The Judgment Hall.

"Oh, Beth!" giggled the fair, plump young lady who shared her seat.
"He's found you out certain!"

"You're in for it, Beth!" whispered another. "Old Primmy's seen your
picture!"

Miss Gordon's deep gray eyes took on a look of mock terror. She went
out with bent head and a comical air of abject humility that left the
room in a titter. The "Moderns" teacher frowned. Miss Gordon was
irrepressible.

Nevertheless, when she found herself passing down the wide echoing hall
alone, the young lady was seized with misgivings. For which of her
misdemeanors was she to be arraigned this time? There was that
dreadful caricature she had drawn of the Principal--the one with the
shining expanse of bald head towards which swarms of flies and
mosquitoes, bearing skates and toboggans and hockey-sticks, were
hurrying gayly, while upon poor old Dr. Primrose's one tuft of hair
shone the conspicuous sign, "This way to the Great Slide."

Now, what on earth had she done with that picture? Oh, yes, Horace
Oliver had borrowed it to show to Parker Raymond. Perhaps Park had
lost it--he was such a careless fellow--and Dr. Primrose had found it!
And there was that poem, too, the one on little Mr. Kelly, the Science
Master. It was a long, lugubrious effusion, telling of the search by a
heart-broken chemistry class for a beloved teacher, who had
unaccountably disappeared. It described them as wandering about
weeping pitifully, looking into desks and ink-bottles, and under books;
until at last they discovered to their horror that a careless girl had
dropped her pen-wiper upon him and smothered him! That poem had
circulated through the class, causing much merriment. And where was it
now? The poetess could not remember. Suppose someone had dropped it
and Mr. Kelly had found it? He was so small, and so sensitive about
his size. No wonder Miss Gordon went very slowly to the Principal's
room.

Usually her days were all unalloyed joy. High School, except for
occasional skirmishes with troublesome teachers, was a delight. For
Elizabeth Gordon had arrived at a place in life where one could have a
good time without hurting anyone; there was so much fun in the world,
laughter was so easy--and nobody seemed ever to be in trouble any more.
Even as she tapped at the door beyond which probable retribution lay,
she smiled at the nodding lilac bush with its bunch of amethyst
blossoms that waved a greeting to her from the open