by June Venable
“I’m Hannah Monroe, and I’m from New York City.” Hannah looked at the floor when she heard giggling from some of the children.
“That will do, class,” said Miss Trent. “We’d like to welcome you, Hannah, and hope that you like Texas and that you’ll make many new friends here.”
She already liked Texas, but would she ever make any friends?
“Class, let’s get our readers out and continue the story we began last week. Hannah, will you go first? I’d like to hear your reading skills, since we haven’t received any records from your last school yet. You may begin on page seventy-one.”
Hannah found the book, opened it and read. Her voice shook, then grew stronger as she read the story of a boy who lived on a farm. It made her think of Teddy.
“Well done, Hannah. You put a lot of expression into your reading. Now, class, I’m going to put some arithmetic problems on the blackboard. We’ll all have a turn answering them.”
While Miss Trent wrote the problems on the board, Hannah felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned and the girl behind her handed her a folded slip of paper. Mystified, she opened it and read the message. “I’ll be waiting,” it said. The signature read “Rosie.” Hannah looked up into the sneering face of the girl from the playground.
“All right, students,” Miss Trent said. Let’s have several of you come up and try these problems. Hannah, will you join them, please?” Hannah’s mind whirled. What did the girl mean? Waiting where? And what did she intend to do?
Stumbling, Hannah made her way to the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk. The numbers seemed to blur before her eyes. Then she thought of her father. He had always made a game of arithmetic. Squaring her shoulders, she worked the problems. The answers came easily. When she finished, she put the chalk down and returned to her seat.
“Very good, Hannah. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble at all going on to ninth grade.
After that, the morning passed quickly and soon lunchtime arrived.
“Hannah, won’t you join me for lunch here in the classroom? We could get acquainted while we eat.” Miss Trent smiled as she extended the invitation. That suited Hannah. She wasn’t ready to face Rosie yet.
At three o’clock, the class prepared to leave for the day. The pupils hurried from the room, calling to each other about Saturday’s ball game and the town picnic coming soon. Hannah opened the door that led to the yard. Rosie and several of the girls stood under the big oak tree. Looking to the left, Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. The shiny black carriage stood by the side of the road.
Passing the group, Hannah kept her eyes straight ahead and turned her mouth up in a smile as she went to meet Uncle David. The girls kept quiet, but Hannah knew that Rosie might find her when there was no one around to help.
Hannah decided not to tell the Logans about her problem. When they questioned her about school, she replied, “I like Miss
Trent and the work seems pretty easy.”
This appeared to satisfy everyone.
“Well, we’re so glad you found the subjects easy, and know you’ll do well,” said Aunt Margaret, who smiled at Hannah over the lovely needlepoint pillow she worked on.
Sighing, Hannah wished all her problems could be solved so easily.
CHAPTER FIVE – HANNAH BETRAYED
On the following morning, Hannah could no longer ignore the little fingers of fear that crept over her. Would this week bring more of Rosie’s anger? Hannah wished she knew what went wrong. Squaring her shoulders, she made a decision.
Hannah carefully chose one of her new outfits for today. It was a navy middy blouse and skirt. She put her hair in braids and locked the brace onto her leg. Her last act was to clasp the gold locket around her neck and she was ready for the day.
Later, as Hannah climbed from the carriage, she said in a voice loud enough for the group of girls gathered under the oak tree to hear. “Thank you, Uncle David. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
As David drove away to his office, Hannah joined the gathering and spoke. “Rosie, what did I do to make you so angry? I’d like for us to be friends.” At first she saw the confusion in Rosie’s eyes, which was replaced with a flat look that disguised all feelings.
To Hannah’s surprise, Rosie answered. “We’ve decided you can join our group, Hannah. We’re sorry for the way we acted.”
Lucy, a small dark-haired girl spoke up. “You can even eat lunch with us, Hannah.” Hannah started to smile when she noticed two of the girls nudge each other and exchange sly looks. She wondered what they plotted, but decided to play along.
