“Any little girl who is not polite,” she said, “may leave the table at once.”
The girls stopped talking, but they poked each other with their feet under the table. They were sure Clematis had stolen something, for she looked just as if she had.
“Come, Clematis, eat your dinner now.”
“Yes’m,” said Clematis. But it was hard to swallow the bread.
She drank the soup, and left most of the bread by her bowl.
As soon as the bell rang, Miss Rose beckoned to her.
“Would you like to take Deborah to the playroom for a while, and play with her there?”
Clematis looked very much surprised. She had expected some new trouble.
“Oh, yes’m,” she gasped, and started down to the kitchen, glad to get away from the other girls, who had been watching.
Then Miss Rose beckoned to Jane.