And Nothing But the Truth by Kit Pearson

Polly shortly.
    “Was it fun?” said Daisy.
    Polly just nodded. “Fun” seemed such a tame word to describe the afternoon.
    “What exactly
is
‘charcoal’?” said Eleanor. “How do you use it?”
    Polly explained that she didn’t know what it was made of. Then her voice warmed as she told them about sketching the fruit.
    “That doesn’t sound very hard,” said Rhoda. “In
my
art class we did still lifes with oil paints.”
    “Does Miss Falconer have a nice house?” said Daisy.
    “Yes … she has a big studio that overlooks the sea. And guess what … she lives with a man and they aren’t married!”
    “Wow!” The others listened avidly while Polly described Frans.
    “Isn’t that against the law?” said Daisy.
    Eleanor laughed. “It’s not against the law—it’s called ‘common law.’ A couple on our street live like that. My mother is friendly to them, but no one else is.”
    “It’s not
right
,” said Rhoda. “I can’t believe Miss Guppy would let you take art from someone like that, Polly.”
    “Miss Guppy doesn’t know,” said Polly, “and don’t you dare tell her, Rhoda! What does it matter? What Miss Falconer does is her own business, not anyone else’s.”
    Rhoda shrugged. “Why would I tell her? I still think it’s wrong, though.”
    “
I
think it’s really interesting,” said Eleanor. “I wonder why some people don’t get married.”
    “Miss Falconer told us they’d never seen the point of it,” said Polly.
    Everyone was silent, digesting this new information.
    The Crab crabbily cooked scrambled eggs for supper. The girls helped wash and dry the dishes. Then Miss Guppy appeared at the door. She had a strange, intense look in her eyes.
    Polly realized where she’d been all day. Maud had told her that, every Saturday, Miss Guppy attended a different church from the one the school went to on Sundays, a church where people were “born again.” Sometimes she took a few of the girls with her. When Maud was here, she herself had been born again. She had driven Polly mad by trying to convert her, as well.
    Polly smiled. What would the Guppy think if she knew that Maud was loosening her beliefs?
    “Those of you who are attending the concert, change into your best clothes,” ordered Miss Guppy. “In half an hour, two taxis will arrive to take us downtown.”
    Polly changed once again. She put on clean white socks, and held back her hair with her new barrettes.
    “You look so pretty in that dress,” Daisy told her.
    Polly flushed. She
felt
pretty in the green print dress she wore to church at home. She wished she could wear her fitted blue Sunday coat, as well, instead of this shapeless grey one.
    “How do you like
my
dress, Dais?” Rhoda asked. “It’s from a department store in Seattle.”
    Rhoda had changed her mind about coming. “I don’t want to be here all by myself,” she told them. “But I wish we were going to a movie instead of a recital. I read in Mrs. Blake’s paper that
Hopalong Cassidy
is playing.”
    Nine boarders had chosen to go. Miss Guppy inspected them in the hall. “Very nice, girls. Now, I’m sure you all know how to behave at a concert, but let me remind you—no talking, not even whispering, until it’s over. Sit perfectly still, and only clap when everyone else does. Is that clear?”
    “Yes, Miss Guppy,” they chorused.
    Polly didn’t say that she’d never even been to a concert.
    Alice was squished beside her in the taxi. “I’m so excited!” she told Polly. “My singing teacher said that this group is really good.”
    The girls spilled out of the taxis and followed Miss Guppy into the theatre. Someone handed them programs, then they walked up to the second level and took their seats in the balcony.
    Below them, a piano player and two violinists playedopera selections. A majestic woman with a powerful voice joined the three musicians. Polly liked the music, but she found the singing too dramatic. She couldn’t take her eyes