He would naturally have sent the note by Tommy, but still feeling that the boy was carrying on some secret mischief, he decided to give it to Betty instead. Realizing that she might not return to the main room after her recitation, he went to the door of the room where the class in Latin Composition was held at this hour. As he appeared on the threshold, the heart of the faithful Tommy grew cold.
“Pardon me, Miss Cummings, for disturbing your class, but may I speak to Miss Pogany?” Meadowcroft asked courteously, running his eye over the crowded room but failing to find the girl who was conspicuous for her lovely face as well as for her height, though she was no longer “Bouncing Bet.”
Miss Cummings colored. She stood very much in awe of the elegant gentleman who had taken the place of the plain and rustic Mr. Appleton; and her confusion was increased by the fact that she couldn’t remember Miss Pogany’s being in this class at all.
“She isn’t here—to-day, Mr. Meadowcroft,” she faltered, and Meadowcroft was amazed. In his perplexity, he frowned darkly.
Tommy Finnemore quailed before that frown. Then suddenly light dawned upon him. Nothing was lost upon Tommy, and he, too, had drawn the proper conclusion from glances out the window. Between his eagerness to shield and serve Betty and his disinclination to lie to his friend, with, moreover, a leaven of wholesome fear that the dignity of Mr. Meadowcroft’s new rôle imparted, he forgot that he should have raised his hand and asked permission to speak. And his voice, which was in reality all ready to tremble, sounded rather insolent.
“She and Rose made up their minds to go home early, it’s so slippery, Mr. Meadowcroft,” he said.
Meadowcroft looked at the boy sharply.
“Thank you, Finnemore, but please remember you are not expected to speak out in that manner without permission,” he said curtly, and, with an inclination of his head towards Miss Cummings, left the room.
He regretted immediately speaking unkindly to Tommy, and his momentary indignation at Betty’s assumption of independence died out. Still he rather wondered at it and was vaguely troubled. Had the girls been forced to walk home, they would, indeed, have needed to start early, but in any event they should have notified him. On the contrary, however, they were expected always to use the train in inclement weather, and they should have attended their class and gone home with the other children at three o’clock. It was as inconsiderate of Betty to risk the blind girl’s limbs on the icy turnpike as it was to leave school in that fashion. It didn’t seem like gentle, docile Betty; but Meadowcroft decided that where Rose was concerned the unselfish girl was inclined to be headstrong.
Later, he realized that he should have to speak to Betty of the matter, and still later he was forced to the conclusion that he must do so publicly, as the school-master. She and Rose had broken the rules deliberately. Their whole class knew it, and quite likely, by this time, everyone in the school. If he was faithful to his duty as Mr. Appleton’s representative, he must deal with them as he would have dealt with others who offended similarly. But he said to himself that he would speak so kindly that the sting would be removed from the reproof.