rstood. If she
should tell Miss Thompson the truth, the principal would believe her.
Julia would receive her just deserts but, oh, bitter thought, there would
be no more basketball that season.

Grace felt that she had no right to sacrifice the pleasure of so many
others, even for Anne's sake. It would only increase the feeling against
both Anne and herself, and after all, Julia might still hold out in her
insinuations against Anne.

"How can you be so contemptible?" she said to her smiling enemy. "You
never win anything honestly. I see it is useless for me to appeal to you
for something which you cannot give, and that is fair play!" With a slight
bow, Grace walked quickly away, leaving Julia a little astonished at her
sudden departure and not at all pleased at Grace's frankly expressed
opinion.

Grace lost no time in relating to Anne her fruitless interview with the
junior captain.

"I am so humiliated to think I failed. I expected that threatening to tell
Miss Thompson would bring her to her senses, but she is too cunning for
me," sighed Grace.

The two girls were walking home from school.

"Shall you tell Nora and Jessica?" asked Anne.

"No," said Grace. "Let us keep the sprained ankle part of the story a
secret. They are loyal to you, at any rate, and Nora would be so angry. I
am afraid I couldn't keep her from going straight to Miss Thompson and
making a general mess of things. I am so sorry, Anne, dear, but I guess we
shall have to weather the gale together. It will die out after a while,
just as all those things do. Hush! Don't say anything now. Here come Nora
and Jessica."

"What do you think!" cried Nora. "Edna Wright is giving a party next
Saturday, and she isn't going to invite either you or Anne."

"How shocking!" said Grace. "We shall both die of grief at having been
slighted."

She spoke lightly, and no one but Anne guessed how much the news hurt her.

"We are not going," declared Nora, "and we told her so."

"What did she say?" asked Grace.

"We didn't give her time to answer," said Nora, "but rushed off to find
you. The whole thing is perfectly ridiculous! The idea of a lot of silly
little school girls thinking they own the earth. It's all Miriam's fault.
She has tried to be leader of her class ever since it was organized but
mark what I say, she'll never accomplish it. Pride will get a fall, one of
these days, and I hope I'll be around when it happens."

"Never mind, Nora," said Grace