Her cheek was swollen and her face ached . The schoolroom was cold and smoky , for the fire refused to burn and the children were huddled about it in shivering groups . Anne sent them to their seats with a sharper tone than she had ever used before . Anthony Pye strutted to his with his usual impertinent swagger and she saw him whisper something to his seat-mate and then glance at her with a grin . Never , so it seemed to Anne , had there been so many squeaky pencils as there were that morning ; and when Barbara Shaw came up to the desk with a sum she tripped over the coal scuttle with disastrous results . The coal rolled to every part of the room , her slate was broken into fragments , and when she picked herself up , her face , stained with coal dust , sent the boys into roars of laughter . Anne turned from the second reader class which she was hearing . `` Really , Barbara , '' she said icily , `` if you can not move without falling over something you 'd better remain in your seat . It is positively disgraceful for a girl of your age to be so awkward . '' Poor Barbara stumbled back to her desk , her tears combining with the coal dust to produce an effect truly grotesque . Never before had her beloved , sympathetic teacher spoken to her in such a tone or fashion , and Barbara was heartbroken . Anne herself felt a prick of conscience but it only served to increase her mental irritation , and the second reader class remember that lesson yet , as well as the unmerciful infliction of arithmetic that followed . Just as Anne was snapping the sums out St. Clair Donnell arrived breathlessly . `` You are half an hour late , St. Clair , '' Anne reminded him frigidly . `` Why is this ? '' `` Please , miss , I had to help ma make a pudding for dinner 'cause we 're expecting company and Clarice Almira 's sick , '' was St. Clair 's answer , given in a perfectly respectful voice but nevertheless provocative of great mirth among his mates . `` Take your seat and work out the six problems on page eighty-four of your arithmetic for punishment , '' said Anne . St. Clair looked rather amazed at her tone but he went meekly to his desk and took out his slate . Then he stealthily passed a small parcel to Joe Sloane across the aisle . Anne caught him in the act and jumped to a fatal conclusion about that parcel .
Old Mrs. Hiram Sloane had lately taken XXXXX making and selling `` nut cakes '' by way of adding to her scanty income .
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