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。