"Peregrinations," laughed Kate, turning to the window to hide her
face. "Oh, Agatha, you are a dear, but you are too funny! Even a
Fourth of July orator would not have used that word. I never
heard it before in all of my life outside spelling-school."
Then she looked at the dollar she was gripping and ceased to
laugh.
"The dear lad," she whispered. "He did the whole thing. She was
going to let us 'fight it out'; I could tell by her back, and Adam
wouldn't have helped me a cent, quite as much because he didn't
want to as because Father wouldn't have liked it. Fancy the
little chap knowing he can wheedle his mother into anything, and
exactly how to go about it! I won't spend a penny on myself until
she is paid, and then I'll make her a present of something nice,
just to let her and Nancy Ellen see that I appreciate being helped
to my chance, for I had reached that point where I would have
walked to school and worked in somebody's kitchen, before I'd have
missed my opportunity. I could have done it; but this will be far
pleasanter and give me a much better showing."
Then Kate began watching the people in the car with eager
curiosity, for she had been on a train only twice before in her
life. She decided that she was in a company of young people and
some even of middle age, going to Normal. She also noticed that
most of them were looking at her with probably the same interest
she found in them. Then at one of the stations a girl asked to
sit with her and explained that she was going to Normal, so Kate
said she was also. The girl seemed to have several acquaintances
on the car, for she left her seat to speak with them and when the
train stopped at a very pleasant city and the car began to empty
itself, on the platform Kate was introduced by this girl to
several young women and men near her age. A party of four, going
to board close the school, with a woman they knew about, invited
Kate to go with them and because she was strange and shaken by her
experiences she agreed. All of them piled their luggage on a
wagon to be delivered, so Kate let hers go also. Then they walked
down a long shady street, and entered a dainty and comfortable
residence, a place that seemed to Kate to be the home of people of
wealth. She was assigned a room with another girl, such a
pleasant girl; but a vague uneasiness had begun to make itself
felt, so before she unpacked she went back to the sitting room and
learned that the price of board was eight dollars a week. Forty-
eight dollars for six weeks! She would not have enough for books
and tuition. Besides, Nancy Ellen had boarded with a family on
Butler Street whose charge was only five-fifty. Kate was eager to
stay where these very agreeable young people did, she imagined
herself going to classes with them and having association that to
her would be a great treat, but she never would dare ask for more
money. She thought swiftly a minute, and then made her first
mistake.