At last the little girl felt that she could bear it no longer, and determined to confess it all to her mother.
Then, when the moment came, her courage oozed out of her finger-tips, and she kept her own unhappy secret still locked in her bosom.
Poor Gertie at this time, was more to be pitied than even little Ella herself. It so happened that on the day when Rupert purchased Marcia's birthday present, Gertie chanced to come upon Ella in tears, over her schoolwork, during the dinner hour.
"What's the matter?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"My head is aching so," replied the child, "I don't feel as if I could learn anything."
"Let me help you," said Gertie, looking over her shoulder.
Ella's task was a returned lesson in geography.
"Oh if you only would, Gertie, I think I should soon know it."
Gertie then coached the little girl in her somewhat lengthy lesson, and within the space of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour the difficulties were all surmounted.
"Thank you ever so much, Gertie," cried Ella, when her lesson was perfectly learnt; "you are kind and good to me."