 | Chapter 4 A Fancy of Hers |  |
Chapter 4
Ben Hadley's conversion had indeed been sudden, and, as in most similar cases, he found some difficulty in staying converted. While his pride was flattered by the confidence reposed in him by Miss Frost, there were times when his old mischievous propensities almost overcame him. On the third day, as John Cotton was passing Ben's desk, the latter suddenly thrust out his foot into the passageway between the desks, and John tumbled over it, breaking his slate.
"What's the matter?" asked Mabel, looking up from the book from which she was hearing another class.
"Ben Hadley tripped me up," said John, rubbing his shins, and looking ruefully at his broken slate.
"Did you, Ben?" asked Mabel.
Ben was already sorry and ashamed, as he would not have been under any other teacher. With all his faults he was a boy of truth, and he answered "Yes," rather sheepishly.
"You should be careful not to keep your feet in the aisle," said Miss Frost quietly. "I suppose you'll be willing to buy John a new slate."
"Yes," said Ben promptly, glad to have the matter end thus.
"I need a slate now," grumbled John.
"I'll lend you mine," said Ben at once, "and buy you a better one than I broke."
Mabel quite understood that the accident was " done on purpose." She did not want to humiliate Ben, but rather to keep him on his good behavior. So she was as friendly and confidential as ever, and Ben preserved his self respect. He kept his promise, and bought John the most expensive slate he could find in the village store.
Mabel very soon found herself mistress of the situation. Experience goes for a good deal, but it does not always bring with it the power of managing boys and girls. Mabel seemed to possess this instinctively. Before the week was out, all was running smoothly in her department, a little to the disappointment of Miss Clarissa Bassett, who felt that the school should have been hers.
Mabel still boarded at the hotel.
Among her scholars was a little girl of nine, whose cheap dress indicated poverty, but who possessed a natural refinement, which in her was more marked than in any other pupil. Mabel inquired into her circumstances, and learned that her father had been an officer in the army, who had died soon after his marriage. All that he left to his widow was a small cottage, and a pension of twenty dollars a month to which his services entitled her. On this small sum, and a little additional earned by sewing, Mrs. Kent supported her family, which, besides Rose, included a boy two years younger, who was in Miss Bassett's school. One afternoon Mabel walked home with Rose, and introduced herself to Mrs. Kent. She found her a delicate and really refined woman, such as she imagined Rose would grow to be in time. Everything in the house was inexpensive, but there were traces of good taste about the little establishment.
"I am glad to see you, Miss Frost," said Mrs. Kent, with quiet cordiality. "I have heard of you continually from Rose, who is your enthusiastic admirer."
"Rose and I are excellent friends," said Mabel, smiling kindly on the little girl. "She never gives me any trouble."
"I have never heard of any complaints from any of her teachers. One thing that I have heard surprises me, Miss Frost. You have wonderfully changed Ben Hadley, who had been the torment of previous teachers."
Mabel smiled. "I like Ben," she said. "From the first I saw that he had many good points. He was merely mischievous."
"Merely?" repeated Mrs. Kent smiling.
"Mischief may give a good deal of trouble, but the spirit that leads to it may be turned into another channel. This I think I have done with Ben. I find him very bright when he exerts his abilities.
"You understand managing boys, I can see clearly. Yet I hear that this is your first school."
"I have never entered a country school till I commenced teaching here."
"Your success is wonderful."
"Don't compliment me prematurely, Mrs. Kent. Failure may yet be in store for me."
"I think not."
"And I hope not."
"You are living at the hotel, I believe?"
"Only temporarily. I am looking for a pleasant boarding place."
"Mrs. Breck might be willing to take you. She has boarded several teachers before."
Mabel had met Mrs. Breck. She had the reputation of being a good housekeeper, but withal she was a virago, and her husband a long suffering victim of domestic tyranny. She was a thin little woman, with a shrewish face, who was seldom known to speak well of anybody.
"I don't think I should enjoy boarding with Mrs. Breck," said Mabel. "I'm sure I should like your house much better."
You don't know how plainly we live," said Mrs. Kent. "I should like very much to have you here, but my table doesn't compare with Mrs. Breck's."
