Straight Forward by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

STARTLED as she was by the unexpected effects of her words, Delia did not lose her presence of mind. She gently turned the key in the door, and then applying herself to a judicious use of such restoratives as were within reach, she had soon the satisfaction of seeing Emily open her eyes. She seemed bewildered at first, and asked what was the matter.

"You fainted," replied Delia, quietly, continuing to bathe her head.

"Do you feel better?"

Emily looked at her for a moment, and then as the tide of recollection rushed back upon her mind, she turned away her head, and burst into a passion of tears and hysterical sobs.

"Listen to me Emily," said Delia firmly, but not unkindly, and taking Emily's hand in hers. "This will never do. You must command yourself and be quiet, or I shall have to send for Mrs. Pomeroy, and then an exposure will be inevitable. For your own sake, make an effort and compose yourself."

"I wish she did know all about it," said Emily, as soon as she could speak, "and then it would be over."

"I think you are mistaken there," replied Delia. "You do not know as much of schools as I do. Are you quite prepared to take the consequences?"

"What consequences?"

"In the first, place, expulsion from the school. Mrs. Pomeroy, as you well know, values the reputation of her school above every thing else in the world. Do you think she would keep a girl in the house who had deliberately robbed an orphan child, and that child Kitty Mastick, whom she loves as the apple of her eye? It is true she might send you away privately, but that would make little difference. The whole affair would soon become known, and your reputation would be ruined forever. Then where would you go? You have no home. Your father-"

Emily groaned, but Delia pitilessly pursued her course-

"Your father, as you always say, detests nothing so much as dishonesty in money matters, and from what you have told me of him, I imagine that he would visit such a sin more severely upon the head of his own daughter, than upon that of a stranger. If you were terrified at the very idea of his knowing that you had made a little bill at a store, with what sort of feeling will you tell him that you have stolen money enough to send you to the Penitentiary?"

"I wish I were dead-I do wish I were dead," said Emily despairingly.

"That is quite useless; and if all Mr. Fletcher says is true, you would not improve your condition much by dying. No, Emily, the case is simply this. You must listen to reason and be guided by me, and I promise you that I will be your friend; but then you must be willing to do something for me in return. I can save you from expulsion and disgrace, and I will do so, but it must be on my own terms."

"And how do I know that you will not bring me to disgrace instead of saving me from it? " demanded Emily.

"Simply because I have not yet done so," replied Delia. "Though I have known your secret from the beginning, I have never before hinted my knowledge even to you, nor should I have done so now, if you had not forced it upon me."

"But to have disgrace always hanging over my head-always to be under-" Emily shuddered without finishing the sentence. "No, Delia, I cannot bear it. I must confess and have it over at once; I will go to Mrs. Pomeroy this minute."

She tried to rise from the bed as she spoke, but her head was still giddy-the room seemed to turn dark, and she nearly fell. Delia caught her, replaced her on the bed without speaking, and then turning the key in the lock, she opened the door as if to go out.

"Where are you going? " asked Emily, fearing she knew not what.

"I am going to ask Mrs. Pomeroy to give me another room-mate," said Delia decidedly. "If she asks me the reason, of course I shall have to tell her the whole story."

"You forget that I have also a story to tell!"