“I’d like that,” Hannah agreed, still puzzled as to why Rosie had changed her mind.
* * * *
At home, Hannah reported making new friends.
“That’s wonderful, Hannah. You and Caroline are getting to know each other, but you need friends your own age. Perhaps we can have an ice cream party soon and invite your classmates.
Maybe by that time, she would’ve discovered the mystery, Hannah thought.
Things went well the rest of the week. Hannah became the top student in the class and didn’t worry at all about the upcoming examinations. Some of the girls squealed and said, “Oh, I don’t know if I’ll pass. I don’t understand fractions.” Others asked for Hannah’s aid. “Won’t you please help us, Hannah? You’re so smart.” Lunchtime became study time under the big oak as Hannah helped the others understand the difficulties of division and fractions. She didn’t mind helping at all, but an uneasy feeling came over her when Rosie was nearby.
At last, time came for spring exams. Hannah donned her favorite new outfit and with the Logan’s good wishes ringing in her ears, she and Uncle David set out. She felt confident she could do well. Miss Trent had announced that the student with the top grades earned a medal.
The spelling test came first and Hannah wrote quickly as Miss Trent called out the words. The English exam came next followed by lunch.
As the group ate, talk centered around the afternoon tests. First geography, then the one many feared, the arithmetic test. Hannah munched the chicken sandwich that Delia put in her lunch box. “Do you think you did well, Rosie?”
“Sure,” the girl replied. “And I’ll probably get a hundred on the arithmetic test this afternoon.”
Hannah wished her well.
The geography test gave Hannah a little trouble. She didn’t think she correctly identified all the states on the blank map. The Midwest confused her. She thought again of Teddy as she filled in Nebraska. She wondered if he attended school as well. Toward the end of the test, Hannah’s leg began to ache. She reached down and loosened the buckles on her brace, resting it on the desk legs behind her. The doctor had said she could remove it while she sat, or when she went to bed.
At last, time came for the final test. Miss Trent handed out the problem sheets, then sat at her desk grading the earlier papers.
Hannah found the test easy. She read each problem, then wrote her answers. Hannah finished before Miss Trent called time.
“Time’s up, boys and girls. I know you all did your very best. The grades should be ready tomorrow.” Collecting the papers, Miss Trent had turned to walk back to her desk when a voice called out to her, “Miss Trent, wait! I think you’d better see this. Hannah Monroe cheated on the arithmetic test.” The voice belonged to Rosie.
Everyone gasped and looked at Hannah, who stared at Rosie in amazement. What could Rosie possibly mean?
Miss Trent came back down the aisle. “What do you mean, Rosie? Why do you say that?”
“Look!” Rosie said, pointing downward. “There’s a piece of paper sticking out of that thing she wears on her leg. I saw her looking at it during the test and afterward she put it back when she finished.”
Miss Trent watched as Hannah reached for the paper tucked between the clasps of her brace. Holding it in her hand, Hannah looked from Miss Trent to Rosie.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Rosie,” Miss Trent said. �
��Hannah, will you show me the paper?”
Mystified, Hannah handed the paper to her teacher wondering how it got there.
Unfolding the paper, Miss Trent glanced at it for a few moments. Her face paled. “These are the answers to the arithmetic test we just completed. How did you get this paper, Hannah?”
Hannah couldn’t speak. She looked at Rosie and saw the triumphant expression on her face. Suddenly, she knew why the girls had befriended her. They wanted to betray her!
“Class, you’re dismissed. Hannah, I’d like for you to stay, please,” said Miss Trent. When the others had left, Hannah buckled the brace around her leg and limped toward Miss Trent’s desk.
“Can you explain this, Hannah?”
“No, Miss Trent, I can’t. But I didn’t cheat. I don’t know how the answer sheet got in my brace.”
Miss Trent looked at her for a long moment. “I’ll have to talk to the principal when he returns tomorrow, and the Logans will have to know. I will call on them tonight after dinner. Will you tell them I’ll be there about seven?” Hannah nodded, and left the room.