"Let me make you a business proposition, Mrs. Kent," said Mabel, straightforwardly. "I don't pretend to be indifferent to a good table, and I know the small amount usually paid for a teacher's board would not justify you in changing your style of living. I propose, if you will be kind enough to receive me, to pay you ten dollars a week as my share of the expenses."
"Ten dollars ejaculated Mrs. Kent in utter amazement. "Why, Mrs. Breck only charges three."
"But I would rather pay the difference and board with you."
Excuse me, Miss Frost, but how can you? Your salary as teacher must be less than that."
I see that I must tell you a secret, Mrs. Kent. I depend on your
"I am glad of that," said Mrs. Kent, "but it seems so extortionate, my accepting ten dollars a week!"
"Then don't let any one know how much I pay you. It will imperil my secret if you do. Am I to consider myself accepted?"
"I shall be very glad of your company, Miss Frost, and I know Rose will be delighted."
"Will you come here, really and truly, Miss Frost?" asked Rose eagerly.
"Since your mother is willing, Rose."
Rose clapped her hands in delight, and showed clearly how acceptable the arrangement was to her.
Mabel's choice of a boarding place excited general surprise in Granville. "I wish the school teacher joy of her boarding place," said Mrs. Breck, tossing her head. "Why, Widder Kent has meat only once or twice a week; and once, when I called about supper time, I noticed what she had on the table. There wasn't nothing but cold bread and butter, a little apple sauce, and tea. It'll be something of a change from the hotel."
"She lives better now," said Mrs. Cotton. (This was several days after Mabel had become an inmate of Mrs. Kent's house.) "I called yesterday on purpose to see what she had for supper, and what do you think? She had cold meat, eggs, preserves, warm bread, and two kinds of pies"{sic}
"Then all I can say is, that the woman will be ruined before the summer's out," said Mrs. Breck, solemnly. "What the school teacher pays her won't begin to pay for keepin' such a table as that. It's more'n I provide, myself, and I don't think my table is beat by many in Granville. Mrs. Kent's a fool to pamper a common school teacher in any such way."
"You're right, Mrs. Breck; but, poor woman, I suppose she has to. That Miss Frost probably forces her to it. I declare it's very inconsiderate, for she must know the widow's circumstances."
"It's more than inconsiderate — it's sinful," said Mrs. Breck, solemnly.
"Mrs. Kent can't be very prudent to go to such expense," said the other party to this important discussion.
"Miss Frost flatters Rose, and gets around the mother in that way. She's a very artful young woman, in my opinion. The way she pets that Hadley boy, they say, is positively shameful."
"So I think. She wants to keep on the right side of the School Committee, so as to get the school another term."
"Of course. That's clear enough," chimed in Mrs. Breck. "I should like to know, for my part, a little more about the girl. Nobody seems to know who she is or where she came from."
"Squire Hadley engaged her on Mary Bridgman's recommendation, I hear."
Mrs. Breck sniffed. "Mary Bridgman may know how to cut dresses," she remarked, "though it's my opinion there's plenty better; but it's a new thing to engage teachers on dressmakers' recommendations. Besides, there's Clarissa Bassett, one of our own folks, wanted the school, and it's given to a stranger."
Miss Bassett boarded with Mrs. Breck, and this may have warped the good lady's judgment.
"I don't know as I'm in favor of Clarissa," said Mrs. Cotton, "but there's others, no doubt, who would be glad to take it."
"As for Miss Frost, I don't see how she is able to dress so well. That gown she wears to school must have cost two weeks' salary, and I've seen her with two other dresses."
"And all new?"
"Yes, they don't look as if they had had much wear."
"Perhaps she's seen better days, and has saved them dresses from the wreck."
"But you forget that they look new."
"Well, I give it up. It's clear she
Such were the comments of the mothers. Among the children, on the other hand, Mabel grew more and more popular. She succeeded in inspiring an interest in study such as had not been known before. She offered to teach a class in French and one in Latin, though it entailed extra labor.
"She knows an awful lot, father," said Ben Hadley.
"She was my selection," said the Squire complacently. "You predicted she would make a failure of it, Mrs. Hadley. The fact is we have never had a better teacher."
"The school term isn't closed," said Mrs. Hadley oracularly. "Appearances are deceitful."
It is rather singular that Mabel was favorably regarded by the fathers, while the mothers, to a man, were against her. There is something wrong in this sentence, but let it stand.
| Chapter 4 A Fancy of Hers | |