And Nothing But the Truth Read Online Free PDF

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    “That’s better, Polly,” said Miss Netherwood coldly when she came around again. “This one is much more accurate than the ones you did freehand. You see? You’re not as good as you think you are!” She gazed around the room with a triumphant smirk.
    Yes, I am!
thought Polly. But that didn’t help. She had been so excited about drawing, and it had turned out to be so disappointing. And she’d received an order mark!
    At least she had the extra art classes to look forward to. But what if that teacher was as hopeless as this one?
    After school, Polly glanced at the weekly charts posted outside the staff room. There was one for posture, with stars by the names of the girls whose straight backs had been noticed. Beside the weekly charts were the house charts. Sure enough, a numeral one was written by her name on Sussex’s chart. Hers was the only order mark there. Polly fled to tea.
    “I’m sorry you got an order mark,” Daisy told Polly. “I don’t think Miss Netherwood was fair.”
    “Of course she wasn’t,” said Eleanor. “I saw Polly’s cube and it was just like the one on the board.”
    “It’s not how it looks—it’s how you do it,” said Rhoda. “Polly, I could help you, if you like.”
    How dare she?
Polly tried to control her voice. “I don’t need any help, thank you. I already know how to draw—I’ve been doing it for years.”
    “Polly’s going to be an artist one day,” Eleanor told them.
    “A real artist?” Daisy gazed at Polly with awe. “Golly!”
    “
I’m
going to be one, too!” said Rhoda quickly. Polly knew she’d just thought of it. “I won first prize in our school contest,” Rhoda added.
    “You did? That’s swell, Rhoda!” Daisy went on to askher about her art, but Polly pushed back her chair. “Let’s get out of here,” she said to Eleanor.
    She and Eleanor had chosen free for their after-school activity. They ran out the door and kept running across the lawn to the woods.
    Polly looked around; no one was watching. “In here!” she said, leading Eleanor through the trees to the patch of moss she had seen behind the sequoia. They leaned against its wide trunk, the sun making dappled shadows on their faces. They couldn’t see out, and no one could see in.
    “I’ve wanted to come in here since yesterday,” said Polly. She wished she’d brought her sketchbook; but she would feel self-conscious drawing in front of Eleanor.
    “Good choice!” said Eleanor. She looked around. “This could be our secret hideaway. Let’s not even tell Daisy and Rhoda about it.” She took off her steamed-up glasses and rubbed them on her tunic. Her large hazel eyes were so pretty it was too bad she had to hide them behind her glasses, thought Polly.
    “Miss Netherwood is almost as mean as the Hornet,” said Eleanor. “I like Mrs. Diamond, though, and Mrs. Partridge is quite nice, as well.”
    They listed the teachers they liked and the ones they didn’t. “At least we don’t have the Guppy for anything,” said Polly.
    “We will next year, for Latin, but I guess you won’t behere then.” Eleanor looked mournful, then she said, “Tell me more about Alice. She’s very confident, isn’t she?”
    “Alice lives on the island. She’s nice to me here, but when she went to my school, she was a terrible bully—we were all afraid of her. But that’s because her
mother
is a bully. Sometimes she whipped her!”
    “That’s wrong,” said Eleanor firmly. “My parents have never hit me, have yours?”
    “Daddy never did, and I’m sure my mother didn’t. I guess we’re lucky.” Polly swallowed. “Would you—would you like me to tell you about my father?”
    “If you want to,” said Eleanor.
    Polly told her an abbreviated version: how Daddy had stolen some money because they were so poor, how he had been caught, but had run away and pretended he’d drowned … how she and Maud had had to leave Winnipeg to live on the island, and how hard it was to keep