Then she knew how much her answer meant to the little girl, and kneeling
beside Dollie, she put her arm around her, drawing her close.
"Dear, can't you love me, whatever I say?" she asked.
"Yes," said Dollie, "because you're so handsome."
"Oh, you are truly an artful baby," the young teacher said, with a
laugh.
"But WILL you?" urged Dollie, "I do know SOMETHING. I can spell 'c-a-t,
cat,' and I know that isn't kitten, and I can spell 'b-e, be,' and that
isn't the bumble kind, so can I come to school?"
"Dollie, dear, you couldn't be in my class if you started this year, so
I cannot give you permission. You would begin your schooldays in Miss
Primson's room," was the reply.
"Why, she's the cross-looking teacher, with black eyes that look like
this!"
Dollie touched the fore-finger of each hand with its thumb, thus making
rings through which she peeped, in imitation of spectacles, and frowned
as darkly as her baby face would permit.
Miss Sterling knew that she should not laugh at the grimace, but it was
so very funny that she could not help it.
"Miss Primson is to teach in another town next season, so if you wait
'til next year you will have a new teacher to commence with, and you can
work very hard, so as to get into my room as soon as possible," she
said.
The child's face lighted with a happy smile.
"Oh, then, I don't want to go THIS year!" she cried, "I'll stay at home,
as mama said, and keep school with my dolls and the kittens, but will
you come sometimes, and see if I teach them right?"
"I certainly will," Miss Sterling said, kindly, "and I do hope your
little class will behave nicely.
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