Hoover，withatroubledface，“foryouseesheisagrowin’girl，“
andsheconcluded，withsomeembarrassment，“Ican’tquitemakeupmymindhowtodressher。“
“Howoldisshe？“askedthemasterabruptly。
“Goin’ontwelve，but，“——andMrs。Hooveragainhesitated。
“Why，twoofmyscholars，theBromlygirls，areoverfourteen，“
saidthemaster，“andyouknowhowtheyaredressed；“butherehehesitatedinhisturn。IthadjustoccurredtohimthatthelittlewaifwasfromtheextremeSouth，andtheprecociousmaturityofthemixedracestherewaswellknown。Heevenremembered，tohisalarm，tohaveseenbridesoftwelveandmothersoffourteenamongthenativevillagers。Thismightalsoaccountforthesuggestionofequalityinhermanner，andevenforaslightcoquettishnesswhichhethoughthehadnoticedinherwhenhehadaddressedherplayfullyasamuchacha。“IshoulddressherinsomethingSpanish，“hesaidhurriedly，“somethingwhite，youknow，withplentyofflouncesandalittleblacklace，orablacksilkskirtandalacescarf，youknow。She’llbeallrightifyoudon’tmakeherlooklikeaservantoradependent，“headded，withashowofconfidencehewasfarfromfeeling。“Butyouhaven’ttoldmehername，“heconcluded。
“Aswe’rereckonin’toadopther，“saidMrs。Hoovergravely，“you’llgiveherours。“
“ButIcan’tcallher’MissHoover，’“suggestedthemaster；“what’sherfirstname？“
“Wewasthinkin’o’’SerafinaAnn，’“saidMrs。Hooverwithmoregravity。
“Butwhatishername？“persistedthemaster。
“Well，“returnedMrs。Hoover，withatroubledlook，“meandHiramconsiderit’saheathenishsortofnameforayounggal，butyou’llfinditinmybrother’sletter。“ShetookaletterfromunderthelidofalargeBibleonthetableandpointedtoapassageinit。
“Thechildwaschristened’Concepcion，’“readthemaster。“Why，that’soneoftheMarys！“
“Thewhich？“askedMrs。Hooverseverely。
“OneofthetitlesoftheVirginMary；’MariadelaConcepcion，’“
saidMr。Brooksglibly。
“Itdon’tsoundmuchlikeanythin’soChristiananddecentas’Maria’or’Mary，’“returnedMrs。Hooversuspiciously。
“Buttheabbreviation，’Concha，’isverypretty。Infactit’sjustthething，it’ssoverySpanish，“returnedthemasterdecisively。
“Andyouknowthatthesquawwhohangsabouttheminingcampiscalled’ReservationAnn，’andoldMrs。Parkins’snegrocookiscalled’AuntSerafina，’so’SerafinaAnn’istoosuggestive。
’ConchaHoover’’sthename。“
“P’r’apsyou’reright，“saidMrs。Hoovermeditatively。
“Anddresshersoshe’lllooklikehernameandyou’llbeallright，“saidthemastergaylyashetookhisdeparture。
Nevertheless，itwaswithsomeanxietythenextmorningheheardthesoundofhoofsontherockybridlepathleadingtotheschoolhouse。HehadalreadyinformedhislittleflockoftheprobableadditiontotheirnumbersandtheirbreathlesscuriositynowaccentedtheappearanceofMr。Hooverridingpastthewindow，followedbyalittlefigureonhorseback，halfhiddeninthegracefulfoldsofaserape。Thenextmomenttheydismountedattheporch，theserapewascastaside，andthenewscholarentered。
Alittlealarmedeveninhisadmiration，themasterneverthelessthoughthehadneverseenamoredaintyfigure。Herheavilyflouncedwhiteskirtstoppedshortjustaboveherwhite-stockingedanklesandlittlefeet，hiddeninwhitesatin，low-quarteredslippers。Herblacksilk，shell-likejackethalfclaspedherstaylessbustcladinanunder-bodiceofsoftmuslinthatfaintlyoutlinedacontourwhichstruckhimasalreadywomanly。Ablacklaceveilwhichhadprotectedherhead，shehadonenteringslippeddowntohershoulderswithagracefulgesture，leavingoneendofitpinnedtoherhairbyaroseaboveherlittleyellowear。ThewholefigurewassoinconsistentwithitspresentsettingthatthemasterinwardlyresolvedtosuggestamodificationofittoMrs。
Hooverashe，withgreatgravity，however，ledthegirltotheseathehadpreparedforher。Mr。Hoover，whohadbeenassistingdisciplineasheconscientiouslybelievedbygazingwithhushed，reverentreminiscenceonthewalls，herewhisperedbehindhislargehandthathewouldcallforherat“fouro’clock“andtiptoedoutoftheschoolroom。Themaster，whofeltthateverythingwoulddependuponhisrepressingthechildren’sexuberantcuriosityandmaintainingthedisciplineoftheschoolforthenextfewminutes，withsupernaturalgravityaddressedtheyounggirlinSpanishandplacedbeforeherafewslightelementarytasks。Perhapsthestrangenessofthelanguage，perhapstheunwontedseriousnessofthemaster，perhapsalsotheimpassibilityoftheyoungstrangerherself，allcontributedtoarresttheexpandingsmilesonlittlefaces，tochecktheirwanderingeyes，andhushtheireagerwhispers。Bydegreesheadswereagainloweredovertheirtasks，thescratchingofpencilsonslates，andthefar-offrappingofWoodpeckersagainindicatedthenormalquietoftheschoolroom，andthemasterknewhehadtriumphed，andtheordealwaspast。
