asculine candidate, there were a few
girls who put their trust in manly courage rather than feminine charm
and were disposed to break loose from the suffragette camp. Public
opinion thus gave the election to Donald.

As the time for election drew near, the interest became more intense and
the various camps campaigned vigorously, each striving to gain the
majority vote. One day as the school was assembling in their usual room
they were stopped by the sight of their principal questioning one of the
members of the class.

"But this is your knife, isn't it?" sternly inquired the principal.

"Yes, sir," responded John, a trustworthy boy, the son of a widowed
mother whom he helped by working after school hours.

"Mr. Starks found this knife underneath his broken window last night. It
had evidently been dropped by the boy who, in climbing out of his cherry
tree, accidentally smashed the window. You know that I announced last
week that the next boy who was caught trespassing upon Mr. Starks'
property would be suspended from school for the rest of the year. I am
disappointed in you, John. This does not sound like you. Did you drop
this knife last night?"

"No, sir," responded John.

"No? Well, speak up. Who had the knife?"

"I can't say, sir."

"But you must. This is a serious matter. One of the rules of the school
has been broken." Then looking nervously around the room of girls and
boys, the principal commanded: "Will the boy who dropped this knife last
night speak, or shall I be forced to find out the culprit for myself?"

There was no answer. Every boy stood taut, his eyes steadfastly before
him in the thick silence that followed.

"Very well," snapped the principal. "John, who had the knife yesterday?"

"I cannot say, sir," responded John unwillingly.

"You may do one of two things, either you will tell the name of the boy
to whom you lent the knife or you may be suspended from school for the
rest of the year."

The silence was more intense. One, two, three minutes passed.

"You are dismissed," said the principal.

Slowly John left the room. Three days passed. John's mother, much
disturbed, bewailed the fact that he would lose this year out of his
school life and, perhaps, would not have the opportunity of going again.
John thought of the responsibility toward his mother and then of that
toward the boy whose fault he was concealing. Was he doing right or was
he doing the easiest thing in not telling?

On