Bessie's
sympathy would be very sweet, and Alice determined to secure it if
possible. Accordingly she left the house, and at about a quarter to nine
found herself at Bessie's house. Bessie was standing on the steps
drawing on her gloves.
"Why, Alice, what has brought you?" she cried; "and where is Kitty?"
"Oh, don't mention Kitty, if you don't want to rile me beyond
endurance," said Alice.
"I always do rile you when I mention her," answered Bessie; "but where
is she all the same?"
"With mother--she is coming to school with mother."
"With your mother--to Middleton School! What do you mean?"
"Only that mother has to bring her. She has got into no end of a row."
"Has she? Oh, I am sorry," said Bessie.
"Come out, Bessie," said Alice. "It is a little early to get to school,
but we may as well walk slowly, and I will tell you all about it as we
go along."
This Alice did, enlarging much upon Kitty's dress, her crimson blouse,
her bare arms, the college cap on her head, and her little shoes with
the buckles and rosettes.
"She must have looked very pretty," said Bessie.
"Bessie! you really are enough to distract any one. Don't you see the
impropriety of it? Don't you see that this will get all over the place?
People will say that a Middleton girl dressed so unsuitably, so loudly,
that--Oh, don't you see it?"
"I don't see anything in it except a silly, foolish, girlish act,
uncommonly like Kitty Malone," said Bessie.
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