Pythia's Pupils - A Story Of A Girls' School (1888) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. The threatening clouds had passed over the next morning-, and given place to bright, warm sunshine; even Mrs. Steinmann was obliged to confess that there was no need of wearing the old gray waterproof. Dora could put on the little jacket and the new spring hat without opposition, for her walk with Lotta. Her friend met her half way down the stairs, with such a radiant expression, that her rather plain face was quite transformed. " How is it ? " cried out Dora. " Shall we start at once or will you first confide to me your profound secret ? " " My secret?oh, I am not thinking about that just now. But come in, Dora, come; I have got quantities to tell you. I am so awfully happy, I can't begin to tell you how happy I am." Dora looked at her friend surprised and half startled, and quickly followed her into the sanctum, behind the plants in the bay window. Could Lotta, possibly, be engaged? That would be awfully interesting, and brides were always immensely happy?she knew that much in spite of her fifteen years; but, Dora shrank from the thought, they were still much too young for such things. " Do you know what I just did only five minutes before you came?" continued Lotta. "I kissed yourfather on both hands, and if he had not scolded me out of it as usual, I would have gone down on my knees to him. But I did kiss his hands, for he was not prepared for it, and so he couldn't prevent it. Of course he was cross about it, but?oh, I had to show him a little bit how thankful I am to him and always shall be." " Forever is a long- time/' said Dora quietly, " and for a grown-up young girl to kiss a man's hand, seems to me a pretty strong expression of gratitude." " Oh, not half strong enough for me," cried Lotta enthusiastically. " Grown up you say ? I am si...