ather.

"And you so disregard the rules as to have jewels in your open box--and
money of this value," continued Mademoiselle, emptying the coins out of
the bead purse and putting her finger on the gold piece.

"Is that money?" asked Anne, in amazement.

Mademoiselle looked up. "Do you mean to tell me that you were unaware
that this is a twenty-dollar coin?" she asked.

"I never thought," answered Anne. "Of course I ought to have known. It
was stupid. But I had never seen gold money before."

"Where did you get it?" demanded Mademoiselle. "And the other things?"

It was the question that Anne dreaded.

"I cannot tell you, Mamzelle," she answered, in a low voice.

"Anne! I demand to know whose things these are," said Mademoiselle, in
her most awful voice.

"Mine, mine," cried Anne. "But I cannot tell you about them, Mamzelle.
Indeed I cannot--not if you kill me. I promised. I promised."

In vain did Mademoiselle Duroc question. At last she dismissed Anne who
crept back to bed, and, holding Honey-Sweet tight, sobbed herself to
sleep.

CHAPTER X

The next morning Anne was summoned to the office; there she was coaxed
and threatened by Miss Morris and questioned keenly by Mademoiselle
Duroc. All to no purpose. She said in breathless whispers that she
didn't mean to be disobedient, she didn't want to refuse to answer, but
she could not, could not tell anything about the jewels. She confessed
that Miss Drayton and Mrs. Patterson did not know that she had them.

"She must answer." Miss Morris's voice was rougher than it had ever been
in Mademoiselle Duroc's presence. "Permit me to whip her, Mademoiselle,
and make her tell."

Mademoiselle shook her head slowly. Her voice was like spun silk as she
replied: "If she does not answer when I speak, it is not my thought that
she would answer to the rod. Anne!" She fixed her clear, commanding
eyes again on the little culprit.

"Oh, Mamzelle, don't ask me," sobbed Anne. "I would tell you if I could.
I will do anything else you want me. But I cannot--cannot--cannot tell."

Mademoiselle Duroc rose, looked over Anne's head as if she were not
there, and spoke to Miss Morris. "For the present, certainly, it is
useless to persist," she said. "Unless Anne Lewis makes the explanation
of this matter, for a month she may not go on the playground, she may
not take any recreation except a walk alone in the yard, she may have
double tasks in the three studies in which her gr