“Why, Mr. Parsons—Tom!” exclaimed the girl in surprise. “What brings you here?”
“Young man, what do you mean by disobeying my orders in this manner?” demanded Miss Philock, bristling with anger.
“You didn’t tell me not to speak to Miss Tyler,” said Tom slyly. And he smiled mischievously.
“Miss Tyler—do you know her?”
“I am an old friend of hers,” insisted Tom quickly, his confidence coming back.
“Is this true, Miss Tyler?” asked the head instructress.
Madge was a bright girl, and a quick thinker. She at once understood Tom’s predicament, and resolved to help him out. Perhaps it was as much on her own account as Ruth’s—who knows? At any rate, she said:
“Why, Miss Philock, Tom Parsons and I have known each other ever since we were children. He is a sort of distant relation of mine. Aren’t you, Tom?”
“Ye—yes, Madge,” he almost stammered.
“His mother and my mother are second cousins,” went on the girl, which was true enough, though Tom had forgotten it. He did not stop to figure out just what degree of kinship he bore to Madge. He was satisfied to have it as it was. Miss Philock turned to Tom.