The second prize! She didn’t want the second prize, Billie told herself, when Amanda had come in first. To march up there on the platform with that girl’s gloating eyes upon her——
But Vi and Laura were pulling her out of her seat, pushing her out into the aisle—and while Billie hesitated Miss Walters had impatiently repeated her summons.
Someway Billie found her way to the platform, thanked Miss Walters incoherently for the fine volume of poetry which was the second prize, and stumbled back to happy oblivion among her schoolmates.
“It’s a shame, honey,” Laura whispered in her ear, generously forgetting her own disappointment in Billie’s. “But never mind, you got the second prize anyway—which was more than the rest of us did,” she added, with a little stab of regret at her own failure.
“And you would have won the first prize if it hadn’t been for that cat,” added Vi fiercely.
Billie pressed their hands gratefully and glanced for the first time at her prize.
“I’d like to throw it away!” she cried fiercely.
“Sh-h,” whispered Vi, for Miss Walters was making an interesting announcement.
“The winning compositions will now be read,” she said. “Miss Arbuckle has volunteered to give us that pleasure.”
There was a great clapping of hands as Miss Arbuckle stepped on the platform and smiled down at them. For the little teacher was a great favorite with the girls.