“Carolyn May,” pronounced Miss Minnie from the girls’ door-stoop, “you must take that horrid dog home at once! Hurry, or you will be late for the next class.”
Carolyn May was hurt by the teacher’s tone and words, and she knew Prince felt bad about it. He fairly slunk out of the schoolyard by her side, and some of the pupils laughed.
She pulled his collar up a hole tighter and begged Prince to be good and remain at home till noon. Yet, ten minutes after the session had again opened there sounded a rattling on the porch floor, and into the school marched the dog, having drawn the staple with which his chain had been fastened to the bole of the tree in Mr. Stagg’s back yard.
Miss Minnie was both alarmed and angry. Some of the little girls shrieked and wept when Prince pranced over to Carolyn May’s seat.
“If you do not shut that awful dog up so that he cannot follow you here, Carolyn May, I shall speak to your uncle, Mr. Stagg, about it. Ugh, the ugly beast! Take him away at once!”
This was entirely too much for the little girl’s good temper. Her best friend, she felt, was maligned.
“Miss Minnie,” she said breathlessly, “I don’t see how you can say Prince is ugly. I think he is beautiful! And he is just as kind as he can be!”
She was so hurt and excited because her canine friend was so disliked that she did not even cry one tear! The teacher, remaining well out of reach of the dog, repeated her command.
“Take that dog straight home, and don’t let him get in this schoolhouse again! I will not allow the other children to be so frightened.”
So Carolyn May’s schooldays at The Corners did not begin very happily, after all. She had always loved and been loved by every teacher she had ever had before. But Miss Minnie seemed prejudiced against her because of Prince.