A Daughter of the Land

"Peregrinations," laughed Kate, turning to the window to hide her

face. "Oh, Agatha, you are a dear, but you are too funny! Even a

Fourth of July orator would not have used that word. I never

heard it before in all of my life outside spelling-school."

Then she looked at the dollar she was gripping and ceased to

laugh.

"The dear lad," she whispered. "He did the whole thing. She was

going to let us 'fight it out'; I could tell by her back, and Adam

wouldn't have helped me a cent, quite as much because he didn't

want to as because Father wouldn't have liked it. Fancy the

little chap knowing he can wheedle his mother into anything, and

exactly how to go about it! I won't spend a penny on myself until

she is paid, and then I'll make her a present of something nice,

just to let her and Nancy Ellen see that I appreciate being helped

to my chance, for I had reached that point where I would have

walked to school and worked in somebody's kitchen, before I'd have

missed my opportunity. I could have done it; but this will be far

pleasanter and give me a much better showing."

Then Kate began watching the people in the car with eager

curiosity, for she had been on a train only twice before in her

life. She decided that she was in a company of young people and

some even of middle age, going to Normal. She also noticed that

most of them were looking at her with probably the same interest

she found in them. Then at one of the stations a girl asked to

sit with her and explained that she was going to Normal, so Kate

said she was also. The girl seemed to have several acquaintances

on the car, for she left her seat to speak with them and when the

train stopped at a very pleasant city and the car began to empty

itself, on the platform Kate was introduced by this girl to

several young women and men near her age. A party of four, going

to board close the school, with a woman they knew about, invited

Kate to go with them and because she was strange and shaken by her

experiences she agreed. All of them piled their luggage on a

wagon to be delivered, so Kate let hers go also. Then they walked

down a long shady street, and entered a dainty and comfortable

residence, a place that seemed to Kate to be the home of people of

wealth. She was assigned a room with another girl, such a

pleasant girl; but a vague uneasiness had begun to make itself

felt, so before she unpacked she went back to the sitting room and

learned that the price of board was eight dollars a week. Forty-

eight dollars for six weeks! She would not have enough for books

and tuition. Besides, Nancy Ellen had boarded with a family on

Butler Street whose charge was only five-fifty. Kate was eager to

stay where these very agreeable young people did, she imagined

herself going to classes with them and having association that to

her would be a great treat, but she never would dare ask for more

money. She thought swiftly a minute, and then made her first

mistake.