"This is a school."
"Yes," said Elizabeth gravely, smiling. "I want to see the teacher."
"She's busy. You can't see her," snapped the maid.
"Then I will wait till she is ready. I've come a great many miles, and I
must see her."
The maid retreated at this, and an elegant woman in trailing black silk
and gold-rimmed glasses approached threateningly. This was a new kind of
beggar, of course, and must be dealt with at once.
"What do you want?" she asked frigidly.
"I've come to school," said Elizabeth confidingly. "I know I don't look
very nice, but I've had to come all the way from Montana on horseback. If
you could let me go where I can have some water and a thread and needle, I
can make myself look better."
The woman eyed the girl incredulously.
"You have come to school!" she said; and her voice was large, and
frightened Elizabeth. "You have come all the way from Montana! Impossible!
You must be crazy."
"No, ma'am, I'm not crazy," said Elizabeth. "I just want to go to school."
The woman perceived that this might be an interesting case for
benevolently inclined people. It was nothing but an annoyance to herself.
"My dear girl,"--her tone was bland and disagreeable now,--"are you aware
that it takes money to come to school?"
"Does it?" said Elizabeth. "No, I didn't know it, but I have some money. I
could give you ten dollars right now; and, if that is not enough, I might
work some way, and earn more.
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