We neither of us gave a thought to her
dress, and we walked as fast as possible, chatting and laughing all the
way. All went well till we got in front of that horrid 'Spotted
Leopard,' and there were several lads round the door. I suppose Kitty's
dress attracted them as well as her pretty face, and all in a minute
they surrounded her. Such awful cheek! But do you think Kitty would put
up with their impudence? I never saw a girl like her! She just aimed a
blow straight at one of the fellows and knocked him over as if he were a
ninepin. I can tell you she had the laugh on her side; and I don't
believe we would have heard anything more about it if that mean,
spiteful old cat, Miss Worrick, hadn't been coming round the corner. She
ran up to Kitty, and took possession of her, and marched her off home,
and put her, forsooth, into Alice's custody. That's the explanation of
Miss Sherrard's letter, mother."
"Dear, dear!" said Mrs. Denvers, "it was a most imprudent thing to do.
But of course, the poor child meant no harm."
"I should rather think she didn't," cried Fred. "The one you ought really
to blame is Alice. No one would have looked at Kitty, nor thought of her
one way or the other, if Alice had let her get her hat and jacket; but
what was she to do when she was locked out of her own bedroom?"
"But she know very well that she was breaking rules," said Mrs.
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