Chapter IV: The Effect of a Bad Name

MR. MANSFIELD was very much vexed when he found that Tilly had not been promoted, and said many hard things; threatening to take his daughter out of school, and send her to a more pretentious "institution," in a neighbouring town. But Tilly herself had no mind to leave school; and Miss Emmeline Mansfield, who was a very good, sensible girl, was very unwilling to have her sister deprived of the training which was just what she needed; and Mr. Mansfield was finally persuaded to let matters rest for the present.

"Why don't you ever wear your watch to school?" said he, one day, as Tilly passed him with her books in her hand. "What is the use of having a watch, if you don't wear it?"

"Emma Hausen told me the girls would laugh at me if I did," replied Tilly. "And Mrs. Hausen and the teachers don't like to have the girls wear finery in school."

"Nonsense," answered Mr. Mansfield. "If they do say anything to you, just tell them you can afford to wear what you like."

Tilly was in a hurry that morning, and did not care to go back to her room for her watch; but the next day, she thought she would wear it, and went to the drawer where she usually kept it.

The watch was not there. Tilly looked through all her drawers and boxes, but the watch was not to be found.

What was to be done now? What had become of it? Tilly remembered that she had shown it to Flora Lester one morning; and that she had afterwards left Flora alone in the room. That was all she could recollect, and she jumped at once to a conclusion. Flora was a thief: she had stolen Mrs. Hausen's red plant; no doubt she had taken the watch, also. Yes, that was it. Flora Lester, the pattern girl, the girl Miss Van Ness petted, and Miss Garland made so much of, who had just been promoted, and welcomed by the fourth grade girls with so much pleasure, was a thief, and had stolen enough to send her to the State Prison.

Tilly had never liked Flora very well heretofore. Flora was polite and kind to her when she first went to school, and had introduced her to the other girls, and showed her the ways of the school. This was only a part of her duty as the oldest girl in the Kindergarten. The head girl in every grade was expected to show such attentions to strangers. But Tilly had resented this conduct as an attempt at patronage on Flora's part, and had said to herself that Flora Lester needn't put on quite so many airs, seeing that her father was only a poor village doctor, who had not as much money in the world as her (Tilly's) father spent every year.

But Flora did not seem to care anything about Mr. Mansfield's money; and had not admired the house and furniture half as much as Tilly thought she ought have done. And now here was a fine chance to take Florry down. It almost consoled Tilly for the loss of her watch, to think that she could whisper to all the girls that she had left Flora Lester alone in her room a minute, and that Flora must have opened her drawer and taken out her new watch and chain. Mr. Mansfield and Emmeline had gone away for a few days, and there was no one at home but herself and the housekeeper, Mrs. Griggs, who had come with them from New York, and with whom Tilly was always at war.

"I won't tell her," thought Tilly. "She will be sure to take Florry's part. I mean to write to father, though, this very minute."

Tilly was as good as her word. She sat down on the instant, and wrote to her father, telling him that Florry had stolen her watch, and asking him what she should do about it. This letter she posted on her way to school. She met Florry at the gate, and Florry was going to speak to her as usual; but Tilly passed her with only a very cold nod and a toss of her head, and went into the school-room, where she met Jenny Fleming and several of the other girls, who all seemed to be in a great frolic.

"Come and make your manners to Jenny Fleming," said Priscilla Steele, laughing, as Tilly entered the room. "She is head of the school, now that Merry is gone; and she feels as proud as a peacock."

"Jenny Fleming is not so old as I am," said Tilly. "She will be eleven next month, I know; and I was eleven last January."

"Yes; but it doesn't go by that," explained Priscilla. "It is only our age in school that counts. Jenny Fleming has been in the school ever since it began."

Now Tilly had asked the ages of all the girls anywhere near her own, and having found out that she was the oldest, she had concluded that she should be head girl when Florry left. She had made up her mind that she would be very kind and obliging, especially to the little ones; that she would take a great deal of notice of the poorer girls, and "show that she was not proud," as she said. It was very vexatious to have all this magnanimity thrown away; and it somehow increased her displeasure at Florry.

"It will seem odd not to have Florry in school, won't it?" remarked Emily Dean. "The Kindergarten won't seem half so pleasant, now that Florry is gone."

"Oh, you think a great deal of Florry," said Tilly, tossing her head again. "I guess, if you knew what I do! But you will see how fine she will look when my father comes home. I guess Miss Van Ness and the rest won't think quite so much of her after this."

"Tilly Mansfield, what do you mean?" exclaimed Priscilla and Jenny, together. "What has Florry done?"

"Won't you ever tell, if I tell you?"

"No; of course not," said Jenny and Priscilla, together.

Emily did not say a word, but she listened with the others.

