But there was one drawback to this home school, and that was Kittyleen. Did anything ever happen at the village, particularly at Dr. Gray's, that Kittyleen Garland did not find it out sooner or later? No, indeed. It was of no use trying to keep this little brown-eyed maid away unless you locked the door.
"I can read some now. If I go to school I can read all," said Miss Kittyleen, coming in all out of breath and peeping at the children from between the rounds of a chair.
Then Flaxie had to take her down-stairs to Mrs. Gray, who dropped her work to amuse her.
Next day it would be the same thing over again.
"Fought I'd come up and look out o' your winner, Miss Pike.—There now, Effel, draw a little baby on the slate, and I'll say oh! oh!"
But Ethel, who had been taught to obey orders, always shook her head sternly at Kittyleen, whispering, "Effie don't 'peak a word."
Miss Pike was never vexed with sweet little wayward Kittyleen; but she did think Mrs. Garland ought to keep her at home. It was Flaxie whose temper was most tried, for Flaxie was always the one to take the young rogue down-stairs; and she found it hard sometimes to refrain from shaking her just a wee bit.
"What made you throw Ethel's kitty out of the window?" she would say. "You are the little girl that picked my dolly's eyes out. O, Kittyleen, I made my will, and I was going to give you the prettiest, cunningest present; but if you don't stay at home I shall make my will all over again, and not give you one single thing."
Kittyleen had often heard of Flaxie's "will," and had formed various opinions as to what it might be. Sometimes she thought it was a very large pin-cushion, sometimes she thought it was a sort of Christmas box; but she always cried when Flaxie said she should "make it all over again," feeling that this was more than she could bear.