She hung her head in shame, knowing she was innocent, but not knowing how to prove it. She left the building, her face burning. Some of her classmates had stayed in the yard, waiting to see her. As she walked by the little groups she saw fingers point and heads lean together as they whispered to each other about her. Reaching the carriage, she climbed in.
“Well, Hannah, how did the exams go?”
At that, Hannah’s lips began to tremble and she blinked back tears. “Can it wait until we get home, Uncle David? I need to talk to you and Aunt Margaret.” Looking troubled, Uncle David nodded. The ride home was silent, with neither of them speaking again.
Arriving home, David went to put the carriage away while Hannah made her way inside. Her heart lay heavy with the news she must bring the family who had been so generous to her.
David Logan followed her in and called to his wife. Margaret Logan came down the stairs, followed by Caroline. Both smiled in greeting until they saw the serious expressions on the faces of Hannah and David.
“What’s the matter?” Aunt Margaret’s hands fluttered. “Is someone hurt or ill?”
“No, dear, it’s just that Hannah has something to tell us. I believe it concerns today’s examinations at school.”
Aunt Margaret perched on the edge of the settee, while Uncle David took a straight chair. Hannah felt alone as she sank into the rose colored armchair.
“Please tell us what happened, Hannah,” coaxed Aunt Margaret.
“Miss Trent thinks I cheated on the arithmetic test,” she blurted out. The feeling of shame returned as Hannah’s hands flew to cover her face.
“Oh, Hannah, how could your teacher think that? You’re such a good student. Why on earth did she think you cheated?” Aunt Margaret looked from Hannah to her husband, as if he could explain the terrible charge.
“Because the answer sheet got tucked in my brace. I don’t know how it got there. Truly, I didn’t cheat. You must believe me.” Hannah’s fists clenched in her lap. Searching their faces, Hannah saw looks of bewilderment and concern. Caroline gazed at her parents, not understanding what had happened.
“Miss Trent wants to talk with you tonight at seven o’clock,” Hannah finished. For a moment everyone remained quiet. Uncle David and Aunt Margaret exchanged glances. Her brow wrinkled with worry, Margaret said, “Hannah, why don’t you go up to your room and rest. This must have been a difficult day for you. I’ll have Delia fix something special for dinner tonight.”
Hannah escaped to her room with Caroline following behind her. When they reached the airy bedroom that Hannah loved, the younger girl asked, “What does cheated mean, Hannah?”
“It means that everyone at school thinks I looked at the answers to a test instead of knowing them myself. Cheating is wrong, and I’d never do it. I knew the answers.”
“I believe you, Hannah,” said Caroline. “You know everything.”
Hannah tried to smile at the younger girl. Caroline’s words reminded her of Teddy. What would he think of the situation?
Everyone sat quietly at supper thinking their own thoughts
except Caroline who chattered about the upcoming picnic. After the meal, the family gathered in the parlor to wait for Miss Trent. Even though they expected her, they all jumped when her knock sounded.
Delia brought the young teacher into the room. “Please sit down, Miss Trent,” said David Logan, gesturing toward the settee. “May we offer you some lemonade?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Logan. I’ll get right to the reason I’m here. I’m sure Hannah told you what happened today.”
“Yes, she told us of the incident. Even knowing Hannah for a short time, it’s difficult to believe it’s true,” Aunt Margaret replied.
“I agree,” Miss Trent said. “I’ve been unable to speak with Mr. Dobbs yet. He left school on a family matter, but he will return tomorrow. He will have the final word on this. I just want you to know that I don’t believe Hannah cheated, but we have to get to the bottom of the mystery.”
As she spoke, Miss Trent reached over and patted Hannah’s slumped shoulders. “We’ll straighten this out, Hannah. There’s surely a logical answer.”
Rising to her feet, Miss Trent announced, “My nephew, Tom, is waiting for me. I’ll see you in the morning, Hannah. Please try not to worry.”
Uncle David walked the teacher to the door after the family’s goodbyes.