"Well, then — but don't you tell, because I don't want any fuss made till my father comes home; and I have written to him this very day. Flora Lester has stolen my watch and my new chain and locket: and it isn't the first time she has stolen, either. She was at our house, and I took her up in my room while I went to see what father wanted; and I have never seen my watch since: so she must have got it, you see. I have written to father, and asked him to come home directly; and I dare say he can get it back, or else make Dr. Lester buy me a new one. But wasn't it too bad?"

"Pshaw, what nonsense!" said Jenny. "Just as if Florry would take your watch. I don't believe one word of it. You have mislaid it somewhere. A likely story, indeed!"

"I never should have thought of such a thing, if I had not known before that Florry would steal," said Tilly. "But Emma Hausen told me herself that Florry stole some of her mother's new plants."

"I don't believe she ever told you such a word!"

"Jenny," said Priscilla, "you should not speak so."

"Well, I will speak so then!" said Jenny, who was a peppery little Irish girl, and who adored Florry. "I say Florry Lester is not a thief; and whoever says so, deserves to be turned out of the school. I don't believe Emma Hausen ever told you so, Tilly Mansfield: you are mad because Florry was promoted; and that is the whole of it. A likely story, indeed! I won't stay to hear such stuff," and Jenny flounced away in a twitter of indignation.

"I am sure Jenny needn't be angry at me," said Tilly.

"Well, you see, she thinks so much of Florry—all the girls do," answered Priscilla. "But, Tilly, I don't think you ought to say such a thing, unless you are quite sure. Just think: it is enough to send Florry to the State Prison."

"Yes, you all care about Florry; and nobody thinks anything about my losing my beautiful watch," said Tilly, pouting. "I guess you would not like very well to lose a new gold watch and chain."

"But perhaps somebody else stole it—maybe one of the servants."

"I tell you nobody else had a chance. I always keep my jewels locked up," said Tilly, with a grand air. "Only that morning I unlocked it to show the things to Florry, and left it open while I went to speak to father."

"That does look badly," observed Priscilla.

"I should think it did. But, yet, I don't know that I should have thought of it, only for what Emma Hausen told me."

"And did she really tell you that Florry had stolen?"

"Yes, indeed she did. She said that Florry carried off some beautiful plants that her mother had just got from the city."

"Well, I would not have believed that about Florry Lester, of all the girls in the world. And she talks so good, too!"

"That don't always make people any better," said Tilly. "My father says he always expects to be cheated when he is dealing with people who only pretend to be good."

"But, Tilly, your own sister Emmeline is very religious, I am sure. She goes to all the meetings, and has a class in Sunday-school, and all."

"Yes, I know it; and if it was any one else, father wouldn't leave them any peace; but he lets Emmy have her own way in everything, because he thinks she is consumptive, like mother, and won't live long."

"Does Emmeline think that Florry took the watch?"

"She does not know anything about it. She has gone to the city for a few days."

"Well, I must go and look over my geography," said Priscilla. "I am sure I hope you will find your watch."

Before recess that day, almost every girl in the primary room had been told, under a solemn pledge of secrecy, that Florry Lester had stolen Tilly Mansfield's watch and chain, and that when Mr. Mansfield came home, she would have to give it up, and perhaps be sent to State's Prison. They knew, too, (for such stories never lose anything in the telling,) that Florry had stolen from Mrs. Hausen ever so many times; but that Mrs. Hausen had forgiven her for her mother's sake. Some of the girls began to remember how they had unaccountably lost knives and pencils, and other small possessions; and that their paper had been used up very fast. Elizabeth Miller recollected, or thought she did, that she had never seen her tortoise-shell handled knife since one day that she had lent it to Florry to sharpen a pencil; and her sister told how she had once come early to school, and found Florry looking over all the girls' books, pretending that she had lost her own history.

Some of the girls, indeed, took Florry's part vehemently, and threatened "to tell Miss Van Ness;" but Tilly boldly told them to tell, if they liked: it would only bring matters out, and Florry into disgrace all the sooner. In short, the Kindergarten had never been in such a ferment before.

Florry, meantime, had not the least idea of what was going on. She had for two days studied in the fourth grade room, where she had, at first, felt very lonely and homesick; but the girls were all kind to her; and Miss Reynolds, who had the care of the room, took pains to make her feel at home, and she was beginning to like it. She did not go out at the morning recess, but spent her time in the library, looking at a curious book of costumes which Miss Foster the librarian took down for her. Florry had applied for permission to remain another term in the lower room, but it had not been thought best; and she consoled herself by thinking that perhaps Emma would try harder, now that she had nobody to help her.

"So, Florry, you have found your way to the library already," said Mr. Hausen, kindly, as he came into the room, and found Florry busy with her book. "That is right. The books were made to be used."

"The girls here don't know half their privileges," remarked Miss Foster, when the president left the room. "When I was at Eaton College, the girls no more thought of going to the library for a book to read than they did of going to the moon."

