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           "Medad’sgottomoveoutofthedistrictbecauseofwhatyourdaddidtohim!"Sheturnedandranfromtheplayground,howling.

           Meggieheldherheadupandkepthereyesdry.Shewaslearning.Itdidn’tmatterwhatanyoneelsethought,itdidn’t,itdidn’t!Theothergirlsavoidedher,halfbecausetheywerefrightenedofBobandJack,halfbecausethewordhadgotaroundtheirparentsandtheyhadbeeninstructedtokeepaway;beingthickwiththeClearysusuallymeanttroubleofsomekind.SoMeggiepassedthelastfewdaysofschool"inCoventry,"astheycalledit,whichmeantshewastotallyostracized.EvenSisterAgatharespectedthenewpolicy,andtookherragesoutonStuartinstead.

           Aswereallbirthdaysamongthelittleonesiftheyfellonaschoolday,Meggie’sbirthdaycelebrationwasdelayeduntilSaturday,whenshereceivedthelonged-forwillowpatternteaset.ItwasarrangedonabeautifullycraftedultramarinetableandchairsmadeinFrank’snonexistentsparetime,andAgneswasseatedononeofthetwotinychairswearinganewbluedressmadeinFee’snonexistentsparetime.Meggiestareddismallyattheblue-and-whitedesignsgambolingallaroundeachsmallpiece;atthefantastictreeswiththeirfunnypuffyblossoms,attheornatelittlepagoda,atthestrangelystilledpairofbirdsandtheminutefigureseternallyfleeingacrossthekinkybridge.Ithadlosteverybitofitsenchantment.Butdimlysheunderstoodwhythefamilyhadbeggareditselftogetherthethingtheythoughtdearesttoherheart.