Butnotasregardedhimself，foralthoughthenewpupilhadacceptedhisinstructionswithchildlikesubmissiveness，andevenasitseemedtohimwithchildlikecomprehension，hecouldnothelpnoticingthatsheoccasionallyglancedathimwithademuresuggestionofsomeunderstandingbetweenthem，orasiftheywereplayingatmasterandpupil。Thisnaturallyannoyedhimandperhapsaddedasevererdignitytohismanner，whichdidnotappeartobeeffective，however，andwhichhefanciedsecretlyamusedher。
Wasshecovertlylaughingathim？Yetagainstthis，onceortwice，asherbigeyeswanderedfromhertaskovertheroom，theyencounteredthecuriousgazeoftheotherchildren，andhefanciedhesawanexchangeofthatfreemasonryofintelligencecommontochildreninthepresenceoftheireldersevenwhenstrangerstoeachother。Helookedforwardtorecesstoseehowshewouldgetonwithhercompanions；heknewthatthiswouldsettleherstatusintheschool，andperhapselsewhere。EvenherlimitedEnglishvocabularywouldnotinanywayaffectthatinstinctive，childliketestofsuperiority，buthewassurprisedwhenthehourofrecesscameandhehadexplainedtoherinSpanishandEnglishitspurpose，toseeherquietlyputherarmaroundthewaistofMatildaBromly，thetallestgirlintheschool，asthetwowhiskedthemselvesofftotheplayground。Shewasamerechildafterall！
Otherthingsseemedtoconfirmthisopinion。Later，whenthechildrenreturnedfromrecess，theyoungstrangerhadinstantlybecomeapopularidol，andhadevidentlydispensedherfavorsandpatronagegenerously。TheelderBromlygirlwaswearingherlaceveil，anotherhadpossessionofherhandkerchief，andathirddisplayedtherosewhichhadadornedherleftear，thingsofwhichthemasterwasobligedtotakenotewithaviewofreturningthemtotheprodigallittlebarbarianatthecloseofschool。Laterhewas，however，muchperplexedbythemysteriouspassageunderthedesksofsomeunknownobjectwhichapparentlywasmakingthecircuitoftheschool。Withtheannoyedconsciousnessthathewasperhapsunwittinglyparticipatinginsomegame，hefinally“nailedit“inthepossessionofDemosthenesWalker，agedsix，tothespontaneousoutcryof“Cotched！“fromthewholeschool。WhenproducedfromMasterWalker’sdeskincompanywithahornedtoadandapieceofgingerbread，itwasfoundtobeConcha’swhitesatinslipper，theyounggirlherself，meanwhile，bendingdemurelyoverhertaskwiththebereftfoottuckeduplikeabird’sunderherskirt。Themaster，reservingreproofofthisandotherenormitiesuntillater，contentedhimselfwithcommandingtheslippertobebroughttohim，whenhetookittoherwiththesatiricalremarkinSpanishthattheschoolroomwasnotadressingroom——Camaraparavestirse。Tohissurprise，however，shesmilinglyheldoutthetinystockingedfootwithasingularcombinationofthespoiledchildandthecoquettishsenorita，andremainedwithitextendedasifwaitingforhimtokneelandreplacetheslipper。Buthelaiditcarefullyonherdesk。
“Putitonatonce，“hesaidinEnglish。
Therewasnomistakingthetoneofhisvoice，whateverhislanguage。Conchadartedaquicklookathimlikethemomentaryresentmentofananimal，butalmostasquicklyhereyesbecamesuffused，andwithahurriedmovementsheputontheslipper。
“Please，sir，itdroppedoffandJimmySnyderpassediton，“saidasmallexplanatoryvoiceamongthebenches。
“Silence！“saidthemaster。
Nevertheless，hewasgladtoseethattheschoolhadnotnoticedthegirl’sfamiliarityeventhoughtheythoughthim“hard。“Hewasnotsureuponreflectionbutthathehadmagnifiedheroffenseandhadbeenunnecessarilysevere，andthisfeelingwasaugmentedbyhisoccasionallyfindingherlookingathimwiththemelancholy，wonderingeyesofachiddenanimal。Later，ashewasmovingamongthedesks’overlookingthetasksoftheindividualpupils，heobservedfromadistancethatherheadwasbentoverherdeskwhileherlipsweremovingasifrepeatingtoherselfherlesson，andthatafterwards，withaswiftlookaroundtheroomtoassureherselfthatshewasunobserved，shemadeahurriedsignofthecross。Itoccurredtohimthatthismighthavefollowedsomepenitentialprayerofthechild，andrememberinghertuitionbythepadresitgavehimanidea。HedismissedschoolafewmomentsearlierinorderthathemightspeaktoheralonebeforeMr。Hooverarrived。
Referringtotheslipperincidentandreceivingherassurancesthat“she“theslipperwasmuchtoolargeandfelloften“so，“afactreallyestablishedbydemonstration，heseizedhisopportunity。
“Buttellme，whenyouwerewiththepadreandyourslipperfelloff，youdidnotexpecthimtoputitonforyou？“
Conchalookedathimcoylyandthensaidtriumphantly，“Ah，no！buthewasapriest，andyouareayoungcaballero。“
YetevenafterthisaudacityMr。BrooksfoundhecouldonlyrecommendtoMr。Hooverachangeintheyounggirl’sslippers，theabsenceoftherose-pinnedveil，andthesubstitutionofasunbonnet。Fortheresthemusttrusttocircumstances。AsMr。
Hoover——whowithlargepaternaloptimismhadprofessedtoseealreadyanimprovementinher——helpedherintothesaddle，theschoolmastercouldnothelpnoticingthatshehadevidentlyexpectedhimtoperformthatactofcourtesy，andthatshelookedcorrespondinglyreproachful。