, you haven't called me ' Little Disappoint-
ment ' this ever so long," Glory said suddenly after
a long silence. "Is it a good sign? I thought-
well — maybe it was."

' Dear child !" Aunt Hope's arms were round
Glory, holding her in their feeble, loving clasp. " Dear
child, did I ever call you that? Are you sure? Well,

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. 59

I shall never do it again, dear, as long as we twain
shall live! Do you want a new name, Glory ?"

" Yes'm, please," murmured the girl.

" Then you are my Little Ambition, and God bless
you, dear!"

After that it was still again, and the cool darkness
wrapped them in softly. They could hear the solemn
tick-tock of the clock across the room. It was the
same clock that used to say reproachful things to
Glory when she was a little child and had been
naughty. Once she had climbed on a chair and
stopped its accusing tongue, because she could not
bear it any longer. It was talking to Glory now, and
she could not make it say anything but ' Dear —
child ! dear — child !" over and over, solemnly. It was
Aunt Hope's voice it was trying to imitate. Glory
laughed out softly, under her breath.

"What is it, dear child?"

"Dear — child 1 dear— child!" echoed the clock sol-
emnly.

"I've got to get up and stop that clock!" Glory

said.

The week before the graduating exercises at the
Centre Town Seminary, Glory had another ©f her
" ideas," and of course she carried it to Aunt Hope.

" Why not ?" she said, when she had introduced it

GO GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

to her. " It would be like one of Tiny Tim's plays.
He could go, too, and help us ' play ' it, don't you see?
I think I should enjoy graduating better if Diantha
1 played graduate ' with me. The teacher wouldn't
care if she sat with me down on the end seat. I
don't believe she ever had a white dress in her life —
a soft, thin, floaty one."

'Would you like to have hers just like yours,
Glory ?"

" Just, auntie. She's the — the friend est friend I
ever had," Glory said simply. " I'd like to have her
close when I'm there getting ready to read."

And so it came about that graduation day found
the Other Girl beside Glory, in a beautiful white dress
that lay about her in soft, sheer folds. The Other Girl's
face above it was shining and rapt. This was almost
like graduating herself. On the other side of Glory
sat Tiny Tim, in the conscious pride of his best suit.
There was no little crutch in sight. Timmie had
hidden it under the seat. He was playing "Un-
crutchit."

You can't see — an'thing, can you?" he whispered
anxiously to the Other Girl, across Glory's lap.

" Not a splinter of it. Timmie."

" An' you don't see where my legs don't match, do
you?" -

" No, not a single bit."

" That's all right, then." Timmie s brnw smoothed

GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL. Gl

with relief. He was silent a moment, and then his
little whispering voice again, this time to Glory :

" Say, isn't this just splendid ! I'm playin', an' Di's
playin'. You're the only one that's it, honest true."

Another silence. Then, " Say, I'm sorry I wokened
you up that time, screamin' 'Fire!'"

Glory laughed down into the repentant little face.
" I'll forgive you, Timmie," she whispered. And
then the exercises began and the air was full of a
blast of jubilant music.

When it was all over, the three went back to Little
Douglas together on the train. There was to be a bit
of a banquet in Aunt Hope's room.

Glory had a neat white parchment roll in her hand,
and she held it shyly, as if she had not had time to get
very well acquainted with it.

" To think this is a diploma with Gloria Wetherell
in Latin inside it!" she cried.

" To think this is a beautiful white dress with me
inside !" answered the Other Girl. ' Do you know —
oh, do you know, it doesn't smell of rubber at all?
There isn't a whiff about it; it's just sweet and dainty
and — other- folksy."

On the train the Crosspatch Conductor drew Glory
aside a moment. His eyes rested first on the parch-
ment roll.

" Got it, didn't you ? Good ! Well, I've got it too.
She's consented — grandma has. I've told her all about

62 GLORY AND THE OTHER GIRL.

the other one, and what you said, and it's going to be
all right. We won't tell her yet until we get kind of
used to it ourselves, don't you see?"

" Oh, I'm so glad !" cried Glory, clasping her hands.
" I don't believe I ever can keep it. To think she'll
leave that old rubber factory and be in a nice, pleas-
ant home all the time, and help her folks, and be
having some of her dreams come true. I wonder what
she will say!"

" I thought we'd get her over to the house and have
Danny tell her. He's a great one for setting things
out."

" You're the best man I ever knew in the wide
world !" said Glory. " But I can't keep it very long —
you mustn't expect me to."

The conductor laughed. " All right— all right. I'll
get grandma to write. I've got her address. One of
the men down at the factory told me a good deal about
her. There are many ways of rinding out about folks
when one sets about it."

" Well, you'll never find out anything about Diantha
but what's nice," said Glory. "Oh! I'm so glad!"
And not a happier girl than Gloria Wetherell could
have been found in all that region.

As to the Other Girl, her heart nearly burst with its
weight of happiness when she found out what was in
store for her.

" It's Glory's doings. She has just glorified my

GLORY AND THE OTHER- GIRL. 63

whole life, and helped me to find the rainbow. And
Timmie! — won't I find a rainbow for him too, bless
him ! And some day his legs shall be twins, if work-
ing can do it."

THE END.