"What was the use of having a library at all?" asked Florry.

"I don't know. I suppose to be looked at by visitors, and give a character to the school."

In the afternoon recess, Florry went down to meet her old school-mates in the little girls' playground, and was surprised by the reception she met with. A good many of the girls greeted her coldly, or not at all, and cast significant or contemptuous looks at each other; while others met her with more warmth and affection than ever. Among these last were Jenny Fleming and Emily Dean. Jenny ran to meet Florry, and kissed her on both cheeks; while Emily, who was less impulsive, put her arm through Florry's with a certain air of protection; casting, meantime, a glance of defiance at Priscilla and Tilly, who stood at a little distance.

"I should think you would be ashamed, Jenny," said Tilly. "What do you think your mother would say?"

"And I should think you would be ashamed; and so you will, Tilly Mansfield," retorted Jenny. "Very fine you will look, and a fine slice of humble-pie you will have to eat, when the truth comes out."

Tilly only tossed her head, as usual, and turned away to whisper anew with some of the other girls.

"What do they mean?" asked Florry, looking from one to the other, and quite bewildered by this reception. "Why do they treat me so?"

"Because they are just a set of dunces," returned Jenny.

"Because Tilly Mansfield has been telling stories about you," said Emily.

"There, Emily: we promised we would not tell."

"I didn't," said Emily. "I wouldn't, because I just meant to tell Florry. I think she ought to know. Florry, Tilly said you stole her watch that day you were there."

"Stole her watch!" repeated Florry, too much annoyed even to be angry. "What does she mean?"

Emily began at the beginning, and told Florry the whole story as she had heard it from Tilly. Emily was a very truthful girl, and she related the matter quietly and exactly as she had heard it.

"You see, nobody would have believed a word of it, only that Tilly said Emma Hausen told her that you had stolen some plants from her mother. She says Emma's mother told her never to tell; but Emma was angry because you went above her, and spoke of it before she thought; and then she asked Tilly not to tell. Oh, Florry, don't cry! It is not worth minding."

For Florry's head had sunk down on Jenny's shoulder, and was sobbing so violently that the girls were startled.

"What shall we do?" said Jenny.

"Shall we call Miss Van Ness, Florry? Can't we bring you anything?"

"No, don't call anybody," said Florry, trying to quiet herself. "Let us sit down here. I want to tell you something. Oh, girls, don't desert me; will you?"

"Of course we won't," said warmhearted little Jenny. "Sure, if I knew it was all true, I would stand by you just the same. What's the good of having a friend, if one is going to give them up the first minute they do anything wrong? Besides, I know you haven't done anything. I don't so much wonder at Tilly: she's not much, anyhow; but I am surprised at Emma."

"But it isn't true, of course," said Emily: "I mean what Emma said. 'We know the other isn't."

"I will tell you all about it," said Florry, drying her eyes and speaking with a great effort. "I did take Mrs. Hausen's red plant."

"Oh, Florry!"

"Just you be still, and let her tell her own story," said Emily, checking Jenny. "Well, Florry, and what then? What else did you do?"

Florry went on and told the whole story, from her first desire to carry off the red plant to her taking her fuchsia to Mrs. Hausen.

"You see, I couldn't carry back the plant I stole, and I had nothing else, only my fuchsia. I knew Mrs. Hausen had none like it, because she asked me to save a slip for her. So I told mother all about it, and she said I might; and the next morning, I went and carried the plant up there, and told Mrs. Hausen just as I told mother. Oh, girls, you can't think how good she was. She didn't want to take the plant at first; but she consented finally, because I wanted her to so much."

"Well, I shall never think much of Emma Hausen again," said Emily, decidedly. "I think she was even worse than Florry."

"Please, don't say so," said Florry. "I know just how it happened. Emma was disappointed and vexed because she did not pass; and so it came out before she thought. But, oh, what shall I do?"

"Tell your mother all about it," said Emily, who had full confidence in the power of "mother" to set everything right.

"I can't. She has gone over to see old Madam Hausen, and won't be home till to-morrow; and father has gone to the convention at A—."

"'Well, I know what I would do," said Jenny. "I would go right away and tell the president."

"Why, Jenny Fleming! Would you dare do such a thing?"

"Yes, I would then, Emily Dean. Why not? He wouldn't eat me up; and he is the best man that ever was. I would tell him in a minute."

"Yes: but, Jenny, the thing is, that I can't tell of myself without telling of Emma; and that would get her into trouble at home; because her mother charged her never to say one word about it," said Florry. "I know she did, because Emma told me so herself that day."

"I don't care if you stole fifty red plants, and blue ones, too!" exclaimed Jenny. "I do think you are the best girl that ever lived. But what will you do then? You can't go on so."

"I shall wait till I can see father or mother before I do anything," replied Florry. "As to the watch, Tilly has put it away somewhere, and forgotten it."