"She loves him, though, and that is enough to make us all treat him with respect."
Turning the subject abruptly, he continued:
"I'm expecting you to work very hard in school, Fledra. You will, won't you?"
"Yes," replied Flea, making sure to pronounce the word carefully.
Horace smiled so tenderly into her eyes that she grew frightened at the thumping of her heart and fled precipitately.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Fledra Cronk's school days lengthened slowly into weeks. She was making rapid strides in English, and Miss Shellington's patience went far toward keeping her mind concentrated upon her work. At first some of the girls at the school were inclined to smile at her endeavors; but her sad face and questioning eyes drew many of them into firm friends. Especially did she cling to Mildred Vandecar, and raised in the golden-haired daughter of the governor an idol at whose shrine she worshiped.
One Saturday morning in the latter part of March, Mildred Vandecar persuaded her mother to allow her to go, accompanied by Katherine, to the Shellington home. They found Ann reading aloud to the twins, Flukey resting on the divan. Mildred was presented to him, and in the hour that followed the sick boy became her devoted subject.