“Mrs. Naylor!” he cried. “What are you doing?”
She looked up, blushing crimson.
“I was going to copy it all again,” she explained pitifully. “I hadn’t written it very nicely. I didn’t have a proper pen. And I did take such pride in having it all look nice!”
The books went back to Miss Layne again, while Mr. Petersen invented tasks for Minnie.
She took her work with the utmost seriousness. One day Mr. Petersen surprised her wiping away a surreptitious tear.
“Now, then!” he said kindly, “What’s the matter?”
She tried to answer cheerfully, but her voice failed.
“Sandra doesn’t seem well,” she said, “I don’t know—her throat——”
“But, my dear Mrs. Naylor, why didn’t you stay home? You mustn’t worry yourself like this!”
“I didn’t want to neglect my work,” she said.