“Oh, she snubbed you because you owned up that you came from the country. If you want the Prigs to like you, don’t tell them you came from New Jersey.”
“New Jersey is just as good as New York,” said Patty, growing indignant; “and the girls there are a great deal nicer, and have better manners than the girls at this school. I think Clementine Morse is nice, though,” she added, her sense of justice asserting itself.
“I don’t,” said Lorraine, calmly; “I don’t like any of them.”
With a heavy heart Patty went to her afternoon classes. The outlook was not encouraging. School life was none too pleasant, at best; but school life with a lot of hateful, disagreeable girls promised to be nothing short of misery.
Patty drew a long breath when the lessons were over for the day, and walked home with Lorraine in no more cheerful frame of mind than her companion.
CHAPTER VI
THE REASON WHY
When Patty reached home she flung herself into the library like a small whirlwind.
“It’s just awful, Grandma,” she exclaimed, throwing herself into a big armchair with absolute despair written on her face. “It’s a horrid, horrid school, and I wish I didn’t have to go to it. The girls are snippy and rude and disagreeable! They don’t like me and I don’t like them; and won’t you help me to coax papa not to make me go there any more? I’d rather have a governess, or anything!”
“Tell me all about it, dear,” said Grandma, as she quietly took Patty’s hat and gloves away from the excited child.
“Why, they just snubbed me right and left; and Lorraine says it’s because I came from the country! Did you ever hear such foolishness?”