Sleep didn’t come easily that night. Hannah laid awake, wondering how such a humiliating thing had happened and, most of all, why?
Morning came much too soon for Hannah. As she slipped on the pink flower-sprigged dress and new shoes, her thoughts flew in a different direction. She knew she was innocent. Why did she get blamed? How could Miss Trent and Mr. Dobbs solve the mystery since the answers were found in the brace belonging to her?
Going downstairs, Hannah followed the smell of sizzling
bacon. Delia sang as she prepared breakfast. A platter piled high with fluffy scrambled eggs sat in the center of the table. Nestled next to the eggs were bacon and fat, brown sausages. Frosty glasses of fresh orange juice complimented the sunshine yellow tablecloth.
Hannah knew Delia worked hard to prepare delicious meals, but this morning she couldn’t face the thought of eating anything.
“You’re early this morning, Hannah. Let me fix you a plate.”
“Good morning, Delia. I’m not very hungry. If you don’t mind, I’ll just have some juice.”
“Why, child, what’s the matter? You need to eat a good breakfast. You have a long day at school, and…”
Before Delia could finish, tears streamed from Hannah’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook beneath the pink dress. “I don’t want to go to school today. I feel just awful,” Hannah sobbed.
Delia bustled around the table, dusting her hands on her apron.
“Now you listen to me, Hannah girl. Miss Margaret came down here earlier and told me what happened yesterday. We all know you didn’t cheat. Why, you’re just about the smartest girl I know. Somebody at that school is guilty and it sure ain’t you. Your teacher’s gonna find out who did it.”
Hannah sniffed, drying her eyes. “I know, but why does someone want to blame me?”
“I just don’t know, Hannah.” Delia shook her head wondering why this girl with so many problems had to face one more. “But I do know if you eat breakfast, you can face most anything.” The power of food was almost as strong in Delia as the power of prayer. Delia opened the door of the oven and removed a pan of golden brown biscuits. “Now, you just fill your plate and everything’s gonna turn out fine.”
By now, the rest of the family gathered and the talk again turned to the picnic on Sunday. Caroline wiggled in anticipation of the event. Hannah tried to join in the talk and to forget the day that lay ahead. But all too soon Uncle David spoke.
“Time to go, Hannah.”
&nbs
p; CHAPTER SIX – GUILTY
Miss Trent looked up from her grade book and spotted Hannah crossing the school yard. She watched for a few moments until Hannah reached the building and sat down on the steps. It was so early that only a few of the younger students waited for classes to begin.
Miss Trent opened the door and stepped out into the already warm morning air. “Good morning, Hannah. Would you like to come in and help me? I need a few tasks done before school starts. I saw you coming across the yard and thought you might like to shelve books for me.”
Hannah stood up and followed her teacher. “I’ll be glad to help, Miss Trent.”
Pointing to a stack of books, Miss Trent said, “Those books go on the back shelf. They’re put in alphabetical order among the others. Think you can do that?”
“Yes, ma’am. I used to help my teacher at my other school.” Hannah shelved the books while Miss Trent graded papers. The two worked in silence for about ten minutes. Hannah had almost finished her chore when the teacher rose, went outside and rang the heavy brass bell.
The students filed in, their eyes on Hannah, the girl who cheated on a test. The class had just settled when a knock sounded and Mr. Dobbs’s head appeared around the doorframe.
“Good morning, boys and girls.” He nodded in their direction. “Miss Trent, may I see you in the hall?”
“Class, please take out your readers and review chapter seven of our story. We’ll discuss it later. Jimmy, could you please monitor?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The shy boy nodded, his face turning a bright red.
Stepping into the hall, Miss Trent looked at the principal, her eyebrows raised. “How can I be of help?”
“Miss Trent, when I returned early this morning I found that my desk had been disturbed. An answer sheet to the arithmetic test disappeared. I’ve looked through my desk and in my files, but have found nothing. I thought you might shed some light on the matter. The missing sheet had the answers for the test your class took yesterday.”