At the moment she could not feel thankful to her chum. She could only remember Julia's cutting words, and feel the sting to her pride that she should have shown herself before all beholders the recipient of her friend's alms.
Nobody spoke to her as she glided through the moving crowd and reached the door. Miss Cramp was delayed in getting to her; Helen and Tom did not see her go, for they were across the room and farthest from the door. And so she reached the exit and slipped out.
The men and boys from outside thronged the tiny anteroom and the steps. As she pushed through them one man said:
"Why, here's the smart leetle gal that took Semple's gal down a peg—eh? She'd oughter have a prize for that, that's what she ought!"
But Ruth could not reply to this, although she knew it was meant kindly. She went out into the darkness. There were many horses hitched about the schoolhouse, but she reached the clear road in safety and ran toward the Red Mill.
The girl came to the mill and went quietly into the kitchen. She had got the best of her tears now, but Aunt Alviry's bright eyes discovered at once that she was unhappy. Uncle Jabez did not even raise his eyes when she came in.
"What is the matter with my pretty leetle creetur?" whispered the old woman, creeping close to Ruth.
"Nothing is the matter now," returned Ruth, in the same low tone.
"Didn't you do well?" asked the old woman, wistfully.
"I won the spelling match," replied Ruth. "I stood up longer than anybody else."