Elizabeth Ann began in her usual school-reading style, very slow and
monotonous, but this didn't seem like a "reader" at all. It was poetry,
full of hard words that were fun to try to pronounce, and it was all
about an old woman who would hang out an American flag, even though the
town was full of rebel soldiers. She read faster and faster, getting
more and more excited, till she broke out with "Halt!" in such a loud,
spirited voice that the sound of it startled her and made her stop,
fearing that she would be laughed at. But nobody laughed. They were all
listening, very eagerly, even the little ones, with their eyes turned
toward her.

"You might as well go on and let us see how it came out," said the
teacher, and Betsy finished triumphantly.

"WELL," said the teacher, "there's no sense in your reading along in the
third reader. After this you'll recite out of the seventh reader with
Frank and Harry and Stashie."

Elizabeth Ann could not believe her ears. To be "jumped" four grades in
that casual way! It wasn't possible! She at once thought, however, of
something that would prevent it entirely, and while Ellen was reading
her page in a slow, careful little voice, Elizabeth Ann was feeling
miserably that she must explain to the teacher why she couldn't read
with the seventh-grade children. Oh, how she wished she could! When they
stood up to go back to their seats she hesitated, hung her head, and
looked very unhappy. "Did you want to say something to me?" asked the
teacher, pausing with a bit of chalk in her hand.

The little girl went up to her desk and said, what she knew it was her