Bessie at school

by Joanna H. Mathews

There was an unspoken question in the one word, and Kate heard and felt it. But she had no answer for it, nor could she meet the clear, steadfast eyes that were raised to her face. She did not withdraw her hand from Bessie's; but neither did she seem to notice the child, and stood steadily gazing out of the window, but seeing nothing.

Bessie longed to say something, but she could not seem to find words for what was in her heart; and, while she hesitated, the other girls flocked in. Mrs. and Miss Ashton came too; the bell was rung, and all must go to their seats.

School was opened; but the folding-doors were not closed as usual, when this was over.

Rapping upon the table with a paper-folder, to call the attention of all in both the rooms, Mrs. Ashton began,—

"I have a few words to say before the business of the morning commences; but I would first ask if any one here has a confession to make to me?"

She paused for a few moments, while a dead silence reigned in both rooms. Five of the twenty girls gathered there knew well what she meant, but not a voice broke the stillness; while those who were ignorant looked from one to another in great astonishment.

Mrs. Ashton went on.

"Yesterday morning the clock, which usually stands upon that mantelpiece, was in good order. I wound and set it with my own hands; but at noon it was found to have stopped, thereby, as all of the older class are aware, misleading Monsieur Gaufrau, and making him late for his lesson. The clock had been wrong once before, and, not wishing it should be so again, I took it to the clockmaker. He examined it before I left the store, and said at once that it had been seriously injured—so seriously that it was doubtful if it could be repaired; and that these injuries had come from a fall or heavy blow, he thought the former; and that it was quite impossible that the hands, which had stopped at ten minutes past twelve, could have moved after the works had been so shattered. I must therefore believe that the injury was received at that time; and that, as some, if not all of you, were in the room, that there are those among you who know of it. Most of the little ones had gone home; I think all but Maggie and Bessie Bradford. Maggie was at her music-lesson; Bessie could not have reached the clock, and I think,"—she looked kindly at Bessie,—"I think if any harm had happened to it through her means, that she would have come at once and confessed it. Therefore we may put the little girls out of the question; but if any one among them knows anything and chooses to speak, she may do so, though I shall not compel her."

Bessie drew a long sigh of relief, and so did more than one of the elder girls.

Poor little child! She had so dreaded that Mrs. Ashton would ask her questions to which she felt that she must give a straightforward and plain answer; or that she would, at least, say something which would oblige her to speak, and own that she had been in the room and seen the accident.