ell upon the chattering group of girls and for several
dreadful moments every eye was turned on Alma, who, white as a sheet,
was staring blankly at the uncompromising word written after her name.

"I--I can't understand," she said presently, in a scared, voice. "I
_did_ take the examination--and I thought I really got through. I
can't understand. Why should it be cancelled?" She turned her big,
frightened eyes to Nancy, who, as pale as she was, only stared back at
her.

"Why should my examination be cancelled?" repeated Alma, dazedly. "Was
anyone else's cancelled too?"

"No. One, two, six girls flunked--and--for goodness' _sake_--Mildred
Lloyd made the highest mark, Ninety-three! Mildred Lloyd, come here,
and get your medal! Congratulations!"

Mildred strolled up nonchalantly, glanced at the board and turned away;
only Nancy followed her curiously with her eyes. Then she turned to
Alma.

"Haven't you any idea why your examination was cancelled?" she asked,
in an odd voice that sounded as if her throat was dry. Alma shook her
head.

"It's very strange. Come and let's ask Miss Drinkwater. Maybe it's
only that your paper was lost or something like that." She tried to
sound comforting, but she had no faith in her suggestion. Just then,
however, the bell rang, and the girls had to go to their desks. Miss
Leland took her place at one end of the room and stood waiting for
silence. Everyone felt that she was there to make some important
announcement and her grave, cold expression led all of them to suspect
that it was not an entirely pleasant one.

She waited a moment after the room was silent. Alma looked piteously
at Nancy, with a glance that said, "She's going to say something about
me." Nancy kept her eyes fixedly on Miss Leland. Her lips were
pressed together tightly, and her hands had grown as cold and damp as
though she had just taken them out of ice-water. Her heart was beating
so heavily that the frill on her shirt-waist trembled.

Miss Leland took a step forward, straightened a book on the big desk,
and then looked up.

"Girls, for the first time in the history of this school, I am
compelled to make an announcement that is as great a humiliation to me
as it must be to you," she said, in a quiet, even voice.

"Ever since this school was founded there has never until now been any
occasion when I have been forced to doubt the honor of one of my
pupils." She made another pause, and in tha