I do not mean that these were Elsie's
thoughts; no, she never would have dreamed of calling her father
selfish; but the undefined feeling was there, as she watched him
hand the ladies into the carriage, and then turn and reenter the
house as they drove off.
But Miss Day's bell rang, and Elsie gathered up her books and
hastened to the school-room. Her patience and endurance were
sorely tried that morning, for Miss Day was in an exceedingly bad
humor, being greatly mortified and also highly indignant that she
had not been invited to make one of the picnic party; and Elsie
had never found her more unreasonable and difficult to please; and
her incessant fault-finding and scolding were almost more than the
little girl could bear in addition to her own sad disappointment.
But at last the morning, which had seldom seemed so long, was
over, and Elsie dismissed from the school-room for the day.
At dinner, instead of the usual large party, there were only her
father and the gentleman with whom he was transacting business,
Miss Day, and herself.
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