Clematis turned red. Her eyes flashed, and she was about to answer, when the supper bell rang.

They had just sat down at the table, when Betty said to a girl near by:

"You ought to hear Clematis. She thinks she is going to the country.

Just as if anybody would have her around."

Betty sat next to Clematis, who heard every word.

She had tried to be a good girl and learn, just as Miss Rose asked her to.

Her face burned, and her eyes flashed more than ever.

Before she stopped to think, she turned and waved her spoon before Betty's face, saying:

"You can't stop me. You'd better keep quiet, you old pig!"

Betty was so startled that she moved back. Her arm struck her bowl of milk, and the milk spilled out, all over the table.

Part of it spilled down into her lap.

Then Clematis began to cry. When Miss Rose sent her away from the table, and up to her bed, she went willingly.

She was glad to get away from the other children.

Miss Rose saw how sad she was, and knew how naughty Betty had been, so she did not punish her.

"I am very sorry you have not learned to behave more politely, Clematis. Perhaps this will be a lesson to you."

That was all she said before Clematis went to bed, but Clematis cried quietly a long, long time.

She felt that she had made every one look at her, right in front of Mrs. Snow. What would Mrs. Snow think of her now?

CHAPTER X

TWO DOCTORS

It was very late before Clematis fell asleep that night, and in the morning she had a headache.

When she got up she had to sit on the bed, she felt so dizzy.

Miss Rose found her sitting there.

"Why, Clematis," she said. "Are you sick?"

"Yes'm, I guess so," whispered the poor little girl.

"Lie right down again, dear, and perhaps you will feel better."

They brought her a cup of cocoa, and some toast, for breakfast, but she could not eat.

All day she lay there, pale and sick.

In the afternoon old Doctor Field came in to see her. He sat down by the bed and asked her some questions.

He looked at her tongue, and felt her pulse. Then he took out some little pills and gave them to Miss Rose.

"I guess you had better put her in a single room," he said. "Give her some of these in water, every two hours during the day."

He smiled at Clematis before he went out. "I guess she will feel better in the morning, when I come again."

But in the morning Clematis was not better. She was worse.

"How did she pa.s.s the night?" asked Doctor Field, as he felt her pulse.

"Not very well," said Miss Rose. "She did not sleep much, and had a good deal of pain."

Doctor Field looked at her chest and arms.

"It might be chicken pox, or measles," he said, "but I don't see any of the usual signs."

Little Clematis lay and looked at him steadily.

"Did you want something, dear?" he asked.

"I want a drink," she said. "I want a drink of cold, cold water."

"Yes, dear, you shall have a drink, of course you shall."

The old doctor went into the hall with Miss Rose.

"She may have a drink, but only a little at a time. And I wouldn't let it be too cold. She really gets enough water with her medicine."

Soon they brought Clematis a little water in a cup. She raised her head and drank it, but then made a face and turned her head away.

"It isn't any good," she said.

That evening old Doctor Field came again. He looked carefully at Clematis, and shook his head.

"I guess it's only a slow fever. It's nothing catching," he said.

"She'll be better in a few days."

The few days pa.s.sed, but Clematis was not better.

At night she was restless, and slept little. Even when she did sleep, her slumber was disturbed by bad dreams.